"These are the last days" cries a radio preacher who calls himself a prophet of God; so read numerous newsletters and religious publications; so teaches the television evangelist with a book on prophecy for sale; so say and think concerned citizens throughout the land. So has it been said for 2000 years!

As the Scriptures say, there is nothing new under the sun and so it is with men and their last days theology. Gary DeMar in his book "Last Days Madness," which shows the list of such men is long and dated, going back as early as the second and third centuries. For example, there was Montanus, a self appointed prophet of God predicting the end.

"In the third century, a prophet called Novatian gathered a huge following by crying, 'Come, Lord Jesus!' Donatus, a fourth-century prophet, commanded attention when he stressed that only 144,000 people would be chosen by God. He found this magic figure in Revelation 14:1 (a verse which the Jehovah's Witnesses use to proclaim their own version of his heresy). Both Novatian and Donatus were branded as heretics by the Church." [1]

Martin Luther wrote in 1532: "The last days is at hand. My calendar has run out. I know nothing more in my Scriptures." [2] As the year 1000 A.D. drew near, the old St. Peter's basilica was thronged with weeping, trembling masses awaiting the end of the world. Then there was a similar conviction in 1100, 1200 and 1245.

"In 1531, Melchior Hofmann announced that the second coming would take place in the year 1533...Nicholas Casa held that the world would not last past 1734." [3]

The list of present day "last days proclaimers," if properly researched and compiled, would probably be staggering. Here are just a few: Edgar C. Whisent put out a book, "88 Reasons Why the Rapture is in 1988." In 1992, Charles R. Taylor in "Bible Prophecy News" said: "What are you starting to read probably is my final issue of Bible Prophecy News, for Bible prophecy fulfillment indicates that Jesus Christ our Lord will most likely return for us at the Rapture of the Church before the fall of 1992 issue can be printed."

"1994?" was a writing by Harold Camping predicting Jesus would return sometime in the fall of 1994. David Allen Lewish wrote a book "Prophecy 2000: Rushing to Armageddon." Dave Hunt wrote "Peace and the Rise of Antichrist." Also, let's not forget Hal Lindsey's most profitable book "The Late Great Planet Earth" with a sale of 25,000,000 copies.

But What Does the Bible Teach Concerning the Last Days?: If that question was properly answered, the last days proclaimers wouldn't sell many books or reap much in donations to stay on the airwaves. Last Days existed 2000 years ago, according to the Bible. Consider the words of Hebrews 1:1-2: "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his son..." (KJV)

Following are some Bible questions for you. According to Hebrews 1:1-2, the writer of Hebrews considered the last days to be:

c). Impossible to understand and predict without reading a book on prophecy or hearing a self proclaimed prophet.

Let's consider another Bible passage: "But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them; 'Men of Judea, and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give heed to my words. For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day; but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel; 'And it shall be in the last days, God says, That I will pour forth of My Spirit upon all mankind; And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, And your young men shall see visions And your old men shall dream dreams...'" [4]

Now, let's have another Bible test question. According to Acts 2:14-17, the apostle Peter considered the very day he spoke to be those days that Joel had prophesied of and called last days.

The correct answers to these two questions are self evident just as it's self evident these two Scriptural passages teach the last days existed nearly 2000 years ago! @ Timothy 3:1 reads: "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come." (KJV) 2 Peter 3:3 also seems to indicate the last days as something in the future: "knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts." (KJV) How can it be that last days existed at the time of the writing of Hebrews 1:1-2, and Acts 2:17 and yet also be days yet to come in the future? The answer to that comes in understanding the Bible meaning of last days.

As a rule, when men use the term last days, they think in terms of the end of the world. Billy Graham, for example, wrote: "If you look in any direction, whether it is technological or physiological, the world as we know it is coming to an end. Scientists predict it, sociologists talk about it. Whether you go to the Soviet Union or anywhere in the world, they are talking about it. The world is living in a state of shock." [5]

The Bible term, "last days," does not carry this meaning. That is why the last days could be at one time and then another. To prove that the Bible meaning of last days is not the end of the world, let's look at how the term is used in an Old Testament Bible passage, Ezekiel chapter 38. It's a controversial passage dealing with the invasion by Gog. We'll not deal with the who, what, where, why of the invasion or if it's already happened, but with the when. Verse 16 tells us when. "It will come about in the last days that I shall bring you against my land." So then what happens? Does the world end?

Reading in chapter 38 & 39 concerning that invasion and conflict, one learns how it concludes and that the world continues on. Verse 22 of Ezekiel 39 says "And the house of Israel will know that I am the Lord their God from that day onward." Note the words "from that day onward," showing us the world did not end in the last days of Ezekiel 38.

Once one understands that the Bible term, last days does not mean the end of the world, that the last days existed nearly 2000 years ago, and would exist some time in the future, then one can move on to another important Bible truth concerning last days.

There Are More Than One Last Days: In other words, there have been last days and there will be last days. If the phrase "last days" does not mean the end of the world, then what does it mean the end of? How about the end of an era or age! Hebrews 6:5 speaks of an "age to come." If an age is to come, then that means an age will end prior to the coming of a new age; so there would be last days of an age! 1 Corinthians 10:11 says, "Now these things happened unto them by way of example and they were written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the ages are come." (NASV)

The King James Version uses the word "world" instead of "ages." "Upon whom the ends of the world are come." The Greek word is "aion" and according to "Holman's Exhaustive Concordance," means "continued duration, a space of time, an age." This passage clearly teaches there are ages and the end of ages had come upon those people living in Corinth, 2000 years ago. It's unfortunate that this word is usually translated as world in the King James translation as in most instances it is far more accurate to translate it as "age."

Take for example Hebrews 9:26. The King James says: "For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." The New American Standard says, "...but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself." Young's Literal Translation says, "...at the full end of the ages..."

Noah lived in the last days, i.e., the end of an age. They were last days for people to repent and be saved from destruction. Last days of an age wherein wickedness and sin had culminated.

Moses lived in the last days: or in an end of an age. We have heard the phrase "last days of the Roman Empire." Well Moses lived in the last days of Pharaoh's Egyptian Empire. They were the last days for innumerable first born male children.

The apostles and their disciples lived in the last days: Just as Peter stated in Acts 2:16-17. Days just prior to the destruction of Jerusalem which ended the age of the old Levitical Priesthood and temple sacrifices. It was not only the end of an age but the "consummation of the ages." [6]

Many New Testament Scriptures pertain to the end of that age or the last days that existed 2000 years ago. John the Baptist warned the establishment of his day (Pharisees and Sadducees) of the end by saying, "And the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down, and thrown into the fire." [7]

A Most Important Point Concerning Last Days: So far, you have read some very important truths concerning the subject of last days. Let's briefly summarize them.

1). Men have been crying out and warning that we are in the last days for nearly 2000 years.

2). Last days existed 2000 years ago and were to exist in the future. How can this be? Because...

These are important truths to understand but more important is this: PEOPLE SURVIVED THE LAST DAYS. You see not only did Noah live in the last days, but he lived beyond them as well. Moses and his people lived in the last days and beyond. The apostle's and the disciples lived in the last days and beyond. These people were not just SURVIVORS but OVERCOMERS and CONQUERORS! People of faith and hope.

The damnable consequence of this false modern day, (Jew)deo-Christian LAST DAYS THEOLOGY is it conquers and defeats the Christian soldiers who, themselves, should be more than conquerors. Victors taking dominion, overcoming the world through faith, hope, and love. It causes people to wring their hands in despair, believing things will get progressively worse in almost every area of life until Jesus returns with His angels.

One writer described the effect as, "Preoccupation with the end can act as a cultural sedative, leaving the world to its own inescapable eschatological certainties, giving man little impetus to effect change beyond his own isolated individualistic world. While society collapses, the population grows in its despair and joins 'the cult of expanded consciousness, health and personal 'growth' so prevalent today.' If the end is perceived as just around the corner, then why bother? 'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die." [8]

The Most Important Point Concerning Last Days: The most important point concerning the "last days" is how not to let them be your's or your family's last days. In other words, how to survive, overcome and be victorious.

As far as "this present evil age" is concerned, we are not out of the woods yet. There is a dark cloud gathering! But, to all who have eyes to see, this cloud has a magnificent silver (if not "golden") lining! Those who are in close touch with God and with His Truth and revelation and Word for us today, who rejoice in that "more sure word of prophecy, whereunto we do well that we take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn," are not fearing pending evil. Their "heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord!" Are you one of these? and of not why not?

When the apostle Peter wrote to encourage Christians who were facing severe persecution (and our White Christian Israel people are surely about to face severe and dreadful persecution, for those not grounded in Almighty God and the Lord Jesus Christ, for the Scriptures clearly tell us that the Sun (Jacob/Israel), the Moon (Rachel) and the Stars (the Children of Israel) will cease their shining), he told them to be ready always "to give answer to every man that asks you concerning the hope that is in you." [9]

As the hope held by these early Christians, and those of today was so distinctly different from the pagan concepts around them that it aroused curiosity, and generated questions about it. And the Christians of today and tomorrow will be asked the same questions by the unbelievers and the anti-Christ Jews, there fore please keep in mind that all the rest of this will be directed at those furture Christians as well as those addressed in the immediate time of the Scriptures. For four hundredyears the world habe been subjected to the philosophy of Socrates, Plato and Pythagoras (all Jews), and their speculations about "soul and immortality" (something not found in Scripture). Their ideal was to escape the body and become only spirit, free from all physical impurities and limitations. Resurrection did not fit their philosophy. In Athens Paul was mocked for preaching the resurrection [10]. In his resurrection message to King Agrippa Paul asked, "Why is it judged incredible with you, if God raises the dead?" [11] The idea was so incrdible it caused governor Festus to declare Paul mad [12]

People had come to believe that death is a "release" from an earthly prison and the entrance into an existence of joy and bliss. The doctrine of resurrection denied this, and set Christians apart from mainstream religion. It was one of the reasons they were a "sect...everywhere spoken against." [13]. No one cared that they did not enter into the Roman orgies and the pagan Greek festivals, but there was real concern when they taught that the only way to life after death was by a resurrection. This was an outright denial of the common belief. Peter had good reason to exhort his brethren to be ready to answer their questions about this unique hope.

Is Peter's exhortation sill valid? Are people today curious about the hope held by Christians? Unfortunately, no. Many denominations, in forming their creeds, have incorporated the same Greek notions which prevailed in the fisrst century. The modern Judeo-Christian church, in its ambition for growth, has so accommodated its message to the world that it has failed to give a clear and compelling hope, distinct from the pagan notions of life after death.

This is obvious in the expressions commonly heard in sermons and at funerals. The deceased is said to be "gone to his/her reward." It is true that when a person dies, the next event for him/her will be the resurrection, either to life and reward, or to punishment by death. But neither will occur until Christ comes. "Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to render to each man according as his work is." [14] Jesus promised a reward "at the resurrection of the just," not at death. [15]

"Where will you spend eternity?" seems to be an appropriate question to those who believe that everyone has an immortal soul. But the Bible makes no mention of an immortal soul. The word "immortal" is used once in Scripture, and applied to God alone. "Immortality" is used five times; once applied to God, once applied to Christ as bringing life and immortality to light, once concerning those who seek it, and twice as a gift to be given to the saints at the resurrection.

If it were true that each of us possessed immortality, and therefore would never die, the fundamental question would be that of where to live for eternity. But the question Jesus died to settle was the question of life or death. Our Israel brothers and sisters hearin thousands of churches each week is some expression indicating that if you are Christian you will "go to heaven when you die." Is this found in Scripture|? Surely King David was one of God's choice servants, but nearly 1000 years after his death the apostle Peter exclaimed. "David...is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day." Peter went on to say, "For David did not ascend into the heavens..." [16]

What, then, of the promise of Jesus: "In my father's house are many mansion...for I go to prepare a place for you?" [17] We are to be received when He comes again, not at death. The idea of immortal souls with halos and wings, floating around in heaven, is popular in art and literature, but it is pure bolony, pure fantasy. The real hope is expressed by Paul, in giving comfort to Chrisitans at Thessalonica regarding those who had "fallen asleep in Jesus." Instead of saying that their lost loved ones are enjoying life in heaven, as is usually said today, he wrote that they would be resurrected at the coming of Christ [18]. To the Corinthians he wrote, "We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed...For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible..." [19] Such a resurrection is absolutely essential for life. In fact, Paul wrote that if there is no resurrection, then "those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished." [20]

If all thedeceased saints are already living in joyful fellowship in heaven, then the Biblical concept of the "hope within" the resurrection from death, is meaningless. It is oftenheard at funerals that the brother or sister in the coffin has not really died, but is now in heaven, more alive than ever. This is supposed to give great comfort to those remaining. On the contrary, it often is the cause ofunnecessary concern and anxiety, when a remaining child thinks that a mother or father is up in heaven watching everything they do! Such a concept opens the way for prayer to the saints and the worship of Mary. It shifts the focus away from Jesus, the price He paid to give us life, and the importance of His coming to raise the dead.

Some think to find a strong argument for the traditional "heaven at death" in Paul's "desire to depart, and to be with Christ." [21]. But Paul was more explicit than all the others in declaring that the Christian's hope will be realized in the day of resurrecton. In Timothy 4:6-8 he wrote, "For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteiousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give to me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." Here, also, he speaks of his "departure," but the realization of his hope, and that of all Christians, is not to take place until the day of Christ's appearing.

The Lord Jesus Christ had much to say concerning this very moment of world-history closing this evil age and preparing for His Advent as "Prine of peace," and He drew a picture of two groups of people inthis our day: the one with their hearts "failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth." The other, obeying His command to "look up, and lift up their heads, for their deliverance draweth nigh." [22]

Concerning the purpose of His coming, however, many people hold diverse views; some right, some wrong, and some partly right and partly wrong. There are those who think that His coming does not mean a Personal return of the Lord Jesus Himself, but that it will entail a gradual change of spirit or heart amongst men and women from ways of evil into those of righteiousness. Certainly, if the Lord's Prayer is to be answered (as it assuredly will be), God's Will will eventually be done "on earth even as it is done in heaven;" and Israel's heart will certainly be turned to oby all His Laws, Commandments and Statutes, to do them. Scripture, however, proclaims dynamically, on the other hand, that this coveted state of affairs will not be achieved until the Lord Jesus Himself returns IN PERSON, in all His resurrection glory, to reign and rule a "King" and Divine Adjudicator. The very same resurrected Christ will return who was seen as a Person after His resurrection; and was seen Personally at the time of His Ascension; and was seen Personally to John on the Isle of Patmos half a century later; and was seen also in heaven as a Person by the martyr Stephen who, just before he was martyred, said he saw "the Son ofMan standing on the right hand of God." [23]

At the time of the Ascension of Christ we are told that two men in white apparel appeared and spoke to those who watched Him ascend and disappear out of sight. These Heavenly messengers said it would be "THIS SAME JESUS" who would return or reappear eventually in "like manner" as He then had disappeared; the only diffeence being that when He comes to reign He will come "with power and great glory," escorted to earth by a heavenly bodyguard of God's "mighty angels" [24], probably "ten thousand" in number, as suggested in Jude 14. These angelic servants, the Lord Jesus said, will come "with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather his elect (His true Israelites - not the Jews - and Christians) from the four winds, fromone end of the heaven ('sky' or 'air') [25] to the other." [26]

What each one of us sees all depends upon which way we are looking! In the two categories just considered there are those in the first who are certainly "looking," but their heads are bent, their gaze is on the things or the "earth," looking down instead of up. Those in the second category, on the other hand are also "looking," but looking in a very different direction, as their Lord commanded them, with their heads erect, their gaze upwards! The Lord Himself showed that at the close of this age, when a great increase of knowledge and power would be placed in the hands of man, there would be a real danger of no flesh being left [27], and that therefore these days are to be "shortened" so this would not happen. Our second category of people consists therefore of those awaiting with eagerness the Advent of this world's Deliverer, "looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God snd our Savior, Jesus Christ." [28]

Mere nominal lukewarm Christianity is of little worht, in fact, it is often a hinderance to both God and man. The Lord Jesus has no use for it whatever, saying (to what we believe is the Judeo-Christian Church): "because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth" [29]. And as far as the religious hypocrites found in the pulpits of the Judeo-Christian churches of today, "Woe unto you," He says [30]. But to those found faithful," and "to him that overcometh," Jesus promises high reward, even to be "Co-heirs" or Con-Inheritors with Him of a great and wonderful Kingdom. To them He promises that they may "live and reign with him? when He comes to "reign over the House of Jacob (Notice that it does not say "Christianity" nor the "Church" but instead says over the house of jacob!)." [31], saying He will grant them that they may even "sit with him, in his throne." These, in conjunction with Him, will thus "inherit the Kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world." [32]

One may well ask, how can there be so many to rule over? Well we MUST keep in mind that there will be those who are unbelievers, murderers, and etc., alive and well on the earth while Christ reigns in His Kingdom. These are the nations that these "overcomers" will rule over. This is proven by the following two Scriptures: "And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it (Christ's Kingdom): and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. AND THERE SHALL NO WISE ENTER INTO IT ANY THING THAT DEFILETH, NEITHER WHATSOEVER WORKETH ABOMINATION, OR MAKETH A LIE:: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life." [33] For a second witness: "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. FOR WITHOUT ARE DOGS, AND SORCERS, AND WHOREMONGERS, AND MURDERERS, AND IDOLATERS AND WHOSOEVER LOVETH AND MAKETH A LIE." [34]

At His Advent the faithful reigning Overcomers are to be gathered unto Him as "His inheritance." Their gathering will be a very real business, visible to all. Earthly graves will be open, and many "that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake" [35]These Elect will be resurrected at the beginning of the thousand-year reign of Christ known as the Millennium. The rest of the dead will be raised later; theefore: "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the FIRST RESURRECTION" [36] The manner of this Resurrection apparently will be as follows: "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so (from that time and onwards) shall we ever be with the Lord (wherever He is, and wherever He is reigning, and whatever He may be doning, whether in His Kingdom, or whether adjudicating on earth). Wherefore comfort one another with these words." [37]

All this very soon will be literally, realistically, and very wonderfully fulfilled; and this return of Christ Jesus from heaven to earth will be seen and witnessed world wide. It will be a round-the-world manifestation of heavenly glory. Over nineteen hundred years ago, when the Lord Jesus Christ was born, a handful of Bethlehem shepherds saw a somewhat similar manifestation in miniature: but when He comes again "with power and great glory" the whole wide world will be stilled, by witnessing avisible heavenly demonstration in the skies on such a scale as this world has never before seen. The "King of kings" is worthy of such grandeur! He shall come with "Power and Great Glory."

World events are by no means haphazard, for God has a plan, a most magnificent plan, for the blessing of all nations: and He has purposely "foretold the end fromt he beginning." He says that the meek "shall inherit the earth, and He is going to give this old earth to His Son first and foremost, who will return Personally and literally to be its Deliverer and its King. Finally, as we shall see later, His Son will hand it back to the Father perfected, when His work is done: "Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power." [38] The concept of this literal return to earth of God's Son, the "Son of man," is by no means a new idea. It was not even new in the days of the apostle Paul, for nearly six centuries previously God had revealed in vision just this very same thing, that His glorified Son should come to earth in Person as a "man" to reign, ultimately leading all men and nations to serve and obey him. Let us read the testimony of God's servant Daniel, concerning the dream which was given him nearly six centuries before the firt Advent of Jesus Christ. He says: "I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that (eventually) all people, nations, and languages, SHOULD SERVE HIM." [39]

Immediatly prior to the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, the purpose of His earthy Kingship was particularized by the angel Gabriel, who appeared to the virgin Mary and told her that her Holy-Spirit-conceived Son would be called "The Son of the Highest," although also the Son of Man; and that He would eventually and assuredly reign over God's great chosen race, the "House of Jacob." This plan, in turn, was to be for the ultimate blessing of "all the nations of the earth." [40] The fact that a compnay of Co-heirs or Co-regents would be given Him, was the added revelation given later principally through the apostle Paul, to the early Church.

One of the many Scriptural proofs of the necessity of a Personal and literal return of the Lord Jesus Himself is found in Peter's discourse in Acts 2, verses 30-31, referring to His earthly Kingship on the "Throne of David." Here may it be noted that this was and still is an earthly kingship, on an earthly Throne, over an earthly race of people, in contradistinction to the universal Kingship of God on His heavenly Throne above. Thus Gabriel told the Virgin that God should "give unto him (Christ) the throne (and earthly Kingship) of his father David," and that he should "reign over the house of Jacob for the ages" [41].

As we shall now see clearly for ourselves, the apostle Peter showed unanswerably that the Personal "Son of Man" (Son of David) will sit literally on David's earthly Throne. Peter, speaking of king David, said that he (David): "...being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that OF THE FRUIT OF HIS LOINS, ACCORDING TO THE FLESH, he would raise up Christ, to SIT ON HIS THRONE; he seeing this before, spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hades [42], NEITHER HIS FLESH DID SEE CORRUPTION." [43]

The apostle Paul also, continuing the same theme in Acts 13:34-35, speaking of God resurrecting Jesus, says: "And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David (or 'sacred promises of David' as translated in the 'Twentieth Century' translation, and in other translations). Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt NOT suffer thine Holy One TO SEE CORRUPTION."

Here it is plainly seen that God had a definite purpose, or necessary reason, why the literal body of Jesus of Nazareth must not corrupt, but must be preserved, though in a changed or glorified form, so that certain definite old-time promises to King David could thereby be faithfully fulfilled.

We now ask ourselves the queston, has the resurected Christ any lawful right of claim to come and take David's earthly Throne? We have seen that according to God's covenants He promised to give that Throne to David's literal seed or descendant. Furthermore, God said to King David, as we read in Psalm 89:35-37: "Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah."

God has never departed form His promises. He never can break His Word. There have been times when His purpose seemed to be in jeopardy; but the instance in 2 Chronicles 21:7 is a testimony for all time, in that: "Howbeit the Lord would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had made with David, and as he promised to give a light to him and to his sons for ever."

The lawful claim of Jesus of Nazareth to the Throne of David, therefore, lies in the fact that while at birth He was God's begotten Son by the Spirit on the Paternal side, He was nevertheless Mary's (and therefore David's) Son on the maternal side. If, on the other hand, He had only put on the earthly Davidic body temporarily, casting it off forever unto corruption after His crucifixion, then He, if a heavenly "Spirit" only, COULD NOT INHERIT GOD'S COVENANTS TO DAVID'S SEED. Some other son of David would have to do this. The fact, however, that even now in haven He is still David's Seed and is still the "Son of MAN," as Stephen testified, gives Him a double prerogative to reign in righteiousness, until He hath put all enemies under His Feet. We thus see that for God to honor His Word, it was essential that the literal body of the Lord Jesus "should not see corruption," but become "changed" (not destroyed); and that He should eventually return visibly, Personally, literally, to "sit" on David's literal earthly "Throne," exercising God-appointed Sovereignty over the "House of Jacob" for ultimate blessing to all nations.

In Old Testament days the Hebrew race (the White Race) failed to fulfill that which God had promised Abraham that it should do, to lead itself and all other nations into His rich blessings. Nevertheless, Jesus Christ came, and died not only to become Israel's Savior and Redeemer, but also save those others who would accept them, so that the latter could become eventually reinstated and blessed, and used to guide all nations into deliverance and blessings.

The "same Jesus" is coming back, (1) to gather His true reigning Electon or Church, (2) to govern the House of Jacob, reigning as their lawful King, the "King of Israel" receiving from the latter in the identical allegiance and obedience as He now receives in this present age from His overcoming Church or Elect. He will reign over the very same race of people that King David once ruled: that is to say, the "House of Jacob," now gorwn tremendously large. Their story is more fully outlined in the first little book of this series, entitled: "Greater love hath no man than This," which all should read. In this book it was shown how Jacob's race became divided into two rival sections, centered in (a) "Joseph" (the "Birthright) holder); and (b) "Judah," respectively. Both these sections became rejected and cast out, for their idolatry and sinfulness; but both have been repurchased by the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, although they have not as yet entered into or participated in their blood-bought inheritance; and both are to be reinstated and used nationally under the reigning Leadership of Jesus Christ and His resurrected Church or co-heirs. In the New Testament Scriptures [44], God there states His New Covenant with both of them, reiterating His Old Testament promises found in Jeremiah 31:31, and in such other Scriptures as Zechariah 10:6-9, in which we read: "And I will strengthen the house of JUDAH, and I will save the house of JOSEPH, and I will bring them again to place them; for I have mercy upon them: and they shall be as though I had not cast them off: for I am the Lord their God, and will hear them. And they of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice as through wine: yea, their children shall see it, and be glad; their heart shall rejoice in the Lord. I will hiss for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them: and they shall increase as they have increased. And I will sow them among the people: and they shall remember me in far countries; and they shall live with their children, and turn again."

Through them, under Christ's Leadership, all nations will ultimately be blessed, so that "all people, nations, and languages, shall serve him" [45] until God's Will is done on earth, even as it is done in heaven.

Before the Lord Jesus departed from His disciples He said to them: "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." He said also: "Behold I am with you alway, even unto the end of the age." From these Scriptures it is argued by some that the Second Advent is now long past and over, Jesus having returned invisibly immediately after His Ascension. Some, on the other hand, claim a recent invisible return. All true Christian people have experienced in their lives the reality of the fact that the same Spirit that was in Christ on earth has been their abundant Companion and Help from day to day: but if that were the only manner of any return on His part, then God's promises, and Peter's statement just considered, would become void of intelligent purpose or meaning.

Furthermore, if the two promises quoted above referred to an Advent immediately after His Ascension, they would flatly contradict Peter's further statement in Acts 3:21, where he told the people that "the heaven must receive him (Jesus) until the times for the restoration (R.V.) of all things." This statement meant very plainly and definitely that Jesus as a Person had left the earth; that He was retained in heaven temporarily; but that in God's time He would reappear and come back to earth again to reign in righteoiusness until He had brought all things in willing subjection under His Feet; finally handing back the perfected kingdom to the Father, as Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:24-28: "Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father...that God may be all in all."

From all the above statements and facts we see clearly that His retention in heaven is not as a Spirit but as a "Man," literal and real. The Lord Jesus, after His resurrection, showed His disciples that He was not a Spirit but a Man, for when He appeared to them He said: "A spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have" [46]

No. The facts are clear, that Jesus of Nazareth, David's Son, resurrected and glorified, will return as "that Man whom God ordained," to sit literally on David's earthly Throne, there to rule and reign, and finally to judge all men and nations, until all are at His Feet, and God becomes "all in all." [47]

As seen already, the true Church, as indeed also the whole world, awaits the "glorious appearing" of the world's great Savior and Deliverer. But Paul, speaking to those who were truly Christ's, said that "when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory" [48]. These will therefore appear with Him, resurrected, standing before His Throne, where they will be given their rewards, in a just measure according to their faithfulness in bygone days. Paul taught the Church that its members: "...must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether good or bad." [49]

This is not the Seat of judgment (called the "Thronos" in Greek) at which men are judged according as their past evil works HAVE been. It is rather the Seat of reward and glory (called the "Bema" in Greek) at which Jesus Christ, opening His thousand-year reign, apportions reigning rewards of service to His faithful Elect. These rewards are rewards of future service to give unto each one "according as their work SHALL BE" [50]

"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years." [51] What a glorious anticipation, to become changed or transformed in a moment, clothed in an immortal body just like the perfect resurrecton body of Jesus Christ No wonder Paul said his "conversion was in heaven, from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile (mortal) body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious (resurrected) body" [52] As Paul said, the whole earht is now groaning and travaling in pain together, waiting for the "manfestation of the Sons of God."

There cannot be any such thing as an immediate End of the World as we have been told in the Judeo-Churches of America. When the Lord Jesus was standing before Pontius Pilate He is supposed to have said: "My kingdom is not of this world;" but, in potin of fact He said no such thing, as the Greek word "Kosmos (or Cosmos)," mistranslated "world" should have been translated "order."

Greek #2889: kosmos, kos'-mos; prob. from the base of 2805; orderly arrangement, i.e. decoratin; by impl. the world (in a wise or narrow sense, includ. its inhab., lit. or fig. [mor.]):-adorning, world.

In this He told Pilate that His future Messianic kingdom would not be of the Roman Cosmos or "Order," but would be a kingdom graced with Divine Law, righteousness and Love.

We say the Lord's prayer so often, but how often do we really stop to think what it means. Jesus Christ taught us to pray and say: "Our Father which art in heaven...Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done ON EARTH even as it is done in heaven." One day, therefore, accofding to this prayer, the earth itself will become a veritable link with heaven, all evil being destoryed out of it. Death itself eventually will also be conquered [53]: even those lying in our cemeteries and graveyards are destined to come to life again, for in John 5:28 we read: "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth..." What a day of reunion for many that will be! but when will He return? And when will the promise "...times of restitution of all things..." [54] begin?

When the Lord Jesus was still on earth, speaking of His own Second Advent He said: "But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father." [55] Today we still do not know the exact day or hour; but, on the other hand, Christians should know approximately, from the "Signs of the times," when the day is drawing near; even as Paul said :"But ye brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief" [56]. so we most definitely should know when the time is near at hand, the more so as we see the day approaching. The Lord Jesus implied this also in His story of the fig tree, concerning which He said that when it begins to shoot forth, all know that summer is night at hand; continuing to say: "So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, KNOW THAT IT IS NEAR, EVEN AT THE DOORS." [57] So, on His authority, when the time was really drawing near there was to be little doubt about it.

In order that you may gain greater confidence in the prophetic picture concerning present-day events, that these will not only be fulfilled, but will be worked out exactly on time, let us first consider remarkable examples of prophetic periods in the past, foretold centuries if not millenniums before they also were fulfilled exactly on time! Surely such tangible evidence must convince even the skeptic that there is a God: and furthermore that His overruling power is Omnipotent, and that naught can withstand His great wisdom and power to have His own way when He wills among the kingdoms of men, for the ultimate blessing of all.

When we have considered some of these past fulfillments we may be able to see more clearly how all things are working together for good, building and preparing for that great day when the Lord Jesus Christ will come, and when ultimately the kingdoms of this world are to become "the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ." [58]

A selection of events or periods recorded in the Bible story is given below, the exact length of each period having been accurately forenamed BEFOREHAND by Almighty God through His servants and prophets who penned the Scriptures under His inspiration or guidance. Each example glorifies Him, revealing His power not only to fulfill, but to fulfill ON TIME!

3½ years All Papacy's opponents silenced; A.D. 1514-1517. Silence broken by Luther. [60]

There are those today who doubt the story of the Flood; but Christ believed in it. For He said: "For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." [80] Before the Flood, when the length of a generation was much greater than now, God warned that pre-Flood generation. In those days "the earth was filled with violence," as indeed it is today; and men's behaviour greatly displeased God, who said: "And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be AN HUNDRED AND TWENTY YEARS." [81]

It would appear from the pre-Flood Calendar that this warning was given on a Sabbath, when the people, instead of reverencing God, were revelling in festivity. At the time of the Flood they were indulging in the things or the flesh, "eating and drinking and giving in marriage" [82] just as they had done 120 years previously; so God, seeing no repentance in their hearts, brought judgment exactly at the fore-warned time. We read: "In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights. 13 In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark." [83]

For years the controversy has raged about whether Noah's flood was universal, or was it confined to a certain geographical location. This is a study to present our view about the flood as related in the Scriptures. We will use the Bible, and see if it has anything to say about it's scope.

The common claim, among most denominations, who still preach the Bible; and who more or less try to stay with the Scriptures as they read it and study it. Is that there was a world wide drowning of men, about 4300 to 4500 years ago. That there was a flood called Noah's flood that drowned all the men upon the earth at that time in the world's history, except for his wife, his sons and their families. This is the common teaching among most Protestant Denominations, the Catholic Church. Some Fundamentalists groups and some Pentecostal groups do not teach this. Then there are many people outside of the church who don't know one way or the other, and could really care less.

Some of them think this is nonsense, they think the Bible story is a myth. Some say that is not important anyway. Then there is the great, vast bulk of the population, know so little about the Bible, they don't know if there might have been a flood or not.

Those who do study the Bible, and are willing to go through the Scriptures and see what the Bible actually teaches about where was the flood in Noah's time. First of all let us look at the Book of Genesis.

It is amazing how people can read a verse of scripture, and think to themselves: Yes that's right. Then they put their brain in neutral and simply become brain dead. They will study no further; they have found the truth; and God help the person who disagrees with them. Such is the case when a discussion comes up concerning Noah's flood. Many read Genesis 6:13-17: "And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them WITH THE EARTH...And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die."

These are the verses most generally used when defending the destruction of the entire earth by Noah's flood. Now first off we know that the earth was not destroyed. Yet, if one is to believe that the flood was universal, they must also believe that the entire world was destroyed at that time. Because that is what is says "I will destroy them WITH THE EARTH." By this one verse we know that the flood was not universal. But let's go on because those who believe in the entire world being flooded will not be content with this verse. But one can just see them beginning to foam at the mouth, and wish to destroy me, and accuse me of trying to destroy God's Word. And nothing could be further from the truth. I simply believe in reading and "UNDERSTANDING" all of God's Word and not present some stupid argument that the atheists and other non-believers can latch upon like a dog on a bone.

First. Let's look at what Strong's Concordance has to say about the word earth. I suppose you all will accept that Strong's is an authority. If you do not, then there is nothing which can be used as an authority for anything. Strong's relates:

In the Old Testament the following is used almost every time. #127: soil; country, earth, ground, husband, land. #776: a land; common, country, earth, field, ground, land, nations, way, wilderness, world. In the following one is used only once and the other only a few times. #2789: a piece of pottery; earth; sherd, stone. #6083: dust; clay, earth, mud: ashes; dust; earth; ground, mortar; powder; rubbish.

In the New Testament the following is used almost every time: #1093: soil; region; country; earth; ground; land; world. Once as #3625: Part of the globe; the Roman Empire; Once as #1919: worldly; in earth; terrestrial. Once as #2709: The ground; subterranean, under the earth. Once as #3749: eartern-ware; of earth; earthen.

Genesis 7:17-20: "And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth. And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth: and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered. {Well so far so good. Everything is going to die and everything is covered, but in the next verse it says} Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered."

There are two possibilities of this specific verse. First of all 15 cubits is believed by most Bible scholars to equal approx. 22 1/2 feet. In other words a foot and a half for each cubit. Now, if this means 22 1/2 feet above the highest hill then the earth was covered. If it means 22 1/2 feet above the location of the Ark or where the Ark was built. Then you are in trouble, the water would not have been deep enough to cover the entire planet. But let's go on and read some other verses: "And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died." [84]

So far everything that we have read, is quite familiar to those who teach about the flood. And it does sound pretty complete. It sounds pretty complete as far as the destruction of everything outside of the Ark. And of course, we know, from the contents of the scriptures that all of the animals and people inside the Ark did not die. The real question is, after reading and studying God's Word and trying to find out about the flood. Which must be understood in order to understand history a little better.

When God said in His Word - The Earth - did He mean the planet earth? Or did He mean the Land? Did He mean the planet earth, which would mean the entire earth? Or did He actually mean the land which was being spoken about?

Turn to Genesis 4:11-14 where in speaking about Cain we read: "And now art thou cursed FROM THE EARTH...And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, thou hast driven me out this day FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH..."

It is clear that Cain was only being driven out from the place where he was, to another place. But Cain said to the Lord "thou hast driven me out this day FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH." If we used just that phrase one could easily say that Cain was removed off of the earth entirely.

Because it says from the face of the earth. But then the scriptures show that Cain clearly understood what had happened. "And from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth." Here we have two things pointed out to us.

ONE: That the scriptures are only concerned with a certain geographical area of the world. Cain knew this, otherwise he would not have made the proviso statement: "from thy face shall I be hid." This clearly shows that when Cain moved out of that specific geographical area, that God was no longer concerned with him, and he would be, in effect, hidden from God's eyes.

SECOND: That Cain clearly knew that he was being driven from one area of the earth to another. And not literally from off the earth entirely, the planet earth, but from the land wherein he had dwelt. And that he would sill be on the planet earth.

AFTER THE FLOOD: Genesis 11:1: "And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech."

Now that's what it says. It says that "the whole earth was of one language and one speech." Trying to interpret this in the same manner as the previous verses to mean a world wide flood. We would have to assume that it meant that every person on the earth spoke one language. Because that is what it says. "And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there."

Now the they must be the people of all the earth. So if we follow the same line of interpretation we would have to assume all of the living people on the face of the earth spoke one language and they all came and dwelt in the land of Shinar. Now archaeologists and sciences have no record of all the people of the earth living in the land of Shinar, about 2400 years before the birth of Christ. But let's go on and read some more.

This is the story of the angel bringing Lot out before the destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah: "The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar. Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt." [85]

We know from the story that those who were inside these cities on the plain were wicked. God destroyed those two cities, Lot and his two daughters and his wife went out and his wife died and was turned into a pillar of salt. And as some translations say, turned into a pillar of ashes. Leaving Lot and his two daughters alive.

When we read verses 30 and 31 listen to what is said: "And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him...And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and THERE IS NOT A MAN IN THE EARTH to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth." There is not a man in the earth. When one interprets this in the same manor as he might interpret the others. You would have to assume, with the limited knowledge that we have hear, that what she means is that all the rest of humanity has died. That there are no other men alive.

Because she said "THERE IS NOT A MAN IN THE EARTH" to come into us in like manner. And of course you know the rest of the story. That the girls went ahead and got pregnant by their father, because they "thought" all the rest of the men on earth had died. Yet in verse 30 we know there "were" others alive because Lot "feared to dwell in Zoar." If there were no others alive but him and his two daughters what did he have to fear. Of course those who don't want to accept what is being presented will cry out: "He was afraid of the animals."

But the scriptures don't say that. And if one believes in a universal flood, then they have to believe that if there were animals that frightened Lot, the scriptures would say so. At any rate, here, the universal flood advocates will be forced to admit, all mankind was once again destroyed except Lot and his two daughters.

As we continue on to Genesis 41 we find that Joseph is in Egypt, and we are coming up to the time of the famine. "And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended. And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and THE DEARTH WAS IN ALL LANDS; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread."

Following the same line of reasoning that has been followed before. That would mean that all the rest of the world was suffering from a famine or a dearth or drought, whatever turns you on; except for the land of Egypt. Verses 55-57: "And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, God unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do. And THE FAMINE WAS OVER ALL THE FACE OF THE EARTH: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxes sore in the land of Egypt. And ALL COUNTRIES CAME INTO EGYPT to Joseph for to buy corn; BECAUSE THAT THE FAMINE WAS SO SORE IN ALL LANDS."

We are arriving at a time when secular history is very specific, and we can study the ancient writings and get a pretty good idea of what was happening in those days. Of course, prior to the flood, we recognize that there are few actual written records available and thus are limited in our knowledge of that time in history. But, if we follow the same reasoning as on the previous verses, the plain teaching of these scriptures, and if we interpret them in the same manner as the advocates of a universal flood do, this very definitely means that ALL OF THE REST OF THE WORLD WAS HAVING A FAMINE. Right?

This would mean that the Americas, England, Australia, China, New Zealand and etc., were suffering from a famine or dearth. And that they all came to Egypt to purchase food. Which would have been impossible because the Scriptures does not even recognize China or the rest of the world at this point in time.

From the knowledge that we have gained from history and archeology in the last thousand years of this time, after the flood, does not indicate that we have any knowledge of people from Asia, the Americas, the Eskimos, or anybody else from the opposite side of the earth going to Egypt to buy food. In fact, if one will study closely they will see that the only people involved in this famine was Egypt and the lands immediately surrounding Egypt.

If you will obtain a map of that portion of the earth, you will clearly see, that everything we have talked about so far, has been a relatively small geographic area in the Middle East. But, yet many still teach that the flood was over all the earth. Now we have read that the famine at the time of Joseph was over all of the earth. Yet there is no record of it in our secular history, of people coming into Egypt from the other parts of the earth to buy food.

2). We have had a fire which the survivors have stated specifically, that there were no other men left on the earth;

3). We also have a famine which was, a famine over ALL THE FACE OF THE EARTH.

Do we, have, in truth, three things which has either destroyed all of the populations of the earth or most of them. In fact, the last one leaves us to believe that all of the people on earth, who did not go to Egypt died. Therefore, everyone on earth died of the famine except for those in Egypt and the few fortunate enough to be able to get to Egypt to get food.

Now turn to the Tenth Chapter of Exodus where we will look at the plagues of Egypt, a story most know quite well. Exodus 10:14-15: "And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such. For THEY COVERED THE FACE OF THE WHOLE EARTH..."

Here, we have yet another plague which covered the face of the whole earth. "...so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, {where?} through all the land of Egypt." Yet the phraseology or terminology is identical to what we have read before. They covered all the face of the whole earth.

In Ezekiel 39 all of the Israelites were killed. Did you know that all of the Israelites were dead in Ezekiel's day? Well Ezekiel the prophet said so. Talking about this end of the age battle, he said: "And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: SO FELL THEY ALL BY THE SWORD." Thus Ezekiel is telling us that all of the Israelites had fallen by the sword.

As I said earlier, I am not trying to be frivolous about this thing. I am simply trying to show you that when the Bible talks about something happening over all of an area or all of something or over all of the earth; that it does not necessarily mean that every single solitary person on every inch of the entire planet was involved. Because if it did we have already had more than four total destructions or almost total destructions.

Turn to Ezra we will show you, after we state the point, we will show you THE LOCATION OF THE FLOOD ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE! "Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The Lord God of heaven HATH GIVEN ME ALL THE KINGDOMS OF THE EARTH..."

Now we are arriving down to a point in history where we can easily verify the things that have happened in the scriptures according to secular written history. There is no way for us to know what Cyrus was thinking or what God Almighty was thinking when He put it in His Word. But we know from secular history that Cyrus's kingdom never extended more than a thousand miles from his capital city. He had a tremendous kingdom; But the Bible says that God had given him "all the kingdoms of the earth." Yet we know, and no minister tries to prove to us, that Cyrus ruled over China or North America or South America, or even over Africa. They know better. They know just how foolish such teaching would be. Because it would not take long for their flock to realize that he was teaching a falsehood.

Turn to Daniel. You know that Daniel was a high official in the Babylonian Kingdom, and after he and the others has shown their protection and favor of God. Daniel 6:24: "And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den."

Darius was so pleased with the actions of God and His apparent protection of Daniel that this was what he did. Then, in verse 25: "Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that DWELL IN ALL THE EARTH..." That is what is says. God's Word says; "Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, THAT DWELL IN ALL THE EARTH; Peace be multiplied unto you. I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel."

What was he talking about? Of course, when Darius wrote to all the people on the earth, he was writing to all the people IN HIS KINGDOM! And his kingdom, we know from secular history and from God's Word was rather limited compared to the entire planet. It covered an area contained in that small geographical area, where all of the Bible talks about. It did not exceed beyond it. Not a single bit of the previous history has gone outside that small geographical area of the Middle East.

Now turn to the New Testament to the book of Luke, where we read the reason that Joseph and Mary came to Bethlehem. "And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that ALL THE WORLD SHOULD BE TAXED. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And ALL went to be taxed, EVERY ONE INTO HIS OWN CITY." [86]

You see what happens if one interprets the scriptures the same way all the way through the Bible. Now we have Caesar Augustus ruling over ALL OF THE WORLD. Which is absolutely not true. He never ruled over Germany. He never ruled over all of the British Isles. He never ruled over the Americas. He never ruled over Japan. He never ruled over Asia, nor any of the other countries of the world. Do you not see how silly those who would have us believe that the flood was universal? Because according to the way they interpret the scriptures they would have all the indians in North and South America going into their cities to be taxed. They would have all the Chinese going into their cities to be taxed. They would have all the Japanese going into their cities. Countries that never new Rome existed for hundreds or thousands of years later. They would have you believe that. Because right here in the scriptures it says "ALL WENT TO BE TAXED, EVERY ONE TO HIS OWN CITY." It is clear that this scripture is not talking about the entire planet earth, it is talking, once again, about a certain geographical location in the Middle East.

For another point turn to the book of Acts. Did you know that if all of the people did not die in the famine in Egypt, that they are going to die in another famine, which is related in Acts. "And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch. And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the spirit that there should be great dearth THROUGHOUT ALL THE WORLD: WHICH CAME TO PASS IN THE DAYS OF CLAUDIUS CAESAR." [87]

Now we are down to about 1900 years ago, where we have excellent written secular history, and no one; not even the most ardent universal flood advocates would dare to declare that all the world had a great dearth or famine. Yet if one interprets these scriptures in the same way, then there must have been a famine over all the world, the entire planet 1900 years ago. And secular history failed to mention such a catastrophe.

To not park your brains at the door when you enter church. To think for yourselves and not to believe everything that someone tells you. Search out the scriptures, think and reason, not just pat your self on the back and think what wonderful knowledge you have. That you have all the truth, and no one else has any. That is false. NO ONE, NOT ME, NOT YOU - NO ONE HAS ALL THE TRUTH EXCEPT ALMIGHTY GOD.

We are laying a foundation, so that you will fully understand what we are presenting, that it the interpretation is not true, that when the Bible says all the earth, it is talking about the entire planet. THE ENTIRE BIBLE ONLY ENCOMPASSES ONE SMALL GEOGRAPHICAL AREA OF THE SCRIPTURES WHEN IT IS SPEAKING HISTORICALLY. It is only when it is speaking prophetically that it is speaking about other parts of the world, and then it is only concerned with the Children of Israel. And we don't mean the Jews when we say that for they are no part of Israel. They are mostly of Japheth, Esau, and Khazars.

Turn to the Second Book of Peter. For we will now look at verses which are quite often referred to when the universal flood advocates talk of the flood again. And remember as we read these verses also, that so far, that the history written down in the Word of God still has not moved outside of the area of one small geographical portion of the Middle East.

All the way from the Book of Genesis to 2 Peter we have been talking about one geographical location. Peter is referring to the flood: "For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly." [88]

God brought in the flood upon the world of the ungodly. And we would state that this doesn't necessarily mean all the world, the entire planet. First of all you must remember and understand the principle that God operates upon. Which is, that sin is the transgression of the Law. And where there is no Law there is no transgression.

God does not destroy even peoples unless they have the Law and violate it. And you can read this far in the Holy Scriptures and you will not find definite and conclusive evidence that God's Law was ever preached beyond the confines of that small geographical area of the world. God's Law, as far as the scriptures relates had not gone out to the other parts of the planet. So the flood was brought in upon the ungodly. Again this does not necessarily mean all the world - the entire planet. As we have already shown quite clearly, we believe. Of course there will be skeptics, such as one of the thieves which was crucified next to Christ. Who railed and mocked Him as they died. "For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old {notice he was talking about people being destroyed who were 'WILLINGLY' ignorant, and definitely disobeying the Word of the Lord}, and THE EARTH standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished." [89] But this does not necessarily prove a world or planet wide flood. Now make no misunderstanding, we know these can not be used to preach or teach a limited flood, but the universal flood advocates almost always use them and so we must recognize they are there.

Turn to Joshua, who we believe will show you the bounds of Noah's flood. You must understand that this was happening to Joshua approx. 500 years AFTER Shem. So we are talking about a period of time which was 500 years after one of Noah's sons who was actually in the Ark during the flood. We are not talking about Joshua doing something a 1000 or 2000 years after the flood. But only about 500 years after it. He has called all the people of Israel together. He's old and knows he is going to die. "Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem {a city between the Mediterranean and the Jordan River - this is where this event took place}, and called for the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God. And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, YOUR FATHERS DWELT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FLOOD in old time, even Terah the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods." [90]

Now I have read, in part, the Bible through several times and never realized what is being presented here. Every time I read it I always thought in terms of time. Your fathers dwelt BEFORE the flood. But that is not what it is saying, is it? It says "Your fathers dwelt on the OTHER SIDE OF THE FLOOD." And then it gives the names of their fathers. "Terah, the father of Abraham." If you think about it for a minute it will dawn upon you that Terah didn't live BEFORE the flood. Terah lived just before Abraham, long AFTER the flood.

Yet the scriptures says that Terah lived "on the other side of the flood." Now if you will read this several times and "THINK" use your heads you will realize that Joshua is not talking about "time." HE IS TALKING ABOUT GEOGRAPHY! He is telling them "WHERE THEY LIVED," not WHEN they lived! Now listen carefully to what he says: "...and I took your father Abraham FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FLOOD, and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed, and gave him Isaac."

Turn to Genesis 11 and we will show you where Terah, Nachor and Abraham lived. Genesis 11:10: "These are the generations of Shem: Shem was an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years AFTER THE FLOOD." Then it goes down and gives all of the descendants of Shem. And two hundred and twelve years AFTER THE FLOOD we read in verse 24: "And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begat Terah." Yet in Joshua 24, Joshua says, "your fathers even Terah," which Genesis 11 said was born two hundred and twelve years AFTER THE FLOOD, "lived on the other side of the flood." And then it talks about bringing Abraham. "And Terah took Abram {Abraham} his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran." [91]

Joshua said in Joshua 24:3: "And I {Almighty God} took your father Abraham FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FLOOD..." Now it is very apparent that Abraham did not live BEFORE the flood. So if God brought Abraham FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FLOOD, what is He talking about. Well he is telling us that he, Joshua, standing at Shechem is on one side of where the flood was; and Abraham living in Ur of the Chaldees was living on the other side of the flood. And there is no doubt that he is talking about the flood of Noah. So if you wish to know where the Flood of Noah was, then get you a good map of that part of the world in old times and look between Ur of Chaldees and Shechem and you will see the geographical area of the flood.

Now the scriptures tell us to have a second witness. So we will turn to a well known verse for this second witness. I believe that God has laughed at those who espouse a universal flood, and has revealed its location in one of the best known verses in the Bible, as a jest. To see if we would search out the truth for ourselves. Or would we grope in blindness.

"And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord,choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served THAT WERE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FLOOD {Not 'BEFORE' the flood, but 'ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FLOOD'}, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Most ministers will read this and say "Well I don't know what you people are going to do, but I am going to serve the Lord." [92] Yet right here in that very commonly used verse is the double or second witness that Joshua knew he stood on one side of the flood, and that Abraham was born and raised on THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FLOOD. I realize this is a futile effort for most Christians because they do not want to know the truth. Because they would rather believe a lie than the truth. God said this was so: "A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; AND MY PEOPLE LOVE TO HAVE IT SO..." [93]

This is one of the reasons that Hosea declared: "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: {why?}: BECAUSE THOU HAST REJECTED KNOWLEDGE..." [94] And if you will read the scriptures carefully and honestly you will see God destroyed the old world because the people were mixing with other races.

Although Christ foretold that the world would again be in much the same evil condition today as it was them, nevertheless we can be thankful for God's sure promise never again to destroy the earth as He did then. For He said: "I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth." [95]

Another interesting God-ordained one hundred and twenty year period, definitely fore-ordained, though not directly foretold as such, is found in the life story of Moses! When Moses was forty hears old [96] he saw an Egyptian persecuting one of his own kindered; and Moses rose up and killed the Egyptian. This thing was discovered, however, and Moses was afraid and fled from the land of Egypt.

As you begin to study God's Word and He begins to open your eyes to His wonderful truths, deceivers will come in and try to tell you that integration is all right because Moses was married to a Negro Woman. Well he was. His first wife was a Negro, but he did not marry her of his own accord, she was appointed by the people of Cush to be his wife. And Moses NEVER WENT INTO UNTO HER, NOR DID HE EVER HAVE SEXUAL RELATIONS WITH HER. HE OBEYED GOD AND KEPT HIMSELF PURE OF THE SIN OF MISCEGENATION (Race Mixing). The entire story is related in the Book of Jasher. One of the books, purposely left out of the Bible because the Jews did not wish for Christians to learn many truths, which are contained therein.

"And when Moses was eighteen years old, he desired to see his father and mother and he went to them to Goshen, and when Moses had come near Goshen, he came to the place where the Children of Israel were engaged in work, and he observed their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian smiting one of his Hebrew brethren. And when the man who was beaten saw Moses he ran to him for help, for the man Moses was greatly respected in the house of Pharaoh, and he said to him, My lord attend to me, this Egyptian came to my house in the night, bound me, and came to my wife in my presence, and now he seeks to take my life away. And when Moses heard this wicked thing, his anger was kindled against the Egyptian, and he turned this way and the other, and when he saw there was no man there he smote the Egyptian and hid him in the sand, and delivered the Hebrew from the hand of him that smote him. And the Hebrew went to his house, and Moses returned to his home, and went forth and came back to the king's house. And when the man had returned home, he thought of repudiating his wife, for it was not right in the house of Jacob, for any man to come to his wife after she had been defiled (had sex with another race). And the woman went and told her brothers, and the woman's brothers sought to slay him, and he fled to his house and escaped. And on the second day Moses went forth to his brethren, and saw, and behold two men were quarreling, and he said to the wicked one, Why dost thou smite thy neighbor? And he answered him and said to him. Who has set thee for a prince and judge over us? didst thou think to slay me as thou didst slay the Egyptian? and Moses was afraid and he said, Surely the thing is known? And Pharaoh heard of this affair, and he ordered Moses to be slain, so God sent his angel, and he appeared unto Pharaoh in the likeness of a captain of the guard. And angel of the Lord took the sword from the hand of the captain of the guard, ant took his head off with it, for the likeness of the captain of the guard was turned into the likeness of Moses. And the angel of the Lord took hold of the right hand of Moses, and brought him forth from Egypt, and placed him from without the borders of Egypt, a distance of forty days' journey." [97]

Our King James version of the Bible relates the story this way: "And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren. And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow? And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known. Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled form the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian and he sat down by a well." [98]

There was a lot happened between the time that Moses left Egypt and when he came to the well at Midian. Following is what transpired in the intervening forty nine years: "And Moses was eighteen years old when he fled from Egypt from the presence of Pharaoh, and he fled and escaped to the camp of Kikianus, which at that time was besieging Cush. And Moses was nine years in the camp of Kikianus king of Cush, all the time that they were besieging Cush, and Moses went out and came in with them. And the king and princes and all the fighting men loved Moses, for he was great and worthy, his stature was like a noble lion, his face was like the sun, and his strength was like that of a lion, and he was counsellor to the king. And at the end of nine years, Kikianus was seized with a mortal disease, and his illness prevailed over him, and he died on the seventh day. So his servants embalmed him and carried him and buried him opposite the city gate to the north of the land of Egypt...And they wished to choose on that day a man for king from the army of Kikianus, and they found no object of their choice like Moses to reign over them. And they hastened and stripped off each man his garments and cast them upon the ground, and they made a great heap and placed Moses thereon. And they rose up and blew with trumpets and called out before him, and said, May the king live, may the king live! And all the people and nobles SWORE UNTO HIM TO GIVE HIM FOR A WIFE ADONIAH THE QUEEN, THE CUSHITE, WIFE OF KIKIANUS, AND THEY MADE MOSES KING OVER THEM ON THAT DAY...Moses reigned over the children of Cush on that day, in the place of Kikianus king of Cush...Moses was twenty‑seven years old when he began to reign over Cush, and forty years did he reign...And they placed the royal crown upon his head, and they gave him for a wife Adoniah the Cushite queen, and wife of Kikianus. And MOSES FEARED THE LORD GOD of his fathers, SO THAT HE CAME NOT TO HER, NOR DID HE TURN HIS EYES TO HER. For Moses remembered how Abraham had made his servant Eliezer swear, saying unto him, Thou shalt not take a woman from the daughters of Canaan for my son Isaac. Also what Isaac did when Jacob had fled from his brother, when he commanded him, saying, THOU SHALT NOT TAKE A WIFE FROM THE DAUGHTERS OF CANAAN, NOR MAKE ALLIANCE WITH ANY OF THE CHILDREN OF HAM. For the Lord our God gave Ham the son of Noah, and his children and all his seed, as slaves to the children of Shem and to the children of Japheth, and unto their seed after them for slaves, forever. Therefore Moses TURNED NOT HIS HEART NOR HIS EYES TO THE WIFE OF KIKIANUS ALL THE DAYS THAT HE REIGNED OVER CUSH. And Moses feared the Lord his God all his life, and Moses walked before the Lord in truth (did not mix his seed with that of the Negro Woman), and with all his heart and soul, HE TURNED NOT FROM THE RIGHT WAY (did not mix with another race) ALL THE DAYS OF HIS LIFE; he declined not from the way either to the right or to the left, in which Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had walked...And in the fortieth year of the reign of Moses over Cush, Moses was sitting on the royal throne whilst Adoniah the queen was before him, and all the nobles were sitting around him. And Adoniah the queen said before the king and the princes. What is this thing which you, the children of Cush, have done for this long time? SURELY YOU KNOW THAT FOR FORTY YEARS THAT THIS MAN HAS REIGNED OVER CUSH HE HAS NOT APPROACHED ME, nor has he served the gods of the children of Cush. Now therefore hear, O ye children of Cush, and let this man no more reign over you as HE IS NOT OF OUR FLESH (Moses was a White Man). Behold Menacrus my son is grown up, let him reign over you, for it is better for you to sever the son of your lord, than to serve a stranger, a slave of the king of Egypt. And all the people and nobles of the children of Cush heard the words which Adoniah the queen had spoken in their ears. And all the people were preparing until the evening, and in the morning they rose up early and made Menacrus, son of Kikianus, king over them. And all the children of Cush were afraid to stretch forth their hand against Moses, for the Lord was with Moses, and the children of Cush remembered the oath which they swore unto Moses, therefore they did no harm to him. But the children of Cush gave many presents to Moses, and sent him from them with great honor. So Moses went forth from the land of Cush, and went home and ceased to reign over Cush, and Moses was sixty‑six years old when he went out of the land of Cush, for the thing was from the Lord, for the period had arrived which he had appointed in the day of old, to bring forth Israel from the affliction of the children of Ham. SO MOSES WENT TO MIDIAN..." [99]

So we can see that the hand of God was upon him, guiding and training him for his eventual return to the land of Egypt to help deliver the nation Israel. In the study of this deliverance we are told in Exodus 2:23-25 how God heard the groaning of the childrenof Israel at the time when "the king of Egypt (Rameses II) died:" which was five years before the Exodus. At that time, however, God said He heard Israel's groaning, and "remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob;" but it was five years later that His fore-ordained moment came to send Moses the Deliverer to bring Israel out. Here once again we see that God was working exactly to his own timetable in bringing Moses, at the close of the second forty-year period of his life, to deliver Israel and bring them into freedom and liberty.

ANSWER: AS MOSES LED THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL OUT OF EGYPT, THEY SAW THE ARMY OF PHARAOH COMING IN THE DISTANCE, THEY WERE TERRIBLY AFRAID AND CRIED OUT TO THE LORD. THEY ASKED MOSES WHY HE HAD BROUGHT THEM OUT INTO THE WILDERNESS TO DIE, WHEN THEY COULD HAVE DIED IN PEACE IN EGYPT. [100]

They reminded Moses that they had told him to let them alone so that they might serve the Egyptians. That would have been better than to die as they now expected to do at the hands of Pharaoh's army. Moses told the people not to fear but to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. "...for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more for ever." [101]

The Lord told Moses to speak to the Children of Israel and commend them to go forward. Moses was told to stretch out his hand over the sea and the Children of Israel were to pass dry‑shod through the midst of the sea. That Pharaoh and his army would follow them and be overthrown in the midst of the sea.

What happened to the waters of the Red Sea? In the song of Moses commemorating the destruction of the hosts of Pharaoh this statement appears: "And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, AND THE DEPTHS WERE CONGEALED in the heart of the sea." [102]

The Hebrew word translated "congealed" is GAPHA and means "to be congealed" or "to thicken ‑‑ hardened." (#7087 Strong's Concordance) Which is in conformity with the statement by Job who said: "By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened." [103]

Across the dry floor of the sea Israel passed to safety, for the water was as hard as stone to them, as Job graphically expresses it: "Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it? The waters are hid as with a stone, AND THE FACE OF THE DEEP IS FROZEN." [104]

The Angel of the Lord, who had gone before the camp of Israel, now went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud was behind them, between them and Pharaoh's army. It was a cloud of darkness to the Egyptians, but it gave light by night to Israel. They did not come near each other all night. "...so that the one came not near the other all the night." [105]

When Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and a strong east wind blew all that night. This brought about the "dry" condition of the floor of the sea; and the sides and the surface of the sea became frozen [congealed]. The waters on both sides of Israel were a wall of protection to them {Just as the Atlantic and Pacific were a wall to foreign lands, until in the 20th century, when their protection fell, just as it did in the days of the Exodus}.

The expression "wall" could readily refer to the open expanses of water beyond the frozen [congealed] section over which Israel passed to safety. And the open expanses of water would prevent the Egyptians from moving upon either flank of the Israel columns as they moved across the dry ground. "I led you through the Sea, and in the beginning GAVE YOU A LARGE and safe PASSAGE..." [106]

It should be noted here that for 2 to 3 million people, which is what the number of the Children of Israel has been estimated to have been; and for them and all their belongings and animals, to pass through the sea in one nights time: Then the passage must have been no less than five miles wide. It is also very likely that, under the pressure of the wind and water, the ice on the edges of the frozen section of the sea would break into large cakes and slide upon the surface ice, and thus piling up on the frozen surface of the sea. This has been seen to occur many times in the spring as the edges of an ice field have broken up under similar pressures.

In this way the waters would indeed be a wall of defense on each side. And the cloud acted as a rear guard to the Israelites and, while it brought darkness upon the Egyptians, it gave light to Israel as they passed, dry‑shod through the sea. Because the sea was frozen on each side, this would explain why the Egyptian Army would follow the Israelites through the sea. But they did not know or understand the power of God. For the next morning the Lord looked upon the Egyptians and brought confusion into their ranks and took off the wheels of their chariots. Then the Egyptians said: " ...Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the Lord fighteth for them..." [107]

Moses was then told to stretch forth his hand over the sea and the waters returned to their original liquid condition again. At which time the army of Pharaoh that pursued Israel into the sea was inundated and it appears that not one of them survived.

It was during the third and final forty-year period of Moses' life that God led the children of Israel that long journey through the wilderness, to prove them and train them and teach them His ways. When the third forty-year period terminated, however, God's fore-ordained time had arrived to lead the nation by the hand of Joshua into the promised land of Canaan after the death ofMoses, then 120 years [108].

God had offered His blessings to men and nations, both before and after the Flood, witnessing to them through His faithful servants; but all these servants were rejected. However He then revealed His graciousness by proclaiming a new plan and purpose through wihc He said that "all the nations of the earth shall be blessed." He thus came to Abram [109], whom He called His "Friend" and who was then living in the city of Ur of the Chaldees, telling Abram to leave Ur and go to his own kindred in Haran in Mesopotamia. When in Heran, God there "confirmed" the same promise to him, saying again that he: "Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing." [110] would become eventually a very great race, that would become a blessing to all nations.

The apostle Paul [111] mentions the chronological fact that the Exodus took place exactly 430 years after this confirmation in Haran. Old Testament Bible chronology bears this fact out exactly. Abrham's home was in the land of Mesopotamia; but when he left it he became a "sojourner" in other lands; henece the record in Exodus 12:40 of the long period of 43o years "sojourning," concerning which we read: "Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. It is a night to be much observed unto the Lord for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of the Lord to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations." [112]

Parents with a growing family know well the difficulty of getting all their children ready on time when going out! But here God suddenly got ready a nation numbering over three million, taking them out of bondage up and out of the land they had lived in for so long, leading them forth exactly at the time He willed, not only in the fore-ordained year but "Even in the selfsame day."

In the Bible two remarkable periods are mentioned linking God's early promises to Abraham with the eventual Exodus of his descendants fromt he land of Egypt. Both these periods were fore-named of God long before their fulfillment; and both precisely and simultaneously fulfilled.

The first was the 430-year period, which started from the earlier days of Abram; but the second concerns Abraham's "Children." Obviously this period could not start until Abraham had "Children," that is, until after his son-and-heir Isaac had been born.

In Genesis 21:5 we are told that Abraham "was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him." Isaac had been miraculously born, for Abraham's wife Sarah was long past the normal time of women; and in this, Isaac typified Christ who was also miraculously born, conceived not of man but by the Spirit of God.

When the time came for Abraham's son Isaac to be weaned; and in Genesis 21:8 we read: "Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac (his son) was weaned." At this feast, Isaac's half-brogher Ishmael, who was half Egyptian through his mother Hagar, looked and "mocked" [113]. God had foreshown that Abraham's "children" (i.e., Isaac and his descendants) would be opposed, afflicted and mocked until 400 years were up [114], becoming eventually bondservants in the land of their tormentors. But He said: "Afterward shall they come out with great substance." [115] The Bible shows the year (reckoned on from Isaac's birth in Abraham's "hundredth year") when the weaning of Isaac took place. It also reveals that it was EXACTLY 400 YEARS AFTER THIS that God brought the nation Israel out of Egypt in what has come to be known as the Exodus! So here we see again God's time table working with precision, His mighty Power never failing to achieve His perfect will.

Closely connected with the foregoing is God's time-prophecy given through his servant Jeremiah, concerning the duration of the Captivity of Judah (Note: Please keep in mind that there were very few of the Tribe of Judah which went into the Babylonian captivity, for most of them had already been taken away captive by the Assyrians) in Babylon. The prophet Daniel, who was taken to Babylon as one of the first Judah captives when he was only about eighteen years old, wrote nearly seventy years later "in the first year of king Darius" saying: "I, Daniel, understood by books the number of years whereof the Word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet [116] that He would accomplish SEVENTY YEARS in the desolations of Jerusalem." [117] Then exactly at the close of this 70-year period, when Daniel was nearly ninety years old, God then brought the remnant of Judah, or a large number of them, out of their Babylonian bondage (But Daniel and many others chose to remain in Babylon).

God has a systematic way of giving time-prophecies in Scripture. He not only foresaw and foreordained future events, such as the rise of pagan or man-made Empires and Powers, but He also foretold, in veiled symbolic language, the exact number of years He would permit them to rule. To do this He veiled their future by speaking, as we shall see, of "Days" to symbolize Years; of "Months" (30 days) to symbolize 30 years; and of "Years" (12 months) to symbolize 12 x 30, or 360 years. This last period He also refers to as one "Time," proved by several Bible examples to be 360 years, and shown also, incidentally, by one complete cycle of solar eclipses, ordained by Him in the heaveans.

We must be true and consistent in our interpretation of these Bible sysmbols, because God is consistent. If we are to interpret correctly the prophetic periods mentioned in Daniel and the Book of Revelation, one of the most important and fundamental things to understand is the fact already referred to that years are veiled by the symbolic use of the term "Days," taking so many days to represent so many years. Which was not new, even in Daniel's time, for we read in Numbers 14:33-34 how God sent Caleb and Joshua to spy out the land of Canaan saying: "After the number of days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, EACH DAY FOR A YEAR shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years." Here, God is showing us His day-for-a-year principle; so that those who would diligently study His Word, the Bible - the History of Adam's people - OUR ANCESTRIAL BOOK, could understand what He was telling us.

Again, in Ezekiel 4:6, the prophet Ezekiel was told to lie a certain number of days on his right side, and a certain number of days on his left side, God was showing him that thereby He was revealing the future punisments for Israel and Judah, saying: "I have appointed them EACH DAY FOR A YEAR."

When we come to the Divine time-periods decreed in Daniel and the Book of Revelation, the same Day-Year principle is employed consistently througout. Failure to realize this has resulted in many weird and false "inventions" of so-called prophetic interpretation being made, unconvincing to men, and not glorifying to God. The Truth, however, is alwasy consistently harmonious, proving the Divine order of over-ruling Providence throughout.

Numbers 14:33-34: After the number of days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, EACH DAY FOR A YEAR shall be bear your iniquities, even forty years."

Ezekiel 4:6: "I have appointed thee each day for a year." (390 days Israel, 40 days Judah).

Daniel 12:11: "1,290 days" = 1,290th Moslem year; beginning of decline of Turkish Empire, A.D. 1873.

Daniel 12:12: "1,335 days" = 1,335th Moslem year; = A.D. 1917-18, Collapse of Turkish Empire.

Revelation 2:10: "Tribulation ten days" = Ten terrible years under Diocletian; A.D. 303-A.D. 313. The Smyrna period: also 5th Seal of Revelation 6:9.

Revelation 11:3: "Prophesy 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth." = 1,260 years witness (Middle Ages).

Numbers 14:24: "Forty days...forty years." "Each day for a year" = 40 years of Wilderness wanderings.

Revelation 12:6: "Woman in wilderness 1,260 days" = The 1,260 years of the woman Israel's wandering.

Revelation 11:11: "After three days and a half, the spirit of life from God entered into them" = Luther's witness, after 3½ years' silence.

Revelation 9:5: "Five months" = 5 x 30 years = The 150 years taken by the Saracen Empire to grow. 612 A.D. plus 150 years = 762 A.D. (Baghdad established as Center of Arab Empire).

Revelation 9:15: "Hour (1/12th), day (1), month (30), year (mean prophetical year, 360)" = 391 years. Rise of Turks, 1062 A.D. to 1453 A.D. (Istanbul conquered).

Revelation 13:5: "Moutn speaking blasphemies" "Power to continue 42 months" = 42 x 30 = 1260 years.

"A time (360), times (2 x 360), half a time (180)." (Daniel 7:25, 12:7; Revelation 12:14 = Revelation 12:6).

While "Seven years" and also "Seven Times" are periods which God often employs in the Book of Revelatin and elsewhere, He also uses the half of these, namely 3½ literal years; and also 3½ times (1,260 years). A short word first concerning this astounding Book of Revelation, which some suggest would have been better named "The Book of insoluble Mysteries." This Book is Mystery indeed to those who erroneously suggest its strange history will all be enacted at a time yet far distant! Actually it is a simple story abounding to God's glory in the fact, revealed by all the great Reformers, that it foretold accurately a panorama of the major events of Christendom during the past 1900 years.

Basically its story is as follows: It opens, as a Scroll, with the successive breaking of "Seven Seals." Therein, step by step God wonderfully foretold the early centuries' history of the rise and decay of the pagan Roman Empire. Next, seven angels appear, blowing successively "Seven Trumpets." Thereby God outlined the panoramic survey of the Dark Middle Ages. Finally, and leading up to the end of this present evil age, "Seven Vials" of upheaval and judging of nations are seen being poured out.

Under the Sixth Trumpet, in the Middle Ages [118], God foretold the height of Papal supremacy when for 3 ½ years 1514-1517 A.D.), no opposing voice could anywhere be found able or willing to withstand the Papal regime of the Fifth Lateran Council. The witnesses were as "dead," none appearing "for three days and a half." It was none othe than Martin Luther, called of God for this very purpose, who broke this silence in 1517 A.D., when, on October 31st, he nailed his "Ninety-five Theses" to the door of Wittenburgh Church. "And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet..." [119]

A similar stranglehold occurred against the Christians in the earlier days of the pagan Roman Empire, in which a period of ten years' persecution was foretold, coming in the days of Rome's Emperor "Diocletian" during the second Church-period. The Book of Revelation also contains in its opening pages an account of seven letters written to "Seven Churches of Asia." These were literal letters written to seven literal Churches; but, in the foreseeing wisdom of God, each foretold a consecutive period of Church history, the sevenfold total embracing the entire span between the first and second Advents of Jesus Christ.

The first Church mentioned was "Ephesus," and it depicted the young fiery ardour and zeal of the initial Church of Pentecost. The second Church was "Smyrna," the name meaning "Anointing oil." This second period of Church history was still enjoying the rich anointing of God; but, as pagan Rome increased, persecution and terrible martyrdom ensued. God forewarned, in Revelation 2:9-10, that they should "have tribulation TEN DAYS." History reveals that during the time of the Emperor Diocletian between the TEN YEARS 303 A.D. and 313 A.D., the early Churches underwent the most severe period of persecution and martyrdom recorded for the whole history of those early centuries!

God thus permitted pagan Rome to reveal its evil nature, that once more, as often before and since, He might show Himself to be just when He came to pour out His wrath, destruction and judgment upon the System perpetrating these abominations, but rewarding His Elect hereafter with great reward for their faithfulness.

We find reference to the same historic event given also in the early prophetic history of pagan Rome under the "Fifth Seal" in Revelation 6:9-11. Here this period of martyrdom is again referred to, depicted this time by a vision of the "souls of them that were slain for the Word of God" calling for Divine Justice. In reply, God's answer then comes down, the complete judgment and overthrow of pagan Rome being foretold as "a great earthquake" (verse 12), and as God's "great day of wrath" (verse 17), judging pagan Rome's iniquity.

Daniel records a vision which God gave him in which the world's four great Empires, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Grecia (Greece) and Rome, weredepicted as four strange Beats, the fourth having "ten horns." A vision of the same ten-horned Beast was also given to the apostle John [120], and its history further described as the "Beast that was; and is not: and yet is." The words "and IS NOT" conveyed that this fourth Beast, the Roman Empire, would temporarily disappear; fulfilled later by the complete collapse and end of the Roman Empire in 476 A.D. But the further statement, "and YET IS," depicted its reappearance soon after; fulfilled from 606 A.D. onwards by the rise of Papal Rome which dominated the very same territory previously ruled by pagan Rome in the West.

God had stated as long ago as Daniel's day that this great religious edifice of the Papacy, when it came into being, would "wear out the saints of the most high," but would be allowed to do so for a fixed period of time only, vis: "for a TIME (360 years), and TIMES (360 x 2 years), and the DIVIDING OF A TIME (180 years)," this total period equalling 1,260 years. The Book of Revelation tells the same story of the permitted persecution of the Church's witness for truth, speaking in Revelation 11:3 of God's "Two witnesses" (which some believe to be "Israel" and the "Church," but some of us believe the two witnesses to be the "Old" and the "New" Testament or Covenants) testifying for "a thousand two hundred and threescore days (1,260 years), CLOTHED IN SACKCLOTH."

In Revelation 13:7 & 5, the Papacy's supremacy is again foretold, here saying that it would continue for "FORTY AND TWO MONTHS." The prophetical month is 30 days or years: therefore 62 months equals 1,260 years. History has vindicated the accuracy of God's Word, and glorified His Name, for by 1866 A.D., that is exactly 1,260 years after the public acknowledgement by the Emperor Phocas of Papal Supremacy, every Roman Catholic country in the Papal dominion of the West had openly rejected the Pope's Sovereign rights over their people. Then in 1870 A.D. exactly 1,260 years from the death of Phocas in 610 A.D., Italy crowned its first King "Victor Emmanuel" and today the Pope's only legal kingdom consists of the few acres of the tiny Vatican state! 1866 A.D. was also about the time that the Roman Catholic Church was taken over by the Jews, who since that time has exercised absolute control over it.

The rise and fall of the Seljuks or Turks figures largely in the Middle-ages period of the "Seven Trumpets" of Revelatin. These people originated from the delta of the river Euphrates; their growth being marked on the ladder of prophetic history under the Sixth Tumpet [121], symbolized as "The River Euphrates," John seeing this river (or people) overflowing its banks and expanding.

Passing on to a much later period of history, depicted in Revelation 16 where the final Seven Vials of turmoll and wrath are being poured out upon the nations, John saw under the Sixth Vial or last Vial but one, that "the riever Euphrates, DRIED UP" [122]. This prophecy was fulfilled historically in 1917-1918 A.D. when all that remained of the once-great Turkish Empire crumbled, the Turks being also pushed right out of the Holy Land, which they had dominated for exactly four centuries.

Concerning the growth of the Turkish Power, God had foretold the exact length of time that it would take for the small Turkish or "Euphrates" people to expand and become great, forenaming this period under the sixth Trumpet [123] as: "an hour ( ½), and a day (1 year), and a month (30 years), and a year (twelve prophetical months, or 360 years)." The total sum of all this equals 391 years and 1 month.

History vindicates the Word of God, again glorifying His omnipotence. In 1062 A.D. the Turks, under their leader Alp Arslan, crossed the River Euphrates and expanded rapidly, finally conquering Istanbul (later called Constantinople), making it their capital in the year 1453 A.D. Their period of expansion thus proved to be 391 years, as God had fore-ordained!

God not only fore-ordained the rise of the Turkish people, but also planned the exact 391-year period of their expansion, as we have just seen. Perhaps still more important however is the wonderful fact that God gave the details concerning their crumbling as long ago as the sixth century before Christ, or seven hundred years before He gave the "Book of Revelation" to John!

Toward the close of the past century, Russia entered the drama of the prophetic Scriptures by opposing this Turkish people in the Russo-Turkish wars. As the result of this, Turkey-in-Europe began to disintegrate; and in 1873 A.D. the Turkish States of bosnia, Bulgaria, Herzgovinia and Montenegro separated themselves, during open war against the Sultan. Now on the calendar used by the Turks, who were Mohammedans, this was their 1,290th year. We now turn to the time duing the Great War (WWI) when General Allenby, aided by Lawrence of Arabia, ousted the Turks completely from the Holy Land, between November 1917 and the Armistice in November 1918. Their Mohammedian Calendar-years ran from September to September; and this period therefore occupied the whole of the 1,335th Mohammedan year on the Turkish calendar, from the autumn of 1917 to the autumn of 1918!

It is wonderful that God, having given through His prophet Daniel over 2,500 years beforehand a panorama of all the six Gentile Empires dominating His Land, concluded the story in the last three verses of the last chapter of Daniel by actually naming the two exact dates just mentioned! God there stated that from the time that the (Mohammedan false-religion) "abomination" should be set up, the first Sign-post, pointing to the end of the age, would be reached after "a thousand two hundred and ninety days" (1,290 years) and the second and more important Sign-post would be effected by the release of His Land in the "thousand three hundred and five and thirty days (1,335 years). More was therefore afoot than most people realized when Jerusalem was surrendered to General Allenby without a shot being fired, in Novmeber 1917 A.D. the 1,335th Turkish year, in the exact year foreordained and fore-named by God!

As Bible students are now becoming increasingly aware, the release of the Holy Land in 1917 was one of the most wonderful, if not the most vital of all prophetic fulfillments of recent generations. There are are only a few instances in which God has fortold a prophetic period twice; that is to say, has given two totally different lines of approach, both proving one another by terminating accurately in the same year! The event above mentioned must be of paramount prophetic prediction. Not only was this date clearly earmarked by the "1,335th" Turkish year, as just considered, but it was also foreshown once more by the great "Seven Times" or 2,520 years embracing the whole "Times of the Gentiles" or period of Gentile domination of Jerusalem from the days of Babylon (604 T.C.) down to the dispersion of the Turkish Empire in 1917 A.D.

We mentioned earlier that one Scriptural "Time" was 360 years; and now we have already noticed in God's foretold history concerning the Papacy, that "A time and times and the dividing of a time" (3½ Times) was the same as the 1,260 prophetic yers of Revelation 11:2-3. Another clue to this fact, however, is found in Revelation 12, verse 6 and 14, where the flight of the woman "Israel" is portrayed twice over, as she moves through the "wilderness" of the Roman Empire towards her new "Place prepared of God." [124] In verse 6 the time of this long journey is given as "a thousand two hundred and threescore days" (1,260 years); and in verse 14 as "a time, and [125] two times, and half a time" (3 ½ Times). Simple arithmetic then reveals clearly that each of these "Times" must therefore be 360 years; making the Seven-fold Divine period 2,520 years.

The release of Jerusalem in 1917 took place 2,520 years exactly after its original captivity in 604 B.C. God's original warning, that if His people disobeyed Him He would punish them "Seven times" for their sins, was thus fulfilled, and was prove accurate through two independent lines of prophetic fulfillment.

The Divine period of "Seven Times," that is to say, 2,520 years, is most remarkable. Firt it is 7 x 360 years. Many people do not know why we divide circles into 360 degrees today. This is no modern fashion; it originated from knowledge possessed before the Flood, namely that each complete repeating Cycle of Solar Eclipses takes exactly 360 years, dividing the heavenly circle or Calendar into twelve sections of thirty, o.e., three hundred and sixty, meanwhile. This, in turn, agrees exactly with the prophetic symbol of a "year" (12 months of 30 prophetic days; or 360 years) as already pointed out. In this way, the same God working on the same principle is revealed both as Creator of the heavens and Author fo the prophetic Scriptures.

As can be clearly seen by the above table, this number 2,520 is fundamental; God demonstrated it in His Holy Scriptures; used it in the history of Israel; used it in the history of Judah, and of Jerusalem; used it in the history of the Papacy, and of the Gentiles; displayed it (in its one-seventh part) in the magnificence of the heavens by Solar eclipses, and in its half part by the longer Eclipse cycle of 1,260 years which astronomers still term "The Daniel Cycle" because God, through Daniel, mentioned this remarkable number more than two thousand years ago! Our God is indeed "THE WONDERFUL NUMBERER!" [126]

As we have pointed out, God's chosen city, Jerusalem, has been trodden down by agan infidel Empires for exactly 2,510 years. The period is referred to by Christ as "The Times of the Gentiles" in Luke chapter 12.

[1] The Sky is Falling, in Future, John C. Souter, Wheaton, IL, Tyndale 1984.

[2] Misreading the Signs of the Times, Mark Noll; Christianity Today (February 6, 1987), pp. 10-11; Also see Mark U. Edwards, Jr., Apocalyptic Expectations: The Scourge of God, in Luther's Last Battles: Politics and Polemics, 1531-46 (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1983) pp. 97-114.

[3] The Sky is Falling, in Future, John C. Souter, Wheaton, IL, Tyndale, 1984.

[4] Acts 2:14-17, NASV.

[5] The Return, Mike Evans, Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1986, p. 122.

[6] Hebrews 9:26, NASV.

[7] Matthew 3:10, NASV.

[8] Last Days Madness, Gary DeMar, Atlanta, Georgia: American Vision, Inc., p. 9.

[9] 1 Peter 3:15.

[10] Acts 17:32.

[11] Acts 26:8.

[12] Acts 26:24.

[13] Acts 28:22.

[14] Revelation 22:12.

[15] Luke 14:4.

[16] Acts 2:29, 34. See also the following Scriptures concerning the dead: Job 14:12-15; 17:13-16; Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10; Psalm 6:5; 49:8-20; 88:10; 115:17; 141:7; 146:4; Hosea 13:14; John 3:13; Acts 2:34; 1 Corintiahs 15:55; Hebrews 11:13.

[17] John 14:2.

[18] 1 Thessalonians 4;16.

[19] 1 Corinthians 15:51-52.

[20] 1 Corintians 15:18.

[21] Philipians 1:23.

[22] Luke 21:28, Dr. Weymouth's Translation.

[23] Acts 7:56.

[24] 2 Thessalonians 1:7; Matthew 25:31.

[25] See Dr. Young's Analytical Concordance.

[26] Matthew 24;31.

[27] Matthew 24:22.

[28] Titus 2:13.

[29] Revelation 3:16.

[30] Matthew 23.

[31] Luke 1:32-33.

[32] Matthew 25:34.

[33] Revelation 21:24:25.

[34] Revelation 22:14:15.

[35] Daniel 12:2.

[36] Revelation 20:6.

[37] 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18.

[38] 1 Corinthians 15:24.

[39] Daniel 7:13-14.

[40] Genesis 28:12-14.

[41] Luke 1:32-33.

[42] Translated "the grave" in Revelation 20:13 - margin.

[43] Acts 2:30-31.

[44] Hebrews 8:8.

[45] Daniel 7:14.

[46] Luke 21:39.

[47] 1 Corintians 15:28.

[48] Colossians 3:4.

[49] 2 Corintians 5:10.

[50] Revelation 22:12.

[51] Revelation 20:6.

[52] Philipians 3:20-21.

[53] 1 Corinthians 15:26.

[54] Acts 3:21.

[55] Mark 13:32.

[56] 1 Thessalonians 5:4.

[57] Matthew 24:33; Mark 13:29; Luke 21:31.

[58] Revelation 11:15.

[59] Daniel 9:27.

[60] Revelation 11:7-11.

[61] Genesis 41:25-32.

[62] Revelation 2:10.

[63] Mark 1:15.

[64] Numbers 14:34.

[65] Isaiah 7:8.

[66] Daniel 9:2.

[67] Genesis 6:3.

[68] Revelation 9:5.

[69] Ezekiel 4:5.

[70] Revelation 9:13-15.

[71] Genesis 15:13.

[72] Exodus 12:40.

[73] Daniel 9:24-27.

[74] Daniel 7:25; Revelation 13:5.

[75] Daniel 12:11.

[76] Daniel 12:11.

[77] Daniel 12:12.

[78] Daniel 8:14.

[79] Luke 21:24.

[80] Matthew 24:38-39.

[81] Genesis 6:3.

[82] Matthew 24:30.

[83] Genesis 7:11-13.

[84] Genesis 7:21-22.

[85] Genesis 19:23.

[86] Luke 2:1-3.

[87] Acts 11:27-28.

[88] 2 Peter 2:4-6.

[89] 2 Peter 3:5-6.

[90] Joshua 24:1-2.

[91] Genesis 11:31-32.

[92] Joshua 24:15.

[93] Jeremiah 5:31-32.

[94] Hosea 6:4.

[95] Genesis 9:13.

[96] Acts 7:23.

[97] Jasher 71:1‑11.

[98] Exodus 2:11‑15.

[99] Jasher 72:23‑37; 73:2; 73:31‑37; 74:4‑13.

[100] Exodus 14:11.

[101] Exodus 14:13.

[102] Exodus 15:8.

[103] Job 37:10.

[104] Job 38:29‑30.

[105] Exodus 14:20.

[106] 2 Esdras 1:13.

[107] Exodus 14:25.

[108] Deuteronomy 34:7.

[109] Genesis 12:1-2.

[110] Genesis 12:1-2.

[111] Galatians 3:17.

[112] Exodus 12:40-43.

[113] Genesis 21:9.

[114] Genesis 15:13.

[115] Genesis 15:14.

[116] Jeremiah 25:12.

[117] Daniel 9:1-2.

[118] Revelation 11:7-11.

[119] Revelation 11:11.

[120] Revelation 12:3; 13:1; 17:3.

[121] Revelation 9.

[122] Revelation 16:12.

[123] Revelation 9:15.

[124] 2 Samuel 7:10; 1 Chronicles 17:9.

[125] Dr. Weymouth's Translation.

[126] Daniel 8:13, marginal translation.