Blindness, Deception, Apostasy, Redemption

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Blindness, Deception, Apostasy, Redemption | The Next Prophetic Road Signs? | Twilight of the Day of the Lord

Synopsis

Everyone starts their life not knowing anything and as children we trust almost everything that comes from those older than us until we learn that we can’t always trust everyone. You don’t know what you don’t know and in this a sort of blindness to reality, whether in ignorance or willing ignorance, creates a naivety that can leave us open to manipulation and deception.

In the case of spiritual blindness, we grope about in darkness trying to understand the reality of our existence as spiritual beings, if we even recognize that reality at all. There are plenty of belief systems out there that attempt to explain what most sense in some way, that there’s something bigger than ourselves. But there is a light that reveals the deep spiritual truths that comes from the revelation of our reality by the Word of God. It is that which lights the path in the darkness and speaks of our origins, our importance, and our future. This collection of 66 books written by 40 authors over thousands of years has gained my trust, or faith, in that it has repeatedly verified itself to be valid through textual criticism, archaeology, and history. Moreover, it is the only collection of writings that has successfully foretold events that have come to pass as narrated.

It is a collection of writings from Hebrew authors about the Hebrew people and their relationship with the God of creation that chose them out from among the nations to be God’s witness in the world. It was through them that the light of God’s Word originated, from which we understand where we come from and where we’re going. And it is through this people that God chose to enter into our world to redeem it from the curse of death, for those with ears to hear and eyes to see.

As we look at Israel’s blindness, imposed and self-inflicted, and how that plays into the coming great deception followed by the redemption, we can also see the same principles of blindness that are the human condition and that apply to more than just God’s chosen people. This coming great deception will affect the whole world, not just Israel. Just as we must understand what is real to spot a fake, it is critical that we understand the clues that God has given us in His Word to understand the Truth so that we are not drawn in by a lie.

The human race doesn’t exist in a vacuum and there are spiritual forces in dimensions we cannot see, smell, taste, touch, or hear that have our good in mind, but also those which have our eternal destruction in mind. The latter are actively working to pull off a deception so great that if we do not have a solid foundation in God’s Word we may be caught up in the events that will lead to our eternal destruction. As the Gospel came to the Jew first and then the Gentile, scripture makes a clear case that the great deception will likewise come to the Jew first and envelop the whole world. Let us examine what the Word of God says and use that to discern good and evil and see the path that is set before us that we not fall into the ditch. Luke 6:39 | Ephesians 6:10-18

Blindness, Deception, Apostasy, Redemption

It is important when discussing the end of the age, and indeed any Bible prophecy, to be very clear where the focus usually is. The Bible is a Hebrew book, written almost entirely by Hebrews with the exception perhaps of Luke and quotes of Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus, and perhaps others. The Bible tells the story of the origins of mankind and the people chosen by God from the world to instruct and lead them to relationship with Him, to be His imagers in the world. Some generations fell in love with God and others wanted nothing to do with Him, and through it all God remained there calling His people, Israel, to Him. Even in the New Testament, where the Gospel is sent to the Gentiles, it began with the Jews and then went to the Gentiles. But the prophetic narrative of the end of the age is tied primarily to one place and one people, Jerusalem and Israel.

Daniel 9:24
Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people [Israel] and upon thy holy city [Jerusalem], to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

This prophecy was given to Daniel when he asked God what the future of his people would be after the Babylonian captivity. There is one week of years, seven years, remaining to be fulfilled from this prophecy and just about all the remaining events of end time prophecy take place within that short time. As the primarily Gentile church looks at prophecy, we tend to disconnect certain aspects of it from who it’s focused on.

From Israel’s removal from the land of promise in 70 AD to May 14, 1948 the idea of the nation of Israel being part of prophecy seemed impossible. Much of Bible prophecy was allegorized to explain what had to be true according to God’s Word, but which didn’t seem possible according to man’s perspective. In our hindsight we should take note that God’s ways are not our ways and with God all things are possible.

Isaiah 49:6
And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

Those who live in the end of the age are beneficiaries of understanding Israel’s faithfulness and unfaithfulness, examples for us of what we should and should not do. The light of God’s Word has taught those who read and hear it and has given us instruction on spiritual things. For those who accept it, eyes have been opened and ears unblocked and we have revealed for us the majority of the history of God’s plan for mankind’s salvation. Yet almost 2,000 years ago the people from which the Messiah was born were blinded.

Blindness

All scripture is true and so while the majority of them were blinded as the Gentiles began to see, there is still a final period of seven years determined for Israel and Jerusalem in which the end of the age will play out as revealed in scripture. The focus of this time is not on the Gentiles because we have already seen and heard, the focus will be on the remnant who are blind, deaf, and who do not yet understand.

In reading the Bible I often struggled with the idea that David asked for the blindness of his people and Yeshua seemed to impose blindness upon Israel that they would not understand. How can those blinded be responsible for seeing and understanding, how is this fair to those blinded?

Israel’s relationship with God has always been marked by promises of faithfulness to God followed by periods of spiritual adultery and harlotry as they went after false gods and idols of wood and stone. As God tried to bring them into a relationship of lovingkindness, Israel would turn their back on Him time and again only to call on Him in their time of trouble.

We look back through the pages of thousands of years of history in the Bible and wonder at how this could be with all they experienced? But can we not see in our own times how quickly a generation or two can pass, leading to rejection of God? Everyone does what is right in their own eyes and before you know it everyone is their own god, looking out for themselves, as good is called evil and evil good. Even the standard of making that judgement is subjective in this world of chaos where the blind lead the blind, it is the fallen human condition.

The generations of Israel were no different, but in a world of men they were chosen to be in relationship with the One True God that loved them enough to chastise and correct them. Those that God sent to correct His people were sometimes killed because the message was not a welcome one. Sometimes wicked leaders didn’t like the message. Some of them believing they were following God’s Word, carried out capital punishment against a perceived false prophet or blasphemer. Sometimes false witness and lying was used to keep the status quo and reject God’s instruction. There are many reasons God’s messengers were killed but ultimately it boiled down to a lack, or rejection of, understanding.

Matthew 23:33-39
[Ye] serpents, [ye] generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and [some] of them ye shall kill and crucify; and [some] of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute [them] from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, [thou] that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under [her] wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed [is] he that cometh in the name of the Lord."

When the Messiah came in the first century, after the 483 years prophesied by Daniel, He came as a humble servant, meek and lowly. Not the strong king that would conquer Israel’s enemies and restore the kingdom as they were expecting from the Messiah. (Ezekiel 37:24-25, Amos 9:11-15, Isaiah 59:16-21; 63:1-6, Acts 1:6) But His kingdom is not of this world. (John 18:35-38) In reality, a spiritual kingdom was established, untouchable by the physical realm in which we live. Through the centuries since its establishment, its subjects possess dual citizenship amongst the kingdoms of this world. (Daniel 2) As Yeshua excoriated the leadership in 30 AD for having hearts far from God, He was setting the stage for the fulfillment of His purpose. God’s ways are not our ways, and in their blind expectations of God’s Word based on the understanding of men, they could not see their Messiah before them.

Luke 19:41-44
And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things [which belong] unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

As Yeshua came to present Himself as the Passover Lamb, according to the house of His Father and at His Father’s house, Exodus 12:3, He knew what would befall Jerusalem 40 years later. While some recognized Him and greeted Him with palm branches saying blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord, the woman represented by Jerusalem and her inhabitants were mostly in apostasy for the various reasons they may have had, rejecting the Messiah foretold by the Word of God.

Isaiah 29:13-14
Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near [me] with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, [even] a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise [men] shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent [men] shall be hid.

But this seemingly imposed blindness goes back to the establishment of the relationship between God and His chosen people. It was part of the promise of blessings in obedience and the warning of curses in disobedience and apostasy.

Deuteronomy 28:15, 28-29
But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: ... The LORD shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart: And thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save [thee].

While directed at His chosen people, this is not just a Hebrew curse, it is a natural result of the rejection of God’s ways of selfless love. Instead we tend to cling to the pride of our selfish nature, which we struggle against as human beings in a fallen state. From the very beginning, God’s dealing with Israel was meant to bring about the Seed of the woman that would become the salvation of all mankind.

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.

Genesis 17:4-7
As for me, behold, my covenant [is] with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

Galatians 3:16
Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

I think we sometimes miss the nuance of the true reason for that blindness, is it really imposed upon Israel? While speaking of Israel corporately, in the general sense, the reason for the blindness for all human beings seems more of a natural consequence of rejection of truth. Not all of Israel rejected their Messiah when He came, but those that did rejected the fulfillment of God’s Word in His coming. That’s not to say it was obvious, even today with hindsight of history and the printed compilation of scripture people have a hard time understanding it.

But much of Yeshua’s condemnation was at the Scribes and Pharisees that were supposed to know His Word and lead the people in understanding, yet their hearts were far from God. And it would seem that ultimately God set up His plan to play off of their rejection.

1 Corinthians 2:6-12
Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, [even] the hidden [wisdom], which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known [it], they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed [them] unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

So much hatred of people, and those God sent, has resulted in the very opposite of what God’s Word teaches about His nature and how we enter into relationship with Him. Israel killed the prophets God sent from among their own to guide them. Christians hated and killed Jews because they perceived Jews responsible for the death of Christ. He knew the severity of prescribed judgement against those who blasphemed against God would be used by those without understanding to accomplish God’s will. God also knows the hearts of men, regardless of lineage, are wicked and the wisdom of God was a mystery for a reason.

John 10:14-19
I am the good shepherd, and know my [sheep], and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 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. Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 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. There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings.

Luke 23:33-35
And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided [him], saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.

Yeshua said it all right there. No man took His life, He willingly laid down His life for not only the sheep of Israel who believe, but for His other sheep of a different fold, the Gentiles who will be married into the family of Abraham and God’s eternal covenant with him by faith.

And furthermore, He took His life up again becoming the firstfruits of the resurrection, on the appointed time of firstfruits no less. What men in their blindness believed a victory or a tragedy, God in His wisdom used for their salvation. And unfortunately the mystery of iniquity has used this blindness to build animosity and hatred, but God will accomplish His purposes regardless.

Acts 28:23-29
And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into [his] lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and [out of] the prophets, from morning till evening. And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not. And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with [their] eyes, and hear with [their] ears, and understand with [their] heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and [that] they will hear it. And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves.

Who closed the eyes of the blind, God or themselves? We all have selective hearing, where our focus is tends to limit what we hear and we only see what we want to look at, sometimes feigning ignorance. In the spiritual sense when our focus is not on God, but the things of this world, that still small voice is drowned out by our own plans and desires, and even sometimes in our desires we become willingly ignorant.

Romans 11:9-12, 25
And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway. I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but [rather] through their fall salvation [is come] unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them [be] the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? … 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.

Yeshua came first to the house of Judah, knowing the end would lead to salvation for all mankind who believed. But as with so much of prophecy, the focus is on Israel because they are God’s chosen people and God is not finished with the redemption of the remnant of His people that are His.

John 12:37-41
But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with [their] eyes, nor understand with [their] heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.

Isaiah 53:1-6
Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, [there is] no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were [our] faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he [was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace [was] upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Of Israel, Isaiah prophesied the Messiah would be rejected, but note also that it was they who hid their faces from Him. The interpretations by men picked the prophecies from God’s Word that their itching ears wanted to hear, a not uncommon problem, especially as we near the end.

2 Timothy 4:2-4
Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away [their] ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

It seems to me that what is seemingly prophesied as blindness actually springs from within the hearts of men and is not imposed upon them, it is a message they would rather hear than the actual Word of God. And when Yeshua spoke in parables, it was meant to reach those who desired to understand and showing principles and prophecy in story form.

Matthew 13:10-17
And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and [their] ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with [their] eyes, and hear with [their] ears, and should understand with [their] heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed [are] your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous [men] have desired to see [those things] which ye see, and have not seen [them]; and to hear [those things] which ye hear, and have not heard [them].

Isaiah 6:8-13
Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here [am] I; send me. And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, And the LORD have removed men far away, and [there be] a great forsaking in the midst of the land. But yet in it [shall be] a tenth, and [it] shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance [is] in them, when they cast [their leaves: so] the holy seed [shall be] the substance thereof.

Sometimes the meaning of the parables were perceived and sometimes they were not. There were even times that they were fully understood, but the hardness of the heart of the hearer rejected it. Yet even in blindness and hardness of heart, there is a remnant that will come to understand because they desire God and His love. A relationship requires two willing participants and that is what God desires with us, a relationship built on lovingkindness. But for that relationship to be established, we must first understand lovingkindness and also desire and love Him as He first desired and loved us.

From all of this it would seem that God in His wisdom placed the Truth in His Word, but in such a way that only in faith and obedience to His Word would the wise understand. The Ten Virgins - 119 Ministries is a great video that touches on this idea and how the wisdom of God is foolishness to those who don’t trust His Word. They find no legitimacy to its plain teaching so they never dig in to discover the greater understanding. But where is the knowledge and wisdom of the Lord? The Word of God, yet as with the parables it is not always as straight forward as many would like. The Author reveals it to those that love and desire Him and want to understand the truth.

Isaiah 28:9-14
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: For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This [is] the rest [wherewith] ye may cause the weary to rest; and this [is] the refreshing: yet they would not hear. But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, [and] there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken. Wherefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which [is] in Jerusalem.

Yet even those who desire understanding and have faith in God’s Word must not have selective hearing and close their eyes to the whole council of God. And there is a danger in not taking personal accountability in understanding the Word of God for ourselves. It’s good to learn from those who have studied God’s Word before us, but we should also do our own study to validate what we learn from the source itself.

Acts 17:11
These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

While it may not always be literal, every part of God’s Word is true and sometimes you don’t get the whole picture without including all the pieces of the puzzle.

2 Timothy 3:16
All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Willing ignorance is a kind of blindness that is ultimately self-imposed and we have all suffered from it, this is not just a Hebrew issue. We have all closed our eyes and ears to those things we don’t want to hear to focus on our own desires. However, the Bible was delivered through the Hebrews and written through them and speaks primarily of God’s plans for them. And so the blindness we all suffer from is highlighted stronger with them in scripture as an example because they are central to the story of the end of the age. But we must put ourselves in their shoes and learn from it.

Matthew 7:1-5
Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam [is] in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

So let us not judge in our own blindness the blindness of others. Let us know the Word of God and speak the Truth of God’s Word in Love and share the mysteries revealed that those with ears to hear and eyes to see will come to the saving knowledge of Yeshua’s sacrifice and all of our redemption in it.

Isaiah 29:9-16
Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which [men] deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it [is] sealed: And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned. Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near [me] with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, [even] a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise [men] shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent [men] shall be hid. Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us? Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?

There is a lot to learn from a Rabbi about the traditions of Judaism, no doubt. There are a lot of nuggets of knowledge that can enlighten us on the meanings behind things we don’t have the historical knowledge and traditions to understand. However, there are also some interpretations that can lead to deception. When Yeshua came and fulfilled His role as the kinsman-redeemer, the understanding of the plan of God that was sealed from the beginning became unsealed for those who did not close their eyes to understand it.

Without accepting Yeshua, the understanding is still sealed and those who are not learned that turn to those who have not opened their eyes to see Yeshua will likewise not see. We must be sure not to be led by the blind, but allow the light of the Word of God to light our path.

Something I’ve noticed in watching some Messianic Jews in street interviews of Orthodox Jews in Israel, as well as other ministries reaching out to Jews in Israel, is that Orthodox Judaism relies primarily on Rabbinic tradition over reading scripture for themselves. I would say it’s fairly improbable for any Orthodox Rabbi to not be offended by the idea of Yeshua being the Messiah they are waiting for, just as their ancestors would be offended by much of what Yeshua Himself said.

Matthew 15:12-14
Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

Orthodox Jews REACT to Messianic Jews Sharing ISAIAH 53 - Jews for Jesus talk on the street to Jews. One comment from someone stood out. "We don’t learn Tanakh (Torah and prophets, Old Testament) in our schools because it’s very deep and things can be misinterpreted, so they don’t teach us Tanakh. We learn Talmud (Rabbinic commentary). We learn what we call the Oral Law. So, if I want to go into Isaiah I would go to my Rabbi and I would ask him to teach it to me. Like everything I don’t understand and I ask him to teach it to me. But things that I wasn’t taught in school because I was told that it’s deep to understand, I for sure won’t just read texts…"

Jewish Believers in Jesus REACT to Harsh Comments - Jews for Jesus folks talk about how many people comment to tell them to go talk to a Rabbi. They discuss how this shows people don’t think for themselves and search the scriptures themselves.

Why Jews Reject Jesus as the Messiah? Sam Shamoun - Sam Shamoun talks with a Jew looking to get into religion, answering questions about why Jews reject Yeshua. He goes over some Rabbinic traditions stating they expected the Messiah in the rule of Titus, but never came from their view.

The Oral Law of Rabbinic Judaism has reinterpreted many things to account for a perceived lack of prophetic fulfillment regarding the Messiah. I highly recommend watching One For Israel’s Case for Messiah series, particularly How the New Testament influenced Rabbinic Traditions, The Oral Law is a reaction to the New Testament faith!, and The Aramaic "Onkelos" is not a Literal translation! These highlight the Oral Law’s development in the 3rd century AD as a response to Christianity in a way to explain away Yeshua’s apparent fulfillment of prophecy.

The Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament, is read in portions throughout the year, as are selected writings from the Prophets. However while the Torah may contain aspects of prophecy about the Messiah, greater understanding is in the writings of the Prophets and New Testament. The Prophets are read selectively in the Haftaraot after the Torah portion is read throughout the year and, except for Messianic synagogues, the New Testament is not accepted as scripture and is vigorously shunned.

Much like weekly church services, the portions read in the synagogues provide the Word of God, but a more full understanding cannot happen a couple hours a week. To truly understand, it takes a time of personal study in greater depth. Many find it daunting to try and understand the scriptures and while the scriptures do interpret themselves, we all rely on those more learned to guide us.

This is how I began my journey to understanding with the help of Chuck Missler. However, over time I found that in my own reading of scripture I had to keep the baby while throwing out some of the bath water. And this is part of the journey to understanding, not everyone has everything right in their understanding, but as Christians we have the guidance of the Author of scripture, the Holy Spirit.

2 Peter 1:19-21
We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake [as they were] moved by the Holy Ghost.

For Orthodox Judaism, the rejection of Yeshua as the Messiah has been the willingly closing of their eyes to not see. The history and animosity of the unfaithful church persecuting the Jews has only strengthened the rejection of what is perceived as the Gentile church’s Messiah, completely separate from Judaism in the eyes of the modern Orthodox Jew. The mystery of iniquity has truly been hard at work through history and today. There have been many wise blind people in history, but one should not trust the blind to lead the blind.

However, spiritual blindness is not as evident to the blinded as physical blindness is. When you don’t see that you are blind and at the same time you have great faith in the sacred writings of your forefathers, yet rely primarily on the interpretations of learned and wise men to understand those writings, you are entering prime territory for blindness to lead to deception.

We are told that we will know people by their fruits, but we must grow from babies in understand the foundational principles of God’s Word and become learned ourselves according to His Word to properly discern. God’s Word, not the interpretive writings of men about that Word, is the foundation of that understanding and we must go to the source ourselves.

Hebrews 5:12-14
For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which [be] the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk [is] unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, [even] those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Isaiah 29:12-13
And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned. Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near [me] with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

Matthew 15:14
Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

Deception

Every good forgery has behind it a creative artist. They may not create original works, but they must know what they are copying intimately. Every paint stroke and clump of paint on a painting must be painstakingly recreated to evade the notice of the most discerning art lover. Most people don’t have the skills or can’t make money in this field so some make money. The creative artists at the treasury are in a constant cat and mouse game to put in the next best creative watermark, ink, and paper to print currency that will make the counterfeit currency stand out to those who are observant. In all cases of forgery, someone is attempting to deceive a hapless victim out of the value of the original with a worthless fake for their own gain. And only by knowing the real thing can one be protected from falling victim to the fake thing.

The greatest deceptions are the ones cloaked in truth. The phrase wolf in sheep’s clothing is directly tied to this concept. A wolf, acting as a wolf, entering into a flock of sheep will be very apparent to those sheep and they will not be fooled of the danger they are in. But when a wolf appears and acts as one of them, he enters the flock undetected and his wolf nature to eat the sheep will be more effective. This same idea is directly stated in speaking of the future false prophet, who comes as a Dragon in sheep’s clothing.

Matthew 7:15-20
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither [can] a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Revelation 13:11-14
And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by [the means of] those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

It’s a perfect parallel given that Yeshua is the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world. John 1:29-34 It may seem obvious, but when scripture repeats a point several times, a point is being made. Yeshua warned three times in the Olivet Discourse regarding the signs of the coming of the end of the age and His return. He said the coming deception would revolve around those coming in His name, or authority, stating to be the Christ, Anointed, Messiah.

Matthew 24:3-5, 11, 23-26
And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what [shall be] the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? 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. ... Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here [is] Christ, or there; believe [it] not. 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. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, [he is] in the secret chambers; believe [it] not.

So we are to take from this that the time of the end of the age and Yeshua’s return will be marked by great deception regarding false prophets and false messiahs trying to deceive the elect. Yeshua is a Jew, speaking to fellow Jews while looking over the temple in Jerusalem that would be destroyed. Furthermore, the unparalleled time of great trouble begins in Judea with an abomination of desolation in a temple in Jerusalem.

Matthew 24:15-16
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

In the context of the Bible, the elect are God’s people. There is debate on this term, but I simply see the elect as those from all the world who will end up accepting Yeshua before eternity. They are the natural branches of Israel. But in the adoption by marriage of the bride of Christ, the Gentiles, or wild branches, are also the elect of God. The elect are the natural and wild branches grafted to the root, which is Christ. Romans 11 The disciples to which Yeshua was speaking were both Jews and the early church, which would later be expanded to the Gentiles. These are the sheep of the flock that the false christs and false prophets are trying to deceive.

So if we are to follow the logical trail of warnings from scripture about this deception, how would the Dragon’s acolytes dress to pull off this great deception? It is my belief that the Bible is true and there are only two belief systems that rely on it as such, Judaism and Christianity.

It is Christianity that warns of the deception of the end of the age, something not revealed in the Old Testament to my knowledge, and the Messiah explicitly includes the way He will return, in warning of this deception surrounding His return. The Jewish Messiah came the first time on the earth at the appointed time and is not coming from the earth the second appointed time.

Matthew 24:27, 30
For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. … And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

In its blindness, Orthodox Judaism has rejected Yeshua as the Messiah. The Rabbinical teachings of the Oral Law cannot see the Trinity or the two powers in heaven in the Shema Yisrael.

Deuteronomy 6:4
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God [is] one LORD:

This is a big factor in rejection of Yeshua. They also reject the resurrection of Yeshua and so by their expectations of the Messiah, Yeshua doesn’t fit. They also reject the idea that the Messiah is God, but believe he is just a man sent by God. In fact there is a belief that Messiah could come from Israel in any generation and they expect this very thing to happen. There is an element of doing good deeds, mitzvah, to help bring the Messiah in their generation. But that is not all they are expecting from the Tanakh to come to pass.

The same prophecies of the same Messiah of Judah that Jews and Christians accept can be seen in very different ways depending on one thing, acceptance or rejection of Yeshua as the awaited Messiah. What paradigm do you see? Let’s examine a select few expectations of Orthodox Judaism regarding the Messiah’s arrival.

Messianic Prophecies

If you look into ikvot Meshicha “the heels of Moshiach” or chavlei Mashiach “birthpangs of Messiah” you will see the modern Rabbinical expectations for the Messiah. I’m going to highlight a few key prophecies from these expectations from JewFAQ not because I believe their interpretation is right, but because of the paradigm from blindness to Yeshua that could lead to deception. This is not a light deception, but one cloaked in truth meant to cause the sheep to believe that one of them is the fulfillment of God’s Word. This deception will be accompanied by lying signs and wonders in an attempt to deceive God’s people who will not open their eyes to Yeshua, our salvation.

As you read these prophecies, put yourself in the mind of those who don’t know Yeshua and don’t believe the New Testament. Yes, we know the ultimate fulfillment of all of these are in Him, but until you can simulate the blindness, it can be difficult to see.

2 Thessalonians 2:8-10
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: [Even him], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

“Before the time of the mashiach, there shall be war and suffering.”

Ezekiel 38:16
And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.

In the Jewish paradigm, the entire history of the modern state of Israel may seem like the Gog/Magog attack is imminent. The events of October 7, 2023 and after have caused great upheaval in the hearts and minds of Jews in Israel and around the world. The events and the wars that have followed only increase the expectancy of the Messiah’s imminent arrival in the Orthodox communities. There is an expectation of an attack that will be met with God’s judgement of hailstones, fire, and brimstone. It is this event that will cause all to know the Holy One in Israel.

In the Christian paradigm there are many views of this particular event and its timing. It is clear from scripture that there are several times when the world will come against Israel.

• Ezekiel 38-39 speaks of Gog and Magog coming against Israel.
• Zechariah 14:2 speaks to the nations of the world being gathered against Jerusalem for battle.
• Daniel 11:40-45 speaks of a king whom the North and South enemies attack and comes to his end at Jerusalem.
• Revelation 16:13-16 speaks of the gathering of the kings of the East to harmegido in Greek, a transliteration from the Hebrew tongue of har mo’ed, the mount of congregation, the appointed place, Mount Zion. Interestingly, it is in Isaiah 14:12-15 that we see Lucifer’s desire to be like the most High, to sit upon the mount of the congregation, har mo’ed, in the sides of the North. That’s exactly what we see his proxy do, causing the abomination of desolation. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5
• Revelation 19:11-19 is the fulfillment of this gathering at Yeshua’s return to establish His Messianic Kingdom at Jerusalem. It is here the Dragon is chained in the bottomless pit and the false messiah and false prophet are cast into the lake of fire.
• Revelation 20:7-9 is the only other place in scripture where Gog and Magog are mentioned together, having been deceived by the released Dragon after the 1,000-year reign of Yeshua on earth, to come against Jerusalem and her King.

I lean toward the end of the millennium as it’s the only other place Gog and Magog are mentioned together coming against Jerusalem and it would seem only after 1,000 years of the Messiah’s reign from Jerusalem would see a land of unwalled villages dwelling in safety. Any time before that is a time of conflict over Jerusalem and during God’s wrath. But I also believe an event that could be interpreted as being this prophecy will likely play into the strong delusion God sends that they would believe a lie, 2 Thessalonians 2:11, in the resurrection of the false christ that solidifies the belief of many that he is the Messiah and triggers the abomination of desolation that begins his 3 1/2 year reign. There were originally no chapter breaks and Daniel 11:40-12:1 seems to point to a time related to other scriptures where a king, Daniel 11:36-39, comes to his end in Jerusalem and then is resurrected, Revelation 13:3; 17:8-11, and declares himself god in the temple. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5 I will be going into greater detail on this lead up to the end in the next post, The Next Prophetic Road Signs?

Whether this view is accurate or not, the wars and rumors of wars in the Middle East can only work to fulfill the expectation of the imminent arrival of the Messiah from the earth among those looking for him there. It is in times of trouble that people turn back to God and when the whole world seems to be against Israel, the arrival of one who will lead them to victory and secure the land will be a welcome leader. I expect to see Israel continue the pattern of being relentlessly attacked, verbally and physically, yet defeating all her enemies to remain stronger over time. This will lead to an apparent time of peace when everyone recognizes they cannot defeat Israel in the midst of signs and wonders.

“The mashiach will bring about the political and spiritual redemption of the Jewish people by bringing us back to Israel and restoring Jerusalem. He will be a great political leader descended from King David.”

Isaiah 11:11-12
And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

Jeremiah 23:5,8
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. … But, The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.

Jeremiah 30:3
For, lo, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the LORD: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.

Hosea 3:4-5
For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and [without] teraphim: Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days.

At least partially fulfilled, the modern nation of Israel is reborn, although a secular nation that does not follow the statutes God gave them at Sinai. What is expected in the Orthodox Jewish paradigm is the transition from modern Israel without a king, without the sacrificial system, and without a national desire to seek the Lord transition to a theocratic monarchy with the Messiah as their king, leading them to worship and minister to God at His temple in their midst. This expected time will draw all the tribes of Israel from the countries to which they have been disbursed and see the reuniting of Ephraim and Judah again as one, Ezekiel 37:15-23, something that has not happened since they split around 3,000 years ago. Through this time, they will be a light to the Gentiles and the whole world will accept their king.

In the Christian paradigm, Israel is and will continue to return to the land. Through the time of Jacob’s trouble Israel will be refined and brought back to relationship with God by recognizing Yeshua as their Messiah and during the Messianic Kingdom after the 70th week of Daniel they will live in the land with Yeshua as their King in a much different Jerusalem from today.

Each paradigm is affected by timing, deception must come first because if the real Messiah is present and everyone knows Him, nobody will be deceived by a bad impersonator. But if the real Messiah remains shrouded because they have closed their eyes that they would not see, a convincing impostor will be a very effective deception, especially if he begins the deception by fully endorsing a return to the Mosaic Covenant and worship of the One True God according to the statutes given them at Sinai.

Why would a deceiver do that? Because he is a Dragon in sheep’s clothing and I’m sure knows of a new covenant promised in scripture that Israel currently does not recognize as already having come. If he can convince the blind who do not see Yeshua’s fulfillment of this already, he can insert himself and make his own covenant with the people he is now dwelling amongst.

Jeremiah 31:31-34
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day [that] I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this [shall be] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

If you look at this through the paradigm of the blind, with knowledge of the New Testament, it explains several things. Why the temple and sacrifices must begin at the start of the 70th week of Daniel, because they are confirming the Mosaic Covenant, requiring the temple ministry, sacrifices, and changing of the times and laws. It also explains why the sacrifices must stop, because he will have died in Jerusalem for his people and rose from the dead to forgive their sin and make a new covenant with Israel, dwelling among them and whom they will all know. They will be sealed with his name on their hands and/or foreheads.

God is allowing a time of testing, before He establishes His millennial kingdom in Israel, when the Dragon will be allowed to setup his own kingdom with his own puppet king. He cannot begin his deception in opposition to God’s Word because that Word is what the people trust. But he can twist God’s Word in such a way that is convincing to those who desire to see the Messiah come so much that they don’t care who he really is. If he checks the boxes, then he’s the one, and they expect the Messiah to come.

The Oral Law, having rejected Yeshua and actively teaching around Him, looks for another to come from the earth and from the line of David from among their people. If the Dragon could put on a David coat, could the accuser slip someone into the hearts and minds of the people that would captivate them in their desire to see Israel restored to her former glory under the Messiah?

John 5:43
I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.

”He will be well-versed in Jewish law, and observant of its commandments.“

Isaiah 11:1-5
And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

In the Jewish paradigm, a man is expected to come to prominence from the line of David who will be anointed of the Lord and promote the proper understanding of the Tanakh and judgement according to it. As he will be anointed king of Israel, he will lead Israel back to following the Law according to the statutes, changing the times and the laws of modern Israel to return to God’s statutes for them as the chosen people.

In the Christian paradigm, when Yeshua came the first time He demonstrated wisdom and understanding at a young age, later becoming a Rabbi and fulfilling the Law according to the Word of God.

Luke 2:46-52
And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business? And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

Understanding the deception of the Dragon in sheep’s clothing, quite a different picture is painted of the possible rise of the false christ. The most common views of where the false christ will come from are completely divorced from Israel except for the declaring himself God in the temple and persecution of Israel.

But what we see in this view is actually a man bringing Israel back to keeping the Mosaic Covenant and all that goes along with it, the temple, sacrifices, and priesthood. All of this a setup to deceive Israel into accepting him and rejecting God, a Dragon in sheep’s clothing. And we see in the first seal that the rider of the white horse is given a crown, authority as a ruler, or king. He does not forcibly take it, but it is given to him after which he fights for his kingdom.

Revelation 6:1-2
And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

And what about persecution of Israel? We must think of things from God’s perspective. We’ve been told that not all who say they are Jews are. (Romans 2:24-29, Romans 11:16-28, Revelation 2:9, 3:9) Those that are cut off from the people because they have turned from God to worship a false god are those that will hate God’s people. But while they are actually in apostasy, they believe they do God’s will because they have been tricked and deceived by the Dragon in sheep’s clothing. They think their god is the God of Israel, though he acts nothing like God, and think that those of Israel who reject their god are to be cut off from the people.

From God’s perspective, those who accept the false christ are in apostasy and idolatry and are not His people. Meanwhile those in apostasy believe their false god is not a deception and those who reject him are apostate. Both sides will see the other as apostate and while God’s people will leave the judgement to God, the Dragon’s people will likely treat those that blaspheme against their perceived god in the manner of their law, severely. It’s all a matter of perspective and God’s perspective wins in the end.

“He will restore the religious court system of Israel and establish Jewish law as the law of the land. He will rebuild the Temple and re-establish its worship.”

Jeremiah 33:14-18
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this [is the name] wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness. For thus saith the LORD; David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel; Neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt offerings, and to kindle meat offerings, and to do sacrifice continually.

Zechariah 6:11-13
Then take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set [them] upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest; And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name [is] The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD: Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.

In the Jewish paradigm, we see again the Branch of David executing judgement and Israel dwelling safely in the land. This king from the line of David has not yet arrived, but God’s Word promises he will and so every generation awaits the arrival of their king to establish Jerusalem as the seat of the Messianic kingdom. During this time their king will remain on the throne and the priesthood carrying out the temple ministry.

In the Christian paradigm, Yeshua, the Branch of David, will indeed execute judgement and righteousness in the Land and Israel will dwell safely, just not until after the defeat of the false messiah, false prophet, and Dragon. It would also seem from Zechariah 14:6-11 that the time after Yeshua’s return will see a new Jerusalem built over the terraformed rubble following the destruction of God’s wrath and a new temple seen in Ezekiel 40-48.

There is division on the idea of sacrifices continuing. In addition to the statutes being given to Israel for these things to be done throughout their generations, it was also never possible that the sacrificial system would take away moral sin and that wasn’t its intention. The sacrificial system was meant to make one ritually pure to come before God at His tabernacle, but this was always temporary and needed to be done continually. This impurity wasn’t moral in nature, it is the state of living in a fallen world yet meeting with a holy God, set apart from death and our fallen nature. And this is likely why we see in the Messianic Kingdom that sacrifices will continue as seen in Jeremiah 33:18, Ezekiel 40-48, and elsewhere. Not because they have to get forgiveness from sin by the shedding of the blood of bulls, sheep, and goats, but because not everyone in the millennium will have been translated to their eternal celestial bodies as the bride of Christ was and the world will be coming to worship Yeshua at His temple where He dwells amongst His people Israel.

I would recommend taking some time to watch the Thinking Like An Israelite series on YouTube by Dr. Michael Heiser. It is a four-part presentation on Part 1: Impurity and Sin, Part 2: Sacred Space and Sacrifice, Part 3: Sacrificial System (OT Sacrifices), and Part 4: Chaos & Calendar. It clarifies this distinction between impurity and sin that most don’t fully comprehend because it is so far removed from our cultures. It makes much more sense of the sacrificial system in its proper context and also explains things like why childbirth, losing blood, and other normal parts of life would require periods of separation and sacrifice for purity.

Hebrews 10:1-4
For the law having a shadow of good things to come, [and] not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those [sacrifices there is] a remembrance again [made] of sins every year. For [it is] not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

There are many things Yeshua will explain that we don’t yet understand about the coming times, but it seems clear to me that Israel still exists and will exist in the land during the millennium as will the statutes throughout their generations. But the point is that these things only happen after the 70th week of Daniel, over 3 1/2 years after the deception has already played out. This means that an apparent fulfillment of the return to the covenant and rebuilding the temple will take place first and ultimately be destroyed during the wrath of God to be built anew in the Messianic Kingdom.

In light of the possible use of this expectation for deception, there is an interesting prophecy about the false christ.

Daniel 7:25
And he shall speak [great] words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

If you think about modern Israel today, they are not following the Mosaic Covenant and their laws reflect that. But in a time of upheaval of the political climate required to conform to the statutes given at Sinai, this is exactly what we would expect to happen, a radical changing of the appointed times to be kept in accordance with temple ministry and a changing of the national laws to conform to the statutes of God. Even in attempting to follow God’s statutes today, Orthodox Jews cannot fully do so because there is no temple so they are not fully compliant. Modern secular Israel would need to make a drastic return to their ancient roots in the ancient land promised to them, requiring a complete 180 degree change in the mindset of the people of Israel that would likely cause conflict with the population of Israel that is not from the 12 tribes.

“He will establish a government in Israel that will be the center of all world government, both for Jews and gentiles.”

Isaiah 2:1-4
The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass in the last days, [that] the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house [temple] of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

Isaiah 11:10
And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.

Isaiah 42:1
Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, [in whom] my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

Isaiah 60:1-5, 9-16
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at [thy] side. Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. ... Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the LORD thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee. And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee. Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that [men] may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and [that] their kings [may be] brought. For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, [those] nations shall be utterly wasted. The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious. The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel. Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through [thee], I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations. Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the LORD [am] thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.

In the Jewish paradigm, the temple of God will exist on Mount Zion once again and all the nations will come to it and pilgrimage to see the Lord and learn His ways. The Law and Word of God will be centered in Jerusalem and the king of Israel and Messiah will rule from there and judge the nations and bring peace. Israel will be in an elevated position of ministering to God in closer relationship with Him than the world, who would come and bow at their feet and bring their treasures to Jerusalem.

In the Christian paradigm, Yeshua will indeed rule from Jerusalem and the whole world will come to Jerusalem where He is ruling from with a rod of iron during His Messianic Kingdom for 1,000 years.

Timing and understanding determines the paradigm one sees. And this is where God allowing the Dragon to have a short time before He establishes His kingdom on earth is also allowing his deception to come as well. Now Yeshua’s spiritual kingdom was already established in the first century, but if He established His earthly kingdom first, there could be no deception as prophesied to happen, but allowing this time of refining will test the hearts of His people and they will reveal where their allegiances lie.

“The whole world will recognize the Jewish G-d as the only true G-d, and the Jewish religion as the only true religion.”

Micah 4:1-3
But in the last days it shall come to pass, [that] the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house [temple] of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

Zechariah 14:9
And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one."

In the Jewish paradigm, the king of Israel will be king over the earth as he rules from Jerusalem. The conception of the One God is the same as it has always been. Interestingly, in these scriptures they seem to overlook the association of the LORD with the king, but I expect having the "proper" interpretation given them will change their mindset in the future.

In the Christian paradigm, Yeshua is LORD and will rule from Jerusalem in the millennium during the Messianic Kingdom with a rod of iron and thereby bring peace in the world. During this time the remnant of Israel will be dwelling in the land and they will know Yeshua and understand the Trinitarian nature of God, recognizing the Father and the Son are One with the Holy Spirit in Truth.

Recognizing the New Testament revelations about the end, we see the prophecies of the false christ and false prophet given power and authority by the Dragon. The false christ dies and is resurrected and the world wonders at him and give them their power during his reign. Likewise, understanding the timing of the end, we can see how God allowing the Dragon to deceive the world in the time prior to His return in glory, that a kind of inverted mirror of the fulfillment in God is seen.

The Dragon, a corruption of the Father, gives his power and authority to the false christ, a corruption of the Son, and the false prophet, a corruption of Elijah to come, points to the false christ and Dragon for worship. His corruption of God’s design takes place all at once in the end, while the actual fulfillment by Yeshua was split into two comings, the first completing the redemption and salvation going to the Gentiles when Israel would not see, and the second immediately after the deception begins to redeem the remnant of Israel from the great tribulation brought about by the Dragon’s deception.

The serpent is more subtle than many think and prophecy must be viewed from God’s perspective. God’s people are those who remain faithful to Him and the rest are cut off from the people in their apostasy and become enemies of the faithful remnant who reject their false god. We saw this in Yeshua’s day too, flipped 180 degrees, when the persecution of the early faithful church in Israel came from their own people. The followers of the Way accepted the true Messiah and were persecuted for it while in the future the rejection of the false messiah will bring about greater persecution. But God’s people loved their enemies and blessed those that persecuted them, just as we must do now and in the future. Our kingdom is not of this world.

“But above all, he will be a human being, not a god, demi-god or other supernatural being.”

“It has been said that in every generation, a person is born with the potential to be the mashiach. If the time is right for the messianic age within that person’s lifetime, then that person will be the mashiach. But if that person dies before he completes the mission of the mashiach, then that person is not the mashiach.”

While not accompanied with any scripture, the sentiment is found in the Rabbinical responses to Yeshua and is one of the things that blinds them to Him. That they don’t believe He was resurrected and don’t see the earthly kingdom they expect from the Messiah seals the blindness for many because they do not comprehend a spiritual kingdom not of this world that was established in the temples, bodies, of those who accept Yeshua where His Holy Spirit dwells.

Ironically, it may be that the false christ declaring himself to be God in the temple and this belief that the Messiah is just anointed and is not God that drives some of the remnant of Israel to flee to the mountains with those believers who heed Yeshua’s warning. These will be unblinded at the return of Yeshua from heaven and come to accept Him as the Messiah in the wilderness after rejecting the false christ.

There are plenty of other prophecies about the Messiah and what He will do in scripture, but these highlight a few that are key expectations. Putting on the blinders that hide Yeshua while reading the prophecies and simultaneously recalling New Testament prophecies about the false christ, it becomes apparent that there are two ways that these same prophecies can be taken.

One can either be blind to, or reject, Yeshua as the fulfillment or one can accept Him. If God allows the great deceiver to come on the scene before He completes the fulfillment of all of His prophecies, and this deceiver seems to fulfill many of them himself, many will be led astray, especially since the Dragon’s power and authority is given to the false christ with signs and lying wonders.

Antichrist

The very word antichrist evokes thoughts of wickedness and evil in those who trust God’s Word. And rightly so, the future antichrist is prophesied to go after and overcome those who believe in Yeshua and anyone who doesn’t take his mark and worship him. However, this is the last stage of his rule and we’ve seen how blindness and deception tied to God’s Word can actually begin as a wolf in sheep’s clothing so as to be able to pounce when the time is right. In other words, the first half of the 70th week will be building the deception by appearing to fulfill God’s Word, not go against it.

But while I think the majority of those watching for end time events are looking in the wrong places, the wolf under the sheep’s clothing will become visible very quickly to those paying attention. Acceptance of the deception, either knowing full well or because of the blindness of the heart to the truth, will be the fate of many in the world. This will lead to their ultimate separation from God by their own choice. One can see a deception unfold and reject the deception while loving the deceived.

Luke 6:27-28, 35-36
But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. ... But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and [to] the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

Romans 12:14, 17-21
Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. ... Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but [rather] give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance [is] mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

I feel pity and not animosity toward those with the spirit of antichrist because I think it has more to do with blindness and stumblingblocks. I can’t imagine the sorrow God feels in His creation not wanting to accept His offer of redemption. This sometimes have to do with the pride of having no God above them or standards of righteousness they don’t want to follow. And sometimes, in the case of much of Orthadox Judaism, it can be history of false Christians’ treatment of their people and the religious traditions interpreted by men, the blind leading the blind.

If we look at the term antichrist in the context it is used in scripture, it is a clear black and white dividing line that acts as the stumblingblock for many in the world today.

2 John 1:4-9
I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father. And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it. For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.

1 John 4:1-11
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that [spirit] of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

1 John 2:15-26
Love not the world, neither the things [that are] in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that [is] in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would [no doubt] have continued with us: but [they went out], that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: [(but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also]. Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, [even] eternal life. These [things] have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.

These are the only times the word antichrist is used in scripture and from this we understand the context of the term as it’s used in scripture and from these we get the following characteristics of both the spirit of antichrist and the future antichrist to come.

• Deceivers who do not believe Yeshua the Messiah came in the flesh. This is tied to His deity in that if He were just a man it would be expected for Him to have come in the flesh. It’s not that they just don’t believe it, but are actively working to deceive those who do away from believing it.
• False prophets in the world that do not confess Yeshua the Messiah came in the flesh. Similar to the deceiver, the false prophet is deceiving to lead those who believe to something else that would therefore be a lie, apostasy.
• Liars who deny the Father and the Son. This speaks directly to the Trinity and the major sticking point to the non-Christian monotheistic faiths.
• That there are many antichrists is a sign that it is nearing the end.
• While there are many antichrists in the world, there is an expected individual antichrist to come.

Orthodox Judaism partly rejects Yeshua because of His claim to be the Son of God. While the Old Testament speaks to the two powers in heaven, the angel of the Lord, the concept of God both being one and three is difficult for many to wrap their minds around. Yeshua made a point of this when He quoted David.

Psalm 110:1
[[A Psalm of David.]] The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool."

Matthew 22:41-46
While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, [The Son] of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any [man] from that day forth ask him any more [questions].

Exodus 23:20-21
Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name [is] in him.

The Angel of the Lord has power to pardon transgressions as also seen in Zechariah where He caused Joshua’s iniquity to pass from him.

Zechariah 3:1-4
And he shewed me Joshua [Yeshua] the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: [is] not this a brand plucked out of the fire? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.

The angel of the Lord occurs 68 times in 64 verses in the Old Testament, meeting Hagar, Abraham, Moses, Israel, Gideon, Sampson’s mother, David, Elijah, and defeating the Assyrians among other things. He is defined several places as the preincarnate Messiah, Yeshua, the Son before His birth watching over His people.

• In speaking of the angel of the Lord in Genesis 16:11-13, Hagar "called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me." Hagar recognizes the angel of the Lord speaking to her as God.
• In speaking to Abraham about his faith in offering his only son in Genesis 22:15-16, the angel of the Lord says, "By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD." The angel of the Lord identifies Himself as the Lord.
• In speaking to Moses from the burning bush in Exodus 3:2-4, the angel of the Lord appears as a fire out of the midst of the bush. Of this same angel of the Lord it says, "God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I." This indicates that the angel of the Lord and God are One.
• In speaking to Gideon in Judges 6:19-24, the angel of the Lord consumes his offering and Gideon perceived the angel as God and feared because he saw Him face to face, which brought the expectation of death.

Psalm 2:6-12
Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou [art] my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give [thee] the heathen [for] thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth [for] thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish [from] the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed [are] all they that put their trust in him.

The Messiah is the King and High Priest that will rule from Zion. He is the Son of the Lord who will rule the world as given as an inheritance from the Father.

Proverbs 30:4
Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what [is] his name, and what [is] his son’s name, if thou canst tell?

It is God who created all things, and here we have His identity split into a Father and Son with different names.

Isaiah 9:6-7
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of [his] government and peace [there shall be] no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

This Son that is given is to be called the mighty God, everlasting Father? So the Son and the Father are one? The Jews of Yeshua’s day understood what He was saying about His relationship with the Father and considered it blasphemy, but to the larger point, it speaks to the idea of two separate but one.

John 10:27-31
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave [them] me, is greater than all; and no [man] is able to pluck [them] out of my Father’s hand. I and [my] Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.

The message was not accepted by the sheep who did not hear His voice then, as it will not be heard by those who do not open their ears now.

Genesis 1:26
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

But it was One God in three persons, and in relationship with each other in perfect lovingkindness, that created all things and man in their image. These bear witness together and establish God’s character, designs, and judgements.

Deuteronomy 19:15
One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.

1 John 5:3-9
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, [even] our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? This is he that came by water and blood, [even] Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.

John 1:14
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

It is my belief that the Father, to remain most Holy and set apart in purity eternally, is separated from the fallen creation and the angel of the Lord, the Son of God, is the part of that relationship with the Father who made Himself subservient to the Father to enter into the sinful creation to save it by becoming sin for us that we would gain His righteousness. And the Spirit of God that binds all three in relationship is likewise what binds those who accept that relationship with God in obedience and subservience to Him. These three are One in Spirit and Truth and in our reconciliation to God, His Spirit dwells with our spirits in each of our temples of flesh until the culmination of that reconciliation when we will be changed to our celestial eternal temples and be where He is.

But it’s not just Orthodox Judaism with a spirit of antichrist, Islam rejects the Yeshua of the New Testament and the Koran speaks explicitly to this stating that Allah has no son. And ultimately anyone who rejects Yeshua, regardless of their religious beliefs, has the spirit of antichrist. This black and white dividing line turns many away from Yeshua because they don’t like His claim that nobody comes to the Father but through Him. They want the benefits of God’s Spirit without the God from which all those benefits flow.

In opposition to the spirit of antichrist is the acceptance of Yeshua as the Son come in the flesh, teaching the commandments that have been from the beginning, to selflessly love God and each other, enacting lovingkindness and being imagers of God in the world since we were made in His image. This is the Spirit of God seen by our fruits. Yeshua was the only one with no blame before God and so the only one with the righteousness to trade for our sinfulness. Since God is just, He is the only one able to pay our wages for sin, which is death. And so in His death, Yeshua became the only way to transfer our sins for righteousness and allow us to stand justified before God by faith in His Son.

John 5:39-43
Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. I receive not honour from men. But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.

And so we see everywhere in this world the spirit of antichrist, but again scripture is focused on Israel. In the rejection of Yeshua as the Messiah, as the Son come in the flesh, they are blinded to the truth. When another comes in his own name giving everything according to their desires and expectations, that will be accepted and Israel will once again be going after a false God.

With this paradigm in mind, you may be able to see how great this deception will be for unbelieving Israel when it comes. As they see the prophecies seemingly fulfilled before their eyes and the world that has hated them suddenly come and bow before their undefeated and powerful king. Will they be able to see through the lies and deception to the ravenous Dragon hiding beneath the sheep’s clothing? Will the false lamb of the Dragon pretending to be the Lamb of God accomplish his deception through subtlety and craftiness?

Idolatry and Apostasy

For those who fall into the great deception, they believe a lie and give their worship to a false god. By this act, in the eyes of the One True God, they have fallen into apostasy as their forefathers before them did in their falling away from God for false gods and their idols. And with that idolatry and apostasy comes blindness, judgement, and cutting off from the people. What remains will be the remnant of Israel that will remain forever before God according to His salvation.

Ezekiel 14:1-11
Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me. And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them? Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols; That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn [yourselves] from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations. For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I the LORD will answer him by myself: And I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I [am] the LORD. And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel. And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeketh [unto him];; That the house of Israel may go no more astray from me, neither be polluted any more with all their transgressions; but that they may be my people, and I may be their God, saith the Lord GOD.

Psalm 69:19-29
Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour: mine adversaries [are] all before thee. Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked [for some] to take pity, but [there was] none; and for comforters, but I found none. They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. Let their table become a snare before them: and [that which should have been] for [their] welfare, [let it become] a trap. Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake. Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them. Let their habitation be desolate; [and] let none dwell in their tents. For they persecute [him] whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded. Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into thy righteousness. Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous. But I [am] poor and sorrowful: let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high.

Isaiah 8:11-22
For the LORD spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying, Say ye not, A confederacy, to all [them to] whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and [let] him [be] your fear, and [let] him [be] your dread. And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken. Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him. Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me [are] for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion. And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, [it is] because [there is] no light in them. And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward. And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and [they shall be] driven to darkness.

While there may be many die-hard believers in the false christ before his unveiling, the abomination of desolation is that revealing of the man of sin. However, to many of Israel, this event will be the time of choosing and false purity and false holiness will be required of Jerusalem, the seat of the false christ.

Isaiah 4:3-4
And it shall come to pass, [that he that is] left in Zion, and [he that] remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, [even] every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem: When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.

Perhaps this is why Yeshua warned those in Judea to flee to the mountains at the abomination of desolation. The zeal of those who believe in purifying the city for their god will lead to the cutting off of those who reject their god. This is the wrath of the Dragon, but God has His own response according to His Word that is the actual fulfillment of Isaiah 4:3-4 in the fire of His wrath to come at His coming.

Isaiah 1:21
How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

And so in the apostasy and revealing of the man of sin that comes before the return of Yeshua to gather His bride and bring His people out of spiritual Egypt into the wilderness, we see the people of the city of Jerusalem going after a false god and building idols once again and playing the harlot.

Revelation 13:14b-15
… saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

Fornication, adultery, whoredom, and harlotry in the spiritual sense is consistently tied to going after false gods and idolatry in scripture. Is it any wonder then that we see Jerusalem, the seat of the false messiah, once again become a harlot city in going after another false god?

Revelation 17:4-6, 18
And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead [was] a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. ... And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

The false christ declares himself God in the temple of God, the seat of his power is in Jerusalem during his reign when Lucifer, the Dragon, gets his desired worship on the mount of the congregation, Zion, Jerusalem. This mystery of the woman tied to Babylon is the mother of harlots. God made a covenant with Israel likened to marriage and it was this breaking of the covenantal marriage between God and Israel that was tied to harlotry and adultery. In the context of scripture focused on Israel in relationship with God, who is the mother of harlots?

Hosea 2:1-5
Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah. Plead with your mother, plead: for she [is] not my wife, neither [am] I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts; Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst. And I will not have mercy upon her children; for they [be] the children of whoredoms. For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give [me] my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.

Now if God’s Word is true and Yeshua is the Messiah, then a future person claiming to be the Messiah and coming in his name, or authority, will be a false christ. God’s chosen people going after this false christ and ultimately worshipping him as God is the direct scriptural definition of the spirit of antichrist and harlotry that will be centered in that great city, which is spiritually Sodom and Egypt where the blood of all the prophets was shed and where the Lord was crucified.

Matthew 23:37
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, [thou] that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under [her] wings, and ye would not!

Lest one reading this consider hate in their heart toward Israel over these things, perhaps it is good to consider in our own lives how we have been and are going after our own idols of the world that draw us away from God to our own desires. How different are we in our own blindness? Have you not understood how the blindness can lead to deception and this apostasy that will be judged? And who will be the judge, me, you? We are to love those who hate us and hold no hate in our hearts.

Romans 12:17-21
Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but [rather] give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance [is] mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Isaiah 63:1-6
Who [is] this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this [that is] glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore [art thou] red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people [there was] none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance [is] in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. And I looked, and [there was] none to help; and I wondered that [there was] none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me. And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.

The scripture says in context there is a coming deception so great that it is almost possible that the elect may be deceived by it. This is the very reason it is important to understand how blindness to it can lead to deception. Much of the elect are looking to Rome and Islam for the deception and the antichrist. But what have these to do with a false christ coming in the authority of the Jewish Messiah to deceive Israel? And if so many are accepting of these paradigms, it seems highly unlikely that the elect might be deceived by what they so intently observe.

Yet very few seem to get past the fear of the appearance of not blessing Israel to even consider the breadth of evidence that the deception of the false messiah would come from within and appear to fulfill prophecy from the Tanakh itself. The modern state of Israel is not perfect, but have every right to exist in the land given them and defend themselves. Moreover, it is God Himself that has been bringing Israel back to the land as He promised. While the ultimate fulfillment is in His Messianic Kingdom on earth, the regathering has to start somewhere. This is God’s design and indeed all those who come against Israel will be broken.

Ezekiel 36:32-36
Not for your sakes do I [this], saith the Lord GOD, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel. Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause [you] to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded. And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by. And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities [are become] fenced, [and] are inhabited. Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined [places, and] plant that that was desolate: I the LORD have spoken [it], and I will do [it].

Ezekiel 37:21-22
And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel;; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all:

Amos 9:14-15
And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit [them]; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.

Zechariah 12:2-3, 6-10
Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah [and] against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. ... In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, [even] in Jerusalem. The LORD also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify [themselves] against Judah. In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David [shall be] as God, as the angel of the LORD before them. And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. 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, 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.

Romans 11:26-32
And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this [is] my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, [they are] enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, [they are] beloved for the fathers’ sakes. For the gifts and calling of God [are] without repentance. For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

God is clearly behind the regathering and protection of Israel though she has not turned back to Him yet. It is not for their sake He does this, but because of His promises, and it is the beginning stages of the redemption of the remnant through a time of testing, great deception, and great tribulation. The blindness and deception will be allowed first and cut short for the sake of the elect, that the remnant of Israel at the end of the age will be saved.

And the modern state of Israel will not remain as it stands today. I believe a massive paradigm shift is coming that will see the return of ancient Israel living by the statutes given by God. This is good, it is what God called them to do, yet in their blindness it will be used against them to deceive them and lead them to apostasy and idolatry, which is obviously not good.

I myself continue to bless Israel, knowing full well what will come to pass to the faithful remnant and through the deceived unfaithful. I continue to support ministries working to bring the Gospel to the blind and open the eyes and ears of those willing to see and hear before the end comes. I continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, knowing full well that it will not come until Yeshua is enthroned in it. I look past the coming tribulation to the fulfillment of the promise to the faithful remnant of Israel and my future home in the temple of God alongside the faithful of Israel who will choose Yeshua as I have. And so all Israel will be saved.

But even some Christians might be deceived by a convincing simulation of the Messianic Kingdom on the earth. And some may see the signs and wonders and events that play out leading to this king of Israel is somehow Christ’s return, ignorant to scripture stating Yeshua will return from heaven on the clouds with great power and glory, not on the earth.

Matthew 24:23-27, 30-31
Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here [is] Christ, or there; believe [it] not. 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. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, [he is] in the secret chambers; believe [it] not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. ... And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

It is also important to take the Word of God seriously and accept every piece of it as true as a whole and not just the pieces that fit our preferred version of the picture. Over and over the prophecies about the coming times are focused on the process of God’s testing of the hearts of Israel, leading to her blindness being removed from a faithful remnant. These will choose to open their eyes in the midst of great tribulation, the season of teshuvah, return. The times of the Gentiles have given the opportunity for Jew and Gentile in the past 2,000 years to accept Yeshua, but there is a coming time when that time will be filled up and those that are His will be removed as attention turns more fully to the remnant of blinded Israel.

In the theme of blindness and apostasy is the story of one of the great apostles of Christ who was spiritually blind to Yeshua being the prophesied Messiah. We are introduced to him in Acts 6:8-8:3 when Stephen speaks the truth that the religious leaders would not hear because their uncircumcised hearts and ears were shut. As they stoned Stephen, their clothes lay at the feet of Saul.

Acts 8:1-3
And Saul was consenting unto his [Stephen’s] death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen [to his burial], and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed [them] to prison.

Acts 9:1-2
And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

I think many tend to overlook the persecution of the early church in light of the future persecution of God’s people prophesied to take place. In the first century it was the blind of Israel who, in their zealous fervor, persecuted, imprisoned, and murdered those whose eyes were opened and had accepted the promised Messiah. This was done in the name of the Law given them, being blinded in their rejection of the Messiah. It was they who were in apostasy to their God, but not in their own eyes. In their spiritually blinded eyes they were doing God’s will.

While the persecution of those who accepted Yeshua in the first century was a time of tribulation for the Jewish church whose own families and friends turned against them, there is another time that will likewise grow from apostasy as Israel goes after a false god. This time, rather than acceptance of the Messiah bringing persecution, rejection of the false messiah will bring unparalleled tribulation in the same region.

Matthew 24:15-16, 21
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: ... For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

There is nothing anyone can do about what is going to happen, God has foretold it and it will come to pass. But thanks be to God that though many will fall away from Him according to their own desires, He has not turned away from those who seek Him and His righteousness. He has not forgotten the promises made to His people Israel and He will keep them.

Redemption

Acts 9:3-9
And as he [Saul] journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: [it is] hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord [said] unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought [him] into Damascus. And he was three days without sight,, and neither did eat nor drink.

Yeshua, in speaking of the church Saul was persecuting, identified the persecution being against Himself because the church is the body of Christ. It was Saul, who was spiritually blind to Yeshua the Messiah, through an encounter with the risen Lord and physical blindness, that had his eyes opened. Just as this future great tribulation in Judea will be a more severe repeat of the first century, so too will the unblinding of the remnant of Israel be greater than that of Saul at Yeshua’s return.

Romans 2:9-10
Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:

If indeed the great deception will come first to Israel in the form of a false christ and false prophet leading them away from God, then it is this time of apostasy that will lead to Christ’s return according to His Word.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-5
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and [by] our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for [that day shall not come], except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

The temple of God has only ever been in Jerusalem, and it is this abomination of desolation that begins the unparalleled tribulation. It is the seat of the false christ from where he will be worshipped by the whole world, and it is immediately after the unparalleled time of Jacob’s trouble in Judea that both redemption and judgement will begin with the day of the Lord.

Matthew 24:29-31
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Here we see the redemption of the faithful bride following a time of apostasy during the unparalleled tribulation in Judea that began with the revealing of the man of sin. Recall in the Olivet Discourse how Yeshua warned three times of deception prior to His coming related to the false christ? These all work together to build a picture of the time of the end and give us clues to understand how Israel’s blindness can lead to deception and apostasy as they follow after a false god who sets himself as an idol to be worshipped in the temple of God.

But it is not just the bride of Christ that is redeemed from this time, it is the focus of much of prophecy, the remnant of Israel.

Romans 11:1-5
I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, [of] the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to [the image of] Baal. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

Not all in Israel will fall away, and God’s promise to Israel is everlasting. The church did not replace Israel, they were added to her number by acceptance of Yeshua. The natural branches of Israel and, by marriage, the wild branches are united as the children of Abraham by faith, all grafted to the root that is Yeshua. But Israel’s blindness has an end at the time of the remnant’s redemption coinciding with that of the bride, albeit in a different way.

Romans 11:25
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..

As Matthew 24:29-31 and Revelation 6:12-8:1 reveal through the connection of the events between sixth and seventh seals, when the bride is standing before the throne in heaven, the 144,000 of the twelve tribes of Israel are sealed on earth as the angels given to hurt the earth are told to wait until their sealing. These are explicitly protected from at least the fifth trumpet of the wrath of God. Revelation 9:4 And so with those who believed in Yeshua before His coming and waited faithfully for Him now taken, the blindness is lifted at this time of Christ’s glorious return from heaven to save the remnant of His people from Judea.

Zechariah 12:10
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, 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.

Revelation 12:13-17
And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man [child]. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

This imagery of the Dragon attacking faithful Israel has echoes of the Exodus, taken on wings of an eagle from Egypt to the wilderness and the flood of Pharaoh’s army swallowed up in their escape by God’s hand. Jerusalem is even called Egypt spiritually at this time.

Revelation 11:8
And their [Two Witnesses] dead bodies [shall lie] in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

Hosea 2:14-20
Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her. And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt. And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, [that] thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali. For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name. And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and [with] the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely. And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.

Romans 11:26-27
And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this [is] my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

What a beautiful promise of redemption fulfilled for the remnant of God’s people who accept truth and reject lies, who remain faithful to the God of creation and reject the deception that leads to death. Unfortunately, these are not in the majority it would seem.

Zechariah 13:8-9
And it shall come to pass, [that] in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off [and] die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It [is] my people: and they shall say, The LORD [is] my God.

The idea of being cut off from the people is commonly assumed to be immediate death, and rightly has been used that way scripturally, but it also refers to exile from the people. If a branch is cut off from the root, it does not immediately die, but its fate is sealed unless it is grafted back on again. While God’s wrath came once by water, in the future it will come by fire, 2 Peter 3:3-7, and in the context of Israel at the end of the age, it would seem that while 2/3 are cut off in unbelief and destined for the second death, 1/3 of Israel will be sealed on earth through the time of God’s wrath.

Romans 9:3-8, 27
For I [Paul] could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: Who are Israelites; to whom [pertaineth] the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service [of God], and the promises; Whose [are] the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ [came], who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. 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.. … Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:

What began with a heart far from God that led to blindness, deception, and apostasy will for a remnant also lead to redemption and forgiveness, though it be through a refiner’s fire. It is through that fire and out of the wilderness that Israel will once again enter the Promised Land, only this time they will enter into the peace of the Messianic Kingdom with the Messiah ruling as King and the Redeemer of Israel.

Psalm 122:5-9
For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, [and] prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will now say, Peace [be] within thee. Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good.

We have all closed our eyes and ears to the truth in our lives and in our beliefs. Ignorance, willing or otherwise, means that the reality and truth of things is not rightly understood. Only by understanding the truth can deception be caught before we are sucked into it. Where is the source of truth? Is there objective truth or is it subjective to the whims of the hearts and desires of each person? I believe there is an objective truth, whether one likes it or not, and closing eyes and ears to it will only open one up to deception. In the coming times, being deceived leads to eternal separation from God because His ways are true and the source of all that is good, love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness, self-control.

We must open our eyes and ears, understand the truth according to the Word God provided by His Spirit to the prophets to be able to see the deception coming and avoid falling into apostasy. We must instead accept the redemption provided by faith in Yeshua and continue obedience to God’s Word, with lovingkindness toward God and each other, even those who hate and persecute us.

I would highly recommend everyone read False Christ | Will the Antichrist Claim to Be the Jewish Messiah? by Chris White. He goes into much greater detail on the paradigm of the false christ coming from Israel and was very valuable to opening my eyes to what I hadn’t properly studied and considered before. As I’ve continued to study prophecy and examine the Old Testament in light of the New, the concept has been confirmed and strengthened time and again. If you have likewise not considered this paradigm, Chris’s book is a great start. I also highly recommend his other books, which he has made available for free at bibleprophecytext.com, and if you get as much out of them as I have, support his ministry.

In The Next Prophetic Road Signs, I would like to address some of the signs of the times according to God’s Word as I understand them. These pieces to the puzzle of God’s design for the end provide the next signposts to look for in light of the building up of the great deception of a false messiah to deceive Israel and then the world. What might we expect to see leading up to and starting the final week of years before the Messianic Kingdom begins? Keep watching!

May God continue to bless you as you remain in Him.