Olive Tree Image

Olive Tree Image
Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction,
upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

1 Corinthians 10:11 (NASB95)

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

There are several questions that have come up and so this would be a good time to answer a number of them with shorter answers.

Q. What is your opinion on who the false messiah is? I've heard he may be a Muslim
A. I've heard some Bible teachers teach that but that doesn't line up with what the Bible actually teaches. He will be a political leader from Europe and probably Jewish. His rise to power will have the backing of apostate Christianity and the false prophet but contrary to popular opinion he will not be controlling the world. He will have a 3 year war with Russia and Russia will be winning until they invade Israel and are defeated. Exploiting that void, the false messiah will move into Israel and be fighting the Kings of the East and the Kings of the South, so that hardly looks like world control.

Q. In Colossians 2.14 it says that the Law was nailed to the cross so why do people teach that the Law has not been done away with?
A. Well, that verse does not talk about the Law being done away with. Let's look at it for moment. It says that the certificate of debt was cancelled out, consisting of decree's against us. The word "cheirographon" is a term for payment owed, a debt. When Yeshua died, out debt to God was cancelled, our debt was paid. What is important to see here and what is grammatically important is that the record of debt was erased not he ordinances. The idea being illustrated here by Paul is the placard on our own cross that lists our crimes against God (sin). A condemned man on a cross had his crimes listed and placed over his head or somewhere around so that people would know why he was being executed. Paul says that Yeshua took our placard and it was nailed to his cross. The Torah is not being done away with here but the record of debt against us that could only be satisfied by our death.

Q. What is the Book of Galatians about?
A. There were some believers in the first century that thought that a gentile had to be ritually circumcised and become Jewish to be saved (Acts 15.1). Some of these brethren had come to Galatia and told them this and they believed it. Paul comes there and tried to show them that one is saved by faith and that there is nothing you can do to become saved, no works to perform. This has nothing to do with Abrahamic circumcision which was a command in the Torah for any descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. There was an oral tradition that said that along with faith in Yeshua one had to be "ritually" circumcised to be saved. Acts 15 and the Book of Galatians refutes that teaching.

Q. Who is Babylon the Great and the great Whore in Revelation 17?
A. These terms are symbolic of spiritual idolatry and false, seducing religion. This system has been around since the beginning and it certainly will be around in the end. It's not taking about any one particular religion that many suspect today but any false religious system that seduces would be considered a part of the great harlot. She is the antithesis of the virtuous woman in Rev 12 and in the Proverbs. Mankind is intoxicated with her false teachings and she is the habitation of demons. It seems she has wealth, a history and class and notice she commits fornication (17.4) not adultery because the Lord "never knew you." She is called "Babylon" because the word means to confuse, to mix and that is exactly what she taught by confusing the Lord's Torah and mixing pagan beliefs in with it. Any belief system that does this would be considered a part of Babylon the Great

No comments:

Post a Comment