Above All!
Saturday, November 12, 2022
Friday, November 11, 2022
Thursday, November 10, 2022
Are the Seven Laws of the Universe True?
I wanted to look at the Seven Laws of the Universe to see how they fit in with a Biblical World View. A Biblical World View accepts that a Being outside of time, space, and matter created the universe. The Creator Being is all loving, all powerful, and all knowing, and is able to be everywhere at every moment in time or space. We call the Creator Being: God. A Biblical World View believes the stories in the Bible are not just mythological wisdom, but actual events recorded by the Fathers of Faith. The story of the creation event was dictated to Adam. Then from Adam on down the record has been kept faithfully over thousands of years.
Right from the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve, God promised to send a Seed of Eve that would defeat the seed of the Serpent.[1] Right from the Garden of Eden we see the spiritual war between good and evil, between truth and falsehood. The history of mankind is full of mythologies and actual human personalities who claimed to be the chosen Seed or of His lineage. From Nimrod of the Tower of Babel, to the Pharaohs of Egypt, to Nebuchadnezzar, to Alexander of Greece, to the Roman Emperors, to Mohammed, to the Chinese Emperors, to Napoleon, to Hitler, to Stalin, men have been considering themselves to be sent from God, to be gods, or to above God whom they claim does not exist.
The whole story of the Old Testament is the story of mankind's disobedience to God, mankind's falling out of relationship with their Maker and of God constantly making a way to bring mankind willing back into relationship with Him. The promise of the Messiah that would facilitate that reunion was made right at the fall. Afterward, after the tragedy of the Great Worldwide Flood, [Genesis 6-9] God entered into relationship with Abram[2] and from his descendants promised He would bless the world.[3]
The Jewish people were to be a light, a city that was set of a hill. They were endowed with a special relationship with God and became the custodians of His truth. They were to be examples of a believing people who loved and obeyed God and as a result were to be a witness to the world. They failed miserably in their mission and became more an example of disobedience. But nevertheless, God preserved His Word in their hands, and we have today the written record of God and His dealings with the Jewish people in the Old Testament writings.[4]
Finally, the Promised Seed actually showed up exactly when He was prophesied to.[5] The Jewish religious leaders had gotten so far from the truth and so far from following God in word and in deed, that they killed their own Messiah, as He Himself had told them they would.[6] Apostle Peter after Jesus' resurrection later rebuked the Jewish people for their act which strangely had fulfilled the ancient prophecies.[7] They had crucified the Lamb of God during their annual celebration of the Passover, an event marked by the killing of a sacrificial lamb and wiping his blood on the doorposts of the homes.[8] The angel of death would come and destroy the first born of Egypt, but God would save those homes who followed the simple service and marked their homes with the blood.[9] Jesus was the Promised Seed, the Sacrificial Lamb that the Passover ceremony looked to.
Through Jesus, where God Himself became man, and then reopened the door for us to have relationship with God, we can be reconciled to God.[10] We have all sinned and come short of God's love and perfection.[11] By admitting to those facts and humbling ourselves to accept God's plans, by accepting Jesus as the Promised Seed, as the Sacrificial Lamb who takes away the sin of the world, we regain relationship with God. We receive Him into our heart and mind and we begin to become His sons. "To as many as received Him, to them He gave the power to become the sons of God, even to them who believe on His name."[12]
The New Testament is the record of the words and actions of Jesus remembered by those apostles who walked with Him. The New Testament was written that we may believe that Jesus was indeed the Christ and that by believing we may have life through His name.[13] Jesus is the key. He is indeed the way, the truth, and the life.[14] What you do with Jesus does matter, for without Him no man may see God.[15][16] Receive Jesus today. Confess with your mouth that He is the Christ, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead and you shall be saved.[17] Jesus opens the door to relationship with God. He is the Door to the sheepfold.[18] No other door works.
Once you accept Jesus you are a newborn babe in Christ.[19] A newborn babe grows by absorbing the sincere milk of God's word.[20] Words can bring life or death.[21] Words are spiritual entities that lead to the truth or lead away from the truth. Jesus said His words bring life.[22] Apostle Paul tells us that God's written recorded word helps us to discern the truth. [23][24] He says we need to learn to discern which words are of God and which words are not, which words are true, and which words are not.
By putting on the mind of Christ, through reading and memorizing key passages of Scripture, we can learn to discern our thoughts and make sure that what we are thinking is of the Lord. If it is not according to Scripture and or causes us to be discontent, bitter, critical of others; these things are not of the Lord and we must learn to rebuke and resist them through Jesus' name.[25][26] By actively placing God's word in our memory bank, through songs and hymns and memory verses,[27] we can learn to bring every thought to the obedience of Christ.[28] By absorbing the milk of God's word found in the Gospels, God will give us knowledge and teach us sound and true principles to live by and to help others.[29]
A spiritual war is taking place.[30] Jesus warned us not to be deceived.[31] By reading God's word and applying it to our lives, we are putting on God's armor. The Christian life is compared to that of a soldier because we are in spiritual warfare for the lives and souls of all humanity. In Apostle Paul's description of our armor, the Word of God is our one offensive weapon with which we can tear down the strategies of our spiritual and physical enemies. [32][33] The Word of God is the weapon that gives us discernment and a weapon that no enemy will be able to defeat.[34][35] 
But we need to study in order to learn how to use the spiritual weapons that are available to us.[36][37] Are you ready to dig deep into God's word that He may use you to help and inspire other lost and lonely souls? God's opened the door. He's waiting for your answer and commitment. The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few.[38]
In the next few days I will be going over the Seven Universal Laws to see how they agree or disagree with God's Word. We will be analyzing the hidden assumption involved, the words used, the meanings they convey, to see if they accurately explain reality whether it be spiritual or physical.
But we need to study in order to learn how to use the spiritual weapons that are available to us.[36][37] Are you ready to dig deep into God's word that He may use you to help and inspire other lost and lonely souls? God's opened the door. He's waiting for your answer and commitment. The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few.[38]
In the next few days I will be going over the Seven Universal Laws to see how they agree or disagree with God's Word. We will be analyzing the hidden assumption involved, the words used, the meanings they convey, to see if they accurately explain reality whether it be spiritual or physical.
Footnotes:
[1] Genesis 3:15 "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."
[2] Genesis 12:2-3 "I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
[3] Genesis 22:16-18 "And said, By myself have I sworn, says the Lord, for because thou has done this thing, and has not withheld thy son, thine only son: that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice."
[4] Psalm 12:6-7 "The words of the LORD are pure words: As silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, Thou shalt preserve them from this generation forever."
[5] Daniel 9:25-26a "Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself:" - A specific time prophecy from Daniel the Prophet some 600 years before Christ.
[6] Luke 20:9-19 "Then began he to speak to the people this parable; A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time. And at the season he sent a servant to the husbandmen, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard: but the husbandmen beat him, and sent him away empty. And again he sent another servant: and they beat him also, and entreated him shamefully, and sent him away empty. And again he sent a third: and they wounded him also, and cast him out. Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence him when they see him. But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours. So they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do unto them? He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall give the vineyard to others. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid. And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner? Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them."
[7] Acts 3:13-18 13 "The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled."
[8] Exodus 12:3-13 "Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the pertinence thereof. And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remains of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the Lord's passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt."
[9] Exodus 12:23 "For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he sees the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you."
[10] Romans 5:8-11 "But God commended his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement."
[11] Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."
[12] John 1:12
[13] 1 John 5:13 "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."
[14] John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me."
[15] John 1:18 "No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him."
[16] John 14:9 "Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how says thou then, Show us the Father?"
[17] Romans 10:9-10 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
[18] John 10:7 "Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep."
[19] 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
[20] 1 Peter 2:2 "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby."
[21] Proverbs 18:21 "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof."
[22] John 6:63 "It is the spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life."
[23] Romans 15:4 "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope."
[24] 1 Corinthians 10:11 "Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come."
[25] James 4:7 "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
[26] 1 Peter 5:8-9 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world."
[27] Colossians 3:16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."
[28] 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 "(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."
[29] Isaiah 28:9-10 "Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little."
[30] Ephesians 6:12 "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
[31] Matthew 24:4-5,11,24. "And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.""And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.""For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect."
[32] Ephesians 6:11,13-17 "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil...Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
[33] 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 "(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."
[34] Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
[35] Isaiah 54:17 "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord."
[36] 2 Timothy 2:15 "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
[37] 1 Peter 3:15 "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear."
[38] Matthew 9:37 "Then said he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few."
Wednesday, November 9, 2022
Will the Rapture Be Before or After the Tribulation? Part 1
My Pre-Tribulation Friend: With a few words and in simple language, I send you this study of the Word of God. I will start with the question: "When will the Rapture in relation to the Tribulation take place?" The timing of the Rapture and the Tribulation is one of the most controversial issues in the church today. The three predominant views are as follows:
1. The pre-tribulation view: (the Rapture occurs before the Tribulation).
2. The mid-tribulation view: (the Rapture occurs in the middle of the Tribulation).
3. The post-tribulation view: (the Rapture occurs at the end of the Tribulation).
4. A fourth view, commonly known as the pre-wrath, is a slight modification of the mid-tribulation view.
First, it is important to recognize the purpose of the Tribulation. According to Daniel 9:27, there is a seventieth "week" (a 7 year period) that is yet to come. "27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate."
Daniel's complete prophecy of the seventy weeks (Daniel 9:20-27) speaks of the nation of Israel. It will be a period of time in which God focuses his attention especially on Israel. The seventieth week, that is, the Tribulation, must also be a time when God will deal specifically with Israel.
Dennis Edwards: Here's the first assumption that we have different. The idea that the promises to Israel in the Old Testament are specifically for the Jewish people only was never believed by the early Christians. John Nelson Darby in England and C.I. Scofield in America in the mid 1800s were the prime developers or propagandists of this idea which has become known as the Pre-Millennium Dispensation Theory.
Darby developed the idea of the "Secret Rapture" of the Christians before the tribulation distinct from a rapture of the saved Jews at the end of the tribulation. Scofield, with the financing of his Jewish friends, helped to research and distinguish which prophecies were for the Jewish people and which were for the Christian Church.
The Church Fathers from the time of Justin Martyr (AD 100-165) to George of Tours (AD 538-594) never separated the promises to Israel from those of the Church. Following from the words of Jesus and of Apostle Paul, the early Christians believed many of the promises of God to the Jewish people were now to be applied to the true believers within the Christian Church. They believed that many of the prophecies made over Israel, or the Jewish people, would be fulfilled in the Church. They believed the Church had replaced Israel and would receive the blessings pronounced upon Israel. They believed, at least, in a partial Replacement Theology. Let us read from Jesus' parable of the wicked husbandmen from Luke's gospel.
Luke 20:9-19 "Then began he to speak to the people this parable; A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time. And at the season he sent a servant to the husbandmen, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard: but the husbandmen beat him, and sent him away empty. And again he sent another servant: and they beat him also, and entreated him shamefully, and sent him away empty. And again he sent a third: and they wounded him also, and cast him out. Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence him when they see him.
"But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours. So they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do unto them? He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall give the vineyard to others. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid. And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, The same is become the head of the corner? Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them."
In the writings of Apostle Paul we see a similar theme.
Romans 9:6-8 & 24-26 "Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed." "As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; And her beloved, which was not beloved. And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; There shall they be called the children of the living God."
Apostle Paul seems to be saying that the newly converted Christian believers are the children of the Promise, the children of the Seed, the true descendants of Israel. He also clarifies that the Jewish people as a whole were not to be thrown out completely, but that many would be grafted back into the Church in the latter days.
Romans 11:23-25 23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again. For if thou were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
The Historical Pre-Millennium view was that the Church would go through the Great Tribulation period and the resurrection or rapture would occur at its end before entering into the Millennium. The traditional Historical Pre-Millennialists do not accept the "Secret Rapture" view developed by Darby, though they do accept what Apostle Paul has spoken of in a grafting back in of the Jewish people in the last days. Therefore the tradional Premillennialists believe in the regathering of the Jews to their homeland, but believe that the Church and the newly converted Jewish people are the true Israel of God and will go through the tribulation period together.
The verses in Daniel and or Revelation or elsewhere, which Darby and Scofield ascribe to the Jewish people, such as "the saints, the holy people, the elect, " the tradional Pre-millennialists ascribe to the Church of true believers, including any Jewish people saved during the tribulation period. I have compiled quotations from the early Church Fathers confirming this view.[They can be found Here.] Benjamin Wills Newton one of the major Plymouth Brethren and a great theologian and Bible scholar of the mid-1800s opposed John Nelson Darby's "Secret Rapture" theology which caused a split in the Plymouth Brethren. Spurgeon himself made some comments in regards to some of the new interpretations (Darby's) and Spurgeon's misgivings of them. Spurgeon was squarely in the Historical Pre-Millennium camp. Here's a quote from Spurgeon:
“Israel in the covenant of grace is not natural Israel [in other words, not the nation of Israel], but all believers in all ages. Before the first advent, all the types and shadows all pointed one way – they pointed to Christ, and to him all the saints looked with hope. Those who lived before Christ were not saved with a different salvation to that which shall come to us. They exercised faith as we must; that faith struggled as ours struggles, and that faith obtained its reward as ours shall.”
My Pre-Tribulation Friend: While this does not necessarily indicate that the church cannot also be present, it does lead us to ask why the church would need to be on earth during this period.
Dennis Edwards: This is a good question. The first part of the answer is that there is no precedent in the Old or New Testament, nor in Church history to justify such a position. God protected His people in Egypt from the plagues He poured out on the Egyptians, just like we see He will do in the Tribulation where He puts a seal of God on His people to protect them from the plagues being poured upon the wicked.
Revelation 7:1-3 "And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads."
Similarly, in the Old Testament In the Book of Ezekiel, we see the Lord commanded the angel to place a mark on the forehead of those that are in grief for all the iniquities that God's people are committing in Jerusalem.
Ezekiel 9:1-11 "He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them athat have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand. And, behold, six bmen came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was gclothed with linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar. And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer’s inkhorn by his side; And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house. And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city.
"And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord God! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel n thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem? Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The Lord hath forsaken the earth, and the Lord sees not. And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their head. And, behold, the man clothed with linen, which had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me."
The mark was to distinguish the good people from the evil, so that the angels that brought death would spare the good. Many times in the Old Testament we see the Lord doing marvelous miracles to protect and save His people. He doesn't take them out of the difficulty, but miraculously saves them through it. In the Book of Exodus, God told the Israelites to put a mark of the blood of the lamb on their upper and side door posts of their home to protect them from the angel of death. The angel would enter into every home that had not the blood of the lamb on its doorposts and kill the first-born. 
The Church Fathers from the time of Justin Martyr (AD 100-165) to George of Tours (AD 538-594) never separated the promises to Israel from those of the Church. Following from the words of Jesus and of Apostle Paul, the early Christians believed many of the promises of God to the Jewish people were now to be applied to the true believers within the Christian Church. They believed that many of the prophecies made over Israel, or the Jewish people, would be fulfilled in the Church. They believed the Church had replaced Israel and would receive the blessings pronounced upon Israel. They believed, at least, in a partial Replacement Theology. Let us read from Jesus' parable of the wicked husbandmen from Luke's gospel.
Luke 20:9-19 "Then began he to speak to the people this parable; A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time. And at the season he sent a servant to the husbandmen, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard: but the husbandmen beat him, and sent him away empty. And again he sent another servant: and they beat him also, and entreated him shamefully, and sent him away empty. And again he sent a third: and they wounded him also, and cast him out. Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence him when they see him.
"But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours. So they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do unto them? He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall give the vineyard to others. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid. And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, The same is become the head of the corner? Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them."
In the writings of Apostle Paul we see a similar theme.
Romans 9:6-8 & 24-26 "Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed." "As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; And her beloved, which was not beloved. And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; There shall they be called the children of the living God."
Apostle Paul seems to be saying that the newly converted Christian believers are the children of the Promise, the children of the Seed, the true descendants of Israel. He also clarifies that the Jewish people as a whole were not to be thrown out completely, but that many would be grafted back into the Church in the latter days.
Romans 11:23-25 23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again. For if thou were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
The Historical Pre-Millennium view was that the Church would go through the Great Tribulation period and the resurrection or rapture would occur at its end before entering into the Millennium. The traditional Historical Pre-Millennialists do not accept the "Secret Rapture" view developed by Darby, though they do accept what Apostle Paul has spoken of in a grafting back in of the Jewish people in the last days. Therefore the tradional Premillennialists believe in the regathering of the Jews to their homeland, but believe that the Church and the newly converted Jewish people are the true Israel of God and will go through the tribulation period together.
The verses in Daniel and or Revelation or elsewhere, which Darby and Scofield ascribe to the Jewish people, such as "the saints, the holy people, the elect, " the tradional Pre-millennialists ascribe to the Church of true believers, including any Jewish people saved during the tribulation period. I have compiled quotations from the early Church Fathers confirming this view.[They can be found Here.] Benjamin Wills Newton one of the major Plymouth Brethren and a great theologian and Bible scholar of the mid-1800s opposed John Nelson Darby's "Secret Rapture" theology which caused a split in the Plymouth Brethren. Spurgeon himself made some comments in regards to some of the new interpretations (Darby's) and Spurgeon's misgivings of them. Spurgeon was squarely in the Historical Pre-Millennium camp. Here's a quote from Spurgeon:
“Israel in the covenant of grace is not natural Israel [in other words, not the nation of Israel], but all believers in all ages. Before the first advent, all the types and shadows all pointed one way – they pointed to Christ, and to him all the saints looked with hope. Those who lived before Christ were not saved with a different salvation to that which shall come to us. They exercised faith as we must; that faith struggled as ours struggles, and that faith obtained its reward as ours shall.”
My Pre-Tribulation Friend: While this does not necessarily indicate that the church cannot also be present, it does lead us to ask why the church would need to be on earth during this period.
Dennis Edwards: This is a good question. The first part of the answer is that there is no precedent in the Old or New Testament, nor in Church history to justify such a position. God protected His people in Egypt from the plagues He poured out on the Egyptians, just like we see He will do in the Tribulation where He puts a seal of God on His people to protect them from the plagues being poured upon the wicked.
Revelation 7:1-3 "And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads."
Similarly, in the Old Testament In the Book of Ezekiel, we see the Lord commanded the angel to place a mark on the forehead of those that are in grief for all the iniquities that God's people are committing in Jerusalem.
Ezekiel 9:1-11 "He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them athat have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand. And, behold, six bmen came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was gclothed with linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar. And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer’s inkhorn by his side; And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house. And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city.
"And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord God! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel n thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem? Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The Lord hath forsaken the earth, and the Lord sees not. And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their head. And, behold, the man clothed with linen, which had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me."
Êxodo 12:3-13&23 "Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the appurtenance thereof. And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remains of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. 
"And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the Lord's passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. 13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt... For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he sees the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you."
"And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the Lord's passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. 13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt... For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he sees the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you."
Noah is another example. Noah was a witness to the pagan pre-flood peoples. He warned them of the destruction to come. But none listened. God commanded Noah to prepare for the destruction that was to come. Noah did what God commanded and God saw him through the tempest and Noah came out on the other side. In the Old Testament we see also God raising up heathen kings to save God's people in the history explained in the Books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Ester. If we read through Hebrews 11 in the New Testament we see a history of God's people in the Old Testament many of whom were not delivered by God, but died in faith holding on to the promises of God because they looked for a city that has foundations, a heavenly city, that is, New Jerusalem. Let us read from Hebrews.
Hebrews 11:13, 16, 35b-39 "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth...But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city....And others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise."
In the New Testament period we see that even Jesus learned obedience through the things that He suffered. [Hebrews 5:8] He promised us that if we followed Him closely as disciples we would suffer persecution. The Church has traditionally proclaimed that the majority of the original 11 apostles died horrible deaths because of their proclaiming of the Gospel. Only Apostle John is said to have died peacefully, but that was after Rome tried to burn him in oil to no success. Peter was crucified upside down. Thomas died a martyr in India. James was killed by sword under Herod.
Steven was stoned to death. Apostle Paul had his head chopped off in Rome and Justin Martyr with six of his students shared the same fate some years later. The persecutions of the early Christians was without precedent and such persecutions continue to this day in certain parts of the world. The number of Christians martyrs world-wide today is higher than any other religious or political group. Persecution of Christians is still happening right now in many countries. God is not saving them out of it, though He may do that at times, but He is giving them the grace to face it and endure until the end. John Fox compiled an early record of the Christian martyrs which was published in 1563 showing specifically the Protestant martyrs under the hands of the Church in Rome.
Jesus said. "In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."[John 16:33] "If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you."[John 15:20b] Apostle Peter makes a lengthy passage on the joys of suffering for Christ sakes. We can read 1 Peter 4:12-19.
"Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator."
Apostle Paul also said, "They that live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." [2 Timothy 3:12] Paul himself was persecuted constantly for his preaching of the Gospel as we see in the Book of Acts. Persecution is not something we should fear, but we should embrace. Jesus said, "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."[Matthew 5:10-12]
The Bible has many promises of protection in both the Old and New Testament. We see in the life of Joseph, of Daniel and his three friends, and of David how God can protect and care for His own. Apostle Paul even tells us, " Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." [1 Corinthians 10:11] In Romans 15:4 he says something similar, " For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that through patience and through comfort of the scriptures we might have hope." When the early followers of Christ were being persecuted for their faith, Apostle Paul wrote to encourage them. He told them that even in death Christ would be with them. Let's read from Romans 8:35-39:
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
We can say with the psalmist "God is our refuge and our strength and a very present help in time of trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof." Psalm 46:1-3. We know that God is with us, and He shall be our refuge. He will be exalted among the heathen. He will be exalted in the earth. We will trust in Him and fear not. For we have the seal of God on our foreheads and whether in life or in death, we are His.
We can say with the psalmist "God is our refuge and our strength and a very present help in time of trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof." Psalm 46:1-3. We know that God is with us, and He shall be our refuge. He will be exalted among the heathen. He will be exalted in the earth. We will trust in Him and fear not. For we have the seal of God on our foreheads and whether in life or in death, we are His.
