After patiently waiting for the right time and the Lord’s leading, we are embarking on a Servant’s Heart journey to Jerusalem. But we can’t do it alone. We need the prayer and support of friends like you!
MISSION REPORT
Servant’s Heart Challenge 2024
David Rosenthal
Our team will be in Jerusalem to bless the people of Israel. We will provide food for the poor, care for the young and elderly, kindness to the lonely, and proclaim the Good News of salvation to the lost.
INSIGHT FEATURE
A Living Sacrifice
Marv Rosenthal
When Jesus preached from Isaiah 61:1-2, He was describing specific areas of His ministry, three of which He read before He closed the scroll. Isaiah revealed two additional facets of the Lord’s ministry which would later be fulfilled. 3 10 18 15 4
What does it mean for Christians to offer themselves as a “living sacrifice”? It means to give to God all they are. This includes intellect, personality, emotions, wealth, and physical attributes. In essence, God wants all that you are.
COVER FEATURE
Apokalypsis – When Will the Revelation of Jesus Christ Occur?
Alan E. Kurschner
The Rapture of the Church is inseparably linked with the revelation of Christ. It will be at Jesus’ revelation when the Church is raptured. Additionally, the suffering of the Church will occur right up to Jesus’ revelation.
INSIGHT REPORT
Sermon in the Synagogue
Dr. Gary Cohen
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Identification
Zion’s Fire (ISSN 1052-2301, USPS 005423) is published bimonthly by Zion’s Hope, Inc., 146 West Plant Street, Suite 300, Winter Garden, FL 34787-3136. Periodicals postage paid at Winter Garden, FL and additional mailing offices.
Zion’s Hope is a Bible-based ministry whose purpose is to proclaim to Jewish and Gentile people throughout the world their need for personal salvation through Jesus, the Messiah of Israel. We’re also committed to helping Christians grow in their understanding of biblical prophecy and the importance of Israel in God’s plan for the Last Days. To that end, we teach Scripture in its historical, geographical, and cultural context to prepare God’s people for end-time events and the return of Jesus Christ.
Giving
Your generous support for the ministry of Zion’s Hope is greatly appreciated. All donations will generate a tax-deductible receipt.
Dear Beloved Friend,
The past 12 months have been filled with wonderful opportunities for Zion’s Hope to impact souls for the Savior. Countless lives have been touched through our ministry teaching and resources here in the United States. Overseas, our faithful ministry workers in Israel have seen increasing fruit from their labors, but they’ve also had to live through the heartache, difficulties, and devastating impacts of the relentless attacks being waged against Israel by her adversaries.
By God’s grace, and through His enabling, our team in Israel has stood strong in the face of adversity. And because of the ongoing support of faithful friends like you, our Jerusalem-based team has been able to offer encouragement, give aid, and proclaim the truth of the Gospel to many Israelis who have struggled emotionally, physically, and spiritually during the war.
Since the massacre by Hamas in Israel last year, it has been my heart’s desire to lead a small team to Israel to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our missionary families and in solidarity with the Jewish people in Israel. Hope has provided considerable support from afar, but each time we intended to go, our travel plans were thwarted due to the expanding conflict and the relentless rocket attacks against Israel by Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran.
But now, after patiently waiting for the right time and the Lord’s leading, we are embarking on this Servant’s Heart journey to bring hope and healing to the people of Israel. But we can’t do it alone. We need broad support right now from friends like you to pray for us and help us fund 11 important ministry projects throughout the Holy Land.
Many of our Servant’s Heart projects directly enable the work of our Zion’s Hope ministry team. Others will provide crucial funds to our faithful ministry partners who serve and bless the people of Israel in a variety of meaningful ways. I encourage you to read more about the projects in the informa tion we’ve provided.
Your participation will help mothers and babies, young children, the elderly, the poor, and many Christian families who are struggling financially due to the ongoing war. Most importantly, your generous giving will strengthen our efforts to share the love of Yeshua HaMashiach with lost souls across Israel.
From the mountains of Jerusalem in the east, to the Mediterranean shores of Tel Aviv in the west – lives will be touched for the Lord! From the town of Kiryat Shmona near Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, to the southern city of Eilat on the shores of the Red Sea – these 11 Servant’s Heart projects will bring hope and healing to the people of Israel!
Thank you, in advance, for standing with us! I am confident our Father in Heaven will bless those who seek to bless the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
In His Service and for His Glory,
David Rosenthal
IMPORTANT NOTE: This is the largest budget we’ve ever established for the Servant’s Heart Challenge. If the Lord moves upon your heart to give, I simply ask you to be faithful to follow His leading. Thank you.
David Rosenthal President – Zion’s Hope
CELEBRATING 14 YEARS of Servant's Heart Ministry Service
11IMPORTANT Projects in 2024
Our Zion’s Hope ministry team will soon be sowing seeds of hope and healing in Israel during our Servant’s Heart missions program. Many Jewish people have been displaced from their homes and are suffering from emotional distress and severe economic hardship due to the ongoing war. Our team will provide care for the elderly, food for the poor, support for families, and generous funding for worthy partner ministries. But we can’t do it alone. Please pray for these vital projects and consider what the Lord would have you give to help us sow seeds of hope & healing.
“MOBIBLE” Ministry
PLEASE PRAY AND GIVE
MOBILE BIBLE DISTRIBUTION & EVANGELISM
Due to the ongoing war, many people throughout Israel are searching for answers about God and life after death. In order to answer these needs, a new “MOBIBLE” ministry with a dedicated team will be established for the purposes of taking God’s Word directly to the people – offering them free Bibles and literature. The team will have opportunities for one-to-one evangelism in larger cities and small towns throughout Israel.
PROJECT NEED: $11,000
FOOD-CARE PACKAGES FOR THE POOR
With your support, hundreds of large care packages containing quality staple food items will be assembled and distributed to the poor and elderly in Jerusalem and locations across Israel. Meeting the basic needs of these dear people not only meets their physical needs, it opens the door to provide them with spiritual food for their soul.
PROJECT NEED: $10,000
Saving precious little lives
BE’AD CHAIM PRO-LIFE CENTER
Through your Servant’s Heart support, a new center for the rescue of unborn babies will be opened in Israel’s southern port city of Eilat on the Red Sea. At this new location, Be’ad Chaim’s caring staff will minister to pregnant women through education, godly guidance, and by lovingly encouraging them to give birth to their babies. Precious little lives will be saved and new mothers helped with expenses.
PROJECT NEED: $20,000
Seeing Yeshua in Daniel & Revelation
DANIEL/REVELATION OUTREACH BOOKLET
In partnership with the Bible Society in Israel, your Servant’s Heart donation will fund the production and distribution of an important new ministry resource in Modern Hebrew. This new booklet, designed for outreach, will detail the Messianic parallels within the Old Testament Book of Daniel and the New Testament Book of Revelation – specifically focusing on the identity of “The Son of Man” – Yeshua HaMashiach – Jesus the Messiah.
PROJECT NEED: $24,000
MEDALLION BIBLICAL PARENTING PODCASTS
The growing Messianic community in Israel needs quality biblical resources that educate and strengthen Jewish families. In coordination with Medallion, which is a leading producer of children’s church resources in Israel, Servant’s Heart will fund an ongoing Hebrew-language podcast teaching series on biblical parenting.
PROJECT NEED: $15,000
GALILEE GOSPEL MINISTRY OUTREACH
A Messianic congregation located near Israel’s border with Lebanon is working diligently to reach the lost in the northern Galilee region. Many in their congregation have been displaced due to the war with Hezbollah, but the godly pastor and his faithful congregation continue to shine the light of Yeshua to the lost – while also blessing the Israeli soldiers stationed near the border. Servant’s Heart will provide encouragement and financial support to help this ministry.
PROJECT NEED: $17,500
Yuval is a Messianic ministry that provides training for Israeli young people to develop their God-given talents for service to the Lord. They also produce worshipful, Scripture-based, Hebrew-language music. Servant’s Heart will provide scholarships for these programs.
PROJECT NEED: $17,000
MAKOR HATIKVAH MESSIANIC SCHOOL
With the devastating economic effects of the recent war, many parents can’t afford the Christian school tuition for their children. In honor of Zion’s Hope Field Director John Theodor, who graduated to Heaven in 2021, Servant’s Heart will provide Theodor Scholarships to Christian families.
PROJECT NEED: $12,000
CARE FOR ELDERLY & JEWISH IMMIGRANTS
Many now-elderly Jewish people immigrated to Israel after World War II. Others came from Russia and France to escape growing anti-Semitism. Recently, Ukrainian Jewish refugees have flooded into Israel. Through Servant’s Heart support, they receive ongoing assistance that includes medical care, provision of food, help with expenses, prayer, and spiritual guidance.
PROJECT NEED: $19,000
Gifts designated “Servant’s Heart” will be used to meet these special project needs. If you would like to designate your gift toward specific projects, please indicate your selection on the enclosed donation card and in the memo blank of your check. Funds received beyond the needs of the Servant’s Heart program will be used for the ongoing ministry of Zion’s Hope.
Donations may be made by phone, mail, or online. Please mail your check in the en- closed envelope.
PHONE: Toll-free 1-888-781-ZION (9466) Local 407-654-ZION (9466)
MAIL: Use the enclosed envelope ONLINE: www.zionshope.org
PURCHASING A VAN FOR MINISTRY NEEDS
Our full-time, Jerusalem-based Zion’s Hope ministry team regularly distributes Bibles and literature, transports people, and delivers food and supplies to those in need. The purchase of a lightly used passenger van is necessary for these ongoing needs in addition to transporting staff and Servant’s Heart volunteers to various locations throughout Israel for ministry service.
PROJECT NEED: $25,000
JERUSALEM MESSIANIC YOUTH CAMPS
The Jerusalem Assembly church hosts several weeks of dynamic Bible training for kids and teens throughout the year. These camps are especially important for Israeli children now in light of the emotional and spiritual effects the recent war has had on them. At a time when children’s hearts are open to the Gospel, these camps will be an invaluable investment in their lives.
PROJECT NEED: $9,500
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Enclosed in each packet of cards is an equal number of gift cards to give to your family and friends for a free one-year subscription to the magazine Zion’s Fire. At your discretion, you may choose to include them in your Christmas cards as a special gesture. This offer is free to you, and the recipients of your cards will each receive six free issues. This offer is intended for those who have not previously received Zion’s Fire
SCRIPTURE VERSES:
“I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” – John 8:12
“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” – 1 John 4:10
“I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live …” – John 11:25
“At the name of Jesus every knee should bow … And … every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
– Philippians 2:10-11
from Zion’s Hope
A beautiful card printed on high-quality paper. Printed in full color with embossed silver, red, green, and gold foil. There is plenty of room to write messages to loved ones on the reverse side. Actual card size is 7” x 5” (folded). Pack includes 10 cards and envelopes plus special bonus* gift subscription cards to Zion’s Fire magazine.
Mail: Use the order form between pages 12 & 13. At His birth, Jesus was the Light that pierced the darkness. It was His Love for us that brought Him to Earth to die on a cross for our sins. And it was His victory over sin and death that gives eternal Life to all who believe and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord! In this season of celebration – and for years to come – may this keepsake card serve as a joyous reminder that Jesus is Light, Love, Life, and Lord! CARD PRICING: BEST BUY! *Each pack contains 10 cards and envelopes plus 10 bonus
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Plenty of space for personal message and signature on reverse side.
I have often said,
“If I were shipwrecked on a deserted island and had only one document available to me, I would want it to be the Book of Romans.” – Marvin Rosenthal
The theme of Romans is
THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD.
How can a righteous God –who is a consuming fire –save humanity from its sin?
Romans is the most important document ever penned – addressing the most important subject ever written about.
The theme of Romans is the righteousness of God, specifically: How can a righteous God – who is a consuming fire – save humanity from its sin and in the process not be tainted by sin Himself ? How can God be holy and yet accept unholy humanity? How can God redeem sinners and yet remain righteous? These are the ultimate questions of history. The Book of Romans was written to answer these questions.
The word “righteous” simply means “rightness.” In light of this, a logical question is, “How does one determine what is right?” The answer lies in a standard of rightness and conformity to that standard. If behavior conforms to the standard, it is right; if behavior does not conform to that standard, it is wrong. Now the question follows, “Who, or what, is that standard?”
The moral standard
OF GOD
focuses his epistles on application, or duty. In other words, Paul is saying, “You have just read about the truth of God, now here is the way you are to live in light of this truth.” It is important to remember this pattern –first doctrine, then application.
Paul’s Pattern: to which humanity must conform. is the standard Doctrine Duty.
When I was a teenager, I remember missionaries would tell me certain things I should not have been doing – smoking, drinking, and playing cards. I was constantly being told, “don’t, don’t, don’t.” However, I was never first given the theology telling me why I should not be doing those things. I got the “what” without the “why.” I find Christians are often guilty of telling others what they should not do without first giving them the theology of why they should not do it.
First and then
There can only be one correct answer: the standard is God Himself. The moral standard of God is the standard to which humanity must conform.
Paul’s Pattern
Before looking deeper into God’s righteousness and humanity’s conformity to His righteousness, let’s look at Paul’s pattern of developing his letters. In all of his letters, Paul begins with doctrine, or theology. The word “theology” comes from two Greek words: “Theos,” meaning God; and “ology,” meaning “the study of.” Therefore, “theology” means “the study of God.”
Theology is the study of that which God has revealed about Himself and what He has made known to humanity. This is why studying the Bible is so important. The greatest pursuit for mankind is to spend time learning what God – as revealed in His Word – is like. Understanding what God is like and what He desires and demands of men and women should be central to our lives. There is nothing more noble or wondrous than theology – to study God.
Knowing this, Paul starts his letters with theology. In essence, he begins with, “this is what God says.” Following this, Paul then
Paul was aware of this, which is why in all of his letters he applied this same pattern of doctrine, then duty; truth, then lifestyle. This holds true in the book of Romans, where Chapters 1 through 8 deal with doctrine, Chapters 9 through 11 deal with Israel as a defense of that doctrine, and Chapters 12 through 16 focus on the “duty” – or “lifestyle”– that should be a natural outgrowth of all that went before. In other words, Paul is telling his readers how they ought to live in light of the truth he has presented. He gives the “why” and the “how.”
Paul’s Exhortation
Paul begins Romans Chapter 12 this way:
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service (v. 1).
I find the first two words interesting. Paul was an Apostle, which carried with it tremendous authority in the early Church. If an Apostle said something, every believer was to accept it without debate. There were times when of necessity Paul used his apostleship in forceful ways (see 2 Corinthians 13:1-4; Galatians 2:11-14). However, here in Chapter 12, Paul says,
If an Apostle said something, every believer was to accept it without debate.
“I beseech you,” or “I beg you.” Paul knows what he is requesting of his readers must come from their hearts. If it does not come from their hearts, it is meaningless. Therefore, ordering the people to respond appropriately is of no use; they must do so willingly.
All you are, all you have, all you hope to be –
GOD WANTS.
So, what is this crucial thing Paul wants the people to do? They are to offer their “bodies a living sacrifice.” Please understand that when Paul uses the word “bodies,” he is not solely talking about body parts – heads, arms, and legs. Rather, when Paul says “bodies,” he is speaking of the totality of an individual. This includes intellect, personality, emotions, wealth, physical attributes, talents, and skills. In essence, Paul is saying: “All you are, all you have, all you hope to be – God wants. He wants you to “present” all of yourself to Him.”
Next, notice the word “present.” This is not referring to something you do again and again. Rather, as the tense in the Greek indicates, to “present” yourself is to do so once and for all time. Your thinking should be, I understand what is involved here, and therefore I am making a conscious decision to present my body – all I am and all I have – to God. Paul is imploring you to totally and irrevocably give yourself to God for the rest of your life.
A “Living” Sacrifice
Notice that Paul does not say simply “a sacrifice,” but “a living sacrifice.”
Notice that Paul does not say simply “a sacrifice,” but “a living sacrifice.” Why does he make this distinction? Paul is contrasting a “living” sacrifice with a “dead” one. For the Jewish culture of that day, a sacrifice, for the most part, meant a slain animal. An animal was put to death for the sins of the person presenting it. Therefore, it was a “dead” sacrifice. You, however, are to be a “living” sacrifice.
There is a sense, however, in which you should be “dead” – specifically,
where your will conflicts with God’s will. You should be “dead” to your own will, your own plans, your own dreams, your own aspirations, and your own desires (if these conflict with God’s plan for you). Your attitude ought to be: I want to be dead to myself, but alive to God so He can do anything He so desires through me.
This may be difficult to digest, but be assured that anything God wants for your life is infinitely better than anything you could possibly desire outside of God’s will and determination. If you are where God wants you to be and doing what God wants you to do, it will always be to your benefit. You’ll always come out ahead.
Paul goes on to say that not only are you to present yourself as a living sacrifice, but He wants your sacrifice to be “holy.” I find this absolutely astounding. Paul, in essence, is saying, “If you, by a conscious act of your will, present your body to God as a living sacrifice, He will view this presentation of your body as something holy.”
Consider this question: What can you give God? Your tithe? From my understanding, a tithe was for a servant under the Mosaic Law. We, however, are sons and daughters
living under grace. In the Old Testament, a servant was commanded to give a tithe. In the New Testament, a son or a daughter will give God far more of their own joyful volition. You give because you love God so much that you simply feel as if you can’t do enough to exhibit your affection and gratitude.
So, back to the question, “What can you give God?” God’s answer is, “Your body [and all that goes with it], as a holy, living sacrifice. Once you give everything you are and everything you have to God wholeheartedly, He can work in and through you to accomplish marvelous things.
Not only is your body to be presented to God as a holy, living sacrifice, but it is to be “acceptable unto God.” Rest assured, dear Christian, if you present your body to God in the manner prescribed, God will be pleased and find it acceptable.
Paul follows this by writing, “which is your reasonable service.” In essence, Paul is saying, If you have understood the theology I gave you in the first eleven chapters, you will understand that presenting your body as a living sacrifice is your reasonable and logical duty. In other words, once
you consider the righteousness of God as presented in the first eleven chapters of Romans, you can have no other sensible reaction than to give back to God everything you are.
Be Not Conformed
In verse 2, Paul cautions against acting contrary to God’s will:
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
In other words: Flee from the way of this world! The way of the world opposes the way of God; therefore, to be conformed to this world is to be in opposition to God’s will. You’re not to allow this world’s system to shape you, mold you, and overwhelm you. The Greek word for world is cosmos –an ordered system. Don’t allow this world system –which is headed by Satan – to hijack your faith. Though you live in a world that is sinful and hostile to God, you are not to conform to it.
As opposed to being conformed, you are to be “transformed” – metamorphosed, just as a caterpillar is metamorphosed into a butterfly. The idea is that if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, you should allow what is on the inside to come out so that you can impact the world.
The question you may be asking is, “How am I going to do this – that is, to live a transformed life?” Paul’s reply is, “by the renewing of your mind.” You
RIGHTEOUSNESS
Flee
In other words: of this world! . . . once you consider the . . . you can have no other sensible reaction than to give back to God everything you are.
from the way
Written by Marvin J. Rosenthal 1935–2022
be able to approve God ’ s way. You will be able to . . . by renewing your mind, you will
live a “transformed” life by striving to obey what God says, and by shunning what the world says. You should always be submitting your mind to the truth of God, which will enable you to withstand the lies and godless culture of this world.
In doing this – renewing your mind –you will be able to “prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
The word “prove” is better translated as “approve.” In other words, by renewing your mind, you will be able to approve God’s way. You will be able to say, “Lord, Your way is right, and the way of the world is wrong. I want to follow Your way.”
Your desire to conform to God’s will is your ultimate confession that you comprehend you were lost, headed for eternal damnation, and then shown mercy by God. You were saved by the blood of Jesus Christ. It was an act of grace on God’s part, a grace activated by your faith. And even in this, God gave you the faith to believe.
How to Achieve It
Yet, despite your desire to do what is right, there is a problem. You want to show your love for God, but you feel hindered. You want to witness, but you lack courage. You want to teach a Sunday school class, but you feel you don’t have the ability. You want to set aside a certain sin, but you keep committing it over and over again. You want to live more righteously, but you just don’t get there. You don’t want to think bad
thoughts, but they keep coming. The key to overcoming these challenges is to yield to the Holy Spirit of God. He will empower you to have victory in your life. Each day, as you are more and more conformed to the image of God, you are being “sanctified.” Sanctification is an ongoing process during which we grow and mature in the Lord. God will enable you to do this through the power of the indwelling Spirit of God – the Holy Spirit living in you. Ultimately, when God is done with you, you will be perfected and glorified.
Paul captured this picture of perfection when he wrote about the Rapture in these terms:
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality (1 Corinthians 15:51-53).
As sinners, we were under condemnation. But Jesus Christ paid the price for our sin and through Him we have been justified. Each day, through the power of the indwelling Spirit of God, we are being sanctified. And one day, when Jesus returns to take us home, we will be glorified.
Knowing all God has done, and is doing for us, may we be found faithful to present ourselves – all we are and all we have – as a living sacrifice to Him! u
The key to overcoming these challenges is to yield to the He will empower you to have victory in your life.
HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD.
APOKALYPSIS
When Will the Revelation of Jesus Christ Occur?
Those who hold a Pretribulational point of view believe that when Jesus returns to resurrect and rapture the people of God, this coming “for the Church” will not be known to the world. Conversely, they argue the actual revelation (apokalypsis), or revealing, of Christ, will be known to all the world at the end of the 70th Week of Daniel (that is, seven years later) when Jesus comes “with His saints” for the battle of Armageddon.
Pretribulationists believe that during the interval of seven years the Church will be in Heaven receiving their bema rewards. In other words, it is claimed that when the glorious revelation of Jesus Christ occurs, the Rapture will have already happened
seven years earlier. With love and respect for my brethren who hold a Pretribulation perspective, may I suggest a closer examination appears to contradict this assertion.
Rapture at Jesus’ Revelation
The Greek noun apokalypsis means, “revelation, making fully known, disclosure,” and similarly the verb form apokalyptō means, “to reveal, disclose, bring to light, make fully known.” The revelation of Christ is an event for which the Church is exhorted to look. For example, Paul explicitly teaches the Corinthian church to wait for it: “So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:7).
Written by Alan E. Kurschner
Linking the exhortation of not lacking any spiritual gift, Paul describes the promise of God for His Church to be strengthened in order to be blameless:
Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 1:8).
APokalypsis
revealed [apokalypsis] from heaven with his mighty angels ...
Again, Pretribulation teaching asserts the Church is in Heaven before the revelation of Jesus Christ, which is incongruent with Paul’s instruction that the persecuted Church will be waiting on Earth for the revelation of Christ to be given relief. Then a
Greek noun. Apokalypsis means, “revelation, making fully known, disclosure,” and similarly the verb form apokalyptō means, “to be fully known, reveal, disclose, bring to light, make fully known.
Therefore, the Rapture is inseparably linked with the revelation of Christ, which is what will make the Rapture possible in the first place. It will be at Jesus’ revelation when the Church is raptured.
Paul also connects the suffering of the Church that will occur right up to Jesus’ revelation:
… if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed [apokalyptō] in us. For the earnest expectation of the [creation] waiteth for the manifestation [apokalypsis] of the sons of God (Romans 8:17-19; see also 1 Corinthians 3:13).
May I respectfully submit to you that this passage makes little sense within a Pretribulation framework. This is because those who hold this view believe the Church will not be suffering when the revelation of Christ begins to take place, but will have been in Heaven for seven years before the revelation of Christ!
bit further Paul specifies, not once, but twice that the revelation of the man of lawlessness will occur before Jesus returns:
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 [apokalyptō], the son of perdition (2 Thessalonians 2:3).
In the book of Romans, Paul instructs that when Jesus’ revelation takes place, the wicked will be judged:
But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation [apokalypsis] of the righteous judgment of God (Romans 2:5).
The Rapture is inseparably linked with the revelation of Christ, which is what will make the Rapture possible in the first place. It will be at Jesus’ revelation when the Church is raptured.
In Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians, he speaks of both the revelation of Jesus and the revelation of the man of lawlessness (the Antichrist). In 2 Thessalonians 1:7, he writes:
And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be
In short, Paul shows no division into two parts of a so-called intervening gap between Jesus coming for His Church at the Rapture and that of the revelation of Jesus. Rather, the coming for the Church will happen at Jesus’ revelation, and we are to wait for it with eager anticipation while enduring trials of various sorts.
Peter Concurs
Turning to Peter, we see he is consistent with Paul on this matter concerning trials for the Church right up to the glorious revelation of Christ:
Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed [apokalyptō] in the last [eschatos] time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory (1 Peter 1:5-8).
Unequivocally, Peter teaches the Church will be here on Earth suffering when Jesus’ revelation takes place, and thereby exhorts the Church to persevere in various trials for this relatively short time up to the revelation in order, at that time, to rejoice with a glorious joy. When Jesus’ apokalypsis begins to take place, the Rapture of God’s people will happen.
Peter continues to exhort the Church to set its hope upon the revelation of Christ:
Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation [apokalypsis] of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:13).
Further, Peter makes the counterintuitive exhortation to rejoice in the face of persecution, for it is short-lived:
SUMMING IT UP
But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed [apokalypsis], ye may be glad also with exceeding joy (1 Peter 4:13).
Peter joins himself to his fellow believers who are suffering for the name of Christ and recognizes that he too will experience the glory at the revelation:
The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed [apokalyptō] (1 Peter 5:1).
Then, a few verses further, Peter identifies the time of the revelation with the glorious visible appearing of Jesus:
And when the chief Shepherd shall appear [phaneroō], ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away (1 Peter 5:4).
Similarly, Jesus describes that at His revelation, there is an immediate two-fold event: the righteous will be delivered and the wicked judged, back-to-back events without any intervening period: “Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed [apokalyptō]” (Luke 17:30; see especially Luke 17:20-18:8). u
What we can conclude from this examination is:
1. The Church will be on Earth to experience the revelation of Jesus Christ.
2. The Church will suffer various trials until these are terminated by the beginning of Christ’s revelation.
3. The Rapture of the Church is inseparably linked to the revelation of Jesus at His coming.
4. The Church is exhorted to persevere in faith and hope in order to bring glory and honor at the revelation of Christ.
5. The Revelation of Christ is the Church’s hope.
Paul shows no division into two parts of a socalled intervening gap between Jesus coming for His Church at the Rapture and that of the revelation of Jesus.
Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation [apokalypsis] of Jesus Christ.
– 1 Peter 1:13
Peter teaches that the Church will be here on Earth suffering when Jesus’ revelation takes place, and thereby exhorts the Church to persevere for this relatively short time in various trials up to the revelation in order at that time to rejoice with glorious joy.
SERMON SYNAGOGUE in the
Jesus Reveals His Fivefold Ministry in Nazareth
The Stir Around Town
Imagine the excitement and stir among the people of Nazareth, Jesus’ home town, when they heard the news Jesus was returning to His own city!
His fame had already spread throughout Galilee (Luke 4:14). People were telling one another of the stories they had heard of His baptism by the one who looked and sounded like Elijah and who was warning people to cleanse themselves in preparation for the coming Kingdom of God (Matthew 3:13-17).
Some were saying that the Baptist had even called Jesus the “Lamb of God.”
They were further startled to hear accounts that this same Jesus had performed a miracle at a wedding in Cana, changing water into wine (John 2:1-11), and of His dramatic and shocking clearing of the Temple in Jerusalem during Passover (John 2:13-22). In those days, one did not even move a table at the Temple – let alone upend it – without permission from the High Priest.
On the other hand, some in Nazareth were skeptical. They waved off these stories, saying, But he is only a carpenter’s son; a rabbi without credentials, at best! What is this big to-do everyone is making of him? Let him show us a miracle here, in Nazareth, before the eyes of those who know him well, then we may believe he is something special.
The Book of Isaiah
Luke Chapter 4 tells us:
And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was: he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet [Isaiah] (vv. 16-17).
The Revelation of the Fivefold Ministry of the Messiah
Luke 4:17-19 reads:
And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
This passage, quoted from Isaiah 61:1-2, reveals that when Messiah comes, God’s Spirit will be upon Him (61:1). It then lists five specific areas of the Messiah’s ministry, three of which Christ read before He closed the book. Isaiah revealed two additional facets of the Messiah’s ministry Christ chose not to read – as they will be fulfilled at His second coming.
Let’s examine Christ’s fivefold ministry.
We don’t know whether 1) Jesus specifically asked for the book of Isaiah, which was on a scroll in those days; or 2) it was the assigned portion to be read in the religious calendar for that Sabbath; or 3) providentially the head of the synagogue, the shamash (caretaker), selected it and brought it to Jesus. Another possibility is that 4) Jesus knew the Scripture-study schedule of His hometown synagogue and purposely selected that particular Sabbath to make His appearance on the day Isaiah 61 was to be read.
Arguments aside, it is one of those details not specified in Scripture. If Jesus requested it, we at once understand how fitting His selection was. If it was given to Jesus without Him selecting it, then Jesus –out of this book of so many messianic passages – chose the right day on which to speak.
The Pre-Condition: The Spirit of God Would Be Upon Him
When Jesus read, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me” (Luke 4:18), and then applied the sacred words to Himself by saying, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears” (4:21), His hearers were stunned. Jesus was saying He was specifically anointed by God – that His ministry was that specified by Isaiah 61 and hence, He was the “Anointed One” who was to come. He made
this point very clearly when He declared in John 3:34: “For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.”
The Hebrew verb meshia means “to anoint” with sacred olive oil, which was symbolic of God’s Spirit being upon the one anointed. Thus David was “anointed” king of Israel by God’s command through the prophet Samuel, and this symbolized that God’s Spirit was now upon David to do His holy will and work (1 Samuel 16:1, 12-13).
In 1 Samuel 16:13, we read the Hebrew phrase vah ye-meshiah, meaning “and anointed him.” The Greek word for the one “anointed” is Christos, from which is the same as the Hebrew Messiah. Thus Jesus is the Savior’s name, and Messiah (from Hebrew) or Christ (from Greek) is His sacred title. Further, He is our “Lord,” and thus we very properly call Him “our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Isaiah then goes on to enumerate the fivefold ministry of the Messiah, the first three of which were quoted by Christ to His stunned Nazarene synagogue hearers. The three pronounced Messianic ministries from Isaiah 61:1 state that:
1. God’s Spirit commissions and empowers the Messiah for a preaching ministry, one that will preach “good tidings unto the meek.”
Written by Dr. Gary Cohen
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; – Isaiah 61:1
Jesus was saying He was specifically anointed by God – that His ministry was that specified by Isaiah 61 and hence, He was the “Anointed One” who was to come.
In Greek, the “gospel of Christ” is eu-angelion, meaning, the “good news, tidings, announcement.”
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; – Isaiah 61:1
2. God’s Spirit commissions Him to a ministry of healing the “brokenhearted.”
3. God’s Spirit commissions Him to a ministry of proclaiming “liberty to the captives.”
1
To Preach Good
Tidings
–A Ministry of Proclamation
Luke characterizes the preaching ministry of Christ this way: “And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him” (8:1). Likewise, the Apostle Paul declares, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16).
2
To Bind Up the Brokenhearted –A Ministry of Consolation
Isaiah’s words “to bind up the brokenhearted” (61:1), quoted by Jesus, show that the Messiah was also commissioned by God the Father and empowered by God’s Holy Spirit to a ministry of consolation and healing of both spirit and body. Thus Jesus constantly proclaimed throughout His ministry that 1) there is a God who cares about you; 2) there is a God ready to help you, therefore keep praying and trusting; and 3) there is life after death, meaning the sorrow brought about by death has an answer. For God – who sent Christ to die for our sins and then be resurrected –promises also a resurrection to life for the believer: “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept” (1 Corinthians 15:20).
Our salvation is not something we boldly work for, but something we, in meekness, await in faith with a humble and contrite heart.
In Greek, the “gospel of Christ” is eu-angelion, meaning, the “good news, tidings, announcement.” Indeed, Christ’s ministry – given to Him by God – was to make possible and proclaim the “glad tidings” that God had provided a Savior from sin, and that those who believe would be delivered from the guilt, penalty, and bondage of sin.
No force has ever brought as much comfort and hope to the suffering as the Gospel of Christ.
Isaiah’s declaration that this good news was especially targeted to “the meek” must convey to us that the Messiah’s message would be especially welcomed by those who, through faithful prayer, patiently and humbly awaited the appearance of God’s Messiah. These were “the meek.” Our salvation is not something we boldly work for, but something we, in meekness, await in faith with a humble and contrite heart. Likewise, Matthew tells us when Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount, He declared, “Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5).
We read many times in the Gospels such passages as when Jesus encountered the bereaved widow of Nain: “And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not” (Luke 7:13). He then raised her only son from the dead. He repeatedly executed the ministry of compassion given to Him by the Father by “binding up the brokenhearted.” Words fail to recount the numerous incidents through the ages where this work of “binding up the brokenhearted” has been wrought by His power and message. No force has ever brought as much comfort and hope to the suffering as the Gospel of Christ.
Even in Matthew 25, we see Christ proclaiming the duty of the faithful includes an outer demonstration of inner faith by works of “healing the brokenhearted” in Christ’s name. Jesus specifically spoke of His followers having ministries of compassion toward “the least of these my brethren” (25:40), by feeding the hungry,
giving drink to the thirsty, taking in the stranger, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, and visiting those in prison (vv. 35-40).
3 To Proclaim Liberty to the Captives –A Ministry of Deliverance
Here Isaiah boldly proclaims the Messiah will have a ministry of deliverance. When a judge, after the jury pronounces a verdict of “innocent,” says publicly to the defendant, “You are free to go,” the courtroom often explodes with joy, at least on the part of the exonerated and his or her family. There are no words like them. I recall hearing the verdict after a trial of five defendants – two were pronounced innocent and three guilty. I vividly recall the scene when the judge ordered the bailiff to take away the guilty and they, to the horror of their relatives, were placed in handcuffs and taken away. Then the judge looked at the ones who were pronounced innocent, and he said, in tones I will never forget, “You two are free to go.”
Similarly, the ministry of the Messiah was to “proclaim liberty to the captives” (Isaiah 61:1). The Gospel proclamation
extends to all who have trusted Christ as their Savior. They are free from the prison of sin with its guilt, penalties, and chains of corruption. They are free from the bondage of fear, just as the writer of Hebrews declares that what Christ did through His death for the believer was “deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage” (Hebrews 2:15).
Isaiah’s next words, also quoted by Jesus, “To preach the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:19), may refer to the year of jubilee (Leviticus 25:10), and hence further enlarge upon the messianic ministry of releasing those in slavery and debt – a slavery to fear and sin, and a debt to God with an overwhelming debt they could never repay by their works. Thus Jesus announced, “Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God” (Luke 6:20). The spiritually poor, who trust in Christ, are given their liberty and freed from the debt of sin.
4 And the Day of Vengeance of Our God –A Ministry of Judgment
Luke clearly makes the point that Christ “closed the book” (4:20) without reading Isaiah’s continuing words that the Messiah
Jesus specifically spoke of His followers having ministries of compassion toward “the least of these my brethren,” by feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, taking in the stranger, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, and visiting those in prison.
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; – Isaiah 61:1
The spiritually poor, who trust in Christ, are given their liberty and freed from the debt of sin.
To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.
– Isaiah 61:3
Beauty symbolizes an outward attractiveness that mirrors inward holiness and happiness. It signifies that a right, holy, and happy relationship with the Lord exists.
was also to proclaim “the day of vengeance of our God” (Isaiah 61:2). This was certainly to be part of the Messiah’s ministry, however, we now understand it to be part of Jesus’ second coming. At His first coming, Jesus was appearing to those in Nazareth as one sent by God, anointed by Him, and certified by a perfectly holy life, by the words He gave them, to speak, and by miracles. It was their time of duty and decision to believe. At His first coming, Jesus offered Himself as Israel’s and the world’s Messiah. His purpose was to save rather than destroy; therefore, He did not read on.
The Bible is clear that Jesus’ unread verses in Isaiah 61 were part of the Messiah’s ministry, but pertaining exclusively to His second coming. At that time, the Lord shall “destroy with the brightness of his coming” (2 Thessalonians 2:8) the Antichrist and his followers at Armageddon (Revelation 19:11-21). Thus the “Lamb as it had been slain” (Revelation 5:6) accurately pictures the ministry of Christ’s first coming, while the “Lion of the Tribe of Judah” (5:5) pictures His second-coming ministry of judgment and, with it, rescuing His followers.
5To Give Unto Them Beauty for Ashes –A Ministry of Restoration
In harmony with many other Scriptures (Isaiah 66; Ezekiel 37-48; and Zechariah 14), the fifth facet of the Messiah’s ministry will
be to restore the nation of Israel. This is well summed up in Isaiah 61:3: “… to give unto them beauty for ashes,” which Jesus also did not read in Nazareth. He did not read it because this, too, is related to His second coming when He will destroy the wicked, judge the nations, and establish His Millennial (1,000-year) Kingdom upon the earth. Included among these events is the restoration of the nation of Israel, which Isaiah here declares the Messiah will accomplish.
This will involve, as we read on, many steps, but they are all wonderfully summed up in the words, “to give unto them beauty for ashes.” Beauty symbolizes an outward attractiveness that mirrors inward holiness and happiness. It signifies that a right, holy, and happy relationship with the Lord exists. “Ashes” in one word summarizes the regrets, pains, and agonies of the more than 2,000 years.
Then, in the lofty poetic language of Isaiah in the remainder of verse 3 to the end of the chapter, Israel’s glorious restoration is portrayed: “And they shall build the old wastes” (61:4); “ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord” (v. 6); “in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them” (v. 7); “And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles” (v. 9); and “the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations” (v. 11).
Note this restoration ministry of the Messiah closes the chapter and describes
an Israel that will be restored in every respect. Israel will be restored to her land, to peace and blessing, to a special priestly position of holiness, to joy amid the land, and to special honor among the nations. This is what her Messiah will do for her! Is it any wonder, then, that the disciples – who most likely were familiar with much of the book of Isaiah – asked the risen Christ, “Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6).
The People of Nazareth Did Not Receive Jesus
Luke 4:20-30 describes the scene when Jesus put down the book:
And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son? And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country (Luke 4:20-23).
Remember, Jesus knew the people of this synagogue well – He grew up with them. He also knew of their unbelief. They heard He had done a miracle in nearby Cana, and of others in Capernaum, and they desired –actually, demanded – a similar miraculous demonstration in Nazareth. The issue is: Must Jesus do a supernatural wonder in the presence of every skeptic in every town in order to be accepted? No. He came in the Spirit of God, fulfilling the Scriptures these people claimed to believe and love.
The evidence God would give them was the fulfillment of the Scriptures by His holy demeanor, His sacred words, and yes, by the signs of mercy He would perform at the appropriate time and place. This, however, was not enough to salve their sinful unbelief, and Christ, who always spoke the truth, confronted their unbelief, thus providing
them with their best opportunity for repentance.
The text continues:
Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of [Elijah], when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; But unto none of them was [Elijah] sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of [Elisha] the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. But he passing through the midst of them went his way (Luke 4:24-30).
Jesus called their attention to two incidents in the ministries of Elijah and Elisha, two prophets from the same territory as Nazareth – the extinct northern kingdom. He reminded them of two times when the prophet brought God’s blessings to the Gentiles because those of northern Israel joined in rejecting and blaming Him, and did not have faith. That’s all this crowd needed to hear, and they apparently grabbed Jesus and rushed Him out of the building and would have thrown Him off one of the many rocky slopes of that region. It was, however, not God’s time, and Jesus “went his way” (Luke 4:30).
We feel like shouting in exultation. What a perfect passage for our Lord to quote and to propound before a group asking Him, virtually, Who are you, and what are you going to do? He presented to them Isaiah’s portrait of His own fivefold ministry! u
The evidence God would give them was the fulfillment of the Scriptures by His holy demeanor, His sacred words, and yes, by the signs of mercy He would perform at the appropriate time and place.
IN SUMMARY
1 To Preach Good Tidings –A Ministry of Proclamation The Fivefold Ministry of the Messiah
2 To Bind Up the Brokenhearted –A Ministry of Consolation
3 To Proclaim Liberty to the Captives –A Ministry of Deliverance
4 And the Day of Vengeance of Our God –A Ministry of Judgment
5 To Give Unto Them Beauty for Ashes –A Ministry of Restoration
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