"FAITH AND BELIEF"
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Throughout your life, you have no doubt heard: "Just have faith and believe." But what does that mean? Believe in what? What if you are not sure if you believe or not?
I mean, you want to do the right thing, you want to be a "good guy," and you may have even tried to think about believing in God and Jesus, but with all the false churches and religious weirdos around nowadays you were turned off. I can't say that I blame some people for having trouble with their faith, what with all the lies and contradictions we see among the so-called religious institutions of this day. It was satan's plan from the beginning to dilute the truth with an onslaught of lies and heresies till it gets to the point where a person who is newly exposed to Christianity doesn't know what to believe in anymore.
It should greatly upset true Christians (righteous indignation) when they see the false and greedy teachers/preachers perverting God's Word for their own benefit. And when I say "true Christians," I don't' mean the phony apostates that are so prevalent now. The reason a true Christian should be upset at them is because that through their lies, false promises, false teachings, and the misrepresentation of God's Word they cause people to turn away from God and cause them to not believe that He even exists. When the lies of the false teachers/preachers fail to come to pass, the people blame God. But God never told them that he would stand behind the empty promises of the rip-off artists that have inundated God's ministries.
Perhaps right about now you are saying to yourself: "If this author is trying to get me to believe in God and God's written Word, The Bible, he sure is going about it in a strange way." That would only be true if I believed that man saves man. However I know that it is only God who does the saving, no man has any power or effect over that except that God will it. You would not even be reading this if it weren't God's will that you somehow ended up in front of this particular Bible study. And maybe this Bible study won't do you any good, but maybe it will. God knows.
It is my desire that you who perhaps don't believe, would read the facts contained in this study and be caused to begin to search more truth out in God's scriptures, but I realize that our Heavenly Father calls whom He will when He will. And I refuse to candy coat the truth for anyone, I will not lie about my Heavenly Fathers Word. And if I error on any particular point, then I pray His forgiveness, for when one teaches God's Word he becomes responsible for what he says, especially what he says to a beginning Bible student. On judgement day, God begins the judging at those who teach His Word. In other words, it is an awesome responsibility that unfortunately many take oh-so lightly. God doesn't take misleading His precious children lightly!
It is prophesied in the Bible that in the end times, of which we are in now, there would be a famine in all the nations and kingdoms (the world) [Mt 24:7, Mk 13:8, Lk21:9-11], and that famine would not be for a lack of bread and water (food), but that it would be for hearing the true Word of God [Amos 8:11]. Has this not come to pass? I mean, sure, there are a lot of people in this end generation that claim to be coming back to God; but the famine is for hearing the TRUE Word of God, not for hearing empty words about God, there is plenty of that to go around. These days when you tune into television and cable access channels you see a plethora of "religious" programs, but what do the greatest majority have in common? They are empty words by empty people. They are either what is called "prosperity ministries," or they are what amounts to nothing more than a infomercial for some large denomination, and then of course you have the "off the wall" nuts talking in circles. None of these are teaching the True Word of God. There are some good ones mixed in, but they are far and few between. "
The "prosperity preachers" teach that if you believe in God and Jesus, then God will reward you financially. They encourage you to "plant seeds of faith" ie: send them money, and God will give you more money in return. They have many catch phrases and even twist scripture to fit their "message." They are thieves and liars, and their followers are greedy and insincere phonies trying to con God. They are not in a Church or Ministry of God, and they most certainly aren't conning God, it is they that are being defrauded by their false teachers/preachers, and they end up losing what little money they did have. Good for them, they deserve no better than poverty for trying to use God and Jesus as a get rich quick scheme. Like Jesus said: "They have their reward." And I assure you, it's not the reward that they have in mind.
So where then can one find God's True Word? It is within God's written Word, The Bible. Your Heavenly Father assured that you would have the operating instructions of your soul (The Bible), and that it would be complete and faithful. Of course you must believe the promises and instruction within the Written Word in order to receive them. This present Bible study will endeavor to document the authenticity of God's Written Word and to assure you that the promises of God contained within it, are a promise from your Creator Almighty God directly to you, if you will only but believe.
The King James Version Bible is an English translation of the Hebrew and Aramaic Old Testament, and the Greek New Testament Manuscripts, as Divinely given to the Prophets and Apostles from God through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is the Living Word, and the Bible (as in the original manuscripts) is the Written Word of God. We were given the written Word of God to educate us in His way. The Bible is our handbook to God, Jesus, and eternal life. And don't listen to the antichristians that tell you that the Bible is full of contradictions and inaccuracies. Their main problem, other than being void of faith in their Creator, is in their misunderstanding of four basic foundations in the Bible. Without understanding these four principles, the Bible will seem like a hopeless riddle to even the most intelligent person. There are other In-depth Bible Studies that cover these topics more in depth.
1). This earth is not 6000 years old, and the Bible does not say it is. This earth in untold millions of years old. In [Gen 1:1] it states: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." You will notice a period at the end of the sentence. For between that sentence and the next sentence is untold billions of years of time. The Bible never does say when the beginning was.
2). Adam and Eve were not the first two people on the earth, and all the different people and races did not descend from them. All the races were created in the sixth day [Gen 1:27]. God rested the seventh day, and the next day (the eighth) Adam was formed [Gen 2:7].
3). The flood of Noah was not planet wide but was regional in scope. The word "World" in [Gen 7:17-19] is "erets" in the Hebrew and means a particular part of the earth, not the entire globe.
4). When the Bible speaks of the house of Israel, the house of Judah, and the Jews, it is speaking of three different peoples. To put it simply: Adam from the Garden of Eden is the great ancestor to Abraham, Abraham begat Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, God changed Jacobs name to Israel, Israel had 12 sons, these twelve sons were the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel, Judah (spelled Juda in the New Testament) was one of the sons and thus the head of one of the twelve tribes, the Jews are only a portion of the tribe of Juda that were taken into captivity, the other part of the tribe of Juda migrated before the captivity. God's chosen people are Israel, which are referred to as the ten lost (northern) tribes that migrated north over the Caucasus mountains settling Europe and later colonizing the America's. The Jews are only part of the tribe of Juda, and Juda is only one tribe out of the twelve that descended from the Patriarch Abraham. In other words, all Jews trace their lineage back to the tribe of Judah and thus Israel, but all those of Israel are not Jews. This makes a big difference when reading the New Testament, does it not?!? And it clears up a lot of the supposed discrepancies in the Bible!
The Bible does not contradict itself, it is the true written Word of Almighty God, written by men who were inspired by the operation of the Holy Spirit of God, and He would not let it become contradictory. For if He did, then He could not judge us out of the things written therein. And we most certainly will be judged according to those things written. Those who would tell you that God's Holy Written Word the Bible is not dependable are ignorant to basic Biblical facts and just have not themselves read it with all the innocent belief and understanding of a child that is required to receive it.
Mark 10:13-16 (Christ' words in Bold)
13 And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.
14 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.
16 And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them. (KJV)
When I was younger, before I studied the Bible, I would see little booklets at the checkout counter of the supermarket that were titled something like: "The 15 inconsistencies in the Bible," and in my ignorance I believed that science had proved the Bible to be just another religious book made up by man. I thought that since the Bible was exposed as being wrong about things that we now know, then the book must not be true.
I didn't think much about it for years, I just took it for granted that they have disproved the validity of the Bible, and that while it was obviously full of good advice, it was probably nothing more than a crutch for the weak minded. But it was when I began to read and study the Bible that I discovered that the things that they said were wrong and inaccurate in the Bible, where just the result of their own misinterpretation and/or ignorance of the scriptures. They were so far off the mark with their conclusions that I was embarrassed for listening to them. Satan plants or influences many in this world, and they go about doing his business very well but so very subtly.
It wasn't God's written Word the Bible that was inaccurate and inconsistent, it was the reasoning and understanding of those detractors of it who were wrong. If you do not believe the Bible now, perhaps you will after you observe the many proofs and evidences of prophecy fulfilled that this Bible study will endeavor to bring to remembrance. For whether you believe it or not; Jesus Christ is the Living Word, and the Bible is the Written Word of Almighty God. Stick around with us here and you will henceforth see the Bible in a whole new light.
The heathen and the atheists are not the only ones to blame for driving people away from the one true God, perhaps the ones who do the most damage are the false teachers/preachers of God's Word. This is why God speaks so strongly against them and has a special plan for them that they most definitely are not going to like.
But let's not anyone feel like a victim in all of this, God gave you an able mind and He insured that the truth was available to all whom seek it. Seek is a verb, it requires action on your part ie: Study and prayer, with a big dose of faith thrown in. But that is not say blind faith, for as Jesus stated: in Mark 13:22-23: "For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect. But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things." Blind faith is a tool of satan's false teachers to bring to acceptance their false doctrines. If someone can't show it to you in the Bible, and instead tells you something like: "You just have to have faith brother," then beware of them. For Jesus said that He foretells us of all things, He does that through the written Word, and you should wonder why He didn't foretell the particular thing that this false teacher/preacher is trying to ram down your throat. Jesus assures us that we can find the true way and God's True Word, and He tells us how to go about it in the scripture below.
Matt 7:7-8 (Christ speaking)
7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. (KJV)
And certainly those that have been turned away from the very belief in God due to the actions of the atheists and of the false and uneducated teachers/preachers of His Word, are not themselves blameless. They seem to have such a hard time believing that God created the universe and them just the way He wanted them. But on the other hand, they have no problem swallowing the absurdity presented to them from the "thinkers" of our generation that tell them that they have evolved from God knows what. They swallow hook, line, and sinker that their great, great, great, great, great, . . . grandfather was a maggot or a leach, who crawled out from under some rock, and eventually evolved into the highest organism on this planet.
The things that a seemingly intelligent society will believe in the name of "science" is amazing. However, legitimate science and the Bible do not conflict. True unbiased, unfiltered science bears out all things in the Bible, but I'm sure that you haven't been taught that in our public schools of today. That's really no wonder though, in fact it was prophesied long ago, for God knew that in these times, many would come, many so-called wise men and scientists; you know them, they call themselves the "thinkers" of our world, they make the "brilliant" discoveries like the fact that the earth is round, and apples fall downward. . . . I'm sure that God gets a chuckle out of our "discoveries." Rocket science, brain surgery, and nuclear detonations must seem so amusingly primitive to The Lord who created the science and the very laws of nature that spawn them. But the humor ceases when they educate our children in the schools, forming the young minds that will someday govern the world and go on to teach the young minds of the next generation; and they program into these fertile minds from 1st grade through the higher education that God is not real, and that the Bible is just the imaginations of some ancient men.
If God foreknew that these scoffers would come, then surely He spoke of them and what was to be their fate. In the New Testament book of 1st Corinthians, Chapter 1, verses 18-25, Apostle Paul speaks of this, and in verse 19 below, he quotes the Old Testament Isaiah 29:14 where God prophecies that which has come to pass in our era. (God's words in Bold Italics).
1 Cor 1:18-25
18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (KJV)
This present in-depth Bible study "Faith and Belief" will endeavor to show you that "hard evidence" that you may be seeking. And don't feel too awful bad that your faith may be weak now, for every soul who ever lived on this earth started out as a babe, not knowing the Lord. Some of us just come along a little later than others. But the simple fact that you have read this far is the evidence that you do care to know His truth. The Lord calls whom He will, when He will, could it be that He is calling you?
Rev 3:20+21 (Jesus speaking)
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. (KJV)
OK let's get down to business, let's absorb the truth from God's Word itself. For God's Word to be real it would have to bear witness historically with tangible documentation. And of course it does, we will see more "proof" here in this one Bible study than most have probably heard in their whole lifetime, and hopefully enough to get the "unbeliever" interested in beginning to study and learn the truth of God, Jesus, and all the instruction and promises in the Bible.
Okay, lets address the number one question that most unbelievers pose: Question: "If God is real, then why doesn't He just show me that He is real?" Answer: He has, in the Bible He has told you all things, of course you must read of them. But as far as God physically coming to earth and appearing before your eyes; it isn't time yet for that. He will return someday soon, He has written it to you in a letter, the Bible, and what He has written will come to pass, exactly as it is written. That is a promise from God Himself to you.
But I don't want you to think that this author is sidestepping the above question, so let's have God's word teach why God doesn't just appear before their eyes and say: "Hey you, look at me, I'm real, here touch me, do you want to see a couple miracles? Then will you do me a favor and believe that I even exist?" To some it may seem that I am being a little sarcastic there, but believe it or not, some people actually feel that way about God and salvation.
Below is an account from the Gospel of John. In the verses Prior to these, Christ has already been crucified and had arisen on the third day. In these scriptures Below, Jesus appears to his twelve Disciples after He had defeated death. Incidentally, this is where we get our saying: "Don't be a doubting Thomas."
John 20:24-31 (Christ's words in BOLD)
24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:
31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. (KJV)
An interesting point: In verse 26 above, it states: "then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst." How does one walk into a room while the door is still shut, Jesus walked through the wall. And also, Jesus was not present for the conversation between Thomas and the other disciples, but he knew of Thomas' need for physical proof of the nail and spear holes in Him. Thomas never asked Jesus about this, Jesus read his mind and showed them to him. Try not to read over things like that when you study the Bible, for sometimes much is being said in few words. Jesus was in His transfigured body at this time, He beforehand showed the transfiguration to three of His disciples at the mount of transfiguration [Mt 17:1-9] so that they would understand it at this appointed time.
The sole purpose of this lifetime on earth is to decide whether you will love God or you will follow satan and the ways of the world. There are not three choices, and there is not a "no choice". If you don't make a choice to love God then you will have made a choice to follow satan, whether or not you know or acknowledge it. That's the way God said it was, and that is the way it is. Your approval is not required.
So this study is presented to those who would like to believe in God, and acquire and build upon their faith, belief, and thus their love of our Lord God Almighty and His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ (The Holy Spirit of course being present wherever these two are). But if we have done our task well, then we have also packed this Bible study with information that even an ardent Bible student can appreciate and remain truly interested in.
Contrary to what the biblically illiterate Preachers in the watered down Churches of today may have told you, God does address the fact that sometimes faith comes hard for some. God is all knowing, and He knew that there would be many good-hearted people in this final generation that want to do the right thing and that they would hunger for the truth of God's Word. He also knew that due to all the false and blasphemous teachings that are the norms of today, that some of us might have trouble finding the truth. For us, He gives this instruction, read it well and understand it, it is written for you.
Rom 10:13-17
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (KJV)
What exactly is meant by: "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."? The Word of God is the Bible. He wants you to hear it with understanding. Because when you hear it with understanding, you cannot help but to have faith. In other words; your answers are in the Bible, they have been there all along! Lets dig them out.
All scripture in your Bible is from God. God uses people to bring His message forth. When you read the Bible, understand that while it is penned by a flesh man, it is inspired by Almighty God Himself.
Acts 3:21
21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. (KJV)
The way to finding your faith in the Lord is through His written Word, the Bible. Once you begin to understand the Bible, you see that there is a great plan and that everything is foretold to us in the scriptures. Nothing will happen unless it is written, and everything will happen exactly as it is written.
Rom 16:25-27
25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:
27 To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen. (KJV)
While all the Psalms were not written at the same time, it is recognized that they were put together in one book, in the Hebrew manuscripts about the tenth century B.C., approximately one thousand years before Christ's birth.
The particular Psalm that we are going to study is Psalm 22, and it is truly a special one! When understood, the inspired Word of God laid down to us in Psalm 22 will bolster anyone's faith and supply impossible to ignore and/or refute evidence that: the crucifixion of Jesus Christ was not a "haphazard event that Christians today blindly believe upon," but rather it was prophecy that was fulfilled one thousand years later, exactly as it was written. This documented evidence, as well as all the other scriptures and prophecies that have come to pass, are recorded in our Bible (God's written Word) and were placed there by God's divine inspiration for our benefit, education, and faith.
2 Tim 3:16
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. (KJV)
First, let's understand that the book of Psalms is in the Old Testament, it is scripture that was written and in circulation long before any of the New Testament was written - so you can't think that the prophecies were written after the fact and tailored to fit the events!!
In fact there are many copies of Old testament scripture and fragments thereof still preserved to this day, mostly in museums and religious archives. The last book of the Old Testament was written in approximately 374 BC (Malachi), and the earliest written book of the New testament was written in approximately AD 52 (1st Thessalonians)*
*Note: The order of the books as they appear in the Bible are not always in the chronological order that they were written in or that they occurred in. In fact, some scholars feel that the book of Jude may have been the first New Testament book written, but the date for 1st Thessalonians is sound.
As afore-stated, the book of Psalms that we are studying was written in approximately 1000 B.C., and it foretells of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ; which did in fact come to pass a thousand years after Psalm 22 was written.
Psalm 22 foretold of:
1). Christ's first words from the cross, and reference to all eight of Christ's utterances on the cross.
2). What the people, and the high priest would be saying around Him as he hung there, dying on the cross.
3). The wounds Christ would receive; his side being run through with a spear, his hands and feet being pierced as He was nailed to the cross.
4). The parting and gambling for his clothes by the soldiers.
5). His thirsting on the cross as he hung dying in the hot sun.
6). The fact that the legs, nor any bones of Jesus were to be broken.
7). And right down to Christ's very last words on the cross.
8). * There is so much more there, but this is as far as we will take it in this study.
We will examine Psalms 22; but first, because of the false teaching of Heretics and the misunderstanding of the ignorant, it is important that I make two points emphatically clear. Many may have told you that God forsake Jesus Christ on the cross and left Him, and/or that Jesus Christ was trying to back out of the crucifixion. This is not the case, and if it weren't for the innocence of the ignorance that they say it in, it would be a blasphemy!
In verse 1, of Psalm 22, we are going to see Christ's first words from the cross: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" This was not Jesus saying this to God; it was Jesus simply quoting Psalm 22 from the cross, as it was written by David 1000 years prior. For these are the first words in the Psalm. Jesus was teaching from the cross and fulfilling prophecy, in that we could believe that He was the True Messiah foretold of by the Prophets of the Old Testament and promised of by God to be sent to the world, and that it was He, through whom all could find salvation and life eternal.
God did not forsake Jesus Christ on the cross, nor was Jesus implying so when he uttered those words while He hung on the cross: "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which is translated in English: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" [Ps 22:1 & Mk 15:34]. Jesus was only quoting the scripture of Psalms 22.
If you search the scriptures, you find that Jesus never, not one time in the entire Bible, ever spoke to God by saying the name: "God." When He spoke to God, Jesus always called him: "Father!" In Jesus's perfect love for us, He was teaching us from the cross as His very life blood ran from him. And it is a fact that at least one of those who was crucified with Christ was himself converted while he was on the cross next to Jesus and was saved [Lk 23:39-43], as well as the Roman Centurion that guarded the crucifixion site. For the Centurion fulfilled the "minimum requirements" for salvation written in [Jn 3:16].
John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (KJV)
The Centurion fulfilled the above when he stated that he believed that Jesus Christ was the True Son of God. We are only left to guess as to whether the centurion went on to live his life as a repentant Christian or not, for the Bible doesn't speak anymore of him , but I could make a good guess! It is uncertain if it is this Centurion whom is spoken of in [Acts 10:1-7], but you will notice that he had the vision from the Angel of God at the ninth hour of the day. This is the also the hour on the crucifixion day that Jesus cried out and gave up the ghost (died) in [Matt 27:46-50]. Perhaps the Holy Spirit is directing us to this correlation. And below we see that the Centurion did in fact believe.
Mark 15:39
39 And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God. (KJV)
Jesus Christ did not try to back out of the crucifixion, nor did He regret having to die on the cross for the sins of the world. In fact He look forward to it! It was the reason that God sent Him here in the first place!
Scripture bountifully shows that Jesus Christ knew full well that His purpose on earth was to ultimately be crucified, and that He had the power over death, it held no power over Him. And through Him, the death eternal, the death of a soul, has no power over us that accept Jesus Christ as our Savior!
Luke 18:31-33 (Christ speaking of Himself)
31 Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.
32 For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on:
33 And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. (KJV)
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John 10:14-18 (Christ speaking)
14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. (KJV)
Jesus could have called twelve legions of angels to His defense had He not wanted to be crucified! And Jesus knew this.
Matt 26:53 (Christ speaking, admonishing Peter to allow them to betray and arrest Him (Jesus)
53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? (KJV)
In the following, I have supplied the entire verses of Psalm 22, which is in the Old Testament. When an instance arises where words that are prophesied in the Psalm have come to pass and are recorded in the New Testament, I will supply one of the New Testament verses that relate to the fulfillment of that prophecy. Be aware that before they were translated to English; the Old Testament was originally written in the Hebrew tongue, and the New Testament was originally written in the Greek tongue; for you may notice a slight difference in the wording due to the rules of the individual language and it's syntax. When this phenomenon affects the true meaning of the verse I will point it out to you. I don't think that should be a big problem in these particular verses, but you should always keep it in mind any time you compare wording between the Old & New testaments. This is one of the stumbling blocks of the Bible critics.
Example: In English we say: "red car," but the word order in the Spanish language is: "car red." Then if we were to translate them both into a third language with its own unique syntax, then you can see the confusion that this may sometimes cause in comparing them.
This expository study of Psalm 22 is in no way complete, but it is sufficient to document to you just one of the many countless places in the Bible of God's perfect Divine authorship, and that through realizing this, you can build faith in God, Jesus Christ, and all the promises in the written Word!
Now with a prayer to Our Heavenly Father for; grace, wisdom, guidance, and understanding; In the Precious name of Jesus Christ: let's begin the documentation segment of our study of the sacrifice of love, and the proof of prophecies come to pass that ensures us that the Bible is the inspired Divine Word of God, and that through the blood of Jesus Christ we may each find forgiveness for all of our sins and the life eternal that was promised to us by God Almighty Himself. And we can believe in all the promises of God because, as it is written by the Apostle Paul; when God fashioned the Creation of the universe, He did not allow for Himself that He could lie.
Titus 1:2
2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began. (KJV)
PSALM 22
Psalm 22:1-End
1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?*1 why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
Explanation from above verse:*1 = Jesus quoting the phrase from *1 above, 1000 years later in the New Testament:
Mark 15:34
34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (KJV)
2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.
3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
4 Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.
5 They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.
6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
8 He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.*1
*Explanation from *1 above: These are the exact words of the mockers were foretold of 1000 years prior to them being said about Jesus as he hung on the cross. Below, in [Matt 27:43] we see them saying those very words. (Remember that we are comparing Hebrew and Greek translated into English).
Matt 27:43
43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. (KJV)
9 But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts.
10 I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly.
11 Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.*1
Explanation from above verse:*1 = Fulfilment of the above prophecy, 1000 years later in the New Testament:
Matt 26:56
56 But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled. (KJV)
12 Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.
*Explanation from above verse: Bulls means enemies, Jesus was surrounded by enemies. Bashan was known for having the strongest bulls in the region, Jesus was surrounded by the strongest of enemies (the high priests themselves), and they all gathered around to enjoy His slow death.
13 They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.
*Fulfillment of the prophecy above: 1000 years later in the New Testament, it is recorded that as the people who passed by, and even the chief priests gaped (mocked) at Jesus as hung there, dying on the cross:
Matt 27:39-43
39 And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,
40 And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.
41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,
42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. (KJV)
14 I am poured out like water*1, and all my bones are out of joint*2: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels*3.
*Explanations from above verse: *1 = see verse below for prophecy fulled 1000 years later in the New Testament. *2 my bones are out of joint = From hanging on the cross. *3 = see verse below for prophecy fulled 1000 years later in the New Testament.
John 19:34-35
34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
35 And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. (KJV)
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws*1; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.
*Fulfillment of the prophecy of *1 above: 1000 years later in the New Testament, Jesus accomplished that which was written:
John 19:28
28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. (KJV)
16 For dogs*1have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.*2
*Explanations from above verse: *1 dogs = In the Bible, heathen unbelievers are referred to as dogs. *2 they pierced my hands and my feet. = When they nailed Him to the cross.
17 I may tell all my bones*1: they look and stare upon me.
*Fulfillment of the prophecy of *1 above, 1000 years later in the New Testament: This means that all His bones were intact and not one of them were broken. For any sacrifice to be offered up to God, it had to be perfect. [Ex 12:46 & Num 9:12] And Jesus Christ was That perfect sacrifice for all time! Below is the fulfillment of the prophecy that Jesus' bones were all intact and unbroken.
John 19:32-36
32 Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.
33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:
34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
35 And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.
36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled*1, A bone of him shall not be broken. (KJV)
*Explanations from above verse 36: *1 that the scripture should be fulfilled = What scripture fulfilled, you ask? The one we are studying, Psalm 22:17.
18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.*1
*Fulfillment of the prophecy of *1 above, 1000 years later in the New Testament: One thousand years later, Jesus would look down from the cross as he was dying, and see the soldiers fulfilling this prophecy below:
John 19:23-24
23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.
24 They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did. (KJV)
19 But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me.
20 Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.
21 Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.
22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.
23 Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.
24 For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.
25 My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.
26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.
27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.
28 For the kingdom is the LORD's: and he is the governor among the nations.
29 All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.
30 A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.
31 They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this*1.
*Explanations from above verse 31: Here we have an example of what I told you about prior to this Psalm, about the different syntax of the Hebrew and Greek languages. The sentence: "that he hath done this" in the Hebrew wording, is the exact same statement in the Greek as: "It is finished." These are the very last words that the prophesied Messiah would say, 1000 years later from the cross. Below in [Jn 19:30] we see Christ's very last words from the cross, and we see that He had in fact fulfilled the prophecy that was written of Him. Psalm 22 was written and fulfilled by the Divine intercession of Almighty God Himself, so that YOU, when you read of it 3000 years later (today), could believe! Was this all in vain, will you not believe?
John 19:28-30
28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.
29 Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth.
30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. (KJV)
That was an excellent scripture to bolster anyone's faith. Stick around, we are going to study another one with the hope that you will begin to understand that those you meet on the street who tell you: "There just ain't no proof that God is real," just haven't bothered to study God's Word The Bible!
Remember that between the giving of the above prophesy and the fulfilment of it, there was a one-thousand year span of time. Nobody but God Almighty Himself could have controlled the actions of the so very many people that had a part in bringing it to come to pass, each one acting as if on cue! And they were acting on cue; they were acting on God's cue, they just didn't know it. For prophecy must come to pass exactly as it was written, it always has and it always will! And in seeing what has come to pass from the past, we can have faith that what is written about the future will also come to pass exactly as it is written. This was a rule and a safeguard that God built into the foundation of this world.
There are three kinds of prophecy in the Bible; prophecy that has come to pass; the fulfilment of prophecy; and prophecy that is still future, yet to come to pass. Our previous look at Psalm 22 was an example of prophecy, and the New Testament scripture that was placed between the verses was the fulfilment of that prophesy.
Now lets take a look at the perfect blending of; prophecy, prophecy came to pass, and prophecy that is going to come to pass, yet future, even from today.
We are going to look at five scriptures that are so perfectly intertwined; Old and New Testaments, written in four different books of the Bible; who's statements I will document with a second witness from a half a dozen other books of the Bible, spanning a length of time over 3000 years; so that you can know with a surety, that only Almighty God Himself could have orchestrated it!
First, for clarity I will supply a summary, and then I will illustrate it through the scriptures:
1). It all starts 3000 years ago, in approximately 1000 B.C., back in Psalm 22 (the one we just finished with) and the prophecy within it about Christ's hands and feet being pierced (as He was crucified, nailed to the cross).
2). From there we move forward in time, to the book of Zechariah [Zech 9: 9-10], still in the Old Testament where both the 1st and the 2nd advent of the Messiah is prophesied.
3). Then, while staying in the book of Zechariah, to [Zech 12:9-14] which prophesies the crucifixion (1st Advent of Christ) and foretells of the future yet, 2nd Advent of Christ. Bear in mind that this book of Zechariah was written in approximately 490 B.C., about 500 years before Jesus Christ was sent to the Earth and was crucified for us. Christ's second Advent (2nd coming) is yet still future of our present day.
4). Next we will go the New Testament; Gospel of John, and read of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ coming to pass exactly as was foretold.
5). Then finally we will go to the book of Revelation where it tells of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ that happened at Christ's 1st Advent, and which speaks also of a time yet to come; of the prophesied 2nd Advent of Christ when he will come to rule and judge the Earth.
This sounds more confusing that it really is, just open your mind, and with the Grace of God it will flow smoothly for you. And when we are done; you will have the truth about the past, the present, and the future, laid before you from the Word of God. And there can certainly be no room for doubt as to God being the author of the universe and the creator of all that is within it!
With what we learned in Psalms 22 fresh in our minds, lets stay in the Old Testament, book of Zechariah, and witness the prophecy of both the 1st Advent (the Crucifixion) and the 2nd Advent, Christ's return in our not-too-distant future, which is inaccurately referred to as "the end of the world." For it is not an end, but it is a new beginning.
Zech 9:8-12
8 And I will encamp about mine house because of the army, because of him that passeth by, and because of him that returneth: and no oppressor shall pass through them any more: for now have I seen with mine eyes.
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
This 9th verse speaks of Christ's 1st Advent, which has come to pass, and is the one that we have been studying in Psalm 22. Below is the New testament book of Matthew's account of it coming to pass:
Matt 21:4-9
4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,
5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.
6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,
7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.
8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.
9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. (KJV)
10 And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth.
This will happen at the 2nd Advent, when Christ's returns, not lowly and meekly riding an ass this time, but to rule the world with a rod of iron, as the King of Kings and Lord of Lord's. As we see it come to pass in prophecy, in the book of Revelation:
Rev 19:11-16
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. (KJV)
11 As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water.
12 Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee (KJV)
Lets go to another scripture and read of Christ being crucified and of the 2nd advent. This is still in the Old Testament and prophesies of both of the comings of Jesus Christ. Remember; this was written in the year 490 B.C., almost 500 years before Christ would be crucified at the 1st Advent and at least 2500 years before the 2nd Advent, which of course has not happened yet.
Zech 12:9-14
9 And it shall come to pass in that day*1, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
*Explanations from above verse: *1 in that day = The Lord's day! At the second coming of Christ; the 2nd Advent when Christ shall return to rule the world.
10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced*1, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
*Explanations from above verse: *1 And they shall look upon me they have pierced = You remember seeing this prophesied in Psalm 22, and come to pass in the New Testament; when they pierced Christ's hands and his feet to the cross. They also pierced Him in the side with a spear. This verse 10 is showing us that the one they pierced (Christ) is the same one that is coming back (2nd Advent). And in the next verse we will see that the evil ones will at this time get their due rewards God's Punishment.
11 In that day*1shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.
*Explanations from above verse: *1 in that day = The Lord's day! At the second coming of Christ; the 2nd Advent when Christ shall return to rule the world.
12 And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart;
13 The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart;
14 All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart. (KJV)
There was something significant in those last four verses [Zech 12:11-14] regarding David, Nathan, Levi, and Shimei, but we will come back to them after we finish our present thought. Just keep it in the back of your mind, and I will refresh your memory on it later, when we address it.
Back to this subject, lets go back to where we left off. We had just learned of the Old Testament prophecies about the 1st and 2nd advents of the Messiah Jesus Christ, and what those that crucified Him would be doing, where it was written: "and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced."[Zech 12:10].
We know of the fulfillment of the first half of that prophecy in the New Testament account of the 1st Advent of Jesus Christ when He was crucified, and below we review the fulfillment of that prophecy:
John 19:32-37
32 Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.
33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:
34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
35 And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.
36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.
37 And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced*1. (KJV)
*Explanations from verse 37 above: *1 = Here we see prophecy being fulfilled. In [Zech 12:10], written in 490 b.c., we read: "and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced." Now here in [Jn 19:37], written in an account from the events of that day, in a.d. 29, We read of Jesus Christ being crucified exactly as it was foretold of, we see the fulfillment of that prophecy: "They shall look on him whom they pierced."
*NOTE: If you are wondering why the soldiers were breaking the legs of those who had not died yet, it is because when someone is being crucified, they try to support their body weight with their legs to prevent hanging down with all their weight. If their legs are broken then they cannot hold themselves up, and their body weight pulling them downward cuts of their air supply and they died quickly by asphyxiation. The Sabbath was approaching and the high priests and church elders did not want the men on the cross during the Sabbath, for that would have been against the laws of the Sabbath. The irony of it being that these "religious leaders" had no problem demanding that the Romans murder an innocent man, the Son of God no less! This is where false teachers/preachers will lead you, they were around then and they are around now.
And now we will finish up with what is to be, the future yet Prophesied 2nd Advent of Jesus Christ, and how it will be on earth in those days.
We are going to the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation, where we find an account of the events that will come to pass, future yet from our present day.
The book of Revelation was written in approximately A.D. 94, by St. John. John was taken to the future, in Heaven, by the Spirit of the Lord; and shown things that would come to pass in the final days (Thus making it prophecy). This vision is of the 2nd Advent of Jesus Christ, when He returns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, to rule the world.
Rev 1:5-8
5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him*1: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. (KJV)
*Explanations from verse 7 above: *1 and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him. = There it is again!! This time referring to the 2nd Advent of Christ, when He returns to judge and rule the world. You notice that most will not be happy on this day. Those are the ones who were deceived into worshiping antichrist thinking he was the true Christ come to rapture them. This is the danger in the false rapture doctrine. People will be praying to the false Christ for forgiveness thinking that it is the true Messiah. So when the True Christ returns at the second advent, they not only worshiped satan in ignorance, but they have un-repented sins on their soul. Also among those that are wailing are the ones who do not believe in God. They now realize that God and Jesus are very real; and that even though they chose not to believe in them, they are still subject to the punishment of the lake of fire! Judgement day is only bad if you are judged to eternal death. If you have overcome, then judgement day means rewards to you Eternal life.
8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. (KJV)
Now put that thought off to the side in your mind, we are going to look at something different. You remember earlier that I told you; that there was something that was in the verses of [Zechariah 12:11-14] and that we would come back to them. Well let's cover that below.
First I will resupply those verses to refresh the subject in your mind, and then we will look at another amazing hidden truth that God has built into the Bible that will go unnoticed if you haven't learned to study God's Word "in depth." You can learn to understand God's Word if you care enough to put forth the effort. God will never deny His truths and wisdom to anyone that loves Him enough to study in His Word! You don't have to become a religious fanatic; that's not of God, but you should spend a little time each day reading the letter that your Heavenly Father wrote directly to you The Bible. Even if it is only for five or ten minutes a day.
The scriptures of the Bible are our instructions directly from God through His Prophets and Apostles. He will only judge us on the things that He has laid down in writing for us. Don't let any biblically illiterate so-called preacher, false teacher, self-appointed prophet, or rip-off artist, mislead you. If someone tells you something that is contrary to what God tells you in The Bible, then don't believe them.
Because, sad to say, there are many people who seem like they are working for God but they are really working for God's archenemy Satan. Though most of them don't even know it. They themselves have listened to false teaching and have become misled, and now they pass it on like a virus. Don't you end up following them, stick to God's True Word and you will never go wrong!
You've heard the old saying "Beware of wolves in sheep's clothing," well that quote came from the Bible, and in it, God was telling you that not everyone holding a Bible works for Him. Remember who it was that forced Pontius Pilate's hand into crucifying Jesus Christ It was the High Priest; Ca'-ia-phas, and the Chief Temple Elders. You can read the story of Jesus Christ's prosecution and sentencing to death in [John 18:12-19:22].
It is amazing when you realize who really was responsible for the murder of Jesus Christ! I wonder why they don't teach that in Church on sundays. Maybe they don't think you could handle knowing the truth, or maybe they can't. Maybe they think that by you knowing the truth that God saw to it that you would have available to you, that with that wisdom you would expose the false teachers/preachers that are out there in abundant numbers leading you to the lake of fire. Either way; I will never apologize for God's Word, if the truth offends, then be offended.
Now don't get me wrong here; there are good Bible teaching, truth loving, men and women of God! And if you are fortunate enough to find a Ministry like that, then you should attend and support it.
But because I realize that many who read this study may be beginning Bible students; I feel responsible to warn you that there are imposters out there, and they will hurt you if you are not prepared. If they aren't working for God, you can guess whom they might be working for. Forewarned is forearmed!
How can you be prepared? How can you know if you are studying with a good teacher of God's Word, and not one of the aforementioned: "Biblically illiterate so-called preachers, false teachers, self-appointed prophets, or rip-off artists?" There is only one way, and this takes us right back to square one: You must study and read God's Word for yourself, so that you can document for yourself what you have been taught. And if someone tries to tell you something that is contrary to what is in God's Word, then it's time to find a new teacher. What good would it do you to learn lies, and half truths? Just simply sitting on a Church pew once a week for an hour and throwing some "conscious money" in the basket will do nothing for you if you aren't learning anything, except maybe turn you into a pew potato. Find good instruction It's out there, God will personally see to that! Trust only The Lord, double check all others. And yes that means double check this author as well, for he is not perfect, nor can any man be.
O.K. now lets look at that scripture again and see a beautiful truth and proof from God to us. A prophecy written 2500 years ago, and it came to pass 2000 years ago, exactly as it was written. This was done for a reason, it was done for you today, it was done so that you could believe. Here is the scripture that I told you to remember and that we were going to come back to.
Zechariah 12:11-14
11 In that day*1 shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.*2
*Explanations from above verse: *1 In that day = On the Lord's day; the second coming, the 2nd Advent when Christ shall return to rule the world. *2 Megiddon = This is the Hebrew name for the Greek place: Armageddon, you've heard of that place before, it is where the final battle will be fought by God against satan and his misguided followers. You can read of it in [Rev 16:16].
12 And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart;
13 The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart;
14 All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart. (KJV)
There is something in the last three verses above [12,13 &14] that we should not let go by without notice. Why would God tell us that every family on Earth shall mourn at the return of Christ? But then specifically mention four families by name? David, Nathan, Levi, and Shimei (which in the Greek language is Semei).
There is a reason for everything God does! In our verses above, Almighty God, through the prophet Zechariah, is telling the world of the coming Son of God, of the promised Messiah. But He goes much further than that, He has laid in place a means by which future generations to come, would know for sure that Jesus is the true Messiah and not an imposter. God gave us the family tree (genealogy) of the prophesied Messiah. He has given us the Savior Jesus Christ's ancestors on His mothers side (God was Jesus's Fathers side). The four men's families that God singled out, in the whole world of people's families to name, in verses [12-14] ( David, Nathan, Levi, and Shimei (which in the Greek language is Semei); are in Jesus Christ's genealogy, they are His ancestors! The names are even in correct chronological order according to their birth! This scripture was put in writing, in the book of Zechariah, almost 500 years before Jesus was born. Only God could control that!
In the New Testament book of Luke, we have the Genealogy of the Virgin Mary, Jesus's mother. You will notice that the genealogy of Jesus begins below in verse 23 "And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli . . . "
Heli was Virgin Mother Mary's father, the reason Joseph was referred to as the son of Heli is because in those days; if a man had no sons to carry on his name when he died, then his eldest daughter's husband became his "son by law," and to him would go the inheritance. Mother Mary had no brothers. Today we would know that as a son in law, although they don't become the heir and beneficiary in our culture.
Below is Jesus Christ's genealogy from the book of Luke, and I have embolden the four ancestors of Christ mentioned above in the prophecy, as well as God down at the end of the list, and Jesus up at the top end. Joseph is Virgin Mother Mary's husband, and Jesus's stepfather. His genealogy is supplied first, but to save time I have only given the last couple verses of it. You can find the entire list in the 1st chapter of the book of Matthew. The last verse is all you really need to see that I am telling you right, and that this is Joseph's genealogy, and that it is different from the one in Luke chapter 3, below it, which is in fact Jesus's mother's genealogy, and therefore the flesh side of Christ. God Himself being the other "parent," by means of The Virgin birth.
Matt 1:14-16 (The genealogy of Joseph; Jesus's stepfather)
14 And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;
15 And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob;
16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. (KJV)
And now, Virgin Mother Mary's genealogy; and thus, Jesus Christ's earthly genealogy. You also will notice that in the other genealogies in the Bible: It reads like: xxxxx begat xxxxx, and xxxxx begat xxxxx . . . But here in the genealogy of Jesus, there are no "begats," but instead: xxxxx who was the son of xxxxx, who was the son of. . . . There is a reason for every little thing in your Bible, if you have the wisdom to see it. That wisdom only can come from God through faith.
Luke 3:21-38 (Virgin Mother Mary's genealogy; and thus, Jesus Christ's earthly genealogy)
21 Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,
22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, 24 Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph, 25 Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge, 26 Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda, 27 Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri, 28 Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er, 29 Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, 30 Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim, 31Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David, 32 Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson, 33 Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda, 34 Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor, 35 Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala, 36 Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech, 37 Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan, 38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God. (KJV)
Okay, I hope I haven't been confusing with all this hopping around, but I always insist that when I state something from God's Word, that I document everything directly back into the Bible, giving chapter and verse. You should insist on that from anybody who would presume to teach the Word of God to you!
You must be very careful! In this final generation there are many false teachers that would deceive you into worshiping the anti-christ without you even knowing it until it is too late.
The anti-christ will be imposter pretending to be Christ, and who is prophesied in the Bible to appear on this earth first, claiming to be the Messiah, before the True Jesus Christ Himself returns. That has a lot to do with why so many will mourn when Jesus Christ returns, because it is then that they will realize that they have been worshiping the anti-christ who is none other than satan himself, pretending to be Jesus Christ. Another study for another day, there are many other In-depth Bible Studies like this present one, that cover topics such as that.
In closing, I know that this may seem a little overwhelming at first. There is no shame in going back and reading this study again. Perhaps I did not do as good of a job making clear some of the more complicated subjects as I would have liked to. What you have just studied was God's Word from the Bible, and His Word is perfect. Sometimes man falls short in teaching it, but these truths that you have just learned will always be with you, you will not be able to look at the question "Is God real," the same way again. It will never leave you.
Pray to God for the wisdom to understand the simplicity of His Word, and His plan. God wants you to. He told us so. Faith can come and grow in an instant, with the help of our Heavenly father, but you must ask Him!
Luke 11:9-10 (Jesus speaking)
9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. (KJV)
I guess, in a way, that I really can't say that I blame a lot of people who have trouble believing and having faith in God, with what little they've been taught about God's Word today. But God and Jesus and salvation are not only reserved for the "holy rollers," it is for everyone. God loves us all the same and He is so perfectly fair that He sent His only begotten Son; Jesus Christ, to be tortured and murdered for us, all of us, in that we may believe and have forgiveness and thus salvation:
Luke 5:24-32 (Christ' words in Bold)
24 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.
25 And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.
26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day.
27 And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me.
28 And he left all, rose up, and followed him.
29 And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.
30 But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?
31 And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.
32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. (KJV)
And in the same way that the healthy don't need the doctor but the sick do; the believer doesn't need faith, but an unbeliever does. A final thought: Don't always be looking for some big gaudy miracle. God doesn't work that way; He doesn't have to. God doesn't run side show circus acts. Look for the little things at first and before you know it, you will be amazed at how much perfect sense the Bible makes, and through that, you come to realize how much perfect sense God makes! In the beginning, a new Christian is unsure of himself, unsure of his faith, that is normal and it is okay. Faith can come and grow in an instant!
Here's an observation for you: You have just read a 13,369 word study, whose title is "Faith and Belief," and it is about God. That speaks volumes as to your growing faith and love of the Lord, though you may not even realize it. God loves nothing more in this universe than to see one of His beloved children, whom He created, eager to learn of Him and His wondrous mysteries! Don't you think He didn't notice!
Click on Getting Saved, what does it mean and how can I be? to fully understand what the term 'being saved' means. We've all hear it, but what does it exactly mean? What does God say we have to do to attain everlasting life? Learn from God's Written Word, The Bible, what God says to us about salvation and the eternity with Him in Heaven.
Read one Christians story: Why I Believe!: A beautiful story of the love for us that our Heavenly Father has for us. How would you answer this question?: "Why do I believe that Jesus Christ of Nazareth was the Messiah promised and sent from God to save the world from it's sin and fallen nature?"
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In His Service:
Nick Goggin
Watchmen Bible Study Group
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