Through the Bible with Les Feldick
LESSON 3 * PART 4 * BOOK 74
CONNECTING THE DOTS OF SCRIPTURE – PART 12
Genesis through Revelation
Okay, good to see everybody back. And for those of you joining us on television, we want to welcome you to a simple Bible study. I want to keep it simple. I shared again with somebody the other day, keep it simple. My, so many people get all wrapped up in things that nobody can figure out. But it’s not that difficult if you just keep it simple. So, we’re just glad to have you on board. We trust you will study and learn to use the Scriptures so that you can study on your own.
Okay, my little wife is the one that keeps things moving, and she says we haven’t shown people our book again for a long time. It’s eighty-eight questions with answers taken from our television material, and it’s been so well received. We like to keep promoting it, because it’s probably one-of-a-kind and about the best $11 you can spend. My, they make such wonderful gifts.
Okay, now we’re going to continue on with where we left off in the previous program, how we are connecting the dots through Scripture. We’ve moved from the call of Abraham and the appearance of the Nation of Israel; all leading up to the promises of a coming King and Kingdom. Jesus came in fulfillment of all that.
Now, it was a legitimate offer. I always compare it to when Israel went up to the Promised Land under Moses. What did God tell them? Go in and take it. It’s yours for the taking. You won’t lose one drop of blood because I’m going to drive the Canaanites out. But, did they believe it? No, they didn’t believe it. They had all kinds of excuses. The cities were well-fenced and the men were giants and, oh, they just whimpered all night. So God sent them back out into the desert.
All right, now you have much the same thing at His first advent. All the things were in place. It was a valid offer. Yes, hypothetically, they could have had it. But God knew they wouldn’t. So, the work of the cross was consummated because of Israel’s unbelief. In their unbelief, they demanded His death. But, you see, it was all so supernatural. As we’ve seen even today, Israel stoned the prophets. Paul recognized that he was part of putting those followers of Jesus to death. And Rome didn’t raise a fuss about that. But the leaders of Israel were prompted, providentially, to bring Rome into the crucifixion, because He had to be lifted up. He couldn’t be killed by stoning. He had to be crucified. So that brought the Romans into the picture. That brought about, of course, the crucifixion and burial and His resurrection.
All right, now we’re going to move over into His post-resurrection after the 40 days in the resurrected body. We’ll move into Acts chapter 1. We are just trying to show how all of this unfolded according to God’s timetable. But you have to understand the timetable to really understand where we are with regard to our doctrine. What do we believe? All right, Acts chapter 1, now it’s still Jewish. Nothing pertaining to Gentiles as yet. Saul of Tarsus hasn’t been saved as yet. All right, verse 2.
Acts 1:2-3a
“Until the day in which he was taken up, (that is His ascension) after that he through the Holy Spirit had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: (That is the Eleven that are left. Judas is gone.) 3. To whom also (to the Twelve, now Eleven) he showed himself alive after his passion…” That is His death, burial, and resurrection. Now, you know, there have been people down through the ages who tried to prove that the resurrection of Christ was a hoax. But they invariably come away from it as believers, because there was so much proof of His resurrection.
Acts 1:3b
“…by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days,…” Forty days He spent with them in the resurrected body. And it’s that forty day period with Christ that we get a hint on our eternal body. It’s going to be a body fashioned after His resurrected body. So, that’s the reason for these forty days. You pick them up in the closing chapters of the gospels.
Acts 1:3c
“…being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” Now fortunately, here about a year or two ago, we spent a whole series of programs distinguishing the difference between the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Heaven, and the Body of Christ. If you remember, the Kingdom of God is that overall sphere of God’s righteous influence and control: Heaven, the angels, all the Old Testament believers, all the New Testament believers. Everything pertaining to God’s righteousness can be included in that overall circle The Kingdom of God.
But in the Kingdom of God is that future Kingdom of Heaven which is coming on the earth. It is predominately in Israel’s domain, although all the nations are going to reappear. But that’s still future. Since it was rejected at Christ’s first advent, it now has been postponed. We are now calling out the Body of Christ and it, too, is in the Kingdom of God.
So, when Paul says in Colossians chapter 1 that we have been translated from darkness into the Kingdom of His dear Son, it’s into the big circle of the Kingdom of God. But it’s also into the smaller circle of the Body of Christ. So, you have those three entities in Scripture: the overall Kingdom of God, then inside the Kingdom of God you have the promised Kingdom of Heaven on earth and the Body of Christ, which is now being called out. All right, so here we’re just talking about the big picture, the Kingdom of God. All right, verse 4.
Acts 1:4-5
“And being assembled together with them, (the Eleven) he 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. 5. For John truly baptized with water; but ye (Speaking to the Eleven who are representatives also of the Nation of Israel.) shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit (a reference to Pentecost) not many days hence.” Now verse 6 is an interesting verse.
Acts 1:6
“When they therefore were come together, (Jesus and these eleven men) they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” Well, now what Kingdom in Israel’s past was constantly a pleasant reminder for Israel? Well, David and Solomon’s when Israel reached the peak of her glory. Lord, are you ready to restore us to such a kingdom?
Well, He doesn’t ridicule them. He doesn’t say, now wait a minute, where do you guys get such an idea. He merely says, like we say today, it’s not a matter of if; it’s a matter of what? When. And that’s the way it still is today. There’s no if’s about the Kingdom. It’s coming. We just don’t know when.
Now, it looks like the whole world is getting ready for the coming of Christ. The whole political situation. The economic situation. The spiritual. The ungodliness. It’s all screaming that we’re approaching the end time. But like I said in the first program, God’s wheels can roll slowly. We don’t know when it will be. But nevertheless, the world is setting the stage for Christ’s second coming. At which time He will open up this glorious Kingdom to Israel. Verse 7.
Acts 1:7
“And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.” So again, we have that same scenario where Jesus said, it’s not for you to know. But that doesn’t mean it’s not valid. It is coming. All right, now we’ll just stay here in the first part of Acts for a little bit. Verse 8. Jesus is still speaking to the Eleven, and He says–
Acts 1:8a
“But (regardless of when the Kingdom comes) ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you:…” Now, not too many tapings back, we did a series on the Holy Spirit. And let’s come back. This comes to mind. I didn’t intend to do this, but come back with me to Luke 24. Because this is what you and I have to still recognize. That if we’re going to be led and controlled by the Holy Spirit, we, too, want to be under this power from on high, which is the power of the Holy Spirit. Luke 24:49, this is what Jesus is referring to in Acts chapter 1 verse 8.
Luke 24:49
“And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry (or stay) ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with (What?) power from on high.” And what is the power from on high? The power of the Holy Spirit operating on planet earth.
All right, if you’ll come back to Acts chapter 1 verse 8, that’s what He’s telling the Eleven. Wait here in Jerusalem until you are endued with that power from on high, which is the coming of the Holy Spirit. Then reading on in verse 8.
Acts 1:8b
“…and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria,…” Now, if you know your Bible, did they go any further? No. They never got any further. That’s as far as they got. They didn’t get to the uttermost part of the earth. Well, what happened? Israel’s unbelief.
Israel the Nation is going to continue to reject everything concerning this promised Kingdom, because they couldn’t buy into Jesus of Nazareth as that Promised Messiah. How did they put it? “Can anything good come out of Nazareth.” And the Nation went down the tube into dispersion, waiting now, of course, for God to come in and finish His second advent. But here we have it so plain. They never got any further than Samaria. They did not get to the uttermost part of the earth. But you know what? God’s promises never fail. So, how is Israel going to still fulfill this promise? Well, let me take you back to Matthew once again.
Matthew 24. And maybe this will answer a lot of questions and save me a lot of letter writing. I sometimes think I should just make copies of some of my answers, but I don’t like to do it that way. So, I take the time to personally answer. Questions come in constantly with regard to the Great Commission. You all know what it says. But I’m not going back to the Great Commission. I’m going back to Matthew 24, where Jesus is speaking concerning the Tribulation. Those final seven years before Christ’s return.
All right, verse 11. These are all prophecies from the Lord Himself concerning these final seven years that Israel is going to have to go through.
Matthew 24:11-12a
“And many false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many. 12. And because iniquity shall abound,…” Are we seeing it? Oh, the world is just succumbing to it at every turn. It isn’t just America. We’re still the best. When you see the wickedness in the rest of the world, we’re still fairly well blessed. Believe me. But it’s going to be global.
Matthew 24:12-13a
“And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13. But, he that shall endure (That is through these seven years.) unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Physically. I don’t think this is a spiritual connotation. They’re going to survive physically.
Now a verse comes to mind. And I always think that’s a hint that the Lord wants me to take a run at it. Come back with me to Isaiah 24. Keep your hand in Matthew 24 and Acts 1. We’re coming back. Now, this is Isaiah’s picture of these final seven years. In the final days of them as the Lord says in Matthew 24. Isaiah, the first of the major prophets, chapter 24 and I’m going to take time to read these verses so that you’ll understand what the Lord is talking about in Matthew 24.
Isaiah 24:1-2a
“Behold, the LORD (That’s the Old Testament term, remember, for God the Son.) maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. 2. And it shall be, (It’s going to happen.) as with the people, so with the priests; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower;…” In other words, the whole cross section of a society is now involved.
Isaiah 24:3-4
“The land shall be utterly emptied, (because of the horrors of these final hours of the Tribulation) and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word. 4. The earth mourneth and fadeth away, (In other words, all of its activity is going to come down to nothing.) the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.” Wealth isn’t going to make a bit of difference, because they’re all going to come under the wrath of God. All right, verse 5.
Isaiah 24:5
“The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof: because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, and broken the everlasting covenant.” In other words, they’ve broken every possible thing that God used to control humanity. All right, now verse 6.
Isaiah 24:6a
“Therefore (because of man’s total rebellion and depravity) hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: (There’s no quality of life left.) therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned,…” And I say, without any apology, that this is going to be the nuclear unleashing of all the nuclear weapons that the world is accumulating.
Isaiah 24:6b
“…and the inhabitants of the earth are burned, (What are the last several words?) and few men left.” What does that mean? Now, come back to Matthew 24. They’ve “endured to the end.” They’ve managed to stay alive. Oh, maybe they’re under a pile of rubble. But they’re a survivor. And these survivors, you see, are going to be brought before the King in Jerusalem.
Now, I’ve got to follow that up with Scripture, don’t I? You’re in Matthew 24. Turn over to chapter 25. Here’s where the survivors are going to end up. Now, this may not be good continuity, but bear with me. Matthew 25 and we now have the survivors of Isaiah 24 brought before the King. Because remember, no unbelievers can go into the Kingdom. So we’ve got to sort out the unbelievers of these survivors. All right, here it is in verse 31.
Matthew 25:31
“When the Son of man (Now that’s the Son of God. It’s Jesus the Christ.) shall come in his glory, (His second coming) and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:” Just like we saw a few programs back in Matthew 19. The Twelve are going to rule from twelve thrones under the throne of Christ on Mount Zion in Jerusalem.
Matthew 25:32a
“And before him shall be gathered all nations:…” Now wait a minute? How many people are left in the nations? Just a special few, the few survivors, remember? And that’s why all these nukes are being accumulated. They’re going to use them, but not until God gives permission to. So there will be a few survivors, I feel, in every nation around the globe. Those survivors are representatives of the nations. That’s all we’ve got here. Just a few, but enough to restart the human race. Okay, so He brings them into Jerusalem and separates them.
Matthew 25:32
“And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as (or like) a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats:” Now, when you separate sheep from goats, that’s easy enough to understand. The sheep go here and the goats go there. Well, that’s what He’s going to do with the believers that have survived from all these Gentile nations. He’s going to separate the lost from the saved out of these survivors.
Matthew 25:33-34
“And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34. Then shall the King (See, this is at the onset of this earthly Kingdom.) say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit (or be part of) the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:” In other words, all the Old Testament is looking forward to this glorious, earthly Kingdom over which Christ is going to rule and reign. Then the rest, of course, explains how the goats who represent the lost will be sent to their doom.
All right, back up again to Matthew 24. These survivors will have endured those seven years to the end, and they’re going to be able to go into the Kingdom. But they can’t go into the Kingdom unless they’ve heard the gospel of salvation. Nothing is automatic. Every human being has to be presented with the plan of salvation, whether it’s Old Testament, whether it’s Christ’s earthly, kingdom gospel message, or whether it’s us in the Age of Grace. We all have to make our personal affirmation of faith. All right, now verse 14. Here it is as plain, again, as English can make it. And Jesus is speaking.
Matthew 24:13-14a
“But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 14. And this gospel of the kingdom…” Now, what’s the key word? THIS. What does that indicate? What has been preached in His earthly ministry for three years? This same gospel that He and the Twelve had been preaching to Israel will, during the Tribulation, be preached to the whole world. Not just Jews. Everyone.
Matthew 24:14
“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Who’s going to have the glorious opportunity to take this Gospel of the Kingdom to the nations of the world? Jews. What Jews? The hundred and forty-four thousand. To back that up, come back to Revelation.
Back to Revelation chapter 7 verses 4 through 8. We’ve got the sealing, or setting apart, of 12,000 young Jewish men from each one of the Twelve Tribes. You know what I tell people? I think, I can’t prove it, but I think at the present time they’re already in Israel. I think these 12,000 Jews from every one of the Twelve Tribes are already in Israel. That’s how close I think we are to the end.
But see, here’s the miracle of it. Who knows what tribes they belong to? God does! And in His sovereignty He’s going to have it arranged that they’re going to be there. And again, I think, I can’t prove from Scripture, but it seems logical to believe that these 144,000 young Jews are going to hear the preaching of the two witnesses that come in at the very opening of the Tribulation—from their preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, the King is coming, and the Kingdom is just over the horizon. See how it all fits?
The King is coming. They don’t need the Gospel of Grace. That’s done. The church is gone. But the world at the end of the Tribulation is going to finally have heard this Gospel of the Kingdom from these 144,000 Jews. All right, go on into verse 9. Now we see that these young men are literally going to reach every tribe and language and dialect on the planet, which is today impossible. My goodness, the last I read, there are still thousands of tribes that have never heard the gospel. These men are going to do it.
Revelation 7:9
“After this (After they’ve been sealed. I think this is on the very opening day of the Tribulation.) I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of (What?) all nations, (not just from Israel) and kindred, and people, and tongues, (or languages) stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;” What’s happened? They’ve become believers of this Gospel of the Kingdom during the Tribulation, and they’re martyred as fast as they become believers. They’re already in Glory and waiting for the Tribulation to be consummated.
Revelation 7:10-12
“And they cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God who sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. 11. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, 12. Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.” And then verse 13.
Revelation 7:13-14
“And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and where did they come from? 14. And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they who came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” They heard the Gospel of the Kingdom from these 144,000 Jews, they believed it, and they were immediately martyred. That’s the horrors of the Tribulation.
But on the other hand, you know what? I think they’re going to be so glad to be martyred to get out from under the horrors of that period of time. So, none of this is hard to believe. “And these are they who came out of great tribulation,” and they’re martyred as fast as they became believers.