Through the Bible with Les Feldick
LESSON 2 * PART 2 * BOOK 66
BUT GOD! (Confirming the promises) – Part 2
MATTHEW 16:15 – But whom say ye that I am?
It is good to see everybody once again. You had a good long break that time, so those of you in the studio can be turning back to where we left off in Genesis chapter 3 verse 15. For those of you joining us on television, again, we just can’t thank you enough for your prayers, your kind letters, and your financial help. All we can say is we thank you from the depths of our heart and ask you to pray with us that the Lord will just continue to reach out to hungry hearts, because the world is hungry for the Word of God. They don’t know what they’re hungry for until they get a taste of it, and then they can latch onto it.
We’re surprised so many times, it shocks me, when people, after watching just one program, will just — they’re at a loss for words. In fact, I guess the extreme was with one individual who called. They had just watched one program and ordered all 65 books. I told Iris, “Now, boy, that’s taking a chance on somebody, isn’t it? You listen to him for thirty minutes and then you turn around and spend $380.” But it’s just how the Lord opens hearts and lives. We just give Him all the praise for it. So, we do, we thank you for every part of it.
Okay, we’ll keep right on where we’ve been. We’ve got a lot to cover, and time goes so fast. Go back with me to chapter 3 of Genesis, and remember how we kicked off in our last program from Matthew 16, where Jesus confronts the Twelve just shortly before going up to Jerusalem and the crucifixion. He asks them who the children of Israel really think He is. You remember the answer? Some thought he was John the Baptist, some thought Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the other prophets. Then Jesus came back and said, “But whom do you say that I am.” Peter’s answer was, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Not who died for us and rose from the dead. That’s not in there. All Peter knows is that He was the Messiah, the Promised One through the Old Testament, and that He was who He said He was.
All right, so now what we’re doing is coming back and picking up what Paul referred to in the verse we used in the last half-hour, in Romans 15 verse 8. You remember when he said, “That Jesus Christ was the minister of the circumcision for the truth of God to (What?) fulfill (or bring to fruition) all the promises made unto the fathers (of the Old Testament).“ All right, so that’s what we’re doing now. We are going to look at a few of the references that, no doubt, Peter had an understanding of when he could now claim, without a shadow of a doubt, that this was indeed that promised Messiah. Remember that that’s the heart of the Gospel of the Kingdom, to believe who He was.
All right, we were in Genesis chapter 3 when we ended our last program. The verse that almost anyone who has any understanding of the Scriptures knows, where Jesus is dealing with Satan and He makes the statement, “I will put enmity (or a constant confrontation) between you and the woman.” Now, as I said in the last program, that’s always been kind of a tough nut to crack. I’ve always left it with the physical “woman,” and the various trials and tribulations that women have, especially in child bearing, which, of course, is alluded to in the next verse. I ordinarily do not do this when I teach. If I can’t be positive, I usually don’t say anything. But I had one of my listeners write some time ago, and he threw something out at me that I’ve never had anybody refer to before. He said, “Les, could it be that the woman in Genesis 3:15 is the Nation of Israel?”
And you know it just tickled my funny bone. Yeah! That makes sense. Now, I’m not setting that in concrete. Don’t go out and tell everybody this is what Les Feldick said. It’s just something that you can think about, and as you look at all the rest of Scripture, what other segment of all of the human race has had more confrontation with Satan and satanic powers than the Nation of Israel?
Even right now, today, as we speak, what is Satan trying to do? Destroy the Nation of Israel in any which way he can. Whether it’s through boycotting their goods from Europe, whether it’s the Arab world saying we’re going to drive them into the sea, or whether it’s the United Nations out of all their prejudices against Israel never having a single resolution in favor of Israel. Never a single one! It’s always against them. So, here’s my food for thought. Just run it by your thinking as you consider Scripture. Is this what God was already referring to?
Because for the next 2000 years there’s not much that really happens, spiritually speaking. It’s a sorry scenario all the way from the expulsion up to the flood. Then we have the Tower of Babel until we get to the call of Abraham. That, of course, is the appearance of the Nation of Israel. Then it’s really obvious. So anyway, we still can come back and say that from this verse we have that scarlet thread of redemption that runs all the way through Scripture. I don’t think that there’s a book in this Bible that doesn’t have something in reference to God’s plan of redemption, especially after Israel becomes a nation.
All right, now let’s move from Genesis up to the next book in our Old Testament. Go to Exodus chapter 19, because these are all Scriptures that, I’m sure, by the end of Christ’s three years of earthly ministry, Peter and the others had a pretty good handle on. Because being with Him every day for three years, they must have spent a good share of time in the Old Testament Scriptures. They must have. I’ve heard that before, haven’t I?
Okay, Exodus 19 and drop in at verse 6, now remember again the scenario. Israel is just recently brought out of Egypt. They’re gathered around Mount Sinai. God has called Moses up into the mountain. This is what He tells him, starting at verse 5.
Exodus 19:5a
“Now therefore, if (It’s conditional.) ye (We’re speaking of the Nation of Israel as a whole, not just Moses.) will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, (Which He’s going to give in chapter 20, the covenant of Law.) then ye shall be a peculiar (Now the word peculiar in Scripture does not mean oddball. It means of intrinsic value.) treasure unto me above all people:…” Now, where does that put the Nation of Israel In that role of the favored nation. The covenant people.
Whatever you want to call them, they are head and shoulders above the rest of the world. As soon as that made its appearance, Satan goes to work, and he hasn’t quit to this very day. All right, but let’s read on.
Exodus 19:5b-6a
“…ye shall be a treasure unto me above all people: (God can do it because He’s Sovereign.) for all the earth is mine: 6. And ye (the Nation) shall be unto me a kingdom of (What?) priests,…” Now, if you’re going to have a Kingdom, it’s natural you’re going to have a what? You’re going to have a King.
So, here is the first inkling of a coming King and Kingdom that is particularly associated with the Nation of Israel. When they would have that King and that Kingdom, every Jew, not just the tribe of Levi, but every Jew, was going to be a representative of the King and Jehovah their God, as a priest is in a religious scenario. That was their prospect, that every Jew was to become a priest, and they were to be a holy, or a set apart, nation.
All right, so all this is setting the stage now to bring us up to what Peter was saying when he said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” All right, now let’s come from Exodus up to Psalms. No, I want to stop at II Samuel chapter 7. We use that quite a lot. II Samuel chapter 7, where again we have the prospect of the royal family, starting with King David, and which we refer to then as the “House of David.” It’s that royal family line that began with David, then went on and branched out through Solomon and Nathan and down those two family trees all the way to the coming of Christ at His first advent, His birth in Bethlehem.
All right, so II Samuel chapter 7, God is now dealing with King David, a thousand years before Christ, already three thousand years since Adam, and one thousand since the call of Abraham. All right, and now He says to David in verse 16:
II Samuel 7:16
“And thine house (The royal family that’s going to start with you.) and thy kingdom (We’ve got this constant reference now to this coming Kingdom promised to Israel, over which their Messiah will rule and reign.) shall be established forever before thee: thy throne (That’s why we refer to the throne of David.) shall be established for ever.” That’s why we refer to Christ so often as the Son of David, so far as His rule and reign is concerned. He will rule from David’s throne in Jerusalem.
All right, now let’s move up to the Book of Job. It is one of the oldest books of the Bible. I never try to put a time frame on it, as to when Job lived and wrote, because I’ve never read any two people that agree anyway. So, I’m not going to try and settle that argument. But nevertheless, he makes a striking statement in Job 19. I think we may have referred to it in our last taping. Job 19 verse 25, now don’t forget what I’m proving. Peter said to Jesus, “Thou art the Christ, (thou art the Messiah), the Son of the Living God,” and Paul says that, “Jesus Christ was the minister of the circumcision to fulfill the promises made to the fathers.” Those are the two things that I’m trying to show here.
Peter had an understanding that all this has been prophesied and that Christ had now come to fulfill them. Job 19 verse 25, one of the oldest books in our Bible, and look what he’s already saying.
Job 19:25a
“For I know that my redeemer liveth,…” Now, you want to remember the whole concept of the Messiah was that He would be a Redeemer. He would pay the sin debt as well as be a ruling King and benevolent Monarch. That was all part of the big picture. He was going to bless them physically but also spiritually.
Job 19:25
“I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the (Portals of heaven? That’s the way most of Christendom likes to look at it, you know? No, don’t say that. He’s going to stand where?) upon the earth.” This glorious Kingdom is going to be here on earth. He’s going to rule from David’s throne on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, and old Job had the inspiration to write it.
Job 19:25-26
“I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. (And now here comes resurrection.) 26. And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:” What flesh? Resurrected! The old flesh and bones that went into the earth will never do it, but it’ll be resurrected.
The same way with us if we don’t experience the Lord’s coming before we die. We too are going to go back to the dust of the earth, but we’ll be resurrected with a new body fashioned after Christ’s earthly body. Okay, so Peter had an understanding that this earthly King would be not only for those that were living, but also for those who had passed on. They would be resurrected and brought into the Kingdom.
Now, you can turn up to Psalms chapter 2, and in the first three verses we have a perfect prophecy of Christ’s first advent in His rejection. How the Jew and Gentiles together agreed to get rid of Him. Then when you get down to verse 4, we see God’s reaction to it all. Psalms chapter 2 we’ll jump in at verse 4.
Psalms 2:4
“He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the LORD shall have them in derision.” Now, don’t forget who the ‘them’ are – the Jew and Gentile rejecters of the Messiah. Now look at the next verse. After they have rejected Him,
Psalms 2:5
“Then he shall speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.” That hasn’t happened yet. They thought it was going to happen in their lifetime. All these things were seemingly going to come right down one thing after another, but it was interrupted when God turned to the Gentile world and raised up the Apostle Paul. But so far as Old Testament prophecy is concerned, all these things were coming down the timeline. So, after His rejection “He would pour out his wrath and he would vex them (that is the human race) in his sore displeasure.” But it’s not going to end there.
Psalms 2:6
“Yet have I set my (What’s the next word?) king (Plain English.) upon my holy hill of (What?) Zion.” Where’s Mount Zion? I’ve already told you. Jerusalem. So, the day is coming when Christ will rule and reign from David’s throne in Mount Zion.
All right, we don’t want to stop there. Move on.
Psalms 2:7
“I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; (Speaking of the Christ, the Messiah) this day have I begotten thee.” Acts tells us that that was resurrection day. That’s when He became the only begotten Son of God, when God raised Him from the dead. All right, verse 8, here is a picture of this coming glorious Kingdom.
Psalms 2:8
“Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen (or the Gentile world) for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.” That’s what’s been promised to God the Son when He becomes the King of Kings and Lord of Lords over this glorious earthly Kingdom.
All right, let’s move on through the Psalms now and let’s get on up into the Major Prophets. Let’s hit Isaiah and go to the well-known verses that you’ll be hearing, hopefully this season. Maybe a little bit of spiritual music, there isn’t much anymore. I guess you’re realizing that now, don’t you? You don’t hear much spiritual Christmas music anymore. It’s all of the secular. But nevertheless, you may hear this and especially hear Handel’s Messiah. This is quoted in it. Now remember what I’m doing. I’m constructing all these Old Testament prophecies that Christ came to fulfill.
Isaiah 9:6
“For unto us (to the Nation of Israel) a child is born, unto us (the Nation of Israel) a son is given: (now here it comes) and the government (of this glorious coming Kingdom) shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called (Here’s Handel’s Messiah, now.) Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, (Can’t you hear it?) The Prince of Peace.” That’s where they got it. Right here. All right, then verse 7.
Isaiah 9:7
“Of the increase of his government (or his rule and reign) and peace there shall be no end, (In other words, it’s not going to be for just a period of four or eight or twelve years. It’s going to be for a thousand and then on into eternity.) upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” Throughout the whole book of Isaiah we’ve got this constant reference to this coming King and His Kingdom.
All right, now let’s move on up a little further to Daniel. I’m just hitting some of the more clearly announced prophecies of this coming Messiah and His Kingdom and all the promises associated with it to the Nation of Israel. Daniel chapter 7 and we’ll drop in at verse 13. Daniel has just had a vision. Daniel writes, remember, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
You know, I’ve got to keep hammering away, because these theologians keep doubting the Scriptures, and they criticize them. Daniel especially, because they say there’s no way a man could have that much knowledge of future events that he could write it down before they happened. Well, of course, no man can do it. But the Spirit can. So, they critically disclaimed the Book of Daniel because it is so accurate. And it is. All right, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Daniel can write and report on this vision that he had.
Daniel 7:13-14a
“I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man (I’m sure glad I defined that in the very first few moments today. The Son of man, the Son of God, those are terms of His Deity and His humanity.) came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, (In other words, God the Son comes before God the Father.) and they brought him near before him. 14. And there was given him (God the Son) dominion, and glory, and a (What?) kingdom, that all people,…” Not just Israel. Israel is going to be the apple of His eye. Israel is going to be the top member of the nations, but it’s going to include the whole world.
Daniel 7:14b
“…that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: (He’s going to be King of Kings and Lord of Lords.) his dominion is an everlasting dominion, (It’s not going to end at a thousand years. It’s going to slip right on into eternity.) which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.”
All right, now let’s go up to Zephaniah, chapter 3. Zephaniah is hard to find. Find Zechariah and back up to the left and that’s Haggai, and then you’ve got Zephaniah. I could have skipped this one for your benefit, but I wasn’t going to let you off the hook. Now, I haven’t spent a lot of time over the years in the Minor Prophets. I’m debating whether I should still do them sometime, because I don’t know how many people realize why they’re called “minor.” I used to think it was because they weren’t as important. No, that’s not the reason. You know why they’re called “minor?” Because they’re so short. Every one of them is short. The Major Prophets are long. Isaiah is 66 chapters and Ezekiel is 48 or 49 chapters. But these little Minor Prophets are all just a few chapters. But they’re not minor in content. They’re really serious. Turn to Zephaniah chapter 3, and let’s drop in at verse 14. I’m going to take the time to read these verses, and they’ll be on the screen for our TV audience, because for a lot of people that’s the only Scripture they ever read. All right, Zephaniah chapter 3 and we’ll start at verse 14.
Zephaniah 3:14-15
“Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. 15. The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, (You see that?) even the LORD, (Now remember, that word L-O-R-D in capital letters is who? Jehovah. God the Son. See how it all fits?) even the LORD, (even Jehovah) is in the midst of thee: Thou shalt not shalt not see evil any more.” Now remember, when this glorious kingdom comes in, Satan is removed, death is removed. There are no lost people in the picture. They’re all believers, and Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. That’s why we call it heaven on earth. That’s what it’s going to be. Verse 16.
Zephaniah 3:16-18
“In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, (Which is in Jerusalem.) let not thine hands be slack. 17. The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; (Absolutely He is.) he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; (No more judgments and chastisements and punishment. Israel is now going to be in a place of obedience; the apple of His eye.) he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. 18. I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden.” In other words, all their past problems are going to be forgotten. Now verse 19.
Zephaniah 3:19
“Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee: and I will save her that halteth, and I gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame.” That is in their past. All the nations of the world have detested the Jew. In fact, that reminds me. Do you know that even in our beloved America, for the longest time, a Jew was never accepted in one of our Ivy League Colleges? Most people don’t know that. They could not gain admittance to a single one of our Ivy League Colleges until fairly recently. Even in America that’s how they’ve been held at bay.
Now, let’s take one more and then it’ll be over for this program. Go with me to the next to the last book, Zechariah chapter 14. This puts it as plain as any English can make it. Plain English. Zechariah chapter 14 verse 9 and we’ve looked at it many, many times.
Zechariah 14:9
“And the LORD (God the Son. Jehovah.) shall be (This is prophecy. It was still future.) king over all the earth: (Not heaven, but on the earth.) in that day (When He comes and sets up His kingdom) there shall be one LORD, and his name one.”
Now, that rings a bell with the Jew, doesn’t it? What does Deuteronomy say? “The LORD our God is one God.” So, this sits well for the Jew, even with that mentality. They don’t like our approach of a Triune God. But here we have it as plain as day that when He sets up that Kingdom there will be no other but He Himself – King of Kings and Lord of Lords.