December 5, 2020

Do we, as a society and individually, have belief and faith in Jesus own words as recorded in the Scriptures.  Is there any doubt, Let us cover one item that was recorded in the Scriptures.

Interesting, I have heard most of my life that prophecies can fail or not come true. Subconsciously this is in my mind, knowing it cannot be true from so many different Scriptures where Jesus says Scriptures must be fulfilled.

With this mind set I have, there seems to be one verse that comes to mind.  One of these verses is Apostle Paul statement to the church in Corinth, in 1 Corinthians 13:8, weather there are prophecies, they will fail.  Paul seems to be telling us that at least some prophecies are not going to be fulfilled as predicted. 

1 Corinthians 13:8 NKJV (8) Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

1 Corinthians 13:8 NIV  Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

1 Corinthians 13:8 NASB  Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.

The problem we have is a translation issue in the King James and New King James versions of the Bible.  The word “fail” in many modern versions is more clearly and do not give the appearance of contradiction.

Remember, translations from Greek to English is not a direct word to word change, but group of words.

“Prophecies” can mean either inspired preaching or foretelling the future. How will prophecies “fail”? The word “fail” can be misleading; as it might give the impression that some of God’s prophecies will not occur.

There are some prophecies are conditional; If this, then that”; and a conditional prophecy might not be completed if conditions are not met.

Example:  Jonah prophesied the destruction of Nineveh, if they did not repent, but the people did repent and were spared from destruction.

Jonah 3:10 God took note of what they did; that they turned from their evil ways. Because God relented concerning the trouble about which he had warned them, he did not carry it out.

Exodus 19:5-6 ‘Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine;  (6)  and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.”

Notice that God is establishing a new covenant relationship, a conditional one, the word “if” appears.  Nowhere in Scripture can you find an “if” in respect to the Abrahamic Covenant, but we see that this covenant will be a conditional one. 

This covenant is a two-party relationship, God will do certain things, if you do certain things.  The basis of this covenant relationship is works. 

In the last two chapters of Leviticus, the word “if” is used at least 32 times showing a two-party relationship. These are agreements between 2 parties. 

Paul is telling us all special gifts and powers from God will someday come to an end, except for Love will never fail or come to an end.  Same as prophecies will be fulfilled and will disappear and be completed.  When Jesus will return to the earth, this will fulfill many of the Old Testament prophecy and they will cease.

When does a prophecy cease to be a prophecy? When it is fulfilled or completed. 

Interesting, when we read the Scriptures, Jesus tells us over and over that something has to happen to fulfill prophecy and we are to believe what the prophets tells us. 

Some examples are in the Scriptures: Something we read all the time

Matthew 5:17-18 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I didn’t come to destroy them, but to fulfill them, (18) because I tell you with certainty that until heaven and earth disappear, not one letter or one stroke of a letter will disappear from the Law until everything has been accomplished.

Jesus just said as written by Matthew that He came to fulfill the Prophets prophecy concerning Jesus and other important things.

Luke 18:31-33 Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “Pay attention! We’re going up to Jerusalem. Everything written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. (32) He will be handed over to the gentiles and will be mocked, insulted, and spit on. (33) After they have whipped him, they will kill him, but on the third day he will rise again.”  

Luke 24:25-26 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken!  (26)  Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?”

Jesus just told them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures about Jesus, and He would have to suffer before returning to the Fathers right hand. 

Luke 24:44 Then he told them, “These are the words that I spoke to you while I was still with you; that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms had to be fulfilled.”

Jesus just said even the smallest details will come to pass and expects us to believe the words and writings of the prophets.

The Apostle Paul also believed what the prophets written

Acts 24:14 However, I admit to you that in accordance with the Way, which they call a heresy, I worship the God of our ancestors and believe in everything written in the Law and the Prophets.

Is this one of the many lies where prophecies will fail that Satan has put into the church.

1 Peter 3:15-17 Instead, exalt the Messiah” as Lord in your lives. Always be prepared to give a defense to everyone who asks you to explain the hope you have. (16) But do this gently and respectfully, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak evil of your good conduct in the Messiah will be ashamed of slandering you. (17) After all, if it is the will of God, it is better to suffer for doing right than for doing wrong.

How do we give a defense to what is written about prophecies that will fail.  We do not, because we are always confident of the Words of Jesus being true and we know prophecies will not fail and then we can give a defense for the Scriptures.

There are many Bible skeptics believe the Bible is merely human literature, written by men and not the Word of God.  They teach many people lived and wrote at different times the Bible, so there has to be contradictions throughout the Scriptures.

Thinking on what Jude said about these people what it said:

Jude 1:4 For some people have slipped in among you unnoticed. They were written about long ago as being deserving of this condemnation because they are ungodly. They turn the grace of our God into uncontrollable lust and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus the Messiah.

Jude 1:15 to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

What Scriptures must be fulfilled, there are 57 verses found in the New Testament with the word, fulfilled.  Lets us look at a few.

Jesus was called out of Egypt

Matthew 2:15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called my Son.

**Hosea 11:1 “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son.

Remember when Herod kills the children

Matthew 2:17-18 Then what was declared by the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled when he said, (18) “A voice was heard in Ramah: wailing and great mourning. Rachel was crying for her children. She refused to be comforted, because they no longer existed.”

**Jeremiah 31:15 This is what the LORD says: “A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”

Jesus born our diseases

Matthew 8:17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.”

**Isaiah 53:4 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.

People will not understand 

Matthew 13:14 “With them the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says: ‘You will listen and listen but never understand. You will look and look but never comprehend,

**Isaiah 6:9 And He said, “Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’

There so many individuals do not believe what the Scriptures tells us today.  Leading pastors, ministers do not believe what the Bible really says. 

Look at all the different denominations have so many doctrines, yet they do not line up with the Scriptures.  Ex.  Sabbath or Sunday, wine or no wine, dancing or no dancing, Jesus Feast Days or Easter, etc. 

Wisdom shall perish

1 Corinthians 1:18-19 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (19) For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

**Isaiah 29:14 Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work Among this people, A marvelous work and a wonder; For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, And the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.“ 

Jesus killed on the cross

Matthew 26:54-56 “How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?”  (55)  At that time Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as you would against a robber? Every day I used to sit in the temple teaching and you did not seize Me.  (56)  “But all this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures of the prophets.” Then all the disciples left Him and fled. 

**Daniel 9:26 {26} And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off,

**Isaiah 53:7-8 {7} He was led as a lamb to the slaughter  {8} For He was cut off from the land of the living

**Zechariah 13:7 “Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, And against the man, My Associate,” Declares the LORD of hosts. “Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered; And I will turn My hand against the little ones.

Turned against Jesus

Acts 1:16 “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the voice of David about Judas, who was the guide for those who arrested Jesus,

**Psalms 41:9 Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me.

Going through these prophecies, knowing they have to be fulfilled by the Word of our Lord, Jesus.  We have the Holy Spirit, peace and calm, in our life, because there are a few things that needs to happen before the return of Jesus to the earth.

This year, we have had more speculations about the end of the world or age since any time in my memory.  There are riots in the streets, riots in the hearts of Americans, and we are in war in the heavenly realm.

The rumors about the end of days and the reasoning behind them this year, has caused great confusion, great panic, and great fear even among Believers.

It seems to me that many of my fellow Believers have forgotten what has to happen about the prophecies that foretell the second coming of Jesus returned to the earth and nothing else.

What is important for us is seeing the establishment of the altar. If we have no altar on the Temple Mount or pinnacle, we have no fulfillment of the prophecies of the second coming.

We can stop with the speculations, fear mongering, and shaming of others and focus on being ambassadors for Jesus in this age until we see some specific prophecies come to pass, example that the altar will be rebuilt in Jerusalem before the return of Jesus to the earth.

Next 2 weeks, we will cover the Book of Jude and look at a time line of the Great Tribulation in relationship what we are covering today.

Daniel 11:31 And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation.

For years, the Temple Institute in Jerusalem has been preparing things need for a third temple. In 2015 they completed an altar needed to restart sacrifices and performed a reenactment of the Passover sacrifice. In 2017 they performed a sacrifice near the Temple Mount.

But in 2018 and 2019, year they were given permission to perform a reenactment of the Passover sacrifice at the foot of the Temple Mount.  They were not allowed to do it in 2020 at the foot of the Temple Mount.

The Passover sacrifice can only be offered in one place; on the Temple Mount. The sacrifice does not require an actual Temple structure, but it does require an altar that is built to Biblical requirements. Such an altar was constructed last year and stands ready to be moved.  

The Bible talks about sacrifices resuming in Jerusalem, but does this mean a temple must be built there for end-time prophecy to be fulfilled? Many believe so, but what does the Bible say?

Daniel 9:27 He will make a binding covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he will pause both the sacrifice and grain offerings. Destructive people will cause desolation on the pinnacle until it is complete and what has been decreed is poured out on the desolator.'”

What is essential is the reinstitution of sacrifices in Jerusalem—which only requires an altar, not a completed temple.

If the “daily sacrifices” are going to be stopped in the future, that means they must first be resumed! This is why the actions of the Temple Institute and their emboldened plans to resume sacrifices are interesting

Remember the Jews returned to Jerusalem, and Under Ezra’s guidance, a group of Jews returned to Jerusalem and resumed sacrifices to God. These sacrifices were performed before work had even begun on the second temple (Ezra 3:1-2, 3-4, 5-6).

This shows that only an altar is necessary for sacrifices to be offered. A temple is not a requirement. 

There are three things that are prophesied to come about before the return of Jesus and before Christ will usher in the Millennium. We all know what they are; they are not a secret.

The Daily Sacrifices must be re-instituted.  Will be stopped after 3 and half years.  Then the bad part of the Tribulation starts on the Body.

The Two Witnesses must appear sometime second half of the Tribulation. The reason for the Two Witnesses, there has to be two witnesses, to convict others

We know that the Beast and False Prophet must appear sometime, when, not sure, probably at the first half of the Tribulation since there is a 7 year agreement.

We already mention in Daniel 11:31, they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation.

Daniel 12:11  “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the Abomination of Desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety days.

Mark 13:32-33 “No one knows when that day or hour will come; not the angels in heaven, not the Son, but only the Father. (33) Be careful! Watch out! Because you don’t know when the time will come.

But we do know that three things must occur first before Jesus return, and one of those things is the daily sacrifices. God does not tell us to watch so we can save our physical skin. He tells us to watch so that we, when we see prophecy starting to be fulfilled, we can prepare ourselves spiritually and draw close to Him.

The bottom line, Jesus tells us that prophecy has to be fulfilled and if we really understand this, we should not worry about when Jesus will return. 

Now, if we see the reinstitution of the daily sacrifice in Jerusalem, we need to be excited by all this and have a real sense of urgency about making changes in our lives and becoming more Christ-Like.

Romans 13:11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.

It is now time to trust Jesus as our personal Savior, He is coming soon.

This is something to think about what Jesus said about prophecy will be fulfilled.