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Let Us Reason is a Christian ministry dedicated to the pursuit and discovery of truth. Our primary objective is to help viewers better understand Biblical truth by providing in-depth studies on topics that are frequently either ignored or overlooked in most churches. All of these resources are provided for free on this site. Feel free to download, distribute, and use them to further your investigation of truth. Daily Script ure/Devotional Weekly Torah P ortion (Parsha) Western Wall Live Video Feed Learn More A Deeper Study of Biblical Truth Let Us Reason is a Christian ministry dedicated to the pursuit and discovery of truth. Our primary objective is to help viewers better understand Biblical truth by providing in-depth studies on topics that are frequently either ignored or overlooked in most churches. All of these studies are provided for free on this site. Feel free to download, distribute, and use them to further your investigation of truth. "Come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord..." -Isaiah 1:18 We believe that most churches today are failing to truly educate Christians on many topics that enrich and inform one's understanding of the Word of God. And we want to help fill that gap. This ministry offers free biblical teaching in three main formats: in-depth studies, videos, and articles. Please take advantage of these free resources! Studies Videos Articles Contact us First name* Last name Email* Write a message Submit Contact Subscribe for Email Notifications Enter your email here Sign Up Thanks for submitting! About Us Truth Bible Study Prophecy Apologetics Michael Filipek is a Bible researcher, teacher, author, and the founder of LetUsReason, a teaching ministry focused on providing in-depth studies on the topics of truth, Bible study, prophecy, and apologetics. Michael received his Bachelor of Science from Seton Hall University in northern New Jersey, where he was born and raised. Our goal is to provide current believers with the tools and information to have a more "perfect" understanding of God's Word, as He intended it to be understood - not necessarily how religious traditions and institutions have interpreted it. Additionally, it is also our goal to educate non-believers and complete skeptics on the genuine truth of the Bible and its teachings and concepts. Many Christians today have unknowingly become the spiritual victims of erroneous doctrines that have evolved through man-made religious institutions. Although the Reformation was an important time in Christian history, the reality is that the Reformers didn't go as far as they needed to in their attempt to return to the original patterns and teachings of the Apostles. Many errors remain mainstream, including - but not limited to - hermeneutics (methods of Biblical interpretation) and eschatology (the study of end-times prophecy). Our hope and mission is to provide the content and the study tools for you to investigate these things for yourself and arrive at your own conclusions based on the evidence - not the traditions of men. We hope that you enjoy exploring the resources provided on this site! Please consider subscribing to our mailing list as well as our YouTube channel to keep up with new content! A First-of-its-Kind Study! Learn about an overlooked biblical paradigm that helps clarify and harmonize the end-time scriptural passages that have perplexed both scholars and novice Bible readers for generations! Get It Now The Daniel 9:25 Prophecy The Isaiah 53 Prophecy How Sure Can We Be That Jesus Was The Messiah Of Israel The Daniel 9:25 Prophecy 1/12 Popular Studies Deep Calleth Unto Deep Are you ready to go beyond surface-level topics and a superficial understanding of the Bible? Our free in-depth studies are designed to be resources that bring a knowledge of God's Word that unfortunately, most churches fail to even attempt. Learn More Imminence vs. Signs: Why Rapture Imminence and Rapture Sign-Watching Cannot Both Be True End Times Michael Filipek May 21 Evaluating Mid-Acts Dispensationalism — Did the Church Begin with Paul or at Pentecost? The Church Michael Filipek Apr 1 “The Missing Key” – A Biblical Paradigm That Enables a Consistent Interpretation of Eschatology End Times Michael Filipek Dec 24, 2024 The Double Sense of the Future Day of the Lord Prophecy Michael Filipek Mar 27, 2024 The Two-Fold Nature of the Future Day of the Lord Prophecy Michael Filipek Mar 8, 2024 What Is the Day of the Lord?
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This is a study on the famous, but often misunderstood “Seventy Weeks of Daniel” – maybe the most incredible prophecy in the Bible – found in Daniel 9:24-27 (Daniel's 70 Weeks). The Daniel 9:25 Prophecy | Let Us Reason Description Contents Download The Daniel 9:25 Prophecy: An Exact Timeline For The Arrival Of The Messiah is an in-depth study on the famous, but often misunderstood “seventy weeks of Daniel” – maybe the most incredible prophecy in the Bible – found in Daniel 9:24-27. But specifically, we will focus on Daniel 9:25 – which involves the first sixty-nine of Daniel's seventy weeks and is an amazing prophecy providing an exact countdown to the arrival of the Messiah, given over 500 years before its fulfillment in Christ. Was this prophecy really fulfilled? How accurate was it? Is there evidence? Can we actually prove all of this? How does the seventy-week prophecy of Daniel act as the framework for future end-times Bible prophecy? Download this free study and find out for yourself! Establishing the Reliability of the Book of Daniel Introduction to Daniel 9:25 The Beginning Point - “The Commandment to Restore and to Build Jerusalem” The Dating of the Beginning Point The Ending Point – “The Messiah the Prince” The Dating of the Ending Point (Part 1) – The Date of the Crucifixion The Dating of the Ending Point (Part 2) – The Date of the Triumphal Entry Testing Our Calculations Some Unlikely Confirmations Our Final Conclusion Bibliography Download ePub/iBook Format Download PDF Format Back to Home

This is a study that takes an in-depth look into a topic that's widely been either ignored or misunderstood by many who study the Bible. Who were the Nephilim? Did giants once walk the earth? What was their origin? The Identity of the Nephilim | Let Us Reason Description Contents Download In this study, The Identity Of The Nephilim , we will delve into a topic that’s widely been either ignored or misunderstood by many who study the Bible. It’s a topic that requires one to expand their thinking, and presents a profound exercise in sound Bible interpretation. As we will see, the Bible leaves us no room for private interpretation on this matter. The text of scripture is very clear in its declaration of the existence of giants, called Nephilim in Hebrew, the offspring of the illicit sexual union of rebellious angels and human women in the ancient past. We will also examine the opposing mainstream viewpoint that denies this interpretation. How will it hold up against the evidence? What profound implications does the subject of the Nephilim have on our understanding of the foundational background of the Old Testament (subjects such as the purpose for the Flood, the conquest of Canaan, etc.), as well as potential implications for end-time prophecy? Download this free study and find out for yourself! Introduction Setting the Stage An Overview of the Word "Nephilim" An Examination of Genesis 6 An Exegesis of the "Sons of God" The Genetic Purity of Noah and the Corruption of the Pre-Flood World Further Biblical Agreement The "Sons of Seth" View Ancient Extra-Biblical Confirmation Further Evidence - Oral Traditions and Myths of Cultures Worldwide The Pre-Flood World - A Deeper Look Satan's Purpose for the Nephilim - The Cosmic Chess Match How Can Angels Produce Offspring? How Did Post-Flood Nephilim Emerge? After Babel The Post-Flood Nephilim Was There a Nephilim Diaspora? The End-Times Return of the Nephilim And the Sons of God The Coming Great Deception Conclusion Bibliography Download ePub/iBook Format Download PDF Format Back to Home

One of the most common inconsistencies in modern Christian eschatology (more specifically, within the pre-tribulational/dispensational camp) is the attempt to affirm both the imminence of the (pre-trib) Rapture (the supernatural catching away of the Church from earth to heaven by Jesus) and the existence of signs that precede it. Many will quickly say, “I believe Jesus could come at any moment,” while also claiming that the Church must first observe so-called "end-time signs" like apostasy, globalism, technology, wars, Israel’s political developments, a rebuilt temple, or some alleged “prophetic convergence” before the Rapture can occur. Many of these adocates have prophecy ministries largely built on convincing you that those "signs" are happening presently, and therefore we are now predictably close to the Rapture. But those two ideas of imminence and signs-watching cannot logically coexist. Definitionally, if a predicted sign must occur before the Rapture, then the Rapture is not imminent. Conversely, if the Rapture is truly imminent, then no predicted sign can stand between the Church and Christ’s coming. An imminent coming means an "any-moment" coming according to the standard definition of the word itself. Imminence does not merely mean that we do not know the exact day or hour. Almost every eschatological view could affirm that. A posttribulationist could say, “I do not know the precise day or hour of Christ’s return.” A prewrath advocate could say the same. But historic pretribulational imminence means more than uncertainty about the exact date. It means Christ may come at any moment, with no necessary event, sign, prophecy, or condition required first. The event is always possible. Nothing must happen before it. Bible scholar Renald Showers gives an excellent overview of the scriptural usage of the term “imminence.” The English word “imminent” comes from the Latin verb “immineo, imminere,” which means to “overhand” or “project.” In light of this, the English word “imminent” means “hanging over one’s head, ready to befall or overtake one; close at hand in its incidence.” Thus, an imminent event is one that is always hanging overhead, and is constantly ready to befall or overtake a person. Other things may happen before the imminent event, but nothing must take place before it happens. If something else must take place before an event can happen, that event is not imminent. The necessity of something else taking place first destroys the concept of imminency. [1] To the dismay of modern prophecy teachers who rely on hype and sensationalism for audience retention and monetization, this is the long-standing definition of imminence by Dispensationalists, and is based on the actual dictionary meaning of the word itself. That is why sign-watching and imminence are definitionally contradictory. If one were to claim, “The Rapture cannot happen until this sign occurs,” then Christ cannot come at any moment. The believer is not truly waiting for Christ; he is waiting for the sign. This is not a minor disagreement over terminology. It changes the posture of the Church and fundamentally alters the instruction given to us, most notably by Jesus Himself, and then subsequently by the New Testament authors . The consistent biblical command is always for believers to look for Christ Himself, not to search the headlines for imagined prophetic prerequisites or convergences. This basic understanding is so fundamental to the pre-trib doctrine, that it is essentially baked into the idea of a pre-trib Rapture to begin with. Another scholar, Wayne A. Brindle, writes: The term “imminence” (or imminency) as applied to the rapture of the church means that Christ may return at any moment for His church, and no biblically predicted event must necessarily precede it. Those who believe that Christ will return for His church before the Tribulation normally hold that the rapture is imminent – that it may occur at any time and that it is the next predicted event in God’s prophetic timetable. [2] So the Rapture is something that can occur at any time. No prophesied event must precede it. If this is biblically true, then logically, the pre-trib rapture is established. Any other view violates this teaching of imminency, since the Rapture could not be expected until after the occurrence of certain prophesied events and could not therefore be considered imminent. But not only is imminence basic to the concept of the pre-trib Rapture, but we should recognize that the very Greek word (harpazó) that underlies our English word “rapture” fundamentally conveys the nuance of imminence by definition. One Bible commentary aptly brings out this often-overlooked subtlety: Harpazo conveys the idea of force suddenly exercised, and also well rendered by the English verb to snatch (to seize, take or grasp something [or someone] abruptly or hastily with emphasis on the idea of suddenness or quickness). Harpazo was used of rescuing one from a situation of threatening danger as in ‘snatching them out of the fire’ (see Jude 1:23). [3] The idea of being suddenly yanked out of impending danger is only consistent with imminence, and imminence is only consistent with a pre-trib Rapture. Therefore, one might even go as far as to state that by definition, the Rapture is pretribulational because imminence is implied in its very meaning. Based on this, the pretribulational/dispensational position insists that the Church’s hope is Christ’s any-moment coming. The Rapture is not introduced in scripture as an event preceded by visible signs. It is presented as sudden, unexpected, and possible to occur in every generation and at every moment of the Church Age. No signs are required in order to expect the Rapture as imminent. And signs are incompatible with imminence. This is obvious since our understanding of imminence itself comes not only from Jesus, but the New Testament authors, who all wrote of this expectation back in the first century. In other words, the Rapture was already to be expected as "any moment" nearly two thousand years ago. And if this is true, then there's yet another nail in the coffin of the date-setters who would like to convince us that the Rapture has only become imminent recently, due to the supposed appearance of signs. But if Paul and others were declaring the imminence of the Rapture as current back in the first century, then it is obvious that they were not awaiting future signs. Several examples can be quickly noted. Paul tells the Thessalonians nearly two thousand years ago “to wait for his Son from heaven” (1 Thessalonians 1:10). He does not tell them to wait for apostasy, a treaty, a temple, wars, digital currency, or geopolitical movements. He doesn't even tell them to await the restoration of Israel as a nation. Another example of imminence is found in Titus 2:13, which says that believers are to be “looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” Again, the object of expectation is Christ Himself, not for some alleged signs that scripture nowhere instructs us to await. A deeper look into imminence in scripture is found in this article. This does not mean the Bible says nothing about future signs. It certainly does. The question is not whether biblical signs exist. The question is: signs when, signs for whom, signs of what, and signs in relation to which event? Dispensational interpretation requires careful distinctions. Many prophetic signs relate to Israel, the nations, the Tribulation, and the Second Coming proper (the climactic ending of the Lord's Second Advent). But signs that occur within the Tribulation or anywhere in the judgment phase of the broad Day of the Lord are not Rapture signs for the Church. They do not actually offer us any real predictability. To turn them into Rapture signs is to confuse categories and undermine imminence. And if we are so easily able to bypass imminence by looking for Tribulation signs, then in what way is the Rapture actually imminent? Matthew 24 is probably the most common passage misused by sign-watchers and date-setters. Jesus speaks of wars, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, false christs, persecution, the abomination of desolation, cosmic disturbances, and then His visible coming in glory. But the context of these signs is not the Church waiting for the Rapture. The disciples ask about the destruction of the temple, the sign of His coming, and the end of the age. Jesus gives signs connected to Israel, Jerusalem, the temple, Judea, the Sabbath, and the visible coming of the Son of Man at the end of the Tribulation. These signs identify the nearness of the Second Coming proper (the physical coming at the end of the Tribulation), not the Rapture. In other words, these signs are events that occur within the broad period of the Day of the Lord, giving understanding to those at that time of how close they are to its climax. This is why Matthew 24:32-33 says, “when ye shall see all these things, know that it [the end of the Tribulation] is near, even at the doors.” The people who see “all these things” are those living in the period when these tribulational signs are unfolding. The often-misinterpreted fig tree section then summarizes the sequence of signs just described, comparing the predictability of summer once the signs of the seasonal budding of a fig tree are underway to the predictability of Christ’s visible return once the Day of the Lord signs are underway. But then Jesus completely shifts His context in Matthew 24:36: “But of that day and hour knoweth no man.” He now shifts from answering the disciples' "signs" question to now answering their question about the timing. From that point onward, the emphasis changes from identifiable signs to unpredictability, suddenness, and watchfulness. In other words, instead of focusing on the completely predictable climax of that eschatological period, He now moves to discuss the complete unpredictability of the absolute beginning point of that period. Instead of focusing on the signs in the broad Day of the Lord that lead up to its narrow, climactic finale, He now shifts to focus on the suddenness and signlessness of the time immediately prior to the broad Day's absolute beginning. So the "sequence of signs" section has to do with signs after the Rapture that lead up to the ending of the Tribulation. Meanwhile, the “no man knows the day or hour” section concerns the unpredictable arrival of the broader Day of the Lord period as a whole, which begins with the Rapture. This distinction is crucial. The Second Coming proper is signaled by events inside the broad Day. The Rapture is not. There are no signs leading up to the Rapture, which occurs at the opening of the broad period of the Day of the Lord. They are simultaneous events, which is why both the Rapture and the beginning of that Day are both described as being imminent in scripture. Both the Lord's personal coming as well as the Day's coming are described using imminence language. Both are compared to the unpredictable, sudden arrival of a thief. Logically, they can only both be considered imminent if they occur simultaneously, which is an overlooked point in the Bible prophecy community and is the subject of my book The Missing Key. For an overview of this topic of the dual imminence of the Rapture and broad Day, see this article. So the Rapture is signless, but once it occurs, that's when the signs do begin. This judgment period of the broad Day leads into Daniel’s seventieth week, which has a measurable chronology expressed both here in Matthew 24 and in Daniel 9:27. The signs allow those on the earth during that time to understand where they are in the timing sequence. For example, once the great abomination of desolation sign occurs, Israel will be able to know that the Lord's physical coming at the end of the Tribulation is around three and a half years away. But to the contrary, the Church is never told to calculate the Rapture from those signs. The Rapture precedes this time period, and we are never instructed to attempt to bypass imminence by pretending we can infer the closeness of the Day of the Lord through alleged signs-watching. This is not a scriptural instruction nor practice. In fact, as we have seen thus far, it is contra-biblical. One cannot watch for both Jesus and signs. If signs are expected first, then Jesus is not imminent. Another misunderstood aspect of this debate involves the consistent exhortations toward eschatological “watchfulness.” Sign-watchers often say, “Jesus told us to watch, so we must watch the signs.” But that is not what "watch" means in eschatological passages. In fact, it requires the opposite understanding since "watchfulness" for the Lord's return is typically paired with an imminence context. Watching means spiritual alertness, readiness, sobriety, and faithfulness in light of the Lord’s possible any-moment return. It does not mean decoding current events. So the entire point of the need for continual watchfulness is due to the fact that the Lord can return at any moment completely suddenly and without signs. Watchfulness is often linked with the thief analogy (Matthew 24:36-44 et al.). When Jesus compares His coming to a thief in the night, the point is not that believers should watch for clues that the thief is near. The point is precisely the opposite: the thief by definition comes unexpectedly. There are no signs that pertain to the suprise arrival of a thief. The homeowner does not know when the thief will come. Therefore, he must always be ready. To say, “watching means watching for signs,” actually destroys the thief imagery. If signs announce the thief’s arrival, then the coming is not thief-like! Jesus' "watchfulness" commands are also routinely paired with the equivalent imagery of the suprise arrival of a master of the house (Luke 12:35-50, et al.). The instruction is for the servants to be constantly watching for the unknown time of the master's coming. But if prerequisite signs must appear first, then the servants do not need to be ready until those signs appear. But just like the thief example, Jesus’ point here also is that the master will come at an unexpected hour. The command to watch is a command to live in perpetual readiness for Him, not to postpone expectancy until signs arrive. Hebrews 10:25 is another passage often misused: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Some argue this proves the Church will see signs showing the Day is near. But the entire point of the admonition takes for granted that the original recipients could already “see the day approaching” in the first century prior to any so-called modern signs. The writer was not saying, “One future day, when modern prophetic signs appear and are discussed on YouTube, then begin assembling more faithfully.” No! He was instructing the direct opposite. He was telling first-century believers to persevere because the Day was already drawing near two thousand years ago without even one so-called modern sign. That language of "drawing near" is imminence language, not date-setting language. The same is true of Romans 13:11-12: “now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand.” Paul was able to say that the Day of the Lord was "at hand" (imminence language) back in the first century without modern Israel, global digital currency, nuclear weapons, artificial intelligence, or any of the modern developments prophecy teachers often cite. Therefore, Paul was not teaching that observable end-time signs allow believers to know the Rapture is now near in a way it was not near before. He was saying that with every passing moment, believers move closer to the consummation of their salvation, which could take place at any moment. The nearness is based on imminence and the passage of time, not on headline fulfillment. Another passage frequently cited is 1 Timothy 4:1: “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith.” Sign-watchers argue that this apostasy is a sign to the Church before the Rapture. But Paul does not say this apostasy is a measurable prophetic countdown to the Rapture. He says “some” will depart from the faith. That was already happening in the apostolic era and he never associates it with being a sign only related to the time immediately prior to the Rapture. False teaching, doctrinal defection, and spiritual deception have characterized the entire Church Age. Further, Paul provided no threshold or metric that can be objectively assessed in order to determine when the apostasy has reached a sufficient level to be considered as this sign! Therefore, even if he intended it to be understood as such, we have no objective way to apply it as a sign. Obviously, it cannot then be effectively used as one. Further, we must question the entire presumption that this passage (and similar ones) refer to eschatology just because they include phrases like "the latter times" and "the last days." These are not phrases that scripture uses exclusively of the times connected to the eschatological Day of the Lord. In fact, the New Testament repeatedly teaches that the “last days” began in the apostolic era and encompass the entire Church Age, not merely the final years immediately before the Rapture. Hebrews 1:2 says God “hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son,” Peter applied Joel’s “last days” prophecy to Pentecost in Acts 2:16-17, and John plainly declared, “it is the last time” (1 John 2:18). Likewise, Paul said the “ends of the world are come” upon first-century believers (1 Corinthians 10:11). This means characteristics associated with the last days (such as apostasy, false teaching, scoffers, and spiritual decline) are expected characteristics of the entire Church Age, not unique signs identifying the final generation before the Rapture. Therefore, these conditions cannot function as prophetic countdown markers that nullify imminence. So then apostasy is a basic characteristic of the Church Age, not a prerequisite sign that must appear before the Rapture. Apostasy may intensify. It may become more visible. But no one can define how much apostasy is enough to satisfy the alleged sign. Is it 30 percent? 60 percent? 90 percent? Once again, scripture gives no measurable threshold. Obviously then, if the sign cannot be objectively measured, it cannot function as a prophetic indicator of Rapture nearness. And if it must occur before the Rapture, imminence is gone. 2 Timothy 3 (another passage often missapplied by signs-watchers) is used in a way similar to 1 Timothy 4:1. Paul says, “in the last days perilous times shall come,” followed by a description of moral and religious corruption. But Paul then tells Timothy, “from such turn away” (2 Timothy 3:5). That means Timothy himself would encounter these people back in the first century. Paul was not describing a condition irrelevant until a far-off terminal generation before the Rapture. He was warning Timothy about conditions already operative in the Church Age in his day. These last-days characteristics are not Rapture prerequisites. They are moral realities of the present evil age. Second Peter 3 and Jude are also often cited because they speak of scoffers in the last days. But again, both Peter and Jude simply address realities already or soon to be present among their readers. In another place, Jude says certain men had already crept in unawares (Jude 1:4). Similarly, John says many antichrists had already come, proving that it was already “the last time” (1 John 2:18). Scoffing, apostasy, and false teaching prove that we are in the last days broadly (the entire Church Age), not that the Rapture has suddenly become near in a way it was not near before. The regathering of Israel is another important issue. Dispensationalists rightly recognize that Israel’s national existence is prophetically significant. Based on a multitude of scriptures (Matthew 24:15-21; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, Revelation 12, et al.) a future Tribulation scenario requires a Jewish presence in the land, a temple context, and Jerusalem as the focal point of end-time events. Therefore, some use Israel as a sort of barometer for measuring our closeness to the Rapture. But while Israel’s modern presence in the land may be a prophetic point of interest, or even a partial fulfillment, it is not directly related to the timing of the Rapture. Israel's presence in the land is not a prerequisite to the Rapture unless Scripture explicitly says the Church cannot be raptured until Israel is nationally restored. It does not, and such an idea would contradict the actual teaching: imminence. All of the prophetic excitement around Israel is legitimate until it gets turned into a Rapture timing predictor. The supposition that the Rapture is now predictably near is only inference and opinion. Not only doesn't scripture teach this idea, but it necessarily would contradict imminence. Israel being in the land also cannot make the Rapture "more imminent" than before, since imminence is not a concept that can "increase" or "decrease." Definitionally, imminence already means the event is one hundred percent expected at any time. Since the word "imminent" is a non-gradable adjective, it cannot vary in intensity or degree. It is an absolute or complete descriptor, much like the adjectives "dead," "perfect," or "married." One can no sooner say "the Rapture is more imminent than before" than "my dog is more dead than before." By very definition then, imminence is not "on the accelerator," as some prophecy "teachers" have laughably claimed. The same principle applies to a rebuilt temple, red heifers, priestly garments, or preparations for temple worship. These may be interesting because the Tribulation involves a temple context, but the Rapture does not require the Church to see the temple rebuilt first. If the temple must be rebuilt before the Rapture, then the Rapture is not imminent. If the Rapture is imminent, then temple developments cannot be required signs. The plain fact is the Bible does not tell us how long Israel can be in the land before the Rapture happens. Back in 1980, Bible scholar Ray Stedman rightly stated: There is not a word in Scripture of how long Israel will be back in the land before the Lord returns. The fact that something fulfills a predicted event does not in any way set up a calendar that says we are very, very close to the return of the Lord. ... No one knows, and there is not a word or hint in Scripture of how long Israel will be back in the land. It may be hundreds of years before the Lord returns. Scripture does not say. [4] Technology arguments are also speculative. Some say the Rapture must be near because technology now exists for the mark of the beast, global surveillance, digital currency, or the worldwide viewing of the Two Witnesses in Revelation 11. But the Bible never says smartphones, livestreaming, biometric IDs, or digital currency must exist before the Rapture. Those are modern inferences only. They may help us imagine how Tribulation events could unfold, but they are not biblical prerequisites. This distinction is extremely important: prophetic points of interest are not the same as prophetic signs. A point of interest may help us understand possible future mechanisms. A sign is a biblically predicted event that must occur before another event. The Rapture has no such signs. Therefore, technological developments may be interesting, but they do not prove it is near. They offer us no predictability and therefore do not function as signs. Some signs-watchers also appeal to Luke 21:28: “when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” They take this as an instruction to the Church to watch for signs and "your redemption" to refer to the Rapture. But again, Jesus's reference to “these things” are the events of the Tribulation discourse that He had just explicitly detailed (as was noted earlier in our mention of the parallel Matthew 24 discourse). It is not the Church but the people in the judgment phase of the broad Day of the Lord who see "these things" begin to happen, and can therefore know that the climactic visible return of Christ and Kingdom deliverance is next to occur. It does not turn Tribulation signs into Church Age Rapture signs since these signs are not present until after the Church is removed. Others appeal to Jesus’ rebuke of the unbelieving Pharisees in Matthew 16:1-3: “Can ye not discern the signs of the times?” But in context, Jesus was rebuking Israel’s leaders for failing to recognize the prophesied signs of His First Coming, which Israel (not the Church) was expected to be aware of. Why were they expected to be aware of these things? Because they were given a precise prophetic "countdown to the Messiah" in the Daniel 9:25 prophecy. In addition to that, they were also given hundreds of specific messianic prophecies in the Hebrew scriptures that would help them recognize Him when He arrived. So, unlike the Church and the Rapture, Israel was expected to anticipate the timing of the messianic First Coming since they were actually given signs and a countdown. The Church was given neither. In fact, we were promised the direct opposite: "Be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh" (Matthew 24:44). It is an embarrassingly sloppy category error to take a rebuke concerning the wicked Pharisees' failure to recognize Messiah’s First Coming and turn it into a mandate for godly Christians to watch modern headlines for Rapture timing indicators. The “season” argument is perhaps the most popular attempt to merge signs with imminence. Many will appeal to passages such as 1 Thessalonians 5:1 (“But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you”) and argue that while no one knows the exact “day or hour,” believers can still recognize a general prophetic season through observable signs. But this reasoning quickly collapses under the slightest bit of scrutiny. It turns out that this is the direct opposite of what Paul was actually saying in 1 Thessalonians 5. Rather than suggesting that the Thessalonians required no further instruction about the times and seasons because they already knew of certain prophetic signs, Paul’s point is actually the opposite: they had no need for additional explanation regarding the timing because the doctrine of imminence had already been made sufficiently clear to them through prior teaching – particularly through the teachings of Jesus found, for example, in the latter portion of the Olivet Discourse. As noted earlier, beginning in verse 36 of Matthew 24, Jesus discussed the total suddenness, signlessness, and unpredictability (imminence) of the beginning of the broad period of His coming (parousia). When the similarities between 1 Thessalonians 5 and Matthew 24:36ff are noted, it becomes obvious that Paul was drawing on this teaching by Jesus in his own teaching on the imminence of the Day of the Lord. This is clear in light of his usage of many of the same idioms seen in the latter half of the Olivet Discourse (the unpredictable coming of the thief in the night, the sudden onset of judgment out of a context of routine normalcy, the simultaneous removal of the righteous and outpouring of judgment on the wicked who are left, et al.). Since the entire point of the latter half of Jesus's discourse was entirely predicated on imminence, then it is obvious why Paul's Thessalonian readers would not need further elaboration from him on the issue of the timing. But this insight of the similarities between 1 Thessalonians 5 and the latter half of the Olivet Discourse is not needed in order to arrive at this conclusion. Simple reading comprehension will suffice. Paul's point is not easily mistakable. After referring to the Thessalonians not needing further commentary on the "times and the seasons" in verse 1, he then explicitly states in verse 2 why this is not needed: "For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night." In other words, the Thessalonians' full awareness of the unpredictability of the timing was precisely why they needed no further explanation. Thus, it is difficult to understand how signs-watchers can so carelessly interpret this verse to mean the opposite. The proper “season” of expectancy therefore is not a future sign-based window, but the entire Church Age itself. The Church has lived in the "season" of imminence ever since the Church Age began. High watch days, feast-day speculation, and Rapture windows commit the same error. Whether one points to Pentecost, Trumpets, eclipses, blood moons, geopolitical meetings, or numerical patterns, the result is the same: expectation and attention is shifted from Christ Himself to a proposed timing clue. This is not biblical watchfulness; in fact, it blatantly violates biblical watchfulness. It is sanctified date-setting speculation by people who, like the rest of us, truly have no actual clue about the timing of the Rapture. Some of these practices may avoid predicting the exact day, but still violate imminence since the entire premise of imminence is unpredictability; while the entire premise of signs-watching is predictability. Others are worse, implying that some days are more prophetically likely for the Rapture to happen than others. For example, a "high watch day" by definition is a specific day on which date-setters do believe the Rapture is likely or definite to happen. But Jesus' instruction was always the direct opposite: "for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 24:44). His promise was to come on a day we cannot predict; not a day we can predict. The New Testament does not present the Rapture as more likely on one day than another (an idea incompatible with imminence). It presents Christ as always possible. That's what creates the logical force of imminence. The believer is to live ready now. Not after a treaty, or after a temple, or after apostasy reaches some undefined level, or after technology develops, or after Israel achieves certain things. It is possible now! Is there an actual purpose behind Jesus's establishing of the doctrine of imminence? The spiritual purpose of imminence is not curiosity but consecration. Imminence produces holiness, watchfulness, comfort, endurance, and evangelistic urgency. 1 John 3:2-3 connects the hope of seeing Christ with spiritual purification: “every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” The blessed hope is meant to cleanse the believer’s life, not feed prophetic sensationalism or provide so-called "prophecy teachers" with gainful employment through the YouTube monetization of false hype. Sign-watching is not edifying, but rather is spiritually dangerous. It can create excitement, but it produces the wrong kind of excitement. It generates a temporary thrill in direct disobedience to the clear teaching of the Lord. It causes people to "watch" unbiblically. It trains Christians to live by the news cycle instead of the true blessed hope. It encourages believers to be more excited about certain days than other days. It also produces repeated disappointment when alleged signs fail to lead to the Rapture. After enough failed “convergences,” believers either become cynical or double down on speculation, venturing further into horrible interpretive practices. Neither is healthy. It is also an awful witness to the world, bringing continual compounded shame and reproach on the Word of God and on His Church after each failed prediction. A consistent pretribulational dispensational approach must therefore distinguish between three categories: First, there are signs for Israel and the nations that relate to the Tribulation and Second Coming proper. Second, there are general Church Age characteristics, such as apostasy, false teaching, moral decline, persecution, and scoffing. Third, there are modern prophetic points of interest that may help us imagine how future prophecy could unfold but do not function as biblical signs. Only the first category contains true prophetic signs, and those signs do not precede the Rapture of the Church, neither can they provide any timing predictors. The second category describes the expected characteristics of the present age but does not measure Rapture nearness. The third category may be interesting but is speculative, non-authoritative, and not intended to function in a predictive manner. So then, the contradiction is both simple and unavoidable. If specific signs must occur before the Rapture can take place, then the Rapture is not truly imminent. And if the Rapture is truly imminent, then no signs can be required before it. These two propositions cannot be harmonized without redefining the word "imminent" itself. One cannot consistently claim that “Christ could come today” while simultaneously insisting that Christ cannot come until apostasy reaches a certain level, a temple is rebuilt, digital infrastructure is established, or geopolitical alignments fall into place. That is a direct contradiction between mutually exclusive ideas. The biblical position is both simpler and far more consistent. We have one simple instruction: watch (meaning be ready) for Jesus at all times. The Church is not called to watch for signs, but for the Savior Himself. Certainly, apostasy may continue to spread, the world may grow increasingly hostile to truth, technology may continue advancing, and Israel may remain central within God’s prophetic program. Yet, none of those developments function as prophetic prerequisites that must occur before Christ can come for His Church, nor can they offer timing insights. The expectancy taught throughout the New Testament was not limited to one final generation living within a unique prophetic “window,” but was the constant posture of believers throughout the entire Church Age. Christ could have come in the first century, in the tenth century, before the modern regathering of Israel, before the rise of modern technology, or before any of the developments many today treat as necessary prophetic indicators. And for that very reason, He could still come today. That is imminence! And once imminence is properly defined, sign-watching cannot be smuggled into it like a piece of unbiblical contraband by those attempting to monetize eschatology. What we know about the Rapture from scripture is quite clear: The Rapture is certain in occurrence, uncertain in timing, and signless in expectation. The believer’s command is not to begin looking for Christ once you see some signs. The command is to watch at all times. Be ready at all times. Be faithful at all times. Be holy at all times. Be comforted at all times. Be looking for Him at all times. Because He can come at all times! The blessed hope is not a prophetic puzzle. The blessed hope is a Person! And He is still coming soon! Maranatha! [1] Renald Showers, Maranatha: Our Lord, Come! Bellmawr, NJ: Friends of Israel, 1995, p. 127. [2] Wayne A. Brindle, “Imminence” in The Popular Encyclopedia of Bible Prophecy, eds. Tim Lahaye and Ed Hindson, Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2004, p. 144. [3] 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18 Commentary, PreceptAustin.org. (https://www.preceptaustin.org/1thessalonians_417-18 - Retrieved 10/24/23) [4] Ray C. Stedman, transcript of spoken message “Are These the Last Days?” given June 8, 1980, RayStedman.org. (https://www.raystedman.org/thematic-studies/prophecy/are-these-the-last-days - Retrieved 11/28/22)

(From the study "Should Christians Support Israel?") Oil painting by Alex Levin, https://artlevin.com So far in "Part 1" and "Part 2" of this article series, we have already demonstrated from scripture that Israel’s first worldwide regathering in unbelief must be the modern regathering in the current State of Israel. We have witnessed this return over the past century or so. But in order to recognize even more fully just how much modern Israel really is a part of God’s plan, we will now focus our attention on several Biblical characteristics of this regathering. Doing so will enable us to appreciate this with precise detail. So, we will shift our focus back to the first regathering that we have witnessed in recent times involving the modern Jewish State. Israel's First Worldwide Regathering Will be Through Persecution and For Judgment A key prophetic aspect that we need to be aware of regarding the current State of Israel and their present-day regathering has to do with the way in which this regathering has occurred. The Bible even gives us the specifics on the stimulus for this regathering. It tells us that they will be regathered through the means of being “fished” and “hunted” – or in other words, through persecution. This is outlined for us in Jeremiah 16:15-16. But, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers. Behold, I will send for many fishers [or fishermen], saith the Lord, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks. -Jeremiah 16:15-16 Here, Jeremiah predicts a worldwide regathering of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel through the means of persecution. In Verse 16, this means of persecution is metaphorically described as involving “fishermen” and “hunters” whose actions will essentially chase the Jewish people back to their land. These pursuers, said to be sent by God, have been used to force the Jewish people to return back to their land in preparation for the events of judgment that will result in their final restoration. In an article entitled “Is the Modern State of Israel Prophetically Significant?” author and scholar Randall Price concludes: The modern history of Israel reveals that persecution has been the leading cause of the Jewish return to the Land. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries czarist pogroms and Polish economic discrimination in Eastern Europe motivated the creation of the Zionist Movement. During the Second World War, the attempted genocide of Jews during the Nazi holocaust encouraged international sympathy for the Jewish plight and led to the creation of the State of Israel. The Arab-Israel war of 1948-49 then forced Jews from Arab lands and later Soviet repression forced over a million Jews to immigrate to Israel. Over fifty years Israel has had to fight five major wars with its Arab neighbors for its survival and wage an on-going war of attrition with the Palestinians that during last decade Jews has resulted in a growing hostility in the international community toward Israel and provoked a renewed anti-Semitism in Europe. These "fishermen" and "hunters" continue to drive otherwise complacent Jews from the Diaspora to find safe haven in the Jewish State. If this modern history of events has occurred as these prophetic texts have predicted, how can we not say that the modern State of Israel is prophetically significant? [1] Israel Will Be Regathered to the Land in Stages Those who deny the prophetic significance of the modern return of the Jewish people often point out that the return has been only partial (meaning it has included only part of the Jewish people returning to only part of the land). In addition, some also object by saying the return is secular, and not spiritual in nature. However, we should understand that these objections are invalidated by scripture (as we've already shown in the previous two articles of this series). It is a misconception and a non-scriptural idea to expect that all of the Jewish people would return to the land immediately, all at once, when the process of national regathering began. It’s also a misconception that the regathering would be only spiritual in nature. To the contrary, as we’ve seen in the first two articles, the Bible prophetically reveals that the regathering would take place in two stages – a regathering before the Tribulation and a regathering before the Millennium. Furthermore, this is also clearly depicted in Ezekiel’s well-known vision of Israel’s restoration. Recorded in Ezekiel Chapter 37, this vision uses the imagery of a valley of dry bones (referring to Israel’s state of physical and spiritual deadness) that slowly and through several stages begin to experience restoration to life. It portrays a progressive physical restoration that ultimately ends in spiritual restoration. Professor Michael Rydelnik writes: The bones come to life in stages: first sinews on the bones, then flesh, then skin, and finally, breath of life (Ezekiel 37:6-10). Then God told Ezekiel that "these bones are the whole house of Israel" (Verse 11) and their restoration is a picture of the way God will bring them "back to the Land of Israel" (Verse 12). [2] Through this vision, we can recognize a prophetic pattern that reveals sequential stages of restoration: first a progressive physical regathering to the land, followed by a spiritual regathering to the Lord. Since this first regathering takes place in spiritual unbelief, then of course we should expect it to be a regathering characterized by secular and political means. That is exactly what we observe with the modern re-establishment of the secular Jewish State. So, this is not a reason to deny the prophetic significance of the modern regathering. Clearly, the opposite is true. Scripture requires it to be this way. Additionally, we would totally expect that a regathering of this nature (secular and political) would only result in a partial physical regathering. Total restoration cannot take place without a spiritual movement. Further, since this regathering is partial, it leaves the remainder of the Jewish population still living outside of the land. This is a necessity since the Bible teaches two regatherings. If the initial regathering was total, then how could there be a second one? There would be no Jews remaining to be regathered. So, again, this idea of a partial regathering is not unscriptural. Rather, it is a Biblical requirement. But even with the initial regathering being only partial, it still remains in perfect harmony with the prophesied pattern of a worldwide regathering. Geographically, we can see that Jews have returned from “the four corners of the earth,” just as Scripture anticipated. Randall Price concludes: The second regathering, then, which would follow a time of worldwide Jewish persecution in the Tribulation will result not only in Israel’s seeking deliverance physically but also spiritually in a time of national repentance (Luke 21:25-28). Therefore, just as the Jewish dispersion occurred in successive stages over time (722 B.C., 586 B.C., A.D. 70, A.D. 115, et. al), so the Jewish regathering can be seen to occur in stages modern and future (before the Tribulation, e.g. 1897, 1948, 1967, and at the end of the Tribulation). If the regathering is in stages, and the first regathering of the Jewish people to their Land is the historic modern regathering, how can we not say that the modern State of Israel is prophetically significant? [3] Modern Israel Parallels the Israel Expected to Exist During the End-Times In his article, Price observes that historically, Christians embracing a futurist and a consistent literal view of eschatology fully expected that at some point in history, the following would occur: the Jewish people would have to return to their ancient homeland, “the land of Israel” they would have to regain their national status as “the people of Israel” they would again be in an adversarial position with the Gentile nations Interestingly, all of these expectations have currently been fulfilled! Why did futurists and literalists always expect these conditions to come about? The simple answer is that they are all required by clear scriptural prophecies describing Israel in the end-times. Anyone who reads these prophecies from a literal perspective (and does not try to allegorize or spiritualize them away) could recognize the requirement of their future literal fulfillment. The prophecy of Gog and Magog in Ezekiel Chapters 38-39 is a good example. Price notes: Set in an eschatological context (Ezekiel 33-48), the text specifically states that its fulfillment "will come about in the last days" (38:16). At this time "the people of Israel" are described as living in "the cities of Israel" in "the Land of Israel" (38:14, 18-19; 39:9). According to Ezekiel 37:25 this Land is "the land that I (God) gave to Jacob (Israel) My servant, in which your fathers lived." Ezekiel 38:8 also states that the Jewish People who had retuned to the Land had been "gathered from many nations" (a worldwide regathering). The regathering of Jews from exile in 538 B.C. had only been from one nation (Babylon). Only in our modern period have we witnessed a regathering of Jews to Israel from "many nations" in accord with this prophecy. Ezekiel’s Gog and Magog prophecy also speaks of "the mountains of Israel" (39:2, 4, 17). This mountainous region that extends the length of the country did not become a part of the modern State until after the Six Day War of 1967. Only then could this region again be properly called "the mountains of Israel." Before this date it was under a succession of foreign rulers until wrested from Jordan (who last controlled it from 1948-1967). This is in harmony with Ezekiel 38:8, 12 which states that this mountainous land, before being restored to Israel, had been under "the sword" (foreign dominion). The text further states that the Land had been "a continual waste." History affirms that under foreign domination, and especially under the 400 years of Ottoman Turkish domination, the once fertile mountain region (particularly in the north) had been denuded and had eroded into a wasteland. [4] As Price notes, some have attempted to claim that the restoration being spoken of was the one that occurred in the 530s BC as the captive Jews were allowed to return to Israel after seventy years of Babylonian exile. However, a careful reading of this prophecy eliminates that return as being the fulfillment spoken of, as it was only a migration from one nation (Babylon). The prophecy requires the return to be worldwide, from “many nations.” Only in modern times have we witnessed a regathering of this kind. The many points of similarity between the conditions required by Ezekiel 38 and those of the modern regathering make it clear that this is the one intended. Price concludes: Therefore, Ezekiel 38-39 demonstrates that an Israel with the conditions presently experienced by the modern State was predicted to exist before final prophetic fulfillment would be possible. Other texts also reveal that the Israel of the end time will have conditions that parallel those existing in the modern Jewish State. Daniel 9:27 depicts Israel in the Land, in possession of the Land, and in the city of Jerusalem when the seventieth week of Daniel starts. It also speaks of a "covenant" being made between the Jewish leadership ("the many") and a foreign leader ("the prince that shall come," verse 26). In order for any covenant to be legally binding and enforceable, both parties must be recognized entities that have the authority and power to fulfill the terms of the agreement. Since this verse implies that the covenant has something to do with the restoration of the Temple and the sacrificial system, it is understood that the Jewish leaders have a control in the city that qualifies them as partners in the contract. Matthew 24:16 likewise implies that Jewish law (the Sabbath) is being observed in the Land, another factor that indicates Jewish control of the city or at least freedom from foreign rule that would restrict the free exercise of the Jewish religion. Today, the modern Jewish State fulfills all of these conditions, including having sovereignty (whether fully exercised or not) over the Temple Mount. If the modern State of Israel parallels the Israel of the end times, how can we not say that the modern State of Israel is prophetically significant? [5] After examining all of this evidence, our overall conclusion is simple: the creation of the modern Jewish State in 1948 has the prophetic significance of beginning the process of the regathering of Israel from the nations (the first regathering in unbelief in preparation for end-times judgment), which will be followed by a further regathering (the second regathering in faith) after the Tribulation, in preparation for the time of Israel’s full physical and spiritual restoration in the Millennial Kingdom. This is the result of a plain, literal reading of scripture, and it aligns perfectly with what we can observe in real time as we've watched the nation of Israel emerge back onto the world scene. So then in conclusion, if modern Israel is prophetically significant, and we know that God’s plan is to ultimately use this process to bring them to national salvation, then it should be clear what the attitude of the Bible-believing Christian should be towards Israel as well as the Jewish people. Our viewpoint towards them should mirror the mind of God – He still loves them, has plans for their future, and ultimately will get them back! Our attitudes as Christians should be in line with this. [1] Randall Price, “Is the Modern State of Israel Prophetically Significant?” Pre-Trib.org. (https://www.pre-trib.org/articles/dr-randall-price/message/is-the-modern-state-of-israel-prophetically-significant/read - Retrieved 11/10/20) [2] Michael Rydelnik, Understanding the Arab-Israeli Conflict, Chicago: Moody Press, 2004, p. 119. [3] Price. [4] Ibid. [5] Ibid.

(From the study "Understanding The Distinction Between Israel And The Church") It is somewhat common in scripture for a prophecy to, in the course of a single line, or even in the space of a comma, jump from one fulfillment event to another, being hundreds or even thousands of years apart. This is a common occurrence in Bible prophecy due to the hidden nature of the Church Age in prophetic God’s program. Between the “mountain peaks” of Bible prophecy is the “valley” of the Church Age, which was hidden from view to the Old Testament prophets. Their prophecies often discuss events fulfilled at Christ’s First Coming and seemingly flow right into events that will take place at His Second Coming (two prophetic "mountain peak" events). Through the benefit of hindsight, we can now see that they skip over the several thousand years we’ve experienced so far in the Church Age. If while initially reading them, you didn’t already know there was a mystery gap period (the Church Age) inserted in between, you’d think they were all continuous and uninterrupted prophecies. A prime example of this is the clear gap between Zechariah 9:9 and 9:10. Verse 9 is a clear prophecy related to Jesus’ First Coming, describing His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem several days prior to His crucifixion. Verse 10 then immediately moves to a Second Coming context, prophetically describing the glorious return of Christ as the conquering Messiah who will defeat His enemies and establish His Millennial reign on earth. Verse 9: Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. Verse 10: And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth. -Zechariah 9:9-10 From an Old Testament perspective prior to Christ, one would be hard-pressed to recognize a prophetic gap that separates these two verses. No such gap is obvious in the text. But by virtue of hindsight, the gap becomes clear. Between the events of Christ’s two comings lies the Church Age, a mystery intercalation in God’s program. Scholar Warren Wiersbe writes: The entire age of the church fits between Zechariah 9:9 and 9:10, just as it does between Isaiah 9:6 and 7 and after the comma in Isaiah 61:2. [1] As Wiersbe notes, this prophetic gap is also obvious in Isaiah 9:6-7. Note how clearly the beginning of Verse 6 refers to the First Coming, but then immediately shifts to Second Coming events. Verse 6: 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. Verse 7: 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. -Isaiah 9:6-7 Isaiah’s prophecy of a child being born and a son being given obviously refers to Jesus’ incarnation at His First Coming. But then the passage immediately transitions to a Second Coming context in everything that follows. While Wiersbe suggests that the transition takes place between the two verses, we must point out that the government has never yet been upon Jesus’ shoulder. This will not take place until He establishes His earthly reign following His Second Coming. Jesus has also never been called “Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” by the Jewish nation to which He was sent and to whom this prophecy was given. This will not occur until all of Israel is brought to faith around the time of the Second Coming and establishment of the Millennial Kingdom. Therefore, the gap is actually located in Verse 6 between the phrases "unto us a son is given" and "and the government shall be upon his shoulder." Verse 7 then continues to describe the establishment of Christ's earthly reign in the Millennial Kingdom, which follows the Second Coming. So, again, without the benefit of hindsight, it would seem as if these prophecies flow together. But because we can look back on them with the clarity of New Testament revelation, it becomes obvious that a mystery time-gap separates them. Wiersbe also mentions Isaiah 61:2, possibly the most classic example of this “hidden gap” phenomena in all of scripture. Jesus Christ Himself interpreted this for us in Luke 4:16-19. This passage records how at the beginning of His ministry, Jesus stood up in the synagogue when it was His turn to read, and opened to the book of the prophet Isaiah. He proceeded to read Isaiah 61:1-2, proclaiming His mission at His First Coming. He finishes with His mandate: “To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” What you probably wouldn’t realize without going back to Isaiah to read the original prophecy, is that Jesus stopped reading right in the middle of the sentence! The rest reads, “and the day of vengeance of our God…” Jesus stopped reading at the comma that preceded “and the day of vengeance of our God…” He left that last segment out. Why? Because we now understand that after that comma, the prophecy jumped from the time of the Messiah’s First Coming to some several thousand years or more into the future – past the present time in which we are now living, to the time of His Second Coming. The “day of vengeance” was not part of His mission during His First Coming, but it will be fulfilled at His Second Coming. So, in the original prophecy in Isaiah, we see that one comma separated several thousand years of history (to date), but this gap would have been unknown and undetectable to the original readers. We need to recognize that the Church was a mystery entity hidden throughout the Old Testament. Some have illustrated this concept as a series of mountain peaks, separated by a valley that lay in between. The first mountain peak represents the events of the First Coming of the Messiah, and the next taller mountain peaks represent the events of the Second Coming and then the Millennial Kingdom that immediately follows. In between the first two peaks sits a valley encompassing the Church Age, which was below the line of vision for the prophets. They could see the mountain peaks in the distance, and from their view, they seemed to follow each other sequentially without gaps or interruptions. But from their vantage point, they couldn’t tell that between the mountains was a valley. In other words, they couldn’t know that there was a two thousand-or-more-year Church Age that separated the events they saw. All of these things were beneath their line of sight. This truth is taught consistently in the scriptures, as we see from the words of Jesus Himself in Matthew 13. Jesus’s disciples asked Him why He spoke in parables. His response alluded to this coming “valley,” or period of time we now call the church, as being a time which the Old Testament prophets could not see. 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 [the unbelieving] 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. -Matthew 13:10-17 In other words, due to God's foreknowledge of Israel's national unbelief, there was a mystery age inserted in between the two mountain peaks that the prophets were not permitted to foresee. Knowing that the nation of Israel would reject His Messiah, God had planned a hidden age that was not disclosed until later on in Jesus’s earthly ministry. When it became clear that the nation would reject Him as their King, it was only then that Jesus began to reveal this truth of a mystery age that would occur prior to the introduction of His Kingdom. This is taught also in 1 Peter. Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: -1 Peter 1:10 Peter states that the prophets did not have the full disclosure of the salvation that would occur during the Church Age. They were given prophecies of the First Coming, which portrayed the Messiah as the “Suffering Servant.” They were given prophecies of the Second Coming, which portrayed the Messiah as the “Conquering King” who would introduce the Kingdom reign. While the prophets were shown these distinct “mountain peaks” of prophecy, they were unable to see the “valley” of the Church Age that lay between them. Therefore, they could not fully understand how the hazy and seemingly-contradictory prophesies of the Old Testament would come to pass. But when Israel as a nation rejected her Messiah at His First Coming, the Kingdom Age was postponed, and God introduced His mystery plan for a new entity called the Church! Although the Church began with the Jewish followers of Jesus as they received this New Covenant Spirit outpouring on Pentecost, this outpouring was soon extended to the Gentiles (Acts 10 and following), as this mystery hidden Church Age was inaugurated. The hidden nature of the Church Age is evident in the disciples’ confusion regarding what would “come next” after Jesus's resurrection. To the Jewish mind, the Church was an unknown and unexpected entity. It was completely concealed. As Jews, the disciples instead looked forward to the Messianic Age that was promised, in which their Messiah would rule on earth as a descendant of David. This is made clear for us in the following exchange between Jesus and His disciples. And, [Jesus] being assembled together with them [the disciples], commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he [Jesus] said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. -Acts 1:4-8 Here, following Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection, the disciples were still confused as to what was to follow. They had it in their minds that the next thing to transpire was Jesus, as the Messiah, introducing the earthly Messianic Kingdom. They had no concept that His true purpose – hidden in the Old Testament – was His bride the Church, the centerpiece of His plan from the beginning (Revelation 13:8)! When they asked Him if Israel’s restoration through the Messianic Kingdom was to follow, Jesus essentially brushed off their question, letting them know that the earthly Kingdom was irrelevant for them at that moment. Christ didn’t deny that such a Kingdom would one day come, but it wasn’t the focus at that time. Instead, their true identity and purpose was far greater: to participate in the formation of the Church – the body and bride of Christ – which would introduce the spiritual aspects of the New Covenant. This idea of an intervening period of a Church Age that would unite Jew and Gentile as one in the body of Christ was a totally unexpected possibility for them. This truth, however, is most clearly revealed in the writings of Paul, who more than any other was given the privilege of expounding upon the doctrine of the Church, which he consistently referred to as a “mystery.” That word in Greek is mystērion (Strong’s # G3466), and has a slightly different meaning than our same word does in English. In the Greek New Testament, mystērion is a term normally used to refer to “that which has been kept secret by God in the past, but which He has now chosen to reveal.” [2] We see this in Paul's letter to the Romans: Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery [mystērion], which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: -Romans 16:25-26 Paul states that the gospel of Jesus Christ, which would be made available to all nations (a description of the Church Age) was a mystery that was kept secret since the world began – but had not yet been made manifest (or revealed). He also teaches this truth in his Epistle to the Ephesians: Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery [mystērion] of Christ which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: -Ephesians 3:4-5 Paul teaches that the Church (comprised of Jews and Gentiles becoming one body in Christ through the gospel) was a mystery that was not made known to earlier generations. It was only now revealed through the apostles and prophets of the Church Age. Later in this letter, Paul refers to the bride of Christ (the Church) in this same way. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery [mystērion]: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. -Ephesians 5:31-32 The very existence of the Church was a great mystery that was unknown to previous audiences. The Church Age is an intercalation in God's dealings with Israel. It is a mystery that was hidden. Once again, Paul confirms this in his letter to the Colossians: Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; Even the mystery [mystērion] which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: -Colossians 1:25-27 So, we can recognize the pervasive teaching of the hidden nature of the Church (and the Church Age) throughout the Old Testament. Between the “mountain peaks” of prophetic revelation laid a valley called the Church Age that was undisclosed to the Old Testament prophets. Conclusion Why did God disclose prophecy in this way? We suggest that God had to construct the prophetic narrative in a way that could fit either of two scenarios: One in which Israel rejects her Messiah (necessitating an intervening Church Age). One in which Israel accepts her Messiah (and theoretically, the Day of the Lord and glorious inauguration of the Messianic Kingdom could have immediately followed). Of course, God foreknew which option Israel would choose (and even revealed as much in prophetic passages such as Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22). But He disclosed prophecy in a way that allowed Israel to control their own destiny without the overt assumption that they would fail. When they ultimately did fail by rejecting their Messiah, they brought to light the true issue: humanity's need for the Messiah's death on the cross and the redemption it purchased. There could be no contiguous Kingdom without first the sacrifice of the Savior. But God's prophetic plan allowed for the insertion of an intervening gap of time in which the death and resurrection of the Messiah, as well as the subsequent Church Age could occur. In this way, we can appreciate how God foreknew humanity's need of redemption and the eventual failure of the nation of Israel at the initial coming of her Messiah. None of this was a last-minute surprise to God. His plan was multidimensional, and seamlessly accounted for these eventualities! Only He could have put together such a plan! [1] Warren W. Wiersbe, “Zechariah” in The Bible Exposition Commentary: The Prophets, Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2002, pp. 447-476. [2] Expository Dictionary of Bible Words, ed. Stephen D. Renn, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2005, p. 659.