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I turned on the television the other night and realized that there was a convention being televised for Christians United For Israel (CUFI). The CUFI is an organization which was founded by Pastor and author John Hagee which encourages Christians to stand with the modern state of Israel. The person speaking was a Jewish man by the name of David Brog (Executive Director of CUFI). I listened as he sang the praises of former US President Harry Truman, because President Truman recognized Israel as a state. President Truman was the president that authorized the use of atomic bombs over in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Mr Brog then sang similar praises about John Hagee, who received a standing ovation as he was introduced.
I listened as Mr Brog spoke in a room filled with people claiming to be Christians. He told them that their Christian theology demands that they stand with Israel. I knew where he was coming from and I am fully aware of what is being taught in many evangelical churches today. I used to believe certain dispensational teachings, such as the land belonging to Israel, because that’s what was being taught in most churches. However my further study of the scriptures revealed otherwise. I never believed for a moment that a person Jewish or Gentile could be saved apart from faith in Jesus Christ. I had no idea that many of the Bible teachers taught that the Jewish people were still God’s chosen people and that they are still in covenant with him, even though they do not believe that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah).
In recent years , I have been hearing Bible teachers talk about the church of Jesus Christ as being a mere parenthesis in God’s plan and that the Jewish people are under a different covenant. I came across an article by the Christian Research Institute regarding Pastor John Hagee, which was Statement DH005. Here are a few excerpts from that statement:
“Trying to convert Jews is a waste of time he (Hagee) said.
Everyone else whether Buddhist or Baha’i needs to believe in Jesus, he says. But not Jews, Jews already have a covenant with God that has never been replaced with Christianity he says.
The Jewish people have a relationship with God through the law of God as given through Moses, Hagee said. I believe that every Gentile person can only come to God through the cross of Christ. I believe that every Jewish person who lives in light of the Torah, which is the word of God, has a relationship with God and will come to redemption.
The Law of Moses is sufficient enough to bring a person into the knowledge of God until God gives him a greater revelation. And God has not said Hagee.”
[Statement DH005 , Christian Research Institute, Charlotte, NC]
SALVATION FOR THE JEW ACCORDING TO JESUS CHRIST
It is absolutely amazing to me that John Hagee could make such statements as those above considering the overwhelming proof in God’s Word that contradict what he said. The greatest revelation that God has given to the Jewish people and the rest of the world is found in Jesus Christ. In other words Jesus Christ is God’s last word to mankind, and that most certainly includes the Jewish people. Listen to what Jesus Christ said to the Jewish people of his time:
Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. (John 5:39-40)
To totally understand the impact of the words above, we must not forget that the one who is speaking is Jesus Christ. Many do not realize that the word CHRIST actually means MESSIAH. So it is Jesus the Messiah who is doing the talking. Jesus is the one who was sent from the Father above to preach the Kingdom of God, and ultimately become the BLOOD ATONEMENT for the sin of mankind.
Jesus the Messiah encouraged the Jewish people to search the scriptures (their very own Torah) because they thought they had eternal life. Jesus then made it clear to them that their own Torah testified about him, but they still would not come to him, that they might have life. Please do not miss this folks, because Jesus was telling the Jewish people that the very life and salvation which they desired, could only be found in him. Jesus went on to say this to them:
Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words? (John 5:45-47)
Jesus was pushing home the same point once again, that the scriptures (the Torah, the books of Moses) had enough in them to show that he (Jesus) was the prophesied Messiah. That is why Jesus told them, that if they believed Moses then they would have naturally believed him. In the New Testament book of Acts there is a portion of scripture that will help us understand this better:
For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. (Acts 3:22-26)
The words above were spoken by the apostle Peter to the people of Israel after the miraculous healing of a lame man at the temple gate. Peter told the people of Israel that the man was healed by the power of Jesus Christ. Peter then told them that this same Jesus was “the Prophet” whom Moses spoke and wrote about in (Deuteronomy 18:15-18), and that those who would not “hear that Prophet” (Jesus the Christ) would be destroyed! Peter then went on to say that all of the prophets (in the Old Covenant scriptures) foretold of the days which were taking place right then and there. Peter then went all the way back to Abraham to show the people that all the people of the earth (that includes absolutely everybody) would be blessed through Abraham’s seed (offspring) and that seed (offspring) is Jesus Christ.
Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of ONE, And to thy SEED, which is CHRIST. (Galatians 3:16)
In plain and simple language, the Jewish apostle Paul told the people that Jesus Christ was, and is, the promised seed (offspring) by whom ALL of the nations of the world would be blessed. Paul told them the very same thing that Peter told the people of Israel after that awesome miracle. The whole of the Old Covenant scriptures pointed to the time when Jesus the Christ (Messiah) arrived on the scene. The message that Peter gave regarding that “Prophet” is right in line with the salvation or damnation message that Jesus gave after he rose from the dead. (Mark 16:15-20) The words of Jesus Christ below, become absolutely meaningless if a Jewish person could be saved without faith in Jesus Christ, by living in light of the Torah.
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)
Jesus declared that NO MAN would be able to come to the Father unless thay came through him, because the Father is the one who sent him. That means that there will not be any person Jewish or Gentile (the rest of the world) who would be able to go to the Father (in heaven) unless they come though the Son whom he sent. Peter spoke along those very same lines when he spoke to the people of Israel:
Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:10-12)
Could the scriptures be any clearer than this? The people of Israel are being addressed here by the apostle Peter and he told them that there was no other name by which they might be saved outside the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth! Read it again. Peter was speaking to the children of Israel there and the message that he gave them back then has not changed one drop since that time!
The passage below was written by the Jewish apostle Paul:
But God forbid that I should glory, save (except) in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. For neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. (Galatians 6:14-16)
Paul made it clear in that passage of scripture that he gloried only in the cross of Jesus Christ, and then he linked those who would walk according to that same rule to the “Israel of God.” Paul also wrote the following:
Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: (Romans 9:6)
Paul was obviously putting a difference between the people of ethnic Israel and those of the “Israel of God” who recognized Jesus as the Messiah!
David Brog stated, at the CUFI convention the other night, that Christian theology demands that Christians stand with Israel. I would like to tell Mr. Brog that my theology demands that I stand for the truth, and that I preach the gospel to both Jew and Gentile. Any Gospel preacher who is worth their salt would tell him the same thing. Jesus declared the truth plainly and with boldness and to water down the message of the gospel is a fatal mistake:
And he (Jesus) said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. (John 8:23-24)
The Lord Jesus Christ told the Jewish people of his day that he came from above (heaven), and that the consequences of not believing that he was the one who was sent from the Father (the Messiah), would be to die in their sins. The plain and simple truth is that every person who sat at that convention, whether Jew or Gentile, who rejects Jesus Christ as their Savior, will die in their sins and end up in hell. To preach anything other than that is to preach a bogus gospel. If ever there was a people who are responsible before the Lord it is the Jewish people. To declare that God has not given them the necessary revelation is nothing less than mind boggling. The Jewish apostle Paul consented to the murder of Christians before he was saved (Acts 8:3, 22:4, 26:9-11). He then made a complete about face and preached that Jesus was the Christ (Messiah). He wrote the following words:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16)
Paul, the Jewish apostle of Jesus Christ, tells us that the gospel was to go the Jew first. In fact Paul identified those who are the children of Abraham:
Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. (Galatians 3:7)
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:28-29)
That very same Jewish apostle Paul told us that there is absolutely no difference between the Jew and the Greek (Gentile). No difference! The only ones who can be called the children of Abraham are those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ. John Hagee spoke about the Jewish people living in light of the Torah, but the Torah contains the Ten Commandments which stops and silences any person from justifying themself before a righteous God! (Romans 3:19-20) In fact the Torah contains everything about the sacrificial system which is gone forever. The Bible declares that there is NO atonement for the soul without the blood.
THE NEW COVENANT REPLACED THE OLD COVENANT
Right before the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross, he cried out “It Is Finished” (John 19:30) which means that everything had been fulfilled at that moment, and his death was the perfect and final sacrifice for sin. It was at that very moment that the veil in the Jewish Temple was torn in half, signifying that the Old Covenant sacrificial sytem was to be no more.
And the veil of the temple was rent in twain (two) from the top to the bottom. And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God. (Mark 15:38-39)
Where is the Jewish Temple today? It is not to be found and there can be no atonement for the sins of the people without the shedding of blood. The Temple sacrifices were not accepted in the sight of God after the ultimate, final and perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ. That was the very purpose of the veil in the Temple being torn on half when Christ died. The high priest went into the temple and entered through the veil once a year, on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur-The Day of Covering). The high priest took the blood from the animal sacrifices and sprinkled it on the mercy seat for the atonement of sin. But all of that stopped in the sight of God when Jesus, the great high Priest, entered into the true holy place in heaven.
For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. (Leviticus 17:11)
The Old Covenant has been completely done away with and if somebody tells you something else then they are preaching falsehood to you. All of the sacrifices pointed to Jesus Christ. The Passover pointed to Jesus Christ also and that is why John the Baptist referred to Jesus as the Lamb of God:
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1:29)
Paul the Jewish apostle of Jesus Christ wrote the following words almost two thousand years ago:
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his BLOOD we shall be saved from wrath through him. (Romans 5:8-9)
The blood that was shed by Jesus Christ is now the ONLY blood that can reconcile a sinner back to God. Friends, that is the absolute Bible truth. That was the very purpose Jesus Christ came to this world. The gospel message is still for both the Jew and the Gentile, but there is no special revelation or reservation for the “ethnic” Jewish person when it comes to salvation. In fact if there were a special revelation or reservation for the Jewish person, then everything that Jesus Christ preached meant absolutely nothing. If a fair minded person will read through the gospel accounts they will see that Christ was dealing with the issues of the heart, and he was constantly rebuking the Jewish Pharisees for their outward form of religion. The Jewish apostle Paul wrote the following also:
For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. (Romans 2:28-29)
It all has to do with the heart and nothing to do with a persons ethnic background. Jesus told Nicodemus, a Jewish ruler, that he needed to be born again or he would not see the Kingdom of God. Jesus did not say maybe, or could be, or should be, but MUST BE! The Kingdom of God is open to all people on planet earth, and their sins can be forgiven through the BLOOD of Jesus Christ.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. (John 3:6-7)
BEWARE OF THE LEAVEN OF THE PHARISEES
John Hagee mentioned the fact that Christians are the wild branches that have been grafted into the good olive tree, and he was obviously referring to the verses from Romans Chapter 11. I am in full agreement with the truth that the Jewish people represent the good olive tree, but please do not forget to mention that this is speaking about the Jewish people who followed the Lord and recognized the Messiah when he came. The Jewish people who did not recognize the Messiah were broken off branches because they rejected the very one whom God the Father sent!
The Gentile people who have put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ have been grafted into the “good olive tree” and they are there along with the Jewish people who also believe in Jesus and recognize him as the Messiah. For the past two thousand years Jewish people have received the very SAME Grace that the Gentiles have recieved and they have received eternal life in Jesus Christ. There is NO difference between the Jew and the Gentile.
Beware of the phrase “replacement theology” because it is a term used by Christian Zionists. It paints a picture that portrays people who do not agree with their false theology appear anti-semitic. Do not be intimidated by that term, because the Lord Jesus Christ is the searcher of hearts and he knows what is going on inside your heart.
BIBLICAL WARNINGS ABOUT AN ANTICHRIST SPIRIT
To declare that the Jewish people can still be in covenant with the Lord under the Old Covenant, living in light of the Torah, is to agree with the Pharisees who rejected Jesus Christ two thousand years ago. To declare that message is to oppose the very message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Not only that but the apostle John warned us about those who have an “antichrist spirit” and he described them as follows:
Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. (1 John 2:22)
And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. (1 John 4:3)
For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. (2 John 1:7)
If you were to ask many of the Jewish people who were present at that convention meeting the other night, whether or not they believed that Jesus Christ was the promised Messiah, they would answer no without any problem at all. The very reason that the Jewish apostles were persecuted and put to death by people like Paul (before he was saved) was because they preached Jesus Christ as the Messiah! So here we are almost two thousand years later, being told by a “Christian” minister that the Jewish people can be saved by living in light of the Torah. Once again I tell you that it makes the gospel message that Peter and Paul preached, and all the others preached, seem like a waste of time. After Paul was converted the Jewish people wanted to kill him, but the Lord preserved him. Many times Paul was beaten to a pulp, and even left for dead, but the Lord kept using him for his glory. In fact if Paul were a “bug on the wall” at that convention meeting he would have been aghast at what he heard.
IS WAR ON THE HORIZON?
Toward the end of this one hour television program, there was a man dressed in an Israeli miltary uniform who walked out from the audience, up to the front of the room, and then knelt down to pray. He was wearing a prayer shawl of some sort over his head. Then another man dressed in an American military uniform came from the audience and tapped the praying Israeli soldier on the shoulder, offered his hand to him , and they shook hands. Is there a message being sent here? What was this supposed to mean? Could this be a statement being made here? Is this some type of propaganda? Could there be another war on the horizon?
John Hagee is the Pastor of the Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas. He can be seen all over the airwaves throughout the world. His preaching is often accompanied by very colorful video graphics which appear on a screen behind him. He is known to preach against what he calls ”Isalmo Fascism” in no uncertain terms. I thought that I was hearing things when I heard him talk in favor of a pre emptive attack on Iran. Wait a minute, did I hear correctly? Please tell me if I heard wrong. Can we as Christians rightly call for an attack upon any nation, which would most certainly end up killing innocent civilians? What on earth is going on here? What about the words of the master teacher and Saviour of the world Jesus:
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; (Matthew 5:44)
Do you remember when the band of men came looking for Jesus at the place in the garden where he usually prayed? Do you remember what Peter did to Malchus?
Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. (John 18:10)
Sometime you can read a Bible verse and miss what really happened. Peter did not politely walk up to Malchus and start slicing his ear off. It is quite obvious that Peter went to take the guys head off with a wild swing, and caught only his ear. But what did Jesus do after that? Jesus actually healed the guys ear! (Luke 22:51) and then he made a prophetic statement:
Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? (Matthew 26:52-54)
What about the words of Jesus Christ as he was dying on the cross?
And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. (Luke 23:33-34)
Sometimes we must take a few steps back and analyze what is going on, and ask ourselves the question, Is this the Spirit of Jesus Christ at work here? Is it the Spirit of Jesus Christ that is calling for an attack against a nation or is it a “another spirit?” Is it the spirit of Jesus that would call for an attack upon innocent Muslim people or is it “another spirit”? Where is the fear of the Lord in all of this?
Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. (John 18:36)
Only time will tell what is going to happen in the following days. We need to keep our eyes on the Lord like never before. One thing I do know is that the Lord is merciful and that he abhors the killing of innocent people, and we have seen more than enough of that in recent years. That is what has stirred me to write this article. As Christians we like to take our stand on pro life issues such as abortion ( I am also pro life), but then we don’t even blink an eye when hundreds of thousands of Iraqi Muslim people are killed.
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds. (2 Corinthians 10:4)
Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. (Hebrews 13:13-14)
THE JERUSALEM WHICH IS ABOVE
The scriptures tell us that HERE (on this earth) we have NO continuing city, and that includes the earthly city of Jerusalem. We, as Christians, are looking to the Jerusalem which is above (Galatians 4:26), not to the city in the Middle East.
But Jerusalem which is above is FREE, which is the mother of us all. (Galatians 4:26)
The Lord Jesus Christ had a conversation with a Samaritan woman, who was amazed that Jesus was even talking with her, because the Jewish people and the Samaritan people did not get along with each other. Jesus talked to her about true worship:
Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias (Messiah) cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee AM HE (John 4:21-26)
The Lord made it ever so clear to this woman that physical location did not matter anymore, because God must be worshiped in spirit and truth. Jesus said the hour was coming AND NOW IS when true worshipers would worship God in spirit and truth, which means that the hour had already arrived. The Lord Jesus Christ then went on to inform this woman that he was in fact the Messiah. Now either Jesus was telling the truth or he is a liar. If Jesus declared to this woman that he was in fact the Messiah, and that the hour had arrived when people could worship him from anywhere in the world, then I would not dare to tamper with the word of God. That same Samaritan woman went back to her town and brought others back to hear Jesus for themselves and, as a result, many were saved.
And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him (Jesus) for the saying of the woman, which testified, He (Jesus) told me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. And many more believed because of his own word; And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world. (John 4:39-42)
The same living waters (spiritual) that Jesus offered to this Samaritan woman has been offered to both Jew and Gentile alike, for nearly two thousand years. There is no postponement, no other covenant, no other way, but the way which God has provided through his Son Jesus Christ.
But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. (2 Corinthians 11:3-4)
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COMMENTS:
Here are some recent comments on this article.
“PJ Miller” wrote the following:
“Beware of the phrase “replacement theology” because it is a term used by Christian Zionists. It paints a picture that portrays people who do not agree with their false theology appear anti-semitic. Do not be intimidated by that term, because the Lord Jesus Christ is the searcher of hearts and he knows what is going on inside your heart.”
Thank you… I wept as reading this post, but that statement spoke to me personally. I cannot tell you the tears I have shed in prayer over this entire Christian Zionist movement. At first it confused me…but the more I read about it and poured through the scriptures, the more ‘wrong’ it appeared to be.
To be honest, I just plain didn’t get it!
The Lord has had me working on a couple Christian boards/forums for some years now..and it seemed every time I tried to point out what I saw as error in this, either my comments were ignored or someone would come back replying about replacement theology.
I began to doubt myself…wondering if it was me who was wrong, even crying before the Lord asking him to search my heart in case I had even a tinge of antisemitism lurking within. I never ‘thought’ I did…but wanted to be sure.
Years ago I believe the Spirit of God showed me there were to be many ‘faces’ to the apostasy and last day delusion…many layers, like an onion.
That Satan would slip in teachings and error, which would not be as obvious, as the ones which stick out like a sore thumb today.
This is one of those layers…I’m convinced.
Forgive my rambling, but only God knows how much I needed to read your post.
thanks again…and God bless.
Editors Note: I emboldened certain sentences from this comment, because I believe that they are very important. I do not consider what PJ Miller said to be rambling at all. In fact there is no doubt in my mind that PJ Miller was speaking “in the Holy Ghost” when they penned this comment, and I am thankful that this person had the courage to speak up about this issue. There is a suffocating silence within the walls of the organized church that many true Christian’s are beginning to see. The Lord is raising those same people up to be His bold witnesses in these last days. Thanks to PJ Miller once again for your honesty and obedience to the Lord. [Bill White, Soulrefuge blog]
Here are some words of wisdom from ”oxysmoron”:
Cannot Beware if not Aware…
Thanking Jesus.
Lord bless this one who has spoken Truth and keep Your hedge about him. Amen
(2 more comments below)
This is a must read for those of you who are interested in prophecy. In the Parable of the LORD’S VINEYARD [Matthew 21:33-46] we gain much insight into how the Lord dealt with the Jewish people of His day, regarding their rejection of not only Him, but of the prophets through the ages. This parable was given by the Lord Jesus Christ, the creator of the world, almost two thousand years ago:
Matthew 21:33
Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:
The householder in this parable is the Lord God Almighty, and the husbandmen are the gardeners who were responsible for the vineyard. In this case the husbandmen [gardeners] are the children of Israel who were entrusted with the Word of God down through the years. The children of Israel were the ones who were instructed by the Lord, and they often had His prophets sent to them. In fact the book of Isaiah shows us clearly that the vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.
Isaiah 5:7-8
For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry. Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!
Matthew 21:34-36
And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.
In this part of the parable the Lord is describing the history of the children of Israel and how they treated the sevants of the Lord. These servants were beaten, persecuted and even killed at times. In fact if you read chapter seven in the New Testament book of Acts you will hear Stephen, a man of faith and power, rehearse the history of Israel in great detail. In fact this chapter is one of the clearest testimonies in the whole New Testament of how the Jewish people were confronted regarding their rejection of JESUS their MESSIAH.
At one point Stephen addressed the Jewish leaders who were standing before him and said the following:
Acts 7:51-52
Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One [Jesus Christ]; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it. When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
Stephen told the Jewish leaders that they were resisting the Holy Ghost just as their fathers did. Stephen also made a point of telling these Jewish leaders that they were responsible for killing the prophets who prophesied of the coming Christ [MESSIAH]. We know the Messiah is Jesus. Stephen was stoned to death a short time later like so many others of the Lord’s faithful witnesses. [Acts 7:55-60]
Matthew 21:37-39
But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.
This part of the parable describes what happened when Jesus Christ arrived on the scene. He was rejected by the majority of the Jewish people, especially the chief priests and the elders, and they wanted Jesus Christ to be put to death. The scriptures below testify to the truth that they were surely involved in putting Christ [MESSIAH] to death.
Matthew 27:1
When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:
The Lord was not surprised by what was coming and He told His own disciples that His death was the fulfillment of prophecy. The Word of God is truly amazing in its accuracy regarding the prophetic word. The scriptures foresaw what took place here, and declared it hundreds of years before.
Luke 18:31-33
Then he [Jesus] took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.
Matthew 21:40
When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?
Here the Lord Jesus Christ asks the Jewish religious leaders, who were listening to Him tell this parable, what should be done to those who did all of those things to the Lord’s servants. Jesus was now getting to the very heart of the matter, as He always did, and He wanted them to give Him the answer to His question.
Matthew 21:41
They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
The Jewish religious rulers responded and told Jesus, that those who did those things were wicked and they should be destroyed! Not only that, but they said that the vineyard should be let out [given over to] to other husbandmen [gardeners] who would bring forth the fruits in their seasons. They had no idea that their answer played right into the meaning of the parable. They were able to see the unrighteousness of what was done to the servants in that parable, but they did not realize that they were the very ones whom the Lord was describing.
Matthew 21:42
Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
The Lord Jesus Christ then quoted Psalm 118:22 regarding Himself as being that STONE which the builders [Israel] rejected and who had become the head of the corner [or cornerstone]. The Lord was basically telling the leaders of Israel that the very one standing before them was the very one whom they needed. The Lord was and is the chief cornerstone in the Kingdom of God, a Kingdom which would be made up of Jewish and Gentile believers.
Matthew 21:43
Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
Could Jesus Christ, the creator of the earth, [John 1:1-3], have been any clearer in His pronunciation against the leaders of Israel. The Lord made His point that Israel had rejected the prophets who were sent to them, and they would end up killing Him too. Yes, the Lord was prophesying of His very own death, but He was also telling Israel that the Kingdom would be taken from them, and it was! The nation that the Lord said would be given the Kingdom is simply that “holy nation” of believers described by Peter. [1 Peter 2:9-10] This gospel is not about Israel but it is all about Jesus Christ. The prophets prophesy about Jesus Christ because it is all about HIM. The Lord is going to have a people who serve Him and worship HIM with all of their heart, and those people are going to come from every part of this large world in which we live. If a person has not been born again then they are not part of the Kingdom of God [John 3:1-8] because entrance into this Kingdom is only through Jesus Christ. Do not let anybody replace the Gospel of Jesus Christ with a false gospel, because a curse comes along with a false gospel. [Galatians 1:8-9]
WHO ARE GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE?
They are those who believe the testimony that God gave of His Son Jesus Christ! [Jewish and Gentile]
WHO IS THE APPLE OF GOD’S EYE?
It is those who have put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ! [Jewish and Gentile]
God is not a respector of persons, and any person who desires salvation in Christ will not be turned away. Does that mean that a person who has led a life without the Lord, and who has lived in absolute decadence their whole life can be saved? Absolutely YES. That very same person can also be called the apple of God’s eye, and one of God’s chosen people as much as any person who has received the Lord since the beginning of the world. This gospel is not about Israel, but it is all about Jesus Christ!
Do you remember what the Lord Jesus Christ told that Gentile woman of Samaria concerning the worship of God?
John 4:21-26
Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias [Messiah] cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
Jesus made it clear to this Gentile woman, that the city of Jerusalem did not matter when it came to the worship of God. Jesus told the woman that God must be worshiped in Spirit and truth, and the physical location had nothing to do with the true worship of God. Perhaps Jesus was looking forward into this modern day where people have made a religious idol out of the city of Jerusalem, and the National State of Israel.
Jesus told this Gentile woman that He was in fact the Messiah that she was looking for, which clearly shows us that the Lord will reveal Himself to anyone who truly desires to know Him. This woman had been married many times, and she was living with a man at the time, but the Lord offered her mercy. Do you remember what the angel said to the apostle John, in the book of Revelation, when John went to bow down and worship him?
Revelation 19:10
And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
If a person does not have the testimony of Jesus in their heart, and on their lips, then they are not true worshipers of God. The angel made that very clear to John. The angel also let John know that the spirit of prophecy will put the testimony of Jesus within a persons heart. If a person truly wants to know what the Word of God is about, then they will find out very quickly that it is Jesus Christ who is the central figure in the Bible, and the redeemer whom they need.
Matthew 21:44
And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
Jesus Christ did not mince words when He spoke, and here he tells the Jewish leaders that those who reject Him would end up as powder. The word of God still stands true today for both Jew and Gentile. It is either Christ or nothing, and there are no back doors, side doors, or any other door you might think of in this plan of salvation. Jesus said this:
John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Matthew 21:45-46
And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them. But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.
At this point the Jewish priests and the Pharisees caught on to what Jesus was telling them, and they realized that He was speaking about them. They would have grabbed Jesus right then and there but they feared for their own lives so they did not take Him at this point.
ACTUAL QUOTE FROM JESUS CHRIST
John 3:16-18
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Related Audio Message: The Parable Of The Vineyard = AUDIO HERE
Related Article: The Strong Delusion Of “Christian Zionism”
Related YOU TUBE VIDEO: ISRAEL AND THEIR REJECTION OF JESUS THE MESSIAH!
I turned on the television the other night and realized that there was a convention being televised for Christians United For Israel (CUFI). The CUFI is an organization which was founded by Pastor and author John Hagee which encourages Christians to stand with the modern state of Israel. The person speaking was a Jewish man by the name of David Brog (Executive Director of CUFI). I listened as he sang the praises of former US President Harry Truman, because President Truman recognized Israel as a state. President Truman was the president that authorized the use of atomic bombs over in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Mr Brog then sang similar praises about John Hagee, who received a standing ovation as he was introduced.
I listened as Mr Brog spoke in a room filled with people claiming to be Christians. He told them that their Christian theology demands that they stand with Israel. I knew where he was coming from and I am fully aware of what is being taught in many evangelical churches today. I used to believe certain dispensational teachings, such as the land belonging to Israel, because that’s what was being taught in most churches. However my further study of the scriptures revealed otherwise. I never believed for a moment that a person Jewish or Gentile could be saved apart from faith in Jesus Christ. I had no idea that many of the Bible teachers taught that the Jewish people were still God’s chosen people and that they are still in covenant with him, even though they do not believe that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah).
In recent years , I have been hearing Bible teachers talk about the church of Jesus Christ as being a mere parenthesis in God’s plan and that the Jewish people are under a different covenant. I came across an article by the Christian Research Institute regarding Pastor John Hagee, which was Statement DH005. Here are a few excerpts from that statement:
“Trying to convert Jews is a waste of time he (Hagee) said.
Everyone else whether Buddhist or Baha’i needs to believe in Jesus, he says. But not Jews, Jews already have a covenant with God that has never been replaced with Christianity he says.
The Jewish people have a relationship with God through the law of God as given through Moses, Hagee said. I believe that every Gentile person can only come to God through the cross of Christ. I believe that every Jewish person who lives in light of the Torah, which is the word of God, has a relationship with God and will come to redemption.
The Law of Moses is sufficient enough to bring a person into the knowledge of God until God gives him a greater revelation. And God has not said Hagee.”
[Statement DH005 , Christian Research Institute, Charlotte, NC]
SALVATION FOR THE JEW ACCORDING TO JESUS CHRIST
It is absolutely amazing to me that John Hagee could make such statements as those above considering the overwhelming proof in God’s Word that contradict what he said. The greatest revelation that God has given to the Jewish people and the rest of the world is found in Jesus Christ. In other words Jesus Christ is God’s last word to mankind, and that most certainly includes the Jewish people. Listen to what Jesus Christ said to the Jewish people of his time:
Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. (John 5:39-40)
To totally understand the impact of the words above, we must not forget that the one who is speaking is Jesus Christ. Many do not realize that the word CHRIST actually means MESSIAH. So it is Jesus the Messiah who is doing the talking. Jesus is the one who was sent from the Father above to preach the Kingdom of God, and ultimately become the BLOOD ATONEMENT for the sin of mankind.
Jesus the Messiah encouraged the Jewish people to search the scriptures (their very own Torah) because they thought they had eternal life. Jesus then made it clear to them that their own Torah testified about him, but they still would not come to him, that they might have life. Please do not miss this folks, because Jesus was telling the Jewish people that the very life and salvation which they desired, could only be found in him. Jesus went on to say this to them:
Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words? (John 5:45-47)
Jesus was pushing home the same point once again, that the scriptures (the Torah, the books of Moses) had enough in them to show that he (Jesus) was the prophesied Messiah. That is why Jesus told them, that if they believed Moses then they would have naturally believed him. In the New Testament book of Acts there is a portion of scripture that will help us understand this better:
For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. (Acts 3:22-26)
The words above were spoken by the apostle Peter to the people of Israel after the miraculous healing of a lame man at the temple gate. Peter told the people of Israel that the man was healed by the power of Jesus Christ. Peter then told them that this same Jesus was “the Prophet” whom Moses spoke and wrote about in (Deuteronomy 18:15-18), and that those who would not “hear that Prophet” (Jesus the Christ) would be destroyed! Peter then went on to say that all of the prophets (in the Old Covenant scriptures) foretold of the days which were taking place right then and there. Peter then went all the way back to Abraham to show the people that all the people of the earth (that includes absolutely everybody) would be blessed through Abraham’s seed (offspring) and that seed (offspring) is Jesus Christ.
Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of ONE, And to thy SEED, which is CHRIST. (Galatians 3:16)
In plain and simple language, the Jewish apostle Paul told the people that Jesus Christ was, and is, the promised seed (offspring) by whom ALL of the nations of the world would be blessed. Paul told them the very same thing that Peter told the people of Israel after that awesome miracle. The whole of the Old Covenant scriptures pointed to the time when Jesus the Christ (Messiah) arrived on the scene. The message that Peter gave regarding that “Prophet” is right in line with the salvation or damnation message that Jesus gave after he rose from the dead. (Mark 16:15-20) The words of Jesus Christ below, become absolutely meaningless if a Jewish person could be saved without faith in Jesus Christ, by living in light of the Torah.
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)
Jesus declared that NO MAN would be able to come to the Father unless thay came through him, because the Father is the one who sent him. That means that there will not be any person Jewish or Gentile (the rest of the world) who would be able to go to the Father (in heaven) unless they come though the Son whom he sent. Peter spoke along those very same lines when he spoke to the people of Israel:
Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:10-12)
Could the scriptures be any clearer than this? The people of Israel are being addressed here by the apostle Peter and he told them that there was no other name by which they might be saved outside the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth! Read it again. Peter was speaking to the children of Israel there and the message that he gave them back then has not changed one drop since that time!
The passage below was written by the Jewish apostle Paul:
But God forbid that I should glory, save (except) in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. For neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. (Galatians 6:14-16)
Paul made it clear in that passage of scripture that he gloried only in the cross of Jesus Christ, and then he linked those who would walk according to that same rule to the “Israel of God.” Paul also wrote the following:
Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: (Romans 9:6)
Paul was obviously putting a difference between the people of ethnic Israel and those of the “Israel of God” who recognized Jesus as the Messiah!
David Brog stated, at the CUFI convention the other night, that Christian theology demands that Christians stand with Israel. I would like to tell Mr. Brog that my theology demands that I stand for the truth, and that I preach the gospel to both Jew and Gentile. Any Gospel preacher who is worth their salt would tell him the same thing. Jesus declared the truth plainly and with boldness and to water down the message of the gospel is a fatal mistake:
And he (Jesus) said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. (John 8:23-24)
The Lord Jesus Christ told the Jewish people of his day that he came from above (heaven), and that the consequences of not believing that he was the one who was sent from the Father (the Messiah), would be to die in their sins. The plain and simple truth is that every person who sat at that convention, whether Jew or Gentile, who rejects Jesus Christ as their Savior, will die in their sins and end up in hell. To preach anything other than that is to preach a bogus gospel. If ever there was a people who are responsible before the Lord it is the Jewish people. To declare that God has not given them the necessary revelation is nothing less than mind boggling. The Jewish apostle Paul consented to the murder of Christians before he was saved (Acts 8:3, 22:4, 26:9-11). He then made a complete about face and preached that Jesus was the Christ (Messiah). He wrote the following words:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16)
Paul, the Jewish apostle of Jesus Christ, tells us that the gospel was to go the Jew first. In fact Paul identified those who are the children of Abraham:
Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. (Galatians 3:7)
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:28-29)
That very same Jewish apostle Paul told us that there is absolutely no difference between the Jew and the Greek (Gentile). No difference! The only ones who can be called the children of Abraham are those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ. John Hagee spoke about the Jewish people living in light of the Torah, but the Torah contains the Ten Commandments which stops and silences any person from justifying themself before a righteous God! (Romans 3:19-20) In fact the Torah contains everything about the sacrificial system which is gone forever. The Bible declares that there is NO atonement for the soul without the blood.
THE NEW COVENANT REPLACED THE OLD COVENANT
Right before the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross, he cried out “It Is Finished” (John 19:30) which means that everything had been fulfilled at that moment, and his death was the perfect and final sacrifice for sin. It was at that very moment that the veil in the Jewish Temple was torn in half, signifying that the Old Covenant sacrificial sytem was to be no more.
And the veil of the temple was rent in twain (two) from the top to the bottom. And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God. (Mark 15:38-39)
Where is the Jewish Temple today? It is not to be found and there can be no atonement for the sins of the people without the shedding of blood. The Temple sacrifices were not accepted in the sight of God after the ultimate, final and perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ. That was the very purpose of the veil in the Temple being torn on half when Christ died. The high priest went into the temple and entered through the veil once a year, on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur-The Day of Covering). The high priest took the blood from the animal sacrifices and sprinkled it on the mercy seat for the atonement of sin. But all of that stopped in the sight of God when Jesus, the great high Priest, entered into the true holy place in heaven.
For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. (Leviticus 17:11)
The Old Covenant has been completely done away with and if somebody tells you something else then they are preaching falsehood to you. All of the sacrifices pointed to Jesus Christ. The Passover pointed to Jesus Christ also and that is why John the Baptist referred to Jesus as the Lamb of God:
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1:29)
Paul the Jewish apostle of Jesus Christ wrote the following words almost two thousand years ago:
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his BLOOD we shall be saved from wrath through him. (Romans 5:8-9)
The blood that was shed by Jesus Christ is now the ONLY blood that can reconcile a sinner back to God. Friends, that is the absolute Bible truth. That was the very purpose Jesus Christ came to this world. The gospel message is still for both the Jew and the Gentile, but there is no special revelation or reservation for the “ethnic” Jewish person when it comes to salvation. In fact if there were a special revelation or reservation for the Jewish person, then everything that Jesus Christ preached meant absolutely nothing. If a fair minded person will read through the gospel accounts they will see that Christ was dealing with the issues of the heart, and he was constantly rebuking the Jewish Pharisees for their outward form of religion. The Jewish apostle Paul wrote the following also:
For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. (Romans 2:28-29)
It all has to do with the heart and nothing to do with a persons ethnic background. Jesus told Nicodemus, a Jewish ruler, that he needed to be born again or he would not see the Kingdom of God. Jesus did not say maybe, or could be, or should be, but MUST BE! The Kingdom of God is open to all people on planet earth, and their sins can be forgiven through the BLOOD of Jesus Christ.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. (John 3:6-7)
BEWARE OF THE LEAVEN OF THE PHARISEES
John Hagee mentioned the fact that Christians are the wild branches that have been grafted into the good olive tree, and he was obviously referring to the verses from Romans Chapter 11. I am in full agreement with the truth that the Jewish people represent the good olive tree, but please do not forget to mention that this is speaking about the Jewish people who followed the Lord and recognized the Messiah when he came. The Jewish people who did not recognize the Messiah were broken off branches because they rejected the very one whom God the Father sent!
The Gentile people who have put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ have been grafted into the “good olive tree” and they are there along with the Jewish people who also believe in Jesus and recognize him as the Messiah. For the past two thousand years Jewish people have received the very SAME Grace that the Gentiles have recieved and they have received eternal life in Jesus Christ. There is NO difference between the Jew and the Gentile.
Beware of the phrase “replacement theology” because it is a term used by Christian Zionists. It paints a picture that portrays people who do not agree with their false theology appear anti-semitic. Do not be intimidated by that term, because the Lord Jesus Christ is the searcher of hearts and he knows what is going on inside your heart.
BIBLICAL WARNINGS ABOUT AN ANTICHRIST SPIRIT
To declare that the Jewish people can still be in covenant with the Lord under the Old Covenant, living in light of the Torah, is to agree with the Pharisees who rejected Jesus Christ two thousand years ago. To declare that message is to oppose the very message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Not only that but the apostle John warned us about those who have an “antichrist spirit” and he described them as follows:
Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. (1 John 2:22)
And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. (1 John 4:3)
For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. (2 John 1:7)
If you were to ask many of the Jewish people who were present at that convention meeting the other night, whether or not they believed that Jesus Christ was the promised Messiah, they would answer no without any problem at all. The very reason that the Jewish apostles were persecuted and put to death by people like Paul (before he was saved) was because they preached Jesus Christ as the Messiah! So here we are almost two thousand years later, being told by a “Christian” minister that the Jewish people can be saved by living in light of the Torah. Once again I tell you that it makes the gospel message that Peter and Paul preached, and all the others preached, seem like a waste of time. After Paul was converted the Jewish people wanted to kill him, but the Lord preserved him. Many times Paul was beaten to a pulp, and even left for dead, but the Lord kept using him for his glory. In fact if Paul were a “bug on the wall” at that convention meeting he would have been aghast at what he heard.
IS WAR ON THE HORIZON?
Toward the end of this one hour television program, there was a man dressed in an Israeli miltary uniform who walked out from the audience, up to the front of the room, and then knelt down to pray. He was wearing a prayer shawl of some sort over his head. Then another man dressed in an American military uniform came from the audience and tapped the praying Israeli soldier on the shoulder, offered his hand to him , and they shook hands. Is there a message being sent here? What was this supposed to mean? Could this be a statement being made here? Is this some type of propaganda? Could there be another war on the horizon?
John Hagee is the Pastor of the Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas. He can be seen all over the airwaves throughout the world. His preaching is often accompanied by very colorful video graphics which appear on a screen behind him. He is known to preach against what he calls ”Isalmo Fascism” in no uncertain terms. I thought that I was hearing things when I heard him talk in favor of a pre emptive attack on Iran. Wait a minute, did I hear correctly? Please tell me if I heard wrong. Can we as Christians rightly call for an attack upon any nation, which would most certainly end up killing innocent civilians? What on earth is going on here? What about the words of the master teacher and Saviour of the world Jesus:
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; (Matthew 5:44)
Do you remember when the band of men came looking for Jesus at the place in the garden where he usually prayed? Do you remember what Peter did to Malchus?
Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. (John 18:10)
Sometime you can read a Bible verse and miss what really happened. Peter did not politely walk up to Malchus and start slicing his ear off. It is quite obvious that Peter went to take the guys head off with a wild swing, and caught only his ear. But what did Jesus do after that? Jesus actually healed the guys ear! (Luke 22:51) and then he made a prophetic statement:
Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? (Matthew 26:52-54)
What about the words of Jesus Christ as he was dying on the cross?
And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. (Luke 23:33-34)
Sometimes we must take a few steps back and analyze what is going on, and ask ourselves the question, Is this the Spirit of Jesus Christ at work here? Is it the Spirit of Jesus Christ that is calling for an attack against a nation or is it a “another spirit?” Is it the spirit of Jesus that would call for an attack upon innocent Muslim people or is it “another spirit”? Where is the fear of the Lord in all of this?
Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. (John 18:36)
Only time will tell what is going to happen in the following days. We need to keep our eyes on the Lord like never before. One thing I do know is that the Lord is merciful and that he abhors the killing of innocent people, and we have seen more than enough of that in recent years. That is what has stirred me to write this article. As Christians we like to take our stand on pro life issues such as abortion ( I am also pro life), but then we don’t even blink an eye when hundreds of thousands of Iraqi Muslim people are killed.
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds. (2 Corinthians 10:4)
Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. (Hebrews 13:13-14)
THE JERUSALEM WHICH IS ABOVE
The scriptures tell us that HERE (on this earth) we have NO continuing city, and that includes the earthly city of Jerusalem. We, as Christians, are looking to the Jerusalem which is above (Galatians 4:26), not to the city in the Middle East.
But Jerusalem which is above is FREE, which is the mother of us all. (Galatians 4:26)
The Lord Jesus Christ had a conversation with a Samaritan woman, who was amazed that Jesus was even talking with her, because the Jewish people and the Samaritan people did not get along with each other. Jesus talked to her about true worship:
Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias (Messiah) cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee AM HE (John 4:21-26)
The Lord made it ever so clear to this woman that physical location did not matter anymore, because God must be worshiped in spirit and truth. Jesus said the hour was coming AND NOW IS when true worshipers would worship God in spirit and truth, which means that the hour had already arrived. The Lord Jesus Christ then went on to inform this woman that he was in fact the Messiah. Now either Jesus was telling the truth or he is a liar. If Jesus declared to this woman that he was in fact the Messiah, and that the hour had arrived when people could worship him from anywhere in the world, then I would not dare to tamper with the word of God. That same Samaritan woman went back to her town and brought others back to hear Jesus for themselves and, as a result, many were saved.
And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him (Jesus) for the saying of the woman, which testified, He (Jesus) told me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. And many more believed because of his own word; And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world. (John 4:39-42)
The same living waters (spiritual) that Jesus offered to this Samaritan woman has been offered to both Jew and Gentile alike, for nearly two thousand years. There is no postponement, no other covenant, no other way, but the way which God has provided through his Son Jesus Christ.
But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. (2 Corinthians 11:3-4)
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COMMENTS:
Here are some recent comments on this article.
“PJ Miller” wrote the following:
“Beware of the phrase “replacement theology” because it is a term used by Christian Zionists. It paints a picture that portrays people who do not agree with their false theology appear anti-semitic. Do not be intimidated by that term, because the Lord Jesus Christ is the searcher of hearts and he knows what is going on inside your heart.”
Thank you… I wept as reading this post, but that statement spoke to me personally. I cannot tell you the tears I have shed in prayer over this entire Christian Zionist movement. At first it confused me…but the more I read about it and poured through the scriptures, the more ‘wrong’ it appeared to be.
To be honest, I just plain didn’t get it!
The Lord has had me working on a couple Christian boards/forums for some years now..and it seemed every time I tried to point out what I saw as error in this, either my comments were ignored or someone would come back replying about replacement theology.
I began to doubt myself…wondering if it was me who was wrong, even crying before the Lord asking him to search my heart in case I had even a tinge of antisemitism lurking within. I never ‘thought’ I did…but wanted to be sure.
Years ago I believe the Spirit of God showed me there were to be many ‘faces’ to the apostasy and last day delusion…many layers, like an onion.
That Satan would slip in teachings and error, which would not be as obvious, as the ones which stick out like a sore thumb today.
This is one of those layers…I’m convinced.
Forgive my rambling, but only God knows how much I needed to read your post.
thanks again…and God bless.
Editors Note: I emboldened certain sentences from this comment, because I believe that they are very important. I do not consider what PJ Miller said to be rambling at all. In fact there is no doubt in my mind that PJ Miller was speaking “in the Holy Ghost” when they penned this comment, and I am thankful that this person had the courage to speak up about this issue. There is a suffocating silence within the walls of the organized church that many true Christian’s are beginning to see. The Lord is raising those same people up to be His bold witnesses in these last days. Thanks to PJ Miller once again for your honesty and obedience to the Lord. [Bill White, Soulrefuge blog]
Here are some words of wisdom from ”oxysmoron”:
Cannot Beware if not Aware…
Thanking Jesus.
Lord bless this one who has spoken Truth and keep Your hedge about him. Amen
(2 more comments below)
It is nothing less than amazing when you see how the scriptures fit together so well. It is an awesome when you read the Bible and you see how all of the Old Testament sacrifices pointed to the person of Jesus Christ. The Jewish apostle Paul said this:
Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: (1 Corinthians 5:7)
Paul referred to the crucified and risen Jesus Christ as our passover, because Jesus was in fact the very true fulfillment of the Passover and every other sacrifice also. In the Old Testament book of Exodus the children of Israel were told to take a lamb without blemish and then apply that blood to the side and upper posts of that their doors. [Exodus 12:5-7]
For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. And the BLOOD shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the BLOOD, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. (Exodus 12:12-13)
What beautiful words are they indeed: “When I see the BLOOD, I will pass over you.” The Lord protected His people, and the firstborn were saved from destruction by simple faith in their Lord. Fast forward to the 21st Century and their are literally millions of people who serve the very same Lord that those children of Israel served back then. I serve the same Lord that Moses served and His name is Jesus Christ. I can say today that His BLOOD is upon the doorposts of my heart, and that I too will be saved from destruction because of the BLOOD of Jesus Christ. In fact, the BLOOD that Jesus Christ shed is the reality of all of those types and shadows which pointed to Him.
If one were to study the Day of Atonement they would learn this also pointed to the person of Jesus Christ. On that day the Jewish High Priest would enter into the Holy Place [Holy of Holies] behind the veil into the very presence of God. He would bring the BLOOD and apply that BLOOD to the mercy seat which covered the ark of the Covenant. The BLOOD was to atone for the sins of the people. But there is a greater BLOOD sacrifice which took place almost two thousand years ago, that superseded, and put out of commission all of those Old Testament sacrifices, and that was the sacrifice of Christ upon the cross.
But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the BLOOD of goats and calves, but by his own BLOOD he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the BLOOD of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the BLOOD of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:11-14)
The big difference between those Old Testament sacrifices [offered under the Law], and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, was the fact that Jesus Christ offered Himself willingly. Jesus Christ left the glory of Heaven and was manifested in the flesh for that very purpose.
And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament [covenant], that by means of DEATH, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. (Hebrews 9:15)
The New Covenant is in the BLOOD of Jesus Christ because it was He who laid down His life for the sin of the world. If you travel to Israel you will not see a Tabernacle, or a Temple anymore, because the Lord Jesus Christ was the final sacrifice for mankind. There will be no more sacrifices. To reject the very Son of God is a most serious matter, because this is the only one who was sent by the Father to die for our sins. It does not matter whether a person is Jewish or Gentile, the BLOOD of Jesus Christ is still the only atonement for any person alive today, and the only BLOOD that will keep you out of Hell.
For the life of the flesh is in the BLOOD: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the BLOOD that maketh an atonement for the soul. (Leviticus 17:11)
When Jesus Christ died on that old rugged cross the veil in the Jewish Temple was torn in half from top to bottom by a supernatural act of God.
Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost [DIED]. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; (Matthew 27:50-51)
That happened because Jesus Christ, the ultimate High Priest, had just entered behind the true veil. Jesus Christ cried out “It Is Finished” [John 19:30] because it WAS finished and He knew that. To reject this BLOOD atonement is to reject salvation itself and to remain in one’s sins. It is that simple and it is that clear.
And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. (John 8:23-24)
What heavy words did the Lord Jesus Christ use against the religious leaders of Israel when He spoke right there. Could it be any clearer than that? The Lord Himself declared that the Jewish people were doomed without faith in Him. God is an equal opportunity God, and He shows no partiality. Those words apply not only to the Jewish people, but to every single one of us. The majority of people in the world still reject Jesus Christ and therefore they will die in their sins without Him.
We would all be in sad shape if the story ended on the cross where Christ died, but I thank God that it did not end there. The Lord rose from the dead just like He said He would.
And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them. And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (Luke 24:38-47)
The Lord is the only Passover Lamb who got back up from the dead. Is that not awesome? The Lord was the perfect unblemished Lamb of God, of whom John the Baptist spoke about when He first saw Him:
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1:29)
The BLOOD of Jesus Christ is still as powerful to save souls as it was back then when He died on the cross.
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his BLOOD, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. (Romans 5:8-10)
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:9)
There is an interesting passage of scripture in the book of Acts, where the apostle Peter was meeting with a man named Cornelius:
Acts 10:25-26
And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him. But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.
Cornelius was a humble man, and at the Lord’s request Peter (through a vison) was sent to instruct him. When Peter arrived at the place where Cornelius and his friends were gathered, Cornelius threw himself down on the floor to worship him. Peter quickly rebuked the man for doing that, and flat out told Cornelius that he was a man just like him.
Fast forward to modern times, and you will see people bowing down before the Roman Catholic Popes [including the present Pope] kissing their rings, paying homage to them wherever they may go. This is actually something that has been going on for centuries. Considering the fact that Peter is said to have been the first Pope, one must wonder why they would even allow that practice.
Peter made it clear to Cornelius that he was just a man like he was. In fact Peter was married, and at one time the Lord healed his mother-in-law of a fever:
Matthew 8:14-15
And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother laid, and sick of a fever. And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.
So as you can see Peter was a married man and just a regular guy like everyone else. Peter knew full well that this man Cornelius needed to be corrected quickly, lest that type of thinking would get deep into his spiritual system.
If a person has been truly born again of the Spirit, they are fully aware that they have received the mercy of God, and have been snatched from the highway to Hell by the grace of God. A person that has been born again of the Spirit, also realizes that CHRIST, and Him alone, will always get ALL of the glory. That is the reason why Peter stopped this man from paying any homage to him.
There is not one person on this earth who can be called HOLY outside of what CHRIST has done for them on the cross, and that is the beautiful thing about salvation. We are all on the same level ground, with no exceptions. It is true that the Lord will use people in different capacities, such as teachers, evangelists, preachers and other things. But every single one of those people are not one DROP above anybody else, in terms of “holiness,” including the new born Christian. Do not ever forget that.
We find another example in the book of Revelation when the apostle John attempted to worship an angel:
Revelation 19:10
And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Revelation 22:9-10
Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God. And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
So we can see that same spiritual principle at work here. The angel from Heaven rebuked John when he attempted to worship him.
It is plain and simple idolatry when a person gives worship to any person [including angels] except the true and living God. We can see how John simply wanted to pay respect to this angel, whom he knew lived in the very presence of God, but the angel knew better than to receive worship from anyone. He knew that “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
The Dalai Lama has been called “His Holiness” and the Pope is referred to as the “Holy Father” but we must never forget to take heed to the words of Jesus the CHRIST [MESSIAH] when He said:
Matthew 23:9-10
And call no man your father upon the earth: for ONE is your FATHER, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for ONE is your Master, even CHRIST
YOUTUBE VIDEO: MARIAN APPARITIONS: DIVINE OR DEMONIC?
A woman named Maryann recently commented on my personal testimony which I have posted on this blog. In my testimony I tell of how the Lord delivered me out from the darkness of Roman Catholicism. Maryann testified of how she also left the Catholic church as a teen, after she questioned the teachings of the church. Maryann’s mom told her that she was an atheist when she heard her daughter say that she believed the apparitions (appearances) of Mary were Satanic.I was not surprised at all by the reaction that Maryann received from her mom. Why? Because I know that we are involved in spritual warfare, and I know because I was once on the other side of the fence. I was also a staunch defender of the Marian apparitions at Medugorje, Yugoslavia.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the subject at hand, let me give you a brief explanation. Websters New World Dictionary gives the following definition of the word apparition:
1) anything that appears unexpectedly, or in an extraordinary way; esp, a strange figure appearing suddenly and thought to be a ghost
2) the act of appearing or becoming visible. [Websters New World Dictionary, Second College Edition, Prentice Hall Press]
When I speak about the “apparitions of Mary”, I am speaking about the alleged appearances of “Mary” which have occurred over the centuries in places such as Guadalupe in Mexico, Lourdes in France, Fatima in Portugal, Akita in Japan, Medugorje in Yugoslavia and other places. Here are two of the messages which came forth from the apparition of Mary in Medugorje, Yugoslavia which is the “appatrition” that I am well acquainted with.
July 18, 1985 “Dear Children, Today I am begging you to put more blessed objects in your homes, and that every person should carry blessed objects on himself. Let everything be blessed so that satan will tempt you less because you are armed against him. Thank you for your response to my call.”
If you search the scriptures you will find no such command from God, regarding placing blessed objects in ones home, or on their person. Growing up as a Roman Catholic I was taught to pray before a crucifix, and I was also taught to wear Marian scapulars which were used as a ” spiritual form of protection”. I also wore the “miraculous medal” which had a graven image of “Mary” on it. That medal came about as a result of another apparition of “Mary” seen by a woman named “Sister Catherine” back in 1830. What does the Miraculous Medal medal have written on it? “Oh Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee”
The Bible does not teach us that Mary, the mother of Jesus was conceived without sin, but it teaches this:
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: (Romans 3:10)
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)
Regarding the spiritual battle against Satan, the Bible teaches the following:
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:11-12)
We are told in the scriptures about the “spiritual armour” required to fight against those wicked powers. We are told to have our “loins girt with truth” and to put on the “breastplate of righteousness” and to have our “feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace”. We are also told to take the “shield of faith”, the “helmet of salvation”, the “sword of the Spirit” and then we are told to pray. (Ephesians 6:10-1 
Another message from the “Mary” of Medugorje:
August 8, 1985 “Dear Children, I am calling you to pray against satan in a special way. Satan wants to work more now that you know he is active. Dear children, dress up in clothes of armor against satan; with rosaries in your hands you will conquer. Thank you for your response to my call.”
I assure you that this apparition of “Mary” is NOT the Mary that the Bible tells us about.