yet another old post:
>> I do believe the current nation of Israel is a secular nation -- and doesn't figure into those prophecies. <<
there are two primary kingdoms of israel. the true and the false. one of Christ, the other of antichrist. the body of Christ is the true Israel, and is made up of all pious and orthodox Christians who share the faith of our father Abraham. this kingdom is not constrained by borders or ethnicity. it is a spiritual kingdom, an heavenly kingdom, made up of those who are born by water and spirit into the family of God.
the false kingdom of israel is the kingdom of antichrist in this age. it is a carnal kingdom. the kingdom of antichrist worships and imitates their father the devil, for Christ said, "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do." what are the lusts of the devil? through his pride he sought to usurp for himself the worship that is reserved for God alone. of course he is also a liar and a murderer, etc.
so how does the kingdom of antichrist do the lusts of their father? they are usurpers, liars, and murderers, like him. as antichrist takes titles that rightfully belong to Christ, such as Israel, Zion, Jerusalem, Judah, etc. for himself, so his children imitate him.
since the bride of Christ takes on the name of her bridegroom, and we as adopted sons and daughters of God take on the name of our Father, the Church is likewise called Israel, Zion, Jerusalem, Judah, etc.
in imitation of their father the devil, the kingdom of antichrist seeks to usurp these titles which rightfully belong to Christ and his Church for themselves.
recall the parable of the wheat and the tares. Christ is the good sower and sows wheat. the devil sneaks in and sows tares alongside them. do you see how he simply wants to imitate Christ? he has to wait until he sees what Christ does before he knows how to counterfeit and deceive.
as Christ's kingdom the true Israel is made up of believers from every nation under heaven, who gather into the heavenly Jerusalem to worship God, so the kingdom of antichrist is comprised of many nations who will be gathered into the earthly jerusalem to worship the devil and his antichrist.
as the wheat (orthodox Christians) are planted in the field (and Christ said the field is the world), so must it be with the tares, who are cunningly sown right next to them. as Christ's kingdom is scattered abroad throughout the whole world, so must antichrist's kingdom be sown right alongside them.
one must understand that when i speak of "israel" as the kingdom of antichrist, and "jerusalem" as the great harlot--the city of the devil and seat of Satan, one should not assume that i use these terms in primarily a geographical sense.
Jerusalem is spoken in the scriptures as not only the city of God, but also the city of the devil. Jerusalem symbolizes the body of Christ, as well as the body of antichrist. Jerusalem symbolizes both the new covenant of life and the old covenant of death.
someone may ask, how is one to distinguish between the two Jerusalems and not fall into confusion? for babylon means "confusion" does it not? this is where we derive the term babble--as when a baby babbles, from the city and tower of babel, where God confused the tongues and language.
Christians (the wheat) worship in the heavenly Jerusalem. we may physically gather in churches scattered across the globe, but our worship is directed upward. this is why many churches are designed with vaulted and high ceilings. for it draws the eyes upward toward heaven.
But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, (Hebrews 12:22-23)
notice that the inspired author of Hebrews does not say that ye WILL come to mount Sion, but ye ARE. i have found that many protestants don't grasp this concept. they think of the heavenly Jerusalem as something that is to come, rather than a present reality.
now, the synagogue of Satan (the tares) are scattered abroad as well, sown amongst the wheat. as Christians gather in churches around the world, so they gather in their synagogues. only these liars who call themselves jews and are not, are not heavenly minded, setting their sights and affections above, but they are carnally and earthly minded. that is why most jews don't give a lick about heaven and rarely speak of it. they are ensnared in the lusts of this world, and they are in bondage as slaves to the god of this world. that is why they are often heard saying "next year in Jerusalem." not the heavenly Jerusalem mind you, but they want their worldly kingdom back. they want the glorious days of kings David and Solomon once more, when they ruled over the nations.
so as the one, holy, catholic (i.e. universal), and apostolic Church of Christ understands itself to be the true Israel...
the synagogue of Satan seeks to imitate the lusts of their father the devil and build a counterfeit kingdom using the same name.
as Christians are called in the scriptures true Jews, spiritual Jews, seeking the praise of God..... (read the end of Romans 2)
those liars and usurpers of the synagogue of Satan also term themselves Jews in an attempt to deceive and confuse, seeking the praise of men. (see Rev 2:9/3:9 and Rom 2:17/2:24/2:29)
Christians have a holy city of God (Rev ch 12), the heavenly or new Jerusalem, where we set our sights and affections... (Hebrews 12:22/Rev 3:12/Col 3:1-2)
the so-called "Jews" have a city of the devil (Rev ch 17/18), the old Jerusalem, the earthly Jerusalem in bondage with her children, the mother of harlots, (Gal 4:25) that they set their sights and affections on....
Christians gather in churches of God so-called "Jews" gather in synagogues of Satan
Christians are the true Zionists. (Heb 12:22/ Rev 14:1) antichrists call themselves zionists as well.
Christians lay claim to our spiritual father Abraham (Gal 3:7) the antichrist "Jews" boast of their fleshly relation to Abraham.
Christians are the true semites (for Christ came from the tribe of Judah, from the seed of Abraham, who was from the line of shem (sem), one of the three sons of Noah.
the lying "Jews" imitate the father of lies by seeking to usurp this title of being a semite for themselves. Christ explicitly told them that they are not the children of Abraham (a semite), but the children of the devil, the children of Cain. hence the so-called Jews are the true anti-semites, despising the greatest semite to walk the face of the earth, Jesus Christ, and his adopted children Christians. this is what the inspired prophet Isaiah was speaking on behalf of God, "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"
Christ is good antichrist is evil
Christ is called light. antichrist is called darkness.
Christ is called sweet antichrist is called bitter
the lying synagogue of Satan calls the jews good and the Christians evil. for to them Christians are anti-semites and persecutors, when in actuality the falsely called "jews" are the inveterate enemies of Christ and Christians and "all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias" is on them and their children. these falsely called "jews" call darkness (antichrist) light (moshiach ben david), and call the light (Christ) darkness. Christ is sweet and antichrist Wormwood. these false "jews" call their false moshiach (messiah) ben david, when Christ is the true son of David.
all nations of Christians flow into the heavenly mount Zion established in the tops of the mountains and exalted above the hills (Isa 2)
all nations of antichrist will flow into the earthly Zion, where Satan's seat is (Isa 14:13/Psa 48:2/Rev 2:13)
Christ is going to gather his fruitful wheat into his garner (the heavenly jerusalem) antichrist will first gather his tares into bundles to be burned in the furnace of fire (the earthly jerusalem).
the servants of God will bear the mark of Christ in their right hands and foreheads the servants of Satan will bear the mark of antichrist in their right hands or foreheads.
Christ is a star out of jacob antichrist is a star out of jacob as well (do understand that one star differeth from another in glory)
Christ is a shield to his followers antichrist is a shield to his followers
Christ is a roaring lion who devours the unrighteous antichrist is a roaring lion who devours the righteous
our Lord Jesus Christ came with all power and signs and wonders the enemy of our Lord will come with all power and signs and lying wonders
Christ is the Son of God antichrist is the son of Satan
Christ is a beautiful and glorious branch antichrist is an abominable branch
Christ came preaching the kingdom 3 1/2 years antichrist's reign will be 3 1/2 years
--Cyprian |