Tag Archives: Jerusalem

the Authority of Jesus

Posted on 18/05/2025 | Leave a comment

Some question the authority of Jesus. Yep, I know it’s strange.

Do they have a Bible? Here are just a few texts illustrating His authority:

Jesus told his disciples, ‘I have been given all authority in Heaven and on Earth’. Mat 28:18.

‘All things have been handed over to me by my Father’  Mat 11:27.

‘The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand’.  John 3:35.

‘Father, glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him’.  John 17:2.

His authority in His coming again

Long ago He came on the clouds of Heaven in judgment on wayward Israel. See Jesus’ words, Luke 21:22:

For those will be days of God’s vengeance, and the prophetic words of the Scriptures will be fulfilled.

Read Jesus words in Matthew 24:30:

And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the land. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 

And His amazing authority that follows recorded in verses 24:32-34:

“Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door.  I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things take place.

He claimed his return was very near, right at the door, and not 2000 years in the future as many suppose. There would absolutely be no point telling his disciples His coming was far and away in the future!

The seat of Jesus’ authority

The actual seat of Christ’s throne both then and forever is the Jerusalem that is in Heaven, not on Earth, just as he told Pilate—John 18:36:

“My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.”  

And see Hebrews 12:22-23.

. . .  you [believers] have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. 

See also Galatians 4:26:

   But the other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem.

The seat of Christ’s throne then and forever is with the Father as Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel 4:31-32:

Seven periods of time will pass while you live this way, until you learn that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses.’

And Peter on the Day of Pentecost, Acts 2:33:

Now he is exalted to the place of highest honour in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today

And Stephen as he boldly told his accusers, Acts 7:48-49:

. . . the Most High doesn’t live in temples made by human hands. As the prophet says,

 ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Could you build me a temple as good as that?’ asks the Lord. Could you build me such a resting place? Didn’t my hands make both heaven and earth?’

As Paul wrote to the Philippians 2:9-10:

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Erroneous teachings

Dispensational teachers say that Jesus’ return to the earth will mean He will establish His Kingdom on earth where He will reign from Jerusalem”. some even think He will sit a new temple! They try to support these assertions with texts like Isaiah 2:2-4, 11:6-9, Jeremiah 3:17; Luke 1:31-32,Revelation 5:10, 19:15, 20:4-6).

Nothing here about his return to earth, nor his rule from earthly Jerusalem. No. He rules from heaven where He has ascended on high with the Father. See Revelation 3: 12 re the overcomers: 

. . . . .  they will be citizens in the city of my God—the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God.

See also Psalm 2:3, 9 and Acts 4:25-26.

. . . .   But the one who rules in heaven laughs. The Lord scoffs at them. . . . . .  You will break them with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots.’”

Luke 1:31-32 “The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”  Israel? We believers are the Israel of God, Galatians 6:16.

Others draw attention to the obvious situation here on earth that wickedness prevails under satan and thus conclude that our Lord has limited authority.

Satan can be bound! Believers can resist him. Believers have a greater One within them. Jesus showed he could bind satan and plunder his goods (Matthew 12:29, Mark 3:27 and Luke 11:21-22).

Jesus gave his disciples power and authority over evil spirits. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.(Matthew 10:8).

The Lord has created all people with the power of choice. He will not act against our free will. He invites us to choose between life and death, light and darkness, truth and lies.

Conclusion

Let us take heart. Our mighty King of Kings rules from heaven where He has ascended on high with the Father. And his people reign with Him here. We don’t look forward to the absurd notion that Jesus will come and reign in a stone temple in earthly Jerusalem for 1000 years.

We look forward to eternal life with Him. What an exhilarating future awaits us!

Rejoice!

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Will You Face The Great Tribulation?

Posted on 16/04/2025 | Leave a comment

Jesus spoke of a terrible time that would occur just before the time of His second coming. He referred to this as ‘the great tribulation’.

When do you expect the great tribulation to happen?  Soon?

C’mon, let’s see what Jesus told the disciples about the great tribulation in the ‘Olivet Discourse’, 2000 years ago (Matthew 24:20-22).

In that discourse, He was answering the disciples’ questions. They remembered his words and these were recorded in the books of Matthew, Mark and Luke, in the New Testament for readers of all generations.

Verse 20: “When you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ . . . .  then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains . . . Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath.

Jesus told the disciples they would see the Abomination of Desolation—a sacrilegious defilement of the holy temple in Jerusalem—as the signal for them to get out of Judea and escape the Great Tribulation.

Note the references to Judea and the mountains, to the winter (when Judea gets very cold) on the Sabbath (the limits of travel on that day). The warning is for the people of the generation he is addressing—it is ‘your flight’. Not a warning for people 2000 years hence, but to people who observe the Sabbath, Jews.

Jesus does not know the timing of this (see v.36) so he warns the disciples of his own generation.

So, it has already happened, right?

It is impossible to conclude otherwise. Unless you think that Jesus was mistaken—perish the thought!

Stop worrying.

Verse 21: For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. 

Jesus said this time of utter devastation would never be repeated. His term nor ever will shows this will not be the end of the world—again, no one could flee then!

This terrible time is one of the things that would happen before ‘this generation passes away’ (v34).   

22 Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short.

We know that the Jews who believed Jesus, the ‘elect’ left Judea and fled to the mountains, following His instructions, and were saved.

But the people remaining in Jerusalem and Judea were cut down not only by the Romans but also by one another in a terrible civil war—bringing the unprecedented horror events of 68-70 AD, described in great detail by the Jewish eyewitness historian Josephus in his War of the Jews, book 6, chap. 5, sec. 3.

On His way to the cross, Jesus said to weeping women “Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are those who cannot bear and the wombs that have not given birth, and the breasts that have not nursed.” (Luke 23:27-31) They must be very concerned for terrible events would happen in their own generation.

History records several temporary cessations of the assaults by the Roman army when the elect, those who followed Jesus, would have had the opportunity to escape from Judea. That’s history.

Thus all this talk about the great tribulation happening in the future and who will face it or who will escape it with some ‘rapture’ event is totally irrelevant. Paul’s letter (Thessalonians 4:16-17) has no hint of anyone fleeing anything but rather people being united with Jesus forever. Right?

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What is the Millennium Reign of Christ?

Posted on 04/04/2025 | Leave a comment

The phrase ‘the millennium reign of Christ on earth, is a form of eschatological speculation that contradicts the Church’s historical teachings on the nature of Christ’s reign. The apocalyptic passage of Revelation 20:4-6 is usually quoted by many teachers in support of this idea These writers include the popular online series ‘Got Questions?’.

These people claim that Jesus Christ will return and will establish Himself as king in Jerusalem, literally sitting on the throne of David.  They quote Luke 1:32–33 as one of their proof texts:

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

No mention of Jerusalem here! He will reign not just on earth but in heaven for ever and ever. And we Christians today are enjoying His reign! For we are the true ‘Israel of God’ as Paul declared (Galatians 6:16).

Sending His disciples He said “all power is given unto me in heaven and earth.” (Mat 28:18)

Rev 1:5. John wrote: he is the ruler of all the kings of the world.

Rev 11:15 . . . . the seventh angel sounded  . . . . saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever'”.

Daniel 7:27: And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.

Revelation 20 just does not connect with the idea ‘while Christ reigns over the earth.’ It says ‘They reigned with Christ for a thousand years.’ Yes, but on earth? No. They have died and they have received their resurrection and will reign with him where He is, in heaven. (Revelation 20:4-6)

See John 14:3: And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

Let’s interpret the obscure, apocalyptic passages of scripture by text that is perspicuous—a sound hermeneutic. Jesus has ascended and is reigning now and is seated at the right hand of God. To say He will take up residence in earthly Jerusalem is junk theology—believed by millions in a cult.

These teachers claim that unconditional covenants demand a literal, physical return of Christ to establish the kingdom.

These covenants don’t ‘demand’ a physical return. A physical return cannot be proved. Why do people think He would be optically ‘seen’ at His coming in judgment hidden in clouds of glory? He whom no one can see and live? Christian, we walk by faith, not by sight!

He told Pilate ‘My kingdom is not of this world.’

They claim that the Abrahamic covenant promises Israel a land, a posterity and ruler, and a spiritual blessing quoting Genesis 12:1–3. But what does it say:

“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

God covenanted with Abraham (you/thee, sing.) not Israel. All people will be blessed because of Abraham’s seed, which is Christ! See Galatians 3:7-9:  Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

They claim that the Palestinian covenant promised Israel a restoration to the land and occupation of the land (Deuteronomy 30:1–10).  

True. But then the passage goes on, see verse 18: But if to other gods and [you] worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

They made the wrong choice, again and again and again. Consequently, they were certainly destroyed when Judea, Jerusalem and people were ravaged by the Roman armies in 66-70 AD after the real Jewish followers of Christ had escaped just as He instructed them. “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near.  Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. For this is the time of punishment in fulfilment of all that has been written. (Luke 21:20-22).

They also claim that the Davidic covenant promised Israel a king from David’s line who would rule forever—giving the nation rest from all their enemies (2 Samuel 7:10–13).

When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 

That was fulfilled at the birth of Jesus as we saw above in Luke 1:32–33.

See also Daniel 7:13-14: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence.  He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshipped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom will never be destroyed.

In conclusion, let me say that this whole idea we have looked at here, rather briefly, is not reflected at all in the pages of the New Testament. Their proof texts are mostly from the Old Testament and the Book of Revelation.

All of this goes along with the obsession millions have about the nation-state of Israel founded not by God Almighty but by politicians and global elites like the wealthy Ashkenazi Jewish banking family Rothschilds.

We are the people of God as Peter wrote to congregations of Jews and Gentiles (1 Peter 2:9).

Repeating, God covenanted with Abraham (Gen 12:1-3):

“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

Today, we believers in Jesus are that ‘great nation’, not the Israeli state. We are blessed and will be a blessing, and all peoples on earth are being blessed by us!

Let’s do it!

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Gleanings from The Letter to the Hebrews: The Final Days—Part 3

Posted on 18/12/2024 | Leave a comment

Recapping

These Jesus’ followers were new Christians though they still identified as Jewish. They were the true people of God but were suffering, opposed, persecuted by apostate Jews, who refused to accept Jesus. 

Remember, the letters in the New Testament were not written to us today but they can still be very important for us—audience relevance is important.  This letter is full of warnings and for today’s Christian this is just as relevant.  So let’s again plunge into some important passages.

Hebrews 10:1

The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. 

The whole Mosaic system was only a shadow, not reality. Now these “good things” had come for these first century believers by virtue of Jesus’ perfect self-sacrifice. Why would they ever go back to a dim preview having to repeat sacrifices every year, all utterly failing to cleanse worshippers?

Why then do many Christian believers today support the return of this system—focusing on modern Israel, on the rebuilding a new temple and re-introduction of the sacrificial system? This is NOT Christian. This is idolatry! Christ alone must be our focus. He alone is able to provide perfect cleansing for our sins. To bless “Israel” is to reject Christ—to turn our backs on him.

Hebrews 10:14

For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.

Think of it! His one offering forever made them and us today perfect! Forever perfect in his sight—past tense. This wondrous fact, despite our ever-present need to reject sin, as we “are being made holy”—our constant sanctification process. Amazing grace!

Hebrews 10:36-38

Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.  “For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.”

Our author encourages his readers to have patience and endurance in doing the will of God. He reminds them (not us) it will only be a little while when the coming one will come and NOT delay and they will receive all that he has promised! Even though they have received so much in his atoning death and resurrection, there is more to come when Jesus returns!

Were these first century believers disappointed? I think not! They would have experienced their completed salvation, the assured finishing of the atonement (see last post, Hebrews 9:28). Jesus had come as promised (see Matthew 10:23, 16:17-18, 24:34).

Now, let’s imagine for a moment that he did not come. Imagine you were one of the first century believers and as the last few in your community passed away and Jesus had not returned as expected. You are horrified. Suddenly you realise Jesus was a false prophet. You feel the horror, the torment and the abandonment of all you had been taught. Your teachers had been deceived, had believed a lie. Your hope dashed to pieces. You realise the ‘gospel’ was a myth, a fairy tale. You abandon making any disciples. All over the Roman world heart-broken ‘believers’ stop meeting together and sharing good news. The way, the truth and the life comes to an end forever.

If Christ had not already come you and I would not be sharing in Jesus’ blessing would we? Get it?

So does this not demonstrate that Jesus has already returned a second time?

Hebrews 12:22-24

. . . .  you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.

Our author encourages his readers to realise that even before Jesus comes they have come to so much. What a list! This is for us today too. Let’s be encouraged. Note the past tense “have come”!

The way they have come is by faith (Hebrews 11). Not by a physical mountain, a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, as the Israelites had at Mount Sinai. This is nothing like a physical or bodily “catching-up” (a rapture) into the heavenly realm. It is a participation in Jesus by faith. Note the past tense “have come”!

They had come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. Contrast this with the Zionism we see today, focussed on an earthbound Jerusalem, the city of false gods.

They had come to the glorious company of thousands of angels. Angels are there for them and us. They are servants—“spirits sent to serve and care for people who will inherit salvation.” (Heb 1:14)

They had come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. The word assembly (Greek ekklesia), a non-religious word, horribly translated ‘church’. They and we are called ‘God’s firstborn’ meaning the privileged ones who inherit God’s Kingdom.

They had come to God himself, who is the judge over all things, to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who are perfect, to Jesus our mediator and to the sprinkled blood—forgiveness instead of vengeance. 

So much fantastic blessing for them and for us!

Hebrews 12:27-29

When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also. This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain.  Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. For our God is a devouring fire.

The expected shaking was in the future for these 1st century believers. Our author recalls Haggai 2:6. “For this is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: In just a little while I will again shake the heavens and the earth, the oceans and the dry land.”Now that prophecy was about to be fulfilled for them “in just a little while”—not after 2000 years!

Hebrews 13:14.

For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.

Here again we have the phrase ‘to come’ translating the Greek word mello meaning “about to come”. These 1st century believers were expecting their permanent or lasting home soon!

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To Whom Do You Listen?

Posted on 23/10/2023 | Leave a comment

This article is by my good friend Jane Blakey

To whom then shall we listen?

We all remember this. 
Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and led them up to a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them, and His clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.
And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”.
For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified.

‘And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son: hear Him“‘. (Mark 9:2-7)
Not to Moses AND Elijah AND Jesus.
But, listen to Jesus! Hear Him.

Over this weekend, I have been thinking very much of the New Jerusalem, the city that has foundations that Abraham looked forward to. That one whose designer and builder is God. That better country, a heavenly one where God has prepared a city. (Hebrews 11: 8-16)
I am thinking of the promises made to Abraham and his offspring – to one. To Jesus, the seed  of Abraham – and of those who are Christ’s and who thereby are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. (Gal 3:16 & 27-29).

My thoughts are on the two Jerusalems: Mt Sinai in Arabia that corresponds to the earthly Jerusalem who is in slavery and of the one who is our mother – the Jerusalem above that is free (Gal 4.:22-31, especially 25 & 26).
THIS is the city and the better country that Abraham was looking for; the city of his seed Jesus and of Abraham’s descendants – those who are in Christ.
Here, ‘there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus’. (Gal.3:28)

When Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well, HE said to her:
‘Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain NOR in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. But  the hour is coming and is NOW here, when true worshippers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him. God is Spirit and those who worship must worship in spirit and truth.’ (John 6:21-24)

There is almost an obsession in some Christian circles with the earthly city of Jerusalem and the land. 
Yet, how can there be a mixture of that which is of the Old Covenant and that which is of the New Covenant? This was anathema for Jesus. His analogies were stark!

“And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. Instead, new wine is poured into new wineskins.” (Mark 2:22)

And again; “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. For the patch will pull away from the garment, and a worse tear will result.” (Matthew 9:16)

Paul perhaps was even blunter.
For Paul, the earthly Jerusalem was represented by Hagar and the one who was born of the flesh who persecuted the one who was born of the Spirit. Paul exhorted the believers in Galatia to do this: ‘Cast out the the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman. So, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman’.’

There seems to be confusion in the Christian church. A confusion of Covenants.
To whom do we belong and where is our city?
It is the city Abraham was seeking, the city of God, the HEAVENLY Jerusalem! The words of our Lord and God Jesus and the thoughts and writings of that great theologian Paul are profound truths.

Simple, Biblical Christianity.

Much love dear friend.
Jane.

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