Behold the Bridegroom Comes

by admin

 

                        “The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore

                         let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put

                         on the armor of light.”

                                                                        Romans 13:12

                        “And at midnight a cry was heard, “Behold the bride-

                         groom is coming; go out to meet him!

                                                                        Matthew 25:6

 

Jesus, in His Olivet Discourse, spoke of signs heralding His coming that would be evident in the world, the Church and Israel. Israel is the unique validation sign entity because her restoration, spoken of by all the Prophets and Jesus Himself, is unusual and very specific. We have lived through this “unusual” phenomenon!

 

1. The Signs of Israel

These can be divided up into three areas:

 

• Restoration

This is both physical and spiritual (Ezekiel 36:24-28). The arrival of Israel on the world scene in 1948 and the return of Jerusalem to her sovereignty in 1967 were unprecedented in world history. But Jesus spoke of it making Him a true Prophet! (Luke 21:24) Since then a new breed of Christian has been raised up by God to demonstrate His love and comfort for Zion. We are part of this miracle. The promise of scripture is that a spiritual restoration will follow this physical restoration. It is this “spiritual restoration” that will usher in the return of Christ! (Matthew 23:39)(Acts 3:17-21)

 

• Archaeology

In recent days some amazing archaeological finds have been made. These include the discovery of what is believed to be part of the Urim and Thummin (Exodus 28:30). This sardonyx gemstone was kept in the High Priests garments of glory and beauty. In this case the stone is a perfect hemisphere with a Hebrew inscription embedded in it. This is amazing, as we have no technology available to do this! The stone was examined by Professor Moshe Sharon of the Hebrew University and he states that it goes back a thousand years before Christ. Its significance lies in the fact that it validates the ancient and biblical attachment of the Jewish people to the land of Canaan and the Temple Mount; a fact that UNESCO has recently attempted to deny.

 

In addition a gold bell that was attached to the fringes of the High Priest’s garments was also found near the Temple Mount and so was the outer wall of Jerusalem that the Roman’s breached when they destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD. How astonishing, in that, at a time when the United Nations is attempting to deny any Jewish relationship with Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, the God of the Bible confounds these anti-Semites by proving them wrong. He does this by the discovery of small but significant things, like the bell that was attached to garment of the High Priest, and his Urim and Thummin.

 

• Conflict

The decline of America’s interests in the Middle East and the insertion of Russia’s military power into the region are nothing short of astonishing. The Bible clearly speaks of and warns of this in the book of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 38:1-8). Indeed, reports have just confirmed that Russia is now establishing a naval and military base in Libya and is strengthening ties with President Erdogan of Turkey. Truly, the latter-day picture painted for us by the Prophet Ezekiel appears to be forming. We must watch and pray.

 

2. The Salvation of Israel

While in Israel this time I was called to a meeting with an ultra Orthodox Rabbi who told me an amazing story. He said that hundreds of spiritual leaders like him believe that Jesus is the Messiah but they are waiting for the right time to declare it. He told me much more that I cannot repeat, but it is amazing and affirms the words of the Prophet Zechariah as recorded in his twelfth chapter (Zechariah 12:10-14). We live in amazing times!

 

3. The Meaning and Warning of Israel

 

• Jesus is at the door!
• Jesus is calling His Church to repent, follow Him and embrace its first love (Revelation 2:4-5). We must become a people of prayer.
• Jesus is highlighting the parable of the Ten Virgins, recorded in Matthew 25. This is no time for the followers of Jesus to become lazy and spiritually inactive. Remember Jesus is coming, “when you think not.”
• Jesus will defend Israel! (Zechariah 12:8-9) The conflict in the Middle East is becoming more desperate with every passing day and now we are witnessing other regional powers like Iran, Turkey and Russia getting involved. All of these would love to see Israel dismantled and removed from the Middle East. Israel, though strong, is certainly not strong enough to take on these emerging threats. That which began with God in 1948 will now have to end with God and it will. Of this you can be sure.                                                                     

 

Malcolm Hedding

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