Through the Bible with Les Feldick
LESSON 1 * PART 1 * BOOK 75
CONNECTING THE DOTS OF SCIPTURE – PART 13
Genesis – Revelation
Okay, it’s good to see everybody in again this afternoon for another session of four more programs. We trust that the Lord will use this for His honor and for His glory as we open up the Scriptures. We trust that people can come back and see what this Book says rather than just sit there and listen to denominational dogma.
Now, I’ve got nothing against the local church providing that they proclaim the truth. That I have to stand on. I can never agree to have people just constantly being fed some of this liberal stuff that is coming in so rapidly. We just beg people to get back into the Word.
In fact, I think I quoted several programs back from the fellow who was President, if I remember right, at Syracuse back in 1888 to 1892. And at that time he made the statement—now you want to remember, Syracuse is as liberal as they get today, but at that time the President of Syracuse said, “Unless Christendom comes back, back, back to the doctrines and the epistles of the Apostle Paul, then it is on and on and on to liberalism and atheism and despair!”
And it’s just as true today as it was then. We have to constantly fight the false teaching. And now there is a movement abroad called the Emergent Church. It is as false as a three dollar bill, but it sounds so good that the younger generations fall for this stuff. We just have to adamantly dig in our heels and come back and say—but what does the Book say?
All right, we finished Book 74 in the last taping. Today will start Book 75 and continue on with connecting the dots of Scripture. But before we do, I think I will share with my whole television audience that our beloved Sharon who does our closed-captioning, and who most of you see her right over here to my left with the red hair, is fighting brain cancer. We just covet the prayers of everybody from coast-to-coast on her behalf.
All right, so back to Acts chapter 1 verse 8. This is just after His forty days of being with the Twelve, or the Eleven. The next event, of course, will be His ascending back to Glory. But just before He leaves the eleven, these are His final words in verse 8. This is where we closed in our last program.
Acts 1:8
“But ye (Speaking to the Eleven—never forget that the Scripture has to be determined who is speaking and to whom. Well, here we have Jesus, of course, speaking to the Eleven.) shall receive power, after the Holy Spirit is come upon you: (Which was, of course, a reference to Pentecost ten days ahead.) and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, (Which, of course, was the area of Jerusalem and Samaria.) and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
Now, we pointed out in the last program that they got to Samaria, but they never did get to the uttermost parts of the earth. The Twelve have absolutely no Scriptural record of going to the uttermost parts of the earth, because of Israel’s unbelief. The nation continued to reject and reject and reject, as we will see some place along the line this afternoon. At that point in time, God turns to the Gentiles through the Apostle Paul.
But until that time, we’re still dealing with the Eleven (who will soon be twelve once again) and the Nation of Israel under the covenant promises. That’s what I’m going to show in the next few moments, that we still have not left the scenario of Christ’s earthly ministry.
You know, I like to put it this way—the four gospels are just an extension of the Old Testament. Nothing has changed except that the Messiah has made his appearance. Israel is still keeping temple worship, synagogue worship. They still have no intent of going to the Gentiles with anything (Matthew 10:5-6). It’s their religion. Nothing changes except that Christ has now made His appearance.
All right, now after we go through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ; He ascends back to Glory in the next few verses. You continue on in the Book of Acts and still nothing changes, except now it’s in the hands of the Twelve to perform the signs and wonders and miracles to yet convince the nation that this Jesus who has just left their midst was indeed the promised Messiah. That’s the whole scope of Scripture until we get to the Apostle Paul. The coming Messiah, the coming earthly Kingdom, and then when He comes, believe who He is. This is the Promised One.
But they couldn’t, so He went through the death, burial, and resurrection. All right, now we’re going to see that after He ascends still nothing changes. It’s still the same format: the One you crucified is alive and is still able to be the King. All right, so they don’t go to the uttermost parts of the earth, because Israel has rejected the Messiah who would have made it possible.
Catch that—they never got any farther than Samaria. All right, verse 9, now we move into new ground. Now remember, we’re still connecting dots. Jerry just asked me. I said, yup, we’re still connecting the dots. We started in Genesis. Now this is just a review for a lot of people. But for a lot of our new listeners it’s, hopefully, new and enlightening. We’re going to connect the dots as we come up through Scripture in an overview.
Acts 1:9-10a
“And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, (While the Eleven were standing there watching Him visibly, physically, and bodily.) he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up,…” Now, don’t just read over that. Just stop and think of that for a minute. Put yourself in those guys’ shoes.
There they stood aghast, having just spent forty days with Him. They were having a hard time comprehending how He could slip through a wall and go from Jerusalem to Galilee in a split second, and yet sit down and eat fish with them. All these things, I’m sure, were just boggling their minds. Yet they were afraid to say too much, because the Lord would put them down with, oh, ye of little faith, what’s the matter with you?
And now to have this experience—He’s standing there visiting with them one minute and all of a sudden like a rocket He takes off. That’s enough to shake anybody’s shoes, isn’t it? But that’s what happened. There they stand watching Him go up and at the same moment, miraculously, angels appear beside them.
Acts 1:10b-11
“…as he went up, behold, two men stand by them in white apparel; (They’re angels, but they appear as men.) 11. Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? (Now watch the next statement. This is what all of Christendom has been waiting on now for two thousand years.) this same Jesus, (What does that mean? In that same body with which He just now left, in that same physical form, He’s going to return once again.) which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”
All right, now let’s go back for a moment to John’s gospel, chapter 14, where again most of Christendom has completely inverted the meaning. They have twisted it all out of shape. John 14, at the time of the Passover, just before his crucifixion, all got it? John 14, starting in verse 1, those very familiar verses.
John 14:1-3a
“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will (What?) come again,…” Now see, most of Christendom believes in a Rapture and tries to make this Rapture language.
This isn’t a referral to the Rapture. This is a referral to His Second Coming! That’s when He’s going to return to the Nation of Israel in fulfillment of the Old Testament promise. The Body of Christ and Paul’s Gospel of Grace (I Corinthians 15:1-4) haven’t been revealed yet.
I’m always stressing to people who can’t believe in a Rapture. It’s because you won’t read Paul. Paul alone teaches a Rapture of the Body of Christ, because Paul alone reveals the Body of Christ. Paul alone gives the Gospel we must believe in our heart in order to be placed into the Body of Christ. Paul alone gives the Christian walk for the Body of Christ. So Paul alone refers to things concerning the glorious Body of Christ and the Rapture!
What Jesus is sharing here in John 14 is His Second Coming—7 years after the Rapture takes place. Again, take my old rule of thumb. Who is speaking? Jesus. Who is He speaking to? To the Twelve and they represent Israel! So leave it in that setting. He’s still dealing with that after He’s ascended. He’s going to return to that same Jerusalem from which He left.
No, these mansions here aren’t ours. I remember years ago a lady said, “You took away my mansions.” No, I didn’t take away anything, because these mansions are probably tents compared to what we’re going to have in glory.
We don’t know what we’re going to have, did you know that? And you know why? I think if God would even just give us a little tip of the iceberg of our eternal destiny, we wouldn’t be able to comprehend it. It’s going to be so far above and beyond human comprehension that God has seen fit not to give us one word. All we know is that our eternal abode is going to be . . . what’s the word? Glorious! That’s all we know.
All the other references are to the Kingdom—the earthly Kingdom, as is this one. Now my own personal approach here is that the Father’s house, so far as Israel was concerned, was the what? Well, the temple, and the priests had rather sumptuous apartments in the temple complex. So, Jesus is really telling them that when He returns and the millennial temple appears, these twelve men are going to have sumptuous mansions in the temple complex. He’s not talking about us, the Body of Christ.
All right, now let’s go all the way back to tie this. That’s all Jewish, remember. These are all pertinent to the Nation of Israel and their prophecies and their promises. Come back to Zechariah. Most of you already know where I’m going, chapter 14. Let’s see how all of this fits when the angel told the Eleven, “this same Jesus as you have seen go into heaven will in like manner come again.”
Remember, that’s not the Rapture, but rather the Second Coming. Nobody but Paul speaks of the Rapture. Now, I’m repeating myself, but I have to. My, I get letter after letter, “Les, just keep repeating.” Luther was the best one that ever did it for me. He’s been coming here for years. Awhile back, what did you tell me, Luther? “Hey, Les, today I saw this for the first time.” Well, he’s not any less intelligent than anybody else. That’s just the way Scripture works—all of sudden it just comes to the top and you see it. So I have to keep repeating and repeating and repeating. All right, Zechariah chapter 14, we’ll start at verse 1, the tribulation.
Zechariah 14:1-2
“Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, (That’s the tribulation.) and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. (In other words, all the ramifications of the war and destruction. Verse 2, God says through the prophet…) 2. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; (Now that’s what we call Armageddon.) and the city (Jerusalem) shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; (or raped) and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.” In other words, Jerusalem is going to be under tremendous invasion. Now, when it looks like there’s no hope for Israel, then you got verse 3.
Zechariah 14:3
“Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.” Now, that’s the fulfillment of all the descriptions of His Second Coming back in the earlier prophets. Now look at verse 4. Most of you have seen this over and over through the years. Some of you never have. But here is the absolute Old Testament parallel with John 14 and Acts chapter 1.
Zechariah 14:4a
“And his feet shall stand in that day (Now, is that some kind of an invisible cloud? Well, clouds don’t have feet that I know of. No, it’s that resurrected body returning after it left in Acts chapter 1. So, in His Second coming when He returns, His feet shall stand in that day–) upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east,…”
It’s the same Mount of Olives from which He left in Acts chapter 1. All right, now let’s flip back to Acts. Hopefully I’ve made my point there.
Acts 1:11b
“…this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” Now, that’s as plain as language can make it. He left from the Mount of Olives. He went up head first toward Heaven. But the angels said He’s going to come back and stand on that same place on the Mount of Olives at His Second Coming.
We don’t know when it’ll be, but we feel we must be getting closer and closer every day. All right, so now the Lord has returned to Glory. He’s told these eleven men to go back to Jerusalem and wait for the day of Pentecost which is going to be ten days down the road. But in this ten day period, Peter is all shook up with one tremendous item on the agenda. That’s the best way I can put it. The number one item on their agenda was what? Fill that spot left open by Judas. All right, we’re going to pick it up right here in verse 15.
Acts 1:15
“And in those days (That is in those ten days between His ascension and the Day of Pentecost.) in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)”
Acts 1:16-18
“Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit by the mouth of David spoke before concerning Judas, who was guide to them that took Jesus. 17. For he (Judas) was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry. 18. Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; (The thirty pieces of silver that the priest gave him.) and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.
Acts 1:19-20
“And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood. (All right, now here is the verse I want you to see, verse 20.) 20. For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his (Judas’) habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein and his bishoprick let another take.” In other words, his role as one of the Twelve let another take. Now, that’s what the Psalms prophesy.
Now, what have I said over and over and over through the years concerning prophecy? If the Book says it, it’s got to happen. Nothing can ever take away a prophetic statement. So, you see, Judas had to fall. Matthias had to be brought in to take his place. Why? Because the Book said so. Always remember that. Anything written in prophecy—I think I said it in the last taping, if I remember right. When Isaiah said that the Babylonians were coming, and he made it sound like it was going to be next month, how long was it? A hundred years! But it happened. Christ’s birth was foretold specifically at least five hundred years before it happened. But it happened. And how does Paul put it in Galatians?
Galatians 4:4
“But when the fullness of the time was come, (What happened?) God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.” So, always remember that these theologians today like to throw away ninety percent of the Old Testament prophecies as if they can’t happen, because Israel is no longer a nation. That’s what they’re trying to tell people. And they’re succeeding. My, people are falling for it.
In fact, that’s one of my concerns of this very thing that’s taking place in Annapolis right now. Too many of those people in government are of that replacement theology, if they know anything. What does that mean? They don’t feel that there’s any concern for those Israelis in the homeland of the Jew, because they’re not Jews anyway. Oh, what a lie. Because this Book says that they will come back and have their homeland, as we’ve seen happen.
So again, let me emphasize. If it’s written in the Old Testament and God says I will, you mark it down, it’s going to happen. All right, so here again prophecy was fulfilled. Judas betrayed Him for the thirty pieces of silver. Now Peter picks up the agenda, as I call it. Let’s go through it quickly. Verse 21:
Acts 1:21-22a
“Wherefore of these men, (Now get the setting. We’re in that ten day window between Christ’s ascension back to Glory and the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit will come down. Ten days—all right, in this period of time, then, Peter says…) wherefore of these men (out of that hundred and twenty over there in verse 15) who have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22. Beginning from the baptism of John,…”
Now remember, these are the qualifications for filling Judas’ spot. Now, the reason I’m emphasizing this is there are good men who have in the past, and probably still do today, said that Peter was totally out of sync. He should have waited for Paul. But Paul would never fill this requirement. Paul wasn’t saved until several years after all this took place. This says the candidate has to have become a believer during John the Baptist’s ministry. Now watch for these things. This is what makes Scripture so thrilling. So, this candidate must have been a believer beginning from the baptism of John.
Acts 1:22b
“…unto that same day that he was taken up from us, (Which was just a couple days ago. It had to be someone that had been a believer all through His earthly ministry as these other eleven had been.) must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.” So, out of that hundred and twenty there were at least two men who filled that.
Acts 1:23
“And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.” All right, now out of the two, then, they drew straws; and Matthias was the chosen one. All right, so they gave forth lots in verse 26.
Acts 1:26
“And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.” Now, that was a God ordained thing, because how did Moses come to conclusions back in the Old Testament economy? With the stones in his breast plate, didn’t he? The Urim and the Thummim—he’d pull out those stones and however they turned up, that was God’s decision, not Moses’. It was the same way here.
They used a system that we probably still use today. How they cast their lots. Whatever they used, whether it was the dice, or whether it was a short stick and a long one, it makes no difference. The right one was drawn according to God’s design, and it was Matthias. Then the last half of the verse says it all, “he was numbered (by God’s ordination) he was numbered with the eleven apostles (to bring them back to twelve).”
Now, I always like to do this just to help you realize how accurate Scripture is. Why in the world was Peter in such a hurry to fill this empty slot? Well, you remember. I think we’ve got time. Come back with me, this bears repeating. Because very few people know these verses are in their Bible. Believe me, I can tell from my mail. I show things that people have never seen before. Come back to Matthew 19. Now, these guys were just as human as we are. Don’t think for a minute that Peter had forgotten all about this in a matter of months. This is still fresh on his mind, because Jesus speaks this just shortly before His crucifixion. All right, Matthew 19, we’ve looked at it before. I know that I’m repeating.
Matthew 19:27-28
“Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we (the twelve) have therefore? 28. And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye who have followed me, (Just like He said in Acts, from the baptism of John until the resurrection day.) in the regeneration, (In other words, when the Kingdom comes in.) when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, (as King of kings over that earthly kingdom) ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, (not eleven) judging (or ruling) the twelve tribes of Israel.”
Now, do you think Peter forgot all about that? Well, of course not, but they’ve only got eleven men, but how many thrones? Twelve. So what do we need? We need the twelfth man. That sounds like Texas A & M, doesn’t it? We need the twelfth man. So, the first thing on the agenda, before even Pentecost, is to get a replacement for Judas. And it’s Matthias.
Now the twelve are in place. Everything is ready now. They can look for the Lord to return at any minute like He said He would. They had no idea it was going to be two thousand years. They all thought it would be within their lifetime, and they would enjoy the Kingdom, and they would have their spot in the twelve thrones ruling the twelve tribes of Israel. Well, that’s one of the minor things of prophecy. But nevertheless it just shows that everything fits. Psalms prophesied that one would be a betrayer. On the other hand, everything was all set so that they could replace him with Matthias.