Dispensations PDF

Doctrine of Dispensations
Introduction
There are various interpretations of history but only the biblical interpretation of
history is the only legitimate and correct interpretation of history.
Geographical Interpretation: (1) The theory that topography determines or
explains the course of a nation or humanity. (2) The influence of rivers, valleys,
mountains, weather, etc., on a people; the development of the Greek city-states
influenced by the surrounding mountains.
Biological Interpretation: (1) The attempt to explain the direction of mankind in
terms of competition for food, mates or power: man is subject to his hereditary
and culture. (2) Theory expounded by Thomas Malthus in his “Essay on
Population” (1798): if human life is too numerous for food supply, nature has 3
agents to restore the balance-famine, pestilence and war.
Racial Interpretation: (1) The Aryan-Nordic theory: superiority of race (first
advanced as a serious concept in writing by the Count Joseph Arthur de Gobineau).
(2) The twofold fallacy of this theory: purity of race no longer exists; theory
becomes a satanic device to set up one person or people over another.
Genius Interpretation: (1) The rise of a super-genius to stabilize a desperate
situation in an epoch of history. (2) The influence of great men, such as Julius
Caesar and the apostle Paul on the course world history. (Liberalism discounts the
fact that God raises up men of genius to stabilize a nation-Moses, Jeremiah,
Daniel, Cyrus the Great).
Morality Interpretation: (1) The rise or fall of nations is based on degree of
morality. (2) The rise of the Jewish nation due to its laws of morality (10
Commandments) the fall of the Canaanites resulting from degeneracy; decline of
Greece on basis of immorality; rise of Rome through establishment principles.
Economic Interpretation: (1) The definition of history in terms of economics in
action (propounded by Marx). (2) Trojan War explained by the Greek’s
commercial control of the Dardanelles; the Crusades, by Western attempts to
capture trade routes to the East; French Revolution, by rise of middle class, which
needed economic and legislative freedom for trade and enterprise. (Fallacy arises
when a correct observation excludes Jesus Christ.)
Divine Interpretation: (1) Divine sovereignty and omnipotence in the affairs of
mankind must be recognized. (2) While the foregoing human interpretations of
history contain elements of truth based on observation, they all fall short because
they are improperly applied: they ignore or reject Jesus Christ, who controls
history, and who is center of history; in fact, who IS history.
2011 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 1

Only dispensations, or the divine interpretation of history, have significance.
The divine plan moves through history unhindered by satanic confusion of cosmic
diabolucus.
Edward Gibbon (1737-1794), “History…is indeed little more than the register
of the crimes, follies, and misfortunes of mankind.” Shakespeare, “all the world’s a
stage, and all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their
entrances.” Ernest Renan (1823-1892), “The whole of history is incomprehensible
without Jesus Christ.” Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892), “Christ is the great
central fact in the world’s history. To Him everything looks forward or backward.
All the lines of history converge upon Him. All the great purposes of God
culminate in Him. The greatest and most momentous fact, which the history of the
world records is the fact of His birth.” C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), “History is a story
written by the finger of God.” Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821), “The nature of
Christ’s existence is mysterious, I admit; but this mystery meets the wants of man.
Reject it and the world is an inexplicable riddle; believe it, and the history of our
race is satisfactorily explained.”
We live in unpredictable times, on the edge of disaster. There is instability
abroad and at home here in America. The news comes to us a breakneck speed, and
is often gloomy or misinterpreted. But we need not despair. Even though the
circumstances of history shift constantly, the One who controls history-the Lord
Jesus Christ-is the “same yesterday, and today and forever” (Heb. 13:8). There
is no instability with God according to James 1:17 Every good thing given and
every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with
whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. (NASB95) His plan is perfect
from its inception to its conclusion. That plan unfolds as a sequence of divine
administrations called dispensations.
Dispensations are the divine outline of history. A dispensation is a period of
human history defined in terms of divine revelation. According to the Bible,
history is a sequence of divine administrations. These consecutive eras reflect the
unfolding of God’s plan for mankind. A dispensation is a period of history where
God has designed a particular plan for man and man is tested as to whether or not
he will be obedient to that particular plan. Since God has revealed to us in His
Word information pertinent to each dispensation, we can determine what the near
and distant future impact will be on world events (Dt. 29:29).
Deuteronomy 29:29 “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but
the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe
all the words of this law.” (NASB95)
The dispensational interpretation of Scripture is the key to the correct
understanding of current and future conflicts in the world. Jesus Christ warned of
wars and rumors of wars until He returns (Mt. 24:6). In spite of these persistent
conflicts in the world His immutable promise of a future return assures that human
history will complete the full dispensational course. The dispensations constitute
the divine viewpoint of history and the theological interpretation of history. The
doctrine of dispensations is the vehicle by which believers living at a specific time
can orient to God’s will, plan and purpose for their lives.
The essence of dispensationalism is the distinction between Israel and the
Church. This arises out of the dispensationalist’s consistent utilization of normal or
plain interpretation.
Distinctions Between Israel and the Church
Israel Church
Shadow Christology Historical Christology
Covenants Baptism of the Spirit
Jewish Client Nation Gentile Client Nations
Old Testament Canon New Testament Canon
Shekinah Glory indwelt the Holy of Every Believer indwelt by the Shekinah
Holies Glory
Limited power-1% Enduement 100% Availability of divine power
Faith Rest Drill Filling of the Spirit
Limited spiritual gifts Every believer has a spiritual gift
Levitical Priesthood Universal Royal Priesthood
Mosaic Law Mystery Doctrine
Ritual Plan of God Protocol or Pre-Designed Plan of God
Earthly Promises Heavenly Citizenship
New Racial Species New Spiritual Species
Prophecy No Prophecy-Historical Trends
Visible Heroes Invisible Heroes
Extraordinary believer Ordinary believer
Incomplete Canon of Scripture Completed Canon of Scripture
Visible signs preceding 2nd Advent No visible signs preceding Rapture
Dispensationalism recognizes distinctions in God’s program in history. The

dispensationalist follows the principle of interpreting the Bible literally, and does
not allegorize away the Bible, thus he is consistent in his interpretation. It
recognizes that God’s message to man was not given in one single act but was
unfolded in a long series of successive acts and through the minds and hands of
many men of varying backgrounds.

This principle of progressive revelation from God is seen in the pages of
Scriptures:
Acts 17:30 “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is
now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, 31 because He
has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a
Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising
Him from the dead.” (NASB95)
Hebrews 1:1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in
many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His
Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the
world. (NASB95)
John 1:17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were
realized through Jesus Christ. (NASB95)
Scofield Reference Bible states on page 5, “A dispensation is a period of time
during which man is tested in respect of obedience to some specific revelation of
the will of God.” The English word dispensation is an anglicized form of the Latin
dispensation, which the Vulgate uses to translate the Greek word.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary the English word contains 3
principal ideas: (1) The action of dealing out or distributing. (2) The action of
administering, ordering or managing; the system by which things are administered.
(3) The action of dispensing with some requirement.
In further defining the same word theologically, the same dictionary says that a
dispensation is “a stage in a progressive revelation, expressly adapted to the needs
of a particular nation or period of time…also, the age or period during which a
system has prevailed.”
In the papyri the officer (oikonomos) who administered a dispensation was
referred to as a steward or manager of an estate or as a treasurer. Thus the central
idea in the word dispensation is that of managing or administering the affairs of a
household. As far as the use of the word in Scripture is concerned, a dispensation
may be defined as a stewardship, administration, oversight or management of
others’ property. A dispensation is primarily a stewardship arrangement and not a
period of time (though obviously the arrangement will exist during a period of
time). A dispensation is basically the arrangement involved, not the time involved.
Ryrie, “A dispensation is a distinguishable economy in the outworking of God’s
purpose.” (Dispensationalism Today, page 29).
The dispensations are economies instituted and brought to their purposeful
conclusion by God. To summarize: (1) Dispensationalism views the world as a
household run by God. (2) In this household-world God is dispensing or
administering its affairs according to His own will and in various stages of
revelation in the process of time. (3) These various stages mark off the
distinguishably different economies in the outworking of His total purpose, and
these economies are dispensations.

Chapter One: Classification of the Dispensations
Theologians may debate the issue of where precisely to divide the dispensations
on the timeline of human history. Some disagree on how to classify biblical
distinctions, thus arriving at different numbers of dispensations. Some scholars
even reject the doctrine in order to perpetuate tradition or justify a particular
emphasis. The recognition of historical eras in the Bible unlocks the Scriptures,
revealing profound truths with tremendous positive impact on our lives. When
Biblical distinctions are overlooked, particularly those between Israel and the
Church, there are adverse practical and theological repercussions.
Human history may be classified into six dispensations. These six can be
grouped into three categories of two dispensations each. (I) Theocentric: Old
Testament Dispensations (from the creation of Adam to the virgin birth of Christ)
(A) Gentiles (from the creation of Adam to the Exodus, Genesis 1-Exodus 11) (1)
Edenic: Adam to the Fall (Gen. 1:26-3:6). (2) Ante-Diluvian: Fall of Adam to the
Flood (Gen. 3-9). (3) Post-Diluvian: Noah Leaving Ark to Call of Abraham (Gen.
9-12). (4) Patriarchal: Call of Abraham to Giving of Law on Sinai (Gen. 12-Ex.
19). (B) Jews (from the Exodus to the birth of Christ 1441-4 B.C.; Exodus 12-
Malachi) (1) Theocratic Kingdom: Exodus to Samuel (B.C. 1441-B.C. 1020) (2)
United Kingdom: Saul to Rehoboam (B.C. 1020-926 B.C.) (3) Northern Kingdom:
Jeroboam to Hosea (B.C. 926-B.C. 721) (4) Southern Kingdom: Rehoboam to
Zedekiah (B.C. 721-B.C. 586) (5) Babylonian Captivity: (B.C. 586-536 B.C.) (6)
Restoration of Israel as a nation: Judah (B.C. 536-B.C. 4).
(II) Christocentric: New Testament Dispensations (from the birth of Christ to
the yet future resurrection, or Rapture of the Church) (A) Hypostatic Union: Birth
of Christ to His death, resurrection, ascension and session (the era of the New
Testament Gospels; B.C. 4-30 A.D.) (B) Church Age: Pentecost to the Rapture (30
A.D.-Rapture) (1) Precanon period (the era commencing with the Book of Acts
and continuing until John wrote Revelation, completing the canon of Scripture;
A.D. 30-96) (2) Postcanon period (the current era governed by Christ’s Upper
Room Discourse [John 14-17], the New Testament epistles, and Revelation 2-3;
from A.D. 96 to the Rapture).
(III) Eschatological: Dispensations after the Rapture of the Church (A)
Tribulation: Rapture of the Church to the 2nd Advent of Christ (approximately 7
years from the Rapture of the Church to the 2nd Advent of Christ; prophesied in
the Old Testament, Christ’s Olivet Discourse [Matt. 24-25], and Revelation 6-19)
(1) Satan’s Failed Utopia (from the Rapture until Satan’s expulsion from heaven)
(2) Great Tribulation (from Satan’s expulsion until the 2nd Advent of Christ). (B)
Millennium (the 1000 year reign of Christ on earth from His 2nd Advent of Christ
to the end of human history, prophesied throughout the Old Testament and in
Revelation 20) (C) Eternal State (following the final dispensation of human
history, Revelation 21-22)

Dispensations
Gentiles Israel Hypostatic Church Tribulation Millennium

Union
Theocentric Christocentric Eschatological
Theocentric Dispensations
Fall to Noah Call of Birth
Creation Exodus to
the leaving Abraham to of
of Adam Birth of Christ
Flood the Ark to Exodus Christ
to Fall Call of
Abraham
Ante- Post-
Edenic Diluvian Diluvian Patriarchal Israel
Gentiles Israel
Christocentric Dispensations
Ascension Baptism of the

and Session Spirit on the Rapture
Birth of
Christ of Christ Day of
Pentecost Completed
Canon of
Scripture
Pre-Canon Post-
Period Canon
Period
Hypostatic Union Church Age

Eschatological Dispensations
New
Great Jerusalem
Satan’s
2nd White
Expulsion
Advent Throne
from
Rapture of Christ Judgment
Heaven
Gog
Revolution
Satan’s Fallen Great

The Kingdom
Utopia Tribulation
Tribulation Millennium

Chapter Two: Vocabulary
There are four words in the Greek New Testament that pertain to the subject of
dispensationalism. The first is the noun oikonomia, “management of a household”
(Eph. 1:10; 3:2; Col. 1:25). The second word is the noun aion: “Age, a divine
category of history” (Rom. 16:25; Eph. 3:9; Col. 1:26). The third is the noun
kairos, which means “era, chronological order of history” (Luke 21:24; 1 Thess.
5:1; Eph. 2:11-12). The fourth is the noun chronos, which means “time as a
succession events” (Rom. 16:25; 1 Pet. 1:20).
Oikonomia
The noun oikonomia is derived from oikos, “house” and the verb nemo, “to
administrate,” thus the word literally means “to administrate a household.” From
the time of Xenophon and Plato, the word represented household administration,
the management of a household or of household affairs. It was generally used for
the administration of the state and was eventually used to designate every type of
activity that accrued from the position (The New International Dictionary of New
Testament Theology, Colin Brown, General Editor, volume 2, page 253; Regency,
Reference Library, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1967,
1969, 1971). So it takes on the meanings “direction, provision” or
“administration.”
It appears only twice in the Septuagint where it retains its original meaning of
“office, administration” (Isaiah 22:19, 21). The noun occurs 9 times in the Greek
New Testament (Luke 16:2, 3, 4; 1 Corinthians 9:17; Ephesians 1:10; 3:2, 9;
Colossians 1:25; 1 Timothy 1:4).
In 1 Timothy 1:4, the noun oikonomia means “administration of a household”
and refers to these unidentified individuals in Ephesus fulfilling their stewardship
as pastor-teachers. Specifically, it refers to “the administration” of God’s
household, which is the church. This word thus implies that they are believers
since only believers can administrate the church. In 1 Corinthians 9:17, Ephesians
3:2, and Colossians 1:25, the word is a reference to the stewardship that God gave
to Paul as an apostle. In Ephesians 1:10 and 3:9, oikonomia means “dispensation”
and refers to the church age.
Classical Usage of Aion
Aion is an abstract noun, which by their very nature focus on a quality.

However, when such a noun is articular, that quality is “tightened up,” as it were,
defined more closely, distinguished from other notions. The article with an abstract
noun aion emphasizes eternity is well-known to Paul’s readers. We will translate
the prepositional phrase eis tous aionas, “throughout eternity.”
In the classical period aion denoted “lifetime, age, generation, a long period, or
eternity.” Time and eternity are two complementary categories for comprehending
the historical process.
The Greek language has a wealth of various terms with which to express the
experience of time. The most extensive one is aion which is primarily a
designation for a long period of time. When such an age refers to the past, it
denotes remote antiquity, the dim and distant past and when it is directed to the on-
going future aion can take on the meaning of eternity. Eternity is thus not
necessarily a timeless concept, but the most comprehensive temporal one which
the experience of time has produced. Theologically speaking, lasting time or
eternity is a property of God the Creator, whereas passing time belongs to man as
the creature.
The Greek word aion is probably derived from aei, “always” and is
distinguished from its Indo-European parallels (Latin: aevum; English: aye are
cognate) in that it is thought of not so much from the point of view of an abstract
period of time as from the point of view of the time in which one has lived. The
essential meaning of aion in classical Greek is time as the condition for all created
things and as the measure of their existence. It came to mean all that exists in the
world under conditions of time.
Ethically speaking aion refers to the course and current of this world’s affairs.
In Homer aion is often parallel with psuche, “soul” (Il. 16, 453); in Hesiod (Frag.
161, 1) it denotes a life-span, and in Aeschylus (Sept. 742), “a generation.” So it
came to mean the time which one has already lived or will live meaning it can
relate to past as to future. It thus appeared appropriate to later philosophers to use
the word both for the dim and distant past, the beginning of the world, and for the
far future, eternity (Plato, Tim. 37d).
In Plato the term is developed so as to represent a timeless, immeasurable and
transcendent super-time, an idea of time in itself. Plutarch and the earlier Stoics
appropriate this understanding and from it the mysteries of Aion, “the god of
eternity” could be celebrated in Alexandria and Gnosticism could undertake its
own speculations of time.
In Hellenistic philosophy the concept of aeons contributed towards a solution of
the problem of the world-order. The aeons were assumed to be mediating powers
which bridge the infinite qualitative distinction between God and the cosmos. They
are an emanation of the divine pleroma, the fullness of the divine Being. As
differing levels of being of the divinity, they rule the various world-historical
periods, which follow one another in a perpetual circular movement.

The thought of personal, divine aeons was widespread in the speculation of the
ancient orient such as in the Zoroastrian religion and Philo. In Gnosticism is found
the doctrine of the two ages representing on the one hand the eternal and
supratemporal and on the other the temporal and transient world.
So the term aion in classical Greek generally expresses an extended span of
time, but it additionally assumes a specific meaning according to its various
contexts. Aion does not imply any movement of time from one point in time to
another but rather aion designates the totality of time and sees the entire picture
simultaneously. Because aion suggested an age or aeon, it represented the world or
kosmos and the course of the kosmos itself. Whereas kosmos connotes the world in
terms of space, aion designates the world in terms of time.
Kosmos and aion form the framework of mankind’s existence. The Greeks
possessed the concept the present aion and the one to come. The Papyri tell of a
crowd of people that pays homage to the emperor with cries of Agoustoi kurioi eis
ton aiona, “The emperors be forever!” (The Oxyrhynchus Papyri 1.141). The
Greeks like many nations imagined an eternal age to come.
Liddell and Scott (Greek-English Lexicon, New Edition, page 45): (1) lifetime,
life, age, generation (2) one’s life, destiny (3) long space of time, age (4) eternity
(5) space of time clearly defined and marked out, epoch, age.
Septuagint Usage of Aion
The noun aion appears over 450 times in the Septuagint. In the Septuagint, aion
is the primary equivalent of the Hebrew òlam. The concepts behind this word
greatly influence the definition of aion in the Greek New Testament. In reference
time the word points to an existence beyond that which is material, an unlimited,
undefined, and unknown period of time, either past or future.
The term also contains the concept of being uninterrupted. Depending on the
context it can be translated “formerly, always, eternal, all eternity.” It is òlam and
its cognates which the Old Testament most frequently relies upon to describe
“eternal” concepts and “eternity.”
The Old Testament often understands the expressions “eternal” and “eternity”
as relative in meaning. The nature of the matter in question and the pertinent
circumstances determine the interpretation (Job 20:4; Josh. 24:2; Jer. 28:8).
The word òlam retains its relative nature in expressions of future time such as
in connection with the divine institutions in Israel (Ex. 12:14; 31:16; Deut. 15:17; 1
Ch. 16:11; 2 Ch. 7:16; Ps. 105:10). The word is used in relation to the Noahic
covenant (Gen. 9:16).
The terms “eternal” and “eternity” are also employed in the absolute sense.
They are used in relation to the existence of God (Deut. 32:40). It is used in
relation to the attributes of God and His superiority over His creatures (Gen. 21:33;
Deut. 33:27; Is. 40:28). God is in the absolute sense eternal in His relationship with
humanity.
The eternal nature of God is used in relation to the following concepts in the
Old Testament: (1) Light for His people (Is. 60:19). (2) Eternal king (Ex. 15:18).
(3) Eternal might (Dan. 4:34). (4) Love (Jer. 31:3). (5) Mercy (Ps. 106:1). (6)
Faithfulness (Ps. 146:6). (7) Salvation (Is. 45:17). (8) Anger toward sin (Mal. 1:4).
(9) Righteousness (Dan. 9:24). (10) New Covenant (Is. 55:3; 61:8). (11) Messiah
(Is. 9:6). (12) Word of God (Is. 40:8). (13) Man has eternity in his heart (Ecc.
3:11).
A figurative use of the eternity concept appears in the expression “from eternity
to eternity” (Ps. 90:2 [LXX 89:2]; 103:17 [102:17]). This denotes through a means
of polarity, the extent of something immeasurable.
Nowhere in the Old Testament does “eternity” carry a philosophical meaning.
Therefore, òlam can denote a prolonged period of time which extends beyond
sight which is hidden and secret and which cannot be comprehended. Nevertheless
as with the Greek aion, òlam can refer to near and temporal things.
New Testament Usage of Aion
The noun aion is employed more than 100 times in the Greek New Testament.
It primarily means “eternal,” but in other instances it carries the same definitions
and nuances, which are found in classical Greek and in the Septuagint.
The Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised (page 11): (1) a period of time of
significant character (2) life (3) an era (4) an age (5) a state of things marking an
age or era (6) the present order of nature (7) the natural condition of man, the
world (8) illimitable duration, eternity (9) the material universe.
The New Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon (pages 18-20): (1) age, a human
lifetime, life itself (2) an unbroken age, perpetuity of time, eternity (3) eis ton
aiona, for ever (4) eis aiona, unto the day which is eternity (5) never, not forever,
not always (6) eis tous aionas, unto the ages, i.e. as long as time shall be (the plural
denotes the individual ages whose sum is eternity) (7) eis tous aionas ton aionon,
forever and ever (8) from the most ancient time down, from of old (9) by
metonymy of the container for the contained, the worlds, the universe (10) this age.
A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian
Literature-Third Edition: (1) a long period of time, without reference to beginning
or end (2) a segment of time as a particular unit of history, age (3) the world as a
spatial concept, the world (4) the Aeon as a person, the Aeon. (Pages 32-33)
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains
(volume 2): (1) a unit of time as a particular stage or period of history – ‘age, era’
(page 648). (2) (always occurring in the plural): the universe, perhaps with some
associated meaning of ‘eon’ or ‘age’ in the sense of the transitory nature of the
universe (3) the system of practices and standards associated with secular society
(that is, without reference to any demands or requirements of God) – ‘world
system, world’s standards, world’ (page 508).
Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament (volume 1, pages 44-46): (1) life,
lifetime, generation (2) from time immemorial (3) forever (4) eternity (5) eternal
(6) present age (7) world.
Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, “Aion, ‘an age, era’ (to be
connected with aei, ‘ever,’ rather than with ao, ‘to breathe’), signifies a period of
indefinite duration, or time viewed in relation to what takes place in the period.
The force attaching to the word is not so much that of the actual length of a period,
but that of a period marked by spiritual or moral characteristics. This is illustrated
in the use of the adjective [see Note (1) below] in the phrase ‘life eternal,’ in John
17:3, in respect of the increasing knowledge of God. The phrases containing this
word should not be rendered literally, but consistently with its sense of indefinite
duration. Thus eis ton aiona does not mean ‘unto the age’ but ‘for ever’ (see, e. g.,
Heb 5:6). The Greeks contrasted that which came to an end with that which was
expressed by this phrase, which shows that they conceived of it as expressing
interminable duration. The word occurs most frequently in the Gospel of John, the
Hebrews and Revelation. It is sometimes wrongly rendered ‘world.’ It is a
characteristic word of John's gospel. Notes: (1) Aionios, the adjective
corresponding, denoting ‘eternal,’ is set in contrast with proskairos, lit., ‘for a
season,’ 2 Cor 4:18. It is used of that which in nature is endless, as, e. g., of God,
Rom 16:26, His power, 1 Tim 6:16, His glory, 1 Peter 5:10, the Holy Spirit, Heb
9:14, redemption, Heb 9:12, salvation, 5:9, life in Christ, John 3:16, the
resurrection body, 2 Cor 5:1, the future rule of Christ, 2 Peter 1:11, which is
declared to be without end, Luke 1:33, of sin that never has forgiveness, Mark
3:29, the judgment of God, Heb 6:2, and of fire, one of its instruments, Matt 18:8;
25:41; Jude 7. (2) In Rev 15:3, the RV has ‘King of the ages,’ according to the
texts which have aionon, the KJV has ‘of saints’ (hagion, in inferior mss.). There
is good ms. evidence for ethnon, ‘nations,’ (KJV, marg.), probably a quotation
from Jer 10:7.”
The word is related to the following concepts in the Greek New Testament: (1)
Totality of visible creation (Heb. 1:2). (2) Cosmic system of Satan (Eph. 2:2). (3)
End of the Cosmic System of Satan (Mt. 28:20). (4) Future Millennial Reign of
Christ (Mk. 10:30). (5) Eternal State (Eph. 2:7). (6) Eternity (John 9:32). (7)
Eternal Life (Jn. 10:28). (8) Old Testament Dispensations (Col. 1:26). (9) Eternal
Condemnation in the Lake of Fire (Rev. 19:3). (10) Eternal Nature of Christ (1 Ti.
1:17). (11) The Will of the Father in Eternity Past (Eph. 3:11). (12) Eternal Nature
of the Word of God (1 Pet. 1:25). (13) Eternal Nature of Christ’s High Priesthood
(Heb. 7:17). (14) Worship of Christ (Rev. 4:10).
The word is used with the preposition eis to express the concept of eternity. It
appears regularly in the doxologies and offerings of praise. The noun appears in
the formula eis ton aiona tou aionos to emphasize the concept of eternity (Phlp.
4:20; Eph. 3:21). This repetition of the word is the figure of Polyptoton appearing
in context of praise to both the Father and the Son and is actually a Hebrew idiom.
The noun aion appears frequently in the New Testament in this negative sense.
In Ephesians 2:2, the word is translated “course” referring to the Satanic viewpoint
of Satan’s cosmic system. The word appears in 2 Corinthian 4:4 where it refers to
the Satanic age of world history in contrast to the Messianic age. Paul uses the
word in 1 Corinthians 2:6-8 where he uses it with reference to the present period of
human history in which the devil’s viewpoint rules. The noun aion is found in
Matthew 13:22, Mark 14:19 and 1 Timothy 6:17. In these passages the word means
“age” and these passage teaches that the anxieties of this age coupled with the
seductive power of riches can strangle a believer’s spiritual life. Paul wrote to
Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:10 that Demas, a believer loved this present age.
Kairos
The noun kairos was used in classical Greek referred to any “decisive crucial
place or point, whether spatially, materially or temporally” (Delling, “kairos,”
Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, volume 3, page 455; Liddell and
Scott, pages 859-860). In classical Greek, the temporal sense of the word
developed and came to dominate. The word had religious, ethical and
philosophical overtones. The noun kairos translates nearly twenty Hebrew words
in the Septuagint with the primary term being èth.
In the Septuagint, the word was used as a temporal term denoting a “precise
point in time” (Genesis 17:21, 23). The word is used often in a theological sense
for “God’s time, His appointed time” where it concerns God’s actions in the
salvation history of Israel (Exodus 34:18; Numbers 9:13; Deuteronomy 1:9, 16,
18). It frequently brings to remembrance Israel’s military victories that God gave
them (Deuteronomy 2:34; 3:4, 8, 12, 18, 21). Kairos was used in eschatological
sense for a “a point of time in the future” when God will act (Jeremiah 3:17).
Although, the word usually denotes “a specific point or moment in time,” that
may include “a distinct but long period of time.” The noun kairos is used often in a
temporal sense in the Greek New Testament for a “distinct point in time.” It can
have the following meanings in the Greek New Testament: (1) A fitting situation
(2) A limited period of time marked by suitableness of circumstances, a fitting

season (3) Opportunity (4) A limited period of time marked by characteristic
circumstances (5) A destined time (6) A season in ordinary succession.
The noun kairos means a point of time or period of time, time, period,
frequently with the implication of being especially fit for something and without
emphasis on precise chronology. It means a moment or period as especially
appropriate the right, proper, favorable time (at the right time). Kairos can refer to
a fixed and definite time, the time when things are brought to crisis, the decisive
epoch waited for or a strategic point in time.
The Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised lists the following lists the following
meanings for the word, “fitness, proportion, suitableness; a fitting situation,
suitable place; a limited period of time marked by suitableness of circumstances, a
fitting season; opportunity; a limited period of time marked by characteristic
circumstances, a signal juncture, a marked season; a destined time; a season in
ordinary succession; a limited time, a short season; point of time (pages 208-209).
The New Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon lists the following meanings: (1)
Due measure (2) A measure of time; universally, a fixed and definite time, the time
when things are brought to a crisis, the decisive epoch waited for; opportune or
seasonable time; right time; a period of time; equivalent to what time brings, the
state of the times, the things and events of time (pages 318-319).
Vine commenting on the noun, writes, “kairos, primarily ‘due measure, due
proportion,’ when used of ‘time,’ signified ‘a fixed or definite period, a season,’
sometimes an opportune or seasonable ‘time,’ e. g., Rom 5:6, RV, ‘season’; Gal
6:10, ‘opportunity.’ In Mark 10:30 and Luke 18:30, ‘this time’ (kairos), i. e., ‘in
this lifetime,’ is contrasted with ‘the coming age.’ In 1 Thess 5:1, ‘the times and
the seasons,’ ‘times’ (chronos) refers to the duration of the interval previous to the
Parousia of Christ and the length of ‘time’ it will occupy, as well as other periods;
‘seasons’ refers to the characteristics of these periods (Vine’s Expository
Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright (c)1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers).
Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament lists the following meanings for
the noun kairos: (1) point of time, moment, instant (2) Eschatologically filled time,
time for decision (3) An indefinite period of time (4) Beginnings of the seasons or
feasts (5) Eschatological time that began with the sending of Christ (6) Time
remaining until the parousia and the judgment, which is condensed, shortened,
pressed, thus short (7) Times (8) Every time, at that time (9) Harvest times (10) An
indefinite moment in the future (11) A specific period of time (12) Used with the
demonstrative pronoun as a loose redactional link for indicating a point in time
and point of time in the past, an unknown future time or a future favorable moment
or opportunity (13) Historical epochs (14) Time of decision (15) Of an indefinite
eschatological future: a term referring to the history of salvation (16) Opportunity
(17) Eschatologically defined sense (18) Times (pages 233-235).
A Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament and Other Early Christian
Literature-Third Edition: (1) a point of time or period of time, time, period (2) a
defined period for an event; definite, fixed time (3) a period characterized by some
aspect of special crisis, time (Pages 497-498).
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains lists
the following: (1) Points of time consisting of occasions for particular events –
‘time, occasion’ (67.1). (2) An indefinite unit of time (the actual extent of time
being determined by the context) – ‘time, period of time’ (67.78). (3) An indefinite
period of time, but probably with the implication of the relation of a period to a
particular state of affairs – ‘age, era, time’ (67.145). (4) A favorable opportunity or
occasion in view of propitious circumstances – ‘opportunity, good occasion’
(22.45).
Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament, “time; (1) as a measure of
time, either as a point of time, past, present, or future time, moment (MT 11.25), or
as a fixed period of time marked by suitableness season, (favorable) time,
opportunity (2C 6.2); (2) as a specific and decisive point, often divinely allotted
time, season (MK 1.15); (3) as a future period of time marked by characteristic
circumstances (the) last times, (the) end-time, (the) messianic times (MT 16.3; 1T
4.1) (page 212)
The noun kairos means a point of time or period of time, time, period,
frequently with the implication of being especially fit for something and without
emphasis on precise chronology. It means a moment or period as especially
appropriate the right, proper, favorable time (at the right time). Kairos can refer to
a fixed and definite time, the time when things are brought to crisis, the decisive
epoch waited for or a strategic point in time.
Luke 21:20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then
recognize that her desolation is near. 21 Then those who are in Judea must
flee to the mountains, and those who are in the midst of the city must leave,
and those who are in the country must not enter the city; 22 because these are
days of vengeance, so that all things, which are written, will be fulfilled. 23
Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those
days; for there will be great distress upon the land and wrath to this people;
24 and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all
the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until
the times (kairos) of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” (NASB95)
Kairos appears in Romans 13:11.
Romans 13:11 Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you
to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we
believed. (NASB95)

“Knowing the time” is composed of the nominative masculine second person
plural perfect active participle form of the verb oida, “knowing” and the articular
accusative masculine singular form of the noun kairos, “the time.”
The verb oida means “to be aware of” a particular period of history as indicated
by the noun kairos, “the time.” The English adjective “aware” means, “having
knowledge; conscious; cognizant; informed” and denotes information that Paul’s
readers would be familiar with and accept as fact.
The noun kairos means “the significance of this particular period of history
characterized by urgency and opportunity, demanding immediate action” on the
part of the Roman believers. The specific period of history in view in our passage
is the period of the church age that precedes the return of Christ at the rapture of
the church, which is imminent. This period of history is significant to the believer
and characterized by opportunity for him since it is an opportunity for him to gain
rewards at the Bema Seat Evaluation of the church. It is characterized by urgency
since the rapture of the church is imminent and is immediately followed by the
Bema Seat when the believer will have to give an account to the Lord for his post-
conversion life.
Chronos
In classical Greek, the noun chronos can refer to a long period of time or it may
refer to time in the abstract sense. It may describe the passing of time, the effects
of time, the duration of time, or a specific point of time. The word entered the
philosophical and cosmological discussions of antiquity, especially among the
Greek philosophers.
In the Septuagint, the word depicted at times, the “times” in which people lived
such as Abraham (Genesis 26:1, 15). It could refer to the time frame in which
individuals live (Joshua 4:24; 24:31). In a number of passages, chronos refers to
eternity (Isaiah 9:1-8). It was also used of the finality of judgment (Isaiah 13:20).
The noun chronos appears approximately fifty times in the Greek New
Testament. Of these, 23 are attributed to Luke and 9 to Paul. The word was used to
speak of a precise “time” of an event (Matthew 2:7; Acts 1:6) or an extended or
shortened period of time (Mark 9:21). It could refer to a significant theological
event (Luke 1:57).
Romans 16:25, “Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my
gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the
mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past.”
“For long ages past” is composed of the dative masculine plural form of the
noun chronos, “for ages” and the dative masculine plural form of the noun aionios,
“long past.”
In Romans 16:25, the noun chronos refers to an indefinite period of time
referring to past human and angelic history. It functions as a dative of time
indicating “when” God the Holy Spirit in accordance with the Father’s will did not
fully disclose the gospel in the person of Christ and in the proclamation of His
death and resurrection. It emphasizes an indefinite period of time.

Chapter Three: First Theocentric Dispensation: Gentiles
As we noted in the classification of the dispensations, the first theocentric

dispensation extended from the creation of Adam to the virgin birth of Christ. This
period of history can be divided into two sections: (A) Gentiles (B) Israel. We will
first treat of course, the era of the Gentiles, which extended from the creation of
Adam to the Exodus (Genesis 1-Exodus 11). The dispensation of the Gentiles can
be divided into 4 periods: (1) Edenic: Adam to the Fall (Gen. 1:26-3:6). (2) Ante-
Diluvian: Fall of Adam to the Flood (Gen. 3-9). (3) Post-Diluvian: Noah Leaving
Ark to Call of Abraham (Gen. 9-12). (4) Patriarchal: Call of Abraham to Giving of
Law on Sinai (Gen. 12-Ex. 19).
The Edenic period of the dispensation of the Gentiles extended from the
creation of Adam to the Fall. Two divine institutions began during Edenic
dispensation: Volition: (1) Volition (Gen. 2:15-17) (2) Marriage (Gen. 2:18-24).
Adam and the Woman were given a perfect environment to live in and they were
perfect for they had no sinned yet.
The Covenants
In the Garden, God made the first of eight covenants that He would make with
members of the human race throughout history. Three of these covenants were
made with Gentiles and five with the Jews.
So what is a covenant? A covenant is a compact or agreement between two
parties binding them mutually to undertakings on each other’s behalf.
Theologically (used of relations between God and man) it denotes a gracious
undertaking entered into by God for the benefit and blessing of man, and
specifically of those men who by faith receive the promises and commit
themselves to the obligations, which this undertaking involves.
The word used most often in the OT to express the covenant concept is the
Hebrew noun berith. A general characteristic of the OT berith is its unalterable and
permanently binding character. There 2 categories of covenants: (1) Conditional
(2) Unconditional.
The fulfillment of unconditional covenants depended entirely upon the
faithfulness of God rather than the man whereas the fulfillment of a conditional
covenant depended upon the faithfulness of man.
In a conditional covenant, that which was covenanted depended on the recipient
of the covenant for its fulfillment, not on the one making the covenant. Certain
obligations or conditions would need to be kept by the recipient of the covenant
before the giver of the covenant would be obligated to fulfill what was promised.

This type of covenant has an “if” attached to it. The Mosaic Covenant made by
God with Israel is an example of a conditional covenant.
In an unconditional covenant, on the other hand, that which was covenanted
depended for its fulfillment solely on the one making the covenant. That which
was promised was sovereignly given to the recipient of the covenant on the
authority and integrity of the one making the covenant, entirely apart from the
merit or response of the receiver. It was a covenant with no “if” attached to it
whatsoever.
Now we need to clarify an important aspect of an unconditional covenant. An
unconditional covenant which binds the one making the covenant to a certain
course of action, may have blessings attached to it that are conditioned on the
response of the recipient. That response is simply faith or to trust that God will
deliver on His promise.
We must understand that an unconditional covenant may have certain blessings
attached to it. Faith or trusting God to deliver on His promises is the condition.
Faith manifests itself in obedience to God’s Word. The fulfillment of unconditional
covenants does not depend on the continued obedience of the recipient but rather
the integrity and faithfulness of God who instituted the covenant.
Facts about the covenants to Israel: (1) Literal (2) Eternal (Except Mosaic) (3)
Unconditional (Except Mosaic) (4) Made with a covenant people Israel (Rm. 9:4;
Eph. 2:11-12).
So God has made eight covenants with man throughout history and they all
relate to the earth. Each one introduces a new dispensation. Six of them were given
to individual men and are named after them, as in the case with Adam, Noah,
Abraham, and David and went into effect during their lives except the one given to
David, which took effect at the birth of Jesus. Each one has a time element and
runs out or expires at a particular time. Four of these covenants are known by a
“sign.”
Four Covenants marked by a “sign”: (1) Noahic: Rainbow (2) Abrahamic:
Circumcision (3) Mosaic: Sabbath (4) Davidic: Son.
Expiration of the Covenants: (1) Edenic: End of human history (2) Adamic:
End of human history (3) Noahic: End of human history (4) Abrahamic: Eternity
(5) Palestinian: End of human history (6) Mosaic: Cross (7) Davidic: Eternity (8)
New Covenant: Eternity.
Eight Covenants: (1) Edenic (Gen. 1:28-30; 2:15-17). (2) Adamic (Gen. 3:14-
19). (3) Noahic (Gen. 8:20-9:17). (4) Abrahamic (Israel) (Gen. 12:1-3; 13:16;
22:15-18; 26:4; 28:14; 35:11; Ex. 6:2-8) (5) Palestinian (Israel) (Gen. 13:15;
15:18-21; 26:3-5; 28:13-15; 35:12; Ex. 6:4, 8; Num. 34:1-12; Deut. 30:1-9; Josh.
1:2-4; Jer. 32:36-44; Ezek. 11:16-21; 36:21-38) (6) Mosaic Law (Israel) (Gen.-

Deut.) (7) Davidic (Israel) (2 Sam. 7:8-17; Psa. 89:20-37) (8) New Covenant
(Israel) (Jer. 31:31-34; cf. Heb. 8:8-12; 10:15-17).
Eight is the number associated with Resurrection and Regeneration. It is the
beginning of a new era or order. Once these eight covenants have all been literally
fulfilled, and then human history will come to an end, followed by the creation of
the New Heavens and New Earth.
Adamic Covenant
So when the Lord God put Adam and the Woman in the Garden of Eden, He
made what we call in theology the Edenic Covenant with these two. Seven
conditions were contained in the Edenic Covenant: (1) Restore the earth (Gn. 1:2).
(2) Subdue the earth (3) Dominion over the animal creation (4) Restrict themselves
to a vegetable diet (5) Cultivate the Garden (6) Abstain from eating of the “tree of
the knowledge of good and evil” (7) Spiritual death resulting in physical death as a
result of disobeying the sixth condition. The Adamic covenant is noted in Genesis
3:14-19.
The Lord God made another covenant with Adam and the Woman after their
Fall in the Garden of Eden, which we call the Adamic covenant. This covenant was
without conditions and entailed the following: (1) Curse (2) Promise. The Curse
was four-fold: (1) As to the serpent (2) As to the woman (3) As to the man (4) As
to the earth. The Promise stated that the Lord would provide a Deliverer who
would redeem them and the earth from the Curse.
The Fall also instituted a new dispensation, which we can call the Post-Edenic
or more accurately the Antediluvian dispensation, which extends from the Fall to
Flood.
Adam and the Woman in the garden rejected the first two divine institutions
when they ate from the tree. Both divine institutions of volition and marriage
ended in failure. The Woman rejected two types of authority: (1) The authority of
her volition over her own soul. (2) The authority of her husband. Adam
surrendered two things in the garden when he ate from the tree: (1) He lost the
rulership of the world to Satan. (2) He lost his authority over his wife.
The Woman was “deceived” by the serpent into eating from the tree (1 Tim.
2:14). The Man “knew” what he was doing when he ate from the tree. Because of
Adam and the Woman's negative decision to eat from the tree, God pronounced
curses over both of them.
After the Fall, in the Garden of Eden, the Lord Jesus Christ made a covenant
with Adam and the Woman, which was the first of eight He would make with the
members of the human race.

The Man's curse: He would have to work hard for a living (Gen. 3:18-19). The
Woman's curses: (1) She would bear children in pain (Gen. 3:16). (2) Her desire
would be for her husband (Gen. 3:16). Her husband would rule over her (Gen.
3:16). After the Fall, Adam and the Woman had children (Gen. 4:1). This began
the third divine institution, the family.
Noahic Covenant
Genesis 9:1-7 records God’s covenant with Noah. The first provision of this
covenant is found in Genesis 8:20-22.
Genesis 8:20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD, and took of every
clean animal and of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
21 The LORD smelled the soothing aroma; and the LORD said to Himself, “I
will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man's
heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing,
as I have done. 22 While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold
and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”
(NASB95)
The first provision stipulated that God would never again curse the earth on
account of man and that day and night and seasons would never cease as long as
the present earth remains and that there would be a continuation of humanity until
the end of human history by guaranteeing its sustaining food supply.
Genesis 9:1 And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be
fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.” (NASB95)
The second provision stipulated that Noah and his descendants would multiply
and replenish the earth. The command to be fruitful and multiply was also given to
Adam as recorded in Genesis 1:28.
“Blessed” is the verb barakh pronounced: bah-rach and means, “to bless,” in
the sense that the Word of the Lord endued Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham and
Japheth with power to produce offspring in great numbers.
“Be fruitful” is the verb parah (paw-raw) and means, “to be fruitful” in the
sense of to reproduce.
“Multiply” is the verb ravah (raw-vaw) and means, “to multiply, to increase”
in number or quantity and denotes not only the concept of multiplication of one’s
progeny but also sexual prosperity.
“Fill” is the verb male (mah-leh) and is used here of Noah and his sons being
given the capacity to repopulate the earth.
In Genesis 1:28, Adam was commanded to have dominion over the earth but in
Genesis 9:1, this is omitted since the earth has been brought under a curse because

of Adam’s sin and as a result of this sin, Satan is the “god of this world” (2 Cor.
4:4) and “ruler of this world” (Jn. 16:11).
Genesis 9:2 “The fear of you and the terror of you will be on every beast of
the earth and on every bird of the sky; with everything that creeps on the
ground, and all the fish of the sea, into your hand they are given.” (NASB95)
The third provision stipulated that Noah and his descendants would have
dominion over the animal kingdom and implies that the interaction between
humans and animals would not be peaceful, just as Genesis 9:6 suggests the same
of human beings.
Genesis 9:3 “Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I give
all to you, as I gave the green plant.” (NASB95)
The fourth provision stipulated that all animal life was now given as food for
people to eat and that the diet of the human race would not be restricted to a
vegetable an fruit diet.
Genesis 9:4 “Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.”
(NASB95)
The stipulation recorded in Genesis 9:4 was given since the soul life of animals
resides in its blood (Lev. 17:11, 14). By forbidding the eating of the animal’s
blood, this regulation instills a respect for the sacredness of life and protects
against abuse (Lev. 3:17; 7:2-27; Deut. 12:1-24; 1 Sam. 14:32-34). The eating of
meat is not a license to savagery meaning that even though Noah’s descendants are
predators at the top of the food chain, they must show a proper respect for life as a
sacred thing.
Genesis 9:5 “Surely I will require your lifeblood; from every beast I will
require it. And from every man, from every man's brother I will require the
life of man. 6 Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For
in the image of God He made man.” (NASB95)
Genesis 9:5-6 records for us the establishment of the fourth and final divine
institution. These four institutions are systems of authority designed to protect the
freedom of members of the human race, both unbeliever and the believer: (1)
Volition: You have authority over your own soul (Gen. 2:16-17). (2) Marriage:
Husband has authority over the wife (Gen. 2:22-24). (3) Family: Parents have
authority over the children (Gen. 4:1). (4) Government: Government has authority
over its citizens (Gen. 9:5-6).
Murder is a violation of the first divine institution, which is volition. The
government has the responsibility to practice capital punishment in order to protect
the freedom its citizens.
“I will require” is the verb darash (daw-rash), which is a judicial term used
with reference to both men and animals and expresses the fact God seeks

“restitution” for murder by the execution of the murderer or the animal who has
taken a human life.
The fifth provision stipulated that as a result of the total depravity of mankind,
God instituted capital punishment in order to protect both animal and human life
and to curb violence and be a deterrent to crime. The reason why this provision is
given is found in the phrase “for in the image of God, He (the Lord) made
(àsah, “modeled”) (the soul of) man.”
The emphasis of this stipulation recorded in Genesis 9:5-6 does “not” refer to
vengeance but rather justice and the careful recognition of the sacredness of the
divine image in man, though marred by sin. Murder is a shocking affront to God
and a terrible crime against one’s fellow man.
Before the Flood the lack of capital punishment led to blood vendettas (Gen. 4)
and without instinctive fear, the animals corrupted their behavior.
Genesis 9:5-6 records the institution of human government where God
delegated authority to mankind as His agents in exacting retribution by capital
punishment upon those who take a human life indicating as well that this is not a
personal matter but a social obligation.
Before the Flood, there was no formal arrangement of human government and
thus no formal punishment of crime or of crime prevention, even for the capital
crime of murder, as evident in the individual histories of Cain and Lamech. The
absence of human government and the total depravity of mankind led to a universal
state of violence and anarchy, which resulted in the judgment of the Flood. God
established capital punishment and thereby human government in order to prevent
the conditions of the antediluvian period from developing again.
Numbers 35:30-34, Deuteronomy 17:6-7 and 19:15 teach that capital
punishment “cannot” take place unless there are two or more witnesses to the
crime and that they all agree in their testimony after being individually and
separately interviewed.
Capital punishment is taught in the Old Testament (Ex. 21:12, 15-17; 22:2, 18-
20; Num. 35:6-34; Deut. 19:1-13; 24:7) and in the New Testament (Rom. 13:1-7; 1
Pet. 2:13).
The fact that capital punishment was instituted does “not” mean that there is
never to be an exception to the punishment of execution for the crime of murder.
With God, justice may be tempered with mercy, in response to repentance.
For example, David was guilty of the capital crimes of murder and adultery in
the case of Uriah and Bathsheba respectively and God forgave David when he
confessed his sin and thus David instead of dying by stoning or the sword as he
deserved, “died in a good old age, full of days, riches and honor” (1 Chron.
29:28).

Also, the woman caught in the act of adultery was guilty by the Mosaic Law of
a crime punishable by death (Lev. 20:10; Deut. 22:22) and the Lord Jesus seeing
her heart of repentance, was moved to forgive her and to see that she was set free
(Jn. 8:3-11).
In like manner, a judge or a governor is warranted in taking such mitigating
factors as may exist in a given situation into consideration in determining a
sentence, legal penalty of capital punishment.
The essential point is that man was delegated authority and responsibility of
human government by God and that this responsibility first entails the recognition
of the sacredness of human life and that man is created in the image of God and the
recognition of capital punishment as the just and legal penalty for murder. It is
clear that the authority for capital punishment implies also the authority to
establish laws governing human activities and personal relationships, which if
unregulated would lead to murder, robbery, adultery, thus this instruction to Noah
is the fundamental basis for all human legal and governmental institutions.
Genesis 9:7 “As for you, be fruitful and multiply; Populate the earth
abundantly and multiply in it.” (NASB95)
Genesis 9:7 is a repetition of Genesis 9:1 in order to emphasize God’s desire to
have many people who will gather around His throne and enjoy fellowship with
Him throughout eternity (Rev. 5:9-10).
Genesis 9:8-17 records the establishment and sign of the Noahic covenant.
Genesis 9:8 Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying, 9
“Now behold, I Myself do establish My covenant with you, 10 and with your
descendants after you and with every living creature that is with you, the
birds, the cattle (behemah, “domestic animals”), and every beast (chayyah, “wild
animals”) of the earth with you; of all that comes out of the ark, even every
beast of the earth. 11 I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall
never again be cut off (niphal form of karath, “to destroy”) by the water of the
flood, neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth.” (NASB95)
“Covenant” is the noun berith, which is a compact or agreement between two
This covenant that God made with Noah was the result of Noah operating in
faith and obeying the Lord by presenting the appropriate offerings on the altar and
denoted God’s gracious undertaking for the benefit of Noah and his family and
descendants and the animal kingdom to never again destroy the earth with a
worldwide flood.
The covenant confirms God’s preexisting relationship with all His creatures
when He blessed them at the time of their creation. It also affirms God’s passionate
concern for and certain commitment to the preservation and care for all of His

creatures in the air, on the land and in the sea. The repetition of the fact God
established the covenant gives emphasis to it.
Genesis 9:12 “God said, “This is the sign of the covenant which I am
making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all
successive generations. 13 I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign
of a covenant between Me and the earth. 14 It shall come about, when I bring
a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen in the cloud 15 and I will
remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living
creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy
all flesh.” (NASB95)
“I will remember” is the verb zakhar (zaw-kar), which signifies that whenever
the rainbow appears in the sky, God will act upon His promise He made to Noah to
never destroy the earth again with a worldwide flood and by acting on this
promise, God would demonstrate Himself to be a trustworthy partner.
The phrase “I will remember” is an “anthropopathism” where the human
attribute of remembering is ascribed to God who is omniscient in order to appeal to
our human frame of reference and to teach us about God’s concern and
involvement in the affairs of men.
The phrase “I will remember” also speaks of the “immanency” of God
meaning that He involves Himself in and concerns Himself with the affairs of men.
Genesis 9:16 “When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to
remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of
all flesh that is on the earth.” (NASB95)
This statement stands in stark contrast with God’s statement in Genesis 6:12
where He looked upon the earth’s inhabitants and saw them corrupt. But in
Genesis 9:16 we see the awesome transcendent God humbling Himself to involve
Himself with the affairs of men and mercifully choosing to reflect on the rainbow
rather than the evil and sin produced by fallen humanity.
The expression “the everlasting covenant” indicates that this promise to Noah
would “expire” when the present heavens and earth are destroyed at the end of
human history.
Genesis 9:17 And God said to Noah, “his is the sign of the covenant which I
have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.” (NASB95)
Genesis 9:12-17 records that the Noahic covenant would be marked by a “sign,”
namely, a rainbow.
Four Covenants marked by a “sign”: (1) Noahic: Rainbow (Gen. 9:12-17) (2)
Abrahamic: Circumcision (Gen. 17:11) (3) Mosaic: Sabbath (Ex. 31:13, 17)(4)
Davidic: Son (Isa. 7:14).
The rainbow should be a reminder to us that we can trust God to be faithful to
His promises and we can look to Him also for mercy and grace.
Deuteronomy 7:9 “Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God,
the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a
thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His
commandments.” (NASB95)
Psalm 145:8 The LORD is gracious and merciful; Slow to anger and great
in lovingkindness. (NASB95)
The rainbow typifies the cross of Christ in the sense that just as the judgment of
the Flood was never again to be repeated so the believer would never be judged for
his sins since Christ died for every sin-past, present and future.
1 John 2:12 I am providing information in writing at this particular time
for the benefit of all of you, little children in view of the fact that for the
benefit of all of you, your sins have been forgiven-past, present and future on
the basis of His merit. (Author’s translation)
In order that mankind would not have to live in constant fear of another
worldwide flood, God gave a reminder that He would never again destroy the earth
in this manner.
Just as the rainbow was a sign or symbol of God’s mercy to the entire human
race so the cross of Christ manifests the mercy of God towards the entire human
race. The rainbow also demonstrates the grace of God where in wrath, God
remembers mercy, glory follows suffering and where sin abounded, grace did
much more abound.
The rainbow appears three more times in Scripture. In Ezekiel 1:28 the rainbow
is seen surrounding the throne of God as He prepares to judge His people Israel. It
is seen again around the throne of God just prior to Great Tribulation in Revelation
4:3.
The rainbow appears one last time in Revelation 10:1 where it is over the head
of an elect angel who appears during the midway point of the Tribulation. In each
of these cases, the picture is one of immanent judgment and suffering, but only
“limited” judgment and suffering, with God’s grace ruling over all.
Abrahamic Covenant
In Hebrews 11:8, Abraham is listed as the fourth member in God’s hall of fame
of faith. He is one of the heroes of faith. In fact, he said to be the father of our faith
in Romans 4:11. The great heroes of the Bible have always been individuals who
expressed great faith or trust in the Word of God. Hebrews 11 teaches that they
were approved by God because of their faith or trust in the Word of God. These
individuals were willing to trust God in the midst of great adversity, both national
and personal. Abraham is arguably the greatest of these heroes.

Hebrews 11:8 begins the second section of Old Testament heroes. Hebrews
11:4-7 presents the antediluvian (pre-Flood) heroes. Hebrews 11:8-22 presents the
patriarchs from Abraham to Joseph. They are all presented as pilgrim-sojourners
and “all died in faith, not having received the promises” according to Hebrews
11:13. The emphasis is upon their endurance and confident expectation that God
will deliver on His promises in spite of the adverse circumstances they find
themselves in or the consequences for obeying Him. Most appropriately this
section begins with Abraham.
Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out
to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not
knowing where he was going. (NASB95)
As in the case of Abel, Enoch and Noah, Abraham’s faith was demonstrated by
His response to the Word of the Lord.
As we will note, Abraham did not come from a godly home. In fact, his father
was an idolater. Thus, Abraham was brought up in a home with heathen, ungodly
ideas. Yet, though he was born into a home of pagan idolaters, he became a great
man of God who left an example for those who would follow in his footsteps and
walk by faith in the promises of God.
The covenant that God made with Abraham contained personal promises to him
as well national and international or universal promises that would change the
course of history. These promises would bring great blessing to the world. Indeed,
the future of planet earth is tied up in this great contract that God made with the
patriarch.
Abraham was also the first Jew in history through circumcision. He was the
first of the new racial species as a result of his faith in the Lord. In fact, he is the
progenitor of not only the Jews but also two branches of the Arab peoples.
Interestingly, He accepted God’s invitation to salvation late in life when he was
seventy-five years old. He is also one of the few selected in individuals in history
who is in the line of Christ. In fact, the promise of the Messiah was given to
Abraham. Thus, Jesus Christ Himself with respect to His human nature is a
descendant of this patriarch.
In this study we will explore the book of Genesis as it relates to this great man
of faith. The lessons we will learn from the life of Abraham will provide us with
great encouragement as we progress on our journey of faith with the Lord. This
study will provide us a great example to follow as we continue on this journey.
Genesis 12:1 records the Lord commanding Abram to leave his father’s house
and land, which was in Ur of the Chaldeans.
Genesis 12:1 Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your country,
and from your relatives and from your father's house, to the land which I will
show you.” (NASB95)
Hebrews 11:8 records that Abram obeyed God but not knowing where he was
going.
Acts 7:2-3 confirms Genesis 12:1.
Acts 7:2 And he said, “Hear me, brethren and fathers! The God of glory
appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he
lived in Haran. 3, and said to him, ‘LEAVE YOUR COUNTRY AND YOUR
RELATIVES, AND COME INTO THE LAND THAT I WILL SHOW
YOU.’” (NASB95)
Acts 7:4 confirms Hebrews 11:8 that Abram obeyed the Lord.
Acts 7:4 “Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran.
From there, after his father died, God had him move to this country in which
you are now living.” (NASB95)
A comparison of Genesis 12:1, Hebrews 11:8 and Acts 7:4 indicates that Abram
did obey the Lord and leave Ur of the Chaldeans. However, it wasn’t until after his
father died that God showed him exactly where he was going. This is indicated by
the fact that Hebrews 11:8 records that the Lord told Abram to leave his country
but did not tell him where he was going to. We can infer that Abram’s father Terah
came along with Abram when he saw Abram’s intention to leave and then decided
to stay in Haran, which was the center of the worship of the moon god.
Abram’s father Terah was an obstacle to the plan of God for Abram and thus
the Lord took Terah out of the way and Abram moved on to Canaan, which the
Lord had promised him.
Abram walked on to the pages of history during the world’s darkest periods.
Genesis 10-11 records that after the Flood, the descendants of Noah’s three sons,
Shem, Ham and Japheth began to repopulate the earth. However, in their unbelief,
they rebelled against the Lord and under the leadership of Nimrod began to
establish a one-world government and state religion that was opposed to God.
The bond that unified this rebellion was their universal language and the
symbol of their independence from God was the Tower of Babel. The Lord
dispersed this rebellion by confounding their universal language into many
languages and dialects, thus with nothing to unify them, the human race dispersed
throughout the world.
These nations were godless and only a few individuals such as Job and
Melchizedek and others continued to worship the Lord and remain obedient to him.
Yet, God is not only the God of Israel but also the Gentiles (Genesis 3:29-30).
These Gentile nations that spread throughout the earth were in need of a Savior.
Thus, from among these Gentile nations God chose Abram and from him, God
would build a nation called “Israel.” From this nation, the Savior, Jesus Christ
would originate and from Him the Gentile heathen nations of the earth would be
blessed with the gift of salvation through faith in Him.
With Abram, God is going to build a new nation that would be responsible for
carrying out God’s revelation to other men and through whom the Redeemer could
come into the world to execute the Father’s plan of salvation. So for this purpose,
God chose Abram, a descendant of Shem and a son of Terah.
“Go forth” is the imperative form of the verb halakh, “to leave” and the
preposition le (lamed of interest or ethical dative), “your benefit” and the second
person masculine singular pronomial suffix, “yourself.” Thus it can be translated,
“leave by yourself and for the benefit of yourself.” This indicates that the
command that the Lord issued to Abram was not a sharp command. But rather it
was a gracious invitation and a call to separation and isolation and disassociation
from his idolatrous family members and countrymen who were idolaters.
“Your country” is “not” a reference to Ur of the Chaldeans but rather “Haran”
since Genesis 12:4 records that after receiving this gracious invitation from the
Lord, Abram left Haran. The city was on the busy caravan road connecting with
Nineveh, Asshur, and Babylon in Mesopotamia, and with Damascus, Tyre, and
Egyptian cities in the west and south. It was a natural stopping place for Terah and
his son on their trek to Palestine and was a center of the moon god cult.
The phrase “from your relatives and from your father's house” indicates that
sometimes God commands us to do things that will challenge us to put His will
first in our set of priorities ahead of spending time with our family members. It
indicates that sometimes God will command us to do things that will demand that
we sacrifice time with family members we love in order to do His will or even to
be completely separated from them. The Lord taught this in the Gospels.
Luke 14:26 “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and
mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own
life, he cannot be My disciple.” (NASB95)
The command “Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and
from your father's house” indicates that Abram had a very difficult time putting
the Lord’s will for his life ahead of his love for his family. A comparison of Acts
7:2-4 and Genesis 12:1-4 indicates this as well since Abraham received two
commands to leave his country, once while in Ur of the Chaldeans and once while
in Haran. Abram received this invitation from the Lord in Genesis 12:1 while yet
in Haran according to Genesis 12:4.

Genesis 12:4 So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and
Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed
from Haran. (NASB95)
Acts 7:2-4 indicates Abram received the invitation the first time while in Ur of
the Chaldeans, which is in Mesopotamia.
Acts 7:2 And he said, “Hear me, brethren and fathers! The God of glory
appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he
lived in Haran’ 3, and said to him, ‘LEAVE YOUR COUNTRY AND YOUR
RELATIVES, AND COME INTO THE LAND THAT I WILL SHOW YOU.’
4, Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. From there,
after his father died, God had him move to this country in which you are now
living.” (NASB95)
Therefore, Acts 7:2-4 records the Lord’s first invitation to Abram was while he
resided in Ur of the Chaldeans in Mesopotamia whereas Genesis 12:1-4 records the
Lord’s second invitation to him while he resided in Haran, which was six hundred
miles to the northwest of Ur. The reason why the Lord had to issue the invitation
twice to Abram was that he had a hard time separating from his family and friends
in Haran and the fact that he stopped in Haran and did not continuing moving
indicates this as well.
Now, when Abraham left Ur of the Chaldeans and Haran, he did not know
where he was going according to Hebrews 11:8.
Hebrews 11:8 is a reference to both the Lord’s initial call of Abraham while he
was in Ur of the Chaldeans and the second call he received while in Haran since in
both places, the Lord did not tell Abraham where he was going. Genesis 12:5-7
makes clear that it wasn’t until he was in the land that the Lord identified to
Abraham that He was giving to him the land of Canaan.
The phrase “the land I will show you” is a reference to the land of Canaan,
whose natural boundaries as expressed in the Bible extend from the Negev in the
South to the northern reaches of the Lebanon Range in Syria and the land west of
the range and of the Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea.
Genesis 12:2 “And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and
make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing.” (NASB95)
Genesis 12:2 records God’s covenant with Abram whose name was later
changed by the Lord to “Abraham.” This covenant is called by theologians, the
“Abrahamic” covenant, which is a compact or agreement between two parties
binding them mutually to undertakings on each other’s behalf. Theologically (used
of relations between God and man) it denotes a gracious undertaking entered into
by God for the benefit and blessing of man. Specifically, it is on behalf of those
men who receive His promises by faith and commit themselves to the obligations,
which this undertaking involves.
This covenant that the Lord established with Abram refers to the Lord’s
gracious undertaking for the benefit of Abram and his descendants.
There are two types of covenants: (1) Conditional: Dependent upon the
faithfulness of the recipient for its fulfillment (2) Unconditional: Dependent upon
the faithfulness of God for its fulfillment.
The “Abrahamic” covenant was “unconditional” meaning that its fulfillment
was totally and completely dependent upon the Lord’s faithfulness and was by no
means dependent upon the faithfulness of Abram or his descendants.
Now we need to clarify an important aspect of an unconditional covenant. An
unconditional covenant which binds the one making the covenant to a certain
course of action, may have blessings attached to it that are conditioned on the
response of the recipient. This response is simply faith or to trust that God will
deliver on His promise, which expresses itself in obedience to the commands of
God.
The blessings that Abram would receive were conditioned on his obedience to
the Lord’s command to leave his country and his father’s house and go to the land,
which the Lord would show him, namely, the land of Canaan.
The fulfillment of unconditional covenants does not depend on the continued
obedience of the recipient but rather the integrity and faithfulness of God who
instituted the covenant. So the Lord was responsible to fulfill the agreement and
Abram’s part was to take Him at His Word and accept it by means of faith.
“And” is the conjunction waw and the imperfect tense of the verb àsah, “to
make,” which forms a purpose clause expressing the Lord’s purpose for
commanding Abram to leave his country, father’s house and go to the land, which
the Lord would show him. The imperfect tense of àsah is “cohortative” meaning it
expresses the Lord’s desire or intention to act on Abram’s behalf. Abram’s
obedience to the Lord’s command, which expresses his faith, enables the Lord to
act on behalf of Abram and also appropriates the omnipotence of the Lord (cf.
Matthew 17:20)
“Nation” is the noun goy, which is in the singular referring to Abram’s
“national” posterity (Gen. 18:18), the nation of Israel that would originate from
him and his son Isaac and Isaac’s son Jacob.
“Great” is the adjective gadhol, which refers both to numbers and to
significance or impact the nation of Israel would have on both human and angelic
history (cf. Genesis 18:17-18). Therefore, the “national” posterity of Abram, the
nation of Israel has been a great nation in history during the reigns of David and
Solomon. It will also be very significant according to prophecy since she will be
the head of the nations during the millennial reign of Christ.
Israel has had a huge impact upon human history in that she was the custodian
of the Old Testament Scriptures, the recipients of the covenants of promise, the
Law (Rm. 9:1-5) and the nation from which the Savior, Jesus Christ would
originate (Jn. 4:22).
“Bless” is the verb barakh, which appears five times in Genesis 12:1-3 and
means, “to endue with power for success, prosperity, fecundity, longevity, etc.”
Therefore, the verb barakh indicates that Abram and his descendants were endued
with power by the Lord for success, prosperity, fecundity (offspring in great
numbers) and longevity.”
Bruce K. Waltke, “The three nuances of bless-posterity (13:2, 5; 14:22-23;
24:35; 26:12-13; 30:43; 32:3-21), potency/fertility (1:28; 13:16; 15:5; 22:17; 26:4;
28:3, 14; 35:11) and victory (cf. 1:22)-are spelled out in 22:17. Horst says,
‘Blessing brings the power for life, the enhancement of life, and the increase of
life’” (Genesis, A Commentary, page 205; Zondervan).
The Lord blessed Abram in the sense that the Lord multiplied his descendants
so that his posterity was great in number both, racially and spiritually. Also, the
Lord blessed Abram in the sense that the Lord multiplied his possessions and
livestock and prospered him financially. The Lord blessed anyone who was
associated with him.
H.C. Leupold commenting on this second promise, writes, “This statement does
not refer to the nation but to Abram alone. A man is blessed when due to the
gracious working of God all goes well with him (cf. 39:5); the things that he
undertakes thrive; and true success crowns all his endeavors. This certainly is a
promise that was realized in Abram’s life” (Exposition of Genesis 1, page 412).
The phrase “I will bless you” was fulfilled “temporally” according to Genesis
13:14-18; 15:18-21; 24:34-35 and it has been fulfilled “spiritually” according to
Genesis 15:6 and John 8:56.
“Name” is the noun shem, which refers to a person’s character, reputation and
fame among men and in the kingdom of God.
The promise “I will make your name great” refers to the fact that the Lord
would make Abram a famous character with a great reputation among men and
before God. This fame and reputation is expressed throughout Scripture in that
Abram is called a “father of a multitude” in Genesis 17:5, a prince of God in
Genesis 23:6, the man in God’s confidence in Genesis 18:17-19, a prophet in
Genesis 20:7, the servant of God in Psalm 105:6 and the friend of God in 2
Chronicles 20:7 and James 2:23.
The phrase “and you shall be a blessing” is “not” a promise since the verb
hayah, “you shall be” is in the “imperative” mood expressing a command and
literally means, “so become a blessing.” This indicates that Abraham had a
responsibility to walk by faith, which is expressed by obedience to the Lord’s
commands.
The imperative mood of the verb hayah indicates that others would be blessed
when Abram walked by faith and was obedient to the Lord. Therefore, the
imperative mood of hayah teaches us that the Lord wants us to be a blessing to
others and this is accomplished by obedience to the Lord, which expresses one’s
faith in the Lord.
Genesis 12:3 “And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses
you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
(NASB95)
The promises “I will bless them that bless you and the one who curses you I
will curse” identifies the Lord with the cause of Abram. Therefore, blessing him
would be equivalent to doing it to God whereas those who curse him would be
cursing God.
The promises “I will bless them that bless you and the one who curses you I
will curse” refers to the fact that the Lord would bless those who bless Abram and
curse those who curse him.
The promise “in you all the families of the earth will be blessed” refers to the
fact that through Jesus Christ, the Promised Seed of Genesis 3:15, Abram would be
a blessing to all mankind (Deut. 28:8-14; Is. 60:3-5, 11, 16) since it is only through
the Lord Jesus Christ that one becomes Abram’s spiritual seed and heirs of the
promise (Gal. 3:29; Eph. 2:13, 19).
This promise was the gospel of salvation proclaimed to Abram (Gal. 3:8) and
reaches back to the divided “families” (10:5, 20, 31) of the earth at the tower of
Babel who were alienated from God due to sin and rebellion and the deception of
Satan but who would be blessed through faith alone in Christ alone.
Galatians 3 teaches that Gentiles and Jews who believe in Jesus Christ as their
Savior become the “spiritual” posterity of Abraham and heirs according to the
promise made to Abraham in relation to the nations.
The promise “in you all the families of the earth will be blessed” gives us
further information regarding the Promised “Seed” of Genesis 3:15. It indicates
that the human nature of Jesus Christ would originate from the line of Abram.
Up to this point in Genesis, the human nature of Jesus Christ was said to be
from the line of Seth (Luke 3:38) and Shem (Gen. 9:24-27; Luke 3:36). Now,
Genesis 12:3 states that Jesus Christ would be a descendant of Abram.
The promise “in you all the families of the earth will be blessed” refers to
God’s plan to reverse the curse of Genesis 3 and all the effects of the fall of Adam.
It is God’s promise of salvation to the human race and is repeated five times in the
book of Genesis (Gen. 18:18; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14). This covenant with Abram was
reaffirmed and confirmed after Abram’s faith was tested (Gen. 22:15-18) and was
confined to the Jews who are the racial descendants of Abram (Gen. 17:1-14).
The apostle Paul wrote to the Galatians that Christian believers enter into the
blessings promised to Abraham (Gal. 3:14, 29; 4:22-31) and his argument is based
on this same covenant promise made with Abram (Rom. 4:1-25). Paul taught that
after the fall of Adam, God revealed His purpose to provide salvation for sinners
(Gen. 3:15) and which purpose was progressively revealed to man. The promise
made to Abram represented a significant and progressive step in that revelation.
The “Abrahamic” covenant has several applications in different areas of
theology: (1) Soteriology: Study of salvation (2) Resurrection (3) Eschatology:
Study of events that are future to the rapture of the church.
In Matthew 22:23-32, the Lord refuted the Sadducees unbelief in the
resurrection by stating that God had revealed Himself as the God of Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob (Ex. 3:15), with whom He had entered into covenant relationships.
Thus since these men had died without receiving the fulfillment of the promises
(Heb. 11:13) and since the covenants could not be broken, it was essential for God
to raise these men from the dead in order to fulfill His word. In Acts 26:6-8, Paul
united the “promise to the fathers” with the resurrection from the dead.
Dwight Pentecost writes concerning the “Abrahamic” covenant and
eschatology, “The eternal aspects of this covenant, which guarantee Israel a
permanent national existence, perpetual title to the land of promise, and the
certainty to material and spiritual blessing through Christ-and guarantee Gentile
nations a share in these blessings-determine the whole eschatological program of
the Word of God” (Thy Kingdom Come, page 81, Victor Books).
The “Abrahamic” covenant serves as the foundation for the message delivered
to the nation of Israel by the Old Testament prophets and writers. The
“Abrahamic” covenant marked the “patriarchal” dispensation, which ended with
Exodus of Israel and the giving of the Law at Sinai.
The Lord Guarantees Abram Will Have A Child And Innumerable Descendants
Genesis 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a
vision, saying, “Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall
be very great.” (NASB95)
“After these things” is composed of the adverb of time àchar, “after” and the
noun davar, “these things.”
The adverb of time àchar denotes “when” the events of Genesis 15 took place,
namely after the events of Genesis 14. The noun davar, “these things” refers to the

events of Genesis 14:1-16 where Abram and his 318 night rangers and the armies
of the three Amorite princes routed the Four Eastern Mesopotamian Kings and
rescued Lot. It also refers to the “events” of Genesis 14:17-24 where Abram was
blessed by Melchizedek and refused with an oath the King of Sodom’s offer to
take the property of Sodom, and which refusal was tantamount to refusing to love
the things of the cosmic system of Satan (cf. 1 Jn. 2:15-17).
The phrase “the Word of the Lord” is a title for the second person of the
Trinity, who is God the Son.
The term “vision” indicates Abram is receiving a visible appearance of the Son
of God before His incarnation, which is called in theology, a “theophany” or
“Christophany.” This appearance of the Son of God to Abram was also auditory
since the Lord speaks with Abram as seen in Genesis 15:2-5.
Also indicating the statement “the Word of the Lord came to Abram in a
vision” is a theophany or Christophany is that Abram has a conversation with the
Lord. This appearance of the preincarnate Christ to Abram indicates that Abram
was a prophet according to Numbers 12:6.
The prohibition “do not fear” that was issued to Abram indicates that he was
thinking about his great victory over the Eastern Mesopotamian Coalition and was
fearful that they would return and attack him, thus the Lord told him to not be
afraid.
Psalm 56:11 In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can
man do to me? (NASB95)
The Lord gives assurance to Abram that he need not be afraid because the Lord
would protect him as indicated by the statement, “I am your shield.” Also, the
Lord told Abram to not be afraid because he was thinking about the fact that he
had no child. This is indicated by Abram’s question to the Lord in Genesis 15:2-3.
The Lord is assuring Abram that everything is ok that he will be protected from
his enemies and rewarded and in Genesis 15:4-5 he reassures him that he and Sarai
would have a child. These promises from the Lord in Genesis 15:2-5 are a positive
declaration or guarantee from the Lord intended to give him confidence and
courage.
“Shield” is the noun maghen, which is used in a metaphorical sense depicting
the Lord as a shield to Abram in the sense of offering protection for him from any
potential reprisals from the Eastern Mesopotamian Coalition. This metaphor is
used often in Scripture representing the Lord as the protector of His people.
Psalm 18:2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my
God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation,
my stronghold. (NASB95)
Also, Abram was thinking about his refusal to take the property offered to him
by the King of Sodom as indicated in that the Lord promises him that his “reward
shall be very great.” Therefore, the Lord is telling Abram to forget about the past
and do not fear any reprisals from the Eastern Mesopotamian Coalition and do not
worry that you refused the King of Sodom’s offer, I will reward you for your great
victory.
“Reward” is the noun sakhar, which denotes “wages” rendered as payment for
service and in the context of Genesis 15:1 denotes the “reward” that the Lord
promises to give Abram for his military service and victory over the Eastern
Mesopotamian Coalition.
“Very great” is the verb ravah, which is in the hiphil infinitive absolute form
functioning as an adverb and means both, “abundance” and “extraordinarily great.”
Therefore, the Lord is promising Abram that his reward for his service will not
only be abundant but also extraordinary.
Genesis 15:2 Abram said, “O Lord GOD, what will You give me, since I am
childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram
said, “Since You have given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my
heir.” (NASB95)
“O Lord God” is a term of respect and denotes Abram’s awareness of and
acknowledgement of his covenant relationship with the Lord and that the Lord is
sovereign over his circumstances, which are weighing on his mind, namely that he
is still childless.
The Lord’s reassuring Abram in Genesis 15:1 that He would protect and reward
him, prompts Abram to think about the Lord’s promises to him and his
descendants in Genesis 12:1-3 and 13:14-17. Abram is of course childless at this
time and so we see Abram asking the Lord if he is fulfilling these promises of
descendants through his servant Eliezer who he purchased in Damascus, Syria.
Ancient documents show that if a man had no child, he could adopt a male
servant or slave to be his heir. Abram had as his business manager or chief servant
a slave named, “Eliezer” whom he acquired in Damascus on his way to Canaan.
Abram thought the Lord would fulfill the promise through Eliezer, since legal
inheritance was as important as natural inheritance in the days of Abram, as
archaeological discoveries at Nuzu in Mesopotamia have demonstrated but this left
Abram without personal satisfaction and it brought a question to his mind. The
mind of Abram had been burdened by the fact that he was still childless and thus
prompts his question to the Lord.
Genesis 15:4 Then behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying,
“This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own
body, he shall be your heir.” 5 And He took him outside and said, “Now look
toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And
He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” (NASB95)

The Lord guarantees Abram that the promises would be literally fulfilled by a
child of his own and to drive the point home, the Lord compares the number of the
stars of the universe to the number of his descendants there will be in the future.
Bruce K. Waltke, “The representation of offspring like the uncountable stars is
not just an amazing promise but an assurance of God’s creative and sovereign
power” (Genesis, A Commentary, page 242; Zondervan).
The promise of Genesis 15:4-5 not only pertains to Abram’s “natural” progeny
(cf. Deut. 1:10; 10:22; Heb. 11:12) but according to Romans 4 it refers to his
“spiritual” progeny (cf. Gal. 3:29).
Genesis 15:6 Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as
righteousness. (NASB95)
Abram’s faith in the Lord in Genesis 15:6 and the Lord imputing His
righteousness to him as a result of his faith is employed by the New Testament
writers as the pattern of a sinner’s justification (Rm. 4).
Romans 4:3 For what does the Scripture say? “ABRAHAM BELIEVED
GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
(NASB95)
In Genesis 15:6, “believed” is the verb àman, which is in the “hiphil”
(causative) stem meaning, “to cause to have confidence in, to trust.” The object of
Abram’s faith is the Lord Himself who alone can make this guarantee to him
because He sovereign and omnipotent and omniscient.
Although, the New Testament writers employ Genesis 15:6 to teach that
justification is through faith alone in Christ alone, it does “not” mean that Genesis
15:6 records the moment when Abram first got saved.
There at least three reasons for this. First of all, Abram had already obeyed the
Lord’s call to leave Ur and Haran (Acts 7:2-5; Gen. 12:1-5). Secondly, the Lord
had entered into a covenant agreement with him as recorded in Genesis 12:1-3 and
15:4-5, which is something the Lord, would never do with an unbeliever. Thirdly,
the perfect tense of the verb àman, “believed” demonstrates that Abram’s faith
did “not” begin after the events recorded in Genesis 15:1-5 since it represents the
state of Abram trusting in the Lord, which flowed from his initial faith in the Lord
the moment he got saved in Ur of the Chaldeans.
Bible Knowledge Commentary, The Old Testament makes the following
comment, they write, “Abram’s faith is recorded here because it is foundational for
establishing the Abrahamic covenant. The Abrahamic Covenant did not give
Abram redemption; it was a covenant made with Abram who had already believed
and to whom righteousness had already been imputed” (page 55, Victor Books).
“Reckoned” is the verb chashav, which refers to the Lord imputing His
righteousness to Abram and as a result it refers to His “viewpoint” of Abram as a
result of Abram’s faith in Him in delivering on His promise to give him a son.
Imputation is the function of the justice of God in crediting something to
someone for cursing or for blessing. At the moment of spiritual birth, God imputed
His righteousness to the believer so that he is “positionally” the righteousness of
God meaning God has given His righteousness as a gift to the believer and that
God views the believer as righteous as Himself.
Romans 3:21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has
been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets 22 even the
righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe;
for there is no distinction. (Author’s translation)
The righteousness of God is received through faith in the gospel concerning
Jesus Christ since in it (the gospel) the righteousness of God, Jesus Christ is
revealed (Romans 1:16-17).
The Bible teaches us that the Lord Jesus Christ is the believer’s righteousness.
1 Corinthians 1:30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became
to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and
redemption. (NASB95)
The righteousness of God can never be attained by anyone through human
power and dynamics or by keeping the Mosaic Law but rather it is received as a
gift through faith in Jesus Christ who is the righteousness of God incarnate
(Romans 3:19-30; Galatians 2:16).
The Lord Reconfirms His Promise To Abram To Give Him The Land Of Canaan
Genesis 15:7 And He said to him, “I am the LORD who brought you out of
Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess it.” (NASB95)
The statement, “I am the Lord” parallels the preambles of ancient royal
covenants, which included an historical prologue and “connotes the unimpeachable
authority of the declaration that follows” (Bruce K. Waltke, Genesis, A
Commentary, page 242). Therefore, the phrase “I am the Lord” expresses the
unimpeachable authority of the Lord’s declaration to give Abram the land of
Canaan in order to possess it.
Covenants made by kings in the days of Abram began with the king identifying
himself and giving a brief historical background and this the Lord does by
beginning His covenant with Abram by identifying with the patriarch as the One
who brought him out of the idolatry of Ur of the Chaldeans.
Genesis 15:7 records the Lord reiterating and confirming His original promises
to Abram recorded in Genesis 12:7 and Genesis 13:14-17 to give him and his
descendants the land of Canaan. If you recall, this promise of land is called in
theology, the “Palestinian” covenant.

Genesis 15:8 He said, “O Lord GOD, how may I know that I will possess
it?” (NASB95)
Abram’s question recorded in Genesis 15:8 was motivated by faith and was
simply a question asking for more details or more accurately the specific means by
which the Lord would accomplish giving him the land of Canaan.
The phrase “how I may I know” is incorrectly translated since it does “not”
accurately convey the meaning of the Hebrew prepositional phrase bammah and
should actually be translated “by what specific means may I confirm.”
“How” is used to translate the Hebrew preposition be, which means, “by means
of” and is followed by the definite article ha and the interrogative mah, which
means, “what.”
The preposition be denotes the instrument or means by which the Lord will
accomplish giving the land of Canaan to Abram and which means is identified in
Genesis 15:9-21. The interrogative mah when employed with the preposition be
means, “by what means.” The definite article ha, which precedes the interrogative
mah indicates that Abram is asking the Lord to “specify” the means by which he
can confirm that he will possess the land of Canaan as promised to him by the
Lord.
“I will know” is the verb yadha, which in the context of Genesis 15:7-21
means, “to confirm” since Abram is attempting to seek confirmation from the Lord
as to the means by which he can be assured that he will possess the land of Canaan.
To “confirm” means, “to acknowledge with definite assurance,” thus, Abram is
seeking to “acknowledge with definite assurance” the specific means by which or
how he will possess the land of Canaan. It also means, “to establish the truth,
accuracy, validity or genuineness of, corroborate; verify,” thus, Abram is seeking
“to verify” the specific means by which he will possess the land of Canaan.
Therefore, Abram’s question in Genesis 15:8 does not indicate that Abram doubted
that the Lord would fulfill His promise but rather he simply asked for confirmation
as to the specific means He would employ to accomplish giving Abram the land.
In Genesis 15:9-21, the Lord gives Abram quite a few details surrounding the
specific means by which the Lord would bring about his possessing the land of
Canaan. The specific means by which the Lord will give him the land of Canaan
would be through the unconditional covenant that the Lord initially made with him
in Genesis 12:1-3 and 13:14-17. This covenant would be enlarged and amplified
and confirmed as demonstrated in the covenant ceremony recorded in Genesis
15:9-21.
Also, the specific means by which the Lord will give Abram the land of Canaan
would be through suffering as indicated by the Lord’s prophecy in Genesis 15:13-
16 that his descendants. Specifically, the nation of Israel would suffer in Egypt for

four hundred years before they would finally leave Egypt and then enter the land of
Canaan to possess it.
Also, although not specifically mentioned but implied, is that it would be
through resurrection from the dead that Abram would personally enter into
possessing the land of Canaan, which will take place during the millennial reign of
Christ.
Furthermore, the fulfillment of the Lord’s promise to him, which would be
fulfilled during the millennial reign of Christ, would be accomplished by means of
the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross, which is portrayed in the sacrifice of the
animals in the covenant ceremony.
The curse of sin could only be removed by the death of Christ, which was
taught through blood animal sacrifices, which Abram practiced and thus
acknowledged his need of a Savior, a Redeemer to approach God in fellowship.
This covenant with Abram in Genesis 15:7-8 is dependent upon the Lord Jesus
Christ and His death and resurrection, without which, this covenant could never be
fulfilled.
Genesis 15:9 So He said to him, “Bring Me a three year old heifer, and a
three year old female goat, and a three year old ram, and a turtledove, and a
young pigeon.” (NASB95)
In the Bible, five is the number of “grace.” Thus, the five animals Abram has to
sacrifice are a picture of God’s grace, which by way of definition, is all that God is
free to do in imparting unmerited blessings to members of the human race who
have exercised faith in Jesus Christ as Savior based upon merits of the Person and
Work of Christ on the Cross.
The fact that the heifer, female goat and ram had to be three years old indicated
that they would have to be mature and the best from the flocks represented the fact
that God gave His best when He sacrificed His Son on the Cross. There were no
age stipulations for the birds since they do not portray the sacrificial aspect of
Jesus Christ but rather that He is resurrected and this is the reason why the birds
are not cut in two like the heifer, female goat and ram.
These five animals are those that were later used in the sacrifices prescribed in
Leviticus 1-7: a heifer, a goat and a ram, a dove and a young pigeon. The animals
represent all the offerings mentioned in Leviticus, starting with the guilt offering,
the sin offering, the fellowship offering to the burnt offering, which are given in
the reversed order in Leviticus. They also emphasize the social status from poor to
rich. Each of these animals portrays or foreshadows a distinctive aspect of Christ’s
perfection and the perfection of His work on the Cross.
“Heifer” is the noun èghlah, which means, “young cow, heifer,” which were
used for plowing and threshing (Judg. 14:18; Jer. 50:11; Hos. 10:11) and portrayed
the servanthood of Jesus Christ (Mark 10:45).
“Female goat” is noun èz, which portrayed the sinless human nature of the
Lord Jesus Christ who is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world
(Lev. 16:20-22; Jn. 1:29).
“Ram” is the noun ‘ayil, which refers to a mature male sheep and portrays the
Lord Jesus Christ as our Substitute who died in our place on the Cross (Romans
5:6-8).
“Turtledove” is the noun tor, which were sacrificed by those who were poor
and could not afford an ox or a lamb and represented the fact the Jesus Christ is
unique since He is both God and Man, undiminished deity and true humanity one
Person forever (2 Corinthians 8:9).
“Young pigeon” is the noun gozal, which is correctly translated and was also
sacrificed by those too poor to afford an ox or lamb. It represented the fact that
since Jesus Christ in His person is unique as the God-Man, so His death was
unique and that He alone would be raised and seated at the Father’s right hand.
Genesis 15:10 Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, and
laid each half opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds. (NASB95)
One each of the five acceptable sacrificial animals (cow, sheep, goat, pigeon,
dove) was to be slain by Abram and laid on the altar. The animals sacrificed on the
altar were placed in two rows, one bird in each, along with a half-portion of each
of the other animals. This arrangement was evidently intended to conform to the
custom of the day, when a covenant was made between two parties. Each would
pass between the rows, as a sign that he was bound by the terms of the contract (cf.
Jer. 34:18-19). But in this ceremony recorded in Genesis 15:9-21, only the Lord
passes between the rows informing Abram that the fulfillment of this covenant to
give him the land of Canaan was “unconditional.” In other words, its fulfillment
was totally and completely dependent upon the faithfulness of the Lord.
The fact that only the Lord passed through the rows indicates that God alone
would accomplish the fulfillment of this covenant through the death, resurrection,
session and millennial reign of His Son Jesus Christ.
The fact that Abram did not have to hunt these animals down and kill them but
were ready to be used for sacrificial purposes portrays the Father’s predetermined
plan to send His Son Jesus Christ to the Cross (Acts 2:22-23).
Genesis 15:11 The birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and
Abram drove them away. (NASB95)
The birds of prey coming down upon the carcasses of the animals portrayed the
attempts of Satan and his kingdom to prevent the death of Christ and God’s plan of
salvation for mankind and this covenant being fulfilled during Christ’s millennial
reign (cf. Rev. 12:1-6).

The fact that Abram had to drive them away portrays the need of the believer to
put on the full armor of God and take up the shield of faith and be alert for the
attacks of Satan and the kingdom of darkness (1 Peter 5:8).
Covenant Ceremony
The Abrahamic covenant ceremony is recorded in Genesis 15:17-21.

Genesis 15:17 It came about when the sun had set, that it was very dark,
and behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed
between these pieces. (NASB95)
The “smoking oven” speaks of Egypt and the tribulations through which
Abram’s descendants would pass through.
Deuteronomy 4:20 “But the LORD has taken you and brought you out of
the iron furnace, from Egypt, to be a people for His own possession, as today.”
(NASB95)
The “flaming torch” signifies God’s presence among His people in the midst
of their adversities. The smoke and the fire foreshadow the pillar of cloud and fire
over the Tabernacle in Israel, which symbolized God’s presence at the Exodus (Ex.
19:18; 20:5; 24:17; 34:5-7; Deut. 4:11, 24, 33). Therefore, the flaming torch
symbolizes the Lord’s presence and the fact that the torch alone passes through the
pieces teaches Abram that this covenant that the Lord is making with him is
“unconditional” meaning its fulfillment is totally and completely dependent upon
the Lord’s faithfulness and His alone.
The fulfillment of this covenant was based entirely upon the death of Christ,
which is portrayed in the sacrificed animals. The fact that the Lord made this
covenant with Abram when it was very dark teaches that out of darkness and
adversity will come blessing to Abram and his descendants, out of death, would
come resurrection and the fulfillment of the covenant.
Genesis 15:18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram,
saying, “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt
as far as the great river, the river Euphrates.” (NASB95)
“Your descendants” refers to the “regenerate” Israel or Jews racially who are
saved who entered into this covenant that the Lord made with Abram by believing
in Promised “Seed,” as their Savior namely, Jesus Christ.
Never in Israel’s history has she secured these boundaries and thus this promise
awaits its fulfillment during the millennial reign of Christ. According to Genesis
15:18, the boundaries of Israel during the millennial reign of Christ would be the
river of Egypt on the south and the Euphrates River in Iraq in the north. The river
of Egypt refers to most easterly branch of the Nile River that emptied into Lake
Sironbis, not far from Port Said. The promise for the Messiah is that He will rule
from sea to sea and from the River Euphrates to the ends of the north (Zech. 9:10;
Ps. 72:8).
Genesis 15:19 “the Kenite and the Kenizzite and the Kadmonite.”
(NASB95)
The “Kenites” were a group of metal smiths who traveled throughout the
mineral-bearing region in the Wadi Arabah and descended from the Midianites and
developed extraordinary skill in metalwork. They initially settled down early along
the southwest shore of the Dead Sea, southeast of Hebron (Judg 1:16) but were
nomadic as suggested in the Old Testament by numerous individual Kenites
described as living in various places.
The “Kenizzites” dwelt somewhere in the southern part of Canaan and were
related to the Kenites and like them were skilled metalworkers of the copper-rich
Jordan Valley and the Arabah.
The name “Kadmonite” means, “easterner” and were the same as “the children
of the east,” whose wisdom was celebrated (1 Kings 4:30). Qedhemah, “the East,”
was a son of Ishmael (Gen 25:15; compare verse 6) and in an Egyptian story
describing the adventures of a political refugee who fled from Egypt in the time of
the twelfth Dynasty, it is said that he found a refuge in Canaan in the land of
Kaduma or Kedem.
Genesis 15:20 “and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Rephaim.”
(NASB95)
The “Hittites” were present in the land of Canaan during the time of Abram
according to Genesis 15:19-21. They reached the zenith of their power sometime
later and still possessed great power at the time of Solomon a thousand years later
according to 2 Chronicles 1:17.
The “Perizzites” refers to a tribe of people who inhabited the mountainous
region eventually taken over by the tribes of Ephraim and Judah (cf. Josh. 11:3;
17:5; Judg. 1:4f.) and because they were related to the Canaanites, the term
“Perizzites” often refers to this entire group (cf. Gen. 13:7; 34:30).
The “Rephaim” lived in Canaan, east of the Jordan (Gen. 15:20; Josh. 12:4;
13:12; 17:15) and were of giant stature, such as the king of Bashan (Deut. 3:11,
13).
Genesis 15:21 “and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Girgashite and
the Jebusite.” (NASB95)
The “Amorite” means literally “the Westerner,” and thus the name Amorites is
generally supposed to mean “western highlanders” (cf. Num 13:29; Deut 1:7-20;
Josh 10:6), or “tall ones” (cf. Amos 2:9; see also Num 13:33; Deut 2:10). The
Amorites were so prominent that their name seems sometimes to be used for
Canaanites in general (e.g., Josh 24:8). In Abram’s day the Amorites lived west of

the Dead Sea, in Hazazon-tamar (Gen 14:7), that is Engedi (2 Chron 20:2) and
about Hebron (Gen 14:13, cf. 13:18).
The term “Canaanite” denotes those individuals descended from Canaan who
lived in the land west of the Jordan River before the conquest of Joshua and whose
western border was the Mediterranean Sea, especially in the lower and coastal
regions (Gen. 13:12; Num. 33:51). The northern border of the land of the
Canaanites went as far as Sidon, which is 120 miles north of Jerusalem. The
southern border extended to Gerar, which is about 11 miles south-southeast of
Gaza, which was on the coast 50 miles southeast of Jerusalem. The Canaanites
who lived in the highland regions were often called “Amorite.”
At times the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites,
were called “Canaanites” but strictly speaking the nations who dwelt on the coasts
or river lowlands were called “Canaanite” (Nm. 13:29).
The “Girgashite” were descendents of Canaan according to 1 Chronicles 1:14
and according to Joshua 24:11, they lived west of the Jordan River.
The “Jebusite” settled in “Jebus,” which is the name of Jerusalem when this
tribe held it (Josh. 15:63; Judg. 19:10) and it wasn’t until David’s reign that they
were finally driven out (2 Sam. 5:6-7; cf. 1 Kings 9:20).
The ten nations listed in Genesis 15:19-21 are summarized by one name in
Genesis 15:16, “the Amorites,” and are sometimes summarized by three (Ex.
23:28) or by six (Ex. 3:17) or by seven (Josh. 24:11; Acts 13:19).
Ten nations are listed in Genesis 15:19-21 since ten is the number of
completeness and indicates that the entire tract of land promised by the Lord to
Abram and his regenerate descendants would be permanently possessed by them
during the millennial reign of Christ.
The Lord Promises Abram He Will Be The Progenitor Of Numerous Nations And
Kings
Genesis 17:1 Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD
appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; Walk before Me,
and be blameless.” (NASB95)
Genesis 17:1 records that Abram was ninety-nine years old when the Lord
appeared to him once again. Whereas Genesis 16:16 records that Abram was
eighty-six years old when Ishmael was born. Thus thirteen years have elapsed from
the time of Ishmael’s birth to this appearance by the Lord to Abram.
These thirteen years were passed over in silence in the Word of God. It would
be easy for Abram to forget the Lord’s promise that he and Sarai would have a
child together. Therefore, the Lord reiterates and enlarges upon the previous
promises made to him as recorded in Genesis 12:1-3, 13:14-17 and 15:1-6.

Genesis 17:16-17 teaches that Abram believed that Ishmael was the son of the
promise and had given up hope that he and Sarai would have a child. He could not
fathom he and his wife Sarai having a child together since they were both
advanced in age. Sarai was an eighty-nine year old women and he was ninety-nine
years old.
The fact that Genesis 17:1 records that Abram was ninety-nine years old when
the Lord appeared to him again indicates that Sarai was eighty-nine years old since
a comparison of Genesis 16:16 with 17:17 reveals that his wife was ten years
younger than him. Therefore, Sarai was well into menopause and Abram was now
impotent sexually. These circumstances were surely an extreme test of their faith
since the Lord promised that the two would have a child together. Yet, in Romans
4, the apostle Paul writes that Abram’s faith grew rather than weakened.
Romans 4:19 Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own
body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the
deadness of Sarah's womb 20 yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did
not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God 21 and
being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.
(NASB95)
The Lord delays in fulfilling the promise of a child in order to demonstrate His
omnipotence by waiting until it was humanly impossible for them to have a child
before He would miraculously fulfill His Word.
Arthur Pink, “God has reasons for delays. Not until man comes to the end of
himself will God put forth His power. Not until man’s extremity is reached does
God’s opportunity arrive. Not until our own powers are ‘dead’ will God act in
grace.” (Gleanings in Genesis, page 183).
Arthur Pink, “God has more than one reason for His delays. Often it is to test
the faith of His children, to develop their patience, to bring them to the end of
themselves. His delays are in order that when He does act His delivering power
may be more plainly evident, that what He does may be more deeply appreciated
and that in consequence He may be more illustriously glorified.” (Gleanings in
Genesis, page 184).
The preincarnate Christ identifies Himself to Abram here at this point in the
narrative as El Shaddai, “God Almighty” in order to emphasize His omnipotence.
This title describes the Lord as being able to make the barren fertile so that He
might fulfill His promises to give Abram and Sarai a child in their old age.
Robert Baker Girdlestone commenting on Shaddai, writes, “The title Shaddai
really indicates the fullness and riches of God’s grace, and would remind the
Hebrew reader that from God comes every good and perfect gift-that He is never
weary of pouring forth His mercies on His people, and that He is more ready to

give than they are to receive.” (Girdlestone’s Synonyms of the Old Testament,
page 45).
Therefore in Genesis 17:1, the fact that the Lord identifies Himself by the use of
this proper noun Shaddai expresses His desire and ability to give to Abram a child
and to make him the progenitor of numerous nations and kings.
The Lord’s command to Abram to “walk before Me” expresses the Lord’s
desire to have intimate fellowship with him. Fellowship with the Lord would
involve Abram confessing his sins to be restored to fellowship and obedience to
the Word of the Lord in order to maintain that fellowship (1 John 1:5-2:6).
Abraham’s obedience to the Word of the Lord constitutes walking by means of
faith meaning taking the Lord at His Word to deliver on His promise to give him
and Sarai a child and rest in the Lord’s promise.
The Lord’s command to Abram to “be blameless” does “not” mean that Abram
was to be sinless since he still had a sin nature, which he would not be rid of until
his physical death. But rather it means that Abram was to have “integrity of
character” as a result of fulfilling his obligations to love both God and men.
The commands to “walk before Me” and “be blameless” express the Lord’s
desire for Abram to walk according to the standards of His holiness by means of
obedience to His Word, which would express his faith in the Lord to carry out His
promises (cf. 1 Pet. 1:14-16).
Genesis 17:2 “I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will
multiply you exceedingly.” (NASB95)
The phrase “I will establish” is inaccurate but rather should be translated “I
will make a reality the covenant that has already been established.” The reason for
this is that the Lord is reassuring Abram that now at this point in his life He will
make good on His promise to give him and Sarai a child. This interpretation is
substantiated by the fact that the covenant the Lord is making with Abram in
Genesis 17 is “not” a new one but based upon the original one made when the Lord
called Abram out of Haran.
The covenant that the Lord will make with Abram in Genesis 17 is an
enlargement upon the covenant the Lord made with him in Genesis 12:1-3. In
Genesis 13:14-17, the Lord expanded upon this original covenant recorded in
Genesis 12:1-3. Specifically, He made promises to give the land of Canaan to
Abram and his descendants. Then, in Genesis 15:1-6, the Lord promises Abram
that his descendants would be innumerable and that he and Sarai would have a son
together. The promises in this covenant serve as the foundation of Abram’s faith
since faith must have a foundation, which is the character and integrity of God.
The Lord’s promise “I will multiply you (Abram) exceedingly” emphasizes
the result of the Lord making the covenant with Abram a reality and the “degree”
to which the Lord would multiply Abram’s descendants.
Genesis 17:3 Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying, 4
“As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you will be the father of a
multitude of nations.” (NASB95)
The fact that Abram fell on his face was a visible demonstration of his humility
and thankfulness to the Lord and that he was worshipping the Lord. He was
thanking the Lord for treating him in grace meaning that God treated him in a
manner in which he did not deserve.
The Lord not only promised Abram that he would have many descendants but
he would also be the father or progenitor or ancestor of many nations, thus
expanding or enlarging upon His previous promises to Abram as recorded in
Genesis 12:1-3, 13:14-17 and 15:1-6. The Lord confirmed this promise by
changing his name to Abraham.
Genesis 17:5 “No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name
shall be Abraham; For I will make you the father of a multitude of nations.”
(NASB95)
Abram was a fairly common name in those days and means, “exalted father” or
“my father is exalted.” It was given to him by his father Terah to honor the moon
god Nannar, which Terah worshipped and not the God of the Bible. On the other
hand, the name Abraham means, “father of a multitude.” It became a declaration of
God’s purpose and of His covenant with the patriarch. God would accomplish this
by making him prolific so that not only populous nations but also kings would be
among his descendants. The change of name would be a reminder to the patriarch
of the Lord’s guarantee to give him and his wife a child of their own.
Merrill F. Unger commenting on Genesis 17:4-5, writes, “As the patriarch’s
faith was strengthened to grasp God’s all-sufficiency to keep His promise by his
talk with El Shaddai, his name was changed to signify his faith’s appropriation of
God’s Word.” (Unger’s Commentary on the Old Testament, page 63).
The Lord’s promise to Abraham to make him “the father of a multitude of
nations” would be fulfilled in a two-fold sense: (1) Biological (2) Spiritual.
The promise to make Abraham a father or progenitor of many nations was
fulfilled in a “biological” sense through Hagar where he is the progenitor of the
Ishmaelites (Gen. 17:20; 21:13; 25:12-18). It would be fulfilled through Keturah,
the Midianites and others (Gen. 25:1-4); through Isaac and Rebekah, the Edomites
(Gen. 25:23; 36:1-43). This interpretation is substantiated by the genealogies of
Keturah (Gen. 25:1-4), Ishmael (Gen. 25:12-18) and Edom (Gen. 36).
When the Lord promises Abraham that he will be the progenitor of many
nations, it includes the nation of Israel since in Genesis 12:2, the Lord promised
Abraham that He would make him a “great nation” (cf. Gen. 18:18). Therefore,
Abraham’s “biological” descendants through Isaac are the Jews, the nation of
Israel whereas through Hagar and Keturah, it is the Arabs.
The Lord’s promise to make Abraham a father or progenitor of many nations
was fulfilled and continues to be fulfilled in a “spiritual” sense through those
individuals who exercise faith alone in Christ alone (John 3:1-7; 1 Cor. 12:13; Gal.
3:26-28). This is how the Lord’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:3 that in him
“all the families of the earth would be blessed” would be accomplished.
In Galatians, the apostle Paul teaches that the “Seed” God covenanted with
Abraham found its fulfillment uniquely in the Lord Jesus Christ. Also, it found its
fulfillment in a collective sense in both Jew and Gentile alike, who expressed faith
alone in Christ alone resulting in them being the beneficiaries of regeneration and
the baptism of the Spirit (Gal. 3:15-29). In Romans, Paul teaches that God’s
promise to make Abraham a father of many nations is fulfilled in the sense that
they reproduce Abraham’s faith (Rom. 4:13-17). Therefore, regardless of whether
or not an individual is Jewish or Gentile biologically or racially, anyone who
exercises faith alone in Christ alone becomes a “spiritual” descendant of Abraham.
There are no racial distinctions during the present church age dispensation that
began on the day of Pentecost in June of 30 A.D. as recorded in Acts 2 and will
end at the rapture of the church, which is imminent (1 Thess. 4:13-18; cf. 2 Pet.
3:10).
Any biological or racial Jew who believes in Christ as his Savior, is considered
by God to be “church” or “body of Christ” since according to 1 Corinthians 12:13
and Galatians 3:26-28, there are no racial distinctions in the church age.
After the conclusion of the church age, any Jew racially or biologically that
accepts Christ as his Savior during the Tribulation dispensation (aka “Daniel’s 70th
week) that follows the church age, becomes a member of “regenerate” or “born-
again” Israel. However, the Gentiles who believe in Christ outside of the church
age become “regenerate” or “born-again” Gentiles.
According to Romans 9-11, God is not through with Abraham’s “physical” or
“biological” progeny, the Jews, since many will accept Christ as Savior during
Daniel’s Seventieth week becoming a part of “born-again” or “regenerate” Israel.
Genesis 17:6 “I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations
of you, and kings will come forth from you.” (NASB95)
The Lord’s promise to Abraham that He would make him “exceedingly
fruitful” means that the Lord would give him the capacity to be prolific in that he
would be the progenitor of a multitude of children in both a biological and spiritual
sense.
The Lord’s promise to Abraham that He would “make nations” from him
refers to his “national” posterity Israel, as well as the Arab nations through Hagar
and Keturah. It also refers to his “spiritual” posterity, the church and of course
“regenerate” Israel.

The Lord’s promise to the patriarch that “kings will come forth from you” is a
reference to primarily the kings of Israel (Gen. 35:11; 49:10; 2 Sam. 7:8-16) and
the Lord Jesus Christ.
Genesis 17:7 “I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your
descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting
covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you.” (NASB95)
The Lord’s promise to Abraham “I will establish My covenant between Me
and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations” refers
to the fact that those who like Abraham exercise faith alone in Christ alone will
enter into this covenant and become the beneficiaries of it. This would include the
church and regenerate Israel and regenerate Gentiles who lived in dispensations
outside of the church age.
The Abrahamic covenant like the Palestinian, Davidic and New covenants were
given directly to regenerate Israel according to Romans 9:1-5 but the church and
Gentile believers in dispensations outside of the church age benefit from these
covenants (cf. Rom. 11; Gal. 3).
The Lord promises that the Abrahamic covenant is “eternal.”
The promise “to be God to you and to your descendants after you” refers to
the fact that those like Abraham who exercise faith alone in Christ alone would
enter into an eternal relationship with the Triune God.
Genesis 17:8 “I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land
of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and
I will be their God.” (NASB95)
The promise to give the land of Canaan to Abraham and his descendants refers
to primarily born-again Israel and the church indirectly since she is the bride of
Christ who will reign with Him in Jerusalem over the entire earth during the Lord’s
millennial reign.
The Lord Gives Abraham And His Descendants The Ritual Of Circumcision
Genesis 17:9-14 records that the Lord gives Abraham and his descendants the
ritual of circumcision to observe as a sign to ratify the covenant that He established
with him when he left Haran.
Genesis 17:9 God said further to Abraham, “Now as for you, you shall
keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their
generations. 10 This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and
you and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be
circumcised.” (NASB95)
“Covenant” is the noun berith, which is a compact or agreement between two
“My covenant” is a reference to the unconditional covenant that the Lord
established with Abraham when he left Haran as recorded in Genesis 12:1-3. It was
enlarged upon in Genesis 13:14-17, 15:1-6 and 17:1-8. It is called by theologians,
the “Abrahamic” covenant.
In Genesis 17:1-8, the Lord enumerates His promises to Abraham. Now in
Genesis 17:9-14, the Lord presents the responsibilities of Abraham and his
descendants.
“You shall keep” is the verb shamar, which means, “to observe
conscientiously” in the sense that Abraham and his descendants were to be careful,
thoughtful, heedful, attentive, and meticulous in conforming their actions in
compliance with the practice of circumcision.
“Your descendants” refers to Abraham’s “biological” descendants, the nation
of Israel.
Genesis 17:11 “And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin,
and it shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you.” (NASB95)
“Circumcised” is the verb mul, which refers to the act of cutting of the foreskin
of the male’s penis and was given as a sign to Abraham and his biological
descendants that they were set apart by God and yet was not given to justify or
save them.
Circumcision was not exclusive to Israel but was also performed by several
Asian Oriental groups such as the Muslims as well as the Edomites, Moabites,
Ammonites. It was also practiced by Egyptian priests and those who wanted to be
initiated into their sacred mysteries.
Circumcision among these nations was a rite of passage but was not performed
on infants, thus the sign of circumcision given to Abraham to be performed on
infants eight days old was unique in the ancient world.
The ceremony of circumcision consisted in cutting away the foreskin, the hood
or fold of skin covering the head of the male sex organ, which was generally done
by means of a sharp knife, but in more primitive times sharp stones were used (Ex.
4:25; Josh. 5:2, flint knives).
As a rule this act was performed by the father (Gen. 17:23), although it might
be done by any Israelite, and, if necessary, women as well (Ex. 4:25), but never by
a Gentile. In later times, in the case of adults, a doctor performed circumcision and
the Jews of the present day entrust it to a person called a mohel appointed
especially for the purpose.
At first, this requirement seems to be strange but the Lord gave it to Abraham
and his biological descendants as a “sign” of His covenant with the patriarch and
his descendants. Circumcision would symbolize in a distinct way the purpose and
results of the Abrahamic covenant.

The emphasis of the covenant was on the Promised Seed, the Lord Jesus Christ
and on the abundance of progeny, which would accrue to Abraham (Henry M.
Morris, The Genesis Record, page 333).
Circumcision was a sign only to the individual concerned, his parents and his
wife and was not to be shown to people in general, but was uniquely personal.
Henry M. Morris, writes, “To his parents it would confirm that they had been
faithful in transmitting the seed to the son with whom God had blessed their union
and that they were trying to follow God’s will in training him. To his wife, it
would give assurance that he indeed was a descendant of Abraham, to whom she
could joyfully submit in the marriage relation, in faith that God would bless their
home and their children. To the man himself, it would be a daily testimony that he
and his family were consecrated to the God of Abraham and that they shared in his
calling and ministry to the world” (The Genesis Record, page 334).
The sexual act and reproductive organs and processes were created by God to
be enjoyed by both the man and the woman in marriage and received the full
blessing of God (Gen. 1:28; 9:1). But with the Fall of Adam and the Woman, the
sex organs and sex act became vehicles of sin and corruption This was the result of
Satan leading mankind into sexual debauchery, corrupting the institution of
marriage in every conceivable way in order to stop God’s purpose for man and his
redemption.
Therefore, we see that another symbolic meaning of the act of circumcision
where the cutting of the foreskin spoke of a surgical removal, a complete
separation, from the sins of the flesh so widely prevalent in the world around
Abraham and his descendants. The nations and tribes around Abraham were
involved in sins largely centered in the misuse of the male sex organ in adultery,
fornication and sodomy.
Circumcision symbolized to the Jewish man that he was a member of an elect
nation, a peculiar people, distinctly holy before God, in relation to sexual conduct,
so it came indirectly to speak of holiness in every phase of life.
Leviticus 20:7 “You shall consecrate yourselves therefore and be holy, for I
am the LORD your God.” (NASB95)
Therefore, the sex organ of the male body that was used for procreation is
consecrated to God (cf. Deut. 30:6; Jer. 4:4) and failure to submit to circumcision
demonstrated one’s overt unwillingness to obey the Lord. The penalty for failing to
submit to circumcision meant exile from Israel and from any inheritance in it and
in fact resulted in capital punishment.
In Exodus 4, Moses failed to circumcise his sons because of his Egyptian wife
Zipporah, and was as a result almost killed by the Lord for failing to do so but
Zipporah grudgingly gave in.

Circumcision has hygienic value since cancer of the penis has a much higher
incidence in uncircumcised males.
Henry M. Morris, “If the nation so formed was indeed to endure and to be a
witness for God through all generations to come, then it must be physically strong
and clean” (The Genesis Record, page 333).
“Sign” is the noun òth, which refers to the distinguishing mark upon the organ
of procreation among Abraham’s biological descendants who had entered into the
Abrahamic covenant and served as confirmation of his lineage to fulfill their
covenantal responsibility.
The ordinance of circumcision could not save man but was to be the
distinguishing sign of the Jewish nation from the other nations. God has not
commanded circumcision of the flesh for Christians. Circumcision of the flesh is
useless unless there is a circumcision of the heart.
Deuteronomy 30:6 “Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your
heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all
your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.” (NASB95)
Colossians 2:11 and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision
made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the
circumcision of Christ. (NASB95)
Your faith in Christ is what is important to God and not whether you are
circumcised or not (Rom. 2:28-29). Abraham was first justified by his faith and
then he was given circumcision as a badge or a mark that he was saved and set
apart by God.
The Jews in Paul's day believed that because they were physical descendants of
Abraham that they could ride into heaven on the patriarch’s coattails. They
believed that they were sons of Abraham by right of circumcision, when in reality
those who believe God are the true sons of Abraham.
The first Church Council in Jerusalem that is recorded in Acts 15 deemed that a
person does not get saved through the practice of circumcision but through faith
alone in Christ, thus the Gentiles were not required to be circumcised.
Galatians 6:15 For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision,
but a new creation. (NASB95)
Genesis 17:12 “And every male among you who is eight days old shall be
circumcised throughout your generations, a servant who is born in the house
or who is bought with money from any foreigner, who is not of your
descendants.” (NASB95)
The phrase “every male” indicates that there were to be no exceptions, every
male who was a biological descendant of Abraham was required to be circumcised.
This phrase also exempts females for circumcision of females in ancient times was
a regular custom among some races or tribes.
All infants who were descendants of Abraham were to be circumcised on the
eighth day after birth. Modern medicine has discovered that blood-clotting agents
do not take full effect until eight days after birth. Of course, God knew this all
along since He is omniscient and is the One who designed and created the human
body.
Genesis 17:13 “A servant who is born in your house or who is bought with
your money shall surely be circumcised; thus shall My covenant be in your
flesh for an everlasting covenant.” (NASB95)
Also, notice that any slave bought by a descendant of Abraham would also have
to be circumcised, thus the servants and slaves were also brought into covenant
relation with God and became part of His people.
Genesis 17:14 “But an uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the
flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has
broken My covenant.” (NASB95)
This verse records that there were to be no exceptions, any biological
descendant of Abraham would have to be circumcised otherwise, he would be
separated from those who were circumcised among Abraham’s biological
descendants.
The Lord Promises Abraham That His Wife Will Be The Mother Of Numerous
Nations And Kings
Genesis 17:15 Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you
shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.” (NASB95)
In Genesis 17:3, 7, 8, 9, 15, 18, 19, 22, and 23, Moses under the inspiration of
the Holy Spirit employs the noun Elohim, “God” in order to emphasize God’s
sovereignty and omnipotence. This indicates that God has sovereignly determined
to give Abraham and Sarah the capacity to have a child in their old age. This word
emphasizes to the reader that God is omnipotent or all-powerful and is able to
bring to pass that which He has determined to take place. Even though from the
human perspective, it would seem impossible that Abraham and Sarah could have
children when they were one hundred and ninety years old respectively.
As we noted earlier in our study, the name “Sarai” means, “my princess”
indicating her honor was confined to one family into which she was born.
However, the name “Sarah” means, “princess of multitudes” signifying that the
kings of Israel would descend from her, even the greatest of Israel’s kings, the
Lord Jesus Christ.
“Sarah” is the only woman in the Bible whose name is changed and whose age
at death is detailed (Gen. 23:1), which reveals her importance to the plan of
salvation. Her birth-name looks back on her noble descent whereas “Sarah”

emphasizes her covenant relationship with Abraham and the transcendent God and
looks ahead or foreshadows her noble descendants.
Genesis 17:16 “I will bless her, and indeed I will give you a son by her.
Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples
will come from her.” (NASB95)
“Bless” is the piel (intensive) form of the verb barakh, which is used twice in
Genesis 17:16 indicating that the Lord would endue Sarah with power to not only
have a child with Abraham but that she would be endued with power to be the
mother of nations and kings.
The promise that Sarah would become “a mother of nations” refers to both
Abraham and Sarah’s “national” posterity Israel and also their “spiritual” posterity,
namely, “regenerate” or “born-again” Israelites and the Gentiles.
The “nations” in view here are not the Arab nations or the Ishmaelites since
they are not descendants of Sarah but rather of Keturah and Hagar.
The promise that Sarah would become the mother of kings refers to the kings of
Israel, both saved and unsaved as well as the king of kings, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Genesis 17:17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his
heart, “Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah,
who is ninety years old, bear a child?” (NASB95)
The fact that Abraham fell on his face after receiving this promise demonstrated
his great humility and thankfulness to the Lord and caused him to worship God.
Warren Wiersbe defines worship, “Worship is the believer’s response of all that
they are –mind, emotions, will and body-to what God is and says and does. This
response has its mystical side in subjective experience and its practical side in
objective obedience to God’s revealed will. Worship is a loving response that’s
balanced by the fear of the Lord, and it is a deepening response as the believer
comes to know God better” (Real Worship, 26).
If we paraphrase Wiersbe’s definition, we could say the following: Abraham is
worshipping the Lord in that he is responding in his mind (said in his heart),
emotions (laughter), and body (falling on his face) to what God is (omnipotent)
and His promise to give him and Sarah a child in their old age and he is responding
to God’s ability to bring it to pass.
Abraham was so overcome with joy at the Lord’s promise to give him and
Sarah a baby boy that he fell on his face in worship of the Lord and laughed. He
did not laugh out of doubt but out of joy since the Lord did not rebuke him for his
lack of faith as the Lord did with Sarah when she laughed after hearing the Lord
promise Abraham again that he would get Sarah pregnant as recorded in Genesis
18:13.
Genesis 17:18 And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live
before You!” (NASB95)
Abraham mentions Ishmael not because he does not believe that God can give
him and Sarah a child but rather he fears that this promise would cut off Ishmael
from the Lord’s favor but as we will see this is not the case.
Genesis 17:19 But God said, “No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son,
and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him
for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.” (NASB95)
Though God would bless Ishmael, He emphasized to Abraham that His
covenant with him was with Isaac alone and his seed.
Now, notice that in Genesis 17:17, Abraham said in his heart to himself “Will a
child be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety
years old, bear a child?” indicating that the Lord in His omniscience, read
Abraham’s mind.
Psalm 94:11a The LORD knows the thoughts of man. (NASB95)
The Lord responds to the question in Abraham’s heart even though Abraham
never audibly expressed it to the Lord.
The name “Isaac” means, “laughter” and was designated by God to be the
name given to Abraham’s son that he would have with Sarah since it expresses the
patriarch’s joyful faith in the Lord’s ability to fulfill this promise.
The fact that God directs Abraham to name this child of promise Isaac before
he is born foreshadows, God directing Joseph in Matthew 1:31 and Mary in Luke
1:31 to name their first born son “Jesus” before His birth. Also, like the birth of
Jesus, the birth of Isaac would be miraculous.
“My covenant” refers to the covenant that the Lord established with Abraham
when he left Haran as recorded in Genesis 12:1-3 and was enlarged upon in
Genesis 13:14-17, Genesis 15:1-6 and Genesis 17:1-18.
The promise “I will establish My covenant with him (Isaac) for an
everlasting covenant for his descendants after him” indicates that the Promised
Seed, the Savior, Jesus Christ would come through the line of Isaac rather than
Ishmael.
Therefore, we see that Genesis 17:19, God is giving Abraham more information
concerning the Promised Seed of Genesis 3:15 who would defeat sin and Satan.
Up to this point, we have seen that the human nature of Jesus Christ would
come from the line of Seth (Gen. 4:25-26; Luke 3:38) and Shem (Gen. 9:24-27;
Luke 3:36) and then, as recorded in Genesis 12:3 God informs Abraham that Jesus
Christ would be his descendant.
Galatians 3:16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed.
He does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “And
to your seed,” that is, Christ. (NASB95)

Genesis 17:20 “As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I will bless him,
and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall become
the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.” (NASB95)
The promise that God would “bless him (Ishmael) and will make him fruitful
and will multiply him exceedingly” means that God would not exclude Ishmael
from blessing but rather He would endue Ishmael and his descendants with the
ability to be prolific in terms of posterity.
God promises Abraham that Ishmael would be the father of twelve princes,
which would comprise a great nation corresponding to Isaac who would be the
father of the twelve tribes, which would comprise the nation of Israel.
Genesis 25:12-16 records the fulfillment of this promise to Abraham
concerning Ishmael and his descendants.
Genesis 17:21 “But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah
will bear to you at this season next year.” (NASB95)
Again, God emphasizes a third time that He was establishing His covenant with
Isaac and not Ishmael indicating that Isaac was in the line of Christ.
God specifies the time informing Abraham that Isaac would be born one year
from the time that He made this promise.
Genesis 17:22 When He finished talking with him, God went up from
Abraham. (NASB95)
Genesis 17:23-27 records Abraham obeying the Lord’s command to circumcise
himself and all the males in his household.
Genesis 17:23 Then Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all the servants
who were born in his house and all who were bought with his money, every
male among the men of Abraham's household, and circumcised the flesh of
their foreskin in the very same day, as God had said to him. 24 Now Abraham
was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the
flesh of his foreskin. 26 In the very same day Abraham was circumcised, and
Ishmael his son. 27 All the men of his household, who were born in the house
or bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.
(NASB95)
Notice that Abraham does not procrastinate but immediately the very same day
he obeyed the Lord and implemented the sign of circumcision.
In Genesis 17:23-27, we see Abraham conscientiously observing the practice of
circumcision, which was to be the sign or symbol of God’s covenant with
Abraham. Abraham’s obedience demonstrated his love for God.
John 14:15 “If you love Me, you will observe conscientiously My

Abraham’s obedience demonstrated his love for God in the sense that he
honored, respected, revered God and was dedicated and devoted to Him to the
point of self-sacrifice. His obedience was the proper, appropriate, obedient and
obligatory response by him to God’s revelation of Himself since Abraham had
been created and redeemed by God for His purpose and good pleasure.
The “objective” in God revealing Himself and His ways to men through the
living Word, Jesus Christ and the written Word, the Bible is so that men might love
Him, experience fellowship with Him, glorify Him and worship Him.
Here we see that Abraham is affected by God’s revelation of Himself and His
ways. He has personally encountered through the process of fellowship, the love
God has for him as this divine-love is revealed by the Holy Spirit. He has been
affected by this encounter with the love that God has been directed toward him.
This resulted in Abraham gaining practical spiritual wisdom and more of the
character of Christ.
God’s revelation of Himself and His ways is not so that the believer can simply
acquire knowledge but rather so that a transformation of character might take place
in the believer’s life where this knowledge of God and His ways affects the
believer’s lifestyle and priorities.
1 Corinthians 8:1 Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that
we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies.
(NASB95)
Abraham’s obedience was confirmation that he indeed was obeying the
command to “walk before Me, and be blameless” recorded in Genesis 17:1 and
experiencing fellowship with the Lord.
Not only did Abraham circumcise himself and his son Ishmael but also
everyone in his household including servants he had purchased and those born in
his household while their parents were in service to him. Even though Ishmael
would not inherit the promises with Isaac, Abraham circumcised him desiring that
he receive the spiritual blessings that would originate from the fulfillment of those
promises.
The Lord’s promise that He would make His covenant with Isaac and not
Ishmael meant that the Messiah would be a descendant of Isaac and in no way
excluded Isaac from sharing in the blessings that originate through faith in the
Messiah and the same holds true for everyone in Abraham’s household.
Abraham’s obedience to the law of circumcision demonstrated his faith since all
the males in his household would be incapacitated for several days thus leaving his
home and possessions with no protection at all except of course for the Lord.
Undoubtedly, he met resistance and many questions but nevertheless, his entire
household received the sign of circumcision. The fact that all the males submitted
to circumcision based upon the word of Abraham is a testimony to the fact that the
patriarch was highly respected among those in his household and those who were
servants. At this time, everyone knew that God was with Abraham and if this was
what God required, they along with Abraham would obey.
Lord Promises Abraham That Sarah Will Give Birth
Genesis 18:9-15 records the Lord’s prophecy and promise of the birth of Isaac,
which was for the benefit of Sarah.
Genesis 18:9 Then they said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he
said, “There, in the tent.” (NASB95)
The Lord and the two elect angels ask Abraham a rhetorical question that is
designed to politely open the conversation about Sarah. The promise that the Lord
is about to make to Abraham that Sarah will conceive a child must be heard by her
since she must conceive by faith, and therefore the promise must be made to her.
Hebrews 11:11 By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive,
even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who
had promised. (NASB95)
In the days of Abraham, it was customary that women did not sit with men at
dinner, at least not with strangers, but confine themselves to their own place.
Therefore, we see that Sarah is out of sight but she must not be out of hearing so
that she can hear the promise and accept it by faith.
The interjection hinneh, “there” indicates that Abraham is pointing in the exact
place where Sarah was located, namely, inside the tent.
“Oriental courtesy perhaps in those days already forbade to all except intimates
to inquire after a wife. These visitors give indication of their authority by making
the inquiry.” (H.C. Leupold, Exposition of Genesis, volume 1, pages 539-540)
That the Lord and the two angels inquire as to the whereabouts of Sarah by
naming her reveals to Abraham further that his guests are not of this world.
Genesis 18:10 He said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year;
and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the
tent door, which was behind him. (NASB95)
We see that after the Lord and His two angels had finished eating lunch that the
conversation begins and the purpose of the visit is revealed. The scene concerns
the Lord and Sarah but as a married woman she apparently stays inside the tent out
of sight of the visitors while the Lord addresses her by talking to Abraham.
In Genesis 17:15-21, the Lord prophesied to Abraham that he and Sarah would
have a child who they would name Isaac. The Scriptures seem to imply that this
prophecy was unknown to Sarah because Abraham didn’t tell her but here in
Genesis 18:10-15, the promise that she will conceive a child with Abraham is
made to her.
This promise in Genesis 18:10 is giving Abraham more details regarding the
Lord’s original promise in Genesis 15:4 that his heir would be a natural born son.
Then in Genesis 17:16-21, the Lord guaranteed that Sarah would bear this natural
born son.
Now, in Genesis 18:10, a time limit is set for the fulfillment of the promise. The
promise, “I will surely return to you at this time next year,” does “not” mean
that the Lord would visibly appear to Abraham again at the same time the
following year. But rather it means that He would intervene on behalf of Abraham
and Sarah and exercise His omnipotence to fulfill this promise that Sarah would
have a child with him. This interpretation is confirmed by the fact that the Lord did
“not” visibly appear to Abraham the following year but rather the Lord exercised
His omnipotence and enabled him to impregnate Sarah.
The promise that Sarah would conceive a child with Abraham in her old age
was based upon God’s Word and power. From the human perspective, the
fulfillment of the promise was impossible but from the divine perspective, nothing
is impossible with an omnipotent God. The Lord plainly reveals Himself through
this promise since only the Lord could make such a promise to Sarah. The Lord is
making a promise that demands faith on the part of Sarah since the omnipotence of
God is appropriated by means of faith.
Genesis 18:11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; Sarah
was past childbearing. (NASB95)
Abraham was ninety-nine years of age when he received this promise from the
Lord since Genesis 21:5 records that he was a hundred years old when Isaac was
born. Genesis 18:10 records the Lord promising the patriarch that Sarah would
have a child at the same time the following year. Sarah was eighty-nine years of
age when she received this promise from the Lord since Genesis 17:17 reveals that
she was ten years younger than her husband. Genesis 18:11 records that she was
already in menopause, thus she would have to be the beneficiary of the Lord’s
omnipotence in order for her to get pregnant and receive the promise of a child.
Genesis 18:12 Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I have become old,
shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” (NASB95)
Notice that Sarah laughed to herself, inaudibly upon hearing the Lord’s promise
to give her a child in her old age. From the human perspective this promise was
utterly ridiculous. Her laugh was due to unbelief since she knew that physically it
was no longer possible for Abraham and her to enjoy sexual relations again.
As we noted in Genesis 17:17, unlike Sarah, Abraham did not laugh out of a
lack of faith since the Lord did not rebuke him for his lack of faith as He did with
Sarah when she laughed. This interpretation is substantiated by Romans 4:16-22,
which confirms that when this promise was made to Abraham, he believed that
God could deliver on this promise.
Hebrews 11:11 teaches that Sarah’s unbelief was temporary since she also later
on believed that God could deliver on His promise to give him and Abraham the
ability to have a child together. We must not be too hard on Sarah for we must
remember that she laughed “not” out of arrogance but because of a life of
frustration and long disappointment resulting in hopelessness and sadness. Also,
we must understand that unlike Abraham Sarah did “not” know who these visitors
were and it seemed ridiculous for a strange man to come into their home and make
such a promise to her husband.
“I have become old” is the verb balah, which refers to something that is used
daily and has become worn out by time and use, thus it can mean, “to wear out, to
waste away, to become old, to decay.” It indicates that Sarah was saying to herself
that how could she become pregnant when she was old and worn out.
Also, notice that Sarah calls Abraham “lord,” which is the noun àdhon, which
is a term of respect for the authority of her husband.
The only thing good that Sarah said was calling her husband “lord,” and the
Lord had Moses put it down in writing as well as Peter in 1 Peter 3:1-7.
Genesis 18:13 And the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh,
saying, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, when I am so old?’” (NASB95)
The Lord reveals His omniscience in that He asks Abraham why his wife
laughed to herself, which was inaudible rather than audible.
Psalm 94:11 The LORD knows the thoughts of man. (NASB95)
Now, don’t miss this, remember Sarah laughed in unbelief and she thought this
was an ordinary stranger and not the Lord Himself making this promise to her and
her husband. Thus, we see that the Lord seeks to reveal Himself to Sarah in order
to trigger her faith in the promise. The Lord does this by revealing His omniscience
to her by telling her that she laughed, which she did, but to herself, inaudibly. Only
she and the Lord would know that she laughed to herself. Thus, by revealing to her
that it was indeed the Lord Himself making this promise to her husband, the Lord
caused her to exercise faith in His promise to give her a child in her old age.
The Lord addresses Abraham rather than Sarah since he is the authority in the
marriage (see Eph. 5:23) and was responsible for informing Sarah of His promise
to him in Genesis 15:4 but it appears he didn’t inform her.
Genesis 18:14 “Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed
time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”
(NASB95)
“Is anything too difficult for the Lord?” is a rhetorical question that demands
a negative answer, namely, that nothing is impossible for the Lord.
Jeremiah 32:27 “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything
too difficult for Me?” (NASB95)

Henry M. Morris, “He who created all things surely controls all things. He who
enacted the laws of nature can change them if He wills” (The Genesis Record, page
341).
The Lord verbally reveals His identity to Abraham and Sarah by identifying
Himself as the Lord and declaring His omnipotence to the both of them. Therefore,
in Genesis 18:9-15, we see the Lord exercising His omniscience and proclaiming
His omnipotence, which He will exercise the following year on behalf of this aged
couple.
The Lord repeats the promise recorded in Genesis 18:10, “At the appointed
time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”
Notice that the Lord adds the expression “at this time next year”, thereby
reaffirming the promise to Abraham that appears in Genesis 18:10 with the one
made here in Genesis 18:14 to Sarah.
Genesis 18:15 Sarah denied it however, saying, “I did not laugh”; for she
was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh.” (NASB95)
Sarah lies to the Lord claiming that she didn’t laugh because she suddenly
realized who she was conversing with and was overwhelmed with fear that the
Lord might discipline her for laughing at the promise. However, in His grace, He
did not. The Lord gently but authoritatively rebukes Sarah for her unbelief in His
ability to perform that which He has predicted would come to pass. She has found
out that you cannot hide sin with God (1 Jn. 1:5-10).
Hebrews 4:13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all
things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.
(NASB95)
The Lord Fulfills His Promise To Abraham And Sarah To Give Them A Child
Genesis 21:1-4 records the fulfillment of the Lord’s promise to give Abraham
and Sarah a child in their old age. Also, we see Abraham obeying the Lord’s
commands to name the child “Isaac” and circumcise the child on the eighth day.
Genesis 21:1 Then the LORD took note of Sarah as He had said, and the
LORD did for Sarah as He had promised. 2 So Sarah conceived and bore a
son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken
to him. (NASB95)
“Lord” is the proper noun Yahweh, which is the personal covenant name of
God. It is emphasizing the “immanency” of God. This means that the Lord was
involving Himself in lives of Abraham and Sarah and concerning Himself with
their lives by fulfilling His promise to give them a child in their old age.

“Took note” is the verb paqadh, which means, “to intervene” in life of
someone in order to bless them. Therefore, the verb means that the Lord
“intervened” on behalf of Sarah in order to bless her with a child.
In Genesis 21:1, the birth of Isaac illustrates the principle taught in Jeremiah
1:12 that the Lord watches over His Word to perform it. In Genesis 17:16-21, the
Lord promised Abraham that he would impregnate Sarah and they would have a
child and call him “Isaac” and Genesis 21:1 records the fulfillment of the promise.
In Genesis 18:10 and 14, the Lord promised Sarah that she would have a child
one year later and Genesis 21:1 records the fulfillment of the promise. The
fulfillment of this promise to Abraham and Sarah to give them a child in their old
age was a demonstration of the Lord’s faithfulness to His covenant that He
established with the aged patriarch (Gen. 12:1-3; 13:14-17; 15:1-6; 17:1-8; 18:9-
14).
The birth of Isaac demonstrated that even though Abraham and Sarah were at
times lacking in faith in the Lord, the Lord remained faithful to them.
2 Timothy 2:13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny
Himself. (NASB95)
The fact that the Lord did what He had promised to Sarah was also a
manifestation of the omnipotence of His Word.
The fact that the Lord fulfilled the promise to Abraham and Sarah reveals that
they operated in faith meaning they took God at His Word (see Hebrews 11:11;
Romans 4:18-22). The faith of Abraham and Sarah demonstrates the spiritual
principle that you appropriate the omnipotence of God by operating in faith.
Genesis 21:2 So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age,
at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him. (NASB95)
The phrase “in his old age” emphasizes that God’s power overcame Abraham’s
problem of being impotent sexually in his old age revealing that nothing is
impossible with God. It also implies that God miraculously healed both Sarah and
Abraham so that they might have the capacity to procreate again and have children.
Abraham was one hundred years old when Isaac was born according to Genesis
21:1 and Sarah was ninety-years old since Genesis 17:17 reveals that she was ten
years younger than Abraham.
Henry M. Morris, “The bodies of Abraham and Sarah had been miraculously
rejuvenated, their ages being one hundred and ninety years old, respectively (Gen.
17:17; 21:5). Sarah was ‘young’ enough again, not only to have a child but to nurse
him (Gen. 21:7); Abraham was ‘young’ enough again not only to father Isaac, but
also six other sons of his wife Keturah, after Sarah died (Gen. 25:2)! When God
miraculously heals, it is not a partial healing, but a complete and instant
restoration” (The Genesis Record, pages 366-367, Baker Book House).

The birth of Isaac demonstrates that the fulfillment of God’s promises depends
completely upon God Himself. The birth of Isaac was not only designed to bring
joy to Sarah and Abraham but also to all mankind. The reason is that the child,
Isaac would be in the line of the human nature of Jesus Christ, the Promised Seed
who would redeem mankind and destroy the works of the devil (See Genesis 3:15).
In Genesis 17:15-21 and 18:9-14, we see that the birth of Isaac would continue
the line of the human nature of Jesus Christ and we see its fulfillment in Genesis
21:1-2. Therefore, the birth of Isaac was essential for God to accomplish His
purposes through Jesus Christ of redeeming and reconciling sinful mankind to
Himself. In fact, the miraculous birth of Isaac foreshadows the miraculous birth of
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Also, the birth of Isaac was the second step in forming the nation of Israel, from
whom Jesus Christ would come since Isaac’s son Jacob, later named by God as
Israel, had twelve sons who were heads of the twelve tribes of Israel (1 Chronicles
1:34; 2:1-2; Acts 7:8).
Through the nation of Israel would come the Savior of the world (John 4:22;
Romans 9:3-5). To the nation of Israel would be given the Old Testament
Scriptures, the adoption as sons, the Mosaic Law, the Shekinah Glory, the
promises and the unconditional covenants (Davidic, Palestinian, New and
Abrahamic) (see Romans 9:1-5).
The phrase “at the appointed time” refers to the “literal” fulfillment of the
Lord’s promise to Sarah and Abraham exactly one year prior that they would have
a child (Genesis 17:21 and 18:10, 14). It indicates that the birth of Isaac was right
on “God’s” schedule rather than that of a man. It teaches that God is always right
on time and never early or late in fulfilling His promises (see Habakkuk 2:3;
Galatians 4:4).
Twenty-five years had passed since Abraham left Ur of the Chaldeans and
during that time the Lord established His covenant with him and enlarged upon it
and reiterated it on different occasions (Gen. 12:1-3; 13:14-17; 15:1-6; 17:1-8;
18:9-15). During this time, Abraham and Sarah’s faith was tested since a faith that
is incapable of enduring trials and tribulations is no faith at all.
The Christian’s faith is tested to demonstrate that it is genuine and to produce
character in them and of course to glorify God meaning to manifest the character
and nature of God (see Romans 5:1-5).
From the human perspective, the Lord appeared to be delaying in fulfilling His
promise in giving a child to Abraham and Sarah, but this is done to test their faith.
Therefore, the fulfillment of the promise of Isaac to this couple teaches us that we
must wait patiently upon God.
Hebrews 6:13 For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He
could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself 14 saying, “I WILL
SURELY BLESS YOU AND I WILL SURELY MULTIPLY YOU.” 15 And
so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise. (NASB95)
Psalm 37:7 Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him. (NASB95)
The fulfillment of the promise to Abraham and Sarah teaches us that
perseverance or endurance is essential in order to receive the fulfillment of God’s
promises. Perseverance is the capacity to continue to bear up under difficult
circumstances. The two had to continue to bear up under the difficult circumstance
of being childless in order to finally receive the promise of a child.
Romans 5:3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations,
knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance. (NASB95)
The Scriptures are designed to produce perseverance in us and to encourage us.
Romans 15:4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our
instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the
Scriptures we might have hope. (NASB95)
Many times, the Word of the Lord gave encouragement to Abraham (Gen. 15:1-
6; 17:1-8).
Genesis 21:3 Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him,
whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac. (NASB95)
The name “Isaac” means, “laughter” and was designated by God expressing
Abraham’s joyful faith in the Lord’s ability to fulfill this promise. It was given to
this child because he would be a source of great joy to them. The fact that the Lord
commanded Abraham to name this child “Isaac” also illustrates that true joy and
happiness is from the Lord. The Holy Spirit produces a joy that is divine in the
believer who is obedient to the Word of God (Galatians 5:22-23).
The name was an appropriate name since every time Abraham and Sarah would
speak his name, they would remember how they laughed at God’s promise (Gen.
17:17; 18:12), a laugh of amazement in Abraham’s case and of doubt in Sarah’s
case. They would also remember the great joy they shared when Isaac was finally
born (see Genesis 21:6).
Job 8:21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with
shouting. (NASB95)
Abraham’s naming of the child “Isaac” was in obedience to the Word of the
Lord since according to Genesis 17:19, the Lord commanded him to give the child
this name.
Genesis 21:4 Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight
days old, as God had commanded him. (NASB95)
The fact that the Lord circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old
was also in obedience to the Lord’s command as recorded in Genesis 17:9-14.
“Circumcised” is the verb mul, which refers to the act of cutting of the foreskin
of the male’s penis and was given as a sign to Abraham and his biological
descendants that they were set apart by God and yet was not given to justify or
save them.
Genesis 21:5-7 gives us the record of Sarah’s joy and laughter upon finally
receiving the fulfillment of God’s promise and bearing a son for Abraham who was
named Isaac.
Genesis 21:5 Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac
was born to him. (NASB95)
Bruce K. Waltke commenting on Genesis 21:5 writes the following: “The ages
of the postdiluvians have decreased substantially (cf. 11:10-26). To produce at one
hundred years and at ninety years is miraculous (see 17:17)” (Genesis, A
Commentary, page 293, Zondervan).
The age of Abraham is specified as a hundred years old when Isaac was born in
order to emphasize the omnipotence of God who from the human perspective had
done the impossible.
Gordon J. Wenham commenting on Genesis 21:5 writes the following: “The
frequent reference in genealogies to the age at which a man fathered his first child
suggests this was regarded as a most important milestone in his life (cf. 5:3, 6;
11:12, 14, etc.) (Word Biblical Commentary, volume 2, Genesis 16-50, page 80,
Nelson Reference and Electronic).
Genesis 21:6 Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who
hears will laugh with me.” (NASB95)
Notice that Sarah attributes her laughter and joy to God who has blessed her
with a baby boy in her old age. Sarah is experiencing the joy of the Lord as a result
of the Lord fulfilling His promise to her.
Genesis 21:7 And she said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah
would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.” (NASB95)
Matthew Henry commenting on Sarah’s joy writes the following: “God bestows
mercies upon his people to encourage their joy in his work and service; and,
whatever is the matter of our joy, God must be acknowledged as the author of it,
unless it be the laughter of the fool. When mercies have been long deferred they
are the more welcome when they come. It adds to the comfort of any mercy to
have our friends rejoice with us in it: All that hear will laugh with me; for laughing
is catching. See Luke 1:58. Others would rejoice in this instance of God's power
and goodness, and be encouraged to trust in him. See Ps 119:74.” (From Matthew
Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition, Electronic
Database. Copyright (c) 1991 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.).
The reproach that Sarah experienced in life by not bearing children to her
husband was lifted and her bitterness, disappointment and tears were turned to
laughter and joy.

Gordon J. Wenham makes the following comment regarding being childless in
the ancient world: “It was a serious matter for a man to be childless in the ancient
world, for it left him without an heir. But it was even more calamitous for a
woman: to have a great brood of children was the mark of success as a wife; to
have none was ignominious failure” (Word Biblical Commentary series, entitled
“Genesis 15—50”; Waco: Word Books, 1994).
Sarah’s statement in Genesis 16:2 expresses her bitterness toward God.
Genesis 16:2 So Sarai said to Abram, “Now behold, the LORD has
prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my maid; perhaps I will
obtain children through her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.
(NASB95)
Genesis 18:12-15 also records Sarah’s unbelief in the Lord’s promise to give
her a child in her old age.
Genesis 18:12 Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I have become old,
shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?” (NASB95)
Sarah’s unbelief was temporary since Hebrews 11:11 records that she
conceived Isaac because she considered God faithful to His promise.
Hebrews 11:11 By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive,
even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who
had promised. (NASB95)
Now, we see here in Genesis 21:6-7, that her bitterness has been turned into
laughter and joy and she attributes it solely to God.
“God” is the Hebrew noun Elohim, which is attributed to Sarah expressing her
acknowledgement that God is omnipotent or all-powerful and was able to bring to
pass that which He has determined to take place, namely, the birth of Isaac.
If you recall, in Genesis 17:16, God promised Abraham that He would “bless”
Sarah so that Abraham would be able to impregnate her.
“Bless” is the piel (intensive) form of the verb barakh, which is used twice in
Genesis 17:16 indicating that the Lord would endue Sarah with power to not only
have a child with Abraham but that she would be endued with power to be the
mother of nations and kings.
Genesis 21:7 And she said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah
would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.” (NASB95)
“Children” is the noun ben, which is “not” in the singular as we would expect
but rather is in the plural expressing Sarah’s faith that God would produce
offspring for Isaac (Israel) who were destined to be the vehicle used by God to
bring blessing to the Gentiles.
So in Genesis 21:5-7, we see joy and laughter but this joy would be short lived
for later on this joy turned to anger and a crisis in the home of Abraham and Sarah
as we will see in Genesis 21:8-11. This crisis is the result of Hagar and Abraham’s
son, Ishmael persecuting their son, Isaac, the son of promise who would carry on
the line of Christ. The old animosity between Sarah and Hagar erupts again in the
home of Abraham, eventually leading to a parting of the ways.
Genesis 21:8 The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham made a great
feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. (NASB95)
Mothers usually nursed children for three years or longer in those days, which
of course is unlike the West (see 1 Samuel 22-25; 2 Chronicles 31:16; 2
Maccabees 2:27). Because Isaac was the son of promise, the heir of the covenant,
the one who would carry on the line of Christ, Abraham made a big feast to honor
his son. He recognized the importance of his son in the plan of God. Also, it was
traditional in his day to throw such a party since infant mortality was very high and
to reach the age of two or three would be regarded as a significant
accomplishment.
The Lord Tests Abraham By Commanding Him To Sacrifice Isaac
We now come to an awe inspiring point in the life of Abraham. Genesis 22:1-19
records God testing him by commanding him to sacrifice his beloved Son Isaac. In
this passage, we have the ultimate test of Abraham’s faith in that God commands
him to sacrifice his son that he and Sarah waited twenty-five years to be born,
namely, the son of promise, Isaac.
The Seventh and Final Test in Abraham’s Life
Genesis 22:1-19 records the seventh and final great crisis in the life of
Abraham, which tested his love for the Lord, his faith in the Lord and his
obedience to the Lord: (1) God commanded Abraham to leave behind his parents
as recorded in Genesis 12:1 and Hebrews 11:8. (2) God commanded Abraham to
live among the Canaanites as an alien (see Genesis 12:1-8; Hebrews 11:9-10). (3)
Abraham’s faith was tested in that he had to choose between living in the land of
Canaan, trusting that the Lord would take care of him even though there was a
famine in the land or leave the land of Canaan and go to Egypt. (4) Abraham had
to separate from his nephew Lot as recorded in Genesis 13:5-18. (5) God
commanded Abraham to send away Ishmael whom he loved dearly as recorded in
Genesis 17:18-21 and 21:12-14. (6) Abraham’s faith was tested in that he had to
wait twenty-five years for the birth of Isaac and had to trust that God could deliver
on this promise even though he and Sarah were biologically unable to have
children together because of their advanced age (see Romans 4:18-22). (7) God
commanded Abraham to sacrifice Isaac after he waited so long for him to be born
(Genesis 22:1-19; Hebrews 11:17-19).
The seventh and final test in Abraham’s life demonstrates the spiritual maturity
of Abraham since the number seven in the Bible is the number of spiritual
perfection.
Also, when we view this passage, we must remember that Isaac was important
to God too, even more so than Abraham since it would be through Isaac and his
descendants that the human nature of Jesus Christ, the Son of God would originate.
Genesis 22:1-19 can be entitled “the testing of Abraham” and can be divided
into three sections: (1) Genesis 22:1-2: God’s instructions for the testing of
Abraham. (2) Genesis 22:3-10: Abraham’s obedience to God’s instructions. (3)
Genesis 22:11-19: God’s approval of and reward for Abraham’s obedience.
Genesis 22:1 Now it came about after these things, that God tested
Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” (NASB95)
“After these things” indicates that the events recorded in Genesis 22 took place
after the events of Genesis 21. The events of Genesis 21: (1) Birth and
circumcision of Isaac in Genesis 21:1-8 (2) The departure of Hagar and Ishmael
from the home of Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 21:9-21 (3) Abraham and
Abimelech’s agreement’s with each other in Genesis 21:22-34.
“God” is the noun Elohim, which emphasizes that God created Isaac and
sovereignly gave Isaac to Abraham and Sarah, and thus Isaac in reality belongs to
God and not Abraham and Sarah.
The statement “God tested Abraham” reveals to the reader that which
Abraham was unaware of, namely, that God had no intention of letting Abraham
kill Isaac. But rather God tested Abraham in order to demonstrate to the angels and
men that Abraham valued his relationship with God over his relationship with his
beloved son, Isaac.
“Tested” is the piel form of the verb nasah, which means, “to test through
adversity in order to demonstrate a person’s character.” The testing of Abraham
was designed to demonstrate that which was already in his soul, namely, that he
loved God more than Isaac.
The verb nasah does “not” mean “to entice to sin.” This test was “not” to find
fault in Abraham. But rather to demonstrate the character that God had developed
in him through the years of fellowship together. This testing would glorify God in
the sense that God’s love for Abraham would be manifested in his love for God
since the patriarch responded in obedience to God’s command to sacrifice Isaac
because of God’s love for him. It glorified God in the sense that it reflected God
the Father and God the Son’s love for each other.
This test was difficult for a couple of reasons. The obvious difficulty is that
Abraham loved Isaac. The other was that Abraham had to deal with an apparent
contradiction. God had promised him that He would establish His covenant with
Isaac for an eternal covenant for his (Isaac’s) descendants after him as recorded in
Genesis 17:19. Hebrews 11:17-19 records that Abraham resolved this apparent
contradiction believing that God would raise Isaac from the dead.
Hebrews 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac,
and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son
18 it was he to whom it was said, “IN ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS
SHALL BE CALLED.” 19 He considered that God is able to raise people even
from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type. (NASB95)
Abraham’s Obedience
Genesis 22:1 Now it came about after these things, that God tested
Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” (NASB95)
“Here I am” is the interjection hinneh, which expresses the intimacy between
Abraham and God and respect he had for God. It demonstrates that the patriarch
recognizes and is responsive to the Word of God.
Genesis 22:2 He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love,
Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on
one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” (NASB95)
The imperative form of the verb laqach, “take” is employed with the particle of
logic na and the interjection hinneh, “here I am” in Genesis 22:1. They denote that
God’s command to Abraham is a logical consequence to the attentive and
responsive nature by Abraham to God addressing him. So in other words, God is
saying to Abraham, “Since you are ready to obey Me, take your son.”
“Take now your son, your only son whom you love” emphasizes the
magnitude of this test for Abraham since God is commanding him to sacrifice
someone he loves dearly.
The word “only” is incorrectly translated since Abraham had many sons
(Ishmael through Hagar, see Genesis 16; Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak
and Shuah through Keturah, see Genesis 25:1-2). Therefore, Isaac was not an
“only” child.
“Only” is the adjective yachidh and means, “uniquely born one” and this
interpretation is supported by the fact that Isaac was a “miracle” baby since his
mother was ninety years old and his father was one-hundred years old when he was
born.
Furthermore, John 3:16 employs the adjective monogenes translated “begotten”
in the NASB and is used to describe God the Father’s Son, Jesus Christ as being
uniquely born of a virgin.
Hebrews 11:17 employs monogenes translated “begotten” in the NASB but like
the word in John 3:16, it means, “uniquely born one” since it is used to describe

Isaac who was born to parents who were well past the age of having the capacity to
procreate.
Jesus Christ was born of a virgin and Isaac was born of parents who were in
their old age. Therefore, like Jesus Christ, Isaac was unique.
This is the first time the word “love” (Hebrew: àhev) appears in the Bible,
which is used here to denote the personal love and affection that Abraham had for
his son Isaac. This love typifies God the Father’s love for His Son Jesus Christ.
The imperative form of the verb halakh, “go” is employed with the le of interest
and the second person masculine singular pronominal suffix meaning “go by
yourself” indicating that doing God’s will by means of faith is a lonely pilgrimage.
According to Genesis 22:14, the name “Moriah” means, “the Lord will
provide” memorializing God preventing Abraham from sacrificing his son Isaac.
According to 2 Chronicles 3:1, “the land of Moriah” was the region around
Jerusalem and was the place that God later appeared to David who built an altar to
the Lord (2 Sam. 24:16-25), and Solomon built his temple (2 Chron. 3:1) and Jesus
Christ died.
“Offer him” is the hiphil imperative form of the verb àlah and third person
masculine singular pronominal suffix meaning “cause him (Isaac) to go up.”
The hiphil stem is a “causative” stem indicating that Abraham is being
commanded by God to “cause” his son Isaac to ascend up one of the mountains in
the Moriah mountain range. This typifies God the Father sending His Son to the
Cross.
The “burnt offering” portrayed Jesus Christ’s death on the Cross, which
propitiated the Father’s holiness, which demanded that the sins of the world be
judged.
1 John 4:10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and
sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (NASB95)
This last command in Genesis 22:2 that Abraham receives from God “Offer
him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you”
echoes the first he received “to the land, which I will show you” that is recorded
in Genesis 12:1.
Genesis 22:3 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his
donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he
split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which
God had told him. (NASB95)
All that takes place in this verse has deep spiritual meaning and significance.
Abraham typifies or portrays God the Father, who “spared not his own Son, but
delivered Him up for us all” (Romans 8:32). Isaac typifies or portrays the Lord
Jesus Christ who was “obedient unto death” (Philippians 2:8). The burnt offering

portrays Jesus Christ’s death on the Cross as propitiating the Father (1 John 2:2;
4:10).
Notice that Abraham does not procrastinate or consult with anyone regarding
God’s instructions to sacrifice Isaac but rather he rises early in the morning to
carry out God’s orders.
Psalm 119:60 I hastened and did not delay to keep Your commandments.
(NASB95)
In the Hebrew text, waw-consecutives precede the Hebrew verbs for “saddled,
took,” and “split” implying that Abraham did one thing after another.
The significance of this is that Abraham cut the wood “after” saddling his
donkey and gathering together his servants and Isaac. This indicates that a battle
was being waged in the soul of Abraham since it would have made more sense to
cut the wood first. It appears that Abraham was postponing the most painful part of
the journey till the last possible moment. Even though this was painful preparation
for Abraham, he still obeyed God.
As he was preparing to leave for Moriah, in his soul he was reconciling the
apparent contradiction between God’s command to kill Isaac and the fact that God
promised him He would establish His covenant with Isaac. Hebrews 11:17-19
records that Abraham resolved this apparent contradiction believing that God
would raise Isaac from the dead.
Genesis 22:4 On the third day Abraham raised his eyes and saw the place
from a distance. (NASB95)
Abraham was residing at this time in the land of the Philistines, in Beersheba
according to Genesis 21:33-34. Beersheba to Moriah was about fifty miles. The
three days journey typifies or portrays the Lord Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the
dead on the third day.
The raising of the eyes before seeing indicates that what is seen is of great
significance and thus the moment of truth had come. The fact that Abraham raised
his eyes indicates that his head was down implying that he was deep and thought
regarding God’s command.
Genesis 22:5 Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey,
and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.”
(NASB95)
Abraham tells his young men to stay behind since they would have
misunderstood his motive for sacrificing Isaac. Also, the fact that he does not tell
his servants what he is about to do typifies that the Cross was a transaction
between only the Father and the Son and was shrouded in supernatural darkness,
concealed from both men and angels. His statement to his young men that both he
and Isaac are going to worship God and God’s command to Abraham to sacrifice
Isaac indicates that worshipping God involves obedience to the point of sacrifice.
The patriarch’s obedience to God’s command to sacrifice Isaac and Isaac’s
confidence in his father and submission to him typifies or portrays the obedience of
the Son of God Jesus Christ to His Father’s will.
Abraham knew that God had a future planned for Isaac and that God wanted
Isaac sacrificed and that God could raise his son from the dead.
The statement in Hebrews 11:19 that “Abraham reasoned that God could
raise the dead” indicates that Abraham’s statement to his servants “we will
worship and return to you” in Genesis 22:5 is “not” a lie but rather an expression
of faith that God would raise Isaac from the dead.
Genesis 22:6 Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on
Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of
them walked on together. (NASB95)
The fact that Abraham laid the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac indicates
that his son was “not” a little boy. He was actually between thirty and thirty-three
years of age, which is significant since Jesus Christ was thirty-three when He died
on the Cross and rose from the dead.
Isaac was between thirty and thirty-three years of age at this point in the
narrative, which is indicated by the following. First, Genesis 23:1 records that
Sarah was said to be one hundred twenty-seven years old when she died, which
was right after the events of Genesis 22. Secondly, Sarah was ninety-years old
when she gave birth to Isaac since Genesis 17:17 records that she was ten years
younger than Abraham who was one hundred years old when Isaac was born
according to Genesis 21:1. If we subtract the age of Sarah when she died from the
day Isaac was born we get thirty-seven years.
Furthermore, the term “lad” in Genesis 22:12 and “lads” in Genesis 22:5 is the
Hebrew noun naàr, which depending on the context can refer to a “child” or a
“young man.”
The context of Genesis 22 indicates that the term refers to a “young man” rather
than a “child” since Abraham lays wood for the sacrifice upon Isaac to carry,
which is something he would not do if his son was a little boy at this time.
The fact that Abraham laid the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac portrays
that God the Father laid a wooden Cross on His Son Jesus Christ to carry Himself.
John 19:17 They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own
cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew,
Golgotha. (NASB95)
The fact that Abraham took in his hand the fire and the knife again indicates his
faith in God and his belief that He would raise Isaac from the dead. It also portrays
that the Father sacrificed His Son Jesus Christ and could not have taken place
without God the Father’s consent and sovereign will.

The fire speaks of divine judgment and typifies that Jesus Christ whom Isaac
portrays was judged for the sins of the entire world.
Isaiah 53:8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for
His generation, who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the
living for the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?
(NASB95)
Genesis 22:7 Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!”
And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Behold, the fire and the
wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God
will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.’ So the two
of them walked on together.” (NASB95)
The statement “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt
offering” is a prophecy that God the Father would send His Son Jesus Christ as the
“lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).
The fact that God commanded Abraham to perform a human sacrifice with
Isaac also was prophetic in that it foretold that God the Son would become a
human being in order to take away the sin of the world.
The statement “so the two of them walked on together” appears twice in
Genesis 22:6 intentionally to demonstrate to the reader that Isaac went to the place
of sacrifice of His own volition typifying that Jesus Christ went willingly to the
Cross in obedience to the Father’s will and was not forced to go the Cross.
John 10:17 “For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My
life so that I may take it again. 18 No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay
it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have
authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”
(NASB95)
The statement “so the two of them walked on together” typifies or portrays
the intimate fellowship between God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ and that
they were in agreement that the Cross was necessary for the salvation of men.
Genesis 22:9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and
Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son
Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. (NASB95)
“Altar” is the noun mizbeach, which was composed of material constructed of
earth and stones and was the place Abraham, was to perform this act of worship,
which would portray the Father sacrificing Jesus Christ on the Cross.
Notice that Isaac does “not” resist his father Abraham when he is bound to the
altar, and which binding revealed to Isaac that he was the sacrifice. The fact that
Isaac didn’t resist Abraham and did not open his mouth but was silent, like a sheep
to the slaughter typifies the Lord Jesus Christ’s silence, not opening his mouth and
going to the Cross as a sheep to the slaughter.
Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His
mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent
before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth. (NASB95)
The silence and submission of Isaac demonstrated his total and complete
confidence in and his total submission to his father, which portrays the Lord Jesus
Christ’s confidence in and obedience to God the Father.
Genesis 22:10 Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay
his son. (NASB95)
Abraham’s intention to kill Isaac typifies or portrays the fact that God the
Father put His Son Jesus Christ on the Cross and killed Him in order to provide
salvation for all men and demonstrate His hatred of sin and love for sinners. His
obedience to God’s command to sacrifice someone as beloved to him as Isaac
demonstrated the extent to which he loved God. Obedience is the supreme test of
our love for the Lord.
John 14:15 “If you love Me, you will observe conscientiously My
One thing we notice in this story of Abraham’s obedience to God’s command to
sacrifice Isaac was that he did not put his relationship with his beloved son
between him and his relationship with God. This is a lesson we must all learn as
Christians. Otherwise, we will never glorify God and grow to spiritual maturity
and execute the Father’s will.
Luke 14:26 “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and
mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own
life, he cannot be My disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and
come after Me cannot be My disciple.” (NASB95)
Abraham’s obedience to God’s command to sacrifice Isaac demonstrated that
he was fulfilling the greatest command in Scripture to love God with all your heart,
soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:28-30). He loved God to the point of sacrificing
someone that he dearly loved, namely, Isaac. Abraham’s obedience to God’s
command to sacrifice Isaac demonstrated his faith or trust in God. His obedience to
God’s command to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac was a magnificent
demonstration and example for believers to follow after their conversion in that it
was a work produced by faith.
The Lord Intervenes
Genesis 22:10 Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay
his son. 11 But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said,
“Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not stretch
out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you
fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”
(NASB95)
“The angel of the Lord” is the “preincarnate” Christ and therefore a
“theophany,” or “Christophany,” which are technical theological terms used to
refer to a visible or auditory manifestation of the Son of God before His
incarnation in Bethlehem (Gen. 32:29-30; Ex. 3:2; 19:18-20; Josh. 5:13-15; Dan.
3:26). Genesis 22:11 records an auditory appearance of the “preincarnate” Christ,
which is confirmed by the context.
“Angel” is the noun mal’akh, which means, “messenger” is used in the Old
Testament with reference to “elect” angels (Gen. 19:1; Ps. 91:11) and men (Deut.
2:26; Josh. 6:17) and of the “preincarnate” Christ (Gen. 22:11; Zech. 3:1).
The context indicates that mal’akh in Genesis 22:11 is a theophany, an auditory
appearance of the preincarnate Christ since Genesis 22:1 reveals that God
commanded Abraham to sacrifice Isaac and Genesis 22:12 reveals that God voices
His approval of Abraham’s obedience.
“Lord” is the proper noun Yahweh, which is the personal name of God
emphasizing the “immanency” of God meaning that He involves Himself in and
concerns Himself with and intervenes in the affairs of men. In Genesis 22:11, we
see the Lord involving Himself in and concerning Himself with and intervening in
the life of Abraham by preventing him from sacrificing Isaac.
The proper noun Yahweh is also the “covenant” name of God indicating that
God was faithful to His covenant promises to Abraham that He would establish His
covenant with Isaac (see Genesis 17:19).
The Lord’s statement “Abraham, Abraham” is a figure of speech called
epizeuxis or duplication, which means the repetition of the same word in the same
sense. This figure is a common and powerful way of emphasizing a particular
word, by thus marking it and calling attention to it. In writing, one might
accomplish this by putting the word in larger letters, or by underlining it two or
three times. In speaking, it is easy to mark it by expressing it with increased
emphasis or vehemence.
When the figure of duplication is employed it is calling special attention to the
occasion or to the person and to some solemn moment of importance in the action
or of significance in the words. Examples of this figure are found in many passages
and I will give you two of them.
Matthew 23:37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones
those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children
together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were
unwilling.” (NASB95)

Matthew 27:46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice,
saying, “ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” that is, “MY GOD, MY GOD,
WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?” (NASB95)
Therefore, the Lord’s statement “Abraham, Abraham” calls special attention
to the solemn moment where the Lord stopped Abraham from sacrificing Isaac,
thus ending his testing.
“Here I am” is the interjection hinneh, which expresses the intimacy between
Abraham and God and respect the aged patriarch had for God and demonstrates
that he recognizes and is responsive to the Word of God.
He expected a miracle but it came in a totally unexpected shape and form since
he expected that he would indeed have to kill Isaac but that God would raise Isaac
from the dead according to Hebrews 11:19.
Hebrews 11:19 He considered that God is able to raise people even from
the dead, from which he also received him back as a type. (NASB95)
The real resurrection would have to wait another three centuries when Jesus
Christ would be raised from the dead on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:1-7).
The moment the Lord intervened Abraham saw with the eye of faith the day
that Jesus Christ would rise from the dead. Even though God intervened, there still
was a death and resurrection, Abraham’s and Isaac’s. Abraham died the moment
he raised his hand to kill his son Isaac and was raised when God intervened. There
was also the death and resurrection of Isaac since he did not resist his father and
willingly laid himself down upon the altar to be sacrificed by him and Hebrews
11:19 teaches that God’s intervention in a sense brought back him from the dead.
Abraham died when he demonstrated his willingness to give up all that he had and
that which was near and dear to him, his son Isaac.
It had been a long process that started when God called him to give up his
country, his people and his father’s household to go to the land that God would
show him. There had been a great leap forward when he believed God and his faith
was counted to him as righteousness. It had found its expression in the death of
Sarah’s womb and in his own body. The laughter at Isaac’s birth had been the joy
of resurrection but the final death blow had been this experience of giving up Isaac.
It is so much harder to die and keep on living than to die and be dead.
The only way to possess anything is to give it to the Lord and receive it back
from His hand, which Abraham was able to do. So Abraham died to self and lived
to do God’s will, which the Lord taught His disciples and practiced.
Luke 9:23 And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after
Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24 For
whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My
sake, he is the one who will save it.” (NASB95)

John 12:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the
earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 He who
loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life
eternal.” (NASB95)
Abraham died to self also in the sense that he did not put his love for his
beloved son Isaac ahead of being obedient to the Lord.
A comparison of Genesis 22:12 and Genesis 22:1 indicates that God had no
intention to let Abraham sacrifice Isaac but rather was testing his love for Him, his
faith in Him and his obedience to Him.
“Fear” is the verb yare, which does “not” refer to being afraid as a result of a
threat to one’s life but rather in context, it means, “to have reverence” for the Lord
and involves one’s total response to the Lord. Therefore, we see that the Lord tells
Abraham that his obedience to His command to sacrifice Isaac demonstrated that
he had reverence and respect for God.
Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary defines the noun “reverence”:
“A feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe; veneration.”
Therefore, paraphrasing this definition we would say that the phrase “I know
that you (Abraham) fear God” teaches that Abraham’s obedience demonstrated his
attitude of deep respect and awe for the Lord.
Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary defines the noun “respect”:
“esteem for or a sense of the worth or excellence of a person, a personal quality or
trait, or something considered as a manifestation of a personal quality or trait.”
Therefore, paraphrasing this definition we would say that Abraham esteemed
the excellence of the Person of God as manifested through His personal qualities or
attributes such as love, faithfulness, mercy, compassion, justice, righteousness,
truth, omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience, immutability, and sovereignty.
The verb yare denotes one’s total and complete devotion to God. Therefore, in
Genesis 22:12, it denotes Abraham’s total and complete devotion to the Lord and
the phrase to follow, “since you (Abraham) have not withheld your son, your
only son, from Me (the Lord)” denotes this as well.
The phrase “since you (Abraham) have not withheld your son, your only
son, from Me (the Lord)” indicates that Abraham held nothing back from the
Lord but loved the Lord with all his heart, soul, mind and strength. He loved God
to the point of sacrificing someone that he dearly loved, namely, Isaac.
The phrase “since you (Abraham) have not withheld your son, your only
son, from Me (the Lord)” indicates that he did not put his relationship with his
beloved son Isaac between him and his obedience to God.
The Lord’s statement “I know that you (Abraham) fear God” does “not”
mean that the Lord learned that Abraham revered and respected Him by being
obedient to Him since the Lord is omniscient. The Lord knows perfectly, eternally
and simultaneously all that is knowable, both the actual and the possible, thus, the
Lord has all knowledge of every event in Abraham’s life. This statement means
that Abraham’s reverence and respect for the Lord was manifested by his
obedience to God’s command to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac.
Questions
The question that begs to be asked is, “How can a God of wisdom, justice, and
love command Abraham to offer up his son Isaac as a sacrifice?” Infant sacrifice
was practiced by the Canaanites, but it was condemned by God (cf. Leviticus
18:21; Deuteronomy 12:31). Furthermore, such a sacrifice would have had no real
value: Micah 6:7 “Does the LORD take delight in thousands of rams, in ten
thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts, the
fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” (NASB95)
To point out that God stopped Abraham short of carrying out the command
does not solve the problem. How could God have given the order in the first place
if it were against His own laws? To hold that God could ever command His
children to do wrong, even as a test, is to open the door to all kinds of difficulties.
Several factors must be considered to understand this test in a proper light. First
of all, we must admit a strong bias in the matter. Those who are parents are
repulsed by the thought of sacrificing their children upon an altar, thus parents
project their abhorrence upon God and suppose that He could never consider such
a thing either.
Secondly, we view this command from the vantage point of the culture of the
day, which did practice child sacrifice. If the pagans did it and God condemned
their practice, it must be wrong in any context. We are forced to the conclusion that
the sacrifice of Isaac could not have been wrong, whether only attempted or
accomplished, because God is incapable of evil (James 1:13ff; I John 1:5).
Much more than this, it could not be wrong to sacrifice a son because God
actually did sacrifice His Son Jesus Christ. In this sense, God did not require
Abraham to do anything that He Himself would not do. Indeed, the command to
Abraham was intended to foreshadow what He would do centuries later on the
cross of Calvary.
Only by understanding the typological significance of the “sacrifice of Isaac”
can we grasp the fact that God’s command was holy and just and pure. Abraham’s
willingness to give up his only son humanly illustrated the love of God for man,
which caused Him to give His only uniquely born Son. The agony of heart
experienced by Abraham reflected the heart of the Father at the suffering of His
Son. The obedience of Isaac typified the submission of the Son to the will of the
Father (cf. Matthew 26:39, 42).
A second difficulty pertains to the silence of Abraham meaning, “How come
Abraham interceded with God for Sodom, but not for his son Isaac?” We must
remember that the Scriptures are selective in what they report, choosing to omit
what is not essential to the development of the argument of the passage (cf. John
20:30-31; 21:25).
In this chapter of Genesis, for example, we know that God was to indicate the
particular place to “sacrifice” Isaac (verse 2) and that Abraham went to this spot
(verse 9), but we are not told when God revealed this to him.
Moses, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, omitted Abraham’s initial
reaction to God’s command in order to highlight his ultimate response, which was
obedience.
Personally (although there is no Scripture to support my conjecture), I believe
that Abraham interceded for the life of his son, but God chose not to record this
point in Abraham’s life because it would have had little to inspire us.
I know that many of us would not want God to report our first reactions to
unpleasant situations either and in the end it is our final response that matters (cf.
Matthew 21:28-31).
Also, why did God halt the sacrifice? God halted the sacrifice of Isaac for two
reasons. First, such a sacrifice would have no benefit for others. The lamb must be
“without blemish,” without sin, innocent (cf. Isaiah 53:9). This is the truth which
Micah implied (6:7).
Second, Abraham’s faith was amply evidenced by the fact that he was fully
intending to carry out the will of God. We have no question in our mind that had
God not intervened, Isaac would have been sacrificed. In attitude Isaac had already
been sacrificed, so the act was unnecessary.
The Lord Will Provide
Genesis 22:13 Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold,
behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and
took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son.
(NASB95)
The fact that Abraham was said to have “raised his eyes” indicates that he was
looking down and concentrating upon Isaac who he was about to sacrifice before
God stopped the proceedings.
“Looked” is the verb ra’ah, which means, “to notice” since the word “notice”
implies becoming aware of something, which has caught one’s attention. Abraham
was so focused upon obeying God’s command to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac
that he was not aware that a ram was caught in a thicket by its horns. It wasn’t until
God stopped Abraham from sacrificing Isaac that he became aware of the ram.
Also indicating that ra’ah means, “to notice” in Genesis 22:13 is that the
interjection hinneh, “behold” marks Abraham’s surprise that the ram is caught in a
thicket by its horns and so we should translate it, “to his surprise.”
“Behind” is the substantive àchar should be translated “that” since the context
does not indicate Abraham looked behind since there is no pronominal suffix
(“him”) in the text but rather it marks the “direction” in which Abraham noticed
something, namely, in the direction of a ram. Therefore, the interjection hinneh
coupled with the verb ra’ah and the preposition àchar means that Abraham “to
his surprise noticed that.”
“Ram” is the noun ‘ayil, which refers to a mature male sheep and portrays the
Lord Jesus Christ as our Substitute who died in our place on the Cross.
“Caught” is the verb àchaz, which is used in the niphal stem in the passive
sense meaning that the ram as the subject is in a state of suffering the effects of
being caught by an implicit agent, who is God as indicated by Abraham naming the
mountain, “the Lord Will Provide.”
“Thicket” is the noun sevakh, which is a tangled mass of briers and thorns
found in a forest and portrays the crown of thorns that would be placed upon the
head of our Lord and Savior by the Roman soldiers who crucified Him (John 19:2).
“Horns” is the noun qeren, which portrays the power of God in the person of
Christ who provided salvation for all men since horns were the chief source of
attack and defense with the animals to which God has given them (Psalm 18:2;
Luke 1:68-69; cf. 1 Corinthians 1:24).
“Burnt offering” is the noun òlah, which portrays or typifies that aspect of
Jesus Christ’s death on the Cross, which would propitiate the Father (1 John 2:2;
4:10).
“Propitiation” is the Godward side of salvation whereby the voluntary
substitutionary death of Christ satisfied the righteous demands of a holy God that
the sins of the entire world-past, present and future be judged.
Genesis 22:14 Abraham called the name of that place The LORD Will
Provide, as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the LORD it will be
provided.” (NASB95)
Abraham’s statement, “The Lord Will Provide” is a prophecy that God the
Father would send His Son Jesus Christ as the “lamb of God who takes away the
sin of the world” (John 1:29).
The fact that God commanded Abraham to perform a human sacrifice with
Isaac also was prophetic in that it foretold that God the Son would become a
human being in order to take away the sin of the world.
The statement “the Lord Will Provide” is prophetic in that God saw that
sinners needed a Savior and that He would provide His Son as a substitute for
them. His perfect Son would die in the place of those who deserved to die. He who
provided the ram for Abraham to sacrifice in the place of Isaac would provide His
Son as a sacrifice for sinners. It also expresses the fact that Abraham looked
forward in faith to the coming substitutionary death of Jesus Christ on the Cross.
The mountain that Abraham named, “the Lord Will Provide” is Mount
Moriah. According to a comparison of Genesis 22:2 and 14, the name “Moriah”
means, “the Lord will provide” memorializing God providing Abraham with a ram
to sacrifice in the place of his beloved son Isaac.
According to 2 Chronicles 3:1, “the land of Moriah” was the region around
Jerusalem and was the place that God later appeared to David who built an altar to
the Lord (2 Sam. 24:16-25), and Solomon built his temple (2 Chron. 3:1) and Jesus
Christ died.
The main point of Genesis 22:9-14 is not the doctrine of Christ’s atonement for
sin as portrayed by the ram and the burnt offering but rather it is the portraying an
obedient servant of God worshipping God at a great cost to himself and in the end
receiving God’s provision.
In Genesis 22:1-14 we see the greatness of Abraham’s faith where he was
willing to obey God by sacrificing his son. It also reveals the greatness of Isaac’s
faith in submission to his father Abraham. This passage also teaches that when we
as believers come to a particular test that God has imposed upon us, God always
helps us according to our needs (1 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Corinthians 12:9).
The Lord Rewards Abraham’s Obedience
Genesis 22:15-18 records the Lord rewarding Abraham for his obedience to His
command to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac by reconfirming and enlarging upon
the covenant He established with the patriarch decades before. Every time
Abraham made a sacrifice, the Lord responded by giving him more blessings. In
each case, where Abraham was obedient to the Lord, He rewarded him with a
deeper and more intimate fellowship with Himself.
Genesis 22:15 Then the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second
time from heaven. (NASB95)
“The angel of the Lord” is the “preincarnate” Christ and therefore a
“theophany,” or “Christophany,” referring to an auditory manifestation of the Son
of God before His incarnation in Bethlehem.
Genesis 22:16 and said, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD,
because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only
son.” (NASB95)
The Lord’s statement “by Myself I have sworn” indicates that the Abrahamic
covenant, which will be reconfirmed and enlarged upon in Genesis 22:17-18 is
“unconditional” and “guarantees” its fulfillment.
The phrase “declares the Lord” expresses the Lord’s faithfulness in fulfilling
that which He has promised, indicating that He is “guaranteeing” the fulfillment of
the covenant promises to Abraham and his descendants. The reason for the Lord
guaranteeing the fulfillment of the promises to Abraham is given in His statement
“because you have done this thing.” This statement refers to Abraham’s
obedience to the Lord’s command in Genesis 22:2 to sacrifice his son, Isaac.
As we noted in chapter twenty-eight, the word “only” is the adjective yachidh,
which means, “uniquely born one.”
Genesis 22:17 “Indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply
your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore;
and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies.” (NASB95)
There are two infinitive absolutes in this verse. They express the fact that the
Lord is “guaranteeing” the fulfillment of the promises made to Abraham as a result
of his obedience to God’s command to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac.
“Indeed” is the conjunction ki, which functions as an “emphatic particle”
emphasizing the Lord’s promise to greatly bless Abraham as a result of his
obedience.
“I will greatly bless you” is composed of the piel infinitive absolute
complement form of the verb barakh, “blessing” and the second person common
(neither masculine nor feminine) singular piel imperfect form of the verb barakh,
“I will bless” and the second person masculine singular pronominal suffix, “you.”
The verb barakh means, “to bless in the sense of enduing someone (Abraham)
with power for success, prosperity, fecundity, longevity, etc.” Therefore, the verb
indicates that Abraham and his descendants were endued with power by the Lord
for success, prosperity, fecundity (offspring in great numbers) and longevity.
The Lord blessed him in the sense that the Lord multiplied his descendants so
that his posterity was great in number both, racially and spiritually. Also, the Lord
blessed him in the sense that the Lord multiplied his possessions and livestock and
prospered him financially.
The phrase “I will bless you” was fulfilled “temporally” according to Genesis
13:14-18; 15:18-21; 24:34-35 and it has been fulfilled “spiritually” according to
Genesis 15:6 and John 8:56.
The infinitive absolute barakh stands before the finite verb of the same root in
order to intensify the certainty or force of the verbal idea expressing the certainty
that the Lord would fulfill the promise to bless Abraham. So to the English
speaking person this construction literally means, “blessing, I will bless you” but to
the Hebrew mind, it simply means, “I will greatly bless you.”
“I will greatly multiply” is composed of the hiphil (causative) infinitive
absolute complement form of the verb ravah, “multiplying” and the first person

common (neither masculine nor feminine) singular hiphil (causative) imperfect
form of the verb ravah.
Again, we see the infinitive absolute stands before the finite verb of the same
root in order to intensify the certainty or force of the verbal idea expressing the
certainty that the Lord would fulfill the promise to multiply Abraham’s
descendants. So to the English speaking person this construction literally means,
“multiplying, I will multiply” but to the Hebrew mind, it simply means, “I will
greatly multiply.”
“Your seed” refers to not only Isaac but also those who like Abraham exercise
faith alone in Christ alone. This would include the church and regenerate Israel and
regenerate Gentiles who lived in dispensations outside of the church age and
ultimately it refers to Jesus Christ.
Therefore, the Scriptures teach that the “seed” of Abraham is four-fold: (1)
Abraham’s biological or racial descendants, which would include: (a) The
Ishmaelites through Hagar (Gen. 17:20; 21:13; 25:12-18) (b) The Midianites and
others through Keturah (Gen. 25:1-4) (c) The Edomites through Isaac and Rebekah
(Gen. 25:23; 36:1-43). (2) Abraham’s biological or racial descendants the Israelites
of Jews through Sarah and Isaac and Rebekah and Jacob (Genesis 12:2, 7; 18:18;
Rom. 9:6-9). (3) Abraham’s spiritual descendants, which would include those
individuals, both Jew and Gentile racially, who exercised faith alone in Christ
alone (Gal. 3:6-29). (4) The Lord Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:16).
The comparative clause “as the stars of the heavens” echoes the Lord’s
promise to Abraham in Genesis 15:5. It is used to compare the Lord’s promise to
him to multiply his descendants with the number of the stars of the universe.
The promise of Genesis 15:4-5 not only pertains to Abram’s “natural” progeny
(cf. Deut. 1:10; 10:22; Heb. 11:12) but according to Romans 4 it refers to his
“spiritual” progeny (cf. Gal. 3:29).
The comparative clause “as the sand which is on the seashore” echoes the
Lord’s promise to the patriarch in Genesis 13:10 to multiply his descendants as the
dust of the earth. It drives the point home regarding the Lord’s promise to greatly
multiply Abraham’s descendants.
The prophecy that Abraham’s descendants would be as the dust of the earth in a
“near” sense was fulfilled in the days of Solomon (see 1 Kings 4:20). It will be
fulfilled in a “far” sense during the millennial reign of Christ (see Hosea 1:10).
The Lord’s promise to him that “your seed shall possess the gate of their
enemies” is a prophecy that through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ
Satan would be defeated. This would fulfill the prophecy of Genesis 3:15 (see
Colossians 2:15; Philippians 2:6-11; Ephesians 1:15-22).
In the ancient world, to “possess the gate” of one’s enemies was to have access
to a walled city and possessing control of the city. The term “enemies” refers to
Satan and the kingdom of darkness who at the present time temporarily rule this
world (Eph. 2:1-3; 6:10-18; 2 Cor. 4:4; 1 Jn. 5:19; Rev. 12:10). The Lord Jesus
Christ has defeated Satan with His death and resurrection and at His Second
Advent, He, along His church, and the elect angels will imprison Satan and the
fallen angels and assume control over planet earth for a thousand years (see
Revelation 19:1-20:6).
In another sense, this prophecy also refers to the fact that regenerate Israel will
be delivered by Jesus Christ from the armies of the hostile Gentile nations and
antichrist during Daniel’s seventieth week and will become head of the nations
during the millennial reign of Christ (see Zechariah 14:16-21).
Genesis 22:18 “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed,
because you have obeyed My voice.” (NASB95)
“Your seed” is a reference to the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord statement that “in
your seed (Christ) all the nations of the earth will be blessed” echoes the Lord’s
promise in Genesis 18:18 and is an enlargement upon the Lord’s promise to
Abraham in Genesis 12:3 that in him “all the families of the earth will be
blessed.”
Galatians 3:8-14 reveals that the promise in Genesis 18:18 that “in (Abraham)
all the nations of the earth will be blessed” and the promise in Genesis 22:19 that
“in your Seed (Christ) all the nations of the earth shall be blessed” are
references to the fact that Abraham’s descendent, Jesus Christ, would bring
salvation to the Gentile nations through faith in Him.
The Lord states to Abraham that He will bless Abraham because of his
obedience to His command to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac, which appears to
indicate that Abrahamic covenant was “conditional” rather than “unconditional.”
Now as we have noted, the “Abrahamic” covenant was “unconditional”
meaning that its fulfillment was dependent upon the Lord’s faithfulness. However,
an unconditional covenant may have “blessings” attached to it that are conditioned
on the response of the recipient. That response is simply faith or to trust that God
will deliver on His promise, which expresses itself in obedience to the commands
of God.
The blessings that Abraham received in Genesis 12:1-3 were conditioned on his
obedience to the Lord’s command to leave his country and his father’s house and
go to the land, which the Lord would show him, namely, the land of Canaan.
The “blessings” that he received in Genesis 22:17-18 were conditioned on his
obedience to the Lord’s command to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac. The
“fulfillment” of unconditional covenants does “not” depend on the continued
obedience of the recipient but rather the faithfulness of God who instituted the
covenant.

Abraham failed to operate in faith many times, yet the Lord remained faithful to
the covenant promises He made to him. The Lord was responsible to fulfill the
agreement and Abraham’s part was to obey the Lord’s commands, which would
manifest his faith in the Lord. Therefore, the “blessings” of the covenant were
conditioned upon Abraham’s obedience whereas the “fulfillment” of the covenant
depended upon the faithfulness of God rather than his obedience.
Genesis 22:19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and
went together to Beersheba; and Abraham lived at Beersheba. (NASB95)
Abraham returned with Isaac as he believed he would since according to
Hebrews 11:17-19, he reasoned that God would raise Isaac from the dead.
Jacob and the Birth of the Nation of Israel
Genesis 25:19-26 records the birth of Jacob whose father was Isaac and whose
mother was Rebekah. Genesis 25:19-20 records the family history of Isaac and as a
part of this history Genesis 25:21 records Rebekah’s problem with getting
pregnant. In this passage we see that Isaac, in response to this problem, prays to the
Lord to resolve Rebekah’s problem of infertility. The Lord fulfills Isaac’s prayer
request twenty years later since Genesis 25:21 records Isaac as being forty when he
married Rebekah and Genesis 25:26 records Isaac as being sixty when Rebekah
had twins.
Genesis 25:19 begins a new section in Genesis, which ends in Genesis 35:29
and constitutes the eighth book in Genesis presenting to us the family history of
Isaac and in particular Jacob whose name was later changed by the Lord to
“Israel.” The emphasis in this section is upon Jacob since he would carry on the
line of Christ. Up to this point in Genesis, we see that the human nature of Jesus
Christ would come from the line of Seth (Luke 3:38) and Shem (Gen. 9:24-27;
Luke 3:36), Abraham (Gen. 12:3) and Isaac (Gen. 17:19).
At the forefront of Jacob’s story is his struggle with his twin brother, Esau,
which was a fulfillment of the Lord’s prophecy to Rebekah in Genesis 25:22-23.
Genesis 25:19 Now these are the records of the generations of Isaac,
Abraham's son: Abraham became the father of Isaac; 20 and Isaac was forty
years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of
Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. (NASB95)
“These are the records of the generations of Isaac” refers to the family
history of Isaac, which follows in Genesis 25:19-35:29 as indicated by the noun
toledhoth, “the records of the generations” which is always used as an
introduction to what follows. In Genesis 25:19, the noun toledhoth introduces the
eighth section of the book of Genesis, which is completed in Genesis 35:29 and

centers upon Jacob who like his father Isaac and his grandfather Abraham are
ancestors of the human nature of Jesus Christ.
“Paddan Aram” is another name for “Aram Naharaim,” which means, “Aram
of the Two Rivers.” Therefore, the word is synonymous with the name
“Mesopotamia,” which appears in Genesis 24:10 since the word “Mesopotamia”
is composed of the pronoun noun Aram, “Aram” and the plural form of the noun
nahar, “two rivers.”
These two rivers were in the western part of Mesopotamia and the two rivers
were the Balikh and the Khabur, tributaries of the Euphrates River. The city of
Haran was on the Balikh River about a seven hundred mile journey north-northeast
of Beersheba and nearby was the city of Nahor, which was founded by Abraham’s
brother, Nahor.
The name “Paddan” means “field, plain” therefore, the expression “Paddan
Aram” means, “plain of Aram.” The name “Aram” (Hebrew: ‘aram) means,
“exalted” and is frequently translated “Syrian” or “Syria” and is used to speak
specifically of the Aramean people who were a leading branch of Semitic people
living in Mesopotamia and northern Syria (2 Sam. 8:5-6; 1 Kgs. 20:20-21).
Isaac and Jacob both took Aramean wives (Gen. 25:20; 28:5) and in fact, Jacob
is called the “wandering Aramean” in Deuteronomy 26:5. Therefore, “Paddan
Aram” refers to the city of Nahor where Abraham’s brother founded a city and
named it after himself and was the place that Abraham’s servant found Rebekah,
Isaac’s wife.
Jacob’s Birth was an Answer to Prayer
Genesis 25:21 Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she
was barren; and the LORD answered him and Rebekah his wife conceived.
(NASB95)
“Prayed” is the qal imperfect form of the verb àthar, which means, “to
intercede in prayer.”
“Lord” is the proper noun Yahweh, which is the personal covenant name of
God emphasizing the “immanency” of God where the Lord intervened in the life of
Isaac and Rebekah provided them children in order to fulfill His covenant promises
to Abraham and Isaac.
The proper noun Yahweh, “Lord” is used here to emphasize that by answering
Isaac’s prayer He would be fulfilling His promises to Abraham of numerous
progeny and that Isaac would be in the line of the Promised Seed, Jesus Christ.
Unlike Abraham and Sarah, the Scriptures do not record Isaac and Rebekah
trying to help the Lord out in solving their problem of being childless by using a
surrogate, which Abraham and Sarah did as recorded in Genesis 16. Evidently,
Abraham and Sarah taught Isaac to wait on the Lord since, of all the patriarchs
Isaac was the only one who was monogamous and did not take a concubine.
The faith of Isaac in praying for Rebekah and the Lord’s answer to his prayer
demonstrates the spiritual principle that you appropriate the omnipotence of God
by operating in faith (cf. Matthew 17:20). The fact that Rebekah was barren gave
the Lord an opportunity to demonstrate His power to fulfill His promise to
Abraham in giving him numerous progeny over seemingly insurmountable odds
(See Genesis 15:5; 22:17). Isaac and Rebekah had to learn the lessons of faith and
to understand that theirs is not a “natural” but a “supernatural” seed (see Genesis
11:30; 17:15-16; 18:1-15; 21:1-7).
The fact that Isaac’s intercessory prayer for his wife Rebekah solved her
problem of infertility teaches that prayer solves problems (Kgs. 17:1; cf. 18:36-46;
Acts 12:1-17; Phlp. 4:6).
Rebekah’s Pregnancy
Genesis 25:22-23 records Rebekah’s problems involved with her pregnancy and
her inquiring of the Lord as to the meaning of it. In this passage, the Lord responds
to her inquiry by prophesying of the family history of the two children who were
named, “Esau” and “Jacob.”
Genesis 25:22 But the children struggled together within her; and she said,
“If it is so, why then am I this way?” So she went to inquire of the LORD.
(NASB95)
By indicating that there is to be more than one child, the narrator, Moses under
the inspiration of the Holy Spirit takes the reader into his confidence. Of course,
Rebekah at the time did not know that she was carrying twins and that they were
struggling with each other in her womb.
“Struggle” is the verb ratsats, which is in the rare hithpoel stem meaning “to
crush each other.” It implies an extraordinary violent struggle taking place in the
womb of Rebekah, which she understood to be far greater than normal, and thus of
great significance. This struggle among the fetuses in Rebekah’s womb
foreshadowed the relationship of the children and their descendants later on in
history. So Rebekah is experiencing an unusually difficult pregnancy and fears of
miscarrying. Rebekah thought she was simply carrying the next generation but
little did she know that she was carrying twins.
The rivalry of Jacob and Esau begins in the womb of Rebekah and would
progress from her womb to the troubled delivery of the twins (25:26), and to their
differences in profession (25:27) as well as to the opposing preferences of the
parents (25:28). This struggle in the womb of Rebekah would also foreshadow
Jacob’s struggle with the preincarnate Christ (32:22-32).

The struggle of the twins, Esau and Jacob foreshadows the struggles between
Jacob and Esau in the following events: (1) Jacob secures the birthright (Genesis
25:27-34). (2) Jacob steals Esau’s blessing (Genesis 27:1-40). (3) Jacob prevails
with Esau and secures his good will (Genesis 32:1-33:16).
The rivalry between Jacob and Esau spilled over into conflicts between their
parents, Isaac and Rebekah (Genesis 27:1-46) and it also effected Jacob and his
wives as well as his wives with each other (Genesis 30:1-24) and Jacob and Laban
(Genesis 29:14b-31:55).
So because of the violent and unusual way that the fetuses were struggling
within her, Rebekah inquires of the Lord in prayer as to the meaning of it all.
The fact that Rebekah is recorded as having “went to inquire of the Lord”
indicates that she sought out the Lord in prayer in order to ascertain the meaning of
this struggle taking place in her womb. Of course, Rebekah was unaware that she
was carrying twins.
The question Rebekah asks is “elliptical” meaning that words such as copulas
(“is”) are left out because of Rebekah’s anxiety and urgent desire to find relief
from this problem pregnancy and to understand the significance of it.
“If” is the conditional particle ìm, which introduces the protasis of a first class
condition, which indicates the assumption of truth for the sake of argument.
A conditional sentence has an “if” part and a “then” part. The “if” introduces
the “protasis” and “then” introduces the “apodasis.” Often, the “protasis” often
introduces the “cause” and the “apodasis” the “effect.”
In Genesis 25:22, the particle ìm, “if” is introducing a protasis, which presents
the “cause” of Rebekah’s pregnancy, which is of course, the sovereign will of God.
Now, remember the question of Rebekah’s is “elliptical” and so therefore, we
can translate or paraphrase the interrogative particle as “if, it is Your will.”
Rebekah recognizes that children are a gift from the Lord.
The adverb ken, “so” introduces the apodasis, which presents the “effect” of her
getting pregnant by the sovereign will of God.
“Why” is the interrogative particle lammah, which is a compound word
composed of the preposition le, “to me” and the adverb mah, “why” therefore, the
word literally means, “why…to me.”
The preposition le is called a “lamed of disadvantage” meaning that Rebekah
considers this unusual and difficult pregnancy to be to her disadvantage or
uncomfortable. Therefore, she is saying in effect, “Why am I having this happen to
me, which is very uncomfortable.”
The demonstrative pronoun zeh, “this” is pointing to Rebekah’s unusual and
difficult pregnancy. The interrogative particle lammah becomes emphatic when it
is used with the demonstrative pronoun zeh, “this.” The demonstrative pronoun
zeh, “this” when attached to the interrogative pronoun lammah strengthens the
meaning of the interrogative, adding directness and force and emphasizing the
close personal involvement of the speaker.
“I” is the pronoun ànokhi, which refers to Rebekah of course. Again, the
question is “elliptical” so we could translate this expression, “why am I having this
happen to me, which is very uncomfortable?” Therefore, Rebekah is saying in
effect to the Lord in prayer, “If this is Your will that I get pregnant, then why am I
having this struggle take place in my womb, which is very uncomfortable?”
Rebekah asks this question because she fears that she might be miscarrying and
doesn’t understand why the Lord would permit her to get pregnant but then lose
the children through a miscarriage. The Lord’s response to Rebekah’s question
appears in Genesis 25:23.
The Prophesy of Jacob and Esau and their Descendants
Genesis 25:23 The LORD said to her, “Two nations are in your womb;
And two peoples will be separated from your body; And one people shall be
stronger than the other; And the older shall serve the younger.” (NASB95)
The Lord’s statement to Rebekah that “two nations are in your womb”
implies that she is pregnant with twins and refers to the fact that these twins are
twin progenitors of two nations.
The oldest son “Esau” would be the progenitor of the Edomites (See Genesis
36:1-43) whereas the younger son “Jacob” would be the progenitor of the
Israelites.
Jacob would father twelve sons who were heads of the twelve tribes of Israel (1
Chronicles 1:34; 2:1-2; Acts 7:8) and through the nation of Israel would come the
Savior of the world (John 4:22; Romans 9:3-5).
To the nation of Israel would be given the Old Testament Scriptures, the
adoption as sons, the Mosaic Law, the Shekinah Glory, the promises and the
unconditional covenants (Davidic, Palestinian, New and Abrahamic) (see Romans
9:1-5).
The Edomites and the Israelites fought continuously.
From Rebekah’s womb, Jacob and Esau would be at odds with each other.
The Lord’s prediction that “two peoples will be separated from your
(Rebekah’s) body” indicates that Jacob and Esau would be separated, divided and
hostile towards one another and would have nothing in common.
The Lord’s prediction that “one people shall be stronger than the other”
refers to the fact that the Israelites would prevail over the Edomites in history. Also
this prophecy indicates that Jacob and not Esau would be in the Messianic line and
would inherit the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant. Normally, the oldest

would receive the father’s inheritance and estate but the Lord does not always
subscribe to this.
In Genesis 25:23, the Lord declares that the “older shall serve the younger”
indicating that the younger son, Jacob would receive the inheritance and not Esau
who was older. Esau, the older, did not actually serve Jacob, his younger twin but
rather Esau’s descendants did (see 1 Samuel 14:47; 2 Samuel 8:14; 1 Kings 11:15-
16; 22:47; 2 Kings 14:7).
This prophecy that “one people shall be stronger than the other; And the
older shall serve the younger” indicates that the sovereign will of God has
ordained the following: (1) Jacob to be in the Messianic line and not Esau. (2)
Jacob would be the beneficiary of the divine promises enumerated in the
Abrahamic Covenant and not Esau. (3) Jacob would receive his father’s estate and
not Esau.
Just as the Lord had chosen Isaac who was younger over Ishmael to receive
Abraham’s inheritance so the Lord had chosen Jacob who was younger than Esau.
In the Messianic line, Seth, Isaac, Jacob, Judah and David were not first-born sons.
Therefore, we see the Lord is expressing His sovereign will for Rebekah’s twin
sons, Esau and Jacob and that He has ordained from eternity past, that Jacob would
be in the line of Christ and not Esau.
Jacob did “not” merit this privilege, nor did Esau do anything to “not” merit it
but rather, it was all based upon God’s grace and mercy and sovereign will. The
prophet Malachi cites evidence of this conflict between Esau and Jacob in Israel’s
experience.
Malachi 1:2 “I have loved you, says the LORD. But you say, “How have
You loved us?” “Was not Esau Jacob's brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet I
have loved Jacob; 3 but I have hated Esau, and I have made his mountains a
desolation and appointed his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness.”
(NASB95)
The terms “love” and “hate” are “anthropopathisms,” meaning that the writer is
ascribing the human emotion of personal love and hate to God, which He does
“not” possess in order to explain God’s choice of entering into a covenant
relationship with Jacob rather than Esau and does “not” indicate one is saved and
the other is not.
The verbs in the Hebrew translated “I have loved” and “I have hated” are in
the perfect tense and therefore, express not only God’s past relationship with Israel
and Edom but also His historical and present dealings (in Malachi’s day) with
these peoples.
Both Israel and Edom received judgment from God at the hands of the
Babylonians in the sixth century B.C. (Jer. 27:2-8). However, God promised to
restore Israel over and over again because of His covenant promises (Deut. 4:29-
31; 30:1-10) but He condemned Edom to complete destruction, never to be
restored (Jer. 49:7-22; Ezek. 35).
In Romans 9:13, Paul quotes Malachi 1:3 to demonstrate that God elected
Jacob’s descendants, the nation of Israel as His covenant people and He rejected
the Edomites as His covenant people who were descendants of Esau.
In Romans 9-11, the apostle Paul discusses the future of the nation of Israel and
teaches that God has temporarily set aside the nation at this time in history and will
restore her in the future because she was elected by Him to be His covenant
people. Therefore, when we see the statement “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated”
we must understand that Paul is not referring to individuals but rather to the
nations which descended from Jacob (Israelites) and Esau (Edomites).
Therefore, the statement “Jacob I loved but Esau I hated” does “not” refer to
the fact that Esau was not saved and Jacob was since that would imply that God
hates sinners and elects some people to be saved and others to eternal
condemnation, which contradicts the teaching of Scripture that God’s will is for all
men to be saved (See 1 Timothy 2:4, 4:10, 2 Peter 3:9, John 3:16-18, 1 John 2:2).
The statement “Jacob I loved but Esau I hated” is “not” a reference to Jacob
and Esau as individuals but rather it is a reference to the nations, which descended
from them, namely, the Israelites from Jacob and the Edomites from Esau.
Therefore, the statement refers to the “national” election of Israel as God’s
covenant people who are descendants of Jacob and the rejection of the Edomites as
His covenant people who were descendants of Esau.
The rejection of Esau’s descendants as His covenant people does “not” mean
that God elected the Edomites and the Gentiles to eternal condemnation and the
Israelites to salvation since that would contradict the biblical doctrine of the
unlimited atonement, which states that God desires all men to be saved.
The election of the nation of Israel, like the choice of Jacob over Esau was
“non-meritorious” meaning that there was nothing that the nation of Israel and
Jacob did that secured God choosing them since many times both sinned and failed
to obey God.
The Birth of Jacob and Esau
Genesis 25:24-26 records Rebekah giving birth to twins, Esau and Jacob.
Genesis 25:24 When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there
were twins in her womb. 25 Now the first came forth red, all over like a hairy
garment; and they named him Esau. (NASB95)
The parents give the names to twins and not the Lord. But the Lord does predict
their tumultuous relationship with each other and between their future descendants.
The name given to the twins pokes fun at them.
“Red” is the adjective àdhmoni, which describes the older twin anticipating his
rugged nature.
The name given to “Esau” means, “hairy,” implying an animalistic nature and
describes the oldest twin as “the hairy monster.”
“Esau” became the father of the Edomite people according to Genesis 36:1-43
who later became the arch rivals of the Israelites.
The name “Seir,” demarcating the Edomite territory means, “hairy” and may
have been implemented in remembrance of Esau.
Genesis 25:26 Afterward his brother came forth with his hand holding on
to Esau's heel, so his name was called Jacob; and Isaac was sixty years old
when she gave birth to them. (NASB95)
The name given to “Jacob” means, “heel,” implying grasping and describes the
younger twin as “the heel catcher.”
The actions of Jacob at his birth in grasping the heel of his brother Esau was the
first manifestation of the volatile relationship that the Lord predicted would take
place between the two children later and their descendants.
The manner in which the twins were born was a visible omen underlying the
Lord’s prophecy. The actions of Jacob at birth towards his brother where he is
described as desperately trying to catch up to his older brother and their struggle
with each other in their mother’s womb sets the pattern for their relationship in life
and the relationship between their descendants.
Esau and Jacob contrasted in many ways. First of all, each one’s physical
appearance was different for Esau as we noted was a hairy man but Jacob had
smooth skin according to Genesis 25:25 and 27:11.
Secondly, Esau became a skillful hunter and an outdoorsman but Jacob “was a
quiet man, staying among the tents” as a shepherd (Genesis 25:27). Thirdly,
Esau became the favorite son of Isaac but Jacob was loved by Rebekah (Genesis
25:28).
The fact that Jacob stayed among the tents and was the favorite of Rebekah
implies that he was a “momma’s boy” and a “homebody.”
Esau was an unbeliever according to Hebrews 12:16 whereas Jacob was a
believer. Esau agreed to trade his birthright to Jacob in exchange for a bowl of
lentil stew according to Genesis 25:29-34.
Jacob and Rebekah successfully conspired to trick Isaac into giving his blessing
and inheritance to Jacob while Esau was away hunting for his father’s favorite
meal of wild game (Genesis 27:1-40). In order to escape the wrath of Esau, who
wanted to kill him for the deception, Jacob fled to his uncle Laban (Genesis 27:41-
28:5).

Years later, Esau and Jacob reconciled (Genesis 32:1-22; 33:1-16) but lived in
different regions. Esau settled his family in the land of Seir in the country of Edom
(Genesis 32:3; 33:16; 36) while Jacob lived in the hill country of central Palestine.
The mention of Isaac’s age at the birth of his twin sons is done since the birth of
one’s first child was regarded as a most important milestone in a man’s life (cf.
5:3, 6; 11:12, 14, etc.).
The mention of Isaac’s age at the birth of his twin sons emphasizes that Isaac
was a man of faith and who persevered in his prayers since Genesis 25:21 records
Isaac as being forty when he married Rebekah and started praying for a child and
Genesis 25:26 records Isaac as being sixty when Rebekah had twins.
The fact that it took twenty years for Isaac’s prayer request to be fulfilled
implies that Rebekah and Isaac’s joy outweighed all the problems with Rebekah’s
pregnancy and ominous delivery. Esau and Jacob were an answer to persistent
prayer and the fruit of a difficult pregnancy and the joy over the twins safe arrival
must have been great.
The fact that Isaac prayed for twenty years for his wife to get pregnant
emphasizes that like his father Abraham, Isaac was a man of great faith and a
powerful intercessor.
Isaac and Rebekah Fight Over Jacob and Esau
In Genesis 25:27-28, we have the record of the conflict between Isaac and
Rebekah over Esau and Jacob.
Genesis 25:27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a
man of the field, but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents. (NASB95)
As the twins grew, the difference in their characters, which God in His
omniscience already knew of, began to be apparent through their respective
interests and activities.
“Skillful” is the yadha), which is in the qal active participle form of the verb
meaning, “one who is knowledgeable and therefore, skilled in a particular
endeavor.”
“Hunter” is the noun tsayidh, which refers to the act of hunting wild game.
Therefore, Genesis 25:27 describes Esau as being a man “who was skilled in
hunting wild game.”
Esau is also described as a “man of the field,” which refers to the fact that he
searched for game by roaming the territories situated outside cities and towns
where wild animals roamed. Therefore, we see that the Bible describes Esau as the
rugged outdoor type, which would endear him to his father Isaac who did not
possess these qualities himself.

Hebrews 12:16 describes Esau also as a fornicator and a profane person and an
unbeliever. Therefore, Esau was not qualified to inherit the responsibilities
attached to the Lord’s covenant promises.
The biblical ideal for a leader is symbolized by that of a shepherd (Psalm 23;
Ezekiel 34; John 10:1-18; 1 Peter 5:3-4). True Israel, like his God, behaves like a
shepherd and not as a hunter.
Nahum Sarna commenting on Esau as a hunter, writes, “Near Eastern art often
portrays kings and nobles in pursuit of game, but no Israelite or Judean king or
hero is ever mentioned as indulging in the sport. However, the fact that Leviticus
17:13 legislates concerning the preparation for food of an animal caught in the hunt
and that Deuteronomy 14:5 includes wild animals among those permitted to be
eaten proves that hunting was sometimes an economic necessity even in Israel.
Nevertheless, it is highly significant that sacrifice in Israel was restricted to
domesticated animals” (The JPS Torah Commentary, Genesis, page 181, The
Jewish Publication Society).
In Genesis 27:39-40, Isaac’s predicated that Esau would live by his weapons
and be a wild, restless and undisciplined man, seeking sport and adventure.
Now, we turn to the description of Jacob that appears in Genesis 25:27.
Genesis 25:27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a
man of the field, but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents. (NASB95)
“Peaceful” is the adjective tam, which means that Jacob was a “quiet” or
“peaceful” man in the sense that in contrast to his outgoing, adventurous brother,
he was a self-contained, detached personality complete in himself who was
sensible, diligent, dutiful and peaceful.
Usually the adjective tam refers to people like Job who were “upright,
righteous, having a clear conscience before God, virtuous” and therefore
“spiritually mature” (See Job 1:1, 8; 2:3; 9:22; cf. Genesis 6:9; Psalm 37:37).
However, this sense is inappropriate for Jacob at this point in his life since his
conduct as recorded in Genesis 27 portrays him as someone who was not “upright,
righteous,” or “virtuous” and certainly not “spiritually mature.”
In order to understand the meaning of tam when used to describe Jacob we must
understand that the writer is presenting a contrast between Jacob with his twin
brother, Esau. Esau was outgoing, athletic, adventurous, who was never home
since he was outdoorsman who loved to hunt wild game. Therefore, the adjective
tam is used to present a contrast with Esau and describes Jacob as being peaceful in
the sense that was he was a self-contained, detached personality complete in
himself who was sensible, diligent, and dutiful.
The word describes Jacob as being a “peaceful” individual who could be
counted on to attend to the responsibilities of the family business because he was

home and not away hunting like Esau. It describes Jacob as being a “cultured” or a
“refined” individual, who was thoughtful.
The adjective tam describes Jacob as being a “homebody,” which made him the
total opposite of his twin brother Esau. Therefore, in Genesis 25:27, the adjective
tam should be translated “homebody,” which is someone whose pleasures and
activities center around the home.
The English noun “homebody” is appropriate since it fits the sense of the
adjective tam in Genesis 25:27, which is designed to express a contrast with Esau
who was never around the home but out hunting wild game.
The fact that Jacob is described as “living in tents” contrasts him with his
adventurous brother Esau indicating that Jacob was a herdsman or pastoralist like
his father and grandfather.
Genesis 25:28 Now Isaac loved Esau, because he had a taste for game, but
Rebekah loved Jacob. (NASB95)
Isaac loved Esau because of his own taste for wild game. Therefore, Esau’s
nature and occupation were favored by Isaac because of the satisfaction of his
palate. On the other hand, Jacob was loved by Rebekah. This was probably due to
the prophecy that she received from the Lord that Esau and his descendants would
serve Jacob’s descendants and that Jacob would be in the line of Christ.
The other reason why Rebekah favored Jacob over Esau was that Jacob was a
homebody. He also appears to have been a “momma’s boy” as demonstrated by he
and Rebekah conspiring together against Esau. Therefore, we see that the Word of
God describes Esau as an outdoor-type man who loved to do the things a father
could take pride in.
He was a skillful hunter, and he knew how to handle himself in the outdoors. In
our culture I believe Esau would have been a football star in high school and
college and might have played in the pros. He was a real macho man, the kind of
son a father would swell with pride to talk about among his friends.
Jacob was entirely different. While Esau seems to have been aggressive, daring,
and flamboyant, Jacob appears to be just the opposite in that he was quiet,
thoughtful and more interested in staying at home than in venturing out and taking
part in great physical endeavors. This is not to say that Jacob had no ambition, on
the contrary. It was that Jacob couldn’t see the sense in roaming the wilderness just
to bag some game.
In the solitude of his tent Jacob could mentally reason out how to get ahead
without getting his hands dirty and without taking dangerous risks. Esau was the
kind of son that Isaac could proudly take with him wherever he went.
Rebekah, on the other hand, favored Jacob. She probably thought Esau was
crude and uncultured. Jacob was a much more refined person, gentle and kind, the

type of son a mother would be proud of. Jacob spent more time at home than Esau
did.
Each parent seems to have identified too much with a particular son, thus
creating divisions which were devastating. This favoritism also brought about
disharmony between Isaac and his wife.
Later Rebekah was to conspire with Jacob to deceive her husband (chapter 27).
This parental favoritism causes a rift in the marriage of Rebekah and Isaac.
Isaac’s love for Esau is based upon the natural senses whereas Rebekah’s love
for Jacob is based upon the Lord’s choice of Jacob and that Jacob was a
responsible individual who took care of the family business and matters around the
home.
Now, remember, Isaac and Rebekah’s marriage was made in heaven since the
Lord’s will was for Rebekah to marry Isaac. Yet, even though the marriage was
made in heaven, it was still dysfunctional since Isaac, Rebekah, Esau and Jacob
possessed old Adamic sin natures.
The marriage and family of Rebekah and Isaac was dysfunctional as
demonstrated by Isaac’s love for Esau over Jacob because Esau’s pursuits satisfied
his palate’s desire for wild game!
Although Isaac was a spiritual man he developed a taste for Esau’s wild game,
which blinded him to the point that he preferred Esau over Jacob.
Rebekah preferred Jacob not only because of the Lord’s choice of Jacob but
also what mother would not prefer a son that was always there when she needed
him, a son who could be counted on to keep the business of tent dwellers going
smoothly and prosperously.
Esau Sells His Birthright to Jacob
Genesis 25:29-34 presents to us Esau selling his birthright to his twin brother
Jacob.
Genesis 25:29 When Jacob had cooked stew, Esau came in from the field
and he was famished; 30 and Esau said to Jacob, “Please let me have a
swallow of that red stuff there, for I am famished.” Therefore his name was
called Edom. (NASB95)
Genesis 25:34 identifies that the food Jacob was boiling was “lentils,” which in
the Hebrew is àdhashim.
A “lentil” is a small annual legume of the pea family and its lens-shaped edible
seed is rich in protein and is one of the most ancient of cultivated foods. The red
pottage of lentils, which Esau sold his birthright for probably was made from the
red Egyptian lentil.

“Famished” is the adjective àyeph, which describes physical exhaustion
brought on by hunger and great exertion. Therefore, the adjective àyeph describes
Esau as being physically exhausted as a result of being hungry and greatly exerting
himself in the wilderness hunting.
“Let me have a swallow” is the verb laàt, which is in the hiphil imperative
form meaning “give a gulp” and the first person common singular pronominal
suffix meaning “me.”
“Red stuff” is the adjective àdhom, which refers to the red lentil soup that
Jacob was making.
Esau does not care to know the name of the food that he is requesting from
Jacob indicating his coarseness meaning that he is unrefined and crude, lacking
good manners.
So, Esau is saying, “Please let me have a gulp from that red stuff, this red stuff
here,” which is expressive of his aggressive and inconsiderate nature. Esau’s
request demonstrates his bad manners, selfishness and inconsideration for others
since he makes this request not knowing whether or not Jacob was making the red
lintel soup for himself, his parents or others in the household.
He never takes into consideration that maybe Jacob is making this soup for
others since he only cares that his own need be fulfilled. Esau demonstrates that he
doesn’t put others ahead of himself (cf. Philippians 2:3-4).
“Edom” is the proper noun èdhom, which literally means, “red,” and was the
name given to Esau to mark the occasion in which he exchanged his birthright to
Jacob for some red lintel soup.
Genesis 36 states that Esau became the founder of the Edomite tribes who later
became the arch rivals of the Israelites.
Genesis 25:31 But Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.” 32 Esau said,
“Behold, I am about to die; so of what use then is the birthright to me?” 33
And Jacob said, “First swear to me”; so he swore to him, and sold his
birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he
ate and drank, and rose and went on his way. Thus Esau despised his
birthright. (NASB95)
“Birthright” is the noun bekhorah, which refers to the rights of the first-born in
a family (See Exodus 4:22).
The firstborn had a privileged status (See Genesis 43:33; 49:3) and the right of
succession (2 Chronicles 21:3) and received a double portion of his father’s
inheritance (Deut. 21:17).
The father’s inheritance was divided among his sons and the firstborn always
has right to two of these portions. If there are ten sons, the firstborn receives two
portions and the other nine split eight portions. If there are only two sons then the
firstborn inherits everything.
With this privileged status came responsibility in that the firstborn was the
protector of the family and leader. Not only did the firstborn have the
responsibility of providing leadership and material things in Isaac’s family but also
he had the responsibility to provide spiritually for his family.
Spiritual responsibilities were paramount in the family of Abraham and Isaac.
The selling of the birthright demonstrated that Esau rejected those responsibilities
and was thus not only an irresponsible person but also an unbeliever.
Abraham and Isaac were in the line of Christ and the birthright in the family of
Isaac included the promises and blessings given in the Abrahamic Covenant. In the
family of Abraham and Isaac, the birthright included the privilege of carrying on
the line of Christ that would bring salvation and therefore blessing to the entire
world. Jacob knew this and desired these things, thus demonstrating his spiritual
discernment and that he was a believer.
The birthright was transferable where the youngest can displace the eldest as in
the cases of Joseph and Judah, Reuben, and Ephraim and Manasseh, Moses and
Aaron, David and his six older brothers, Solomon and Adonijah.
Since the birthright concerns the future, its value is appropriated by faith.
Therefore, by selling his birthright, Esau was demonstrating his unbelief in the
promises contained in the Abrahamic Covenant and thereby forfeited the blessings
of this covenant (Hebrews 12:16-17).
In Genesis 25:31, Jacob is exploiting Esau’s hunger and exchanging the red
lintel soup for the right to be heir of the family’s estate and assume the family
headship. Jacob erroneously believed that by his own human power that he had
come into possession of the birthright. He erroneously thought he could “merit” the
blessings when in reality he could only receive them according to God’s grace
meaning that he could not earn or deserve the blessings since they would be freely
given to him by God when he exercised faith in Him.
Jacob was on a works program and thought God needed his help. He was
ignorant of God’s method and thus inserted his own way of doing things. This
demonstrated in Jacob that self-confident attitude rather than a dependence upon
the Lord and His provisions and His plan and methods. He desired a right thing but
chose to attain it in a wrong way. A right thing must be done in a right way.
God did not need Jacob’s help since God had chosen Jacob over Esau from
eternity past based upon His sovereign grace and mercy to carry on the line of
Christ and inherit the blessings and privileges and responsibility of the Abrahamic
Covenant (cf. Romans 9:10-13).
Jacob and Esau were simply manifesting attitudes towards God’s plan that God
in His omniscience already knew and predicted to Rebekah they would possess
before they were born as recorded in Genesis 25:23.
Esau’s statement in Genesis 25:32 expresses a worldly viewpoint.
Isaiah 22:13 “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die.” (NASB95)
The fact that Esau agreed to sell his birthright to Jacob reveals that Esau did not
value spiritual things since by selling his birthright he was forfeiting the blessings
of the covenant that the Lord made with Abraham and which his father Isaac had
inherited.
The selling of the birthright demonstrated that Esau was a psuchikos, “soulish”
man and not a pneumatikos, “spiritual” man since he was expressing his dislike of
the plan of God for the patriarchs that was expressed in the promises of the
Abrahamic Covenant.
1 Corinthians 2:14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the
Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them,
because they are spiritually appraised. (NASB95)
“Sold” is the verb makhar, which in context means, “to exchange” since Jacob
did not give money to Esau but rather offered him the red lintel soup in “exchange”
for the birthright.
“Despised” is the verb bazah, which means, “to the act of according little worth
to something, to undervalue something” implying contempt.” Therefore, by
exchanging his birthright for a bowl of red lintel soup, Esau was demonstrating
that he valued little his firstborn status in the family of Isaac, which involved
inheriting the promises, privileges and responsibilities of the Abrahamic Covenant
and thereby expressed his contempt for the plan of God.
The Conspiracy of Isaac and Esau
Genesis 27 records Jacob under the direction of Rebekah, deceiving Isaac in

order to steal the blessing of the birthright from Esau. This thwarted Isaac’s
attempt to bestow upon Esau the blessings of the birthright, which was against the
will of the Lord.
Normally the birthright belonged to the eldest son. This entitled him to a double
share of the property in addition to the privilege of assuming the father’s position
of headship in the family.
For the descendants of Abraham it determined the one through whom the
covenant blessings would be given. With this privileged status came responsibility
in that the firstborn was the protector of the family and leader.
Not only did the firstborn have the responsibility of providing leadership and
material things in Isaac’s family but also he had the responsibility to provide
spiritually for his family, which was paramount in the family of Abraham and
Isaac.
Abraham and Isaac were in the line of Christ and the birthright in the family of
Isaac included the promises and blessings given in the Abrahamic Covenant. In the
family of Abraham and Isaac, the birthright included the privilege of carrying on
the line of Christ that would bring salvation and therefore blessing to the entire
world.
The birthright was transferable so under certain circumstances the possessor of
this birthright could be dispossessed. The youngest can displace the eldest as in the
cases of Joseph and Judah, Reuben, and Ephraim and Manasseh, Moses and Aaron,
David and his six older brothers, Solomon and Adonijah.
In Abraham’s family, the one who possesses the birthright inherits the
Abrahamic Covenant. Since the birthright concerns the future, its value is
appropriated by faith. Jacob desired the birthright because of his faith in the
promises and prophecy of the Lord whereas Esau did not have faith in the promises
of the Lord. Esau was rejected because he did not have faith in the Lord and His
promises contained in the Abrahamic Covenant as demonstrated by the selling of
the birthright.
Now, the “blessing” of the birthright and the birthright itself were inseparable
since Hebrews 12:17 records that after Esau sold his birthright he wanted to inherit
the blessing but was rejected by God. Esau wanted the blessing but not the
prerequisite lifestyle of faith of the patriarchs. Therefore, the Lord did not allow
Esau to be blessed by Isaac and permitted Rebekah and Jacob’s scheme to deceive
Isaac to be successful.
Esau’s lack of faith in the promises of God is demonstrated in that he
exchanged his birthright with Jacob for a bowl of lintel soup. Therefore, by selling
his birthright, Esau was demonstrating his unbelief in the promises contained in the
Abrahamic Covenant and thereby forfeited the blessings of this covenant (Hebrews
12:16-17).
The fact that Esau agreed to sell his birthright to Jacob reveals that Esau did not
value spiritual things since by selling his birthright he was forfeiting the blessings
of the covenant that the Lord made with Abraham and which his father Isaac had
inherited.
In eternity past, before Jacob and Esau were born God knew in His omniscience
that Esau would possess such a negative attitude towards His plan and that Jacob
would have a positive attitude.
As we saw in Genesis 25:23, the Lord’s prophecy to Rebekah was that the
birthright and the blessings attached to it belonged to Jacob and not Esau.
Therefore, Isaac’s desire to give Esau the blessing of the birthright and not Jacob
was against the will of the Lord.
Unfortunately, Rebekah and Jacob erroneously thought they could accomplish
the will of the Lord by means of the sin of deception. In the end, the family was
separated for Rebekah never saw Esau again after this episode and Jacob and Esau

split and did not reconcile until years later. What we see was that parental
preference destroyed the family of Isaac and Rebekah.
Genesis 27:1 begins a set of dialogues and ends at Genesis 28:5, which give us
the record of Jacob under the instruction of his mother Rebekah, deceiving his
father Isaac and stealing the blessing of the birthright from his twin brother Esau.
These dialogues contained in Genesis 27:1-28:5 are framed by the marriage of
Esau to Hittite women, which is recorded in Genesis 26:34-35 and his marriage to
an Ishmaelite woman, which is recorded in Genesis 28:6-9.
Genesis 27:1-28:5 contains seven dialogues: (1) Isaac and Esau (27:1-4) (2)
Rebekah and Jacob (27:5-17) (3) Isaac and Jacob under guise of Esau (27:18-29)
(4) Isaac and Esau (27:30-40) (5) Rebekah and Jacob (27:41-45) (6) Rebekah and
Isaac (27:46) (7) Isaac and Jacob (28:1-5).
The information provided in Genesis 26:34-35 regarding Isaac and Rebekah’s
displeasure over Esau’s marriage to Hittite women and the information provided in
Genesis 28:6-9 regarding his marriage to an Ishmaelite supply essential data for
interpreting developments recorded in Genesis 27:1-28:5.
Genesis 27 gives us a perfect example of the “overruling will of God” in the
lives of His people where Isaac’s bad decision to give the blessing to Esau and not
Jacob is “overruled” by God.
The sovereign will of God functions three different ways in relation to the will
of angels and men: (1) Directive will of God: God directly states what He desires
of us. (2) Permissive will of God: God permits us to have our own way. (3)
Overruling will of God: God overrules our decisions-not letting them have their
intended results-in order to protect us and the rest of mankind from our own
negative volition and to preserve and perpetuate His own marvelous plan.
A comparison of Genesis 25:23 with Genesis 27 manifests the function of
God’s “directive”, “permissive” and “overruling” will. The “directive” will of God
for the lives of Esau and Jacob is revealed in the Lord’s prophecy to Rebekah prior
to the birth of the twins, which is recorded in Genesis 25:23. The “permissive” will
of God is manifested in Genesis 27:1-4 where the Lord “permits” Isaac to attempt
to give the blessing to Esau rather than Jacob. The “overruling” will of God is
manifested in Genesis 27:5-46 where Jacob deceives Isaac and receives the
blessing rather than Esau.
In Genesis 27:1-4, we have the record of the conspiracy of Isaac and Esau to
secretly secure the blessing of the birthright for Esau rather than Jacob, which was
against the will of God.
Genesis 27:1 Now it came about, when Isaac was old and his eyes were too
dim to see, that he called his older son Esau and said to him, “My son.” And
he said to him, “Here I am.” 2 Isaac said, “Behold now, I am old and I do not
know the day of my death.” 3 Now then, please take your gear, your quiver
and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me; 4 and prepare a
savory dish for me such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, so that my
soul may bless you before I die.” (NASB95)
Isaac was one hundred years of age at this point in the narrative since Genesis
25:26 records that Isaac was sixty years of age when he had Esau and Jacob and
Genesis 26:34 records that Esau got married at forty years of age. He would live to
one hundred eighty years of age according to Genesis 35:28.
Genesis 27:1 records that Isaac was already blind as indicated by the phrase
“his eyes were too dim to see.” This blindness is also symbolic of his spiritual
blindness that is expressed in his desire to give Esau the blessing of the birthright
and not Jacob. It appears that Isaac’s blindness caused him to erroneously think
that he might be dying soon. Therefore, as was the custom in his day, he desires to
give his blessing before he died.
The term “savory dish” is the noun matàmmim, which in the plural means,
“delicacies, gourmet food” and appears six times in Genesis 27 (4, 7, 9, 14, 17, 31)
to emphasize Isaac’s sensuality and not the role the meal played in the blessing
ritual (Genesis, A Commentary, Bruce K. Waltke, page 377, Zondervan).
Isaac’s love for fine foods has superseded his love for doing the will of God and
has regressed spiritually in that he has in fact become like Esau who exchanged his
birthright for a bowl of lintel soup!
This conversation that Isaac had with Esau regarding the blessing of the
birthright was private and was in fact a conspiracy on the part of Isaac to see that
Esau, who was his “favorite”, would get the blessing of the birthright. Normally
the blessing would have been a public affair, given before the entire family
because it was, in reality, an oral will which legally determined the disposition of
all that the father possessed (See Genesis 49:1, 28; 50:24-25; Deuteronomy 33:1).
“From excavations at Nuzi in central Mesopotamia we learn that the oral
blessing or will had legal validity and would stand up even in the courts. Nuzi
tablet P56 mentions a lawsuit between three brothers in which two of them
contested the right of a third to marry a certain Zululishtar. The young man won
his case by arguing that this marriage was provided for in his father’s deathbed
blessing.” (Howard Vos, Genesis and Archaeology; Chicago: Moody Press, 1963,
p. 96. The information cited by Vos comes from Cyrus Gordon, “Biblical Customs
and the Nuzi Tablets,” The Biblical Archaeologist, February, 1940, p. 8; Quote
from Vos cited from The Book of Genesis by Bob Deffinbaugh, pages 194-195,
Bible Studies Press).
Distribution of family wealth and headship would best be carried out in the
presence of all who were concerned, thus we later find Jacob giving his blessing in
the presence of all his sons (Genesis 49). Neither Jacob nor Rebekah was present,
and this was hardly an oversight but rather Isaac conspiring to give the blessing to
Esau who was his favorite and not Jacob who was Rebekah’s favorite and more
importantly, the Lord’s choice. If it were not for Rebekah eavesdropping on the
conversation, the entire matter would seemingly have been completed with only
two parties involved. Therefore, we have a conspiracy and secrecy where Isaac
intended at this clandestine dinner to convey his blessings upon Esau rather than
Jacob, which is why Isaac had no blessing left to convey upon Esau, cf. Genesis
27:37-38.
Here was a premeditated plot to thwart the plan and purpose of God for Jacob.
Isaac was not ignorant of the revelation of God to Rebekah, which we saw
recorded in Genesis 25:23. The fact that the Lord’s choice of Jacob over Esau was
justified was that Esau exchanged his birthright for a bowl of red lintel soup.
Therefore, God’s purposes for His people could never be achieved through such a
person as Esau.
In spite of all these elements, Isaac sought to overrule the verdict of God that
the elder serve the younger. He anticipated doing so by a misuse of the
pronouncement of the blessing before his death. Therefore, it appears that Isaac
intended to manipulate God by reversing the decree of God and the rightful
ownership of the rights of the first-born as purchased (although unethically) by
Jacob.
This he purposed to do by giving his oral blessing to Esau, which he thought he
was doing but in reality, he was giving it to Jacob (See Genesis 27:29). The fact
that Isaac sought to give Esau rather than Jacob the blessing after Esau
demonstrated his disdained for the plan of God reveals that at this time in his life,
Isaac was putting his personal love and affection for Esau ahead of doing God’s
will.
Unlike his father, Isaac put his relationship with his children ahead of obedience
to the will of the Lord since Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac in obedience to
the will of the Lord.
The Counter Conspiracy of Rebekah and Jacob
In Genesis 27:5-17, we will see counter conspiracy of Rebekah and Jacob to
deceive Isaac and secure the blessing of the birthright, which would thwart the
conspiracy of Isaac and Esau from succeeding. In this passage, we see that Isaac’s
wife, Rebekah is a master of deception and superior to him in clandestine
operations.
Also in this passage, we see the third round of Jacob’s battle with Esau. The
first round was at their birth (See Genesis 25:21-28) and the second round was
Jacob securing the birthright from Esau (See Genesis 25:27-34).

Genesis 27:5 Rebekah was listening while Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So
when Esau went to the field to hunt for game to bring home, 6 Rebekah said
to her son Jacob, “Behold, I heard your father speak to your brother Esau,
saying, 7 ‘Bring me some game and prepare a savory dish for me, that I may
eat, and bless you in the presence of the LORD before my death.’” (NASB95)
Little did Esau and Isaac know that Rebekah was eavesdropping in on their
entire conversation in which they had conspired to secure the blessing of the
birthright for Esau rather than Jacob who was Rebekah’s favorite.
Rebekah is functioning here as a counter spy in the service of her son Jacob.
Here we see Rebekah eavesdropping in on the conversation between Isaac and
Esau. She tells Jacob of the conspiracy between Isaac and Esau and their plot to
secure the blessing of the birthright for Esau rather than Jacob.
The family rivalry and parental favoritism is pointed out by Moses under the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit by designating Esau as Isaac’s son and Jacob as
Rebekah’s son. The blessing that Rebekah is referring to was given at departures or
imminent death in patriarchal times and could not be altered.
Rebekah adds to Isaac’s statement, the phrase “in the presence of the Lord” in
order to impress upon Jacob the significance of this critical moment in the family’s
history and that it was essential that they act immediately to thwart Isaac’s attempt
to give Esau the family blessing.
She also uses this phrase to manipulate Jacob to take part in a counter
conspiracy, which would thwart the conspiracy launched by Isaac and Esau. Isaac
never used this prepositional phrase since Isaac was going against the will of the
Lord by attempting to give Esau the blessing rather than Jacob.
Rebekah and Jacob erroneously believed that by their own human power that
Jacob could come into possession of the birthright. They erroneously thought
Jacob could “merit” the blessings when in reality he could only receive them
according to God’s grace meaning that he could not earn or deserve the blessings
since they would be freely given to him by God when he exercised faith in Him.
Jacob and Rebekah were on a works program and thought God needed their
help but they were ignorant of God’s method and thus inserted their own way of
doing things. This demonstrated in Jacob and Rebekah that self-confident attitude
rather than a dependence upon the Lord and His provisions and His plan and
methods. Rebekah desired a right thing for his son but she chose to attain it for him
in a wrong way.
Genesis 25:23 teaches that God did not need their help since He had chosen
Jacob over Esau from eternity past based upon His sovereign grace and mercy to
carry on the line of Christ and inherit the blessings and privileges and
responsibility of the Abrahamic Covenant.

Genesis 27:8 “Now therefore, my son, listen to me as I command you.”
(NASB95)
Rebekah commands Jacob and does not suggest for him to do something since
she is using her maternal authority to manipulate Jacob to carry out her plan of
deception.
Genesis 27:9 “Go now to the flock and bring me two choice young goats
from there, that I may prepare them as a savory dish for your father, such as
he loves. 10 Then you shall bring it to your father that he may eat, so that he
may bless you before his death.” (NASB95)
Rebekah knows her husband too well and commands Jacob to get two young
goats from the flock, which would have a similar taste to wild game, which Isaac
loved. She had lived long enough with Isaac to know what kind of food that he
loved and how to prepare it. Notice that Rebekah, like Isaac, believes that Isaac is
about to die.
Genesis 27:11 Jacob answered his mother Rebekah, “Behold, Esau my
brother is a hairy man and I am a smooth man. 12 Perhaps my father will feel
me, then I will be as a deceiver in his sight, and I will bring upon myself a
curse and not a blessing.” (NASB95)
Jacob does not complain that his mother’s plan of deceiving his father and her
husband is wrong and is sin but rather he was afraid he would be caught in this
deception and bring down a curse upon himself. Therefore, we see that Jacob has
no reservations about the morality of the plan but only the feasibility of such a
plan.
Jacob could not see how their plan could overcome the fact that he was smooth
skinned and his brother was very hairy. But Rebekah was prepared for this
problem and had undoubtedly thought about it for quite some time and devised a
plan.
Genesis 27:13 But his mother said to him, “Your curse be on me, my son;
only obey my voice, and go, get them for me.” (NASB95)
Gordon J. Wenham, “Rebekah’s reply is as remarkable for what it does not
contains as for what it does. She says nothing about dressing up Jacob in goatskin
and his brother’s clothes. That might have alarmed Jacob even more. Instead she
focuses on the most serious point, that Jacob may be cursed for his efforts. The
word order, ‘let the curse on you fall on me,’ emphasizes that Rebekah is the one,
not Jacob, who will suffer should Isaac pronounce a curse instead of a blessing.
Her remark is hypothetical, for Isaac does not curse Jacob, but it is doubtful
whether she could have diverted any curse onto herself by simply saying so. The
blessing is not transferable even to Esau for whom Isaac intended it, so who could
a curse be diverted? Presumably Rebekah realized this, for her plan depends on the
irrevocability of the blessing, so her remark, ‘let the curse…on me,’ expresses the
ferocity of her desire to make Jacob carry out the plan. Probably, Jacob realized
curses could not be transferred either and his submission to his mother’s will again
underlines his complicity in the scheme. But her closing words, ‘Just obey me. Go
and get it for me,’ repeating her opening injunction (vv 8-9) somewhat more
brusquely, reveal her impatience and urgency. It is a naked appeal to maternal
authority” (Word Biblical Commentary, volume 2, 16-50, page 207).
Genesis 27:14 So he went and got them, and brought them to his mother;
and his mother made savory food such as his father loved. (NASB95)
Moses under the inspiration uses the phrase “his father” rather than “her
husband” to bring out the rift between Rebekah and Isaac.
Genesis 27:15 Then Rebekah took the best garments of Esau her elder son,
which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son. 16
And she put the skins of the young goats on his hands and on the smooth part
of his neck. 17 She also gave the savory food and the bread, which she had
made, to her son Jacob. (NASB95)
Notice that Jacob just brings her the materials needed to pull off her scheme and
she does all the preparation of the materials. Rebekah’s plan reveals that she was
not only devious but that her plan was well thought out in advance. There is no
way that her plan was conceived on the spur of the moment but rather it was a plan
conceived well in advance since she though out every minute detail, using goatskin
gloves and neck coverings.
Also, in a few moments time, she fashioned a costume for Jacob that fooled
Isaac, which also indicates a premeditated plan. Rebekah was too shrewd to leave
these matters to chance or to last minute accomplishment. This production had
been staged far in advance of its performance.
Rebekah promised to assume the negative consequences personally if anything
were to go wrong since she did not consider that there would be any negative
consequences for her scheme since she thought the ends justified the means. She
did not consider the Lord’s attitude towards her insubordination to her husband and
her deception for if she did she would not have attempted the deception.
Rebekah did suffer greatly for the part she played in this scheme. What neither
Rebekah nor her son considered, however, were the consequences for their sin
even if they did succeed, which they did. Their plan went off without a hitch, but
the results were the opposite of what they had hoped for.
There can be no doubt that Rebekah’s desire to secure the blessing of the
birthright for Jacob was according to the will of the Lord (see Genesis 25:23, 29-
34; 26:35; 27:46) but the means by which she sought to secure it for him, namely,
by deception was wrong. For Rebekah, the ends justified the means.
In this passage, we see Rebekah exploiting her husband’s blindness, which was
against the Word of the Lord (cf. Leviticus 19:14; Deuteronomy 27:18).
Undoubtedly, Rebekah felt justified in deceiving Isaac since the Lord had told her
that Jacob was His choice. But because of a lack of faith she failed to understand
that God’s purposes for Jacob would be accomplished whether or not Isaac
cooperated or not. She failed to understand that Isaac’s blessing of Esau could not
overrule God’s will, which was decreed from eternity past (See Genesis 25:23).
She evidently thought that the Lord needed her help.
The Lord’s will is that Jacob receive not only the birthright but also the blessing
of the birthright since the Lord declared to Rebekah prior to the birth of the twins
that Jacob would be the heir of the Abrahamic Covenant and carry on the line of
the Messiah. He goes against the will of the Lord and secretly conspires to give
Esau the blessing even though Esau has demonstrated that he is indeed not the one
to receive the inheritance since he married Hittite women and exchanged his
birthright with Jacob for a bowl of lentil soup.
So the problem in the family is the result of poor leadership by Isaac. Isaac has
failed to exercise his authority in accordance with the will of the Lord and will reap
the consequences of his failure as the husband of Rebekah and playing favorites
with his twin sons.
Rebekah has failed as Isaac’s wife in that she doesn’t respect her husband’s
authority, which is against the Word of the Lord (cf. Ephesians 5:22). She fails as a
mother in that like her husband, she plays favorites with her twin sons, choosing
Jacob over Esau.
The marriage of Rebekah and Isaac is a mess because of no communication and
terrible leadership from Isaac. Unlike Abraham and Sarah who communicated with
one another and sought each other’s spiritual counsel regarding the inheritance
(See Genesis 15:5-6; 21:8-14), Isaac and Rebekah are not communicating with
each other.
The first thing Rebekah should have done was to confront Isaac respectfully in
love about his contemplated sin. Submission to authority never includes silence
toward evil. We are to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15), even to those in
authority over us (cf. Acts 16:35-40).
Having fulfilled her responsibility to warn her husband of the consequences of
the evil he had planned, Rebekah should have been content to leave the disposition
of the matter to God, Who is all-powerful and all-wise. Her actions betrayed her
lack of faith in the sovereignty of God.
Rebekah’s Plan Succeeds
Genesis 27:18-29 records the success of Rebekah’s plan where Jacob
successfully deceived his father Isaac into thinking he was Esau so that Isaac
unknowingly bestowed upon him the family blessing rather than Esau.

Genesis 27:18 Then he came to his father and said, “My father.” And he
said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?” (NASB95)
Isaac’s question, “who are you, my son” indicates also that he has not
identified the voice as being Jacob’s or Esau’s implying that Jacob was
impersonating the voice of his brother Esau.
Being brothers, there was certainly some similarity in their two voices. Isaac
was expecting Esau and not Jacob and he could smell the dinner and so he
presumes that it was Esau.
Genesis 27:19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn; I have
done as you told me. Get up, please, sit and eat of my game, that you may
bless me.” (NASB95)
We can be sure that Jacob did not want Isaac to question him at all in order to
conceal his true identity. He lies to his father and identifies himself as Esau in
order to assure his father that he had done as he was told and was ready to receive
the blessing.
Notice also that Jacob requests that his father “get up, sit” indicating that Isaac
was lying down in bed and as we noted before, expecting his death would be soon.
Of course, as we noted, he lived another eighty years.
Genesis 27:20 Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have it so quickly,
my son?” And he said, “Because the LORD your God caused it to happen to
me.” (NASB95)
Isaac was a bit suspicious since he asks another question, namely, how did he
accomplish the task of killing the wild game and preparing it so quickly since Isaac
had just sent Esau out? Jacob is in trouble here but rises to the challenge and
invokes the name of the Lord as being the reason for his quick success in catching
the wild game for his father. This will prompt a further question and investigation
from Isaac.
Jacob excused his sin by claiming that the Lord gave him success. By doing so,
he is using the Lord’s name in vain and compounding his lie with blasphemy.
Jacob’s response does not satisfy Isaac and aroused his father’s suspicions further
since there is no record of Esau ever mentioning the Lord’s name. Isaac’s response
here to Jacob’s impersonation of his brother indicates that Isaac was not out of it
mentally. His response also indicates that he suspected that Rebekah might attempt
to deceive him since she was totally against him blessing Esau rather than Jacob.
Thus, far we have seen that Isaac cannot trust his eyesight because he is blind.
Then, we have seen that he does not trust his hearing, which is indicated by his
next question, which appeals to his sense of touch.
Now, those who have children will know that sometimes it is hard to identify
them by their voices since they can sound similar to each other.

Genesis 27:21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come close, that I may feel
you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not.” (NASB95)
Jacob’s worst fears are coming to pass when Isaac requests that he come closer
so that he might touch him in order to confirm his identity. He expressed this fear
to his mother but as we will see the animal skins that he wore did the trick.
The distinctive quality and inflection of Jacob’s voice put his impersonation of
Esau in jeopardy but the skin disguise does the trick and saves Jacob from being
discovered by his father. So Isaac knows that sometimes Esau can sound like Jacob
and vice versa but now he is thinking to himself that they both cannot feel the same
because he knows that Esau is very hairy and Jacob is not.
Genesis 27:22 So Jacob came close to Isaac his father, and he felt him and
said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” 23
He did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother
Esau's hands; so he blessed him. (NASB95)
Isaac has identified Jacob’s voice but the skin disguise has made him doubt his
suspicions that Jacob is impersonating Esau. His hearing says that he is talking to
Jacob but his sense of touch tells him it is Esau.
The statement “he blessed him” is “not” a reference to the blessing of the
inheritance but rather it is the blessing to admit Jacob into Isaac’s presence. This is
indicated by Isaac’s statement recorded in Genesis 27:25, “Bring it (the meal) to
me and I will eat of my son’s game, that I may bless you.”
Remember, Genesis 27:3-4 records telling Esau to kill him some wild game and
prepared it the way he likes so that he might bestow upon him the blessing of the
inheritance and at this point in Genesis 27:23, Isaac has not eaten the meal.
Genesis 27:24 And he said, “Are you really my son Esau?” And he said, “I
am.” (NASB95)
Even after blessing Jacob, Isaac expresses his doubts as to the identity of the
son speaking to him by asking Jacob point blank, “are you really my son Esau?”
Isaac still won’t eat the meal until he receives an answer for this point blank
question. It appears that it did not enter his mind that Jacob would attempt to
deceive him but I am sure he knew that Rebekah would.
Genesis 27:25 So he said, “Bring it to me, and I will eat of my son's game,
that I may bless you.” And he brought it to him, and he ate; he also brought
him wine and he drank. (NASB95)
Three times we have seen that Isaac voiced his suspicions (Genesis 27:20, 22,
24) but in the end was deceived by his sense of touch (Genesis 27:16, 23) and
smell (Genesis 27:27) and blessed Jacob instead of Esau. Isaac’s decision was
reached based upon all five senses: hearing, seeing, tasting, touching and smell and
yet he was still deceived.

After Jacob answered this point blank question to his satisfaction, Isaac will
now eat the meal. By demanding to eat the meal, Isaac is imposing the test of taste.
The phrase “my son’s game” implies that Esau prepared Isaac’s favorite meal in
accordance with a special recipe, which was distinctive of Esau’s skill in cooking,
which endeared him to his father in the first place.
Isaac’s judgment is not impaired because of his blindness or poor health since
he asks pointed questions and is suspicious and sensed that Rebekah was trying to
thwart his attempt to bless Esau rather than Jacob. Rather, his judgment is impaired
because of his haste to bless Esau before Rebekah knows about it and he dies.
Isaac’s command to Esau to kill his favorite wild game and prepare his favorite
meal for him expresses his urgency in bestowing the blessing upon Esau. If Isaac
wasn’t in such a rush, he would have requested the presence of Jacob along with
Esau but because of his plan to secretly bless Esau without the presence of the
entire family, he did not do this. Therefore, Isaac will make a poor judgment for
the sake of urgency.
Genesis 27:26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Please come close and
kiss me, my son.” (NASB95)
The kiss was not only a token of true personal love and affection but of loyalty,
thus making Jacob’s deception and treachery more deplorable. The phrase “my
son” here implies “my favorite” son who of course was Esau.
Genesis 27:27 So he came close and kissed him; and when he smelled the
smell of his garments, he blessed him and said, “See, the smell of my son is like
the smell of a field which the LORD has blessed.” (NASB95)
The smell of Esau’s garments prompts an emotional response and blessing from
him where he recalls the vocation of his son as a hunter. The smell of Esau’s
garments, which Jacob used to deceive his father, fully convince Isaac that Esau is
standing before him. Therefore, he proceeds to unknowingly pronounce the
blessing of the inheritance upon Jacob.
The blessing that Isaac will unknowingly pronounce upon Jacob was inspired
by God the Holy Spirit since he spoke by means of faith according to Hebrews
11:20 even though he was intending to go against the will of God by pronouncing a
blessing upon Esau.
Hebrews 11:20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding
things to come. (NASB95)
Isaac’s intention was to bless Esau, which was against the will of the Lord and
yet Isaac pronounced a blessing upon Jacob even though he did it in ignorance.
Like Isaac, the prophet Balaam was inspired by the Holy Spirit to bless Israel
against his will (Numbers 23:11-12). Also, the high priest in Jesus’ day spoke
prophetically of the meaning of our Lord’s death, though he himself did not
understand the real import of what he was saying (John 11:49-52).
Genesis 27:28 “Now may God give you of the dew of heaven, and of the
fatness of the earth, and an abundance of grain and new wine.” (NASB95)
When Isaac pronounces the blessing, he uses the term Elohim, “God,” and not
the personal covenant name of God, Yahweh, “Lord” since he knows that Esau is
not concerned about spiritual blessings but rather material blessings.
The first material blessing was the dew of heaven. Dew is of great importance
in Palestine since the area possesses a dry summer subtropical climate. The entire
Mediterranean Basin experiences this climate, in which a stationary high pressure
system does not allow moisture to penetrate the region during the summer. This
system shifts to the south during the winter allowing moisture to penetrate. Thus,
the land is dependent upon dew throughout the summer. Heavy dews are normal
because of the great difference between night and day temperatures.
Bruce K. Waltke, “Dew from westerly and northwesterly Mediterranean winds
plays an important role in the irrigation of crops in many parts of Palestine”
(Genesis, A Commentary, page 379, Zondervan).
The second material blessing was “the fatness of the earth,” which is a
figurative expression referring to the fertility of the land.
These first two material blessings would result in the third material blessing,
namely, “an abundance of grain and new wine,” which refers to rich harvests.
It is interesting to note that these first three material blessings would be of
interest to the settled farmer but of no interest to a nomadic hunter like Esau,
making these blessings more appropriate for Jacob rather than Esau.
Genesis 27:29 “May peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you; Be
master of your brothers, and may your mother's sons bow down to you.
Cursed be those who curse you, and blessed be those who bless you.”
(NASB95)
The blessings contained in Genesis 27:29 are directly related to the nation of
Israel since Jacob who later had his named changed by the Lord to “Israel” is the
progenitor of that nation. Also, they are Messianic in that they find their ultimate
fulfillment in the Person of Jesus Christ who is a descendant of Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob.
“Peoples” is the noun àm, which refers to the entire Gentile population of the
earth in contrast with the population of Israel. Therefore, in relation to the nation of
Israel, the blessing “May peoples serve you” refers to the fact that the entire
earth’s population, the Gentiles, shall serve the nation of Israel. In another sense,
this prophecy is Messianic in that the entire earth’s population will serve the Lord
Jesus Christ who is a descendant Abraham, Isaac and Jacob during His millennial
reign (Psalm 22:27-28; Malachi 1:11; Zechariah 14:16).
“Nations” is the noun le’om, which refers to the human race in their unified
groups and reflecting their distinct characteristics. Therefore, in relation to the
nation of Israel, the blessing “May nations bow down to you” refers to the fact
that all the Gentile nations shall serve the nation of Israel.
In another sense, this prophecy is Messianic in that all the Gentile nations will
serve the Lord Jesus Christ who is a descendant Abraham, Isaac and Jacob during
His millennial reign (Psalm 22:27-28; Malachi 1:11; Zechariah 14:16).
The plural form of the nouns le’om, “nations” and àm, “peoples” expresses the
comprehensiveness of Israel and Jesus Christ’s dominion over the Gentile nations
of the earth.
The command “Be master of your brothers” confirms the Lord’s prophecy to
Rebekah recorded in Genesis 25:23 that “the older shall serve the younger.”
In Genesis 25:23, the Lord declares that the “older shall serve the younger”
indicating that the younger son, Jacob would receive the inheritance and not Esau
who was older.
“Master” is the noun gevir, which is a technical term designating the position of
inheritance and legal superiority over another. Therefore, the command to Jacob to
“be master of your brothers” denotes the fact that Jacob would hold the position
of inheritance in the family and denotes his legal superiority over his brother Esau
and that he would inherit his father’s position as patriarch over his clan.
The blessing “may your mother's sons bow down to you” does not imply that
Rebekah had other children beside the twins. But rather it denotes the fact that
Rebekah’s descendants through Esau who were the Edomites would pay homage
and show honor and respect to Jacob’s descendants who are the nation of Israel
(See Genesis 36:1-43).
The blessing “cursed be those who curse you and blessed be those who bless
you” is a reference to the blessing the Lord pronounced upon Abraham that is
recorded in Genesis 12:3. Therefore, we see that the blessing “cursed be who curse
you and blessed be those who bless you” indicates that Jacob is inheriting an
Abrahamic blessing. This blessing indicates that like his grandfather Abraham, the
Lord would identify Himself with the cause of Jacob. Therefore, this blessing
indicates that like Abraham, blessing Jacob would be equivalent to doing it to God
whereas those who curse Jacob would in effect be cursing God. So like Abraham,
those who curse Jacob and his descendants would be cursed by God and those who
bless him would be blessed by God. The nation of Israel is descended from
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Therefore, those who curse Israel will be cursed by
God and those who bless Israel will be blessed by God.
Isaac Learns of Jacob’s Deception

In Genesis 27:30-40, we see Isaac learning that he had been deceived by Jacob
and Esau attempting in vain to secure a blessing from Isaac but instead his father
pronounces an antiblessing upon Esau.
Genesis 27:30 Now it came about, as soon as Isaac had finished blessing
Jacob, and Jacob had hardly gone out from the presence of Isaac his father,
that Esau his brother came in from his hunting. (NASB95)
This was not an accident that Esau came a moment too late since his late arrival
was according to the providence of God, which expresses the fact that the world
and our lives are not ruled by chance or fate but by God.
Genesis 27:31 Then he also made savory food, and brought it to his father;
and he said to his father, “Let my father arise and eat of his son's game, that
you may bless me.” 32 Isaac his father said to him, “Who are you?” And he
said, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.” 33 Then Isaac trembled violently,
and said, “Who was he then that hunted game and brought it to me, so that I
ate of all of it before you came, and blessed him? Yes, and he shall be blessed.”
(NASB95)
The expression “trembled violently” is composed of five words in the Hebrew
text and literally means that Isaac “trembled, a trembling, that was great and
excessive.”
The irony of it all was that since Isaac had tried to give everything to Esau,
there was nothing left that could be considered a blessing to his favorite son, for all
had been given to Jacob. Isaac set his heart on that which was contrary to the
revealed will of God, and because of this his world came crashing down upon him
when God’s purposes prevailed.
The Holy Spirit convicted Isaac that he was going against the will of God by
attempting to secretly bestow the family blessing upon Esau rather than Jacob,
which is indicated by Isaac’s violent emotional reaction to finding out that he had
been deceived into giving the blessing to Jacob rather than Esau. He now realizes
that he was wrong by choosing Esau over Jacob in defiance of God’s revealed will.
Isaac’s statement “Yes, and he (Jacob) shall be blessed” not only indicates the
irrevocability of the blessing but also it indicates that Isaac knows now that he was
wrong to choose Esau rather than Jacob.
Isaac had just encountered the “overruling” will of God where Isaac against the
will of God sought to bestow the blessing of the inheritance upon Esau, who was
not God’s choice, but rather He chose Jacob.
Proverbs 19:21 Many plans are in a man's heart, but the counsel of the
LORD will stand. (NASB95)
Esau’s Anguish

Genesis 27:34 When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with
an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, “less me, even me
also, O my father!” (NASB95)
Esau was an emotional and irrational person as revealed in the fact that he was
quick to exchange his invaluable birthright and the promises of the Abrahamic
Covenant as the first-born in the family for a bowl of lintel soup but now he wants
the blessing of the birthright, which he rejected by exchanging the birthright.
Isaac and Esau conspired against Jacob and their plan has backfired on them
since they reaped deception because they sowed seeds of deception.
Genesis 27:35 And he said, “our brother came deceitfully and has taken
away your blessing.” (NASB95)
The statement “he has taken away your blessing” indicates that the blessing
that Isaac bestowed upon Jacob unknowingly was “irrevocable” and that Isaac has
come to his senses and realizes that God has chosen Jacob and not Esau.
Genesis 27:36 Then he said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob, for he has
supplanted me these two times? He took away my birthright, and behold, now
he has taken away my blessing.” And he said, “Have you not reserved a
blessing for me?” (NASB95)
“Supplanted” is the verb àqav, which means, “to seize by the heel” and is
used a play on Jacob’s name, which is derived from this verb.
The name given to “Jacob” means, “heel,” implying grasping and describes the
younger twin as “the heel catcher.”
Esau was definitely cheated when Jacob stole the blessing but he was definitely
not cheated by Jacob when he exchanged his birthright for a bowl of lintel soup,
rather the latter was a result of his own bad decision. Therefore, Esau fails to take
responsibility for his actions and has himself only to blame for the exchange of the
birthright.
Genesis 27:37 But Isaac replied to Esau, “Behold, I have made him your
master, and all his relatives I have given to him as servants; and with grain
and new wine I have sustained him. Now as for you then, what can I do, my
son?” (NASB95)
The statement “I have made him (Jacob) your (Esau) master” is confirmation
of the command given by Isaac to Jacob to “be master of your brothers,” which
is recorded in Genesis 27:29, which in turn confirms the Lord’s prophecy to
Rebekah recorded in Genesis 25:23 that “the older shall serve the younger.”
The command “be master of your brothers” and the statement “I have made
him your master” denotes the fact that Jacob would hold the position of
inheritance in the family and his legal superiority over his brother Esau and would
inherit his father’s position as patriarch over his clan.

Isaac’s statement “all his relatives I have given to him as servants” echoes
the blessing in Genesis 27:29, “may your mother's sons bow down to you” and
denotes the fact that Rebekah’s descendants through Esau who were the Edomites
would pay homage and show honor and respect to Jacob’s descendants who are the
nation of Israel (See Genesis 36:1-43).
Isaac’s statement to Esau “with grain and new wine I have sustained him”
echoes the blessing bestowed upon Jacob that is recorded in Genesis 27:29, “may
God give you an abundance of grain and new wine,” which refers to rich
harvests.
Isaac’s rhetorical question to Esau, “Now as for you then, what can I do, my
son?” means that since Isaac unknowingly gave everything to Esau, he now has
only an antiblessing to offer Esau, which are prophecies.
Genesis 27:38 Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my
father? Bless me, even me also, O my father.” So Esau lifted his voice and
wept. 39 Then Isaac his father answered and said to him, “Behold, away from
the fertility of the earth shall be your dwelling, and away from the dew of
heaven from above. 40 By your sword you shall live, and your brother you
shall serve; But it shall come about when you become restless, that you will
break his yoke from your neck.” (NASB95)
Since Isaac gave everything to Jacob, all he has to give Esau is an
“antiblessing,” which is a parody on Jacob’s blessing and are also prophecies
concerning the future of Esau’s descendants who were the Edomites.
The antiblessing/prophecy “away from the fertility of the earth shall be your
dwelling” means that Esau and his descendants would be denied the earth’s
fertility unlike Jacob and his descendants.
The antiblessing/prophecy “away from the dew of heaven from above” means
that Esau and his descendants, the Edomites, would be denied dew, which plays
such an essential role in the irrigation of crops in Palestine.
Therefore, we see that Esau’s descendants, the Edomites, would not participate
in the blessing of rich harvests as Jacob’s descendants, the Israelites would and
would live away from fertile places, which implies that his descendants would live
in a dry and barren land-as Edom on the whole actually was.
The antiblessing/prophecy “by your sword you shall live” means that Esau’s
descendants, the Edomites, would live in continuous conflict, always having to
defend themselves from their enemies. Edom appears as a militant nation
throughout the Old Testament Scriptures (Numbers 20:18; 1 Samuel 14:47; 1
Kings 11:14-16; 2 Kings 14:7-10; Obadiah; Psalm 60:10-11).
The antiblessing/prophecy “your brother you shall serve” means that the
descendants of Jacob, the Israelites would prevail over Esau’s descendants, the
Edomites. Esau, the older, did not actually serve Jacob, his younger twin but rather
Esau’s descendants did (see 1 Samuel 14:47; 2 Samuel 8:14; 1 Kings 11:15-16;
22:47; 2 Kings 14:7). This prophecy is a confirmation of the prophecy that was
given to Rebekah and is recorded in Genesis 25:23 that the “older (Esau) would
serve the younger (Jacob).”
The prophecy “But it shall come about when you become restless, that you
will break his yoke from your neck” means that the time would come when the
Edomites would break free from Israel (See 1 Kings 11:14-15; 2 Kings 8:20-22).
From the time of David, Edom was part of the Israelite empire but later
regained its independence (See 2 Kings 8:20-22) but after the fall of Jerusalem,
Edom took revenge on Judah (Obadiah; Psalm 137:7). Therefore, we can see that
this prophecy of future freedom was in a sense a blessing and thus Esau was
blessed as it says in Hebrews 11:20 that Isaac blessed not only Jacob but also Esau.
Now, it might appear on the surface that God rewarded Rebekah and Jacob for
their sin of deceiving Isaac but this is far from the case. Both Rebekah and Jacob
reaped what they sowed. God disciplined both Rebekah and Jacob for their
deception.
For instance, Rebekah and Jacob apparently never saw each other again after
the separation that grew out of this deceit, which was a painful experience for both.
Secondly, Jacob was more cruelly deceived by his own sons when they sold
Joseph into slavery.
Lastly, Jacob went from being a man of means and influence to being demoted
to a position of hard rigorous service for twenty years to Laban.
Isaac Blesses Jacob
Genesis 27:41-46 records Rebekah learning of Esau’s plot to kill Jacob once
Isaac has died and as a result advising Jacob to leave home. In Genesis 28:1-5, we
have the record of Isaac blessing Jacob and agreeing with Rebekah’s idea to send
Jacob away to her relatives and warning him not to take a wife among the
Canaanites but from Rebekah’s relatives.
Now, the idea of sending Jacob to Paddan Aram and “out of the land of
Canaan” would put Jacob out of the “geographical” will of God, which means that
there is a specific geographical place that God has ordained for the believer to
serve Him. Therefore, we can see that Rebekah’s plan is against the will of the
Lord and Isaac agrees to it and shouldn’t have.
Esau’s plot to kill Jacob shouldn’t have prompted his being sent out of the land
of Canaan but rather if she was concerned about his safety, she simply should have
sent him away to some other place in the land of Canaan.
Isaac should have done what his father Abraham had done and sent a trusted
servant to secure a bride among Rebekah’s relatives. Remember, Isaac never left
the Promised Land, the land of Canaan. However, Abraham left the land of Canaan
by taking a trip to Egypt where he and Sarah were delivered from the hands of
Pharaoh (See Genesis 12). We are going to see Jacob getting into trouble with
Laban in Paddan Aram, which he would never have gotten into if he stayed in the
land of Canaan.
Now, even though, Rebekah and Isaac failed in this area and put their son Jacob
out of the will of God, God was still able to use the situation with Laban to build
the character of Jacob. Therefore, we see that the “directive” will of God was for
Jacob and all the patriarchs to stay in the land of Canaan but His “permissive” will,
permitted Jacob to leave the land in order to teach him spiritual lessons and build
his character.
Now, Rebekah’s plan to have Jacob marry one of his cousins seems shocking to
us in the 2first century but in those days, it happened all the time and was not yet
prohibited by God! As we have noted in our previous studies in the book of
Genesis, since God created only one man and one woman, it was essential for
brothers to marry sisters in order to continue the human race.
In the first generations, all marriages were brother and sister marriages and
there were no mutant genes in the genetic systems of any of these children so that
no genetic harm could have resulted from close marriages. Many, many
generations later, during the time of Moses, such mutations had accumulated to the
point where such unions were genetically dangerous so that incest was thenceforth
prohibited in the Mosaic Law (Lev. 18:6-18). Since earth’s population was still
relatively young in the days of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, there was as yet no
genetic danger from inbreeding. After many further centuries had elapsed,
however, the accumulation of mutations and the associated danger of congenital
defects had become sufficiently serious to cause God to declare incestuous
marriages illegal (Lev. 18:6-14).
Genesis 28:1 So Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and charged him, and
said to him, “You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.”
(NASB95)
Isaac agrees to Rebekah’s plan to send Jacob to marry one of his cousins but
does not know that her real reason for sending Jacob away was to avoid Esau’s plot
to kill Jacob once Isaac had died. So Rebekah uses her and Isaac’s dislike of
Esau’s Hittite wives as a pretext for sending Jacob away to her relatives to secure a
bride.
Notice how she manipulates Isaac using a persuasive argument to get Isaac to
do what she wants. She doesn’t relate to Isaac, Esau’s plot to kill Jacob since she
knew that Isaac would have not believed that his favorite son would do such a
thing.

Rebekah let it be known how distressed she was over the Canaanite women
whom Esau had taken as wives (cf. 26:34-35) and then she insinuated that if Jacob
did the same she would not be fit to live with. No wonder Isaac agreed to
Rebekah’s plan since what man wants to live with a bitchy wife!
Proverbs 21:9 It is better to live in a corner of a roof than in a house shared
with a contentious woman. (NASB95)
Isaac “blessed” Jacob in the sense that he publicly honored and acknowledged
and recognized that Jacob is the true heir of the promises, privileges,
responsibilities and blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant. This act on the part of
Isaac also demonstrates that he is recovered from his folly in attempting to bless
Esau against the will of the Lord.
Genesis 28:2 “Arise, go to Paddan-aram, to the house of Bethuel your
mother's father; and from there take to yourself a wife from the daughters of
Laban your mother's brother.” (NASB95)
The prohibition to not marry a Canaanite woman and the command to marry a
cousin corresponds to the prohibition and command recorded in Genesis 24:2-4
that Abraham gave his servant Eliezer regarding a bride for Isaac. The family of
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was prohibited by God from entering into marriage with
the Canaanites and instead were to marry Shemites since Noah prophesied in
Genesis 9:20-27 that Canaan was under a curse and that Shem was in the line of
Christ.
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were Shemites meaning that they were descendants
of Shem and were therefore to marry other Shemites. Rebekah’s family were
Shemites and therefore, Jacob is sent away to marry one of his cousins.
Neither Jacob nor Esau had ever previously been taught by their parents that
marriage to Canaanite women was against the will of God and unsatisfactory to
their parents. We know this to be the case since Isaac’s prohibition to Jacob to not
marry a Canaanite was never in the past given to either Jacob or Esau since
nowhere previously has this instruction been given. This is further confirmed by
Esau’s response to learning that his Canaanite wives were displeasing to his father
when he went and married an Ishmaelite, which is recorded in Genesis 28:6-9.
Therefore, it appears that Isaac and Rebekah failed as parents in the eyes of the
Lord since they did not teach Jacob and Esau Noah’s prophecy recorded in Genesis
9:24-27.
Genesis 28:3 “May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and
multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples.” (NASB95)
The expression “God Almighty” (Hebrew: El Shaddai) was first used by God
of Himself when speaking to Abraham, recorded in Genesis 17:1. The title El
Shaddai, “God Almighty” emphasizes the omnipotence of God and describes the
Lord as being able to make Jacob’s descendants numerous. The title El Shaddai,
“God Almighty” also signifies that the blessing contained in Genesis 28:3-5
recalls the covenant with Abraham recorded in Genesis 17:1-8.
“Bless” is the verb barakh, which means, “to endue with power for success,
prosperity, fecundity, longevity, etc.” Therefore, the verb barakh indicates Isaac’s
desire for Jacob that he would be endued with power by the Lord for success,
prosperity, fecundity (offspring in great numbers) and longevity.”
Like his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac, the Lord would bless Jacob
in the sense that the Lord would multiply his descendants so that his posterity was
great in number both, racially and spiritually and multiply his possessions and
livestock and prosper him financially.
Isaac’s desire for Jacob that the Lord would make Jacob “fruitful” means that
the Lord would give Jacob the capacity to be prolific in that he would be the
progenitor of a multitude of children in both a biological and spiritual sense. His
desire for Jacob that the Lord would make him fruitful and multiply him refers to
the Lord enduing Jacob and his descendants with the ability to be prolific in terms
of posterity.
The expression “a company of peoples” refers to a community of nations that
will originate from Jacob and echoes the Lord’s promise to his grandfather
Abraham that he would become “the father of a multitude of nations” (Genesis
17:4-5) and “the father of nations” (Genesis 17:6).
nations” and Isaac’s desire that the Lord would make Jacob a “company of
peoples” would be fulfilled in a two-fold sense: (1) Biological (2) Spiritual.
The promise to make Abraham a father or progenitor of many nations was
fulfilled in a “biological” sense through: (1) Hagar where he is the progenitor of
the Ishmaelites (Gen. 17:20; 21:13; 25:12-18) (2) Through Keturah, the Midianites
and others (Gen. 25:1-4) (3) Through Isaac and Rebekah, the Edomites (Gen.
25:23; 36:1-43). This is all substantiated by the genealogies of Keturah (Gen. 25:1-
4), Ishmael (Gen. 25:12-18) and Edom (Gen. 36).
In a “biological” or “racial” sense, the company of peoples that would originate
from Jacob was the nation of Israel and in a “spiritual” sense the company of
peoples would be all those who exercise faith alone in Christ alone who would be
composed of all nations and races, both male and female, slave and freeman.
The Lord’s promise to make Abraham a father or progenitor of many nations
was fulfilled and continues to be fulfilled in a “spiritual” sense through those
individuals who exercised faith alone in Christ alone (John 3:1-7; 1 Cor. 12:13;
Gal. 3:26-28). This is how the Lord’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:3 that in
him “all the families of the earth would be blessed” would be accomplished.

In the same way, that Abraham became a father in a “spiritual” sense to those
individuals who exercised faith in Christ so also Jacob would become the father in
a “spiritual” sense to all those who exercised faith in Christ.
Genesis 28:4 “May He also give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to
your descendants with you that you may possess the land of your sojournings,
which God gave to Abraham.” (NASB95)
By making this statement, Isaac is agreeing with the Lord that Jacob is the
rightful heir and will inherit the privileges, responsibilities, promises and blessings
of the Abrahamic Covenant.
“The blessing of Abraham” refers to the fact that Jacob would inherit the
promises, privileges, responsibilities and blessings of the covenant that the Lord
established with Abraham, which are recorded Genesis 12:2-3, 7; 13:14-17; 15:1-6,
18; 17:1-8; 22:15-18; 24:7.
The “Abrahamic” covenant included not only “personal” (Isaac and land of
Canaan) and “national” (Israel) promises to Abraham but also contained the
“universal” promise of eternal salvation to all mankind through faith in Jesus
Christ who is a descendant of Isaac, the son of Abraham and Sarah.
“The blessing of Abraham” also means that Jacob would be in the line of
Christ, the Promised Seed.
The possession of the land refers to the “Palestinian” Covenant, which was a
confirmation and enlargement of the original “Abrahamic” covenant and amplified
the land features of the “Abrahamic” covenant (Gen. 13:14-15; 15:18). The
“Palestinian” Covenant stipulated that the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob who exercise faith alone in Christ alone would not only come into permanent
possession of the land of Canaan but also most of the land in Turkey, East Africa,
Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman and Red Sea, Syria, Iraq, Jordan. The boundaries of
this land grant are on the Mediterranean, Aegean Sea, Euphrates River and the Nile
River (See Genesis 15:18).
The Lord promises that this land would be given to Abram’s descendants and
this promise was fulfilled to a certain extent by Israel under Joshua (Josh. 21:43-
45; cf. 13:1-7) and David and Solomon (1 Kgs. 4:20-25; Neh. 9:8).
The “Palestinian” covenant will have its literal and ultimate fulfillment during
the millennial reign of Christ (Isa. 11:11-12; Jer. 31-37; Ezek. 34:11-16; Hos. 1:10-
11; Joel 3:17-21; Amos 9:11-15; Micah 4:6-7; Zeph. 3:14-20; Zech. 8:4-8).
Genesis 28:5 Then Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Paddan-aram to
Laban, son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, the mother of
Jacob and Esau. (NASB95)
The journey to be taken by Jacob to Paddan Aram would be the same one taken
by Eliezer to secure a bride for Isaac and would be approximately a seven hundred
mile journey. Jacob’s name is listed first followed by Esau to demonstrate that both
Isaac and Rebekah are now unified in their recognition that Jacob will receive the
blessings of the birthright and the promises, privileges, responsibilities and
blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant and not Esau. Esau’s name is listed in order
to establish a smooth transition with the information about Esau recorded in
Genesis 28:6-9.
Jacob Receives Direct Revelation from the Lord
Genesis 28:10-13 records Jacob’s departure from Beersheba. In this passage we

see Jacob receiving direct revelation from the preincarnate Christ who reconfirms
to him the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant and reassures him of His presence
and protection while in exile in Paddan Aram. Thus far in our study of this chapter,
we have seen in Genesis 28:1-5 that Isaac agrees with Rebekah’s plan to send
Jacob away to her brother Laban in Paddan Aram in order to secure a wife for
Jacob.
Her real reason for sending Jacob away was to protect him from Esau’s plot to
kill him and not really to secure a bride for Isaac. This is clear since Rebekah did
not provide Jacob with money and materials to give to Laban her brother, which
would constitute the “price” to secure a bride.
Evidently, Isaac assumed that Rebekah would see to it that she would provide
Jacob everything he would need to secure a bride since Jacob was her favorite. His
assumption proved wrong and costly since Rebekah never sees Jacob again.
Rebekah’s conspiracy to deceive her husband Isaac so that he would bless
Jacob her favorite rather than Esau his favorite son, would come back to haunt her.
By not seeing Jacob again she has reaped what she has sowed.
Genesis 28:10 Then Jacob departed from Beersheba and went toward
Haran. (NASB95)
The journey from Beersheba to Haran was approximately a seven hundred mile
journey and was the same one taken by Abraham’s servant Eliezer when he went
to secure a bride for Isaac among Abraham’s relatives.
Genesis 28:11 He came to a certain place and spent the night there, because
the sun had set; and he took one of the stones of the place and put it under his
head, and lay down in that place. (NASB95)
What a difference a day makes. Not too long ago we saw Jacob living under the
comfort and protection of his parents’ tents but now we see that this has been
replaced by a rock.
Up to this point in his life, Jacob had spent most of his life as a homebody,
living in the family home at Beersheba (Genesis 22:19; 26:33; 28:10). Now, Jacob
would have to grow up in a hurry since he is about to enter the school of hard
knocks but at the same time will grow closer in his relationship to God.
Back in Beersheba, Esau waits to kill him and ahead of him in Haran, and
unknown to Jacob, Laban waits to exploit him. Bruce K. Waltke commenting on
this passage, writes, “He is situated between a death camp and a hard-labor camp”
(Genesis, A Commentary, page 388, Zondervan).
Jacob is retracing the long and difficult journey that Abraham traveled
approximately one hundred twenty-five years earlier. However, his situation was
much more difficult than that of his grandfather because back in Beersheba, Esau
waits to kill him and ahead of him in Haran is Laban waiting to cheat him.
The “certain place” in which Jacob camped and spent the night was “Bethel,”
which used to be called “Luz” according to Genesis 28:19. “Bethel” literally
means, “house of God” and is identified with modern Beiten, approximately ten
miles north of Jerusalem, which became one of the two capitals and cult centers of
the northern kingdom and only Jerusalem is mentioned in the Old Testament more
than Bethel.
If you recall, it was near Bethel that Abraham built an altar and worshipped the
Lord in prayer just before and after his ill advised trip to Egypt with Sarah (See
Genesis 12:8; 13:3, 4). Bethel would be the place that Jacob would later return to
from his exile according to Genesis 35:1. It would become to him a lifelong
memorial of God’s promises to him and of His ability to fulfill those promises.
The trip from Beersheba to Bethel was approximately a sixty to seventy mile
journey north and was very difficult and arduous journey since it was over rough,
mountainous country.
In the Scriptures, sunset symbolizes distress and adversity (See Genesis 15:12,
17; 19:1) whereas sunrise symbolizes deliverance from God. The setting sun
symbolizes the beginning of Jacob’s dark journey to Paddan Aram where he will
struggle with humans and with God but will prevail whereas the “day-break” for
his soul will not come until the end of his twenty-year exile (See Genesis 32:26).
The terrain in Bethel is limestone and so there were plenty of stones to choose
from. Jacob decided to use one of these stones as a pillow to rest his head. He was
no doubt feeling alone and forsaken and was feeling anxious about his future. The
fact that Jacob was by himself sleeping out in the open air using a rock for a pillow
indicates that he was alone with no caravan for protection and did not even have a
tent under which he could rest.
There were no armed servants to protect him against beasts or bandits and he
was not a hunter like Esau, which would have enabled him to live off the land. No
doubt, his mother packed food and supplies for him along with money to purchase
necessities along the way but otherwise from the human perspective and his at the
time, he is alone in a strange and dangerous country. But as he will soon find out,
he is not alone since God is with him and elect angels are protecting the father of
the nation of Israel.
Genesis 28:12 He had a dream, and behold, a ladder was set on the earth
with its top reaching to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending
and descending on it. (NASB95)
In Genesis 28:12-13, the interjection hinneh, “behold, look” is used after the
verb of perception chalam, “to dream” and marks out three images in Jacob’s
dream: (1) A stairway touching heaven and earth (2) Angels ascending and
descending on the ladder (3) The Lord as Master.
“Ladder” is the noun sullam, which does “not” refer to a ladder but rather to a
broad and high flight of stairs since the latter would be better suited for angels
ascending to and descending from the third heaven.
There were many angels on the staircase with some ascending and others
descending at the same time and so what Jacob sees is a “stairway to heaven.”
2:26; Josh. 6:17) and of the “preincarnate” Christ (Gen. 22:11; Zech. 3:1). The
context indicates that mal’akh in Genesis 28:12 is a reference to elect angels.
The fact that these angels are ascending to and descending from the throne
room of God indicates that these angels had uninterrupted, continuous
communication with God. The angels were first of all said to be ascending to God
meaning they were coming to God from protecting Jacob. Then, the passage says
that they were descending from the throne room of God to Jacob in order to protect
him. Therefore, unknown to Jacob was that these elect angels had been with Jacob
all the time on this trip.
Also, the fact that these angels were protecting Jacob indicates they were of
course “elect” angels. We have seen in our past studies in the book of Genesis that
the elect angels are employed by God to guard (Genesis 3:24), to communicate
with God’s people (Genesis 18:1) and to protect God’s people (Genesis 19:1-22).
Therefore, the presence of these elect angels would suggest to Jacob that the
preincarnate Christ who appeared to him in this dream at Bethel would also be
present with him through these elect angels. This revelation would be a great
encouragement to Jacob as he made his way into exile.
Also, the Lord wanted Jacob to know that even though he had to flee his home,
he was not leaving the God of Abraham and his father Isaac behind. This vision of
angels would reassure Jacob that God cares for him and was also still accessible to
him even though he had left his parents.
The Lord Jesus uses this incident with Jacob in John 1:51 as an illustration of
the fact that the believer has access to the Father through Him (See John 14:6; Acts
4:12). Therefore, the Lord Jesus is telling Nathaniel that He is the high and broad
staircase that extends from earth to heaven, which implies that He is the
“Mediator” between heaven and earth or in other words, between God and man.
Genesis 28:13 And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, “I am the
LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on
which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants.” (NASB95)
As Jacob laid his head to rest on the stones of Bethel, the Lord appeared to him
in a “theophany,” or “Christophany,” which are theological terms used to refer to
either a visible or auditory manifestation of the Son of God before His incarnation
in Bethlehem (Gen. 32:29-30; Ex. 3:2; 19:18-20; Josh. 5:13-15; Dan. 3:26). This
theophany or Christophany was in the form of a dream, which was one of the
means by which the Lord appeared to His people prior to His First Advent.
The Lord identifies Himself to Jacob as “the Lord, the God of your father
Abraham and the God of Isaac” in order to reassure Jacob that he will be
protected by Him.
Jacob Receives Reconfirmation of the Promises of Abrahamic Covenant
In Genesis 28:13-15, we will see Jacob receiving from the Lord reconfirmation
of the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant and reassurance that the Lord would
protect and prosper him in exile in Paddan Aram.
Genesis 28:13 And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, “I am the
LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on
which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants. 14 Your
descendants will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to
the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in
your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” (NASB95)
The promises to Jacob that are recorded in Genesis 28:14 echo the promises
given to his father Isaac, which are recorded in Genesis 26:4. They also echo the
blessing that his father Isaac pronounced upon him before he left home, which is
recorded in Genesis 28:3-4.
The Lord’s promises to both Jacob and Isaac and the blessing of his father
bestowed upon him before he left home were a “reconfirmation” of the promises
made to Abraham that are recorded in Genesis 12:2-3, 7, 13:14-18, 15:1-6, 18,
17:1-8 and 22:17. In Genesis 26:3-4, Isaac received reconfirmation of the promises
of the Abrahamic Covenant by means of a theophany. In Genesis 26:23-25, the
Lord appeared in a theophany to Isaac at Beersheba and gave him reassurance by
reconfirming to him the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant. In Genesis 28:3-4,
the blessing that Isaac bestowed upon Jacob before he left home echoes the
promises of the Abrahamic covenant. In Genesis 28:14-15, God’s reiteration of the
promises to Abraham and Isaac assures Jacob of God’s faithfulness.
The Lord is reassuring Jacob in his time of adversity that like his grandfather
Abraham and his father Isaac, that he would receive divine protection and would
be prospered by the Lord. The Lord’s reiteration to Jacob of the promises He made
to his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac would reassure Jacob that the very
God who protected his grandfather and father and prospered them would do so for
him. The Lord’s reiteration to Jacob of the promises He made to his grandfather
and father would confirm to Jacob that he was in the Messianic line. So these
promises to Jacob would reassure him that the God of his grandfather Abraham
and that of his father Isaac would not abandon him.
“Your descendants” refers to Isaac’s “biological” descendants, which would
be the nation of Israel and it refers to his “spiritual” descendants, which would be
anyone, Jew or Gentile who believes in Jesus Christ as their Savior. In a “near”
sense “Your descendants” refers the nation of Israel (saved and unsaved) and in a
“far” sense it refers to saved Israel during the millennial reign of Christ.
The comparative clause “like the dust of the earth” echoes the Lord’s
promises to Abraham in Genesis 13:10 to multiply his descendants “as the dust of
the earth” and “as the sand on the seashore” in Genesis 22:17 as well as the
promise to Isaac in Genesis 26:4 to multiply his descendants “as the dust of the
earth.”
The comparative clause “like the dust of the earth” drives the point home to
Jacob regarding the Lord’s promise to greatly multiply his descendants and would
indicate quite clearly to him that the Lord has a plan for his life and would give
him assurance during his time of adversity! The prophecy that Jacob’s descendants
would be as the dust of the earth in a “near” sense was fulfilled in the days of
Solomon (see 1 Kings 4:20) and will be fulfilled in a “far” sense during the
millennial reign of Christ (see Hosea 1:10). Like his grandfather Abraham, Jacob
receives these promises of numerous descendants while he was childless. In fact, at
this time, he wasn’t even married!
The Lord’s promise to Isaac that he “will spread out to the west and to the
east and to the north and to the south” echoes the Lord’s promise to his
grandfather Abraham that is recorded in Genesis 13:14-15 and pertains to the
“Palestinian Covenant. The Lord’s promise to Jacob that he and his descendants
would spread over the land of Canaan would reassure him that he would be
returning to Canaan. The Lord is promising Jacob that He would bring him back to
Canaan even though he is fleeing from it at this particular time.
“Spread out” is the verb parats, which is a military term meaning “to break
out” and implies that the descendants of Jacob who would be the nation of Israel
would through military conquest take possession of the land of Canaan. This
military conquest of the land of Canaan was accomplished to a certain extent in
Israel’s history under Joshua. But it will find its ultimate fulfillment when the Lord
Jesus Christ at His 2nd Advent who at that time will destroy anti-Christ, the false

prophet, and the Gentile armies surrounding Israel during the Tribulation period
(aka Daniel’s 70th week) and will establish His millennial reign.
The Lord’s promise to Jacob that in him, “all the families of the earth be
blessed” is a “universal” promise and indicates that Jacob would be in the
Messianic line meaning that the Lord Jesus Christ in His human nature would
descend from him.
The promise “in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be
blessed” should be translated “in your Seed or Descendant all the families of the
earth shall be blessed” since the word for “descendants” in the Hebrew text is in
the singular making the promise Messianic. This promise is a “reconfirmation” of
the “universal” promise the Lord made to Abraham, which is recorded in Genesis
22:18.
The Lord statement in Genesis 22:18 that “in your seed (Christ) all the
nations of the earth will be blessed” and the promise to Jacob in Genesis 28:14
that “in Your Seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed” echoes the
Lord’s promise in Genesis 18:18. It is an enlargement upon the Lord’s promise to
Abraham in Genesis 12:3 that in Abraham “all the families of the earth will be
blessed.” Galatians 3:8-16 reveals that the promises in Genesis 18:18, “in
(Abraham) all the nations of the earth will be blessed,” Genesis 22:18, “in your
seed (Christ) all the nations of the earth will be blessed,” Genesis 26:4, “by
your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed,” Genesis 28:14,
“in Your Seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed” refers to the Lord
Jesus Christ who would bring salvation to the Gentile nations through faith in Him.
Jacob Receives Personal Promises from the Lord
Genesis 28:15 records the “personal” promises that the Lord made to Jacob.
Genesis 28:15 “Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go,
and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done
what I have promised you.” (NASB95)
The Lord’s promise to Jacob that “I am with you” echoes the promise the Lord
made to his father Isaac “I will be with you” recorded in Genesis 26:3 and is a
guarantee to Jacob of the Lord’s presence in his life.
The Lord’s promise “I will keep you wherever you go” guarantees Jacob
divine protection while he is abroad.
These guarantees of the divine presence and protection would encourage Jacob
and calm his fears while being exploited by his uncle Laban and while hiding from
his brother Esau who was seeking to kill him.

The Lord’s promise “I will bring you back to this land” is the Lord’s
guarantee of a “homecoming” to Jacob in that He will bring Jacob back to the land
of Canaan.
The Lord’s promise that “I will never leave you” guarantees Jacob that the
Lord would be present with him and would protect and preserve him while he lived
abroad with his uncle Laban.
The Lord’s promise “for I will not leave you until I have done what I have
promised you” does “not” mean that God’s protection of Jacob will end some day
but rather that the Lord’s presence and protection will outlast Jacob’s exile in
Paddan Aram since the promises given to Jacob are eternal in nature.
All the promises that the Lord made to Jacob that are recorded in Genesis
28:13-15 reassured Jacob that the Lord had a plan for his life.
Jacob’s First Response to the Dream
In Genesis 28:16-17, we have Jacob’s first response to the dream, which was to
worship the Lord with his lips.
Genesis 28:16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the
LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.” (NASB95)
The fact that the Lord “appeared” to Jacob is a “theophany,” or “Christophany,
which are theological terms used to refer to either a visible or auditory
manifestation of the Son of God before His incarnation in Bethlehem (Gen. 32:29-
30; Ex. 3:2; 19:18-20; Josh. 5:13-15; Dan. 3:26).
“Lord” is the proper noun Yahweh, which is the covenant name of God
indicating that Jacob had a covenant relationship with God. The term “Lord” also
emphasizes the “immanency” of God meaning that the Lord was involving Himself
in and concerning Himself with and intervening in the life of Jacob and would
bless him in fulfillment of His promises to him.
Just a few hours before, Jacob was feeling alone and abandoned and isolated
and forsaken but with this theophany and divine promises, he is now aware that he
was never alone and that the God of his grandfather and father was present with
him.
According to Genesis 28:19 “this place” was called “Luz” but was renamed by
Jacob to “Bethel” according to Genesis 28:19. “Bethel” literally means, “house of
God” and is identified with modern Beiten, approximately ten miles north of
Jerusalem, which became one of the two capitals and cult centers of the northern
kingdom and only Jerusalem is mentioned in the Old Testament more than Bethel.
If you recall, it was near Bethel that Abraham built an altar and worshipped the
Lord in prayer just before and after his ill advised trip to Egypt with Sarah (See
Genesis 12:8; 13:3, 4). Bethel would be the place that Jacob would later return to
from his exile according to Genesis 35:1. It would become to him a lifelong
memorial of God’s promises to him and of His ability to fulfill those promises.
Genesis 28:17 He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is
none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” (NASB95)
The Hebrew term translated “fear” and “awesome” is the verb yare, which
denotes the concept of worshipping God and does “not” refer to being afraid as a
result of a threat to one’s life but rather it means, “to have reverence and respect”
for the Lord and to be in “awe” of Him and expresses Jacob’s “wonder” towards
Him. Therefore, we see that Jacob is responding to the theophany and divine
promises by having “reverence” and “respect” for God and is in “awe” of Him and
is expressing his “wonder” towards Him.
These four English words, “reverence,” “respect,” “awe,” and “wonder” convey
the idea behind the verb yare in Genesis 28:17 and also express the concept of
worshipping the Lord.
Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary defines the noun “reverence”:
“A feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe; veneration.”
Therefore, paraphrasing this definition we would say that Jacob’s response to
the theophany and divine promises was to possess an attitude of deep respect and
awe for the Lord.
Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary defines the noun “respect”:
“esteem for or a sense of the worth or excellence of a person, a personal quality or
trait, or something considered as a manifestation of a personal quality or trait.”
Jacob’s response to the theophany and divine promises was to esteem the
excellence of the Person of God as manifested through His personal qualities or
Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary defines the noun “awe”: “an
overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, fear, etc. produced by that which is
grand, sublime, extremely powerful or the like.”
Jacob’s response to the theophany and divine promises was to possess an
overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration for the Lord, which was produced
by the vision of angels and theophany and divine promises in his dream.
Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary defines the noun “wonder”:
“to be filled with admiration, amazement or awe; marvel.”
Jacob’s response to the theophany and divine promises was one of being filled
with admiration, amazement and awe.
Warren Wiersbe writes, “True wonder reaches right into your heart and mind
and shakes you up. It not only has depth, it has value; it enriches your life. Wonder
is not cheap amusement that brings a smile to your face. It is an encounter with
reality, with God, which brings awe to your heart. You’re overwhelmed with an
emotion that is a mixture of gratitude, adoration, reverence, fear-and love. You’re
not looking for explanations; you’re lost in the wonder of God” (Real Worship,
page 43, Baker Books).
Therefore, paraphrasing this comment by Wiersbe on wonder we would say that
Jacob’s response to the theophany and divine promises reached right into his heart
and shook him up and enriched his life. Jacob’s encounter with the Lord brought
awe to his heart and overwhelmed him with an emotion that was a mixture of
gratitude, adoration, reverence, fear and love for the God of his grandfather
Abraham and his father Isaac. Jacob wasn’t looking for explanations since he was
lost in the wonder of God.
Therefore, the phrase “He (Jacob) was afraid” and Jacob’s statement “How
awesome is this place” expresses the fact that Jacob is worshipping God in the
sense that he is manifesting an attitude of deep reverence, respect and awe of the
Lord for revealing Himself in the dream and giving him reassurance.
Jacob’s statement “How awesome is this place” indicates that he is
worshipping the Lord. Worship is adoring contemplation of God as He has been
revealed by the Holy Spirit in the Person of Christ and in the Scriptures and is also
the loving ascription of praise to God for what He is, both in Himself and in His
ways and is the bowing of the soul and spirit in deep humility and reverence before
Him.
Warren Wiersbe defines worship, “Worship is the believer’s response of all that
they are –mind, emotions, will and body-to what God is and says and does. This
response has its mystical side in subjective experience and its practical side in
objective obedience to God’s revealed will. Worship is a loving response that’s
balanced by the fear of the Lord, and it is a deepening response as the believer
comes to know God better” (Real Worship, 26).
If we paraphrase Wiersbe’s definition, we could say the following: Jacob is
worshipping the Lord in that he is responding in his mind (his thoughts), emotions
(excitement), and body (rising early and setting up a pillar to memorialize the
theophany) to what God is (omnipotent and sovereign and faithful) and did in
revealing Himself to Jacob by means of a theophany and what the Lord said in His
promises to Jacob.
Genesis 28:17 He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is
none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” (NASB95)
The expression “house of God” anticipates the name Jacob is about to give to
the place, which according to Genesis 28:19 is “Bethel.” The expression “the gate
of heaven” appears only once in the Bible, here in Genesis 28:17. “The house of
God” refers to the abode of God, which is located in the third heaven and “the
gate of heaven” is the place where Jacob entered heaven in his dream.

The original languages of Scripture teach that there are three levels of heaven:
(1) first heaven: Earth’s atmosphere. (2) 2nd heaven: Stellar universe. (3) third
heaven: Abode of God, the angels and the dead believers.
This multiplicity of heavens is indicated in Hebrews 4:14 where our Lord at His
ascension is said to have “passed through the heavens” (accusative masculine
plural noun ouranos). The first and second heaven are not specifically mentioned
but the third heaven is.
2 Corinthians 12:2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago --
whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God
knows -- such a man was caught up to the third heaven. (NASB95)
Logically speaking, it is evident that there cannot be a third heaven without also
a first and second heaven.
Although it is true that the Scriptures teach that “the heaven of heavens cannot
contain God” (1 Kings 8:27) and that God is omnipresent in the universe,
nevertheless, they clearly affirm that the third heaven is in a particular way the
abode of the Trinity (Gen. 14:19, 22; 23:3, 7; 1 Kings 8:30, 49; 2 Chron. 6:21, 30;
Neh. 1:4-5; 2:4, 20; Psa. 11:4; 20:6; 33:14; 103:19; Isa. 63:5; 66:1; Matt. 5:34;
Luke 16:9; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; 7:56; 2 Cor. 12:2; Heb. 2:10; Rev. 19:14).
The present third heaven is also the abode of the elect angels as well as all
believers throughout human history in every dispensation and is the present
location of the appeal trial of Satan and all the fallen angels before the Supreme
Court of heaven.
The Lord Jesus Christ during His First Advent repeatedly stated that He came
from heaven (John 3:13, 27, 31; 6:38, 41-42, 50-51, 58) and is in heaven now
seated at the right hand of God (Psa. 110:1; Acts 2:33; Rom. 8:34; Col. 3:1; Heb.
1:3, 13; 1 Pet. 3:22).
The Lord Jesus Christ is the Creator of the three levels of heaven.
Genesis 1:1 In eternity past, God created out of nothing the heavens and
the earth. (Author’s Translation)
The third heaven is the place where the resurrected Christ conducts the
government of the kingdom of God as the ruler of all creation (Psa. 110:1-2; Matt.
22:44; 26:64; Mark 12:36; 14:62; 16:19; Luke 20:42; 22:69; Acts 2:33-34; 7:55-
56; Rom. 8:34; Eph. 3:20-22; Col. 3:1; Heb. 1:3, 13; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2; Rev. 4-5).
Heaven is served by innumerable angels, their hosts and families and is the
sphere of their existence (Matt. 18:10; Mark 12:25; 13:32; Eph. 3:15), coming
from heaven and returning to it either individually (Matt. 28:2; Luke 22:43), or in
hosts (Luke 2:15).
Also, Satan and the fallen angels still have access to heaven because of their
appeal trial (Job 1; Zech. 3; Rev. 12:7-9).

Old Testament saints are now located in the third heaven with the Lord Jesus
Christ as a result of His trip to a compartment of Hades called Paradise (Luke
23:43; Eph. 4:8-10).
The Lord Jesus Christ will create a new heavens and a new earth for the eternal
state, which immediately follows the Great White Throne Judgment at the
conclusion of the appeal trial, which is the conclusion of human history itself (See
Revelation 20:11-21).
In fact, Hebrews 1:10-11 quoting Psalm 102:25-27 states that the present
heaven and earth “will perish...will become old as a garment” and “as a mantle”
the Lord Jesus Christ “will roll them up...as a garment they (the present
heavens and earth) will be changed.”
The new heaven and new earth will be the real place of perfect happiness, peace
and righteousness because no form of evil and unrighteousness will be allowed
into it (2 Pet. 3:10-13; Rev. 21:1-8). The presence of evil in the universe as a result
of Satan and the fallen angels rebellion resulting in the appeal trial require that the
Lord Jesus Christ create a new heavens and a new earth.
Jacob’s Second, Third and Fourth Response to the Dream
Genesis 28:18-19 records Jacob’s second, third and fourth responses to the
dream. His second response was to construct a pillar to memorialize his encounter
with the preincarnate Christ.
Also, in this passage, we see Jacob’s third response, which was to worship the
Lord by pouring oil on top of the pillar, which expressed his dedication, devotion,
consecration and gratitude towards the Lord. His fourth response is also contained
in this passage, which was to worship the Lord by naming the place where he
encountered Him.
Also, Genesis 28:20-22 records Jacob’s fifth and final response to the dream,
which was to make a vow, which expressed for the first time his faith in the Lord.
Genesis 28:18 So Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that
he had put under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on its top.
(NASB95)
The next act of worship that Jacob performs is that he erects a limestone pillar
to memorialize the Lord appearing to him and giving him assurance that he would
inherit the blessings, promises, responsibilities, and privileges of the Abrahamic
Covenant and would return to the land of Canaan. As an expression of his worship
towards the Lord, Jacob sets up a memorial to mark the spot where the Lord
appeared to him and made promises to reassure him of his safe return to the land of
Canaan.

“Pillar” is the noun matstsevah, which denotes a single upright stone pillar set
up as a monument and a memorial to mark the spot where the Lord had appeared
to him and made promises to him.
The terrain in Bethel is limestone and so Jacob takes the stone he used for a
pillow and sets it up as a monument, a memorial to mark the spot that the Lord
appeared to him in a dream.
Notice that Jacob did not build an altar as Abraham had done since he had no
animals to sacrifice. This would be the first of three times that Jacob would erect a
pillar to memorialize an event.
In Genesis 31:45, Jacob erected a memorial a second time to stand as a witness
to the oral contract between him and his uncle Laban and called it “Galeed,” which
is the Hebrew term for “witness heap.”
In Genesis 35:14, after returning from his exile in Paddan Aram, Jacob erected
a memorial a third time to mark the occasion when the Lord appeared to him again
and fulfilled His promises to bring him back to the land of Canaan..
Memorials like the one set up by Jacob were set up to recall divine visitations
so that others might learn about God when they ask, “What do these stones mean?”
(See Joshua 4:6).
The third act of worship that Jacob performs is that he pours oil on top of the
limestone pillar. The pouring of oil on top of the limestone was an expression of
Jacob’s dedication, devotion, consecration and gratitude to the Lord and
recognition of the gracious promises that the Lord made to him in the dream (See
Exodus 30:25-29; Leviticus 8:10-12).
The parallel structure in Hebrew text between the two sections, Genesis 28:10-
13 and 16-19, shows that the worship was a response to the vision. For example,
the Hebrew noun matstsevah, “pillar” forms a word play with the Hebrew
mutstsav, “set on,” which appears in Genesis 28:12 and nitstsav, “stood,” which
appears in Genesis 28:13. Mutstsav is the hophal participle form of the verb natsav
and nitstsav is the niphil participle form of the same verb.
There is also another wordplay where the Hebrew noun re’sh appears in
Genesis 28:12 for the “top” of the stairway and then again in Genesis 28:18 for the
“top” of Jacob’s pillar, linking the memorial with the vision in his dream. These
parallels demonstrate that Jacob’s miniature altar represented the vision.
Genesis 28:19 He called the name of that place Bethel; however, previously
the name of the city had been Luz. 20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If
God will be with me and will keep me on this journey that I take, and will give
me food to eat and garments to wear, 21 and I return to my father's house in
safety, then the LORD will be my God.” (NASB95)

At the beginning of Genesis 28:20, the Hebrew text literally means that “Jacob
vowed a vow” since the text contains the verb nadhar, “to make a vow” and its
cognate noun nedher, “vow.”
The verb connotes the act of voluntarily and verbally dedicating and devoting
oneself to the service of the Lord whereas the noun form of the word represents the
thing offered to fulfill a vow.
Jacob’s vow is the longest vow in the Old Testament. Vows were not contracts
or limited agreements but rather they were verbal and voluntary acts of submission
to the Lord and the reorientation of one’s life to meet the Lord’s standards.
Therefore, we see that Jacob’s vow will reorient his journey.
Remember, he left home because of Esau’s desire to kill him but now Jacob’s
journey takes on a whole new different meaning since God has revealed to him that
He has a plan for his life. Since the Lord has revealed Himself to Jacob through the
theophany and guaranteed him divine protection and prosperity while in exile in
Paddan Aram, Jacob has committed himself to living according to the standards of
the living God. Therefore, we see that Jacob has had a life changing experience. He
went from being on the run and in doubt about his future to possessing assurance
that God had a plan for his life and would make him successful.
“If” is the conditional particle ìm, which introduces the protasis of a first class
condition, which indicates the assumption of truth for the sake of argument. It
should “not” be translated simply “if” since that would indicate that Jacob is
striking a bargain with the Lord. The context indicates that Jacob is not striking a
bargain with the Lord since he has already responded to the divine revelation by
worshipping the Lord with his lips, erecting a memorial, pouring oil on the top of
the pillar expressing his dedication and devotion to the Lord and naming the place
“house of God.”
Therefore, the conditional particle should be translated either “since” you will
be with me and will protect me on this journey that I take and will give me food to
eat and garments to wear and I return to my father’s house in safety, and I believe
you that I will, then, the Lord will be my God. Or, the word can be translated “if
and let us say for the sake of argument” that you will be with me and will protect
me on this journey that I take and will give me food to eat and garments to wear
and I return to my father’s house in safety, “and I believe you that I will,” then, the
Lord will be my God.
Genesis 28:22 “This stone, which I have set up as a pillar, will be God's
house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.” (NASB95)
The tithe Jacob proposed to give the Lord was a form of taxation levied by
rulers and became a definite obligation of the Mosaic Law to maintain the armies
of Israel, the tabernacle or temple worship (Leviticus 27:30; Numbers 18:21, 24).

Jacob proposes to give this tithe to the Lord because he now recognizes the Lord’s
authority over him and does this willingly rather than from obligation.
Also, this tithe that Jacob proposes to give the Lord would provide the means to
build and maintain the altar he would build, which the pillar began. Genesis 35:1-7
records that Jacob fulfilled his vow to build an altar at Bethel.
Church age believers are “never” commanded to tithe but are to give to the
Lord like Jacob, willingly and in thanksgiving rather than from obligation (cf. 2
Corinthians 9).
The fact that Jacob proposes to give the Lord a tenth of all that the Lord
prospers him with indicates that Jacob recognized the Lord’s authority and rank
and expressed his appreciation and gratefulness to the Lord for guaranteeing his
safe return home.
Jacob Meets Rachel
Genesis 29:1 records Jacob excited and confident about his future after
encountering a vision of angels and the preincarnate Christ who revealed the
Father’s plan for his life. God’s plan for Jacob’s life involved inheriting the
privileges, promises, responsibilities and blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant as
well as carrying on the Messianic line.
Genesis 28:10 records Jacob leaving Beersheba and Genesis 29:1-12 records
him arriving in the city of Nahor where his uncle Laban lived, which is called in
Genesis 29:1, “the land of the sons of the east.” The journey from Beersheba to
Haran was approximately a seven hundred mile journey.
Now, we must remember when approaching Genesis 29 that initially Jacob was
running from Esau, which was the real reason why his mother sent him to her
brother Laban. The reason Rebekah gave Isaac for sending away Jacob was to
secure a wife for him but this was a lie since she did not give Jacob the bride price
needed to secure a bride. In fact, Genesis 28:44 records that Rebekah was planning
on Jacob being a way for only a “few days.”
So initially when Jacob set out on his journey to see his uncle Laban, he was not
intending to find a wife for himself. But rather he was simply looking for a place to
hide out, biding his time, far away from the wrath of his brother Esau who he just
took advantage of. However, the purpose of his journey changed when the Lord
appeared to him at Bethel and made promises to him of numerous descendants
Therefore, Jacob is seeking a wife in order to fulfill the Lord’s promise of
numerous progeny. As we noted the excuse that Rebekah gave Isaac for sending
away Jacob to her relatives to get a wife was used as a pretext to protect Jacob

from Esau. What originally was the false purpose for Jacob’s journey has become
the real purpose of the trip as a result of Jacob encountering the Lord at Bethel.
Also, remember, we saw that in Genesis 28:2-4, Isaac stipulated to Jacob that
he was to take a wife from among the daughters of Rebekah’s brother, Laban. This
has become the purpose of Jacob’s trip now that the Lord has appeared to him at
Bethel and confirmed his father’s stipulation.
At this point in his life, Jacob is forty years of age.
In Genesis 29:13-14, we will see Jacob meeting Laban for the first time and
staying with Laban for a month. Genesis 29:15-20 presents to us the record of
Jacob agreeing to work for Laban for seven years in exchange for being betrothed
to Rachel. In Genesis 29:21-24, we see that the seven years have been completed
and Jacob demands that Laban give him Rachel to consummate their marriage. But
instead of giving Jacob Rachel, Laban deceives Jacob on his wedding night by
sending into his tent her older sister Leah.
The Birth of Jacob’s Children
Genesis 29:31-35 contains the record of Leah bearing Jacob four sons whose
names are Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah. Genesis 29:31 actually begins a
section that ends in Genesis 30:24 and contains the story of the birth of Jacob’s
children who would later become the progenitors of the twelve tribes of Israel,
from whom the Messiah Jesus Christ in His human nature would descend. This
section is basically a study of love, sex, marriage and children and sounds like a
“soap opera,” with Jacob hopping from bedroom to bedroom and his wives
competing with each other for his love and affection.
Unlike today’s modern soap operas on television, the soap opera found in
Genesis 29:31-30:24 is not designed to entertain us or encourage us to sin but
rather, quite the opposite, it is designed to encourage us to live righteously before
the Lord.
Genesis 29:31-30:24 can be divided into six sections: (1) The Lord opens
Leah’s womb (29:31-35). (2) Rachel’s desire for children achieved through Bilhah
(30:1-8). (3) Leah responds to Rachel by giving Jacob Zilpah who bears him two
boys (30:9-13). (4) Leah desires sex from Jacob (30:14-15). (5) Jacob has sex with
Leah (30:16-21) (6) God finally opens Rachel’s womb (30:22-24).
The whole episode is driven by Leah’s longing for Jacob’s love and Rachel’s
craving for children. Leah’s frequent pregnancies only aggravate Rachel’s
frustration at her own childlessness. It is interesting that the struggle of the sisters,
Leah and Rachel, mirrors the struggle between the brothers, Esau and Jacob of
trying to out do one another.

This account is written like a soap opera so that we might be able to identify
with these two women, both of whom desperately fight for Jacob’s love and
affection. The circumstances surrounding the birth of Jacob’s children demonstrate
the graciousness of God towards His people and in particular the nation of Israel
who descended from the twelve sons of Jacob.
The record of the birth of Jacob’s children is important since it emphasizes the
fulfillment of the Lord’s promise to Jacob to provide him with numerous
descendants. Therefore, this passage demonstrates the faithfulness of God in
providing descendants as He had promised to Jacob even though he was unfaithful
to God.
2 Timothy 2:13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny
Himself. (NASB95)
Psalm 145:13 The LORD is faithful to all his promises. (NASB95)
Jacob’s Family
Bilhah Zilpah Leah Rachel
Dan Naphtali Gad Asher Benjamin Joseph
Reuben Simeon Levi Judah Issachar Zebulun Dinah
Genesis 29:31 Now the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened
her womb, but Rachel was barren. (NASB95)
The statement “the Lord saw that Leah was unloved and He opened her
womb” expresses the Lord’s compassion towards Leah and that He acted
decisively on her behalf by giving her children. God’s love is “compassionate”
meaning that God intensely desires and will act to alleviate the pain and suffering
of another or remove its cause (1 John 3:16-17).
Psalm 116:5 Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; Yes, our God is
compassionate. (NASB95)

The expression “the LORD saw” often is used in the Old Testament of the
Lord acting decisively, often for the weak and oppressed (cf. 6:5; 7:1; 18:21;
31:12; Ex. 2:25; 4:31).
“Unloved” is the verb sane, which means, “hate” in the sense that Jacob
rejected Leah as the sole object of all his love and affection and loved her less than
Rachel. The word does “not” mean that he was hostile and antagonistic towards
her or was cold, and indifferent towards her since Genesis 29:30 records that Jacob
“loved Rachel more than Leah” indicating that Jacob did have love for Leah but
it wasn’t as intense as his love for Rachel.
Genesis 29:32 Leah conceived and bore a son and named him Reuben, for
she said, “Because the LORD has seen my affliction; surely now my husband
will love me.” (NASB95)
The first child that Leah bore to Jacob was “Reuben” whose name means,
“behold or see, a son.” In the Hebrew, his name honors the Lord and is a play on
the consonants of the name having a similar sound to the Hebrew for “He (the
Lord) looked (with concern) on my misery.”
Leah recognized the grace of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and hoped
that Jacob would recognize the Lord’s hand in this and that her bearing a son
would not only raise her in Jacob’s esteem but also cause him to love her but it did
not.
“The Lord has seen my affliction” echoes the similar remark made by Hagar
recorded in Genesis 16:13 “You are a God who sees (my affliction).” (NASB95)
Leah’s firstborn Reuben, like all children, was a gift from the Lord.
Genesis 29:33 Then she conceived again and bore a son and said, “Because
the LORD has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son
also.” So she named him Simeon. (NASB95)
The second child that Leah bore to Jacob was “Simeon” whose name means,
“the Lord has heard.”
The name “Simeon” in the Hebrew is from “the Lord has heard that am
hated,” which echoes the similar remark made by the Lord to Hagar recorded in
Genesis 16:11.
The first two names of Leah’s children replicate a pair of verbs (“to see” and
“to hear”) express the Lord’s providential concern and care for the unfortunate.
Genesis 29:34 She conceived again and bore a son and said, “Now this time
my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three
sons.” Therefore he was named Levi. (NASB95)
The third child that Leah bore to Jacob was “Levi” whose name means,
“attached, joined.” This name is from “My husband will be attached to me.” In
spite of the Lord bestowing His grace upon her in giving her a third child, Leah
does not have her hope realized and must learn to find her emotional fulfillment in
her relationship with the Lord. This child would be a blessing since the Aaronic
priestly line in Israel and the tribe of Levi who ministered in the music and worship
of the Temple were descended from Leah.
Genesis 29:35 And she conceived again and bore a son and said, “This time
I will praise the LORD.” Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped
bearing. (NASB95)
The fourth child that Leah bore to Jacob was “Judah” whose name means, “I
will praise the Lord.” By naming this fourth child yehudhah, “Judah,” Leah is
again honoring the Lord and expressing the fact that she is able to transcend her
distress that her husband Jacob does not prefer her over Rachel. This child would
be a blessing since King David and the Lord Jesus Christ would descend from the
tribe of Judah.
Hebrews 7:14 For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah.
(NASB95)
Though Leah was not the sole object of Jacob’s affections, the Lord blessed her
in the sense that He gave her the privilege of being the mother of Jacob’s first four
sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah who was the ancestor of David and the
Lord Jesus.
Levi’s descendants were given the honor of being the priestly tribe in Israel
whereas King David and the Lord Jesus Christ were both from the tribe of Judah.
Each of the names of her first four children honor the Lord and express the
depth of her pain as being the rejected and not the preferred woman in Jacob’s life.
Leah names three of her first four children in honor of the Lord (29:32-33, 35)
and by giving these names she confesses her faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob, not the gods of her father Laban.
The Lord permitted Leah to remain in this difficult marriage situation with
Jacob in order to test her faith.
Jeremiah 20:12 Yet, O LORD of hosts, You who test the righteous, who see
the mind and the heart. (NASB95)
The faith of Leah was tested in order to produce endurance in her (cf. James
1:2-4). The Lord rewarded the faith of Leah by giving her children and a more
intimate fellowship with Himself, which was much more important than her
relationship with her husband Jacob (James 1:12).
The Lord permitted Leah to remain in this difficult marriage in order to teach
her about perseverance in prayer, which is the capacity to continue to bear up
under difficult circumstances (Matthew 7:7). The faith of Leah in praying for a
child demonstrates the spiritual principle that you appropriate the omnipotence of
God by operating in faith (cf. Matthew 17:20). The fact that Leah was permitted by
the Lord to remain in this difficult marriage with Jacob was to demonstrate His
power in her weakness and suffering (cf. 2 Corinthians 12:1-12). Therefore, if you
are in a difficult marriage or you are not married and yet desire to be married or
you are childless and want to have children, the Lord has permitted you to remain
in your circumstances in order to demonstrate His power in your human weakness
and give you a more intimate fellowship with Himself.
In Genesis 30:1-8, we have Rachel’s maid Bilhah bearing Jacob two more sons,
Dan and Naphtali.
Genesis 30:1 Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she
became jealous of her sister; and she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or else
I die.” (NASB95)
“Jealous” is the verb qana and to be “jealous” is to desire to have the same or
the same sort of thing for oneself and so therefore, Rachel is jealous of Leah in the
sense that she desires to have children just like Leah.
Jealousy is a mental attitude sin directed toward another, which is resentful,
intolerant and suspicious of another’s success, possessions or relationships and is
vigilant in maintaining or guarding something.
Rachel was jealous of Leah in the sense that she desired to have children like
her and was resentful and intolerant and suspicious of Leah and her success having
children and she was also guarded over her relationship with Jacob and did not
tolerate Leah and considered her a rival.
Jealousy is included in the list of sins produced by the old sin nature in both the
believer and unbeliever (Rom. 1:29; Gal. 5:21; Titus 3:3; 1 Pet. 2:1).
Rachel was not satisfied with Jacob’s love and affection and attention and
wanted sons just as Leah was having them. She blames Jacob for her problem of
not be able to get pregnant since she fails to understand that children are a gift
from the Lord.
The Lord had prevented her from getting pregnant in order to test her faith and
to teach her perseverance and produce endurance in her (See Jeremiah 20:12;
James 1:2-4).
Rachel is impatient with the Lord and the fact that Rachel gives Jacob her maid
Bilhah demonstrates that she is not operating in faith at this point.
The Lord prevented Jacob from having children with Rachel in order to teach
them about perseverance in prayer, which is the capacity to continue to bear up
under difficult circumstances (See Matthew 7:7).
At this point in the narrative, Rachel is not persevering in prayer but is taking
things into her own hands and trying to solve her problems independently of the
Lord.
The fact that Rachel was barren gave the Lord an opportunity to demonstrate
His power in her life (See Jeremiah 32:27).
Rachel’s demand of Jacob that he give her children reveals that Jacob has been
reduced to a stud in the rivalry between Rachel and Leah.
Her statement “I’ll die” expresses her extreme grief over the matter of being
childless. Even though she is the object of Jacob’s love and affection and attention,
she does not consider life worth living without children. Ironically, she dies giving
birth to Benjamin (See Genesis 35:16-19).
The sight of Leah’s children filled Rachel with jealousy. Rachel’s jealousy of
her sister Leah is rooted in her social disgrace as a barren wife.
Gordon J. Wenham, “It was a serious matter for a man to be childless in the
ancient world, for it left him without an heir. But it was even more calamitous for a
woman: to have a great brood of children was the mark of success as a wife; to
have none was ignominious failure” (Word Biblical Commentary series, Genesis
15—50; Waco: Word Books, 1994).
She wants to gain respect and publicly to validate her marriage to Jacob.
Ironically, Rachel is jealous of a sister who has been pawned off to a husband
who does not love her exclusively. Each woman wants what the other has and
neither treasures what she has been given for its own value.
Rachel’s demand of Jacob to give her children is ridiculous since he has proven
himself to be fertile in that he has fathered four boys with Leah at this time. It is
also unreasonable since the Lord must enable Rachel to get pregnant and He has
not seen fit to do so at this time in her life for reasons we have noted earlier.
Genesis 30:2 Then Jacob's anger burned against Rachel, and he said, “Am
I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?”
(NASB95)
Jacob deals with Rachel’s impatience by being impatient with her. Jacob’s
anger is not justified and therefore, is not “righteous indignation” as the Lord Jesus
Christ displayed with the Pharisees in calling them “hypocrites” and “white
washed sepulchers that are filled with dead men’s’ bones” (See Matthew 23:13-
29).
Even though Jacob’s response to Rachel’s demands is accurate theologically, it
was misapplied and was motivated out of frustration, impatience with her and a
lack of compassion for her situation rather than love. Jacob’s response is a classic
example of a believer “not” speaking truth in love to someone.
His response demonstrates a lack of sensitivity to Rachel’s situation of not
having children, which as we noted was calamitous for a woman in the ancient
world and brought on public ridicule from other women. Jacob should have been
compassionate towards her by offering words of encouragement and speaking truth
to her in love and not in frustration.
Unlike his father Isaac who interceded in prayer for his wife Rebekah to get
pregnant, Jacob does not follow his example demonstrating that he is a spiritual
child at this time.

Genesis 30:3 She said, “Here is my maid Bilhah, go in to her that she may
bear on my knees, that through her I too may have children.” (NASB95)
Rachel deals with her problem of being barren just as Sarah dealt with the same
problem, namely, by employing a concubine. Just as Sarah resorted to a custom
acceptable in her culture, though contrary to God's will, to secure an heir for
Abraham (cf. 16:1-2) so Rachel does the same in order to secure a child for Jacob.
On the contrary, Isaac prayed that God would open Rebekah's womb and waited
(25:21). Rachel and Jacob followed the example of Sarah and Abraham.
The people in Abraham, Isaac and Jacob’s culture regarded a concubine as a
secondary wife with some, but not all, of the rights and privileges of the primary
wife so in effect Bilhah became Jacob’s concubine. Not only was using a
concubine an option, but in Hurrian culture husbands sometimes required that if
their wife could not bear children she had to provide a concubine for him. This
custom helps explain why Jacob was willing to be a part of Rachel’s plan that
seems so unusual to us and though using a woman other than one's wife was a
custom of the day it was never God's desire (2:24; Matt. 19:4-5).
Rachel is not trusting in the Lord at this point in the narrative since she chooses
to solve her problem of being barren by following the custom of the cosmic system
of Satan in that day in offering her maid Bilhah to Jacob in order to produce
children for her.
Psalm 27:14 Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the
LORD. (NASB95)
Rachel’s command “go in to her” is a euphemism for sexual intercourse and
demonstrates that Rachel was demanding immediate action from Jacob and was
“wearing the pants” in the marriage and was out of the will of God since the wife’s
responsibility is to be obedient to her husband (Eph. 5:22-25; Col. 3:18; 1 Pet. 3:1-
7).
At this point in the narrative, Rachel is a contentious woman.
Proverbs 25:24 It is better to live in a corner of the roof than in a house
shared with a contentious woman. (NASB95)
The phrase “that she may bear on my knees” signifies that the child that
Bilhah will bear for Jacob will be adopted by Rachel as her child.
Nahum Sarna commenting on this expression makes the following comment:
“The key to this phrase lies in a symbolic gesture, widely attested in Near Eastern
sources, especially Hittite, as well as in the cultures of ancient Greece and Rome.
The placing or reception of a child on or by the knees of another signifies
legitimation, whether in acknowledgement of physical parenthood or by adoption.
This practice is again referred to in the Bible in Genesis 48:12 and 50:23 and in
Job 3:12. Its origin is in the idea of the knee as the seat of generative power” (The
JPS Torah Commentary, pages 207-208, The Jewish Publication Society).
Genesis 30:4 So she gave him her maid Bilhah as a wife, and Jacob went in
to her. (NASB95)
The statement “Jacob went in to her (Bilhah)” reveals that Jacob had failed
not only spiritually by operating in unbelief but also failed in his authority in the
marriage as Rachel’s husband. His response should have been no and he should
have explained to Rachel in love that the Lord would give her a child in His
timing.
Notice that Jacob and Rachel are never said to consult the Lord in prayer
because they have decided to take things into their own hands.
Genesis 30:4 records that Rachel gave Bilhah to Jacob “as a wife” whereas
Genesis 35:22 describes Bilhah as Jacob’s “concubine.” This apparent
contradiction is reconciled when we understand that a concubine was considered in
Abraham’s day to be a “second-class wife,” acquired without payment of bride-
money and possessing fewer legal rights.
In the Old Testament period, a concubine was a legal wife but one of secondary
rank and she could be sent away with a small gift. Therefore, the children of a
concubine did not have the same legal rights as the wife and so the inheritance
would go to the child of the wife rather than the concubine.
Genesis 30:5 Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. 6 Then Rachel said,
“God has vindicated me, and has indeed heard my voice and has given me a
son.” Therefore she named him Dan. (NASB95)
Rachel’s use of the term Elohim, “God” demonstrates her awareness that God
has sovereignly intervened in her life by enabling Bilhah her maid to get pregnant
by Jacob.
Rachel’s idea worked according to plan and Bilhah conceived and bore a son
who Rachel named “Dan.” The name “Dan” means, “God has vindicated me.”
Notice that Rachel does not consider the birth of Dan merely as a blessing from
the Lord but rather as the justice due her as a hopeless victim. On the surface, it
appears that Rachel is spiritual by giving credit to God for Bilhah’s pregnancy but
in reality Rachel is using the Lord’s name in vain since the use of concubines by
God’s people to solve barrenness in contrast to waiting on God is never authorized
by God. She ascribes the success of her plot to God, but in reality God did not give
her the child based on her prayer but rather He gave her the child as a result of his
permissive will since the directive will of God rules out concubines but the
permissive will permitted the birth of this child.
How could God bless the ugly vindication of a jealous woman over her sister?
Rachel must have had very little idea Who she was talking about.
She says that the birth of Dan was an answer to prayer but she is in error since
God would never answers a prayer that is against His will and Rachel’s use of a

concubine rather than waiting on God to solve her problem of barrenness was
against the will of God (See 1 John 5:14; James 4:3).
Genesis 30:7 Rachel's maid Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a
second son. 8 So Rachel said, “With mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with
my sister, and I have indeed prevailed.” And she named him Naphtali.
(NASB95)
The name “Naphtali” explains Rachel’s naming of the first child “Dan,” which
means, “God has vindicated me.” The name “Naphtali” means, “my wrestling”
indicates that Rachel viewed her relationship with her sister Leah to be like a
wrestling match.
“With my wrestlings I have wrestled” in the Hebrew text literally reads
“wrestlings with God, I have wrestled (with my sister)” since the Hebrew contains
the noun naphtulim, “wrestlings,” which is followed by the noun Elohim, “God”
and the verb pathal, “to wrestle.”
Rachel’s statement means that she wrestled in prayer with God to give her a
child through Bilhah in order to be victorious over Leah.
Of course, God did not give Bilhah a child based on Rachel’s prayer because it
was offered with wrong motivation and was against His will but rather God gave
Bilhah a child based upon His permissive will. The statement made by Rachel on
the occasion of the birth of Bilhah’s second son is reflective of her true spiritual
state at this time since it appears that she saw herself in a great wrestling match,
not with God, but with her sister.
She states that she has triumphed over Leah by Bilhah giving birth to Naphtali.
This is a ridiculous statement by Rachel since how can two adopted sons win out
over four of Leah’s sons? Therefore, Rachel’s statement in Genesis 30:8 indicates
that she erroneously believed that God was on her side with the birth of these two
boys, Dan and Naphtali and has given her the victory over her sister Leah.
Genesis 30:9-13 presents the record of Leah’s maid Zilpah bearing two more
children for Jacob, namely, Gad and Asher.
Genesis 30:9 When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she took her
maid Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. (NASB95)
Rachel’s victory is short-lived. Anything that Rachel does, Leah seeks to do
better. It is tit for tat with these two. Leah has lowered herself to the level of
Rachel. She is now seeking revenge against Rachel and is therefore sinning and out
of fellowship at this point in her life.
The rivalry between Rachel and Leah escalates as Leah gives Jacob her maid
Zilpah as a concubine in response to Rachel giving Bilhah as a concubine for
Jacob. There was no need for Leah to do this since she already had four children of
her own with Jacob. There was no need to give her maid Zilpah to Jacob for a wife.
Other than the fact that this was what Rachel had done.
If Rachel can employ her maid in this contest, Leah feels that so can she. The
situation has completely gotten out of hand now. Jacob could have found an excuse
to accept Bilhah from Rachel, but there is none for his taking Zilpah. He must have
known that he was the tool of his wives’ jealousy, but evidently he does not care.
Through Zilpah, Gad and Asher are added to the family. Leah seems to have
given up on God now. While she praised the Lord at the birth of Judah, she does
not ascribe the birth of Gad to divine intervention.
Just as Bilhah was a concubine so is Zilpah.
Genesis 30:10 Leah's maid Zilpah bore Jacob a son. 11 Then Leah said,
“How fortunate!” So she named him Gad. (NASB95)
The name “Gad” (dG*) (gawd) comes from “What good fortune” and indicates
that Leah attributes this child to fortune or good luck rather than God.
Genesis 30:12 Leah's maid Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 13 Then Leah
said, “Happy am I! For women will call me happy.” So she named him Asher.
(NASB95)
The name “Asher” is from “women will call me happy” and indicates that Leah
thinks she is to be envied by other women. The name of this child demonstrates
that Leah’s happiness is based upon her success over her sister Rachel.
Leah’s speech betrays her here. Not once is God mentioned. In the heat of this
battle between two wives, little thought is given to the ethics of their actions, only
to the expected results. She who previously had viewed her children as a gift from
the Lord now sees these sons as merely good fortune—“How lucky I am,” “How
fortunate,” and “How happy am I.” Devotion to the Lord has been thrown to the
wind by Leah. The focus of her thinking has shifted from God’s estimation of her
actions to the praise she would be given by other women (verse 13).
In Genesis 30:14-21, we have Leah bearing Jacob two more sons, namely,
Issachar and Zebulun and a daughter whose name was Dinah.
Genesis 30:14 Now in the days of wheat harvest Reuben went and found
mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel
said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son's mandrakes.” 15 But she said
to her, “Is it a small matter for you to take my husband? And would you take
my son's mandrakes also?” So Rachel said, “Therefore he may lie with you
tonight in return for your son's mandrakes.” (NASB95)
The Gezer calendar gives us insight as to when the wheat harvest took place.
The Gezer calendar dating about 925 B.C was discovered by R. A. S. Macalister in
his excavations at Gezer, which guarded the primary route into the Israelite hill
country and was one of the most strategic cities in the Canaanite and Israelite
periods. Gezer is a prominent 33-acre site that overlooked the Aijalon Valley and
the road leading through it to Jerusalem. The Gezer calendar reveals that the wheat

harvest took place from mid-April to mid-May. Therefore, during the spring time,
Genesis 30:14 records the oldest son of Leah and Jacob roaming the fields and
finding some mandrakes for his mother.
The fact that he is roaming the fields alone indicates that Reuben is old enough
to be left alone and he must have been somewhere between six and ten years of
age.
“Mandrakes” is the noun dudha’im, which were plants common to southern
Palestine and other areas of the world and were used as an aphrodisiac in the
ancient world and were thought to promote fertility.
The mandrake has been called the “love-apple” and in the West, the “May-
apple.” Mandrakes are from the nightshade family, the mandrakes leaves are dark
green and the flowers are purple or greenish yellow. The plant bears a reddish or
orange colored fruit that resembles a small tomato and which has a strong smell
and sweet, though poisonous, taste.
The mandrake is grown in fields and rough ground of Palestine and the
Mediterranean region and is reputed to have emetic, purgative, narcotic qualities.
Its fruit exudes a heady, distinctive fragrance.
Mandrakes can interfere with the transmission of nerve impulses and the
ancient world considered the plant an aphrodisiac and was thought to promote
fertility. The plant’s thick root is often forked with extra side roots giving the
appearance of arms and legs.
Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, beauty and sex, was called “Lady of the
Mandrake.”
In Song of Solomon 7:10-13 the female spouse enticed her husband to
lovemaking by describing the preparations she had made, including the pleasant
fragrance of the mandrake.
Therefore, Genesis 30:14 records Jacob and Leah’s oldest son Reuben roaming
the fields in the spring time during the wheat harvest and coming upon the
mandrake, whose leaves and fruit would be appealing to the eye of a child.
Reuben’s innocent discovery of an ancient “love-producing potion” provided
the occasion for another confrontation and contest between Jacob’s two wives,
Rachel and Leah. When Rachel sees that Reuben has found some mandrakes that
were considered an aphrodisiac and fertility drug in her day, she requests the
mandrakes thinking they would solve her problem of infertility.
Leah’s strong retort reminds us that, in her mind, it was Rachel who had stolen
her husband from her. She viewed herself as Jacob’s legitimate wife rather than
Rachel, who was merely his romantic preference.
Rachel proposed an exchange with Leah, believing that the mandrakes would
enable her to get pregnant. Leah exploited Rachel’s desperate desire to get
pregnant by offering to give her the mandrakes in exchange for a night with Jacob.
The expression “lie with you” is a euphemism of sexual intercourse. The fact
that Rachel was willing to make such an offer with Leah reveals how much Jacob
favors her over Leah in that she is prepared trade a night of sex with Jacob for the
mandrakes, which she hopes will enable her to conceive. It also reveals how
desperate Rachel is to have children in that she would make a deal with Leah,
exchanging a night of sex with Jacob for the mandrakes.
Leah’s response is not recorded indicating that she grudgingly agrees to
Rachel’s proposal, which backfires on Rachel since Leah conceives again. Also,
the fact that Rachel could make a proposal to Leah, exchanging a night with Jacob
for the mandrakes indicates that Rachel was deciding which of Jacob’s wives or
concubines would sleep with him on any given night. Rachel is again
demonstrating a lack of faith in the Lord who alone can cause women to conceive.
The fact that Rachel believes that the mandrakes will enable her to conceive and
have a child indicates that she still is not free from her pagan background since
only the Lord can enable her to have children. Rachel was so lacking in faith that
she put her trust in mandrakes rather than the God Who made them.
Genesis 30:16 When Jacob came in from the field in the evening, then Leah
went out to meet him and said, “You must come in to me, for I have surely
hired you with my son's mandrakes.” So he lay with her that night. (NASB95)
Outside of the home of Jacob, Laban has degraded Jacob to a shepherd under
contract to him and now inside his own home, this has taken place.
This is actually the fourth exchange that has taken place in the life of Jacob: (1)
Exchange of birthright with Esau for a bowl of red lintel soup (2) Exchange of
blessing (3) Exchange of wives, Rachel and Leah (4) Exchange of Jacob as a
husband between Rachel and Leah for sex by hire.
In the first two exchanges, Jacob is the victimizer but in the last two, he is the
victim.
Leah’s statement to Jacob “I have surely hired you” indicates that Jacob has
been reduced to a “stud for hire.”
The expression “He lay with her” is a euphemism of sexual intercourse.
“Lay” is the verb shakhav, which is used as a euphemism for sex and is never
used for loving marital intercourse in Genesis but only for illicit or forced sex:
Lot’s daughters with Lot (19:32-35); the Philistines with Rebekah (26:10);
Shechem with Dinah (34:2, 7); Reuben with Bilhah (35:22); Potiphar’s wife with
Joseph (39:7, 10, 12, 14).
We can be sure that Jacob not only accepted the offer because of the sex
involved but also to keep the peace in his own home.
Genesis 30:17 God gave heed to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a
fifth son. (NASB95)

The statement “God gave heed to Leah” emphasizes the omnipotence of God
indicating that God alone enabled Leah to get pregnant, and thus dismisses the
notion that such pagan superstitions about the mandrakes have any validity.
Psalm 113:9 He makes the barren woman abide in the house as a joyful
mother of children. Praise the LORD! (NASB95)
Genesis 30:14-16 clearly reveals that Rachel placed her faith in the pagan
superstition about the mandrakes whereas Leah placed her faith in God.
Remember, the mandrakes were thought to enable barren women to get pregnant,
which would draw the interest of Rachel who was barren whereas the mandrakes
were also an aphrodisiac, which would have attracted a woman like Leah who was
looking for ways to attract Jacob. Rachel embraced the pagan superstition about
the mandrakes and Leah did not.
Rachel’s faith in the pagan superstition about the mandrakes is indicated by the
fact that she was willing to exchange a night with Jacob for the mandrakes in the
hopes that the mandrakes would help her get pregnant. On the other hand, Leah
placed her faith in God, which is indicated by the statement that “God gave heed
to Leah,” implying that Leah prayed to God to enable her to get pregnant.
The fact that God is said to have given heed to Leah clearly implies that she
prayed to get pregnant by Jacob again and God answered her. The fact that Leah
placed her trust in God to enable her to get pregnant whereas Rachel placed her
faith in a pagan superstition is another indication that Leah and not Rachel was
Jacob’s right woman.
Genesis 30:18 Then Leah said, “God has given me my wages because I gave
my maid to my husband.” So she named him Issachar. (NASB95)
Leah’s use of the term Elohim, “God” emphasizes the omnipotence of God and
demonstrates her awareness that God alone has enabled her to get pregnant again
and not the mandrakes.
The noun Elohim, “God” emphasizes to the reader that God is omnipotent or
all-powerful and is able to bring to pass that which He has determined to take
place.
The name “Issachar” means “reward.”
Leah’s statement “God has given me my wages because I gave my maid to
my husband” indicates that she views Issachar’s birth as a reward for her giving
Zilpah to Jacob. This statement implies that she viewed this as a costly sacrifice,
though at the time the births of Gad and Asher were joyful occasions. She has
misinterpreted the reason why God enabled her to get pregnant.
Leah’s has erroneously interpreted the meaning of her fifth son since the birth
of Issachar was a gift of God’s grace and a demonstration of His compassion in
response to her adverse circumstances. Leah erroneously chose to interpret this son
as evidence of God’s approval and blessing of her giving her maid Zilpah to Jacob.
In actuality, God “rewarded” Leah’s faith in Him. Therefore, God in His grace
heard Leah’s prayer for a child and rewarded her faith in Him by giving her
another son by Jacob.
Grace is all that God is free to do in imparting unmerited blessings to us based
upon on our faith in the merits of the Person and Work of Jesus Christ.
Genesis 30:19 Leah conceived again and bore a sixth son to Jacob. 20 Then
Leah said, “God has endowed me with a good gift; now my husband will dwell
with me, because I have borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun.
(NASB95)
Leah’s statement that “God has endowed me with a good gift” expresses her
acknowledgment that God alone by means of His omnipotence has empowered her
to get pregnant and bear another child and that this child is a gift from Him.
“Dwell” is the verb zaval, which does “not” mean, “to dwell” with someone but
rather means, “to honor in the sense of acknowledging (a woman) as one’s lawful
wife” thus indicating that Leah thought that the birth of Zebulun would cause
Jacob to honor her as the sole object of his love and affection.
Leah bore Jacob a sixth son who she named “Zebulun” whose name means,
“honor” as indicated by the verb zaval, “to honor in the sense of acknowledging (a
woman) as one’s lawful wife and sole object of one’s love and affection.”
Genesis 30:21 Afterward she bore a daughter and named her Dinah.
(NASB95)
Dinah is the seventh child that Leah bore to Jacob and only girl. The name
“Dinah” means, “judgment” since the name is the feminine form of the word din
meaning “judgment.”
The record of Dinah’s birth is intended to introduce her to us in preparation for
the tragic events of Genesis 34 where she is raped by Shechem who was the son of
Hamor the Hivite the prince of the land (See Genesis 34:2). Jacob did not have
other daughters besides Dinah (cf. 37:35 and 46:7) since the term “daughters” can
be used to describe a “granddaughter” and not just a “daughter.”
In Genesis 46:7-19, the term “daughters” is used with reference to Jacob’s
“granddaughters” and not to other daughters besides Dinah since Dinah is singled
out as being his only daughter and the daughters of Jacob’s son are listed.
Genesis 30:22-24 completes the section of the book of Genesis containing the
record of the birth of Jacob’s children, and which section began in Genesis 29:31.
In this passage we will see the Lord remembering Rachel and enabling her to
finally bear Jacob a boy who they named Joseph.
Genesis 30:22 Then God remembered Rachel, and God gave heed to her
and opened her womb. (NASB95)

When Genesis 30:22 says that “God remembered Rachel” it does “not” mean
that He had forgotten her but rather it signifies that God according to His timetable
is about to act on Rachel’s behalf by giving her the capacity to get pregnant.
The framework of the story of Jacob’s children implies that Rachel had to wait
at least seven years after marrying Jacob to bear her first child and fourteen years
since their betrothal (See Genesis 29:18, 27).
The statement “God remembered Rachel” expresses the Lord’s compassion
towards Rachel and that He acted decisively on her behalf by giving her a child.
God’s love is “compassionate” meaning that God intensely desires and will act to
alleviate the pain and suffering of another or remove its cause (1 John 3:16-17).
The statement “God gave heed to her (Rachel)” implies that Rachel prayed to
God to enable her to get pregnant and expresses her faith in God. At this point in
her life, Rachel stopped trusting in the pagan superstition that mandrakes could get
her pregnant and instead trusted in God who honored her faith in Him by
answering her prayer for a child of her own. After all of Rachel’s devices and
schemes have been exhausted, God grants her the desire of her heart.
Genesis 30:23 So she conceived and bore a son and said, “God has taken
away my reproach.” (NASB95)
Rachel’s statement that “God has taken away my reproach” reveals that in
her day it was calamitous for a woman to be childless and marked her as an
ignominious failure in the eyes of others.
Genesis 30:24 She named him Joseph, saying, “May the LORD give me
another son.” (NASB95)
The name “Joseph” literally means, “He adds,” which is a play on the verb
yasaph, “to add” and is also a prayer for another child, foreshadowing the birth of
Benjamin.
Rachel refers to God with the personal covenant name of God Yahweh, “Lord,”
which emphasizes the “immanency” of God who intervened in the life of Rachel
providing her with a child in order to fulfill His covenant promises to Jacob.
Up to this point in Genesis 30, the term Elohim, “God” has been used
exclusively and not the covenant name of God Yahweh, “Lord” in order to
emphasize the omnipotence of God which enabled Rachel and Leah to conceive
and bear children for Jacob in fulfillment of His covenant promise to Jacob to give
him numerous progeny.
The fact that Rachel refers to God with the covenant name of God, Yahweh
indicates that she is a believer.
The jealousy, bickering, superstition, and weak faith demonstrated by Jacob and
his wives Rachel and Leah stand out in Genesis 29:31-30:24. God's gift of children
was gracious since He gave them in spite of, rather than because of, the behavior of
the parents, which Rachel acknowledged finally as did Jacob.
This account of the origin of the twelve tribes of Israel must have proved to be
most humbling to the nation of Israel who first read the book of Genesis since it
was hardly a story which would have inspired national pride. This story would
serve to remind them that their “roots” were no basis for pride whatsoever. They
must never trust in their heritage, as the Jews of Jesus’ day did (cf. John 8:33, 39),
but in the God of their heritage. This is why God instructed them to recite their
origins at the presentation of the first-fruits (Deuteronomy 26:5).
Jacob Wrestles with the Lord
In Genesis 30:25-34, we have the record of Jacob’s proposal to Laban regarding

flocks, which Laban agrees to. Genesis 30:35-36 records Laban’s mistrust of
Jacob. As we noted in Genesis 28:10-15, the Lord promised Jacob His presence
and protection while he was in Paddan Aram.
In Genesis 29:31-30:24, we saw that the Lord has prospered Jacob in the sense
that He has given him eleven sons and one daughter while in Paddan Aram.
Therefore, in this passage, we see the Lord building Jacob’s house but in Genesis
30:25-43, we see the Lord building Jacob’s property.
Genesis 30:25-43 takes place over the last six years of Jacob’s exile in Paddan
Aram (See Genesis 31:41). In Genesis 30:37-43, we see the Lord intervening in the
life of Jacob rendering him justice for being mistreated by Laban for the past
fourteen years by instructing him regarding selective breeding techniques among
Laban’s flocks, which produced for him numerous offspring.
Genesis 31 records for us the story of Jacob’s departure from Laban in Paddan
Aram. This chapter contains the final act in the drama of the tumultuous
relationship between Jacob and Laban. In Genesis 31:1-2, we will see Laban and
his sons displaying a bad attitude towards Jacob because the Lord has been
prospering Jacob and giving him spotted, speckled and stripe flocks from Laban’s
solid colored flocks. Also, we will see in Genesis 31:3, the Lord commanding
Jacob to leave Laban and return home to the land of Canaan and his father Isaac. In
Genesis 31:4-16, we have the record of Jacob informing his wives that the Lord
has commanded him to leave Laban and his wives agree to leave with him. In
Genesis 31:22-24, we have the record of Laban pursuing Jacob and overtaking him
and confronting him in the hill country of Gilead.
Genesis 31:25-31 records Jacob leaving Laban secretly out of fear that Laban
would take his wives and children from him and which fear was due to a lack of
faith in the Lord to honor His promise to protect him from Laban. Genesis 31:31-
35 records Jacob’s response to Laban’s accusations as well as Rachel’s deceiving
her father Laban.

Genesis 31:36-42 contains Jacob’s speech before Laban and all their relatives,
which is delivered with ferocious intensity and summarizes his twenty years with
Laban. In Genesis 31:36-38, Jacob demonstrates his innocence from being wrongly
accused of stealing the teraphim in the present and his innocence in the past in not
stealing from Laban’s flocks. In Genesis 31:39-40, he presents to his audience the
difficult conditions he had to work under. In Genesis 31:41-42, Jacob appeals to
God’s vindication of him in the past and in the present in Laban’s dream. Genesis
31:43-55 presents to us the record of Laban’s response to Jacob’s scathing rebuke,
which is to propose a non-aggression pact with Jacob at Mizpah.
Genesis 32:1-2 presents to us the record of Jacob encountering the angels of
God as he was returning to the land of Canaan and naming the place, “Mahanaim,”
which means, “This is God’s camp.”
Genesis 32:3-6 records Jacob sending a delegation to his brother Esau in order
to communicate to him his desire to reconcile with him. Genesis 32:7-8 records
Jacob responding to the report from his messengers that Esau was advancing
towards him with four hundred men by dividing his family into two companies in
order to save lives. Also, Genesis 32:9-12 records Jacob praying for protection
from Esau and claiming the covenant promises of God (32:9-12) in prayer in order
to meet his fear of Esau.
Genesis 32:13-21 presents to us the record of Jacob sending gifts to Esau to
restore stealing the blessing of the birthright and thus pacifying him in case Esau
has hostile intentions towards him. In Genesis 32:22-23, we see that by faith Jacob
sends his family across the Jabbok River and into the land of Canaan.
In Genesis 32:24a, we see Jacob alone in prayer prior to his encounter with
Esau and entrance into the land of Canaan, which was in obedience to the Lord’s
command.
Genesis 32:24 Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him
until daybreak. (NASB95)
So after Jacob had done everything he could in the way of offering restitution to
Esau for his deceitfulness towards Esau twenty years before, and after sending his
wives and children across, we see Jacob alone.
Several questions come to mind when we view this passage. First of all, why
did Jacob rise in the night and send his family across at night, why not wait till
daylight? Secondly, why after taking his family across the Jabbok, did he return to
the other side of the river to be alone?
The answer to both of these questions is that Jacob wanted to be alone with God
in prayer before his meeting with Esau the next morning. He knew that Esau would
not arrive until the next morning and so his family would be safe for the night with
the other servants.

Though the text does not say specifically, the implication is that Jacob sent
everyone across the Jabbok and stayed behind in order to be completely alone with
God in prayer. So we see that Jacob prayed not only before sending the gift to Esau
but also he will pray once again after sending the gift and his family across the
Jabbok before meeting Esau.
Jacob’s desire to be alone with God in prayer presents to us a great example to
follow in approaching our relationship with God and when facing great adversity.
Then, we see in Genesis 32:24b Jacob wrestling with the preincarnate Christ.
So after Jacob had done everything he could in the way of offering restitution to
Esau for his deceitfulness towards Esau twenty years before, and after sending his
wives and children across, we see Jacob alone. Jacob wanted to be alone with God
in prayer before his meeting with Esau the next morning.
The reason why Jacob wanted to be alone with God in prayer was that
undoubtedly he was “wrestling” with his fears concerning encountering Esau the
next day. Jacob was wrestling with his fears in prayer even though by faith he
prayed for deliverance from Esau and even initiated contact with Esau and sent his
beloved family across the Jabbok directly in the path of Esau. While in prayer,
Jacob was fighting the good fight of faith.
1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith. (NASB95)
Jacob must have crossed the Jabbok again because Genesis 32:24 tells us that
he was alone. He was alone as far as other human beings are concerned but he is in
reality alone with God.
Genesis 32:24 Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him
until daybreak. (NASB95)
“And” is the conjunction we, which is employed with the imperfect tense of the
verb àvaq, “wrestled” in order to signify the next “sequential” event that took
place after Jacob was left alone in prayer with God and should therefore be
translated “then.”
“Man” is the noun ìsh, which refers to the Son of God prior to becoming a
human being permanently in Bethlehem two thousand years ago and is therefore a
“theophany” or “Christophany.”
The words “theophany” or “Christophany” are technical theological terms used
to refer to a visible or auditory manifestation of the Son of God before His
incarnation in Bethlehem (Gen. 32:29-30; Ex. 3:2; 19:18-20; Josh. 5:13-15; Dan.
3:26). Therefore, in the Old Testament a “theophany” or “Christophany” were
appearances of the “preincarnate” Christ.
The word “incarnate” is from the Latin, in and caro, whose stem carn means,
“flesh.” Therefore, the term “preincarnate” means before the Son of God became a
human being permanently in Bethlehem.

There are three stages in the career of the Lord Jesus Christ: (1) “Preincarnate”:
Eternity past as the 2nd Person of the Trinity, the Son of God. (2) “Incarnate”:
Virgin birth through the first Advent to the resurrection. (3) “Glorified Incarnate”:
Resurrection and on into eternity future.
The context indicates quite clearly Jacob wrestled with the Lord since Genesis
32:28 says that the man wrestling with Jacob says to Jacob that he has “striven
with God.”
Furthermore, in Genesis 32:29, Jacob named the place where the wrestling
match took place “Peniel,” which means, “I have seen God face to face, yet my
life has been preserved.”
These “preincarnate” appearances of the Son of God are often designated in the
Old Testament by the expression, “the angel of the Lord” or simply “angel.”
2:26; Josh. 6:17) and of the “preincarnate” Christ (Gen. 22:11; Zech. 3:1).
One must refer to the context in order to determine if the word “angel” or
“angel of the Lord” is a reference to a human or angelic messenger or a divine
messenger, i.e. the Son of God.
Hosea 12:3-5 refers to Jacob’s wrestling match with the Lord and uses the term
“angel” and identifies that angel as God. Hosea 12:4 says that Jacob “wrestled
with the angel” whereas Hosea 12:3 says that Jacob “contended with God,” and
Hosea 12:5 calls the angel “the Lord is His name,” thus identifying the angel as
God. Therefore, the context of Hosea 12:3-5 and Genesis 32:24-32 indicates quite
clearly that the “man” that Jacob wrestled with was a preincarnate appearance of
the Son of God.
Now, Moses under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit does not immediately
identify to the reader that it was the Lord that Jacob was wrestling with in order to
heighten the story’s tension and to draw the reader in. Jacob is alone, unprotected,
and in the dark and now he is attacked by some man, which would cause the reader
to take notice. Therefore, we see Jacob left alone in prayer with God and then an
unidentified man initiates a wrestling match with him at night.
“Wrestled” is the niphal form of the verb àvaq and is a play on the name
“Jabbok,” which means, “Wrestler” and Jacob’s name, which means, “heel
catcher.” So to paraphrase this word play, we could say that the Lord “Yabboked”
Jacob or “He Jacobed” him.
This wrestling match with the Lord was an “historical event” and was “not” a
dream or an allegory since you don’t wake up from a dream with a dislocated hip
as Jacob did.
Also, this wrestling match was “spiritual” as well since Hosea 12:4 states that
Jacob “wept and sought His (the Lord’s) favor” in prayer.
Jacob’s wrestling match with the preincarnate Christ is symbolic of his
struggles with both God and men.
Genesis 32:25 When he (the Lord) saw that he (the Lord) had not prevailed
against him (Jacob), he (the Lord) touched the socket of his (Jacob’s) thigh; so
the socket of Jacob's thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him. 26 Then
he (the Lord) said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” But he (Jacob) said,
“I will not let you go unless you bless me.” (NASB95)
Notice, that the Lord initiates the wrestling match and not Jacob since it states
that the Lord “wrestled with Jacob” and not “Jacob wrestled with the Man.”
Jacob did “not” want to wrestle anybody.
Remember, he had just left his uncle Laban who abused him for twenty years
and now he is about to face his old rival, Esau who had sought to kill him in the
past. Therefore, the last thing that Jacob wanted to do was pick a fight with
someone.
This wrestling match between God and Jacob is a “microcosm” or “symbolic”
of Jacob’s struggles in life with men, which in reality were with God. The
wrestling match with Jacob did “not” teach any spiritual lessons to Jacob but rather
the divine discipline that he underwent in the form of the fourteen years of hard
labor for his deceitful uncle Laban taught Jacob many spiritual lessons, which are
symbolized in the wrestling match with the Lord.
Jacob’s problems with his father Isaac (favored Esau over Jacob), his brother
Esau, and his uncle Laban, and his wives were in reality problems with God since
God permitted these people to come into his life to draw him closer to God. Since
the wrestling match depicts Jacob’s struggles with God and men, the Lord
initiating the wrestling match with Jacob symbolizes that the Lord is the one who
gave him his father Isaac and his brother Esau and brought his uncle Laban into his
life who were the source of great adversity in Jacob’s life.
God not only prospered Jacob but also permitted adversity to take place in his
life in the form of people such as his father Isaac, his twin brother Esau and his
uncle Laban.
The Son of God appeared as a man at night to illustrate this to Jacob and to the
reader that Jacob’s problems with people were in fact problems with God. In the
same way that Jacob thought he was wrestling just a mere man when in reality he
was wrestling with God so Jacob erroneously thought that his struggles in life were
with his father Isaac, his twin brother Esau and his uncle Laban when in reality
they were with God.
Jacob’s entire life could be characterized as a wrestling match with both God
and men. The first manifestation of this wrestling match was in the womb of his
mother Rebekah where both he and his twin brother were crushing each other (See

Genesis 25:22). The actions of Jacob at birth grabbing the heel of his brother Esau
was the second manifestation of this wrestling match (See Genesis 25:26).
Another manifestation of Jacob’s struggles with men was when he exploited
Esau’s hunger by getting him to exchange his birthright for a bowl of red lintel
soup (See Genesis 25:28-34). Then, there was Jacob at the instigation of his mother
Rebekah deceiving his father Isaac who was blind at the time in bestowing the
blessings of the birthright to himself rather than his brother Esau (See Genesis 27).
This was followed by Jacob’s problems with Laban who was brought into
Jacob’s life to discipline him so as to break his sinful patterns of deceitfulness and
treachery (See Genesis 29:21-28). This discipline came in the form of Laban
deceiving Jacob by sending Leah and not Rachel into his tent on his wedding night
when he had just worked seven years for Rachel. This discipline succeeded as
manifested in Jacob’s thoughtfulness and consideration of Esau’s feelings and his
desire to offer Esau restitution for cheating him out of the blessing of the birthright
Jacob’s wrestling match with God and man also manifested itself in the love life
of Jacob where he chose Rachel to be his wife because of her physical beauty
rather than based upon her character (See Genesis 29:10-20). This physical
attraction blinded Jacob as to the true identity of his right woman, which was Leah
who was not as beautiful as Rachel. As a result of this poor decision Jacob had to
deal with Leah and Rachel competing with each other in order to gain his affection
and love (See Genesis 29:31-30:24).
So we can see that the wrestling match is indicative of Jacob’s life up to the
birth of Joseph. I say that this wrestling match with God and people was indicative
of Jacob’s life up to the birth of Joseph because when Joseph was born, at the end
of the fourteen years of service for Laban, we see Jacob demonstrates a
tremendous act of faith in dealing with a problem with Laban.
If you recall in Genesis 30, Laban had cheated Jacob out of his wages for
fourteen years and after the fourteen years was completed Jacob wanted to leave
Laban. Laban didn’t want Jacob to leave because he was prospered by God for
being associated with Jacob. Therefore, Laban asked Jacob to name his wages.
Jacob asks for nothing from Laban but instead proposed to Laban that all the
spotted, speckled and striped of Laban’s flock be removed so that only solid
colored animals remain, which he would care for. Jacob proposes that his pay
would consist of only those animals yet unborn that would be less desirable to
Laban because of their markings. Therefore, it would be entirely up to the Lord as
to how many animals would become Jacob’s.
Jacob’s proposal put himself entirely at the mercy of the Lord and was a great
act of faith in the Lord on his part. This great act of faith was the first ray of
sunlight in his life and was the beginning of the end of his divine discipline.
Also, Jacob’s wrestling match with the Lord at night symbolizes the divine
discipline that Jacob underwent in the form of fourteen years of hard labor for his
deceitful uncle Laban.
The fact that the wrestling match took place at night is a picture or symbolic of
the divine discipline he underwent in the form of his fourteen years of hard labor
for his deceitful uncle Laban. This discipline was a demonstration of the Lord’s
love for Jacob.
The Lord Jesus Christ disciplines the believer in the sense that He rebukes,
punishes and trains the believer because He personally and affectionately loves the
believer (cf. Revelation 3:3:14-19). Revelation 3:20-22 teaches that the Lord
disciplines us not only because He loves us and but also because He wants to
reward us.
God disciplines His disobedient children by permitting adversity, trials, and
irritations to come into their lives that are beyond their capacity to handle in order
to get their attention and to focus upon their number one priority in life as children
of God, which is conformity to the Father’s will.
The divine discipline was successful in getting Jacob to recognize that his
number one priority in life was conformity to the will of God.
God disciplines His disobedient children by permitting them to reap the fruits of
their bad decisions so that they might learn that conformity to His will is the only
way to true joy and happiness and blessing in life (Ezek. 16:43; Gal. 6:7-8).
God permitted Jacob to reap the fruits of his bad decisions with Esau and his
father Isaac so that he might learn that conformity to His will is the only way to
true joy and happiness and blessing in life.
The Holy Spirit disciplines the disobedient child of God by rebuking them with
the Word of God as it is communicated by the pastor-teacher in the local assembly
and the purpose of such rebuke is to conform the believer to the will of his
heavenly Father, which results in blessing and true happiness.
Just as any good father disciplines his children because he loves them, so God
the Father disciplines His children because He loves them. If God did not train us
when we are obedient and punishes us when we are disobedient, then we would be
illegitimate children, thus divine discipline in the sense of punishment and training
is the mark of a child of God (cf. Hebrews 12:1-11).
Hebrews 12:10 teaches us that ultimately, God disciplines us because He wants
us to share in His character and integrity, which is meant by the phrase “share His
holiness” and to produce “the fruit of righteousness” according to Hebrews 12:11.
Righteousness deals with proper conduct towards both God and man whereas
holiness deals with the character that is result of proper conduct towards God and
man.

We are not to get angry or bitter when God disciplines us through the Word, or
adversity and underserved suffering but rather we are to listen to what God is
trying to say to us and to learn the lesson that He is teaching us so that we might
acquire the character of our heavenly Father. Jacob received discipline without
getting bitter and complaining and instead recognized and submitted to God’s
authority (cf. Proverbs 3:11-12; 15:32-33; Job 5:17-18).
The divine discipline in the form of fourteen years of hard labor for Laban had
humbled him and forced him to avail himself of the divine provision of prayer and
claiming the promises that the Lord had made to him at Bethel.
The fact that Jacob’s wrestling match with the preincarnate Christ ended at
“daybreak” symbolizes or is a picture of Jacob no longer under divine discipline
but rather “walking in the light,” which describes experiencing fellowship with
God by being obedient to the Word of God, which demonstrates our faith in God
(cf. 1 John 1:5-7).
The divine discipline in the form of twenty years of hard labor for Laban had
humbled him and forced him to avail himself of the divine provision of prayer and
claiming the promises that the Lord had made to him at Bethel. When Jacob
wrestles the Lord, at that point in his life, he was walking in the light, in fellowship
with God.
The question arises, at what point in the life of Jacob did he come out from
under divine discipline and begin to walk in fellowship with God by operating in
faith? The turning point in Jacob’s life came when he stopped fighting God and
men and began to walk by faith was after the fourteen years of service to Laban.
Jacob’s wrestling match with the Lord and men continued up to the birth of
Joseph at the completion of Jacob’s fourteen years of service to Laban, which is
indicated by Jacob’s proposal to Laban recorded in Genesis 30 since this proposal
demonstrated tremendous faith in the Lord and His promises.
If you recall, the first seven years that Jacob worked for Laban was to marry
Leah and the next seven years was payment to marry Rachel. During these last
seven years, God had prospered Jacob by giving him eleven boys and one girl (See
Genesis 29:31-30:24) and through the birth of these children, Jacob could see God
working in his life and fulfilling His promises to him of numerous progeny, which
caused a change in Jacob in that he grew to trust and love God.
Also during these fourteen years, Jacob saw God prospering Laban through him
and this too caused a change in Jacob in that he grew to love and trust God even
more as a result of seeing the Lord fulfill His promises to be with him and protect
him and bless him (See Genesis 30:27).
Furthermore, right after the Lord gave Jacob’s favorite wife Rachel a child
named Joseph, we see Jacob’s faith in the Lord manifested in a fantastic way in his
proposal to Laban regarding flocks, which is recorded in Genesis 30:22-43.
Jacob asks for nothing from Laban but instead proposed to Laban that all the
spotted, speckled and striped of Laban’s flock be removed so that only solid
colored animals remain, which he would care for. He proposes that his pay would
consist of only those animals yet unborn and so therefore, it would be entirely up
to the Lord as to how many animals would become Jacob’s.
Jacob’s proposal put himself entirely at the mercy of the Lord and was a great
act of faith in the Lord on his part and was the first ray of sunlight in his life and
was the beginning of the end of his divine discipline. It is at this point in his life
that Jacob begins to walk by faith and not by sight and his faith is manifested in
several incidents after this proposal with Laban, which are recorded in Genesis 31-
32.
In Genesis 31:3, Jacob obeyed the Lord to leave Laban and return to Canaan
even though he knew Laban would react in a hostile fashion towards him and that
Esau had in the past wanted to kill him. In Genesis 32:3-6, Jacob initiates contact
with Esau by sending messengers to Esau to convey to him his desire to reconcile
with him. In Genesis 32:9-12, Jacob deals with his fear of Esau and his four
hundred men by praying to God for deliverance and claiming the promises of
protection from God. In Genesis 32:13-21, Jacob sends 550 animals to Esau as
restitution for stealing the blessing of the birthright from him twenty years before.
In Genesis 32:22-23, Jacob sent his family across the Jabbok directly in the path of
Esau, manifesting his faith that God would protect them. In Genesis 32:24a, Jacob
desired to be alone with God in prayer before he encountered Esau. Therefore, we
can see that Jacob left Canaan a man who could be characterized as a cheat and a
scoundrel and a slave to his old Adamic sin nature that did not trust God to deal
with his problems with people. However, upon reentering Canaan, he had
developed into a great man of God who walked by faith and not by sight, who
prayed to God for help in adversity rather than resorting to his own schemes to
solve his problems. So the character of Jacob has changed dramatically since he
left Canaan and this is why the Lord changed his name to Israel and which change
of name represented a change of character.
Jacob Prevails
the socket of Jacob's thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him.
(NASB95)
Genesis 32:25a records the Lord as not prevailing over Jacob in their wrestling
match. The Lord did not prevail over Jacob in the sense that the Lord could not

refuse Jacob’s prayer requests because they were according to His will and because
Jacob persevered in prayer.
The fact that the Scriptures state that the Lord did not prevail against Jacob does
“not” impugn God’s omnipotence but rather as we will note does effectively
portray the power of persevering in prayer with God.
God does allow the prayer of men to be mighty in His sight when they
persevere in prayer and offer that prayer in faith. The fact that Jacob is physically
broken and yet will not give up is symbolic of Jacob being broken through the
divine discipline in the form of fourteen years of hard labor for Laban and yet not
quitting on God but in fact he persevered in his relationship with God in prayer by
claming the promises God made to him!
Therefore, the statement “he (the Lord) had not prevailed against him
(Jacob)” means that Jacob would not give up in the wrestling match with Lord,
which was symbolic of Jacob’s prayer life in that he did not give up but rather
persevered in prayer.
Jacob had learned the power and importance of persevering in prayer, which is
called by theologians, “prevailing prayer.” Perseverance is the capacity to continue
to bear up under difficult circumstances (cf. Luke 18:1-8).
Matthew 7:7 “Ask repeatedly, and it will be given to you; seek repeatedly,
and you will find; knock repeatedly, and it will be opened to you.” (Author’s
translation)
The prayer of Jacob that appears in Genesis 32:24-32 was unlike the prayers
that we in the church age are to make. Jacob spoke directly face to face with the
visible manifestation of the Son of God whereas in the church age we are
commanded by the Son of God to pray directly to the Father who is invisible (Jn.
16:26-27; Eph. 3:14).
The statement “he (the Lord) had not prevailed against him (Jacob)” implies
that God opposed Jacob but not just in the wrestling match but in a spiritual sense,
namely, in prayer. God opposed Jacob in the sense that when Jacob first got saved
and was first learning to pray as a spiritual child of God, he like most spiritual
children, asked for things from God that were against His will or he asked for
things for selfish reasons (cf. James 4:3). So early on in his relationship with God,
God opposed Jacob because his prayers were not according to the will of God (cf.
1 John 5:14-15).
Now that Jacob has matured spiritually, God did not oppose his prayers because
they were according to the will of God. Therefore, the statement “he (the Lord)
had not prevailed against him (Jacob)” means that God could no longer oppose
Jacob’s prayers because they he had matured to the point spiritually that his
prayers were according to the will of God.

In fact Genesis 32:9-12 records Jacob’s prayer for deliverance from Esau and in
this prayer he claimed the promises that God made to him, which are recorded in
Genesis 28:10-15 and 31:3, thus Jacob was praying according to the will of God
since the promises originated from God.
Now, we must remember that when the Lord initiated the wrestling match,
Jacob was alone in prayer presenting to the Lord his fears concerning confronting
Esau the very next day.
So Jacob was actually already “wrestling” in prayer with the Lord in the sense
that Jacob was trying to reconcile the advance of Esau with four hundred men and
God’s promises to be with him and protect him and to return him to the land of
Canaan.
While in prayer, he was fighting the good fight of faith in the sense that in his
soul, he was fighting the temptation to give in to his fears and not trust God to
protect him from Esau.
The fact that the Lord said to Jacob in Genesis 32:28 that he had prevailed
indicated that Jacob had won this battle over his fears of Esau in prayer by clinging
to the promises that God made to him to protect and prosper him, and which
promises are recorded in Genesis 28:10-15 and 31:3.
By means of meditating in prayer upon the promises that God made to him,
which are recorded in Genesis 28:10-15 and 31:3, Jacob was assured that God had
a plan for his life. Therefore, because he prevailed in prayer by being fully assured
that God had a plan for his life and would keep His promises to protect and prosper
him, Jacob in a sense had prevailed over men and in particular Esau.
While in prayer, Jacob came to a point where he was fully convinced that God
would protect him and therefore trusted God and by doing so, Jacob appropriated
the omnipotence of God so that he would prevail over Esau in the sense that Esau
would not attack him but rather would be conciliatory.
Genesis 32:25b records the Lord dislocating Jacob’s hip. The dislocation of
Jacob’s hip symbolized that by means of the fourteen years of hard labor for
Laban, which constituted divine discipline, the Lord had succeeded in getting
Jacob to stop trusting in his own power to solve his problems and to depend upon
the power of God.
the socket of Jacob's thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him.
(NASB95)
Notice that Moses under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit informs the reader
that the Son of God did not overcome Jacob in the wrestling match rather than He
“could” not since at any time, the Lord could have crushed Jacob during the match
but did not since He is gentle.
“The socket of his thigh” refers to the ball and socket joint of Jacob’s thigh
since “socket” is the noun kaph, which denotes the “acetabulum,” the cup shaped
socket in the hipbone that receives the head of the thighbone.
Jacob was physically very strong as witnessed by his moving the large stone
from the well of water when Rachel appeared to him for the first time (See Genesis
29:10). However, the fourteen years of divine discipline under Laban had taught
Jacob that he was impotent to solve his own problems with Laban by means of his
own physical strength and had to rely upon the omnipotence of God to solve his
problems with Laban.
Therefore, the dislocation of Jacob’s hip during this wrestling match symbolizes
what the Lord had accomplished in Jacob through the divine discipline in the form
of fourteen years of hard labor for Laban, which was to demonstrate to Jacob his
own impotence and God’s omnipotence.
During the fourteen years of hard labor for Laban, the Lord had broken Jacob’s
confidence in his own strength and got him to acknowledge that God was all
powerful and all sufficient and that he was helpless and hopeless and totally and
completely dependent upon God.
The divine discipline in the form of fourteen years of hard labor for his uncle
Laban humbled Jacob so that he acknowledged his own human weakness or
impotence so as to experience the power of God in life and his right to appropriate
that power by prayer and claiming the divine promises given to him. The Lord
taught the apostle Paul these spiritual principles (see 2 Corinthians 12:1-10).
Therefore, the dislocation of Jacob’s hip was symbolic of the Lord breaking
Jacob’s confidence in his own strength and ability to deal with problems with
people. The dislocation of Jacob’s hip would be a perpetual reminder or memorial
to Jacob to not depend upon his own power and ability but rather to depend and
rely upon the power of God to deal with problems with people and adversities in
life. It is also a reminder to us here in the church age to never depend upon our
own human power to solve our problems in adversity with people and
circumstances but rather to depend upon the power of God, which is resident in the
Word of God and our union and identification with Christ.
In Genesis 32:26, we see the crippled Jacob clinging to the Lord and not letting
Him go until the Lord blesses him.
Genesis 32:26 Then he (the Lord) said, “Let me go, for the dawn is
breaking.’ But he (Jacob) said, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
(NASB95)
prosperity, fecundity, longevity” and so therefore, the verb indicates Jacob’s desire
that the Lord would endue him with power for success, prosperity, fecundity
(offspring in great numbers) and longevity.”
Like his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac, the Lord would bless Jacob
in the sense that the Lord would multiply his descendants so that his posterity was
great in number both, racially and spiritually and multiply his possessions and
livestock and prosper him financially.
The Lord would give Jacob the capacity to be prolific in that he would be the
progenitor of a multitude of children in both a biological and spiritual sense. He
learned through the discipline that God is sovereign and that no one can stop God
from blessing him, not even Esau. Jacob also learned that he could not merit the
blessing of God, nor could he do anything that could merit the blessing of God.
Therefore, Jacob has learned what God’s grace is all about, namely, that we can
not merit the blessing of God because of who we are or what we do, that it is a gift
and cannot be earned or deserved. Jacob exploited his brother Esau’s hunger and
got him to exchange his birthright for a bowl of red lintel soup because he thought
he had to do something to get God to bless him. He disguised himself as Esau in
order to deceive his father Isaac who was blind into giving him the blessing of the
birthright rather than to Esau because he thought he had to do something to get
blessed by God.
Jacob’s finally learned that neither Esau or anyone or himself could prevent
God from blessing him. He clung to the Lord demanding to be blessed because he
now understands that the blessings of God come directly from God and not by
cheating and deceiving people. Jacob had learned through the twenty years with
Laban that Esau could neither provide nor prevent the blessing of God and so it
was not Esau that stood in the way of Jacob’s blessing in the land of Canaan.
On the one hand, it was God Who opposed Jacob and on the other it was Jacob
himself, who by means of his deceitfulness and treachery, attempted to produce
spiritual blessings through carnal means. Jacob had learned that the blessing of
God must be obtained from God himself, and this must be done by clinging to Him
in helpless dependence, not by trying to manipulate Him or fighting Esau.
Jacob had learned through the years of divine discipline while living with
Laban that he did “not” have to deceive his father Isaac into giving him the
blessing of the birthright instead of Esau but that the blessing of the birthright was
based upon God’s grace meaning it was a gift that he did “not” earn or deserve.
The Lord Changes Jacob’s Name to Israel
In Genesis 32:27-28, we have the account of the Lord changing Jacob’s name to
Israel.
Genesis 32:27 So he (the Lord) said to him (Jacob), “What is your name?”
And he said, “Jacob.” (NASB95)

The Lord did “not” ask Jacob his name to solicit information since He is
omniscient, rather the Lord did so because He wanted to arouse in Jacob an
awareness of his former character reflected in his name and to prepare him for a
change of name, which would accurately reflect his new character.
Jacob must have disliked his name since its meaning was not very
complimentary but it was an accurate description of his character up to the end of
his fourteen years of divine discipline under Laban. However, it was an accurate
description of his character that was the result of being a slave to his old Adamic
sin nature.
Genesis 32:28 “He said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel;
for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.” (NASB95)
“Israel” is the proper noun yisra’el, which means, “one who fights and
overcomes with the power of God” since the Lord states the reason for the name is
that Jacob has fought with both God and men and has prevailed.
The bestowal of this name constituted the essence of the blessing that he
requested from the Lord recorded in Genesis 32:26. It also memorializes the
historical event of Jacob wrestling the preincarnate Christ, and which wrestling
match symbolized Jacob’s struggles in life with men, which in reality were with
God.
The statement “you have striven with God and with men” refers to Jacob’s
problems with Isaac, Esau, Laban, and his wives, which were in reality problems
with God since God permitted these people to come into his life to draw him closer
to God.
The Lord’s statement “you…have prevailed” refers to the fact that Jacob
persevered in prayer by claiming the promises of God’s protection and presence
and thus praying according to will of God since the promises originated from God
The Lord’s statement “you…have prevailed” also means that Jacob had won
his battle over his fears of Esau in prayer by clinging to the promises that God
made to him to protect and prosper him (See Genesis 28:10-15 and 31:3).
While in prayer, Jacob came to a point where he was fully convinced that God
would protect him and by doing so, he appropriated the power of God so that he
would prevail over Esau in the sense that he would reconcile with him. Therefore,
the name “Israel” would be a memorial to Jacob that during the fourteen years of
divine discipline under Laban he had stopped trusting in his own power to solve
his problems and depended upon the power of God.
The dislocation of Jacob’s hip and the name “Israel” would be a perpetual
reminder or memorial to Jacob to not depend upon his own power and ability but
rather to depend and rely upon the power of God to deal with problems with people
and adversities in life.
The change of name from “Jacob” to “Israel” marks a change in Jacob’s
character and reorientation in his life in the sense that no longer does he solve his
problems with people by means of deception as denoted by the name “Jacob” but
now solves them with the power of God by claiming the promises of God in
prayer.
The change of name indicates that Jacob has grown to spiritual maturity and has
oriented himself to the grace of God. Jacob oriented himself to the grace of God in
the sense that he has learned that he did “not” have to deceive his father Isaac into
giving him the blessing of the birthright instead of Esau but that the blessing of the
birthright was based upon God’s grace meaning it was gift that he did “not” earn or
deserve.
Just as the name “Jacob” reflects character produced by the function of the
power of the old sin nature so the name “Israel” reflects character produced by
appropriating the power of the Word of God by claiming the promises of God in
prayer.
God Appears to Jacob
Genesis 35:1 gives us the record of God commanding Jacob to go up to Bethel

and fulfill his vow to make an altar to worship Him there. In Genesis 35:2-7, we
have the account of Jacob obeying God’s command to return to Bethel and build
an altar to Him there in fulfillment of the vow he made to God thirty years before.
Also, Genesis 35:8 records the death of Deborah who was Rebekah’s nurse.
In Genesis 35:9-13, we see the preincarnate Christ appearing to Jacob and
reconfirming the change of his name to “Israel” and reconfirming the promises of
the Abrahamic Covenant.
Genesis 35:9 Then God appeared to Jacob again when he came from
Paddan-aram, and He blessed him. (NASB95)
The statement “God appeared to Jacob” is a “theophany,” which is a technical
theological term used to refer to a visible or auditory manifestation of the Son of
God before His incarnation in Bethlehem (Gen. 32:29-30; Ex. 3:2; 19:18-20; Josh.
5:13-15; Dan. 3:26). This is the fifth time that the preincarnate Christ
communicated with Jacob either audibly or both visibly and audibly (Genesis
28:10-22; 31:10-13; 32:24-32; 35:1). Therefore, after Jacob obeyed the Lord’s
command to return to Bethel and fulfill his vow to build an altar to worship the
Lord, the Lord once again communicated with Jacob by manifesting Himself both
visibly and audibly. He did so in order to reconfirm that He had changed Jacob’s
name to Israel and also to reconfirm or reiterate that Jacob was inheriting the
promises of the Abrahamic Covenant and carrying on the line of the Messiah.

Evidently, the Lord had to reiterate and reconfirm to Jacob that He indeed had
changed his name to Israel so as to reassure Jacob that He had a plan for Jacob’s
life even though Jacob had failed in his responsibility as the spiritual leader in his
family at Shechem. Jacob had not acted in a manner consistent with his new name
“Israel” and so the Lord sought to reassure Jacob that He had not given up on him.
This theophany and the reconfirmation and a reaffirmation that Jacob would
inherit the blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant was to reassure Jacob that the
Lord had not forsaken him because of his failure at Shechem. Though Jacob had
been unfaithful at Shechem and had delayed ten years before returning to Bethel
and fulfilling his vow to the Lord to build an altar to worship Him there, God had
remained faithful to Jacob and would continue to do so (cf. 2 Timothy 2:13).
The mention of Jacob’s return “from Paddan Aram” is to draw the reader’s
attention to the fact that the Lord fulfilled His promise to Jacob to bring him back
to the land of Canaan and which promise is recorded in Genesis 28:15.
The fact that the Lord fulfilled His promise to Jacob to bring him back safe and
sound to his homeland demonstrates the faithfulness of God.
“Blessed” is the verb barakh means, “to endue with power for success,
prosperity, fecundity, longevity, etc.”
Jacob would be “blessed” or in other words, “endued with power for success,
prosperity, fecundity and longevity” by means of the Word of God since the Word
of God is “alive and powerful” according to Hebrews 4:12.
God would bless Jacob through six promises, which are contained in Genesis
35:10-12. Therefore, the statement “He (God) blessed him (Jacob)” means that
Jacob would be the recipient and beneficiary of the omnipotence of God, which
would be manifested in time by the Lord fulfilling six promises through Jacob and
his descendants (spiritual and biological), which are recorded in Genesis 35:10-12.
These six promises that are recorded in Genesis 35:10-12 echo the promises the
Lord made to Jacob at Bethel, which are recorded in Genesis 28:13-14 and echo
the promises given to his father Isaac, which are recorded in Genesis 26:4. They
also echo the blessing that his father Isaac pronounced upon him before he left
home, which is recorded in Genesis 28:3-4.
The Lord’s promises to both Jacob and Isaac and the blessing of his father
bestowed upon him before he left home were a “reconfirmation” of the promises
made to Abraham that are recorded in Genesis 12:2-3, 7, 13:14-18, 15:1-6, 18,
17:1-8 and 22:17.
In Genesis 26:3-4, Isaac received reconfirmation of the promises of the
Abrahamic Covenant by means of a theophany. In Genesis 26:23-25, the Lord
appeared in a theophany to Isaac at Beersheba and gave him reassurance by
reconfirming to him the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant. In Genesis 28:3-4,
the blessing that Isaac bestowed upon Jacob before he left home echoes the
promises of the Abrahamic covenant. In Genesis 28:14-15, God’s reiteration of the
promises to Abraham and Isaac assures Jacob of God’s faithfulness.
Genesis 35:10 God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; You shall no longer
be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name. Thus He called him Israel.”
(NASB95)
The statement “You shall no longer be called Jacob but Israel shall be your
name” echoes the Lord’s statement to Jacob at Peniel after wrestling with Jacob,
which is recorded in Genesis 32:28.
After Jacob wrestled with the Lord at Peniel, the Lord changed Jacob’s name to
“Israel” and here the Lord reiterates and reconfirms and reaffirms to Jacob that
this is still the case.
The name “Jacob” means, “heel catcher” implying someone who is a
“deceiver” and a “supplanter,” which is a person who takes the place of another by
force, scheming or strategy.
“Israel” is the proper noun yisra’el, which means, “one who fights and
overcomes with the power of God” since the Lord states the reason for the name is
that Jacob has fought with both God and men and has prevailed.
Therefore, the promise “You shall no longer be called Jacob but Israel shall
be your name” is not only a promise but a reaffirmation to Jacob that would
impress upon him the need to live his life in a manner that is consistent with the
meaning of his new name.
He would live his life in a manner that is consistent with the meaning of his
new name by appropriating by faith in prayer the promises that God had given to
him just as he did prior to being reunited with Esau (See Genesis 32).
By means of His Word, the Lord would fulfill His first promise to Jacob and
empower him to live in a manner consistent with the meaning of his new name
yisra’el, “Israel,” which means, “one who fights and overcomes with the power of
God” (See Genesis 35:10).
The bestowal of the name “Israel” upon Jacob constituted the essence of the
blessing that he requested from the Lord recorded in Genesis 32:26.
The name yisra’el, “Israel” memorializes the historical event of Jacob
wrestling the preincarnate Christ, and which wrestling match symbolized Jacob’s
struggles in life with men, which in reality were with God. The name “Israel”
represents the character of his new divine nature whereas the name “Jacob”
represents the character of his old Adamic sin nature, which will be permanently
eradicated at his physical death. Therefore, the emphasis of the name change to
“Israel” implies that Jacob would experience the fulfillment of these six promises
during the millennial reign of Christ when he will live permanently in his new
nature that God gave him, which is signified by the name “Israel.”

Genesis 35:11 God also said to him, “I am God Almighty; Be fruitful and
multiply; A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings
shall come forth from you.” (NASB95)
The title El Shaddai, “God Almighty” emphasizes the omnipotence of God and
describes the Lord as being able to bring to pass that which He has promised to
Jacob.
of Himself when speaking to Abraham as recorded in Genesis 17:1 and was used
by Isaac when blessing Jacob as recorded in Genesis 28:3. Therefore, the title El
Shaddai, “God Almighty” signifies that the six promises contained in Genesis
35:10-12 echo Isaac’s prophecy about Jacob, which is recorded in Genesis 28:3-5
and also recalls the covenant with Abraham recorded in Genesis 17:1-8.
The Lord’s promise to Jacob that he would “be fruitful and multiply” echoes
the prophecy of Isaac concerning Jacob, which is recorded in Genesis 28:3 and
means that the Lord would give Jacob the capacity to be prolific in that he would
be the progenitor of a multitude of children in both a biological and spiritual sense.
This promise means that the Lord would endue Jacob and his descendants with the
ability to be prolific in terms of posterity.
By means of His Word, the Lord would fulfill His second promise to Jacob that
he would “be fruitful and multiply” and endue him with power for success,
prosperity, fecundity (offspring in great numbers) and longevity (See Genesis
35:11).
The promise “a nation…shall come from you” in a “near” sense refers to the
nation of Israel (saved and unsaved) and in a “far” sense it refers to saved Israel
By means of His Word, the Lord would fulfill His third promise to Jacob that
he would be the progenitor of “a nation,” and endue Jacob with power to be the
progenitor of the nation of Israel (See Genesis 35:11).
The promise “a company of nations…shall come from you” was fulfilled and
continues to be fulfilled in a “spiritual” sense through those individuals who
exercised faith alone in Christ alone (John 3:1-7; 1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:26-28).
The expression “a company of nations…shall come from you” refers to a
community of nations that will originate from Jacob and echoes the Lord’s promise
to his grandfather Abraham that he would become “the father of a multitude of
nations” (Genesis 17:4-5) and “the father of nations” (Genesis 17:6).
nations” and Isaac’s desire that the Lord would make Jacob a “company of
peoples” and the Lord’s promise to Jacob that “a company of nations…shall
come from you” would be fulfilled in both a “biological” and “spiritual” sense.

In a “biological” or “racial” sense, the “company of nations” that would
originate from Jacob would be the nation of Israel. In a “spiritual” sense the
“company of nations” that would originate from Jacob be all those who exercise
faith alone in Christ alone who would be composed of all nations and races, both
male and female, slave and freeman (John 3:1-7; 1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:26-28). This
is how the Lord’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:3 that in him “all the
families of the earth would be blessed” would be accomplished.
In the same way, that Abraham became a father in a “spiritual” sense to those
individuals who exercised faith in Christ so also Jacob would become the father in
a “spiritual” sense to all those who exercised faith in Christ.
By means of His Word, the Lord would fulfill His fourth promise to Jacob and
endue him with power to be the progenitor of “a company of nations” in a
“spiritual” sense through all those who exercise faith alone in Christ alone.
The promise that “kings shall come forth from you” echoes the Lord’s
promise to Abraham, which is recorded in Genesis 17:6, 16 and is a reference to
primarily to the kings of Israel (Gen. 35:11; 49:10; 2 Sam. 7:8-16) and the Lord
Jesus Christ. Since the promise that “kings shall come forth from you” is a
reference to the Kings of kings, the Lord Jesus Christ, it is therefore related to the
“Davidic” Covenant, which like the “Abrahamic” Covenant, was an unconditional
covenant meaning its fulfillment was totally dependent upon God’s faithfulness.
The “Davidic” covenant deals with the dynasty that will rule the nation of Israel
as indicated in 2 Samuel 7:16 where God promised David that a descendant of his
would sit on his throne forever.
The “Davidic” covenant is reconfirmed throughout the Old Testament (Isa. 9:6-
7; Jer. 23:5-6; 30:8-9; 33:14-17, 20-21; Ezek. 37:24-25; Dan. 7:13-14; Hos. 3:4-5;
Amos 9:11; Zech. 14:4, 9).
The Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of David, will literally fulfill this covenant
during His millennial reign.
By means of His Word, the Lord would fulfill His fifth promise to Jacob and
endue him with power to be the progenitor of the kings of Israel and the greatest
King of them all, the Lord Jesus Christ (See Genesis 35:11).
Genesis 35:12 “The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it
to you, and I will give the land to your descendants after you.” (NASB95)
The promise of “land” is a reference to the “Palestinian Covenant,” which was
a confirmation and enlargement of the original “Abrahamic” covenant and
amplified the land features of the “Abrahamic” covenant (Gen. 13:14-15; 15:18).
The “Palestinian” Covenant stipulated that the descendants of Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob who exercise faith alone in Christ alone would not only come into
permanent possession of the land of Canaan but also most of the land in Turkey,
East Africa, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman and Red Sea, Syria, Iraq, Jordan since
the boundaries of this land grant are on the Mediterranean, Aegean Sea, Euphrates
River and the Nile River (See Genesis 15:18).
The Lord promises that this land would be given to Abraham’s descendants and
45; cf. 13:1-7) and David and Solomon (1 Kgs. 4:20-25; Neh. 9:8).
The “Palestinian” covenant will have its literal and ultimate fulfillment during
the millennial reign of Christ (Isa. 11:11-12; Jer. 31-37; Ezek. 34:11-16; Hos. 1:10-
11; Joel 3:17-21; Amos 9:11-15; Micah 4:6-7; Zeph. 3:14-20; Zech. 8:4-8).
“Your descendants” refers to Jacob’s “biological” descendants, which would
be the nation of Israel and it refers to his “spiritual” descendants, which would be
anyone, Jew or Gentile who believes in Jesus Christ as their Savior.
In a “near” sense “Your descendants” refers to the nation of Israel (saved and
unsaved) and in a “far” sense it refers to saved Israel during the millennial reign of
Christ.
By means of His Word, the Lord would fulfill His sixth and final promise to
Jacob and endue him and his descendants (spiritual and biological) with power to
possess the land of Canaan (See Genesis 35:12).
Though Jacob was still a resident alien in the land of Canaan, it was really his
according to God’s promise and would be possessed by him and his descendants
through faith in Christ during the millennial reign of Christ.
Genesis 35:13 Then God went up from him in the place where He had
spoken with him. (NASB95)
The fact that God ascended from Jacob at Bethel where He had spoken to Jacob
indicates that this revelation was not in the form of a dream or vision but an actual
face to face visit from the preincarnate Christ.
Jacob Responds to Theophany and Divine Promises
In Genesis 35:14-15, Jacob responds to the theophany and divine promises by

constructing a limestone pillar and renewing the name of Bethel.
Genesis 35:14 Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He had spoken with
him, a pillar of stone, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured
oil on it. 15 So Jacob named the place where God had spoken with him,
Bethel. (NASB95)
Genesis 35:14-15 records Jacob responding to the theophany and reaffirmation
from the Lord regarding his new name “Israel” and the reconfirmation of the
promises of the Abrahamic Covenant just as he responded the first time the Lord
appeared to him thirty years prior when he was leaving Canaan to see Laban.
Genesis 28:16-22 records a five-fold response from Jacob whereas Genesis
35:14-15 records a four-fold response.
In both instances, Jacob responds to the theophany and divine promises by
erecting a stone pillar, pouring oil on the pillar and naming the place of the divine
revelation Bethel.
The first time the Lord appeared to Jacob at Bethel, Jacob spoke and made a
vow whereas the second time he does neither.
Genesis 35:7 records Jacob fulfilling this vow by building an altar, which he
never did the first time since he had no animals with him to sacrifice whereas the
second time the Lord has prospered him with large flocks.
The second time the Lord appeared to Jacob at Bethel, Jacob pours a drink
offering on the stone pillar, which he never did the first time.
Jacob’s five-fold response to the first time the Lord appeared to him at Bethel
and his four-fold response the second time were acts of worship in that he had
“reverence” and “respect” for God and was in “awe” of Him and expressed his
“wonder” towards Him.
Psalm 68:35 O God, You are awesome from Your sanctuary. The God of
Israel Himself gives strength and power to the people. Blessed be God!
(NASB95)
Worship is adoring contemplation of God as He has been revealed by the Holy
Spirit in the Person of Christ and in the Scriptures and is also the loving ascription
of praise to God for what He is, both in Himself and in His ways and is the bowing
of the soul and spirit in deep humility and reverence before Him.
Genesis 35:14, “Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He had spoken
with him, a pillar of stone, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also
poured oil on it.”
“Pillar” is the noun matstsevah, which denotes a single upright stone pillar set
up as a monument and a memorial to mark the spot where the Lord had appeared
to him and made promises to him.
Jacob erects a stone pillar as a monument to mark the spot where the
preincarnate Christ had appeared to him and made promises to him just as he did
thirty years before when he left Canaan to go into exile in Paddan Aram with
Laban (See Genesis 28:10-22). However, the first stone pillar did “not” accompany
an altar, which Jacob builds a second time in obedience to the Lord’s command
recorded in Genesis 35:7.
Also, Jacob never poured a drink offering on the first stone pillar but he does so
when he constructs the second pillar. Jacob did not build an altar the first time
since he had no animals with him to sacrifice and only had his staff with him when
he made the trip to Paddan Aram according to Genesis 32:10.
The fact that Jacob constructs this pillar implies that this is “not” a rededication
of the first one he built thirty years before since if the first one was still standing
there would be no need to construct another one.
This is the third and final time that we see Jacob erecting a pillar to memorialize
an event. We have noted already the first and third pillars and the second pillar was
erected by Jacob according to Genesis 31:45 as a witness to the oral contract
between him and his uncle Laban and called it “Galeed,” which is the Hebrew
term for “witness heap.”
“Drink offering” is the noun nesekh, which is derived from the verb nasaskh,
which also appears in Genesis 35:15 and is translated “poured out.”
Genesis 35:14 records for the first time in the Bible someone employing a
“drink offering” to worship God.
Notice that the “drink offering” is poured on the limestone pillar rather than
the altar since the altar has to do with the sacrifice of Christ whereas the pillar dealt
with Jacob’s dedication and devotion to the Lord.
The “drink offering” was originally established in Israel as an appropriate form
of worship (Exodus 29:40-41; Leviticus 23:13; Numbers 28). Although Jacob is
the first person recorded in the Bible to present a “drink offering” to the Lord, it
was not until after the Exodus from Egypt that the laws governing the “drink
offering” were established.
The “drink offering” is not mentioned in the five Great Levitical offerings
since the sole emphasis of these offerings is upon the Person and Work of Christ.
The procedure for the “drink offering” is simply outlined in Numbers 28. The
liquid normally employed for a “drink offering” was wine (yayin, Ex. 29:40; Nm.
15:5, 7, 10), or other fermented drink (shekar Nm. 28:7) and on at least one
occasion water was “poured out to the Lord” (2 Sm. 23:16; 1 Chr. 11:18).
The “drink offering” was not to be consumed by the priest but rather was to be
offered to the Lord. The “drink offering” presented by Jacob, and prescribed by
the Lord through Moses for the children of Israel in Numbers and Leviticus
emphasized the believer’s dedication to the Lord since it was not to be consumed
by the priest, but rather offered totally and completely to the Lord as a sweet
aroma.
The fact that the “drink offering” was not to be consumed by the priest but
rather was to be offered to the Lord emphasizes the believer’s giving of himself
completely to God in order to fulfill His will.
The fact that the “drink offering” was not to be consumed by the priest but
rather was to be offered to the Lord implies that the believer must deny self,
sacrifice self in order to fulfill God’s will (cf. Luke 9:23-24; 22:42; John 12:24-
26).
Just as he did after his first encounter with the Lord, Jacob pours oil on top of
the limestone pillar, which was an expression of his dedication, devotion,
consecration and gratitude to the Lord and recognition of the gracious promises

that the Lord made to him (See Genesis 28:18; Exodus 30:25-29; Leviticus 8:10-
12).
The “oil” poured on the limestone pillar by Jacob represents the Holy Spirit
because of oil’s power to sustain and fortify with energy. Therefore, the anointing
oil of the Old Testament was a symbol of being empowered by the Spirit of God
for the duties of the office to which a person was consecrated (Lev 8:12; 1 Sam
10:1,6; 16:13-14; Isa 61:1).
Therefore, “oil” poured on the limestone pillar by Jacob represents the Holy
Spirit who would empower Jacob and his descendants to fulfill the six promises
that the Lord made to Jacob that are recorded in Genesis 35:9-13.
Genesis 35:15 So Jacob named the place where God had spoken with him,
Bethel. (NASB95)
“Bethel” literally means, “house of God” and is approximately ten miles north
of Jerusalem and only thirty miles away from Shechem and according to Genesis
28:19, it was originally called “Luz,” until Jacob changed the name to memorialize
his encounter with the preincarnate Christ.
If you recall, the first time that the Lord appeared to Jacob, he names the place
“Bethel,” and as we see he does it again after encountering the Lord the second
time, which seems redundant on Jacob’s part. However, Jacob was alone in his
first encounter with the Lord but he has his family with him and many servants and
the Shechemite women and children the second time around. Therefore, those who
were believers were sharing in Jacob’s worship of the Lord and for those who were
unbelievers in his entourage, namely, the Shechemite women, Jacob’s worship of
the Lord would be as a witnessed to them.
The Birth of Benjamin and the Death of Rachel
Next, we will study the birth of Benjamin and the death of Rachel, which is
recorded in Genesis 35:16-20. According to Genesis 35:27, Jacob leaves Bethel in
order to see his father at Mamre of Kiriath-arba, which is Hebron. During this
journey from Bethel to Hebron, Jacob’s favorite wife Rachel dies giving birth to
his twelfth son Benjamin and also his oldest son Reuben commits incest with his
concubine Bilhah. Therefore, we see Jacob going from spiritual elation and
euphoria at Bethel to heartache and sadness due to the death of Rachel but then joy
due to the birth of Benjamin and back again to heartache and sadness due to his
oldest son Reuben having sex with his concubine Bilhah.
Genesis 35:16 Then they journeyed from Bethel; and when there was still
some distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and she suffered
severe labor. (NASB95)

“They” refers to Jacob and his household as well as those women and children
that were taken captive at Shechem.
“Journeyed” is the verb nasa`, which means, “to pull up” stakes that stabilize a
tent and is a technical term for “breaking camp.”
“Bethel” literally means, “house of God” and is approximately ten miles north
of Jerusalem.
Jacob did “not” disobey God by leaving Bethel since in Genesis 35:1, God
commanded Jacob to live at Bethel for a period of time long enough to fulfill his
vow, which is indicated by the meaning of the verb yashav, “live,” which appears
in Genesis 35:1 and does “not” mean to live in a place permanently.
Since Jacob has fulfilled his vow, we see that he leaves Bethel for two reasons:
(1) In order to seek grass for his flocks, which was not in abundance at Bethel
whose terrain, is limestone. (2) In order to see his father “Isaac at Mamre of
Kiriath-arba that is Hebron.” (See Genesis 35:27).
“Ephrath” is the proper noun èphrathah, which means, “fruitful region,”
which according to Genesis 35:19 is the older name of “Bethlehem.”
Genesis 35:16 records that “when there was still some distance to go to
Ephrath (Bethlehem), Rachel began to give birth and she suffered severe
labor.”
This statement describes Jacob traveling in a southerly direction along the main
north-south route through the hills from Bethel to Hebron, which would place the
birthplace of Benjamin and the death and grave of Rachel somewhere north of
Jerusalem. This is confirmed by 1 Samuel 10:2, Jeremiah 31:15 and Joshua 18:25,
which imply that Rachel wept for her children near Ramah in the territory of
Benjamin (Word Biblical Commentary, volume 2: Genesis 16-50; Gordon J.
Wenham, Nelson Reference and Electronic, page 326).
In a manner, which is characteristic of the Hebrew language, in this passage the
narrator presents the birth of Benjamin in summary fashion (“Rachel began to
give birth”) and then details of this birth follow (“She suffered severe labor”).
The statement “she suffered severe labor” is the piel (intensive) form of the
verb qashah, which literally means, “she had a difficult time” in childbirth.
Genesis 35:17 When she was in severe labor the midwife said to her, “Do
not fear, for now you have another son.” (NASB95)
The midwife comforts Rachel by informing that her child survived the difficult
labor and that God had answered her prayer for another son and which prayer is
recorded in Genesis 30:24 by the naming of her first son Joseph, whose name
means, “May the Lord give me another son.”
Genesis 35:18 It came about as her soul was departing (for she died), that
she named him Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin. (NASB95)

The name “Ben-oni,” which Rachel gave her son as she was dying means, “son
of my sorrow,” which expressed her anguish and pain she experienced while
giving birth to him. However, Jacob did not want his son to feel guilty for the
death of his mother but rather wanted him to feel loved and that he was fortunate to
have him and so he changed the child’s name to “Benjamin,” which means, “son
of my right hand.” The right hand in the ancient world denoted power or a man’s
strength.
“Benjamin” was the lone full brother of Joseph since they had the same mother
“Rachel” whereas the mothers of Jacob’s other ten sons were Leah, Bilhah and
Zilpah (See Genesis 30:22-24, Genesis 35:18, 43:29).
“Benjamin” was also the only one of Jacob’s sons that was born in the land of
Canaan since his other eleven sons and his daughter Dinah were born in Paddan
Aram.
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah were born in Paddan Aram according to Genesis
29:31-33, Issachar, Zebulun according to Genesis 30:14-21, Gad, Asher according
to Genesis 30:9-13, Dan, Naphtali according to Genesis 30:1-8, Joseph according
to Genesis 30:22-24 and Dinah according to Genesis 30:21.
Like his eleven brothers, “Benjamin” became the progenitor of one of the
twelve tribes of Israel, which bears his name. He is the focal point of the encounter
of Joseph and his brothers in Egypt when the former was the prime minister of
Egypt and unrecognized by his brothers.
In Genesis 46:21 the immediate descendants of Benjamin number ten, whereas
in Numbers 26:38-40 only seven are enumerated, and some even under different
names. This difference is probably owing to the circumstance that some of the
direct descendants of Benjamin died at an early period, or, at least, childless.
At the first census during the Exodus the tribe of Benjamin numbered 35,400,
ranking eleventh, but increased to 45,600 at the second census, ranking seventh.
The Benjamites were men of war and famous slingers (Gen. 49:27; Judg. 3:15; 1
Ch. 8:40; 12:2) and were the first tribe in Israel to oppose the Philistines.
To Benjamin belongs the distinction of giving the first king to the Jews, Saul
being a Benjamite (1 Sam. 9:1-2; 10:20-21) and they also supported David in his
reign.
Jacob’s prophecy regarding Benjamin’s descendants future lot, and the
development of his personal character in his tribe, is brief: “Benjamin is a
ravenous wolf; In the morning he devours the prey, and in the evening he
divides the spoil” (Gen. 49:27).
The events of history cast light on that prediction, for the ravening of the wolf is
seen in the exploits of Ehud the Benjamite (Judg. 3), in Saul's career, and
especially in the whole matter of Gibeah, so carefully recorded in Judges 20 and
Saul of Tarsus, who was the great persecutor of the church (Acts 8-9).
Other Benjamites of distinction were the prophet Jeremiah (1:1), Esther and
Mordecai (Est. 2:5), and of course the apostle Paul (Rm. 11:1; Phlp. 3:5).
Genesis 35:19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that
is, Bethlehem). (NASB95)
There is great irony in the fact that Rachel died in childbirth since if you recall,
in frustration she complained to Jacob to “give me children or I will die” (See
Genesis 30:1) and ultimately it was the gift of children, which killed her.
Rachel’s death like the death of every human being is the sovereign decision of
God based upon the integrity of God and omniscient knowledge of all the facts.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 There is an appointed time for everything, a time for
everything under heaven. 2 There is a time to be born and there is a time to
die. (NASB95)
Psalm 116:15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly
ones. (NASB95)
Ecclesiastes 7:1b The day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s
birth. (NASB95)
The death of a member of the human race is not ruled by chance or fate but
according to the providence of God, which expresses the fact that the world and
our lives are not ruled by chance or fate but by God.
“Physical” death is the separation of the human soul (and in the case of the
believer, the human spirit also) from the body (Matt. 8:22; Rom. 8:38-39; 2 Cor.
5:1-8; Phil. 1:20-21; 2:27, 30).
The believer’s physical body goes to the grave at physical death and his soul
and human spirit go to be face to face with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8).
The believer will receive a resurrection body at the resurrection of the church,
which is called by theologians, the “rapture” of the church.
1 Corinthians 15:54 But when this perishable will have put on the
imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come
about the saying that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory.”
(NASB95)
Jesus Christ’s death on the Cross has freed us from the fear of death.
Hebrews 2:14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He
Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might
render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil 15 and
might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their
lives.”
Physical death cannot separate the believer from the love of God (Rom. 8:38-
39).

Life hangs by a very fine thread that can be snapped at any moment and should
motivate the believer to use the remainder of his time on earth to execute God’s
plan for his life to become like Christ.
Jacob Settles in Egypt
Genesis 47 is divided into five sections: (1) Joseph’s brothers meet Pharaoh
(47:1-6). (2) Jacob meets Pharaoh (47:7-10). (3) Joseph settles family in Goshen
(47:11-12). (4) Joseph enslaves the Egyptians to Pharaoh (47:13-26). (5) Joseph
swears to bury Jacob in Canaan (47:27-31).
Genesis 47:1 Then Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, and said, “My father
and my brothers and their flocks and their herds and all that they have, have
come out of the land of Canaan; and behold, they are in the land of Goshen.”
(NASB95)
“My father” refers of course to Israel/Jacob and “my brothers” refers to
Joseph’s eleven brothers: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Gad,
Asher, Benjamin, Dan, and Naphtali.
As we noted in Genesis 46:31-34, not only did Joseph’s father and brothers
migrate to Egypt but also their wives and children and grandchildren of
Israel/Jacob’s sons, not to mention the women and children of Shechem who were
absorbed into Jacob’s family according to Genesis 34:29 as well servants.
Therefore, there could have been as many as 300 people belonging to
Israel/Jacob’s household.
The purpose of the genealogy of Genesis 46:8-27 was not to record the name of
every person who migrated from Canaan to Egypt but to name those who will
become tribe and family heads.
As we noted in Genesis 45:10, Joseph sent an invitation to his father through his
brothers to settle in the land of Goshen. Then, we saw in Genesis 45:16-20,
Pharaoh extended an invitation to Israel and his family to settle in Egypt.
Notice that unlike Joseph, Pharaoh does not specify the pasturelands of Goshen,
which indicates that Pharaoh is unaware that Joseph’s family are shepherds in need
specifically of pastureland and so we see that Joseph needs to obtain authorization
from Pharaoh to settle his father and his family in Goshen. Therefore, Joseph
needed to be very diplomatic with Pharaoh and so we saw in Genesis 46:31-34,
that Joseph wisely prepared his brothers for an audience with Pharaoh and coached
them as to what to say to him on that occasion in order to receive the desired result
of living in Goshen. So Joseph informs his brothers in advance that he intends to
request the land of Goshen for them and then in Genesis 47:1, we see him doing
just as promised.

“Goshen” is the proper noun Goshen, which was located in the eastern part of
the Nile Delta, northeast of the Egyptian capital, Memphis and approximately 900
hundred square miles, well suited for grazing and for certain types of agriculture
and sparsely occupied allowing room for Hebrew expansion.
This area was also called the “land of Rameses” in Genesis 47:11 and
according to the Exodus narrative, which records that the Israelites left Goshen
under Moses and went from Rameses through the Wadi Tumilat (a valley
connecting the Nile and the Bitter Lakes region, now a part of the Suez Canal
system) to Succoth (Compare Exodus 8:18; 12:37; 13:17f).
This situation is very delicate since the Egyptians considered shepherds an
abomination and Joseph’s family were just that. Therefore, Joseph did not want to
offend his family by making them feel that he had adopted the Egyptian attitude in
order to please the Egyptians and was treating them as socially inferior.
He needed to be perfectly honest in the matter and secure for his family a
position of comparative isolation geographically, which would segregate them
from the Egyptians who held their occupation with such contempt. On the other
hand, this situation was also difficult for Pharaoh since he was the king of Egypt
who was bound by Egyptian customs and prejudices. However, he did not want to
offend Joseph and his family either and so Pharaoh needed to have a solution,
which would not offend his countrymen or Joseph’s family. Therefore, Joseph’s
proposal to Pharaoh to settle his family in Goshen would solve the problem since it
would segregate Joseph’s family from the bulk of the Egyptian population,
isolating them from the majority of the population.
H. C. Leupold gives the following excellent comment, he writes, “Joseph knew
the exact situation in reference to all things Egyptian and had coached his brethren
how to meet this particular occasion. Yet much would depend on his own approach
to Pharaoh. Pharaoh’s attitude had been very generous (45:17ff). But royalty has
been known to speak generously and afterward to forget what it had promised.
Besides, though Joseph was overlord over the whole land, he would have laid
himself open to criticism had he provided for his own family in so liberal a manner
as Pharaoh had suggested. It was the part of wisdom to have Pharaoh confirm
publicly what he had originally suggested, and so to let it appear that the settlement
of Israel was Pharaoh’s work.” (Exposition of Genesis, volume 2, page 1124;
Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan).
Even though shepherds were detestable to the Egyptians, we saw in Genesis
46:31-34 Joseph instructed his brothers that they are to be honest with Pharaoh and
tell him that they have been shepherds from their youth as were their ancestors so
that he will give them the land of Goshen. This in turn would segregate their
family from the rest of the Egyptian population and would meet their needs as
shepherds.
The racial bigotry of the Egyptians towards Hebrew shepherds would serve to
maintain the Israelites as a separate people. Even though the Israelites exile in
Egypt was in many respects a bitter experience for them, it was a gracious act on
the part of God since it protected them from the corrupt Canaanite influence.
Therefore, the divine rationale for the Lord permitting Joseph to be sold into
slavery in Egypt was to relocate his family so as to protect them from the
corrupting Canaanite influence.
Unlike the Canaanites, the Egyptians would be unwilling to integrate with the
Israelites and absorb them into their culture since they considered their worship of
God repulsive as well as the profession of shepherding. The segregated culture of
the Egyptians guaranteed that the embryonic nation of Israel could develop into a
great nation within the Egyptian borders.
Therefore, the phrase “with their flocks and herds” emphasizes that Joseph’s
family are shepherds, which in turn would assure Pharaoh that they did not have
any social or political ambitions and would also preserve his family from the
Egyptian way of life and intermarriage with the Egyptians.
Also, Joseph’s statement to Pharaoh, “behold, they are in the land of Goshen”
is designed to plant in Pharaoh’s mind the idea of settling his family in Goshen.
Genesis 47:2 He took five men from among his brothers and presented
them to Pharaoh. (NASB95)
Although, the Scriptures do not record the names of the five brothers that
Joseph selected to meet Pharaoh we can infer from Joseph’s wise and discerning
actions in the past that he selected five brothers who would be most presentable at
the Egyptian court to present their request to settle in the land of Goshen.
Genesis 47:3 Then Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your
occupation?” So they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we
and our fathers.” (NASB95)
Sesostris III (1878-1853 B.C) would have been the Pharaoh that invited Jacob
and his family to settle in the land of Goshen according to the chronology accepted
by the Cambridge Ancient History and cited by Eugene H. Merrill (Kingdom of
Priests, page 50, Baker Book House).
Pharaoh asks Joseph’s brothers their occupation since Joseph informed Pharaoh
before he met his brothers that they were shepherds (See Genesis 46:31-34) while
on the other hand, Joseph’s brothers follow his instructions, telling Pharaoh that
they are shepherds even though shepherds were despised by the Egyptians.
Genesis 47:4 They said to Pharaoh, “We have come to sojourn in the land,
for there is no pasture for your servants' flocks, for the famine is severe in the
land of Canaan. Now, therefore, please let your servants live in the land of
Goshen.” (NASB95)

The word “sojourned” is the Hebrew verb gur, which refers to a specific legal
status of a person who lives as a resident alien and is in a dependent legal status
and is not a native. The verb gur signifies Jacob and his family’s status as “resident
aliens” meaning that although they would live in Egypt they would possess neither
land nor clan ties with the Egyptians and would be without legal support and
protection and would be vulnerable to abuse and exploitation by the Egyptians.
Such a people, like Jacob and his family, would have been dependent upon a
native to recognize and protect him while they were in Egypt, which of course,
Joseph did while he was alive.
Furthermore, in Genesis 46:3-4, although after Joseph’s death the Egyptians
exploited the Israelites, God gave Israel assurance that He would bless his
descendants while they resided in Egypt and would make them a great nation there.
Therefore, the use of the verb gur in this statement would clearly suggest to
Pharaoh that Joseph’s family was requesting to live temporarily in his country as
immigrants in order to find relief from the famine in Canaan.
The use of this verb gur, “sojourned” would also connect the Israelites
migration to Egypt with the divine prophecy to Abraham recorded in Genesis
15:12-16.
The explanatory clause “the famine is severe in the land of Canaan,” was
proper for Joseph’s brothers to communicate to Pharaoh even though Joseph did
not tell them to say this to Pharaoh. Therefore, they were saying in effect to
Pharaoh that they had left their native land as a matter of necessity and survival.
Joseph’s brothers’ request of Pharaoh “please let your servants live in the
land of Goshen” was not wrong on their part or in disobedience to Joseph’s
instructions but was according to Joseph’s plan and in agreement with what he told
Pharaoh. This is confirmed in that Joseph informed his brothers that before they
speak to Pharaoh he would let him know that they were already in Goshen as
indicated by the statement in Genesis 47:1, “behold they are in the land of
Goshen,” which was designed to plant in Pharaoh’s mind the idea of settling his
family in Goshen.
Furthermore, the brothers’ request was also in line with Pharaoh’s offer in
Genesis 45:18 “I will give you the best of the land of Egypt” which Goshen
would be for Joseph’s family.
Genesis 47:5 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers
have come to you.” (NASB95)
Pharaoh’s statement “your father and your brothers have come to you” is
official acknowledgement and legitimization of their presence” (Bruce K. Waltke,
Genesis, pages 586, Zondervan). In this statement, Pharaoh is in effect saying “so I
see your father and your brothers have arrived.”

Pharaoh’s acknowledgement of the arrival of Joseph’s father and brothers
reminds him of what he promised Joseph before their arrival, namely, “I will give
you the best of the land of Egypt and you will eat the fat of the land” (Genesis
45:18).
Genesis 47:6 “The land of Egypt is at your disposal; settle your father and
your brothers in the best of the land, let them live in the land of Goshen; and
if you know any capable men among them, then put them in charge of my
livestock.” (NASB95)
Pharaoh agrees with Joseph’s suggestion to settle his family in the land of
Goshen since it would not offend Joseph and his family or his Egyptian
countrymen who disliked shepherds. After Joseph’s brothers have their audience
with Pharaoh, Pharaoh turns to Joseph and speaks to him granting his request as a
special favor to Joseph for his delivering the nation of Egypt from famine.
By addressing himself to Joseph, Pharaoh implicitly authorizes him to be
responsible for implementing his royal decree, which he did according to Genesis
47:11. The manner in which this authorization is given expresses Pharaoh’s
absolute authority, even over Joseph. However, in Genesis 47:7-10, Israel blesses
Pharaoh expressing his spiritual superiority over Pharaoh since God elected Jacob
to inherit the promises, privileges, blessings, and responsibilities of the Abrahamic
covenant.
Pharaoh’s offer “if you know any capable men among them, then put them
in charge of my livestock” would further express his good will towards Joseph’s
family. This offer was not without precedence since Egyptian inscriptions
frequently mention that foreigners were put in charge Pharaoh’s cattle. It would
provide Joseph’s family an opportunity to advance themselves in Pharaoh’s
administration and enjoy privileges and protection not often extended to resident
aliens as themselves.
Joseph Settles Jacob in Goshen
Genesis 47:11-12 records Joseph settling his family in Goshen.

Genesis 47:11 So Joseph settled his father and his brothers and gave them
a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of
Rameses, as Pharaoh had ordered. (NASB95)
A comparison of Pharaoh’s statement recorded in Genesis 47:6 with the
statement in Genesis 47:11 indicates that “the land of Goshen” and “the land of
Rameses” refer to the same location in Egypt.
The fact that Joseph’s family would reside in Goshen would later on protect
their descendants, the Israelites from the plagues that God placed upon the nation
of Egypt during the Exodus generation (See Exodus 8:22; 9:26).
As we have noted in the past, the racial bigotry of the Egyptians towards
Hebrew shepherds would serve to maintain the Israelites as a separate people.
Even though the Israelites exile in Egypt was in many respects a bitter experience
for them, it was a gracious act on the part of God since it protected them from the
corrupt Canaanite influence. Therefore, the divine rationale for the Lord for
moving Jacob and his family to Egypt was to protect them from the corrupting
Canaanite influence.
Unlike the Canaanites, the Egyptians would be unwilling to integrate with the
Israelites and absorb them into their culture since they considered their worship of
God repulsive as well as the profession of shepherding. The segregated culture of
the Egyptians guaranteed that the embryonic nation of Israel could develop into a
great nation within the Egyptian borders.
“Settled” is the verb yashav, which means, “to live in a place for a period of
time” and does “not” mean to live in a place permanently.
In the hiphil (causative) stem, the verb indicates that Joseph “caused” his father
and his brothers to live in the land of Rameses, which is Goshen for an unspecified
period of time, which according to the prophecy given to Abraham in Genesis
15:12-16 was four hundred years. Although this would be a long term migration
from the human perspective, from the divine perspective it would not be
permanent.
“Possession” is the noun àchuzzah, which refers to an inalienable possession
received from one with the authority to give it (cf. 17:8; 23:4, 9, 20) (Bruce K.
Waltke, Genesis, page 587, Zondervan).
The prepositional phrase “in the best part of the land” describes Goshen as the
best land for agriculture (Compare Isaiah 1:19) and this can be inferred by Israel’s
later references to it (See Numbers 20:5; Psalm 78:47) (Bruce K. Waltke, Genesis,
A Commentary, page 571, Zondervan).
The statement “as Pharaoh ordered” refers to Joseph executing Pharaoh’s
command, which is recorded in Genesis 47:6, “settle your father and your
brothers in the best of the land, let them live in the land of Goshen; and if you
know any capable men among them, then put them in charge of my livestock.”
Genesis 47:12 Joseph provided his father and his brothers and all his
father's household with food, according to their little ones. (NASB95)
Genesis 47:12 is a “janus” verse, which is a term named after the Roman god of
doorways with one head and two faces looking in opposite directions and is a term
applied to a literary unit that looks back and forth to unite the units before and
after. Therefore, Genesis 47:12 contrasts the abundant food provisions of the
Israelites with the hunger of the Egyptians in Genesis 47:13, which highlights the
miraculous provisions and protections that God bestowed on Joseph’s family.

The phrase “according to their little ones” means that each family’s allocation
of food was in direct proportion to the number of children in the family.
The Death and Burial of Jacob
In Genesis 47:27-31, we will see Joseph swearing to his father that he will bury
him in Canaan.
Genesis 47:27 Now Israel lived in the land of Egypt, in Goshen, and they
acquired property in it and were fruitful and became very numerous.
(NASB95)
Genesis 47:27 contrasts the prosperity of the Israelites with that of the poverty
of the Egyptians, which is noted in Genesis 47:13-26. Of course, the Israelites
prospered at Egypt’s expense in the sense that they acquired land at a cheap price
from Egyptian farmers who knew they would lose their land anyway due to the
famine.
The Israelites would have purchased cattle from Egyptian farmers, which would
have died from starvation. However, this prosperity that Israel experienced led
eventually to the Egyptians resenting them and persecuting them.
The noun “Israel” and the verb yashav, “lived” are in the singular whereas the
verbs àchaz, “they acquired property” and parah, “were fruitful” and ravah,
“became numerous” are all in the plural demonstrating the unity as a corporate
unit between the patriarch and the nation that descended from him. Therefore, the
name “Israel” emphasizes that the patriarch has become a nation, which is a
fulfillment of the Lord’s promise to make out of his descendants, a nation, which is
recorded in Genesis 35:11.
Genesis 47:28 Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; so the
length of Jacob's life was one hundred and forty-seven years. (NASB95)
The name “Jacob” is often is used in Scripture to signify that the patriarch is
living in his old Adamic sin nature. However, the name at times such as in Genesis
46:2-8, is also used to signify the patriarch’s weakness in his advance age and his
lack of confidence in his own strength.
The use of the name “Jacob” in Genesis 47:28 implies that the patriarch was
living according to the spiritual principle taught by the apostle Paul in 2
Corinthians 12:9.
The name “Jacob” in Genesis 47:28 signifies that the patriarch has
acknowledged his own human weakness or impotence so as to experience the
power of God in life and his right to appropriate that power by prayer and claiming
the divine promises given to him.
It is interesting that Jacob spent the last seventeen years of his life under the
care of his son Joseph whereas Joseph spent the first seventeen years of his life
under the care of his father Jacob. This reflects the providence of God in the lives
of both men in the sense that their lives were not ruled by chance or fate but by
God.
It is also interesting that only four verses were devoted to the death of Abraham
(See Genesis 25:7-10) and two were devoted to the death of Isaac (See Genesis
35:28). However, the death of Jacob is recorded in great detail since the account of
his death is recorded in Genesis 47:28-50:14. The reason for this is due to the
special circumstances surrounding Jacob’s death in that of all the patriarchs, he
was the only one who did “not” die in the Promised Land. Therefore, Jacob’s
demand to be buried in Canaan and the arrangements for his burial there are
recorded in great detail.
Nahum Sarna gives a fascinating quote regarding the age of Jacob, he writes,
“The lifespans of the three patriarchs lend themselves to factorization according to
the following pattern: Abraham 175=5 X 5 X 7; Isaac 180=6 X 6 X 5; Jacob 147=7
X 7 X 3. In this series, the squared number increases by one each time while the
coefficient decreases by two. Furthermore, in each case the sum of the factors is
17. Through their factorial patterns, the patriarchal chronologies constitute a
rhetorical device expressing the profound biblical conviction that Israel’s formative
age was not a concatenation of haphazard incidents but a series of events ordered
according to God’s grand design” (JPS Torah Commentary, page 324, Jewish
Publication Society).
Genesis 47:29 When the time for Israel to die drew near, he called his son
Joseph and said to him, “Please, if I have found favor in your sight, place now
your hand under my thigh and deal with me in kindness and faithfulness.
Please do not bury me in Egypt, 30 but when I lie down with my fathers, you
shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place.” And he said,
“I will do as you have said.” (NASB95)
As we have noted, the name “Israel” means, “one who fights (both God and
men) and overcomes with the power of God.” The name memorializes the
historical event of Jacob wrestling the preincarnate Christ, and which wrestling
match symbolized Jacob’s struggles in life with men, which in reality were with
God. The name “Israel” reflects strength and character produced by appropriating
the power of the Word of God by claiming the promises of God in prayer.
Therefore, the use of this name signifies that Jacob is not walking in his flesh at
this point in the narrative but is walking by faith (See 1 Corinthians 5:7).
By requesting that his son Joseph bury him in the land that the Lord promised
him, Israel was demonstrating his faith in the Lord’s promise to give to him and his
descendants the land of Canaan.
The expression “Please, if I have found favor in your sight” is deferential
language, which is normally used by an inferior when speaking to a superior. It is
used by Israel since Joseph possesses power and authority as the prime minister of
Egypt and it expresses Israel’s dependence upon Joseph.
The command “place your hand under my thigh” is a euphemism for
genitalia (Compare Genesis 24:2-3; Exodus 1:5; Judges 8:30) and was a
symbolical gesture for securing one’s last will by an oath at the source of life.
Therefore, by putting his hands under Joseph’s thigh and touching his genitals,
Joseph was giving an oath that was special and solemn.
Israel’s request “deal with me in kindness and faithfulness” means that Israel
who is dying is dependent upon Joseph who is in the prime of life. It also means
that Israel is requesting that Joseph guarantee that he will bury him according to
the covenant promises regarding the land of Canaan.
The statement “when I lie down with my fathers” is a reference to Israel’s
physical death.
“My fathers” is a reference to Abraham and Isaac as indicated by the phrase
“their burial place,” which is a reference to the cave of Machpelah where
Abraham and Isaac were buried.
Genesis 23 records that for four hundred shekels of silver, Abraham purchased
from Ephron the Hittite “the cave of Machpelah” as a burial plot for Sarah,
himself and his descendants.
“Machpelah” is located west of modern Hebron on the outskirts and the city is
situated on the eastern slope of a narrow valley, which runs north and south and is
surrounded by rocky hills. The cave itself was located at the end of a field and
Josephus mentioned a “monument of the patriarchs,” which stood in Hebron in the
days of Jesus.
Abraham bought this gravesite in the land of Canaan in the confident
expectation of God fulfilling His promise to give the land of Canaan to himself and
his descendants as a permanent possession. Not only was Sarah buried at this site
but so also were Abraham, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob and Leah were buried there as
well (See Genesis 25:9; 35:27, 29, 49:31; 50:13).
All of these demonstrated their faith in God’s promises to give them the land of
Canaan by being buried with Sarah. The presence of the grave site among their
descendants in later years would be mute but eloquent testimony to them all that
the patriarchs were sure that God would fulfill His promises to give them the land
of Canaan.
Israel’s request “Please do not bury me in Egypt, but when I lie down with
my fathers, you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place”
is a reference to the Lord’s promise to him, which is recorded in Genesis 35:12.
Joseph agrees to his father’s request and fulfilled it as recorded in Genesis 50.
Genesis 47:31 He said, “Swear to me.” So he swore to him. Then Israel
bowed in worship at the head of the bed. (NASB95)
Bruce K. Waltke makes the following comment regarding Israel’s request
recorded in Genesis 47:31, he writes, “Jacob demands an oath to make it official
(cf. 25:29-33) and to make Joseph directly accountable to God. Also, Jacob needs
assurance because he knows the difficulty of the assignment in light of Pharaoh’s
power. Pharaoh refers to the oath in granting permission (cf. 50:6).” (Genesis, page
592, Zondervan)
When Joseph agrees to his father’s request, Israel leaned on top of his staff in
an inaudible prayer of thanksgiving and praise to the Lord that his final request
will be fulfilled.
The statement “Then Israel bowed in worship at the head of the bed” is
incorrectly translated and should be translated “then Israel in worship leaned on
top of his staff.”
Now, the original Hebrew text does “not” contain vowels since a certain group
of Jewish scholars who lived from A.D. 500- 950 and were called the “Massoretes”
added vowels to the Hebrew text for pronunciation purposes. Therefore, in Genesis
47:31, “bed” is the noun mtth but this word became mittah when the Massoretes
added vowels to the text. However, the writer of Hebrews took the letters to stand
for matteh, “staff” rather than the noun mittah, “bed.”
Therefore, Israel did not bow in worship at the head of his bed but rather he
leaned on top of his staff and this interpretation is confirmed by Hebrews 11:21,
which states, “By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of
Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.” The leaning on the top
of his staff by Israel was a symbolic gesture of prostration since he was too old and
feeble to bow to the ground.
Jacob Adopts Joseph’s Sons
Genesis 48 is divided into four sections: (1) The introduction to Jacob blessing
Joseph (48:1-2). (2) Jacob adopts Joseph’s sons in order to elevate them to the
status of founding fathers (48:3-12). (3) Jacob confers blessing on Joseph who is
represented by his sons with Ephraim receiving the greater blessing (48:13-20). (4)
Jacob gives Joseph the portion of the land he took from the Amorites (48:21-22).
Although Jacob adopts Joseph’s two sons, giving them founding father status,
which would make the total number of tribes in Israel as thirteen, the number of
tribes in Israel still remained at twelve by eliminating the tribe of Levi’s territorial
share (See Joshua 14:1-4).
Genesis 48-50 brings to a conclusion the story of Jacob, which began in
Genesis 35 and the story of Joseph, which began in Genesis 37.

There are two significant themes recorded in Genesis 48: (1) Jacob adopts
Joseph’s sons and elevates them to the status of Israelite tribes. (2) Ephraim
receives a greater status over the first-born Manasseh.
Genesis 48:1-4 records Joseph visiting his father after being informed that he
has become sick and his father in turn recalls the promises that God gave him
before entering into the ceremony of adopting Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and
Manasseh.
Genesis 48:1 Now it came about after these things that Joseph was told,
“Behold, your father is sick.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim
with him. (NASB95)
“After these things” refers to the oath ceremony where Joseph agreed to his
father’s request to have him buried in the land of Canaan, which is recorded in
Genesis 47:27-31 and marks the final stage of Jacob’s life.
The expression “Joseph was told” indicates that Joseph did not live with his
father in Goshen but rather resided in Memphis due to his responsibilities as prime
minister of Egypt, which would keep him distant from his family.
The statement “Behold, your father is sick” is the first reference in the Bible to
sickness and refers to the fact that Jacob is terminally ill.
Joseph’s firstborn was “Manasseh” whose name means, “He who causes to
forget” as indicated by Joseph’s statement “For God has made me forget all my
trouble and all my father’s household.”
Manasseh’s birth is recorded in Genesis 41:51 Joseph named the firstborn
Manasseh, “For,” he said, “God has made me forget all my trouble and all my
father's household.” (NASB95)
The name “Manasseh” is derived from the verb nashah, which means, “to
forget” and appears also in Genesis 41:51 and is translated “forget.”
The verb nashah, “forget” does “not” mean the loss of memory of his
adversities related to his brothers selling him into slavery but rather it means the
hurt or the sting has gone out of the memory since God has blessed him greatly in
Egypt. In fact, the mere mention of his father’s household reveals that Joseph has
not forgotten his father or brothers.
The phrase “all my trouble and all my father's household” is a “hendiadys”
meaning that even though there are two different expressions one idea is intended,
thus it can be translated “all my trouble associated with my father’s household.”
The name of Joseph’s firstborn praises God for delivering him from all the
adversities and heartbreak inflicted upon him by his brothers for selling him into
slavery in Egypt.
The name “Manasseh” signifies that God had healed Joseph of the bitter
memories of being sold into slavery by his brothers by blessing Joseph while in
Egypt.
The second son that Asenath bore to Joseph was named “Ephraim” whose
name means, “He has made me fruitful,” as indicated by Joseph’s statement “For
God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
Ephraim’s birth is recorded in Genesis 41:52 He named the second Ephraim,
“For,” he said, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.”
(NASB95)
The name “Ephraim” is derived from the verb parah, which means, “to be
fruitful” and appears also in Genesis 41:52 and is translated “has made me
fruitful.”
The verb parah refers to abundant posterity (See Genesis 17:6, 20; 28:3; 48:4;
Psalm 105:23-24), which is unusual that it should be used by Joseph after the birth
of only his second child. Therefore, we can see that the verb parah along with the
proper noun èphrayim, “Ephraim” forms a prophecy related to the tribe that
would descend from Joseph’s second son Ephraim. In fact, Moses in his farewell
address recorded in Deuteronomy 33:13-17 bestows a fertility blessing upon
Joseph and explicitly refers to the “ten thousands of Ephraim” and the
“thousands of Manasseh.”
Joseph’s two sons were twenty years of age since Genesis 41:50 records that
Joseph’s two sons were born a year before the famine and Genesis 47:28 records
that Jacob lived in Egypt for seventeen years and Genesis 45:11 records that Jacob
and his sons arrived in Egypt when there were five more years of famine to come.
Therefore, if Jacob lived in Egypt seventeen years and arrived in Egypt with five
years remaining in the famine and Joseph’s sons were born a year before the
famine, then Joseph’s sons would be twenty years of age.
Genesis 48:1 lists Manasseh first since he was the first-born and Ephraim
second and this is important since this represents Joseph’s viewpoint that by
primogeniture rights the older will be greater than the younger, however, Jacob
will reverse it.
If you recall, in Genesis 25, we saw Esau was the firstborn son of Isaac and
Rebekah, however, the Lord chose Jacob to inherit the blessings, privileges,
promises and responsibilities of the Abrahamic covenant since he was a believer
and Esau was not.
Also, in Genesis 38, we saw that even though Tamar’s midwife used the scarlet
thread to identify Zerah as Judah’s firstborn, God considered Perez the firstborn as
demonstrated in that he always appears before Zerah in the genealogical lists (See
Genesis 46:12; Numbers 26:20-21; Matthew 1:3). The reason for this is that the
ancestral lines of King David is traced back through Perez according to Ruth 4:18-
22 as well as the human nature of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ according to
Matthew 1:3 and Luke 3:33.

Genesis 48:2 When it was told to Jacob, “Behold, your son Joseph has
come to you,” Israel collected his strength and sat up in the bed. (NASB95)
Notice the switch in names from “Jacob” to “Israel,” which is significant.
Although, the name “Jacob” means, “heel catcher” implying someone who is a
“deceiver” and a “supplanter,” which is a person who takes the place of another by
force, scheming or strategy, the name is used here to signify the patriarch’s
weakness in his advance age and his lack of confidence in his own strength. The
use of the name “Jacob” implies that the patriarch was living according to the
spiritual principle taught by the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9.
The statement “Israel collected his strength and sat up in the bed” along with
the change of name from “Jacob” to “Israel” indicates that the patriarch
summoned the strength to sit up in bed by appropriating the power of God by
claiming the promises of God or in other words, the promises God gave to him
revived him.
Jacob sat up in bed also out of respect for Joseph and his office as prime
minister of Egypt. Jacob is told that Joseph has arrived since Genesis 48:10 records
that he was going blind and Joseph is announced to his father since Joseph is a
great man in Egypt.
Genesis 48:3 Then Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at
Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, 4 and He said to me, ‘Behold, I will
make you fruitful and numerous, and I will make you a company of peoples,
and will give this land to your descendants after you for an everlasting
possession.’” (NASB95)
of Himself when speaking to Abraham as recorded in Genesis 17:1. It was used by
Isaac when blessing Jacob as recorded in Genesis 28:3 and was used by God once
again when speaking to Jacob after he fulfilled his vow at Bethel as recorded in
Genesis 35:11.
The title El Shaddai, “God Almighty” emphasizes the omnipotence of God and
describes the Lord as being able to bring to pass that which He has promised to
Jacob (See Romans 4:20-21).
Israel’s statement “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of
Canaan” is a reference to the theophany that he received at Luz when he was
returning to Canaan from Paddan Aram, which is recorded in Genesis 35:10-12.
A “theophany” is a theological term used to refer to either a visible or auditory
manifestation of the Son of God before His incarnation in Bethlehem (Gen. 32:29-
30; Ex. 3:2; 19:18-20; Josh. 5:13-15; Dan. 3:26).
Genesis 28:10-15 and Genesis 35:9-15 record that the patriarch received both a
visible and auditory manifestation of the Son of God.

“Luz” was later named by Jacob “Bethel” after he received the theophany on
the way out of the land of Canaan according to Genesis 28:19.
“Bethel” means, “house of God” and is approximately ten miles north of
Jerusalem.
The fact that this is a reference to the theophany Israel received upon returning
to Canaan is indicated by the three promises he mentions to Joseph, which were
not given to him when he left Canaan for Paddan Aram. However, we must
understand that the promises that Jacob received when leaving Canaan for Paddan
Aram that are recorded in Genesis 28:10-19 are nearly identical in substance to the
promises that he received when returning to Canaan, which are recorded in Genesis
35:10-12. Therefore, the promises that Jacob received in his two encounters with
the Lord were probably one and the same in the mind of the patriarch.
Israel received six promises when he returned to Canaan, which are recorded in
Genesis 35:10-12; however, in Genesis 48:4, he only mentions three of them to
Joseph.
The first promise “I will make you fruitful and numerous” is a reference to
the promise “be fruitful and multiply” and means that the Lord would give Jacob
and his descendants the capacity to be prolific in producing posterity.
The second promise “and I will make you a company of peoples” is a
reference to the promise “a company of nations…shall come from you” which
refers to the twelve tribes of Israel.
“Peoples” is the noun àm, which is used of people in terms of their being
kinsmen, relatives or members of a tribe and so therefore, this word in Genesis
48:4 refers to the individuals belonging to the various twelve tribes of Israel.
“Nations” is the noun goy, which refers to a specific group of people that form
a political entity and so therefore, this word refers to the twelve tribes of Israel,
each of which formed an independent political entity, as well as forming a nation
when joined together.
The third promise “and will give this land to your descendants after you for
an everlasting possession” is a reference to the promise “The land which I gave
to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it to you, and I will give the land to your
descendants after you” which is a reference to the land of Canaan.
The promise of “land” is a reference to the “Palestinian Covenant,” which was
a confirmation and enlargement of the original “Abrahamic” covenant and
amplified the land features of the “Abrahamic” covenant (Gen. 13:14-15; 15:18).
The “Palestinian” Covenant stipulated that the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob who exercise faith alone in Christ alone would not only come into permanent
possession of the land of Canaan but also most of the land in Turkey, East Africa,
Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman and Red Sea, Syria, Iraq, Jordan. The boundaries of

this land grant are on the Mediterranean, Aegean Sea, Euphrates River and the Nile
River (See Genesis 15:18).
The Lord promises that this land would be given to Abraham’s descendants and
45; cf. 13:1-7) and David and Solomon (1 Kgs. 4:20-25; Neh. 9:8). The
“Palestinian” covenant will have its literal and ultimate fulfillment during the
millennial reign of Christ (Isa. 11:11-12; Jer. 31-37; Ezek. 34:11-16; Hos. 1:10-11;
Joel 3:17-21; Amos 9:11-15; Micah 4:6-7; Zeph. 3:14-20; Zech. 8:4-8).
“Your descendants” refers to Jacob’s “biological” descendants, which would
be the nation of Israel and it refers to his “spiritual” descendants, which refers to
“born-again” Israel.
In a “near” sense “Your descendants” refers to the nation of Israel (saved and
unsaved) and in a “far” sense it refers to saved Israel during the millennial reign of
Christ.
“Blessed” is the verb barakh means, “to endue with power for success,
prosperity, fecundity, longevity, etc.”
Jacob would be “blessed” or in other words, “endued with power for success,
prosperity, fecundity and longevity” by means of the Word of God since the Word
of God is “alive and powerful” according to Hebrews 4:12.
By means of His Word, the Lord would fulfill His promise to Israel that he
would “be fruitful and multiply” by enduing him with power for offspring in
great numbers and to become “a company of peoples” and to possess the land of
Canaan forever. Therefore, the statement “God Almighty…blessed me” means
that Israel and his descendants would be the recipients and beneficiaries of the
omnipotence of God, which would be manifested in time by the Lord fulfilling the
three promises through Jacob and his descendants.
Genesis 48:5-12 records Jacob adopting Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and
Manasseh.
Genesis 48:5 “Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of
Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall
be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are.” (NASB95)
Israel adopts Joseph’s two sons as his own and gives them equal standing with
Joseph’s brothers as indicated by the statement “Ephraim and Manasseh shall be
mine, as Reuben and Simeon are.” He was bestowing on Joseph the double
portion of the birthright and was also in effect elevating Joseph to the level of
himself.
The adoption of Joseph’s two sons by Israel put them on a par with Reuben and
Simeon and as a result each of them would receive one portion, but in so doing
Joseph received a double portion.

Joseph received the rights of the firstborn and a double portion of his father’s
inheritance, which goes along with it and not Reuben who was Jacob’s firstborn
since Reuben was stripped of his birthright as the firstborn because he had sex with
his father’s concubine Bilhah (See Genesis 35:22; 49:3-4; 1 Chronicles 5:1).
1 Chronicles 5:1-2 speaks of the birthright being given to Joseph rather than
Reuben because Reuben slept with his father’s concubine.
The firstborn had a privileged status (See Genesis 43:33; 49:3) and the right of
succession (2 Chronicles 21:3) and received a double portion of his father’s
The father’s inheritance was divided among his sons and the firstborn always
has right to two of these portions. Therefore, if there are ten sons, the firstborn
receives two portions and the other nine split eight portions or if there are only two
sons then the firstborn inherits everything.
As we noted in our study of Esau and Jacob, in the days of the patriarchs it was
the custom of the day that the oldest son receive a double portion of the
inheritance. However, the father could change this if in his opinion it warranted it
and so Jacob was perfectly within his rights to transfer the birthright from Reuben
to Joseph since the latter demonstrated that he was better suited for the
responsibility than the former.
The Scriptures record that the birthright was transferable where the youngest
can displace the eldest as in the cases of Joseph and Judah, Reuben, and Ephraim
and Manasseh, Moses and Aaron, David and his six older brothers, Solomon and
Adonijah.
Israel decided to bestow the double inheritance of the firstborn directly to
Joseph’s sons rather than to Joseph himself and by adopting Joseph’s sons, Israel
was making them of equal rank to Simeon and Levi.
Both Ephraim and Manasseh would be counted as Israel’s two sons, which was
important to understand when it came time to divide the land of Canaan since they
would each receive a portion of land. Therefore, Joseph did not become a tribe in
Israel but his two sons did.
Usually, the next oldest would receive the rights of the firstborn and the double
portion of the father’s inheritance but in the case of Simeon and Levi who were the
next oldest, they too lost out on the firstborn status and inheritance because they
were guilty of the massacre of all the men of Shechem (See Genesis 34; 49:5-6).
Therefore, we see that Joseph received this privileged status in an unusual way.
primogeniture rights the older will be greater than the younger. However, in
Genesis 48:5 the names flip flop expressing Israel’s Spirit guided intention to put

Ephraim first in the blessing (See Genesis 49:19-20) and anticipating the
leadership role he would have.
In the adoption ceremony, Israel would have placed the two boys by his knees,
which would symbolize his giving them birth in place of Asenath, the daughter of
Potiphera, priest of On.
The fact that Israel adopted his grandchildren was not unusual in the days of the
patriarchs and is well attested in the Bible (See Ruth 4:16-17; Esther 2:7). Records
of grandfathers adopting their grandchildren are also well attested in ancient Near
Eastern documents.
Genesis 48:6 “But your offspring that have been born after them shall be
yours; they shall be called by the names of their brothers in their
inheritance.” (NASB95)
Israel’s statement “but your offspring that have been born after them
(Ephraim and Manasseh) shall be yours” means that while Ephraim and Manasseh
were now considered as his sons (See Numbers 26:28-37; 1 Chronicles 7:14-29),
any other children Joseph might have in the future were to be considered his.
The statement “they shall be called by the names of their brothers” means
that although any children born to Joseph in the future would be considered his,
they would perpetuate the names of Ephraim and Manasseh and be incorporated
into the tribes that bear their names (See Genesis 38:6; Deuteronomy 25:5-6).
“Inheritance” is the noun nachalah, which denotes some type of property,
which was inalienable and within the context of Genesis 48:6 refers to the land of
Canaan, which God promised to Israel. Therefore, the prepositional phrase “in
their inheritance” refers to the distribution of land among the twelve tribes of
Israel.
The prepositional phrase “in their inheritance” means that Joseph’s territory in
the land of Canaan would be divided into two tribes because Levi did not receive
land (See Joshua 14:4), thus there was still a total of twelve tribes in Israel and not
thirteen. It means that any other children born to Joseph would not constitute
separate tribal entities but rather would be incorporated into the tribes of Ephraim
and Manasseh and would partake of the inheritance of these two.
Genesis 48:7 “Now as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died, to
my sorrow, in the land of Canaan on the journey, when there was still some
distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that
is, Bethlehem).” (NASB95)
In Genesis 48:7, Israel gives the “reason” why he is adopting Ephraim and
Manasseh.
Rachel was not only Israel’s favorite wife but she was also chosen by him
whereas Leah he did not choose and neither did he choose Bilhah and Zilpah, the
concubines. Israel wanted Joseph to know that as the oldest son of Rachel, who
was the one he intended to marry and not Leah, that Joseph should have the
birthright with its double portion of the inheritance. However, since the custom of
the time would not ordinarily permit this, Israel found a way of blessing Joseph’s
two sons.
The fact that Joseph’s two sons received the double portion of the inheritance
was fully justified since Joseph delivered the entire family from starvation and was
thus his by merit.
Genesis 48:8 When Israel saw Joseph's sons, he said, “Who are these?”
(NASB95)
Although Israel’s eyesight was poor, his question “who are these?” does not
mean he didn’t recognize Ephraim and Manasseh because he was blind since he
had proposed already to adopt them by name according to Genesis 48:5.
Furthermore, it is very unlikely that Israel had never met Ephraim and Manasseh
during his seventeen years in Egypt. In fact, Israel’s question “who are these?”
was the second stage of the legal adoptive process, namely, the establishment of
the true identity of the candidates for adoption by formal interrogation of the
natural father (Nahum Sarna, JPS Torah Commentary, Jewish Publication Society,
page 327). Israel’s question calls to mind the question at a wedding where the
pastor asks the question “who gives this woman to this man?” which is not said in
ignorance but as part of the ceremony.
Genesis 48:9 Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has
given me here.” So he said, “Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them.”
(NASB95)
Notice that Joseph does “not” name his sons indicating that Israel knows their
names.
Joseph’s statement “They are my sons, whom God has given me here
(Egypt)” demonstrates that he considered Ephraim and Manasseh as gifts from the
Lord. This statement expresses Joseph’s faith in God’s promise of numerous
descendants for the patriarchs.
Israel’s statement “Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them”
expresses his intention to bless Ephraim and Manasseh. There is a touch of irony
here in that in the past, we have seen that Jacob had secured his father’s blessing
for himself by means of deceit whereas Joseph secures blessing for his sons by
means of honesty.
“Bless” is expressing Israel’s intention to “bless” Ephraim and Manasseh in the
sense that he desires that God would “endue” them “with power for success,
prosperity, fecundity (offspring in large numbers) and longevity.”
Genesis 48:10 Now the eyes of Israel were so dim from age that he could
not see. Then Joseph brought them close to him, and he kissed them and
embraced them. (NASB95)
“Were so dim” is the verb kavedh, which is used in a figurative sense for the
eyesight of Israel being poor implying that he could see but not well. This is
indicated by Israel’s statement in Genesis 48:11 that God had let him see Joseph’s
two sons, thus indicating he could see. Therefore, a comparison of the verb kavedh,
which means, “were poor” and the statement in Genesis 48:11 “God has let me
see your children as well” indicates that the statement in Genesis 48:10 “he
(Israel0 could not see” means that Israel “could not see well.” Like his father
Isaac, Jacob’s eyesight failed him in his old age (See Genesis 27:1).
In Genesis 48:10, Joseph’s sons are brought closer to Israel for the adoption
whereas in Genesis 48:13 they are brought close to him for the blessing.
Israel kissed and embraced his two grandsons, Ephraim and Manasseh while
they were between his knees according to the statement in Genesis 48:12 that
Joseph took the boys from Israel’s knees after the adoption ceremony. The fact that
Israel kissed and embraced Ephraim and Manasseh was not only an expression of
genuine affection for his grandchildren but it also these gestures held ritualistic
significance and were a part of the adoptive process and was equivalent to saying
that they were his children (See Waltke, Genesis, page 598, Zondervan).
Genesis 48:11 Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face, and
behold, God has let me see your children as well.” (NASB95)
Israel’s two statements are an acknowledgement on his part of God’s
providential care for him and his family as well as God’s grace who remained
faithful to him even when he was unfaithful to God.
Israel’s statement “I have never expected to see your (Joseph’s) face”
expresses his belief for many years that Joseph was dead, killed by wild animals.
Bruce K. Waltke gives an insightful comment, he writes, “The adoption
ceremony begins with Joseph crediting God for his sons and ends with Jacob
praising God. God blesses both father and grandfather through these boys. To
Joseph they are an incredible gift after years of affliction; to Jacob they are an
incredible vision after he had lost all hope of ever seeing Joseph. Joseph’s and
Jacob’s reflections of God’s present blessings set the spiritual milieu for the
blessings that follow.” (Genesis, page 598, Zondervan)
Genesis 48:12 Then Joseph took them from his knees, and bowed with his
face to the ground. (NASB95)
The statement “Joseph took them from his knees” indicates that the adoption
ceremony has ended. The expression “from his knees” does not imply that
Joseph’s twenty year old sons were sitting on the knees of Israel who was an
elderly bed ridden man but rather it means that the boys had stood by their
grandfather’s knees or leaned over them.
Out of great love and respect for his father and to honor him, Joseph is recorded
as bowing down after removing his two sons from his father’s side. Even though
Joseph was equal to Pharaoh, he still found it appropriate to honor his father by
bowing down to him. Therefore, we see Joseph once again honoring his father with
this act of respect.
Jacob Blesses Ephraim and Manasseh
Genesis 48:13-20 records Jacob blessing Ephraim and Manasseh. In Genesis

48:5-12 we have the account of the adoption ritual whereas in Genesis 48:13-20,
we have the record of the blessing ritual.
Genesis 48:13 Joseph took them both, Ephraim with his right hand toward
Israel's left, and Manasseh with his left hand toward Israel's right, and
brought them close to him. (NASB95)
primogeniture rights the older will be greater than the younger, however, Jacob
will reverse it. Therefore, Joseph positions his two sons in such a way as to ensure
that his father’s right hand, the symbol of action and power and blessing will rest
on Manasseh, his firstborn since the eldest son would receive the greater blessing.
Throughout the Scriptures, the right hand side is regarded as the place of honor,
strength, power, glory and blessing (See Exodus 15:6; Deuteronomy 11:29; Psalm
89:13; 110:1; Proverbs 3:16; Ecclesiastes 10:2; Matthew 25:33; Acts 2:33;
Hebrews 1:3).
Genesis 48:14 But Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the
head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh's head,
crossing his hands, although Manasseh was the firstborn. (NASB95)
The Holy Spirit guides Israel to put his right hand on the head of the younger of
Joseph’s two boys, Ephraim and not Manasseh, the older of the two since it is the
will of God that Ephraim and not Manasseh receive the greater blessing.
Israel put his right hand on the head of the younger son, Ephraim rather than the
firstborn, Manasseh since the Holy Spirit gave him revelation that Ephraim would
be greater than Manasseh as indicated by his explanation to Joseph as to why he
gave Ephraim the greater blessing, which is recorded in Genesis 48:19. Therefore,
the blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh was prophetic since it was inspired by God
the Holy Spirit and spoke of their future descendants.
Genesis 48:19 records that Israel gave both boys the same blessing, thus
indicating that the only reason why Israel blessed Ephraim with his right hand and
not Manasseh was that God gave him revelation that Ephraim’s descendants would
become a multitude of nations. Further indicating that both boys receive the same
blessing is that Israel blessed their father as recorded in Genesis 48:16.

Dr. Thomas L. Constable commenting on Israel laying his hands on Joseph’s
boys, writes, “This is the first of many scriptural instances of the laying on of
hands (v. 14). By this symbolic act, a person transferred a spiritual power or gift to
another. This rite was part of the ceremony of dedicating a person or group to an
office (Num. 27:18, 23; Deut. 34:9; Matt. 19:13; Acts 6:6; 8:17; etc.), offering
sacrifices, and the healings Jesus Christ and the apostles performed. In this case
Jacob symbolically transferred a blessing from himself to Joseph's sons. Once
uttered, blessings were irreversible (cf. Num. 23:20; Rom. 11:29).” (Notes on
Genesis, 2005 Edition, page 266)
Genesis 48:15 He blessed Joseph, and said, “The God before whom my
fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all
my life to this day, 16 the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the
lads and may my name live on in them, and the names of my fathers Abraham
and Isaac and may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”
(NASB95)
The statement “He (Israel) blessed Joseph” means that Israel is blessing Joseph
through his two sons and this is indicated in that Joseph received the double
portion of the family inheritance according to 1Chronicles 5:1-2 and both Ephraim
and Manasseh were equally blessed according to Genesis 48:19.
Next, Israel identifies the Source of the blessing who is the one and only God
and gives a three-fold description of Him referring to each member of the Trinity.
“The God” is composed of the definite article ha, “the” and the noun Elohim,
“God” and together they mean “the one and only God,” or “the one true God” in
contrast to the multi-god culture of the heathen world.
The statement “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac
walked” refers God the Father and to the fact that Israel’s grandfather Abraham
and his father Isaac lived in the presence of the one and only God or in other
words, they experienced intimate fellowship with the one and only God.
Fellowship with the Lord constitutes living in the presence of God and involves
confessing sin to the Father in order to be restored to fellowship followed by
obedience to the Word of the Lord in order to maintain that fellowship (1 John 1:5-
2:6) and to experience the covenant blessings.
Obedience to the Word of the Lord constitutes walking by means of faith
meaning taking the Lord at His Word to deliver on His promises.
Therefore, the statement “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and
Isaac walked” implies that like Abraham and Isaac, Ephraim and Manasseh must
live in the presence of God and experience intimate fellowship with Him in order
to experience the covenant blessings.
2:26; Josh. 6:17) and of the “preincarnate” Christ (Gen. 22:11; Zech. 3:1). In
Genesis 48:16, “the angel” is a reference to the “preincarnate” Christ since Israel
in context Israel is speaking of His relationship to God.
The preincarnate Christ manifested Himself to Israel both visibly and audibly
seven times in his life (first time: Genesis 28:10-22; 2nd time: 31:3; third time:
31:10-13; 4th time: 32:24-32; 5th time: 35:1; 6th time: 35:9; 7th time: 46:2).
The statement “the angel who has redeemed me from all evil” is therefore a
reference to God the Son and means that Israel acknowledges that the preincarnate
Christ had delivered him throughout his life from evil in the sense of harm.
“Redeem” is the verb ga’al, which means, “to deliver.”
“Evil” is the adjective ra`, which is often used to denote “independence from
God, which is manifested by disobedience and rebellion,” however, Israel is
speaking of “physical harm.”
The Lord had delivered Israel from physical harm many times in his life such as
delivering him from Esau when fleeing Canaan (See Genesis 28:10-19), and when
arriving back in Canaan (See Genesis 32), and He delivered him from Laban (See
Genesis 32-33) and from the Canaanites and Perizzites (See Genesis 34).
Next, Israel makes four requests of God for the sons of Joseph. The first request
“bless the lads (Ephraim and Manasseh)” expresses Israel’s Spirit inspired desire
that God would endue Ephraim and Manasseh with power for success, prosperity,
fecundity (offspring in large numbers) and longevity.
The second request “may my name live on in them” expresses Israel’s Spirit
inspired desire that God would reckon that both Ephraim and Manasseh would be
among the twelve tribes of Israel and perpetuate the family line.
The third request “(may) the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac (live
on in them)” expresses Israel’s Spirit inspired desire that God would reckon
Ephraim and Manasseh as part of the family that is heir to the blessings, privileges,
responsibilities and promises of the Abrahamic covenant.
Israel’s fourth and final request “may they grow into a multitude in the midst
of the earth” expresses Israel’s Spirit inspired desire that the descendants of
Ephraim and Manasseh would become a multitude. This request was fulfilled
according to a comparison of two censuses taken during the course of Israel’s
wandering in the desert under Moses prior to entering Canaan under Joshua.
The combined number of males in Ephraim and Manasseh increased from
72,700 (See Numbers 1:32-35) in the second year after the Exodus to 85,200 forty
years later (See Numbers 26:28-37). In contrast, the combined populations of
Reuben and Simeon during the same period decreases from 105,800 to 65,930. In
his farewell address, Moses in Deuteronomy 33:17 refers to the “myriads of
Ephraim” and the “thousands of Manasseh.”

Genesis 48:17 When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on
Ephraim's head, it displeased him; and he grasped his father's hand to
remove it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. 18 Joseph said to his
father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand
on his head.” (NASB95)
It displeased Joseph that his father had put his right hand on the head of his
youngest son Ephraim rather than the older of the two, Manasseh since he
considered it a disregard of primogeniture rights meaning that the oldest son was to
receive a greater blessing than the younger. Joseph attempted to remove his
father’s hand from Ephraim’s head since he undoubtedly thought that his father
made an error due to his poor eyesight.
Just as Esau attempted to have his father Isaac reverse the blessing he gave to
Jacob (See Genesis 27:34-36) so Joseph attempts to reverse the blessing given to
Ephraim and have his father bestow it on Manasseh, the firstborn. However, once
the blessing has been given it is irrevocable (See Numbers 23:20; Romans 11:29),
which is especially true when the blessing is inspired by the Holy Spirit as was the
case with both Jacob and Ephraim.
Joseph did not realize that God the Holy Spirit directed his father to place his
right hand upon the head of Ephraim and pronounce a blessing on him that was
prophetic.
Genesis 48:19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know; he
also will become a people and he also will be great. However, his younger
brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a
multitude of nations.” (NASB95)
Israel’s statement “I know, my son, I know” means that he understood which
of the two young men were the firstborn, understanding fully primogeniture rights
and indicates that it was intentional that he gave the blessing of the firstborn to
Ephraim rather than Manasseh.
His statement “He also will become a people and he also will be great”
means that Manasseh’s descendants would become one of the tribes of Israel and
would have an impact on the nation.
“People” is the noun àm, which is used of people in terms of their being
kinsmen, relatives or members of a tribe.
The statement “However, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and
his descendants shall become a multitude of nations” means Ephraim’s
descendants would have numerical superiority over his brother’s descendants and
would have a greater impact upon the nation of Israel.
“Multitude” is the noun melo, “fullness” and “nations” is the noun goy, which
refers to a specific group of people that form a political entity, thus the text literally
reads, “the fullness of nations.”
Notice that Israel prophesied that Manasseh would become a “people” in the
sense of a tribe while on the other hand Ephraim’s descendants will become “the
fullness of nations” indicating the numerical superiority that Ephraim’s
descendants will have over those of Manasseh.
Bruce K. Waltke, “In the census taken in the second year after the Exodus, the
male population of Ephraim is 20 percent more than that of Manasseh (See
Numbers 1:33, 35). In the second census a generation later, however, the male
population of Manasseh exceeds that of Ephraim (Numbers 26:34, 37) by 40
percent (cf. 1 Chronicles 7:20-23). Eventually, however, Ephraim gains the
numerical superiority (cf. Deuteronomy 33:17).” (Genesis, page 600, Zondervan).
This blessing/prophecy was fulfilled during the Judges period when Ephraim
had grown very large and influential and when the tribe of Ephraim took the lead
among the ten northern tribes and flourished to the extent that the Jews used the
name Ephraim equally with the name Israel.
Genesis 48:20 He blessed them that day, saying, “By you Israel will
pronounce blessing, saying, ‘May God make you like Ephraim and
Manasseh!’” Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh. (NASB95)
The prepositional phrase “by you” is in the singular referring to Joseph who is
blessed through his two sons.
The noun Elohim, “God” is used rather than the covenant name of God, which
is Yahweh, “Lord” since Israel is emphasizing the omnipotence of God and that
God is able to bring to pass that which He has purposed for Ephraim and
Manasseh.
The statement “May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh” is a
prophecy that the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh will be so blessed that future
generations in Israel will invoke their names as a pattern for divine blessing and
that they shall in the course of time become proverbial for blessing in Israel.
Jacob Reassures Joseph
As we draw nearer to Jacob’s death, we see him reassuring Joseph of God’s

presence and promise of the land of Canaan to the Israelites as well as giving
Joseph’s descendants the tract of land he purchased outside of the city of
Shechem.
Genesis 48:21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but
God will be with you, and bring you back to the land of your fathers.”
(NASB95)
Israel’s statement “Behold, I am about to die” is a reference to his imminent
physical death. He reassures Joseph that even though he is about to die, God would
be with him and his entire family.
“You” is in the plural meaning “all of you” referring of course to Israel’s entire
family, his sons, their wives, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The noun Elohim, “God” is used rather than the covenant name of God, which
is Yahweh, “Lord” since Israel is emphasizing the omnipotence of God, which will
protect the entire family of Jacob when he has died.
Israel reassures Joseph that “God will be with (all of) you” echoes God’s
recent promise to him “I will go down with you to Egypt,” which is recorded in
Genesis 46:4. It also echoes the Lord’s promise to him “I am with you” which was
given to him when he left Canaan and is recorded in Genesis 28:15 and also it
echoes the promise made to his father Isaac “I will be with you” in Genesis 26:3.
This promise is a guarantee to Joseph of the Lord’s presence in the lives of the
entire family and that the family would be protected in Egypt. Therefore, we can
see that by giving Joseph this reassurance of the Lord’s presence in the life of the
family, Israel is expressing his faith in the Lord’s promise to him just prior to
leaving for Egypt.
The promise “God will…bring you back to the land of your fathers” is a
reference to the “Palestinian” covenant, which was a confirmation and enlargement
of the original “Abrahamic” covenant and amplified the land features of the
“Abrahamic” covenant (Gen. 13:14-15; 15:18).
This promise is a “personal” promise in that it is a guarantee that Joseph would
return to the land of Canaan not only in a coffin (See Genesis 49:29-32) but more
importantly that he and all of born again Israel will live in the Promised Land in
resurrection bodies during the millennial reign of Christ. It is not only a “personal”
promise but also a “national” promise in that it is a guarantee that the Israelites will
return to the land of Canaan.
“You” is in the plural meaning “all of you” referring of course to Israel’s entire
family, his sons, their wives, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The promise “God will…bring you back to the land of your fathers” is also
a reference to the fulfillment of the prophecy recorded in Genesis 15:12-16 that
Abraham’s descendants would be enslaved in a nation for four hundred years and
that God would judge that nation and his descendants would return to Canaan.
Genesis 48:22 “I give you one portion more than your brothers, which I
took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.” (NASB95)
Israel’s promise to Joseph “I give you one portion more than your brothers”
is composed of the adjective èchadh, which is used as an indefinite article
meaning “a portion of a larger amount, and the noun shekhem, which refers to the
city of Shechem.
The adjective èchadh usually refers to the number one but at times it can be
used as an indefinite article meaning “a portion of a larger amount” and thus it

denotes a “portion” of the city of Shechem. Therefore, the Hebrew text literally
reads, “a portion of Shekhem.”
Further evidence that the expression shekhem àchadh in Genesis 48:22 is a
reference to the plot of land that Jacob bought from Hamor just outside the city of
Shechem is that Jacob sent Joseph to Shechem to determine if his brothers were
safe (See Genesis 37:12-14).
Also, Joseph himself was buried in the city of Shechem according to Joshua
24:32 and Acts 7:16. Moreover, Shechem lay within the future territory of Ephraim
and Manasseh near the border between the two tribes according to Joshua 17:7 and
became the most important city in the kingdom of northern Israel according to 1
Kings 12:1, 25.
The term “Amorite” is a figure of speech called “synecdoche of the part” where
a part is put for the whole meaning that the term “the Amorite” is put for the pre-
Israelite inhabitants of the land of Canaan, many of which are listed in Genesis
15:19-21, of which “the Amorite” was a part of (Gen. 48:22; Nm. 13:29; 21:21).
Hamor and Shechem were identified as “Hivites” a Canaanite people according
to Genesis 34:2 and so therefore, the term “the Amorite” is put for the
Shechemites who were “Hivites,” a Canaanite people.
The statement “I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my
bow” is a reference to Simeon and Levi’s massacre of the city of Shechem in
retaliation for the rape of their sister Dinah (See Genesis 34).
Israel’s use of the personal pronoun “I” indicates that he is not placing
responsibility for the massacre of Shechem on Simeon and Levi but rather is taking
responsibility for it himself as the patriarch of the family. The reason why he is
taking responsibility for their actions is that the massacre could have been avoided
if he functioned in his role as the patriarch of the family and had taken control
from the beginning.
Jacob’s Bestows Prophetic Blessings and Antiblessings upon His Twelve Sons
Genesis 49 gives us the record of Jacob/Israel bestowing prophetic blessings

and antiblessings upon his twelve sons as well as giving instructions for his burial
and this chapter records his death. Jacob employs a poem in order to communicate
to his sons the future of their descendants, which is the first long poem in the
Bible.
Just as Jacob’s father Isaac had prophetically outlined the future of his two
sons’ families in Genesis 27 so Jacob prophetically outlined the future of his
twelve sons. These prophecies cover the entire history of the nation of Israel from
the conquest of Canaan to the millennial reign of Christ.

Interestingly, these “blessings” as in the case of Reuben, Simeon and Levi are
in actuality “antiblessings,” much like ones that Isaac bestowed upon Esau (See
Genesis 27:30-40). If you recall, since Isaac gave everything to Jacob, all he had to
give Esau was an “antiblessing,” which is a parody on Jacob’s blessing and were
also prophecies concerning the future of Esau’s descendants who were the
Edomites. In the same way, the “antiblessings” given to Reuben, Simeon and Levi
are a parody of the blessings bestowed upon Jacob’s other nine sons and were also
prophecies as well.
If you recall, Reuben was disqualified for leadership of the family because he
had sex with his father’s concubine according to a comparison of Genesis 25:21-22
and 1 Chronicles 5:1-2. Simeon and Levi were disqualified as a result of killing all
the men of the city of Shechem in retaliation for the rape of their sister Dinah
according to Genesis 34. However, in relation to the nation of Israel’s destiny,
these “antiblessings” are a blessing in the sense that Reuben did not have the
capacity for leadership because of his moral instability and immoral degeneracy.
Therefore, Israel does the nation a favor and blesses the nation by promoting Judah
rather than Reuben with his poor leadership abilities and in the same way, Israel
protects the nation from the cruelty and violence of Simeon and Levi.
Another feature of this remarkable poem is that the name “Jacob” appears five
times expressing the “weakness” of the patriarch and the name “Israel” appears
the same number of times expressing the “strength” of the patriarch in the future of
his sons.
Finally, it is fascinating that Jacob’s life was prophesied before it began
(Genesis 25:22-23) and in this chapter we see that it will end prophetically as well.
Genesis 49:1-4 records Israel pronouncing an antiblessing on Reuben, his firstborn
because Reuben committed adultery and incest with his concubine Bilhah.
Genesis 49:1 Then Jacob summoned his sons and said, “Assemble
yourselves that I may tell you what will befall you in the days to come. 2
Gather together and hear, O sons of Jacob and listen to Israel your father.”
(NASB95)
The expression “assemble yourselves” demonstrates that unlike his father Isaac
who blessed him in secret, Jacob publicly blesses his twelve sons.
Israel’s statement “That I may tell you what will befall you in the days to
come” in the Hebrew literally reads, “I will tell to all of you what will happen to
all of you in the last days.”
The prepositional phrase “in the days to come” or “in the last days” indicates
to Jacob’s sons that the blessings he is about to give to them are also “prophetic” in
nature demonstrating that like his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac, he is a
prophet.

Israel is speaking to the individual tribes personified as his sons, thus this
expression refers to both the near and distant future and covers the entire history of
the nation of Israel from the conquest of Canaan to the millennial reign of Christ.
By calling together his sons and commanding them to listen to what he is about
to say to them, which concerns not only them but their future descendants, Israel is
expressing his patriarchal authority as a father, a prophet of God and wise teacher
who is inspired by the Holy Spirit.
Reuben
Genesis 49:3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn; My might and the beginning
of my strength, preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power.” (NASB95)
“Reuben” was the first son that Leah bore to Jacob while in Paddan Aram
according to Genesis 29:32 and his name means, “the Lord has seen my affliction.”
The “firstborn” had a privileged status (See Genesis 43:33; 49:3) and the right
of succession (2 Chronicles 21:3) and received a double portion of his father’s
As we noted in our study of Esau and Jacob, in the days of the patriarchs it was
the custom of the day that the oldest son receive a double portion of the
inheritance. However, the father could change this if in his opinion it warranted it
and so Jacob was perfectly within his rights to transfer the birthright from Reuben
to Joseph since the latter demonstrated that he was better suited for the
responsibility than the former.
Israel decided to bestow the double inheritance of the firstborn directly to
Joseph’s sons rather than to Joseph himself and by adopting Joseph’s sons, Israel
was making them of equal rank to Simeon and Levi.
In the book of Genesis, we have seen Cain lose his position because he
murdered his brother Abel, Ishmael was the son of a concubine and not the son of
the divine promise, Esau exchanged with Jacob his birthright for a bowl of red
lintel soup expressing his negative attitude towards the promises of God.
“My might” means that the birth of Reuben demonstrated Israel’s virility or
manly character and “the beginning of my strength” means that Reuben was the
first demonstration of Israel’s generative power or ability to produce children.
“Preeminent in dignity” means that as the first-born, Reuben would have been
first in rank and destined to inherit the patriarchal authority and “preeminent in
power” means that he could have expected to possess power or authority
associated with being the patriarch of the family.
Genesis 49:4 “Uncontrolled as water, you shall not have preeminence,
because you went up to your father's bed; Then you defiled it -- he went up to
my couch.” (NASB95)
“Uncontrolled as water” means that just as water in unstable so Reuben was
unstable in the sense that he was arrogant, reckless, impetuous and undisciplined as
demonstrated by his committing adultery and incest with his father’s concubine out
of love for his mother and rejection for his father’s authority. This incident
between Reuben and Jacob’s concubine, Bilhah was motivated by Reuben’s love
for his mother Leah rather than sexual lust since by defiling Bilhah, he made
certain that with Rachel’s death her maid could not supplant Leah as chief wife
(Compare 2 Samuel 15:16; 16:22; 20:3).
Israel’s statement “you shall not have preeminence, because you went up to
your father's bed” means that Reuben lost his status and position and privileges as
the firstborn in the family by committing incest and adultery with his father’s
concubine.
Deuteronomy 27:20 “Cursed is the man who sleeps with his father's wife,
for he dishonors his father's bed.” (NASB95)
Israel’s statement “Then you defiled it” implies that the marriage bed is holy
(See Hebrews 13:4) and that Reuben made it unholy by having sex with his
concubine.
“You” indicates that Israel looked right at Reuben revealing to him for the first
time that although he did not say anything to him at the time about his crime, he
was not ignorant of it.
“He went up to my couch” indicates that Israel turned from addressing Reuben
to his other sons expressing is disgust with Reuben’s actions and that he was well
aware of it even though he never said anything at the time.
Not only did Reuben commit adultery but also incest, which the Mosaic Law
prohibited because it dishonors the father and required the death penalty for both
the man and the woman (See Leviticus 18:8; 20:11; Deuteronomy 22:30; 27:20).
The fact that Reuben had sex with his father’s wife was not only the sin of
dishonoring his father but also an act of rebellion against his father’s authority.
It is interesting that according to secular ancient Near Eastern culture, by having
sex with his father’s concubine Reuben is attempting to usurp Jacob’s authority in
his household (Compare 2 Samuel 3:7-8; 12:7-8; 16:21-22; 1 Kings 2:13-25).
Even though as the first-born, Reuben could have expected to possess the
leadership of the tribes and the priesthood within the family and the double portion
of the birthright, he forfeited these blessings by committing both incest and
adultery with his father’s concubine. Consequently, the leadership of the tribes was
given to Judah and the priesthood to Levi eventually (See Exodus 32:25-29;
Numbers 3:12-13), and the double portion to Joseph.
Henry M. Morris writes, “In the history of Israel, the tribe of Reuben never
furnished a leader of any kind for the nation as a whole. In the later journeys to the
promised land, the Reubenites were the first tribe to ask for a place to settle, not
waiting to cross the Jordan with the others (Numbers 32). They participated in the
erection of an unauthorized place of worship (Joshua 22:10-34). During the later
wars with the Canaanites, in the days of Deborah and Barak, the tribe of Reuben
failed to answer the call to arms (Judges 5:15-16). Jacob’s prophecy concerning
Reuben has continued to be fulfilled ever since. Never has Reuben excelled in
anything. (The Genesis Record, page 652, Baker Book House)
Jacob Bestows Antiblessings Upon Simeon and Levi
Genesis 49:5-7 records Israel’s prophetic anti-blessings that he bestowed upon

Simeon and Levi for the massacre of the city of Shechem.
Genesis 49:5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers; Their swords are implements
of violence.” (NASB95)
“Simeon” was the second child that Leah bore to Jacob and his name means,
“the Lord has heard” and his birth is recorded in Genesis 29:33.
“Levi” was the third child that Leah bore to Jacob and his name means, “My
husband will be attached to me” and his birth is recorded in Genesis 29:34.
Israel’s statement “Simeon and Levi are brothers,” which in context does
“not” emphasize their biological relationship of having the same father and mother
but rather emphasizes that they were “confederates, allies, co-conspirators” or
“partners in crime” in the massacre of the Shechemites.
The statement “Their swords are implements of violence” is a reference to the
massacre of the Shechemites in retaliation for the rape of Dinah (See Genesis 34).
Genesis 49:6 “Let my soul not enter into their council; Let not my glory be
united with their assembly; Because in their anger they slew men, and in their
self-will they lamed oxen.” (NASB95)
Israel’s statement “Let my soul not enter into their council” means that he
denies conspiring with Simeon and Levi in their secret plot to massacre the
Shechemites.
His statement “Let not my glory be united with their assembly” means that
he denies agreeing with their conspiracy to massacre the Shechemites.
The causal clause “Because in their anger they slew men” indicates that
Simeon and Levi killed all the men of the city of Shechem because they were
motivated by the emotion of anger rather than obedience to God.
The statement “in their self-will they lamed oxen” means that Simeon and
Levi crippled oxen by severing the tendons of their hind legs without their father’s
and God’s consent and independently of their father and God. Genesis 34 does not
reveal that Simeon and Levi were cruel to animals.
Genesis 49:7 “Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; And their wrath, for it
is cruel. I will disperse them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.” (NASB95)
Israel’s statement “cursed be their anger for it is fierce” is a declaration of
punishment upon Simeon and Levi since their actions against the Shechemites in
response to the rape of Dinah was motivated by uncontrolled rage rather than
obedience to God.
His statement “cursed be…their wrath for it is cruel” is a declaration of
punishment upon Simeon and Levi since their anger in response to the rape of their
sister Dinah expressed itself in violence as manifested in the murder of all the men
of Shechem and it was cruel in that they hamstrung the oxen of the city.
The content of the curse is expressed in the prophecy “I will disperse them in
Jacob and scatter them,” which signifies that the tribes of Simeon and Levi
would lose power because they would be divided up and absorbed into the other
ten tribes of Israel. This prophecy was fulfilled when Simeon’s descendants were
absorbed into the territory of Judah according to Joshua 19:1, 9.
Some of the descendants of Simeon were captured and dwelled in some of the
territory of the Edomites and Amalekites, outside of Canaan according to 1
Chronicles 4:39-43. During the period when the nation of Israel’s was a divided
kingdom, many of the Simeonites left Israel to join up with the tribe of Judah
according to 2 Chronicles 15:9. In his farewell address to Israel recorded in
Deuteronomy 33, Moses passed over the Simeonites in his blessing of the
Israelites. This prophecy in Genesis 49:7 was fulfilled when Levi’s descendants
never received an inheritance of their own land and were apportioned forty-eight
towns and pasturelands among the twelve tribes, including Ephraim and Manasseh
according to Numbers 35:1-5 and Joshua 21:1-41.
Interestingly, the tribe of Levi redeemed itself and was chosen the priestly tribe
in Israel by taking their stand with Moses against the idolatry of the Israelites at
Sinai according to Exodus 32:26. The Levites manifested the violent nature of their
progenitor by killing three thousand idolatrous, uncontrollable mob of Israelites,
which was justified since it was sanctioned by God and was in obedience to
Moses’ command who was himself a member of the tribe of Levi.
Jacob Bestows Prophetic Blessings Upon Judah, Zebulun and Issachar
Genesis 49:8-15 records Israel’s prophetic blessings that he bestowed upon

Judah, Zebulun and Issachar.
Genesis 49:8 “Judah, your brothers shall praise you; Your hand shall be
on the neck of your enemies; Your father's sons shall bow down to you.”
(NASB95)
“Judah” was the fourth child that Leah bore to Jacob and his name means, “I
will praise the Lord” and his birth is recorded in Genesis 29:35.
Both King David and the Lord Jesus Christ descended from the tribe of Judah.
(NASB95)
In Genesis 37 we saw that in an attempt to save Joseph’s life, Judah proposed to
his brothers that they sell Joseph to the Midianites.
The fact that Judah proposed to his brothers the sale of Joseph to the Midianites
rather than killing him along with the phrase “Judah departed from his
brothers,” which is recorded in Genesis 38:1 is a clear indication that Judah did
“not” agree with his brother’s desire to kill Joseph and so he separates from them.
If you recall, in Genesis 37 we read that Reuben intervened and prevented his
brothers from killing Joseph and proposed as an alternative to killing him with
their bare hands that they throw him into an empty cistern, letting him die of
natural causes. This alternative was proposed by Reuben with the intention of
saving Joseph when his brothers were not around. However, while Reuben left his
brothers to check on their flocks and they ate a meal, during the meal the talk
turned back to Joseph again and the idea of killing him resurfaced as implied by
Judah’s proposal to sell Joseph into slavery.
Genesis 37:25-28 records Judah proposing to his brothers the sale of Joseph to
the Midianites in order to prevent the murder of Joseph by his brothers.
Judah’s statement in Genesis 37:27, “Come and let us sell him to the
Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own
flesh” reveals that he has a conscience in that he acknowledges and reminds his
brothers that Joseph is their brother.
Judah, like Reuben, disguised his desire to prevent the murder of Joseph
because he feared for his own life since Simeon and Levi had recently killed all the
men of the city of Shechem in retaliation for the rape of their sister Dinah.
Even though Judah’s proposal only substituted one evil for another since like
murder, kidnapping was a capital offense (See Exodus 21:16; Deuteronomy 24:7),
his rationale was that Joseph was better off alive than dead, even if it meant he
would spend the rest of his life a slave. Like his brother Reuben, Judah was guilty
of a lack of moral courage and self-sacrifice in that he was not willing to stand up
to his brothers and sacrifice himself if need be, to prevent the murder of Joseph.
Then, in Genesis 38, we saw his great failure with Tamar where he left his
brothers at Dothan, and spent time with a heathen named Hirah and married an
unbelieving Canaanite and had three children with her, two of which were killed
by the Lord for their involvement with evil. Judah failed to provide their widow
Tamar his third son Shelah to carry on the line of the two deceased brothers
because of his fear that he would die as well. This resulted in Tamar disguising
herself as a temple prostitute and deceiving Judah to solicit her unknowingly,
which resulted in her getting pregnant through him and she bore him twins, Zerah
and Perez, the latter was in the line of Christ.
In Genesis 44:18-34, we read where Judah appealed to Joseph to release
Benjamin, offering himself in place of Benjamin so as to not break his father’s
heart. Judah’s offer to be a substitute for Benjamin typifies the Lord Jesus who is
our Substitute.
(NASB95)
The prediction “Judah, your brothers shall praise you” contains a play on
words and is a paronomasia.
In the Hebrew text, there is a play on the proper noun yehudhah, which means,
“I will praise the Lord” and is translated “Judah” since “shall praise” is the verb
yadhah and “hand” is the noun yadh.
A “paronomasia” is designed to get the readers attention and to emphasize the
two or three words that are placed alongside of each other that are similar in sound
and appearance. Here in Genesis 49:8, the nouns noun yehudhah, “Judah” and the
verb yadhah, “shall praise” and the noun yadh, “hand” are similar and sound and
appearance and are placed alongside of each other in order to emphasize the
preeminence of Judah.
Israel’s prediction “Judah, your brothers shall praise you” was fulfilled in
Judah’s lifetime by becoming the leader by virtue of his conduct during the process
leading up to Joseph revealing his identity where he offered to sacrifice himself for
the sake of Benjamin and their father.
1 Chronicles 5:1-2 speaks not only of the birthright being given to Joseph rather
than Reuben because Reuben slept with his father’s concubine but also that the
rulership over the family went to Judah.
This statement “Judah, your brothers shall praise you” is also prophetic
meaning that in the future, the descendants of Judah’s brothers would recognize his
descendants as the leader of their nation since God will achieve great victories
through the descendants of Judah such as King David and the Lord Jesus Christ.
This prophecy was fulfilled in a “near” sense with David when the leaders of Israel
anointed him king over the nation according to 2 Samuel 5:1-3 and will be fulfilled
in a “far” sense during the millennial reign of Christ according to Ezekiel 37:22,
Hosea 3:5 and Zechariah 12 and 14:1-17.
The prophecy “Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies” means that
Judah’s descendants would triumph over their enemies since seizing the fleeing
enemy by the nape of the neck is a symbol of conquest (See 1 Samuel 18:7). This
prophecy was fulfilled in a “near” sense under the reign of David as fully
documented in 1 and 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings and it will also be fulfilled in a
“far” sense when the Lord Jesus Christ will defeat antichrist and the Tribulational
armies according to Isaiah 42:13, Zechariah 12 and 14, Revelation 19:11-21.
Israel’s prediction “Your father's sons shall bow down to you” means that all
the tribes of Israel will be under the authority of a member of the tribe of Judah,
which was also fulfilled in a near sense with David and in a far sense with the Lord
Jesus Christ during His millennial reign.
Genesis 49:9 “Judah is a lion's whelp; From the prey, my son, you have
gone up. He couches, he lies down as a lion, and as a lion, who dares rouse him
up?” (NASB95)
“Lion’s whelp” is composed of the noun gur, “young lion” and the noun
àryeh, “mature lion” and so therefore, this expression literally reads, “a young lion
of a mature lion.” This expression does “not” refer to a young cub but rather a
young lion that has finally mature and is able to capture prey for itself.
In the ancient world, the lion was a proverbial symbol of courage, strength and
kingship because of its majestic appearance with its mane and swift, powerful
movements and prowess as a fearless predator. The lion was used as a figure in
Israel for the Messiah and was applied by the Holy Spirit to the Lord Jesus Christ
who is called “the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah” in Revelation 5:5.
Therefore, in Genesis 49:9, the phrase “Judah is a lion’s whelp” is a prediction
meaning that the tribe of Judah would have a lion-like nature, which refers to its
military prowess. This was fulfilled in a near sense when the tribe of Judah became
the leader of the other tribes militarily (See Numbers 2:1-3; Judges 1:1-2; 3:9;
20:18) and it was fulfilled through the military successes of King David. In a far
sense it will be fulfilled through the lion of Judah, the Lord Jesus Christ at His
Second Advent when He will destroy Israel’s enemies including antichrist and the
Tribulational armies (See Revelation 19:11-21; Zechariah 12 and 14).
Israel’s statement “From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He couches, he
lies down as a lion, and as a lion, who dares rouse him up?” means that just like
a lion inspires fear and respect because of her prowess in devouring prey so the
tribe of Judah would inspire fear and respect because she conquers her enemies
(See Numbers 24:9; cf. 23:24; Deuteronomy 33:20, 22; Nahum 2:11-12).
Genesis 49:10 “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's
staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the
obedience of the peoples.” (NASB95)
The “scepter” in the ancient world was a symbol of authority, sovereignty and
kingship (See Numbers 24:17) and “the ruler’s staff” refers to the one who
establishes laws and decrees.
The expression “from between his feet” is a reference to kings who were
seated on their throne with a ruler staff between their feet.
“Until” is the preposition àdh, which does “not” mean that the kingship in
Israel will change from the tribe of Judah “until” the Messiah has arrived but rather

indicates that kings would arise from the tribe of Judah right “up to” the arrival of
the Messiah.
“Shiloh comes” is composed of the conjunction ki, “when” and this is followed
by the third person masculine singular qal imperfect form of the verb bo, “He
comes” and then we have the relative particle àsher, “which belongs” and this is
followed by the preposition le, “to” and then we have the third person masculine
singular pronominal suffix, “him.”
With the exception of the RSV and NIV, most English translations incorrectly
translate the Hebrew expression šî·lō(h) as “Shiloh” since the expression is almost
identical to the spelling of the proper noun Shiloh, which is šî·lô.
The proper noun Shiloh refers to a Canaanite city captured by the Israelites but
in Genesis 49:10, the reference is to a person since the context is speaking of the
rulership or kingship in Israel coming from the tribe of Judah.
“Peoples” is the noun àm, which is used to denote all the inhabitants of the
earth.
The conjunction ki is used in a temporal sense meaning “when” referring to the
moment the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ assumes the Davidic throne at His
Second Advent to establish His millennial reign. Therefore, the preposition àdh
when coupled with the conjunction ki means, “up to the moment when.”
The relative particle àsher means “which belongs” referring to possession of
the scepter and ruler’s staff mentioned in the previous clause, which must be
inserted into the translation in order for it to make sense in the English.
Genesis 49:10 “The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor the ruler's
staff from between his feet up to the moment when He (the Messiah) comes,
which to him belongs the scepter and ruler’s staff and to him the obedience of
all the inhabitants of the earth.” (Author’s translation)
In Genesis 49:10, Israel is prophesying that the kingship in Israel shall come out
of the tribe of Judah and this will continue up to the time that the Messiah arrives.
This prophecy has been fulfilled once the tribe of Judah under David assumed the
leadership over the nation, the kingship in Israel has never departed from Judah up
to time of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ’s First Advent who will establish His
millennial reign at His Second Advent.
The inhabitants of all the earth will be subjugated to the Lord Jesus Christ
during His millennial reign since God the Father bestowed upon Him the rulership
of the entire earth because He obeyed the Father’s will in going to the Cross and
dying for the sins of the entire world (See Philippians 2:5-11; Ephesians 1:20-23;
Colossians 1:18; Psalm 89:27; Zechariah 14:9).
Israel’s prophecy in Genesis 49:10 is a reference to the “Davidic” covenant,
which was an unconditional covenant and deals with the dynasty that will rule the

nation of Israel as indicated in 2 Samuel 7:16 where God promised David that a
descendant of his would sit on his throne forever.
The “Davidic” covenant is reconfirmed throughout the Old Testament (Psalm
89:24-27; Isaiah 9:6-7; Jeremiah 23:5-6; 30:8-9; 33:14-17, 20-21; Ezekiel 37:24-
25; Daniel 7:13-14; Hosea 3:4-5; Amos 9:11; Zechariah 14:4, 9) and the Lord
Jesus Christ will literally fulfill this covenant during His millennial reign.
Genesis 49:11 “He ties his foal to the vine, and his donkey's colt to the
choice vine; He washes his garments in wine, and his robes in the blood of
grapes.” šî·lô
“Foal” is the noun àyir, which refers to a young, vigorous male donkey.
In the Hebrew text, “donkey’s colt” literally reads, “the offspring of a female
donkey” since it is composed of the noun ben, which means, “offspring” and the
noun àthon, which refers to a female donkey.
The statement “He ties his foal to the vine and his donkey’s colt to the choice
vine” is also prophetic in that it is reference to the Messiah during His millennial
reign who will have power over creation and every creature as evidence in that
when He ties his donkey to a vine, the donkey will not eat it since the animal will
obey Him.
The vine is a common biblical figure of divine favor and prosperity and in
Genesis 49:11, the “vine” is used prophetically illustrating the extraordinary
prosperity that will take place during the millennial reign of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Israel’s statement “He washes his garments in wine and his robes in the
blood of grapes” refers to the extraordinary prosperity that the nation of Israel will
experience during the millennial reign of Christ and signifies wine will be in such
abundance at that time that it will be common as water used to wash clothes!
Genesis 49:12 “His eyes are dull from wine, and his teeth white from milk.”
šî·lô
The statement “His eyes are dull from wine” should be translated “His eyes
are sparkling from wine” since “dull” is the adjective chakhlil, which means,
“sparkling” and is a figure for wealth and prosperity.
In a literal sense, the statement “His eyes are sparkling from wine and his
teeth white from milk” means that the Lord Jesus will have sparkling eyes and
white teeth or in a figurative sense, He will be the ideal of beauty and health.
Genesis 49:13 “Zebulun will dwell at the seashore; And he shall be a haven
for ships, and his flank shall be toward Sidon.” šî·lô
“Zebulun” was the sixth child that Leah bore Jacob and his name means,
“honor” and his birth is recorded in Genesis 30:19-20.
In the Hebrew text, the statement “Zebulun will dwell at the seashore”
literally reads, “Zebulun will dwell towards the shore of seas” since the Hebrew

text contains the preposition le, “towards” and the noun choph, “coast, shore” and
then we have the masculine plural noun yam, “seas.”
Notice that the Hebrew text says that the tribe of Zebulun will dwell “towards
the shore of seas” which refers to the Mediterranean Sea and not “at the seashore.”
Therefore, we can see from the Hebrew text that the territory of the tribe of
Zebulun would not border the Mediterranean Sea but would face “towards” the
Mediterranean Sea.
The statement “His flank shall be toward Sidon” teaches that the northern
border of Zebulun’s territory will be towards Sidon. The tribe of Zebulun occupied
inland territory and was blocked from the Mediterranean Sea by the tribe of Asher
according to Joshua 19:10-16. However, her border was still only approximately
10 miles from the Mediterranean permitting her to enjoy access to the seafaring
trade according to Deuteronomy 33:18-19.
The prophecy “he shall be a haven for ships” has never been fulfilled and will
be during the millennial reign of Christ. The prophecy of Zechariah 14:8-10
reveals that the entire topography of Israel will be changed because of the great
earthquake caused by the Lord Jesus Christ landing on the Mount of Olives at His
Second Advent. This great earthquake will elevate Jerusalem whereas at the
present time she is imbedded in the midst of mountainous rough terrain. Jerusalem,
who throughout her history has been an inland city, will become a seagoing city, or
port town at the 2nd Advent of Christ according to the prophecy that appears in
Zechariah 14:8. Therefore, the prophecy “he shall be a haven for ships” will be
fulfilled at that time.
Genesis 49:14 “Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the
sheepfolds.” (NASB95)
“Issachar” was the fifth child that Leah bore Jacob and his name means,
“reward” and his birth is recorded in Genesis 30:16-18.
“Sheepfolds” is the noun mishpethayim, which does “not” refer to sheepfolds
but rather denotes two saddle-baskets of a pack mule.
Israel’s prophecy “Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the
saddlebags” means that although the tribe of Issachar was strong, they were lazy
and docile, stubbornly refusing work and preferring comfort.
Genesis 49:15 “When he saw that a resting place was good and that the
land was pleasant, he bowed his shoulder to bear burdens, and became a slave
at forced labor.” (NASB95)
The statement “When he saw that a resting place was good and that the land
was pleasant” was fulfilled since the territory of Issachar was in the fertile plateau
of lower Galilee, which was the best farming land in Israel (See Joshua 19:17-24).
The prophecy “he bowed his shoulder to bear burdens, and became a slave
at forced labor” was fulfilled when the tribe of Issachar submitted to the
Canaanites rather than exterminate them as they were commanded by God to do or
subjugate them as the rest of the tribes did.
Zebulun is mentioned before Issachar even though Issachar was the fifth child
of Jacob and Leah and Zebulun the sixth since the tribe of Issachar would be lazy
and submissive to the enemy.
Jacob Pronounces Prophetic Blessings Upon the Sons of Zilpah and Bilhah
Genesis 49:16-21 records the patriarch pronouncing prophetic blessings upon

the sons of Zilpah and Bilhah as well as praying to God for deliverance. In Genesis
49:3-15, Israel bestowed prophetic blessings and antiblessings upon the sons of
Leah but now in Genesis 49:16-21, we see him bestowing prophetic blessings upon
the sons of his concubines, Bilhah and Zilpah.
“Concubine” is the noun pileghesh, which refers to the fact that Bilhah and
Zilpah were second-class wives, acquired without payment of bride-money and
possessing fewer legal rights (see Genesis 30:4; Judges 19:1-4).
The people in Abraham, Isaac and Jacob’s culture regarded a concubine as a
secondary wife with some, but not all, of the rights and privileges of the primary
wife. In the Old Testament period, a concubine was a legal wife but one of
secondary rank and she could be divorced with a small gift. Therefore, the children
of a concubine did not have the same legal rights as the wife and so the inheritance
would go to the child of the wife rather than the concubine.
Having a concubine was often a sign of wealth and was recognized as a status
symbol. The following men had concubines: (1) Nahor (Gen. 22:24) (2) Abraham
(Gen. 25:6) (3) Jacob (Gen. 35:22) (4) Eliphaz (Gen. 36:12) (5) Saul (2 Sam. 3:7)
(6) David (2 Sam. 5:13; 15:16; 16:21) Solomon (1 Kings 11:3).
As we saw in our study of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar in Genesis 16, men and
their wives sought concubines when the wife could not bear children. In these
situations, wives presented their maidservants to their own husbands.
As Genesis 22:24 records, children of a concubine were not viewed as
illegitimate but were considered part of the family.
Genesis 49:16 “Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.”
(NASB95)
“Dan” was the first child that Bilhah bore Jacob and his name means, “God has
vindicated me” and his birth is recorded in Genesis 30:5-6.
Rachel named Bilhah’s first child with Jacob “Dan” since she did not consider
the birth of Dan merely as a blessing from the Lord but rather as the justice due her
as a hopeless victim, which was in response to the fact that Rachel was barren and
Leah was not. Therefore, by naming Bilhah’s child as “Dan” Rachel was saying

that God was vindicating her in the sense that He was defending her cause against
Leah, which of course, was not the case.
The blessing of Dan consists of a play on his name since his name is derived
from the verb din, which means, “to vindicate.” Therefore, Israel is predicting that
Dan, whose name means, “vindicate,” is going to vindicate his people as one of the
tribes of Israel.
The statement “Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel”
means that even though Dan was a child of a concubine, his descendants like the
descendants of Jacob’s primary wives, Rachel and Leah would vindicate the nation
of Israel or in other words defend the nation’s cause. Therefore, this statement
reveals that the tribe of Dan will be on equal footing with the tribes, which descend
from the sons of Jacob’s primary wives, Rachel and Leah.
The fact that the tribe of Dan will be on equal footing with the tribes, which
descend from the sons of Rachel and Leah is indicated by the use of the phrase “as
one of the tribes of Israel.” This phrase “as one of the tribes of Israel” seems
redundant since Dan is one of Israel’s sons. However, its use makes perfect sense
when we understand that Israel is prophesying that even though the tribe of Dan
descended from a concubine, it would be equal to the tribes descending from the
sons of Rachel and Leah.
Genesis 49:17 “Dan shall be a serpent in the way, a horned snake in the
path, that bites the horse's heels, so that his rider falls backward.” (NASB95)
The statement “Dan shall be a serpent in the way” is inaccurate and should be
translated “May Dan be a serpent in the way.”
The reason for this translation is that “shall be” is the qal “jussive” form of the
verb hayah.
The imperfect has two usages: (1) Cohortative: Expresses the speaker’s desire
or intention to act. (2) Jussive: Expresses a desire for action from a third person
subject.
In Genesis 49:17, we have the “jussive” form of the verb hayah expressing
Israel’s Spirit inspired desire for action from the descendants of Dan. Therefore,
Israel’s statement about Dan in Genesis 49:17 is a desire by the Holy Spirit for the
descendants of his son Dan, thus, refuting any interpretation that this statement is
about his descendants’ involvement with evil as symbolized by the serpent.
However, the tribe of Dan did introduce idolatry into the land of Israel on a regular
basis according to Judges 18:30-31.
Also, a son of Shelomith of the tribe of Dan was guilty of blaspheming the
name of the Lord according to Leviticus 24:11. It was also in Dan that Jeroboam
who led a rebellion that ended in the divided kingdom, set up one of his two golden
calves according to 1 Kings 12:28-30.

Furthermore, it is interesting that the tribe of Dan is not listed among the twelve
tribes of Israel during the Tribulation period according to Revelation 7:1-8.
However, in Genesis 49:17, Israel is praying that the descendants of Dan will be a
serpent on the road, a horned snake on the path, one who bites the heels of a horse
so that the rider falls backward.
Israel is praying that even though Dan would be a small tribe in Israel, like a
snake she would be aggressive, dangerous and strike unexpectedly to overthrow
nations. This was fulfilled during the history of the nation of Israel according
Judges 18. In fact, Samson, who was from the tribe of Dan, single-handedly
defeated the Philistines according to Judges 14-16.
Genesis 49:18 “For Your salvation I wait, O LORD.” (NASB95)
Suddenly, Israel interrupts his prophetic blessings on his sons and their
descendants by proclaiming that he waited with expectation for the Lord’s
salvation or deliverance. Up to this point in our study of these prophetic blessings
that Israel bestowed upon his sons, we have seen that Judah is pictured as a lion,
which refers to the military prowess of the tribe of Judah and also Dan is depicted
as a horned snake. However, the nation of Israel would not depend upon the
strength of these two tribes to deliver them from their adversaries but rather they
were to depend upon the Lord to deliver them, thus Israel proclaims that the
deliverance of the nation from its enemies must come from the Lord. Therefore,
the patriarch inserts this petition to God because his prophecies predict opposition
to the twelve tribes that would descend from him.
Israel’s prayer for deliverance from the Lord expresses Israel’s dependence
upon God’s power and not human power of his sons or their descendants to deliver
the nation from its enemies. His prayer would therefore be a reminder to his sons
and their descendants to not depend upon their own human power or military might
to defeat their enemies but to depend upon the power of the Lord to do so.
“Salvation” is the noun yeshuàh, which does “not” refer to salvation or
deliverance in a spiritual sense but rather the context indicates that it refers to
“deliverance” from one’s enemies in the natural realm. This is indicated in that
Israel’s prayer in Genesis 49:18 is within the context of his prophecy regarding
each of the twelve tribes and the part that each would play in the future with
regards to the nation’s enemies.
“Lord” is the proper noun Yahweh, which is the covenant name of God thus
signifying that Israel had a covenant relationship with God.
Also, the term Yahweh, “Lord” emphasizes the “immanency” of God meaning
that Israel was petitioning that God would involve Himself in and concern Himself
with and intervene on behalf of the nation that would descend from his sons.

“I wait” is the verb qawah, which is used in the piel (intensive) stem and
means, “to wait eagerly, confidently, expectantly and patiently” for deliverance
from the Lord.
This prayer in Genesis 49:18 was answered at times throughout Israel’s history
during the period of the Judges and David but ultimately it will be answered at the
“Second Advent” of Jesus Christ.
The “Second Advent” is the visible return of Christ to planet earth with the
elect angels and the Church in order to save the nation of Israel from her enemies
and end the Tribulation dispensation and establish our Lord’s 1000-year millennial
reign (Daniel 2:44-45; Zechariah. 14; Matthew 24:29-31; Revelation 19:11-21).
The Lord and His armies will orbit the earth before landing on the Mount of
Olives, which was the site of His Ascension (Acts. 1:9-11) and there will be a great
earthquake when our Lord’s foot touches the Mount of Olives (Zech. 14:1-8) and it
will be a unique day having neither day nor night (Zech. 14:7). Therefore, Israel’s
prayer for the Lord to deliver the nation that would descend from him recorded in
Genesis 49:18 was prophetic in nature.
Genesis 49:19 “As for Gad, raiders shall raid him, but he will raid at their
heels.” (NASB95)
“Gad” was the first boy that Zilpah bore to Jacob, whose birth is recorded in
Genesis 30:9-11 and his name comes from “What good fortune” indicating that
Leah attributed this child to fortune or good luck rather than God and his birth.
This prophecy predicts that the tribe of Gad will have a troubled existence but will
retaliate against its enemies.
Throughout, its history, the tribe of Gad was attacked by the Ammonites
according to Judges 10-12 and Jeremiah 49:1-6. She was also attacked by the
Moabites and Arameans according to 1 Kings 22:3 and 2 Kings 10:32-33 and the
Assyrians according to 2 Kings 15:29. Gad fought back after each defeat and her
people were considered great fighters by the other tribes of Israel according to
Deuteronomy 33:20 and 1 Chronicles 5:18 and 12:8.
The statement “he will raid at their heels” means that the tribe of Gad would
only engage in guerilla warfare because she would not be big enough to engage in
a full scale war with her enemies.
Genesis 49:20 “As for Asher, his food shall be rich, and he will yield royal
dainties.” (NASB95)
“Asher” is the second son that Zilpah bore to Jacob, whose birth is recorded in
Genesis 30:12-13 and his name means “women will call me happy” meaning that
Leah thought she would be envied by other women because of this child.
The statement “his food shall be rich” is a reference to the fertile territory of
the tribe of Asher, which was strip of land running north from the Carmel range
according to Joshua 19:24-31 and Deuteronomy 33:24-25. The tribe of Asher lived
alongside the Canaanites and Phoenicians and traded with them according to
Judges 1:32 and Ezekiel 27:17.
The statement “he will yield royal dainties” in the Hebrew text literally reads,
“He will produce royal delicacies,” which refers to the tribe of Asher supplying
foreign courts with great food products because of the fertile region in which she
settled.
Genesis 49:21 “Naphtali is a doe let loose, he gives beautiful words.”
(NASB95)
“Naphtali” was the second child that Bilhah bore to Jacob and his name means,
“my wrestling” reflecting Rachel’s attitude in which she viewed her relationship
with her sister Leah to be like a wrestling match and his birth is recorded in
Genesis 30:7-8.
“Doe” is the noun àyyalah, which refers to an adult female deer.
“Beautiful words” is composed of the noun èmer, which means, “fawn” and
the noun shepher, which means, “lovely.” Therefore, the Hebrew text of Genesis
49:21 literally reads, “Naphtali is a doe let loose, which produces lovely fawns.”
This prophecy refers to the freedom and frequent movements of the tribe of
Naphtali according to Deuteronomy 33:23, Judges 4:6, 10 and 5:18.
Jacob Pronounces Prophetic Blessings on Rachel’s Sons
Israel’s prophetic blessings on Rachel’s sons are recorded in Genesis 49:22-27

and the narrator’s conclusion appears in Genesis 49:28.
Genesis 49:22 “Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a spring; Its
branches run over a wall.” (NASB95)
“Joseph” was the eleventh son of Jacob born in Paddan Aram and he was the
first child that Rachel bore to Jacob according to Genesis 30:22-24.
The name “Joseph” refers to his sons “Ephraim” and “Manasseh” whom
Israel adopted giving them equal status with their uncles as progenitors of the
tribes that will bear their names and inheritors of the land of Canaan (See Genesis
48:1-20).
The use of the name “Joseph” for the tribes of “Manasseh” and “Ephraim” is
also used in Numbers and Joshua.
“Fruitful bough” is composed of the noun ben, which means, “son” and the
verb parah, which means, “to produce fruit.” Therefore, the Hebrew text literally
reads, “Joseph is a son who produces fruit,” which is a metaphor for fertility and a
play on the name of his second son “Ephraim” whose name means, “He (God) has
made me fruitful.”

The term ben, “son” is used in a metaphoric sense for a vine and the verb
parah, “who produces fruit” is used substantively to describe that this vine
produces fruit abundantly.
In the statement “Joseph is a son who produces fruit” Israel is comparing the
tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim, the sons of his son Joseph to a vine that produces
fruit abundantly, which metaphorically means that Ephraim and Manasseh’s
descendants would produce offspring in great numbers. Therefore, we can translate
the term ben, “son” with this figure in mind as “vine.”
Israel further describes the fertility of Joseph’s sons and in particular Ephraim
by describing him as a vine “by a spring” which refers to the vine having access to
an abundant water supply that enables it to be fertile.
The statement “Its branches run over a wall” is composed of the noun bath,
which means, “daughter” and then we have the verb tsaàdh, which means, “to
climb over” and this is followed by the preposition àl, which means, “over” and
its object is the noun shur, “which means, “wall.”
Therefore, the Hebrew text literally reads, “with daughters that climb over a
wall,” which is a metaphor for the expansion of the territory of Joseph’s
descendants (See Joshua 17:14-18).
The term bath, “daughters” is used in a metaphoric sense for the branches of a
vine that climb over a wall.
Genesis 49:22 could be translated literally as follows, “Joseph is a son who
produces fruit by a spring with daughters that climb over a wall” or it can be
translated figuratively as “Joseph is a vine which produces fruit by a spring
with branches that climb over a wall.”
In Genesis 49:22, Israel is using figurative language comparing his favorite son
Joseph and in particular Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh to a vine, which
produces fruit abundantly, with an abundant water supply and branches that climb
over a wall. In figurative terms, he is predicting that Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and
Manasseh would be strong and numerous, producing offspring in great numbers.
This prophecy was fulfilled according to a comparison of two censuses taken
during the course of Israel’s wandering in the desert under Moses prior to entering
Canaan under Joshua.
The combined number of males in Ephraim and Manasseh increased from
72,700 (See Numbers 1:32-35) in the second year after the Exodus to 85,200 forty
years later (See Numbers 26:28-37) while in contrast, the combined populations of
Reuben and Simeon during the same period decreases from 105,800 to 65,930. In
his farewell address, Moses in Deuteronomy 33:17 refers to the “myriads of
Ephraim” and the “thousands of Manasseh.”
Genesis 49:23 “The archers bitterly attacked him, and shot at him and
harassed him.” (NASB95)
This passage refers to opposition that Joseph faced throughout his life from his
brothers, Potiphar’s wife and Pharaoh’s cupbearer, which we have noted in detail
in our studies of Genesis 37-40.
Genesis 49:24 “But his bow remained firm, and his arms were agile, from
the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone
of Israel).” (NASB95)
The statement “his bow remained firm and his arms were agile from the
hands of the Mighty One of Jacob” means that during the years of adversity that
Joseph endured, he maintained a dynamic mental attitude with love, joy, peace and
no bitterness and resentment because he was empowered by the Word of God (See
Hebrews 4:12).
The Word of God provided Joseph the power or capacity to handle the adversity
in his life because he trusted that God would fulfill His Word to him in the form of
the two prophetic dreams that are recorded in Genesis 37:5-11.
The title “the Mighty One” is a reference to God with emphasis upon His
omnipotence and the name “Jacob” signifies the patriarch’s weakness and
dependence upon God’s power and provision and protection. Therefore, the title
“the Mighty One of Jacob” means that the omnipotence of God was manifested in
Joseph’s human weakness and impotence when he appropriated the omnipotence
of God by having faith in the promises of God.
Therefore, the statement “But his bow remained firm, and his arms were
agile, from the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob” indicates that Joseph lived
according to the spiritual principle taught by the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9
that God’s power is manifested in human weakness or impotence.
Since Joseph trusted the Word of God, he was able to transcend his tremendous
adversity and injustice directed towards him and so he would agree with what Paul
said in Philippians 4:12. Like Paul, the Word of God, which is alive and powerful,
gave Joseph the power or capacity to be able to persevere and endure and not fall
victim to self-pity and bitterness and disillusionment.
God is also referred to as a “Shepherd” emphasizing that God protected and
nourished Joseph during his years of adversity. The figure of God as a Shepherd of
His people is used throughout the Scriptures (See Psalm 23:1-3; John 10:11;
Hebrews 13:20-21).
Genesis 49:24 “But his bow remained firm, and his arms were agile, from
the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone
of Israel).” (NASB95)
God is also referred to by Israel as the “Stone of Israel,” which the Hebrew
literally reads, “the Rock of Israel,” which refers to the power and strength and
firm foundation that God provided for the soul of Joseph during his times of

adversity. This figure is used of the Lord Jesus Christ elsewhere in Scripture (See
Psalm 118:22-23; Isaiah 28:16; Mark 12:10-11).
The name “Israel” means, “one who fights and overcomes with the power of
God” and reflects strength and character produced by appropriating the power of
the Word of God by claiming the promises of God in prayer. Therefore, the title
“the Rock of Israel” means that Joseph overcame his adversities by appropriating
the omnipotence of the Word of God by having faith in the promises of God.
Genesis 49:25 “From the God of your father who helps you, and by the
Almighty who blesses you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep
that lies beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb.” (NASB95)
The phrase “the God of your father” would assure Joseph and his descendants
that the same God who delivered Jacob from Esau, Laban, and famine and all his
adversities would deliver him and his descendants.
Commenting on this expression, Nahum Sarna writes, “The title stresses the
continuity of the generations, the unbroken chain of religious tradition that alone
makes the dying patriarch’s blessing meaningful and effective.” (JPS Torah
Commentary, page 344, Jewish Publication Society).
“God” is not the usual Elohim but rather the singular form of the noun, which is
El in order to express the uniqueness of the God of Jacob.
“Almighty” is the noun shadday, which denotes God’s ability or power to
provide Joseph and his descendants with various blessings.
prosperity, fecundity, longevity, etc.” and so this verb indicates that God endued
Joseph and his descendants with power for success, prosperity, fecundity
(offspring in great numbers) and longevity.
“Blessings” is the noun berakhah, which refers to various temporal gifts from
God.
The expression “the blessings of heaven above” refers to fertility of land
because of an abundant water supply from the earth’s atmosphere and “blessings
of the deep that lies beneath” refers to fertility of land due to an abundant water
supply underneath the earth. Therefore, this expression predicts that the territory in
which the descendants of Manasseh and Ephraim would settle would be extremely
fertile.
The expression “blessings of the breasts and of the womb” refers to the
fertility of the human body (See Numbers 6:24-26; Deuteronomy 33:15; Hosea
12:8). Therefore, this expression predicts that the tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim
would have fertility of the body meaning abundant offspring. These blessings were
fulfilled to a certain extent during the history of Joseph’s descendants and will find
their ultimate fulfillment during the millennial reign of Christ.

Genesis 49:26 “The blessings of your father have surpassed the blessings of
my ancestors up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills; May they be on
the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of the one distinguished
among his brothers.” (NASB95)
Israel’s statement “The blessings of your father have surpassed the blessings
of my ancestors up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills” is an
acknowledgement that God has blessed him more than his grandfather Abraham
and his father Isaac. In relation to children, God had blessed Jacob more than
Abraham and Isaac in the sense that Abraham had one child through Sarah, Isaac
and he had through Hagar, Ishmael and six sons through Keturah whereas Isaac
had only Jacob and Esau but Jacob had twelve children. Jacob’s descendants
numbered seventy when he came to Egypt from Canaan. Therefore, in terms of
posterity, God blessed Jacob more than his grandfather Abraham and his father
Isaac.
The green mountain tops of Carmel and Hermon in the land of Canaan were an
image of God given life and prosperity.
The phrase “May they be on the head of Joseph” is incorrectly translated but
rather should be rendered “they (the blessings) will be on the head of Joseph”
since we do not have the “jussive” form of the verb hayah, which would express
Israel’s desire for action from God upon his son Joseph and his descendants.
Therefore, Israel is not praying for these blessings to come upon Joseph
descendants but that they will and is thus prophetic and not a petition.
The expression “the one distinguished among his brothers” refers to the
preeminence of Joseph in that he was superior to his brothers in both character and
spirituality as well as his position in life as the prime minister of Egypt. This
expression also means that Joseph was elected by God to perform a special service
for Him as the prime minister of Egypt in order to deliver not only his family from
famine as well as the nation of Egypt but also the entire world.
Genesis 49:27 “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; In the morning he devours
the prey, and in the evening he divides the spoil.” (NASB95)
“Benjamin” was the last child that Rachel bore to Jacob and his name means,
“son of my right hand” and his birth is recorded in Genesis 35:16-18.
Israel’s prophecy concerning the descendants of Benjamin refers to the
successful military victories that they would achieve in the future (See Judges
3:15-30; 5:14; 20:14-21; 1 Samuel 9:1; 13:3; 1 Chronicles 8:40; 12:2-27, 29;
Esther 2:5; Romans 11:1).
The statement “he divides the spoil” predicts that the tribe of Benjamin will
share its military victories with the other tribes of Israel.

Genesis 49:28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their
father said to them when he blessed them. He blessed them, every one with the
blessing appropriate to him. (NASB95)
“All these” is a reference of course to Israel’s twelve sons, Reuben, Simeon,
Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad and Asher.
The statement “this is what their father to said to them when he blessed
them” is a reference to the prophetic blessings that Israel pronounced upon his
twelve sons who would be the progenitors of the twelve tribes of Israel, which are
recorded in Genesis 49:3-27. This is the first Biblical reference to the twelve tribe
of Israel.
The twelve tribes would include, Reuben, Simeon, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun,
Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Manasseh and Ephraim. Levi is excluded
because he did not receive land but was the priesthood of the nation whereas
Joseph is not included since his sons Manasseh and Ephraim were adopted by his
father who in turn received and split Joseph’s double portion as the recipient of the
birthright (See Joshua 14:4; 1 Chronicles 5:1-2; Genesis 48; Numbers 1:10, 47).
The number twelve in the Bible denotes “governmental perfection.” The twelve
tribes descending from Israel (See Genesis 35:23-26) correspond in number to the
twelve tribes of Nahor (see Genesis 22:20-24), of Ishmael (See Genesis 25:12-18),
and of Edom (see Genesis 36:10-14).

Chapter Four: Second Theocentric Dispensation: Israel
So we have seen thus far in our study that the nation of Israel originated with
Abraham but is named after his great grandson Jacob whose name was changed by
the Lord to Israel after appearing to him at Bethel (Gen. 35:9-10).
Although Abraham is accounted the father of the nation, the Israelite tribes
traced their lineage from Abraham through Isaac to Jacob. The promises to
Abraham were conveyed through Isaac (not Ishmael his half-brother) and Jacob
(not Esau his twin). With Jacob, however the line separates into twelve parts which
the twelve sons or tribes of Jacob, each of which has a part in subsequent Israelite
history. The blessings of Jacob (Gen. 49) indicate specific callings.
Judah was to be the governing tribe (49:10) since the human nature of Christ
would be descended from David from this tribe. Any regenerate individual in these
twelve twelve tribes is an heir to the covenant promises. The history of Israel is in
fact the history of the bene yisra el, “the sons of Israel.” Twelve tribes: (1) Reuben
(2) Simeon (3) Levi (4) Judah (5) Zebulon (6) Issachaar (7) Dan (8) Asher (9)
Naphtali (10) Joseph (11) Benjamin (12) Joseph.
Moses led Israel out from the bondage of Pharoah and Egypt. He came from the
tribe of Levi, which was the priestly tribe (Ex. 2:1-2; Num. 26:59). The Exodus of
Israel marked the beginning of the dispensation of the client nation of Israel. The
Israelites voluntarily entered Egypt under Joseph, but later unfriendly pharaohs
reduced them to slaves. According to Gen. 15:13 their entire sojourn was 400 years
in duration, or according to Ex. 12:40, specifically 430 years. Its client nation
status has been temporarily suspended during the Christocentric dispensations
which run co-terminus with the “times of the Gentiles” or Gentile client nations
(Luke 21:21-24).
The dispensation of the client nation of Israel is the second of the theocentric
dispensations, the first being the dispensation of the Gentiles, which extended from
Adam to the Exodus. The dispensation of the client nation of Israel is broken into
six periods: (1) Theocratic Kingdom: Exodus to Samuel (B.C. 1441-B.C. 1020)
(2) United Kingdom: Saul to Rehoboam (B.C. 1020-926 B.C.) (3) Northern
Kingdom: Jeroboam to Hosea (B.C. 926-B.C. 721).
In B.C. 721, the Northern Kingdom was removed entirely by the Assyrians
under the 5th cycle of discipline. Southern Kingdom: Rehoboam to Zedekiah
(B.C. 926-B.C. 586), Babylonian Captivity: (B.C. 586-B.C. 536). No client nation
to God during the Babylonian captivity. The Babylonian captivity was the period
of “visible” heroes: Daniel, Ezra, and Zechariah. The Jews did not observe the
Sabbatical years and therefore, were sent into captivity for 70 years. Restoration of
Israel as a nation: Judah (B.C. 536-B.C. 4). They were not allowed to be a client
nation to God. They were under Rome who ruled the known world at that time.
Judah was only a third class Roman province. From 4 B.C., the Birth of Christ, to
70 A.D., the Jews were given a grace opportunity. God administered the fifth cycle
of discipline to Israel in 70 A.D. when the Roman general Titus destroyed
Jerusalem and the Temple.
Moses is the key figure in the dispensation of the client nation of Israel for God
used Moses to liberate the Jews from Egypt and he received the first five books of
the OT canon. He was also the leader of 2 million Jews who left the slavery of
Egypt. Moses was born around 1520 B.C. during the 18th dynasty of Egypt. Moses
was a Jew but grew up in the house of Pharaoh. He was adopted by Queen
Hatshepsut who found him floating in the Nile as a baby. He was being groomed to
be the future Pharaoh of Egypt.
Moses was the greatest ruler in Egyptian history, and yet, he turned down the
chance to be the future Pharaoh of Egypt to follow God instead. He could have
married the most beautiful woman in the world at that time since Queen
Hatshepsut had plans for Moses to marry Pharaoh’s daughter, Neferure, but
instead, refused (Heb. 11:24-27). Moses left Egypt after murdering an Egyptian
who was fighting with one of the children of Israel. He came back to Egypt 40
years later to liberate the Jews from slavery. When Moses led the nation of Israel
out of Egypt, he brought them out into the desert.
The Exodus generation roamed in the desert for 40 years and never entered the
land of Canaan. God would not let them enter because they were a rebellious
generation. Their children entered into the land that God had promised to the
children of Israel. Now while in the desert Moses was given the Torah or the Law.
Moses was the human author of the first five books of the OT. The Law was
therefore named after Moses and is called the Mosaic Law.
The client nation of Israel was the custodian of the OT canon of Scripture. The
OT Scriptures were divided into three sections: (1) The Torah (2) The Prophets
(Nabhiim) (3) The Writings (Kethubim). The first section is called the Torah
meaning “the Law” contained: (1) Genesis (2) Exodus (3) Leviticus (4) Numbers
(5) Deuteronomy. The 2nd section were the Prophets which were divided into 2
sections: (1) The Former Prophets (2) The Latter Prophets. The Former Prophets:
(1) Joshua (2) Judges (3) Samuel (4) Kings. The Latter Prophets were divided into
2 categories: (1) Major (2) Minor. Major Prophets: (1) Isaiah (2) Jeremiah (3)
Ezekiel. The Minor Prophets were also called the Twelve because they were all
contained 1 Book: (1) Hosea (2) Joel (3) Amos (4) Obadiah (5) Jonah (6) Micah
(7) Nahum (8) Habakkuk (9) Zephaniah (10) Haggai (11) Zechariah (12) Malachi.
The third and last section was called the Writings: (1) The Poetical Books: Psalms,
Proverbs and Job (2) The Five Rolls (Megilloth): Song of Solomon, Ruth,
Ecclesiastes, Esther and Lamentations (3) The Historical Books: Daniel, Ezra and
Nehemiah (1 book) and Chronicles.
Law of Moses
The “Law of Moses” was given to offspring of the Patriarchs, namely, Israel.
The Mosaic Law consisted of 365 negative commands and 248 positive for a total
of 613 commands.
These commands can be divided into three parts or sections as we noted earlier:
(1) The moral code (2) The ceremonial code (3) Civil or political code. Therefore,
we can see that the Law governed every possible area of life of Israel.
Now, we must emphasize that the moral principles contained in the Mosaic Law
given at Mount Sinai were merely the codified expression of the eternal moral law
of God as it was given to Israel to govern her life as a nation in order to experience
God’s blessing under the Abrahamic covenant. There are obviously various forms
of human laws, those prescribed by man through human government or custom
(see Luke 20:22; Acts 19:38).
While human government is an institution ordained by God’s will or law, some
of the laws of man are direct expressions of the will of God, but still constitute
laws by which men are often bound by the governmental system in which they live
(Romans 13:1-7). Of course, where such laws conflict with God's laws, then we are
obligated to obey God instead (Acts 4:19-20).
The fact that the Mosaic Law has been terminated does not mean that there is
no law in this age of grace even though the nature of this law is quite different
from the standpoint of incentive, motivation, and means. In fact, the epistles speak
of “the perfect law of liberty” (Jam. 1:25), “the royal law” (Jam. 2:8), “the Law
of Christ” (Gal. 6:2), and “the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus” (Rom.
8:2). This consists of the many commands found throughout the epistles, which
comprise this law. These too cover all areas of the believer’s life to direct him in
the will of God in today’s world.
The moral principles embodied in the law of Moses Paul identifies as “the
righteousness of the law” (Romans 8:4), and demonstrates that such principles are
the goal of the Spirit-directed life in the same context in which he teaches the
believer is not under the Mosaic law (Romans 6–8).
The New Testament clearly speaks of and anticipates the reign of Christ on
earth when He will rule in perfect righteousness and justice (Isa. 11:4-5), which
obviously implies that there will be laws, which will govern the lives of individuals
during the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 2:3 Come, let’s go up to the LORD’s mountain, to the temple of the
God of Jacob, so he can teach us his requirements, and we can follow his
standards. (NASB95)
For Zion will be the center for moral instruction, the LORD will issue edicts
from Jerusalem. In the progress of His revelation and the development of His plan,
there have been various dispensations administered by God with different
regulations or laws giving precise instruction for each dispensation. The way God
has run each dispensation has varied, however, in each case, different people were
addressed with the commands differing in quantity and character, but always with
specific instruction.
A great deal of flexibility is found in the use of the term nomos, “law” in the
Greek New Testament. This term is used of the entire Old Testament (John 10:34;
12:34; 1 Corinthians 14:21).
Technically neither the Psalms nor Isaiah are a part of the Old Testament “law,”
but sometimes the term “law” was applied to the entire Old Testament because it
constituted God’s special revelation of instruction for Israel and ultimately for
man. The term nomos is used with such terms as the prophets, and writings, again
as a title for the entire Old Testament Scripture, but in this way it looks at them in
their division (Luke 24:27, 44). It is especially used of the first five books of the
Old Testament or the Mosaic Law (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and
Deuteronomy). (Compare Luke 2:23; John 8:5; 1 Corinthians 9:9; Galatians 3:10).
The term is used of the entire specific Mosaic code given to the nation Israel to
govern and guide their moral, religious and secular life, and covers parts of
Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy (Deut. 4:8, 44-45). The term is
used of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3-17).
The term nomos, “Law” is used of a principle, force or influence that impels
one to action or behavior (Romans 7:21, 23a, 25) and is used of law in general
(Romans 3:27 and possibly Romans 5:13b). Though part of the Law was mediated
by angels, God is the origin and source of the Mosaic Law, which stems from the
eternal and holy character of God, which is true even of the natural law written in
the heart or conscience of man (Exodus 31:1b; Acts 7:53; Romans 2:14-16; Heb.
2:1-2).
Three-Fold Division of the Mosaic Law
It is common to divide the Mosaic Law into three parts as we noted earlier, but
though this is helpful for analysis and the study of the Mosaic Law and the way it
functions, such a division is never stated as such in Scripture but rather it is seen as
a unit.
Part 1: The Moral Law or the Ten Commandments. This part of the Law
governed the moral life giving guidance to Israel in principles of right and wrong
in relation to God and man (Exodus 20:1-17).
Part 2: The Ordinances or the Ceremonial Law. This was the spiritual portion of
Law, which guided and provided for Israel in her worship and spiritual relationship

and fellowship with God. It included the priesthood, tabernacle and sacrifices
(Exodus 25-31: Leviticus).
Part 3: The Judgments, or the Social Law. This part of the Law governed Israel
in her secular, social, political, and economic life (Exodus 21:1–23:13).
The Mosaic Law was an indivisible unit, and is that which was terminated by
the Lord Jesus.
Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone
who believes. (NASB95)
Though the Law is usually divided into three parts, as described above, it is
important to see that it was an indivisible unit. Thus, when Paul stated that we are
not under the Law, this included all three parts, including the Ten Commandments.
Some will agree that parts of the Old Testament Law have been done away, but
assert the Ten Commandments are supposedly still in force today. But all three
parts of the Law were designed to function as a unit to guide Israel in all of its life.
The Ten Commandments cannot be separated from the rest. Further, even
though most recognize this three-fold division, the Jews so numbered all the
commands that they approached the Law as a unit. The Jews did not view the Law
as having a three-fold division but rather they divided the 613 commandments of
the Law into twelve families of commandments which were then subdivided into
twelve additional families of positive and twelve additional families of negative
commands. Further, that it is a unit is evident by the fact that the recognition of any
of its features, i.e., as a meritorious system of righteousness with God, obligates
the person to fulfill the entire Law, as we are taught by both Paul and James (cf.
Galatians 3:10, 12; 5:3; James 2:8-11).
Further evidence that the Law is a unit is the penalty of death for disobedience
is attached to all three parts of the Law. Noticing the penalties attached to certain
commands further emphasizes the unitized character of the Law. When the
command to keep the Sabbath (one of the “commandments”) was violated by a
man who gathered sticks on that day, the penalty was death by stoning (Num.
15:32-36). When the people of Israel violated the command concerning the
Sabbatical Year for the land (one of the “judgments”), God sent them into captivity
where many died (Jer. 25:11). When Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire before
the Lord (one of the “ordinances”), they immediately died (Lev. 10:1-7).
Clearly these commands from various parts of the Law were equally binding
and the punishment equally severe. Therefore, the Law was an indivisible unit.
Mosaic Law was Conditional
The Mosaic Law was a conditional covenant made specifically for Israel alone
to govern her life in the Promised Land. From the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen.12)
we see Israel was a chosen nation, an instrument of God to become a channel of
blessing to all nations. The Lord was her Theocratic King who was to rule and
guide the nation in her destiny that she might not become polluted or contaminated
by other Gentile heathen nations and could thus fulfill her purpose. For this reason
the Mosaic Law was instituted to direct Israel as a nation in all spheres of her life:
(1) Morally (2) Socially (3) Politically (4) Economically (5) Religiously.
The indwelling presence of the old Adamic sin nature, made it possible for
anyone to obey completely the Mosaic Law. However, in the spirit of the Law it
did set forth moral principles which were applicable and would bring blessing to
all people anywhere and at any time when applied and used as a standard of right
and wrong.
There were certain economic provisions in the Law to govern and protect the
economic life of Israel in their promised land. For example there was the right of
property ownership, free enterprise, protection of the poor which guarded against
the evils of great concentrations of wealth in the hands of a few with the con-
sequent impoverishment of others. But the poor were provided for in such a way as
to avoid the loss of free enterprise and the individual’s initiative by high taxation
as well as to avoid making leeches out of men who refused to work. However, the
strict application of these laws to our world is impossible since the original
conditions in which God directly intervened cannot he reproduced, at least not until
the millennium.
Yet, politicians and economists could study and learn much from these laws and
principles. The foundation and basis of the Mosaic Law is the covenant God made
with the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In several places in Exodus and
Deuteronomy, there a references to the Abrahamic Covenant which establish the
fact that the giving of the Law at Sinai was based on the covenant with Abraham
and God’s continuing plan for the nation of Israel as a priesthood nation (cf. Ex.
19:4-6; Deut. 4:4-8 with Ex. 2:24-25; Deut. 4:36-38; 29:31; 1 Chron. 16:15-19).
God had given many promises to bless the descendants of Abraham and the
heathen Gentile nations through them and these divine promises were reiterated
and expanded to Abraham and to Isaac and Jacob (Gen. 12:1f; 15; 17:1ff; 26:24f;
28:13f).
The Abrahamic covenant is a unconditional covenant meaning that its ultimate
fulfillment is dependent on God’s sovereign and faithfulness to His promises to
Abraham regardless of Israel’s continued disobedience (cf. Ezek. 20:1-44). The
Mosaic Covenant, however, was a conditional covenant. Though its ultimate
fulfillment is dependent on God, for any generation to experience the blessings of
the Abrahamic Covenant, there had to be faithfulness to God. Thus, enters the
Law, a conditional covenant given to Moses for the nation of Israel after their
redemption out of the land of Egypt. It was through obedience to the Mosaic
Covenant (the Law) that Israel would be able to experience the blessings of the
Abrahamic covenant in the Promised Land.
For obedience there would be blessings; for disobedience, cursing (cf. Deut. 28-
30). The Mosaic Law is holy, good, and spiritual (Rom. 7:12, 14) but it was only
temporary as the book of Hebrews so clearly teaches. As such, the Mosaic Law
was designed to maintain a proper relationship between God and His people Israel
(blessing versus cursing), but only until the coming of Messiah and the
establishment of a New Covenant.
Christ Fulfilled the Law Mosaic Law
Several passages of Scripture clearly establish that the coming of Christ has
brought an end to the Mosaic Law.
Romans 10:4 Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who
believes, which instituted a new law or principle of life, i.e., the law of the Spirit,
the one of liberty and grace (Rom. 8:2, 13).
This fact was also clearly settled by the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15, which
was convened to investigate the issue of the Law and its place in the life of
believers.
The council came about because some were saying “Unless you are
circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved,” and
because even certain of the Pharisees who had believed were also saying “It is
necessary to circumcise the Gentiles and to order them to observe the law of
Moses.”
The conclusion of the council, consisting of apostles and elders, was to reject
the concept of placing New Testament believers under the yoke of the Law (Acts
15:6-11). The only thing the Jerusalem Council asked was that Gentile believers
control their liberty in matters that might be offensive to Jewish believers, but they
did not seek to place the believers under the yoke of the Law for they realized the
Law had come to an end (Compare Romans 14).
In 2 Corinthians 3:6-13 Paul declares three times that the Mosaic system is done
away or abolished (vss. 7, 11, 13).
Finally, the book of Hebrews demonstrates that the old covenant of the Mosaic
Law was only temporary and has been replaced by the coming of Christ whose
ministry is based on. A better priesthood, one after the order of Melchizedek,
which is superior to Aaron’s, and a better covenant with better promises (see
Hebrews 7-10). The old covenant was only a shadow of heavenly things, and if it
had been able to make men perfect before God there would have been no occasion
for a second or new covenant (see Hebrews 7:11-12; 8:1-13). This change in the

priesthood also necessitates a change in the Law, which demonstrates that the Law
has been terminated or done away.
A careful reading of the New Testament shows us that nine of the Ten
Commandments are repeated as obligations for believers with the one exception
being the command to keep the Sabbath. If the Mosaic Law has been done away,
then why are these commandments repeated in the New Testament? Further, some
commandments outside the Ten Commandments are even repeated in the New
Testament.
For instance, as a motivation for loving others, Paul referred to four of the Ten
Commandments because they demonstrate this principle, but then, to summarize,
he mentioned one from Leviticus 19:18, “You shall love your neighbor as
yourself.”
The Law was never designed to be a permanent rule of life but rather was
simply a tutor or guardian to guide Israel and reveal her need for the Savior, Jesus
Christ (2 Corinthians 3:7, 11; Galatians 3:23-24; Romans 10:4). The Mosaic Law
is weak because it is dependent on sinful man’s ability and is especially weak
when adopted as a system of merit (Romans 8:3).
Impotence of the Law to Help Sinners
The Mosaic Law stands in contrast to the grace of God as now manifested in the
coming of Christ (Romans 6:14; 7:6; 8:3; Galatians 3:12). Though given to Israel
to govern her life in the promise land for blessing instead of cursing, there was an
attendant purpose in the giving of the Mosaic Law to Israel, and which purpose
still stands to this day. Namely, the Law was designed to demonstrate to men their
total helpless and hopeless condition before a holy and righteous and just God and
to lead him to the Savior.
The Mosaic Law was given only to Israel (Exodus 19:3; Leviticus 26:46;
Romans 3:19; 9:4) and was not given to the Gentiles of the Old Testament or the
Church (Acts 15:5; 15:24; Romans 8:14; Galatians 2:19). The Mosaic Law
cannot justify an individual before God (Romans 3:20-28; Galatians 2:16) and
could not provide eternal salvation for men (Galatians 3:21-26).
The Mosaic Law could not provide the Holy Spirit and could not solve the
problems of the old sin nature (Romans 8:2-3) and it could not make perfect, or
permanently deal with sin (Hebrews 7:19) nor could it sanctify (Galatians 3:21;
5:5; Romans 8:3). Therefore, as Paul says in Galatians 3:19-24, the Law was
designed to be a temporary guardian until the coming of Christ, the Suffering
Messiah Savior. However, Israel approached the Law as a system of merit, shifting
from a faith basis to a works basis (Exodus 19:8; Romans 10:3).

Even today, people often try to use the Law as a means of establishing their
own standing before God. But the Word of God emphatically teaches us that the
Law brings a curse (Galatians 3:10-12), brings death, it is a killer (2 Corinthians
3:6-7; Romans 7:9-10), brings condemnation (2 Corinthians 3:9), makes offenses
abound (Romans 5:10; 7:7-13), declares all men guilty (Romans 3:19), and holds
men in bondage to sin and death (Galatians 4:3-5, 9, 24; Romans 7:10-14). This is
because man possesses an old Adamic sin nature that can never fulfill the
righteousness of the Law, especially in the spirit of the Law. Therefore, mankind
always falls short as Romans 3:23 tells us, and becomes condemned or guilty
before a Holy God (Romans 3:19).
Paul taught that the law is weak through the human flesh since it contains the
sin nature (8:3).
Romans 8:1-4 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are
in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free
from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it
was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful
flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the
requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to
the flesh but according to the Spirit. (NASB95)
Paul teaches outside of the book of Romans that the law never justifies people
(Gal. 2:16; 3:11). He teaches that the law is sin’s strength (1 Cor. 15:56).
1 Corinthians 15:56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the
law. (NASB95)
Three-Fold Use of the Law
In the study of the Bible, there are three specific purposes that surface in the
proper use of the Mosaic Law. First of all, in a general sense, the Mosaic Law was
given to provide a standard of righteousness (Deuteronomy 4:8; Psalm 19:7-9) and
in the process, it revealed the righteousness, holiness, and goodness of God (Deut.
4:8; Lev. 11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7; Rom. 7:12-14).
The Law given at Mount Sinai to Israel was to reveal a holy God and to
demonstrate the reality of an infinite gulf that separated man from Him.
Romans 3:19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who
are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world
may be held accountable to God. (NASB95)
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
(NASB95)
Secondly, the Law was given to identify sin and reveal man’s sin and bankrupt
condition as guilty before God (Rom. 3:19f; 7:7-8; 5:20; Gal. 3:19).
As J. Hampton Keathley Jr. states, “Like the blood-alcohol test is designed to
prove men are drunk, so the Law is designed to prove men are sinners, under the
wrath of God.”
God’s holy Law reveals to man just who and what he is, namely, sinful and
separated from God by an infinite gulf that he is unable to bridge in his own human
strength.
Lastly, the Law was given to shut man up to faith, i.e., to exclude the works of
the Law (or any system of works) as a system of merit for either salvation or
sanctification and thereby lead him to Christ as the only means of righteousness
(Galatians 3:19-20, 20-24; 1 Timothy 1:8-9; Romans 3:21-24).
The ceremonial portion of the Law did this by pointing to the coming of a
suffering Savior, “for without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness”
(Hebrews 9:22).
By keeping the Law, we are speaking about the true sense as God intended it,
not as Israel and man tend to take it. The Law demonstrated to the Jew his sin (and
so all mankind) and that he was shut up under that sin but was also designed to
guide him, indeed to drive him to Christ. Then, the Social Law, regulated his life
by showing him how to live socially, not to give him merit before God, but to
enable him to experience the blessings of the covenant rather than the cursing as
God warned in Deuteronomy.
Part of the purpose of the Law was to point men to the coming Savior through
its shadows and types. Through the moral law, man could see God’s holy character
as well as his own sinfulness and the infinite gulf that separates God and man.
Through the ceremonial part of the Law (the priesthood, sacrifices, and
tabernacle), man could find the solution to his sin by faith in what this part of the
Law represented, a suffering Savior, one who would die as the Lamb of God. But
even though no one could perfectly keep the Law, it was also designed for Israel’s
immediate blessing by setting forth-righteous principles that would show them
how to love God and their fellow man. This would produce a stable and secure
society as well as a testimony to the nations (Deuteronomy 4:6-8). Thus, in 613
commands the Mosaic Law represented an ethical code given by God to Israel to
govern the nation until the coming of Messiah, but at their heart, they represented
the moral law of God, namely, righteous principles vital to humanity.
Today, we are not under this code, but many of its righteous principles, the
eternal laws of God, have been carried over and are part of the law of the Spirit of
life in Christ (Romans 8:2) or the law of Christ (1 Corinthians 9:21; Galatians 6:2).
In this, some of the former commands are carried over (Romans 13:9), some new
commands and guidelines are added (Ephesians 4:11f; 1 Timothy 3:1f; 4:4), and
some have been revised, as in the case of capitol punishment, which is to be
exercised by human government (Romans 13:4).
It needs to be emphasized that the end of the Mosaic Law, including the Ten
Commandments, does not cancel or detract one iota from the eternal moral law of
God. Remember, the moral principles of the ten laws did not begin with Sinai but
are as eternal and immutable as the character of God. To understand this should
dispel the fears of those who think the abolition of the Mosaic Law leaves only a
state of lawlessness.
The moral principles embodied in the law of Moses are called “the
righteousness of the law” (Romans 8:4), which demonstrates that such principles
are the goal of a life directed by the Spirit and the Word, and in the same context,
Paul teaches that the believer is not under the Mosaic law (Romans 6-8).
Therefore, the born-again Jew of the first century moved entirely from the Mosaic
Law into the new economy of grace instituted by Jesus Christ (John 1:17).
The Law is still good from the standpoint of its main function and purpose (1
Timothy 1:8-10; James 2:1-10; Galatians 5:1-3; 6:1), which is how James uses the
Law, to reveal sin (James 2:9), to get believers out of self-righteous legalism, and
move them into a walk by faith in a living Savior.
The believer is never saved by keeping the Law (Galatians 2:21) and he is not
under the Law as a rule of life, i.e., sacrifice, Sabbath keeping, tithing (Rev. 6:14;
Acts 15:5, 24). Therefore, he does not walk by the Law but by the Spirit, which is
the new law for the New Testament saint (Romans 8:4; Galatians 5:5), which is
law of liberty through faith in the power of God.
The believer is dead to the Law (Rom. 7:1-6; Gal. 2:19) by virtue of his
identification with Jesus Christ in His death, who fulfilled the Law. He is to fulfill
the righteousness of the Law, i.e., the spirit of the law as seen in Christ’s words in
Matthew 10:37-40 love for God, and love for one’s neighbor (James 2:9). But this
can only be fulfilled through knowledge of the Word of God and the filling of the
Holy Spirit, which furnishes the power or ability needed to live the Christian life
according to the eternal moral law of God. Therefore, church age believers are
under God’s new law, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:2-4).
Christ fulfilled the Ten Commandments by living a perfect and sinless life and
so when man trusts in Christ as his Savior, Christ’s righteousness is imputed to that
individual so we have justification (Romans 4) resulting in the fact that the Law
can’t condemn us (Romans 8:1; 7:1-6; Romans 5:1; 4:4-8). Christ fulfilled the
ceremonial ordinances, the shadows and types of His person and work, by dying on
the cross for us and in our place, which demonstrated that God was also perfect
justice and sin must be judged, but God provided His Son, the precious Lamb of
God. The penalty, which the Law exercised, was paid in full at the Cross.
Again there is no condemnation because the believer is “in Christ” (Col. 2:14;
Romans 3:24-25). Christ also fulfilled the Social Law, but now He replaces it with
a new way of life fitting to our new salvation. He gives provision for the inner
man, namely, the indwelling Holy Spirit who provides us the capacity to
experience sanctification so that we may experience also the righteousness of the
Law (Romans 8:2-4).
Christ is the end of the Law and church believers are not under the Mosaic Law
but under grace (Rom. 6:14). Since the Lord Jesus Christ fulfills the Law by His
person and work at the Cross, church age believers are under a new law, namely,
the obligation to walk by the Spirit of Life through faith in the Word of God
(Romans 8:2-4). If we are led by the Spirit, then we are not under the Law
(Galatians 5:18).
Against such, i.e., the fruit of the Spirit, there is no law because the believer is
then operating under the highest law, the standards are met as we walk by the Holy
Spirit and grow in the Word (Gal. 5:22).
After salvation by grace there has always been the grave danger of reverting to
Law or legalism by taboos and tactics of coercion, or some form of human
manipulation (Galatians 3:1-3). To go back to the Law as a way of life puts one
under the control of the flesh, it nullifies true spirituality by faith in the Holy Spirit,
and defeats the believer, which results in human good and domination by the sin
nature or the flesh (Galatians 5:1-5; Colossians 2:14f).
The fact that the Christian is not under the Mosaic Law does not mean, of
course, that there is lawlessness or no proper sense of morality or ethics in the
Christian life but rather quite the opposite is true. But in dealing with the subject of
morality or ethics, it must be understood that the clear teaching of the New
Testament is that the moral life the Christian is responsible for is that no one can
be saved by virtue of his own works (Titus 3:5; Ephesians 2:8-9).
Furthermore, the morality of the Christian life is to be the result of the living in
the nature of Christ by obedience to the Spirit’s voice, which is heard through the
communication of the Word of God. In the New Testament, then, completely
adequate teaching is provided as to the principles of conduct the Christian will
follow if he truly presents his body “a living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1) and walks
“by means of the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:9).
Titus 2:11-14 provides an outline around in which to group these principles.
Titus 2:11-15 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all
men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live
sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope
and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who
gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for
Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. These things
speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you.
(NASB95)

First in this passage it is stated that God’s grace brings us salvation but His
grace then teaches us to live soberly, righteously and godly. These are three
important lines of responsibility: the believer is to live soberly with regard to
himself (Romans 12:3); righteously with regard to his fellow men; and godly with
regard to the Lord.
The same truth can be more or less expressed in a somewhat different way: We
should seek to live in accordance with the precepts of grace because (1) this will
please God (Hebrews 13:16) and will demonstrate our love for Christ (John 14:15);
(2) it will help others (Matthew 5:16; Titus 3:8,14); (3) it will bring true joy and
blessing to our own hearts (John 15:10-11).
J. Hampton Keathley III compiled a list of duties toward God and one’s fellow
human being. The following is a list of “positive” duties toward God: (1) Trust
Him (Mark 11:22; John 14:1, ASV; Heb 11:6). (2) Love Him and seek to know
Him better (1 John 5:2; Phil 3:10, 15; Jas 4:8). (3) Be thankful to Him; worship
and praise Him (John 4:23; Col 3:15; Heb 13:15.) (4) Serve Him (Rom 12:6-8, 11;
1 Cor 15:58). (5) Pray to Him (Luke 18:1; Rom 12:12; Eph 6:18; Phil 4:6; Col 4:2;
1 Tim 2:2). (6) Live in accordance with His will (Rom 12:1; Heb 13:21; Jas 4:7).
(7) Walk in the Spirit (Gal 5:16, 25; Eph 5:18). (8) Hold fast to sound doctrine and
contend for the faith (2 Tim 1:13; Heb 13:9; Jude 3). (9) Witness for Christ (John
15:27; Acts 1:8; 1 Pet 3:15). (10) Do everything as unto Him (1 Cor 10:31; Eph
6:7-8; Col 3:17,23-24). (11) Be diligent in devotion and study of His Word (John
5:39; Col 3:16; 2 Tim 2:15; Jas 4:8; 1 Pet 2:2).
The following is a list of “negative” duties towards God: (1) Do not have idols
(1 Cor 10:7, 14; Eph 5:3; Phil 3:19; Col 3:5; 1 Tim 6:17; Heb 13:15; 1 John 5:21).
(2) Do not receive false teachers (2 John 10). (3) Do not mock or speak against
God (Gal 6:7; Col 3:8).
The following is a list of “positive” duties towards one’s fellow human being:
(1) Love all, especially our brethren (John 15:17; Rom 12:10; 1 Cor 16:14; 1 Pet
1:22; 1 John 3:23; 4:7 {1 John 4:7}). (2) Be sympathetic and compassionate (Eph
4:32; Phil 2:4; Col 3:12). (3) Forgive and forbear (Rom 12:19; Eph 4:32; Col
3:13). (4) Deal honestly and fairly (Rom 12:17b; 13:7 {Rom 13:7}; 13:13 {Rom
13:13}; 1 Thess 4:12; Jas 2:1). (5) Do good to all and help all (Rom 12:13; Gal 6:2,
10; 1 Thess 5:15; Titus 3:1; Heb 13:16; Jas 4:17; 3 John 11). (6) Tell the truth (Eph
4:25). (7) Be courteous and live peaceably with all (Rom 12:18; 1 Pet 2:17; 3:8 {1
Pet 3:8}). (8) Treat others as we would like for them to treat us (Luke 6:31; Rom
12:17a). (9) Provide a good example for others (1 Cor 8:9, 13; Phil 2:15). (10)
Urge other believers to good works and seek to restore backsliders (Gal 6:1; Heb
10:24).
The following is a list of “negative” duties towards one’s fellow human being:
(1) Do not lie or bear false witness (Eph 4:25; Col 3:9; Titus 2:3). (2) Do not steal
(Eph 4:28; 1 Pet 4:15). (3) Do not murder (1 Pet 4:15). (4) Do not commit adultery
or fornication (1 Cor 6:18; 1 Thess 4:13). (5) Do not judge others or speak evil of
them (Rom 14:13; Titus 3:2; Jas 4:11; cf. John 7:24). (6) Do not be unequally
yoked with an unbeliever (2 Cor 6:14). (7) Do not have fellowship with professing
Christians who live in scandalous sin (1 Cor 5:11; 2 Thess 3:14). (8) Do not go to
law with other believers (1 Cor 6:lff). (9) Do not glory in men (1 Cor 3:21). (10)
Avoid troublemakers and useless disputes (Rom 16:17; 2 Tim 2:23; Titus 3:12).
(11) Do not have unpaid debts (Rom 13:8).
The following is a list of “positive” duties towards one self: (1) Be holy (1 Pet
1:15; 2:11 {1 Pet 2:11}; 2 Pet 3:1). (2) Cling to the good and do good to all (Rom
12:9; 1 Thess 5:15). (3) Study the Word of God and meditate on sacred things (1
Thess 4:11; 2 Tim 2:15). (4) Grow spiritually (2 Pet 3:18). (5) Concentrate on the
Word of God (Phil 4:8). (6) Think soberly of yourself (Rom 12:3). (7) Be
ambitious in the right way (1 Cor 12:31; 14:1 {1 Cor 14:1}; 2 Cor 5:4). (8) Be
content with what God gives you (Heb 13:5). (9) Rejoice in the Lord (Rom 12:12;
Phil 3:1; 4:4 {Phil 4:4}; 1 Thess 5:16). (10) Live in light of the judgment seat of
Christ (1 Cor 9:24). (11) Judge yourself and confess sins to God (1 Cor 11:31; 2
Cor 13:5; 1 John 1:9). (12) Conserve time for good purposes (Eph 5:11; Col 4:5).
(13) Cultivate your mind (1 Pet 1:13). (14) Do useful work (Eph 4:28; 2 Thess
3:12). (15) Keep your body clean and in good health (1 Cor 6:15; 6:19, 20 {1 Cor
6}; 10:31 {1 Cor 10:31}; Rom 12:1).
The following is a list of “negative” duties towards one self: (1) Abhor evil
(Rom 12:9; 1 Thess 5:22). (2) Avoid pride (Rom 12:3; Jas 4:10; 1 Pet 5:6). (3) Do
not conform to or love the world (Rom 12:2; 1 John 2:15). (4) Do not fellowship
with evil (Eph 5:11). (5) Do not sin through anger (Eph 4:26). (6) Do not worry
(Phil 4:6; 1 Pet 5:7; 1 John 14:1,27). (7) Do not be lazy (Rom 12:1). (8) Do not use
filthy speech (Eph 4:29; 5:4 {Eph 5:4}). (9) Do not become drunk (Eph 5:18). (10)
Do not complain (1 Cor 10:10; Phil 2:14).
There are also miscellaneous duties that the believer is responsible for in that he
has duties towards animals and responsibilities with regard to human government
and special duties devolving upon particular classes, such as the unmarried,
husbands, wives, children, servants.
Paul’s Teaching in Romans Regarding the Purpose of the Law
In the book of Romans, Paul taught extensively on the purpose of the Law. He
taught that the law in the form of the entire Old Testament canon was given, not as
the way of deliverance, but actually condemned the human race (3:19).
Romans 3:19 Now, we know for certain that whatever the Law says, it
speaks for the benefit of those under the jurisdiction of the Law in order that
each and every mouth may be silenced and in addition all the unsaved
inhabitants of the cosmic system may be demonstrated as guilty in the
judgment of God. (Author’s translation)
The law makes the sinner aware of sin in his life (3:20).
Romans 3:20 Because each and every member of sinful humanity will
never be justified in His judgment by means of actions produced by obedience
to the Law for through the Law there does come about an awareness of the sin
nature. (Author’s translation)
The introduction of the Law increased the transgression of Adam in the sense
that the Law exposed man’s sinful nature to disobey the revealed will of God and
in fact stimulated man’s sinful nature to disobey the revealed will of God.
Romans 5:20 Now, the Law was an addendum in order that the
transgression might increase but where personal sin increased, grace infinitely
abounded. (Author’s translation)
The apostle Paul teaches in Romans 4:15 that the purpose of the Law was to
bring about wrath but where there is no law, there is no violation.
Romans 4:15 For, the Law, as an eternal spiritual truth, produces
righteous indignation but where there is, at any time, the total absence of the
Law, neither, is there, as an eternal spiritual truth, violation. (Author’s
translation)
No one will ever be justified by obedience to the law because of the presence of
the sin nature (3:20).
Romans 3:20 Because each and every member of sinful humanity will
never be justified in His judgment by means of actions produced by obedience
to the Law for through the Law there does come about an awareness of the sin
In Romans 7:1, in which Paul poses a rhetorical question to the Jewish
Christians in Rome and asks if they are ignorant of the fact that the Mosaic Law
has jurisdiction over a person as along as he lives.
Romans 7:1 Or, are some of you in a state of ignorance concerning this fact
spiritual brothers (specifically, I am now addressing those who are very
familiar with the Law through instruction), namely, that the Law does, as an
eternal spiritual truth, have jurisdiction over a person during the entire extent
of time they do live? (Author’s translation)
That Paul is addressing the Jewish Christians in Rome specifically in this
passage, which is indicated in his parenthetical statement “I am now addressing
those who are very familiar with the Law through instruction.” Thus, when he
uses the term “Law” he is referring specifically, to the Mosaic Law, i.e. the Jewish
law and not to an axiom of political justice both Jewish and Roman.

Now, even though Paul’s comments in verses 1-6 are specifically directed
towards the Jewish Christians in Rome, these comments would also be of benefit
for the Gentile Christians as well in that it would protect them from the Judaizers’
legalistic teaching, which the Galatian church fell victim to (See Galatians 5).
Then, in Romans 7:2, Paul presents the principle found in the Mosaic Law that
a woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives but if he dies, she is
discharged from her marriage contract with her husband.
Romans 7:2 For example, the married woman is always bound by contract
to the husband while he does live. However, if the husband dies, then she is, as
an eternal spiritual truth, discharged from the contract with respect to her
husband. (Author’s translation)
Paul teaches in Romans 7:3 that if a Jewish woman’s husband dies, then she is
not an adulteress if she remarries.
Romans 7:3 Therefore, based upon what has been previously stated, if
while her husband does live she enters into marriage with another man, then
she will, as a certainty, cause herself to be known publicly as an adulteress.
However, if her husband dies then she is, as an eternal spiritual truth free
from the contract with the result that she is, as an eternal spiritual truth not
an adulteress if she enters into marriage with another man. (Author’s
translation)
In Romans 7:4, Paul teaches that in the same way that a Jewish wife is
discharged from the marriage contract with her deceased husband and free to
marry another so the Christian has been discharged from the Law and was married
to Christ through the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 7:4 Therefore, my spiritual brothers, all of you without exception
have also been put to death by means of Christ’s body with the result that all
of you have been entered into marriage with another, the one who was raised
from the dead ones in order that we might produce fruit for the benefit of God
the Father. (Author’s translation)
In Romans 7:4a, he teaches that the Jewish Christians in Rome were dead with
respect to the Mosaic Law through the body of Christ or in other words their
identification with Christ in His physical death. Then, in Romans 7:4b, the apostle
teaches that the Jewish Christians in Rome and all Christians for that matter have
been married to Christ in order to bear fruit for God the Father.
Next, in Romans 7:5, Paul taught the Roman believers that prior to their
conversion to Christianity, when they were in bondage to the sin nature, the sinful
passions of their sin natures produced personal sin as a result of their permitting
these desires to be operative in their human bodies.
Romans 7:5 For you see, when we were once in a perpetual state of being in
bondage to our flesh, the sinful desires, which were aroused by means of the
Law were perpetually allowed to be operative in the members of our body
resulting in the production of fruit related to spiritual death. (Author’s
translation)
This passage describes the Roman Christians prior to their conversion to
Christianity whereas Romans 7:6 describes their present status of having been
freed from the Law, having died to it and now having the capacity to serve in
newness of the Spirit.
Next, in Romans 7:6, Paul teaches the Jewish Christians in Rome that they have
been discharged from their legal and moral obligations to the Mosaic Law as a
result of being identified with Christ in His physical death. Consequently, he
teaches that they are forever in a state of being slaves for the benefit of the Father.
This he teaches was by means of the extraordinary work of the Holy Spirit the
moment they trusted in Jesus Christ as their Savior and never by means of the
useless observance of the letter of the Law.
Romans 7:6 But now in our present state, we have been discharged from
the Law as a result of having died with respect to that which we were once in a
perpetual state of being bound. Consequently, we are, as an eternal spiritual
truth, forever slaves for the benefit of God the Father by means of the
extraordinary work of the Spirit and never by means of the useless
observance of the letter, which is the Law. (Author’s translation)
In verse 7, Paul poses a rhetorical question that anticipates the false inference
from his teaching in Romans 5:20, 6:14b and 7:5 that the Law is equivalent to the
sin nature. He empathically rejects the idea that the Law is sinful but rather that it
made him aware of his sin nature and then presents an example with the tenth
commandment that prohibits coveting and identifies it as a sin.
Romans 7:7 Therefore, what is the conclusion that we are forced to? Is, the
Law, in the state of being identical with the sin nature? Absolutely not! On the
contrary, I would have never become aware of my sin nature except by means
of the Law. For example, I would never have been able to identify
covetousness if the Law had not said, “You shall never covet.” (Author’s
translation)
Then, in Romans 7:8, Paul teaches the Christians in Rome that because the sin
nature seized a base of operations through the tenth commandment, the sin nature
produced in him each and every kind of covetousness. At the conclusion of the
verse he begins to explain why this is the case.
He states that apart from the Law, personal sin is dead in the sense that it can
never be charged to the account of the sinner when the Law is not in effect.
Romans 7:8 In fact, because the sin nature seized a base of operations by
means of the tenth commandment, it produced in me each and every kind of

covetousness for you see apart from the Law personal sin is, as an eternal
spiritual truth dead. (Author’s translation)
Then, in Romans 7:9, Paul teaches that when the tenth commandment became a
reality in his life, his sin nature suddenly became active and consequently, he died
spiritually.
Romans 7:9 However, at one time, I used to be alive apart from the Law
but when the tenth commandment became a reality (in my life), the sin nature
suddenly became active. Consequently, I became spiritually dead. (Author’s
translation)
In this passage, he teaches that his awareness of the significance of the tenth
commandment awakened his sin nature and he died spiritually. For a Christian to
die spiritually is to lose fellowship with God, which is restored through the
confession of sin (1 John 1:9).
Next, we read in Romans 7:10 that Paul surprisingly discovered through his
own personal experience as a Christian that the tenth commandment prohibiting
coveting, which was intended to give life instead resulted in his experience
temporal spiritual death.
Romans 7:10 In other words, this commandment, which was for the
purpose of life, was surprisingly discovered through my own personal
experience to result in temporal spiritual death. (Author’s translation)
In Romans 7:11, he teaches that because his sin nature seized a base of
operations through the commandment, it deceived and killed him.
Romans 7:11 For you see because the sin nature seized a base of operations
by means of the tenth commandment, it deceived me and in addition by means
of it, put me to death. (Author’s translation)
Then, in Romans 7:12, Paul presents a positive inference from his teaching in
verses 7-11 by stating that the Law is holy and the tenth commandment is holy,
righteous and good.
Romans 7:12 Therefore, indeed, the Law is, as an eternal spiritual truth
holy. Furthermore, the tenth commandment is, as an eternal spiritual truth
holy and in addition righteous as well as good. (Author’s translation)
In this passage, Paul refutes in emphatic terms the erroneous conclusion that
could be inferred from his teaching in Romans 5:20, 6:14b and 7:5 that the Law is
equivalent to the sin nature by stating that the Law is holy and the tenth
commandment is also holy, and righteous as well as good.
In Romans 7:13a, Paul poses a rhetorical question that anticipates an erroneous
conclusion that could be inferred from his teaching in verses 7-12 that the
commandment caused him to lose fellowship with God. This false assertion, he
emphatically refutes and declares that it was the sin nature, which caused him to
lose fellowship with God. Then in Romans 7:13b, he teaches that the Mosaic Law
was given to expose man’s sinful nature and the sin nature’s extraordinarily sinful
character.
Romans 7:13 Therefore, did that which is good cause temporal spiritual
death in me? Absolutely not! On the contrary, the sin nature caused temporal
spiritual death in me in order that the sin nature would be exposed by
repeatedly producing temporal spiritual death in me by means of that which
is good in order that by means of the tenth commandment, the sin nature
would demonstrate itself extraordinarily sinful in character. (Author’s
translation)
In Romans 7:14, Paul acknowledges that the Law is spiritual but that he is
unspiritual because he still possesses as a Christian a sin nature.
Romans 7:14 For you see, we acknowledge this fact, namely that the Law
is, as an eternal spiritual truth spiritual. However, I myself, as an eternal
spiritual truth, perpetually exist in a state of being unspiritual, sold as a slave
under the authority and dominion of the sin nature. (Author’s translation)
Next, in Romans 7:15, Paul reveals that he does not practice obedience to the
Law that he desires to do but rather commits sin in violation of the Law, which he
hates.
Romans 7:15 For you see, I habitually produce what I by no means
understand because I by no means habitually practice the very thing that I
habitually desire to do. On the contrary I habitually commit the very thing
that I do hate. (Author’s translation)
Then in Romans 7:16, Paul presents even more evidence to his readers that he
possesses a sin nature by arguing that if he practices sin, which he hates, then he
agrees with the Law’s assessment of his conduct that it is sinful and testifies that it
is perfect.
Romans 7:16 However, if, and let us assume that it is true for the sake of
argument I habitually commit the very thing that I by no means habitually
desire to do as I’ve already admitted to. Then, I do agree with the Law. I do
testify that it is, as an eternal spiritual truth perfect. (Author’s translation)
Then, in Romans 7:17, he presents the logical conclusion that he possesses a sin
nature that agrees with his claim in verse 14 that he possesses a sin nature and
which logical conclusion is based upon the evidence presented by him in verses
15-16.
Romans 7:17 So then, as previously stated, based upon the evidence
presented, I myself do no longer produce it but rather, the sin nature, which
does perpetually dwell in me. (Author’s translation)
In Romans 7:18, Paul states to the Christians in Rome that he recognizes that
nothing good dwells in his physical body because the desire to do God’s will is
present in him but the power to do so is not.
Romans 7:18 For you see, I know as a fact through experience, namely that
absolutely nothing good, as an eternal spiritual truth, dwells in me, that is, in
my flesh because the desire is, as an eternal spiritual truth, present in me,
however, the capacity to produce that which is perfect, is, as an eternal
spiritual truth absolutely not. (Author’s translation)
Then, in Romans 7:19, he acknowledges that he does not do what he desires to
do but rather the evil he does not want to do.
Romans 7:19 For you see, the good that, I habitually desire to do, I by no
means habitually accomplish. On the contrary, I habitually practice the very
evil that I by no means habitually desire to do. (Author’s translation)
Next, in Romans 7:20, Paul concludes that his sin nature is the source of evil in
his life.
Romans 7:20 So then, as previously stated if, and let us assume that it is
true for the sake of argument, I habitually commit the very thing that I myself
by no means habitually desire to do and of course I’ve demonstrated this is
true and have already admitted to this. Then, I myself do no longer produce it
but rather the sin nature, which, does perpetually dwell in me. (Author’s
translation)
Lastly, Paul in Romans 7:21 relates to the Christians in Rome that he
discovered a spiritual principle that when he desired to obey the Law that evil was
present in him in the form of the sin nature.
Romans 7:21 Therefore, I surprisingly discovered through my own
personal experience the principle: when I, at any time, desire to accomplish
that which is perfect that evil is, as an eternal spiritual truth, present in me.
(Author’s translation)
Romans 10:1-5 Spiritual brothers, indeed, the desire produced by my own
heart and in addition my specific detailed request on behalf of them is always
for their deliverance. Because I testify concerning them that they possess a
zeal for God, however by no means according to an experiential knowledge.
Because they have in the past rejected the righteousness originating from God
the Father and continue to do so up to the present moment. In fact, because
they have in the past zealously sought to establish their own and continue to
do so up to the present moment, they never submitted to the righteousness
originating from God the Father. Because (faith in) Christ is, as an eternal
spiritual truth, the purpose of the Law resulting in righteousness for the
benefit of each and every member of the human race to those who at any time
do exercise absolute confidence (in Christ). Because Moses writes concerning
this particular righteousness, which is based upon obedience to the Law (as
constituting a source of justification): “The person who obeys them will cause
himself to live by means of them.” (Author’s translation)
In Romans 10:5 Paul presents the reason why faith in Christ resulting in the
imputation of divine righteousness and justification has always been the ultimate
purpose of the Law rather than obedience to the Law and to support this he begins
to cite a series of Old Testament passages. The first passage he uses is Leviticus
18:5 in which Moses writes concerning the righteousness that is based on
obedience to the Law that the Jew who obeys the commandments of the Law
perfectly will live by them or in other words, obtain eternal life. Of course, every
person born into the world is spiritually dead and possesses a sin nature, making it
impossible to render the perfect obedience that the Law requires.
God never intended the Law to be a means of salvation according to Galatians
3:21, which that “if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then
righteousness would indeed have been based on law.” However, the Law did
come with promises of life as a result of obedience as we noted in Leviticus 18:5
and Matthew 19:16-17.
The Scriptures teach that if a person obeys perfectly the Law, he will live.
Leviticus 18:5 So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which
a man may live if he does them; I am the LORD. (NASB95)
Ezekiel 20:11 I gave them My statutes and informed them of My
ordinances, by which, if a man observes them, he will live. (NASB95)
Galatians 3:10-12 For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a
curse; for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE
BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO
PERFORM THEM.” Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is
evident; for, “THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.”
However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, “HE WHO PRACTICES
THEM SHALL LIVE BY THEM.” (NASB95)
The Lord Jesus Christ taught the Jews that if they obeyed perfectly the Law that
they would obtain eternal life.
Matthew 19:16-17 And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what
good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” And He said to him,
“Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good;
but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” (NASB95)
Luke 10:25-29 And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying,
“Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And He said to him, “What
is written in the Law? How does it read to you?” And he answered, “YOU
SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND
WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND
WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” And
He said to him, “You have answered correctly; DO THIS AND YOU WILL

LIVE.” But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my
neighbor?” (NASB95)
The Law would have given life to anyone who obeyed it perfectly. However, as
we noted before, man has no capacity whatsoever to render perfect obedience to
the Law since he possesses a sinful nature. Thus, the Law promises life even
though God did not give it with this intention since He knew sinful man had no
capacity to render perfect obedience to it.
God never intended obedience to the Law to be the means of salvation but the
Law did come with promises of life if obeyed perfectly as we noted earlier. Thus,
we can infer that the Law would have given eternal life had it been perfectly
obeyed.
So in this sense the Law promises life even though God did not give the Law
with this intention since man’s sinful nature makes it impossible for him to obey
the Law perfectly.
The Word of God is life thus if a Jew kept the Law, which is a part of the Word
of God, then he would experience eternal life.
John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words
that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. (NASB95)
John 6:67-68 So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also,
do you?” Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have
words of eternal life.” (NASB95)
Philippians 2:14-16, Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that
you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above
reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you
appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of
Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.
(NASB95)
1 John 1:1 Who has always existed from eternity past, who we have heard,
who we have witnessed with our eyes, who we observed, even our hands
touched concerning the Word who is the life (of God). (Author’s translation)
The Law would give life to a Jew if they obeyed it perfectly. The Law required
perfect obedience because the Law is the perfect expression of God’s perfect
character and integrity and His holiness. However, the Jew did not have the
capacity to render perfect obedience to the Law because they like all men are
sinners by nature.
Romans 3:10 As it stands written for all of eternity, “there is, as an eternal
spiritual truth, absolutely none righteous, not even one.” (Author’s
translation)

Romans 3:23 For each and every person has sinned consequently, they are
always failing to measure up to the glory originating from God. (Author’s
translation)
In Romans 8:4, Paul teaches that the Father’s purpose for Christ’s physical
death was so that the righteous requirement of the Law, i.e. perfect obedience
might be fulfilled in those Christians who conduct themselves in submission to the
Spirit rather than the sin nature.
Romans 8:1-4, Therefore, there is now, as an eternal spiritual truth, never
any condemnation, none whatsoever for the benefit of those in union with
Christ who is Jesus. Because, the life-giving Spirit’s authoritative power, by
means of (the death and resurrection of) Christ, who is Jesus, has set you free
from the sin nature’s authoritative power as well as spiritual death’s. Because
with reference to the Law’s inability in which it was always powerless through
the flesh, God the Father accomplished by sending His own Son in the likeness
of sinful flesh. In fact, with regards to the sin nature, He (the Father) executed
the sin nature by means of His (Son’s) human nature. In order that the Law’s
righteous requirement would be fulfilled in us, those of us who are not, as an
eternal spiritual truth, conducting our lives in submission to the flesh but
rather in submission to the Spirit. (Author’s translation)
In Romans 8:4, the noun dikaioma means, “righteous requirement” and refers to
perfect obedience, which the Law requires. It refers to the Law’s demands for
perfect obedience.
As we have noted earlier, no human being with the exception of Jesus Christ of
course, was able to render perfect obedience to the Law because of the presence of
the sin nature in all of humanity. Christ rendered perfect obedience to the Law,
which constituted His loving God perfectly and His neighbor perfectly. The
Christian fulfills the righteous requirement of Law positionally because of his
union and identification with Christ in His death and resurrection.
Apart from the Spirit, Christians can’t fulfill the righteous requirement of the
Law “experientially” as clearly delineated by Paul in Romans 7:14-25. However,
they can when they are in fellowship with God through the power of the Spirit.
Therefore, the Christian fulfills the righteous requirement of the Law, i.e. the
perfect obedience of Christ to the Law positionally through his union and
identification with Christ in His death and resurrection. He experiences this union
and identification by appropriating by faith through the power of the Spirit his
union and identification with Christ in His death and resurrection. This constitutes
experiencing sanctification, salvation, righteousness and fellowship with God.
Christ’s perfect obedience to the Law has become the Christian’s perfect
obedience because Christ’s death destroyed the sin nature and the baptism of the
Spirit identified the Christian with Christ in His death and resurrection. The
Father’s purpose for sacrificing His Son on the Cross was so that the righteous
requirement of the Law would be fulfilled in Christians experientially.
Specifically, it would be fulfilled in those Christians who are not conducting their
lives in submission to the sin nature but rather in submission to the Spirit.
In regards to this, the New Testament writers have much to say under the
inspiration of the Spirit. The Scriptures teach that the believer is to walk or live his
life on earth by faith in the Word of God and not by sight.
2 Corinthians 5:7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. (NASB95)
Just as the Christian received the Lord Jesus as his Savior by exercising faith in
Him for eternal salvation, so after salvation he is to live by the same principle of
faith (Compare Ephesians 2:8-9 with Colossians 2:5-7).
Colossians 2:5-7 For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am
with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of
your faith in Christ. Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so
walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and
established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with
gratitude. (NASB95)
Paul in Romans 13:8 issues a prohibition that is related to the believer’s
financial obligations. He also issues a command that is related to his moral or
spiritual obligation to his fellow human being, both believer and unbeliever. The
prohibition should always be met whereas the command is a debt that can never be
fulfilled since it is the royal family of God’s honor code and is the Christian way of
life.
Romans 13:8 All of you continue making it your habit to owe absolutely
nothing to anyone except to continue making it your habit of divinely loving
one another because the one who, at any time does divinely love the other
person fulfills the Law. (Author’s translation)
Paul’s statement in Romans 13:9 serves to advance upon and intensify his
statement at the end of verse 8 that loving one’s neighbor fulfills the requirement
of the Mosaic Law.
Romans 13:9 In fact, this group of commandments: “You must never
commit adultery, you must never commit murder, you must never steal, you
must never covet,” (and if, and let us assume that it is true for the sake of
argument that there does exist any other commandment and we know that
one does) is, as an eternal spiritual truth summarized by this command: “You
must love your neighbor as yourself.” (Author’s translation)
In Romans 13:9, Paul cites four of the Ten Commandments that are related to
the believer’s conduct in relation to the entire human race and alludes to a fifth and
does explicitly mention it that also is related to the believer’s conduct in relation to
the entire human race. Therefore, he is citing these commandments to advance and
intensify his argument from verse 8 that loving one’s neighbor fulfills the Law in
that obedience to these prohibitions is a manifestation of loving one’s neighbor.
The apostle is teaching in Romans 13:9 that when the believer obeys these four
commandments, he is manifesting the fact that he loves his fellow human being as
he would himself or herself. Consequently, the implication is that if they do not
obey any one of these commandments then they don’t love their neighbor as they
would their own selves.
Romans 13:10 teaches that divine-love never commits evil against a neighbor,
therefore, love fulfills the Law.
Romans 13:10 Divine-love never, as an eternal spiritual truth commits evil
against a neighbor. Therefore, divine-love fulfills the Law. (Author’s
translation)
This passage teaches that the Law and the love of God are not mutually
exclusive since operating in God’s love will fulfill all that the Law requires. When
the believer is operating in the love of God and thus fulfilling all that the Law
requires, he is simply responding by faith to the Spirit’s revelation in the Word of
God that he is the object and beneficiary of God’s love before and after being
justified through faith alone in Christ alone. This faith manifests itself in obedience
to the Spirit’s command in the Word of God to love your neighbor as yourself and
appropriates the power of the Spirit so as to give the believer the capacity to obey
this command that summarizes all that the Law requires from the believer in
relation to his fellow human beings.
Paul’s Use of the Law in 1 Timothy 1:8-10
The apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 1:8-10 teaches one of the uses of the Mosaic
Law, which was being misapplied by certain pastors in Ephesus who sought to be
teachers of the Law. These verses belong to a section that begins in 1 Timothy 1:3.
Paul wrote this epistle to address a problem with certain pastors in Ephesus
teaching false doctrine, which was directly related to the misuse of the Law. In this
verse Paul reveals that when leaving Macedonia, he urged Timothy to stay on in
Ephesus to command certain Ephesian believers to not teach false doctrines.
1 Timothy 1:3, Since I requested you to stay on in Ephesus when I myself
was about to depart for Macedonia in order that you may command certain
individuals not to teach at any time, false doctrine, continue making it your
habit of performing this task. (Author’s translation)
This verse is an elliptical causal clause meaning that Paul does not explicitly
command Timothy to command certain Ephesian men to not teach false doctrines
but rather he only presents the basis or the reason for doing so. This verse is an
urgent request for Timothy to fulfill the task of confronting the false teachers in
Ephesus. It presents the basis for Timothy commanding certain Ephesian believers
to stop teaching false doctrines. The emphasis is not upon a comparison between
Paul urging Timothy when leaving Macedonia to stay on at Ephesus in order to
instruct certain men not to teach false doctrines and Timothy doing exactly that
now that Paul has left him in Ephesus. Rather, his emphasis is that he wants
Timothy to continue commanding certain Ephesian believers to not teach false
doctrines because he commanded him to do so upon leaving for Macedonia. His
emphasis is as to why he wants Timothy to confront these false teachers. This is to
help support Timothy in this task since he is emphasizing in this causal clause his
apostolic authority that he received from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. To reject
Paul’s instructions was to reject the Lord Himself.
“To stay on in Ephesus” implies that Paul wanted Timothy to continue
confronting those teaching false doctrines in Ephesus. It expresses the concept of
perseverance.
“When I myself was about to depart for Macedonia” refers to Paul traveling
from Ephesus to the Roman province of Macedonia. It emphasizes the immediacy
of Paul departing for Macedonia indicating that Paul requested that Timothy
remain at Ephesus in order to command certain Ephesian not to teach false
doctrines when he was about to depart for Macedonia. It also implies that Paul was
in Ephesus when he urgently made this request of Timothy.
“In order that you may command certain individuals not to teach at any
time, false doctrine” is a purpose clause that indicates that Paul’s purpose for
urgently requesting that Timothy stay on in Ephesus was so that he could
command certain Ephesian believers not to teach false doctrine. The purpose is
further described in verse 4 indicating that Paul wanted these Ephesian believers
who taught false doctrines to also not occupy themselves with myths and
interminable genealogies. It implies clearly that Paul has delegated authority to
Timothy to rebuke and hold these false teachers accountable since this word
indicates that the false teachers in Ephesus are under Paul’s apostolic authority and
are thus Christians. The fact that Paul is commanding these unidentified
individuals to stop teaching false doctrine clearly implies that they are believers
since Paul would not have authority over a non-believer. It also indicates that they
were pastors since Acts 20:28 records Paul predicting to the pastors in Ephesus that
some of them would become apostates.
“Certain individuals” refers to unidentified Christian pastor-teachers who
taught false doctrines in fulfillment of Paul’s prophesy recorded in Acts 20:28. It
means that there was more than one pastor in Ephesus who was teaching false
doctrines. However, it does not mean that all the pastors were doing so.
“Not to teach at any time, false doctrine” speaks of the act of teaching that
which is contrary to the apostolic teaching of Paul. It does not refer to the style of
teaching or manner of teaching but the content of teaching. It describes the content
of the teaching of these pastors in Ephesus as fundamentally and essentially
different than Paul’s apostolic teaching. This prohibition denies any idea of these
Christian pastors in Ephesus teaching heretical doctrines.
Verse 4 further describes the purpose for Paul urgently requesting that Timothy
stay on in Ephesus. In this verse, Paul states that not only did he not want these
Ephesian pastors at any time to teach false doctrine but also not to occupy
themselves with myths and interminable genealogies. He goes on to state that these
myths and interminable genealogies merely promote speculation rather than help
them fulfill their responsibilities of administrating God’s household. So this verse
begins a description of the content of what these pastors in Ephesus taught who
had strayed from Paul’s teaching.
This verse is connecting Paul’s prohibition that certain Ephesian pastors were
not to teach at any time, false or heretical doctrine with the prohibition for these
same pastors to not pay attention to myths and useless genealogies. It makes clear
that Paul does not want these unidentified pastors in Ephesus to at any time
“occupy their minds” with myths.
“Myths” describes the content of the teaching of these unidentified pastors in
Ephesus as falsehood in contrast to Paul’s gospel, which is absolute truth since it is
inspired by the Holy Spirit as well as rooted in historical events (crucifixion, death
and resurrection of Christ) and an historical individual (Jesus of Nazareth). It has
nothing to do with Gnosticism since the phrase “teachers of the Law” and Titus
1:14 describing these myths as Jewish indicate that the myths and genealogies
mentioned by Paul in 1 Timothy 1:4 were Jewish in nature.
“Useless genealogies” refers to a listing of descendants of a particular
individual. Specifically, it refers to the genealogies in the Old Testament. Paul was
not against the study of the genealogies of the Bible since they can teach us quite a
bit about God’s creation, His desire to redeem mankind, and His sovereign control
over history. The apostle was against the misuse of genealogies.
Though it is true that the Old Testament genealogies were important with
respect to the claims of Jesus of Nazareth as the promised Jewish Messiah and
taught the sovereignty of God over the human race, they did not promote the
administration of God’s household by these pastors. They would not help these
pastors to fulfill their responsibilities.
The causal clause “because the nature of which, as an eternal spiritual
truth, promote pointless arguments rather than the administration of God’s
household” refers to these unidentified individuals in Ephesus fulfilling their
stewardship as pastor-teachers. Specifically, it refers to the administration of God’s
household, which is the church. It refers to leading the church in Ephesus.

“Continue making it your habit of performing this task” is a supplied
ellipsis and should be inserted into the translation at the end of verse 4. It refers to
Paul commanding certain pastors in Ephesus not to at any time teach false
doctrine. It implies that Timothy was already about performing this task when this
letter arrived from Paul. Timothy was being faithful!
Verse 5 records Paul writing to Timothy that the goal of his and Timothy’s
instruction is love from a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith.
1 Timothy 1:5 However, the result, which this command produces is, as an
eternal spiritual truth, divine-love from a pure heart as well as a conscience
that is divine good in quality and character and in addition a sincere faith.
This verse is contrasting the negative ungodly results of some unidentified
pastors in Ephesus teaching false doctrine and being occupied with myths and
useless genealogies and the positive results if they are faithful in administrating
God’s household. The negative result of the former is that the church in Ephesus
will be involved with pointless arguments. The positive result of the latter is the
church will function in God’s love for one another since the result of obeying
Paul’s apostolic teaching is love for God and love each other.
The noun telos in 1 Timothy 1:5 does not mean “objective” or “purpose” but
rather “result” since Paul is contrasting the negative ungodly results of these
pastors in Ephesus teaching false doctrine and being occupied with myths and
useless genealogies and the positive results of their being faithful in administrating
God’s household. The negative result of the former is that the church in Ephesus
will be involved with pointless arguments. The positive result of the latter is the
church will function in God’s love for one another since the result of obeying
Paul’s apostolic teaching is love for God and love each other.
In 1 Timothy 1:5, the noun agape means “divine-love” and refers to the
Ephesian believers’ divine-love as it functions towards each other since Paul is
contrasting the negative ungodly results of these pastors in Ephesus teaching false
doctrine and being occupied with myths and useless genealogies and the positive
results of their being faithful in administrating God’s household.
“From a pure heart” teaches that a pure heart is the source from which God’s
love is exercised towards one’s fellow Christian. This prepositional phrase teaches
that when the Christian obeys the command to love one another as Christ loved
him it is from a heart that is experiencing fellowship with God and being
influenced by the Holy Spirit. This prepositional phrase refers to the state of the
Christian’s soul that does not have any known sin in its stream of consciousness. It
refers to the believer experiencing fellowship with God and being influenced by
the Spirit. It speaks of the believer bringing his thoughts into obedience to the
Spirit.
“A conscience that is divine good in quality and character” refers to the
Christian’s conscience or whose standards are in accordance with the Father’s will
because the Christian is being influenced by the Spirit. The Christian is filled with
or influenced by the Spirit when they bring their thoughts into obedience to the
teaching of the Spirit, which is heard through the communication of the Word of
God.
Therefore, the conscience, where the norms and standards reside, is divine in
quality and character because the teaching of the Spirit as recorded in the Word is
the basis for the norms and standards. It describes the Christian’s conscience as
being intrinsically valuable, intrinsically good, inherently good in quality but with
the idea of good which is also profitable, useful, benefiting others, benevolent
because their norms and standards are based upon the teaching of the Spirit in the
Word of God.
This prepositional phrase indicates that loving one’s fellow Christian as Christ
loved all men also finds its source in a conscience that is divine good in quality and
character. This means that loving one’s fellow Christian as Christ loved all men
originates from not only a pure heart but also a conscience that is divine good in
quality and character, which is the result of being filled with the Spirit and letting
the Word of Christ richly dwell in your soul.
“A sincere faith” speaks of the Christians’ post-conversion faith in the Word of
God or in other words, their faith in the Spirit’s teaching that is revealed through
the communication of the Word of God. It does not refer to saving faith or faith in
Jesus Christ for eternal salvation but rather the Christian’s faith in the Word of
God after their conversion since in context Paul is addressing the conduct of
Christians as a result of their pastors teaching sound doctrine rather than false
doctrine.
Also, in context, pistis is used in relation to the Christian obeying the command
to love his fellow believer as Christ loves, which is accomplished by exercising
faith in the Spirit’s teaching in the Word of God and specifically, the command to
love one another as Christ loves. Obedience to the Spirit’s teaching in the Word of
God to love one another as Christ loved is the direct result of the believer
exercising faith in the Spirit’s teaching since obedience to the commands of the
Word of God are the direct result of exercising faith in the Spirit’s teaching in the
Word of God.
Next, in 1 Timothy 1:6, Paul points out to Timothy and the Ephesian church
that because some pastors in Ephesus have deviated from practicing divine-love
from a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith, they turned aside to
pointless talk.
1 Timothy 1:6 Certain individuals, because they have deviated away from
these things, turned aside to pointless talk. (Author’s translation)
“Certain individuals” refers to a particular group of unidentified pastors in
Ephesus. The causal clause “because they have deviated away from these
things, turned aside to pointless talk” means that the reason why these pastors
turned aside to pointless talk was because they deviated from practicing God’s love
in the power of the Spirit from a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith.
Therefore, the reason why these unidentified pastors in Ephesus were teaching
false doctrine and were occupied with Jewish myths and genealogies was that they
themselves were not obeying the command to love one another. The reason why
they were failing to administrate the household of God by teaching the church to
love one another from a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith is that
they themselves were not doing so. They were out of fellowship with God
themselves and as a result they were not fulfilling their responsibilities to teach the
Christians in Ephesus to love one another from a pure heart, a good conscience and
a sincere faith. The fact that they did not obey the Lord’s command to love one
another is reflected by the fact that they were not fulfilling their responsibilities to
teach the church in Ephesus to love one another from a pure heart, a good
conscience and a sincere faith.
Furthermore, they were out of fellowship and not exercising love towards their
fellow Christians. Thus, they were not fulfilling their responsibilities to the Lord to
administrate the church at Ephesus by teaching the command to love one another
because they were no longer operating in faith.
So because these unidentified pastors in Ephesus strayed from obeying the
command to love one another, which stems from a pure heart, a good conscience
and a sincere faith, they turned aside to fruitless discussion, which in verse 4, Paul
describes as “pointless arguments.”
“A pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith” are a related to the
mind and the way the Christian thinks, his or her mindset. Therefore, these pastors
did not operate in God’s love and administrate God’s household in Ephesus by
teaching the command to love one another because they were not thinking right
and they were not thinking right because of a lack of faith in the Word of God.
Thus because these pastors were not exercising faith in the Word of God and as
a result were not obeying the command to love their fellow Christians as Christ
loves and not fulfilling their responsibilities to teach the same, Paul exhorts
Timothy to fight the good fight of faith and issues the following exhortations
throughout the epistle. Therefore, these unidentified pastors in Ephesus were not
exercising faith in the Word of God, which manifested itself through false
teaching, being occupied with Jewish myths and genealogies resulting in pointless
arguments. This lack of faith manifested itself by not fulfilling their responsibilities
to administrate the household of God, which is accomplished by teaching the
command to love one another.
Then, in verse 7 Paul further describes these unidentified pastors in Ephesus
who were teaching false doctrine because they were occupied with Jewish myths
and useless genealogies. Thus, they were failing to fulfill their duties of
administrating the church in Ephesus by communicating Paul’s apostolic teaching.
1 Timothy 1:7 by desiring unsuccessfully to be teachers of the Law, even
though they do not understand either the things which they are making a
habit of communicating or the things concerning which they make a habit of
confidently asserting for the benefit of only themselves. (Author’s translation)
In this verse, he identifies this particular group of pastors as wanting to be
teachers of the Law but yet they don’t understand what they are saying or the
things they confidently affirm. This further indicates quite clearly that these pastors
had fallen victim to the Judaizers who dogged Paul throughout his ministry.
Therefore, the heresy in the Ephesian church was of a Jewish nature.
This verse is connected to verse 6 in the sense that it describes how this
“certain individuals” mentioned in that verse were turning aside to pointless talk.
As we noted these individuals were pastors in Ephesus who Paul describes in
verses 3 and 4 as teaching false doctrine because they were occupied with myths
and useless genealogies that were Jewish in nature. Thus, they were victims of the
Judaizers.
In verse 6, Paul describes why these pastors turned aside from Paul’s gospel to
pointless talk, namely they deviated from obeying the command to love their
fellow Christ as Christ loves and were not fulfilling their responsibilities to
administrate the household of God by teaching this command to their
congregations.
Now in verse 7, Paul describes how or the means by which they turned aside to
pointless talk, namely, by desiring to be teachers of the Mosaic Law. So the
expression “by desiring unsuccessfully to be teachers of the Law” is participial
clause that expresses the means by which these unidentified pastors in Ephesus
were turning aside from teaching the command to love one another to pointless
talk.
“Even though they do not understand either the things which they are
making a habit of communicating or the things concerning which they make a
habit of confidently asserting for the benefit of only themselves” is a concessive
clause that implies that these unidentified pastors in Ephesus lacked understanding
or were simply ignorant of the true purpose of the Mosaic Law even though they
desired to be teachers of it. This implication is indicated by Paul’s statements in
verses 8-10, which deal with one of the usages of the Mosaic Law.
So as Mounce correctly observes “verses 3-7 set the historical state for the
epistle.” (Page 28) Certain pastors in Ephesus were not faithful in fulfilling their
responsibilities to administrate the household of God (verse 4) by teaching false
doctrine (verse 3) because they were occupied with myths and useless genealogies
(verse 4) that were Jewish in nature as implied by their desire to become teachers
of the Mosaic Law (verse 7).
Paul’s purpose for urgently requesting that Timothy prohibit these pastors from
doing these things was love. If they obeyed this prohibition and again fulfilled their
responsibilities to administrate the household of God, they would communicate
Paul’s gospel and teach the command to love one another.
So by attempting to be teachers of the Mosaic Law and not communicators of
the gospel and sound doctrine, there were disputes and arguments taking place
among believers in Ephesus. On the other hand, if they had remained faithful, no
such thing would have occurred unless their audiences rejected the apostolic
teaching in the first place. These individuals were not faithful because of a spiritual
problem that they had, namely they were out of fellowship with God and had
rejected Paul’s apostolic teaching themselves.
In verse 8, the apostle Paul begins a brief discussion of the correct application
of the Law by rebuking the misuse of the Law by those unidentified pastors in
Ephesus who sought to be teachers of it. He begins this discussion of the Law by
affirming that what he writes about in this discussion is the accepted and common
understanding and teaching of the apostles and the Christian community.
1 Timothy 8 But we affirm as a confirmed and accepted fact that the Law
does, as an eternal spiritual truth exist in the state of being useful, if one at
any time does for their own benefit make use of it lawfully. (Author’s
translation)
This verse presents a contrast with Paul’s previous statements in verses 6 and 7.
In verse 6, Paul describes why certain unidentified pastors in Ephesus turned aside
from Paul’s gospel to pointless talk, namely they deviated from obeying the
command to love their fellow Christ as Christ loves and were not fulfilling their
responsibilities to administrate the household of God by teaching this command to
their congregations. Then, in verse 7, he describes how or the means by which they
turned aside to pointless talk, namely, by desiring to be teachers of the Mosaic
Law. Now, in verse 8, he makes the statement that the Law is good if one uses it
lawfully or correctly applies it. In verses 9-11, he presents who the Law was
intended for and presents a vice list to characterize those who the Law is intended
for.
Therefore, the apostle is contrasting the misuse of the Law by these pastors in
Ephesus who aspired to be teachers of the Law with the correct application of it,
which he and Timothy and the other apostles taught and was accepted by the
Christian community throughout the Roman Empire in general.
It is introducing a series of statements that end in verse 11 that stand in direct
contrast with his statements in verses 3-7, which describe certain unidentified
pastors in Ephesus who desired to be teachers of the Mosaic Law and were
teaching false doctrine by being occupied with Jewish myths and the pointless
application of the genealogies of the Old Testament. So the contrast is between
Paul’s apostolic teaching with regards to the proper use and accurate application of
the Mosaic Law with the improper use and misapplication of it by these
unidentified pastors in Ephesus. The misapplication of the Law by these pastors
makes it absolutely imperative that he presents the proper application of it.
1 Timothy 1:8 is a fifth class condition that teaches the spiritual principle that
the Law is useful if one uses it correctly.
The protasis: “if one at any time does make use of it lawfully.” The apodasis:
“we affirm that the Law does, as an eternal spiritual truth exist in the state of
being useful.”
The protasis of this fifth class condition that helps to compose verse 8 indicates
that for the Mosaic Law and in particular the moral code aspect of the Law to have
its proper result it must be used in accord with this three-fold purpose. This
principle helps to expose the error of those pastors in Ephesus who sought to be
teachers of the Mosaic Law. In other words, it is useful if one understands and
applies its three-fold purpose. In particular if one understands that it reveals God’s
perfect standards, personal sins committed by man and his sinful nature as well as
his need for the Savior. This usage of the Law is reflected in Paul’s statements in
verses 9-10.
In the apodasis, what Paul is asserting about the Law in verses 8-11 is inspired
and confirmed by the Holy Spirit and accepted by the apostles and their disciples
in contrast to those pastors in Ephesus who sought to be teachers of the Law and
were not using it properly.
When Paul speaks of the Law in this verse, he is referring to the Mosaic Law
and specifically to the moral code or Ten Commandments. This is indicated by the
fact that when Paul uses the term nomos he usually has the Mosaic Law in mind or
the Old Testament as a whole. Secondly, when he speaks of the law in verses 8-10,
it has the same ethical concerns as those of the Mosaic Law.
The list of vices in verses 9-10 is similar to the Decalogue as Knight points out
(page 81) who also points out that “when Paul elsewhere speaks of ‘law’ and gives
ethical lists, it is the Mosaic moral law that is in view (cf., e.g., Rom. 13:9ff.)”
(page 81).
Thirdly, in verses 4, Paul has already mentioned that these pastors in Ephesus
were occupied with myths and useless genealogies, which we noted were Jewish in
nature. The noun nomodidaskalos means “teachers of the Law” which is another
clear indication that nomos in verse 8 refers to the Mosaic Law.
The fourth reason why nomos is referring to the Law is that Paul is contrasting
his use of the Law with these unidentified pastors who misused the Law and
wanted to be teachers of the Law. The reference to genealogies in verse 4, which
occur in the Pentateuch indicate that nomos refers to the Mosaic Law.
Lastly, the word’s articular construction indicates to the reader that nomos is
“well-known” to them and not Roman law or law in general.
When Paul says that the Law is “good,” he means that it is “useful.” This is
indicated in that Paul is contrasting his use of the Law with that of those pastors in
Ephesus. Also, this word appears in the apodasis of a fifth class condition. The
protasis speaks of using the Law correctly and the apodasis affirms that the Law is
useful if one uses lawfully. He is saying that the Law is useful if it is used
correctly.
1 Timothy 1:9-10 continue the discussion of the Mosaic Law and in particular
the Moral Code portion of the Law, i.e. the Ten Commandments. Paul is speaking
about the Law from its condemnatory purpose meaning that the Law was designed
to reveal man’s sinful nature and God’s holy character and that man does not
measure up to God’s perfect holy standards. This condemnation by the Law was to
lead the sinner to Christ.
1 Timothy 1:9 For you see, one must affirm this fact, namely that the Law
is, as an eternal spiritual truth, by no means established for the benefit of the
righteous but in fact, for the benefit of those who break the Law, for the
benefit of those who are insubordinate, for the benefit of those who are
irreverent and for the benefit of those who are sinful by nature and practice,
for the benefit of those of those who are unholy and for the benefit of those
who are worldly, for the benefit of those who murder their father and mother,
for the benefit of murderers, 10 for the benefit of those who are fornicators,
for the benefit of those who are homosexuals, for the benefit of those who are
kidnappers, for the benefit of those who are liars, for the benefit of those who
are perjurers and in addition, if, and let us assume that it is true for the sake
of argument that any other does oppose itself to that which is sound doctrine
and we agree that there is. (Author’s translation)
So in these verses he teaches that this moral code does not apply to the
Christian who has been declared righteous through faith alone in Christ alone.
Rather, it is for those who are non-Christians who need the Law to show them their
sinful nature and that they don’t measure up to God’s perfect standards and that
they are in need of the Savior.
Paul is not implying that Christians are at liberty to break the Ten
Commandments, i.e. the Decalogue, rather he is merely pointing out that the
Christian’s way of life is not governed by this aspect of the Mosaic Law. Again, he
is speaking about the Law from the perspective that it was designed to condemn
the sinner and thus lead them to Christ.

He teaches in his other epistles and mentions in 1 Timothy 1:5, the Christian’s
life is governed by the Spirit and in particular the command of our Lord to love
God with one’s entire being and love one another as He loves through the power of
the Spirit. These two commands summarize the teaching of the Word of God.
Therefore, those pastors emphasizing obedience to the Ten Commandments to
live righteously are missing the point or misapplying the Law. The Christian’s
lifestyle is to be governed by walking by faith in the Spirit’s teaching in the Word
of God and in particular obeying the Lord Jesus Christ’s command to love one
another as He loves through the power of the Spirit and not simply by obeying the
Ten Commandments. These apostate pastors in Ephesus were following the
Judaizers’ doctrine and were being selective with regards to their obedience to the
Law by emphasizing strict observance to the Ten Commandments.
So Paul is teaching in verses 9-10 that the Decalogue is not for the “righteous,”
i.e. the sinner justified through faith in Christ, i.e. the Christian but rather for those
who are unsaved since this moral code is designed reveal God’s holy character,
man’s sinful nature and lead the sinner to Christ for salvation. These pastors were
teaching in error that observance of the Law is to govern the Christian’s lifestyle.
“For you see, one must affirm this fact” is an epexegetical clause meaning
that Paul is defining or explaining more explicitly why the Law is useful if one
makes use of it lawfully. He is defining how this principle is true or in other words,
he is attempting to define in explicit terms this principle, or how this is the case. It
indicates that Paul is explaining more explicitly this principle that the Law is only
useful if one makes use of it lawfully.
“The Law” refers to the Mosaic Law and specifically to the moral code or Ten
Commandments. The anarthrous construction of nomos is emphasizing a particular
aspect of the Mosaic Law, namely, the moral code or Ten Commandments. This is
indicated by the fact that the first three couplets are offenses against God that
correspond to the first four of the Ten Commandments and the remaining vices,
which are offenses against people, correspond to the next five commandments.
“Namely that the Law is, as an eternal spiritual truth, by no means
established for the benefit of the righteous” is emphatic presenting a spiritual
axiom that the Law was by no means established by God for the righteous.
“The righteous” refers to the Christian and describes their state of possessing
the “absolute” righteousness of God through imputation as a result of exercising
faith alone in Christ alone. It describes those sinners who have been declared
justified as a result of receiving the imputation of righteousness as a gift the
moment they exercised faith alone in Christ. It speaks of the positional stage of
transforming the Christian into the image of Christ.
The adjective dikaios does not refer to the Christian living in the righteousness
of God or in other words experiencing divine righteousness but rather it refers to
the positional aspect of righteousness. In other words it refers to the state of the
sinner who possesses divine righteousness as a result of being declared justified by
God as a result of receiving the gift of righteousness through imputation the
moment they exercised faith alone in Christ alone.
This is indicated not only by the meaning of the word, which we noted above in
detail, which is emphasizing the state of possessing righteousness but also because
Paul is contrasting this word with the unsaved. In the adversative clause, he
presents a list of sins that are in violation of the Ten Commandments and
characterize the unsaved.
The Law was designed to reveal God’s holy character, man’s sinful condition
and lead the sinner to Christ. The Christian, i.e. the justified sinner is already
convinced that they are a sinner and have come to Christ. Thus, they benefited
from this purpose of the Law. The unsaved have not. Thus, when Paul presents the
vice list in verses 9b-10, it is a list of sins that characterize those who have not yet
responded to this three-fold purpose of the Law. Paul is saying that those who have
already been declared righteous have no need for this three-fold purpose of the
Law. However, those who are characterized by the lists of sins in verses 9b-10 still
have need of the Law since they have not yet come to Christ, which the Law was
designed to lead them to. Therefore, the unidentified pastors in Ephesus who were
attempting to be teachers of the Law and were teaching adherence to the Ten
Commandments were misapplying the Law by emphasizing obedience to the Law
as the basis for the Christian way of life.
1 Timothy 1:9b-10 is an adversative clause. It is contrasting those who are
righteous, i.e. the Christian with those who are not. This contrast is also emphatic
emphasizing that the Law is for the unsaved. It is expressing an emphatic contrast
between the Christian’s relationship to the Law and the relationship that the
unsaved have with respect to it.
In this adversative clause Paul employs a rhetorical device known as a vice list
in order to make clear to the Ephesian church, which particular group of people
that the Law benefits. This vice list does not emphasize sin but a certain group of
people, namely the unsaved in contrast to the Christian who is righteous through
faith in Christ. This list identifies the unsaved as benefiting from the three-fold
purpose of the Law. This vice list corresponds to the Ten Commandments, i.e. the
Decalogue. Specifically this corresponds to nine of the Ten Commandments.
The vice list that appears in 1 Timothy 1:9b-10 is given in four pairs, followed
by a series of six individual terms and concluded with a general catch-all category.
This list characterizes the unsaved since it stands in contrasts with dikaios, “for a
righteous person” which speaks of the sinner who is declared righteous through
faith in Christ, i.e. the Christian. Thus, for these unidentified pastors in Ephesus to

attempt to apply this moral code to those already in the Christian community
through faith in Christ was in error.
The noun didaskalia, “doctrine” refers to the content of what the Lord Jesus
Christ and His apostles taught. This term appears often in the Pastoral letters
referring to the content of Christ’s teaching and His apostles in contrast to those
who taught false doctrine or doctrine that was not in accord with the Lord’s
teaching and His apostles (1 Timothy 4:1, 6, 13, 16; 5:17; 6:1, 3; 2 Timothy 3:10,
16; 4:3; Titus 1:9; 2:1, 7, 10).
The verb hugiaino, “sound” describes apostolic teaching as being free from
error or falsehood and is used to describe Paul’s apostolic teaching in contrast to
the false doctrine taught by certain unidentified pastors in Ephesus who were
occupied with Jewish myths and useless genealogies of the Old Testament. Like
didaskalia which it modifies, this word also appears often in the Pastorals to
describe the soundness of the content of the Lord Jesus Christ’s teaching and His
apostles in contrast to those who taught false doctrine and were occupied with
myths and useless genealogies and being teachers of the Law (1 Timothy 6:3; 2
Timothy 1:13; 4:3; Titus 1:9, 13; 2:1, 2).
These two words together refer to accepted and authoritative apostolic teaching
that is free from error or falsehood since it is inspired by the Holy Spirit and
promotes spiritual growth in the body of Christ. This is in contrast to the false
doctrine taught by these unidentified pastors in Ephesus who were occupied with
Jewish myths and useless genealogies and sought become teachers of the Law.
The following is a general outline of the history of the nation of Israel: (1)
Theocratic Kingdom: Exodus to Samuel (B.C. 1441-B.C. 1020) (2) United
Kingdom: Saul to Rehoboam (B.C. 1020-926 B.C.) (3) Northern Kingdom:
Jeroboam to Hosea (B.C. 926-B.C. 721) (4) Southern Kingdom: Rehoboam to
Zedekiah (B.C. 926-B.C. 586) (5) Babylonian Captivity: (B.C. 586-B.C. 536) (6)
Restoration of Israel as a nation: Judah (B.C. 536-B.C. 4) (7) Rejection of the
Messiah (B.C. 4-70 A.D.) (8) Time of the Gentiles (70 A.D.-rapture) (9)
Tribulation (Rapture-2nd Advent) (10) Millennium (2nd Advent-end of history)
Davidic Covenant
God established another covenant during the dispensation of Israel, namely the
Davidic covenant. David was the second and greatest King of Israel whose reign
over Israel forty years, seven in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem, and whose
dynasty ruled in Judah for over four hundred years (2 Samuel 5:5; 1 Kings 2:11).
He was born in the town of Bethlehem (House of Bread) (1 Samuel 16:1; 17:12;
Luke 2:4).

David was the youngest of seven sons of Jesse (1 Samuel 16:10; 1 Chronicles
2:13-15) and has two sisters (1 Chronicles 2:16; 2 Samuel 17:25). He was from the
tribe of Judah (Ruth 4:18-22). He was a direct descendant of Judah, Perez, Hezron,
Ram, Amminadab, Nahshon, Salmon, Boaz (the husband of Ruth), Obed, (the son
of Boaz and Ruth) and Jesse his father (1 Chronicles 2:5-16; Matthew 1:3-6; Luke
3:31-33).
He was a shepherd by trade before being anointed king of Israel by the prophet
Samuel (1 Samuel 16:1-13). David was an outstanding military commander, a
masterful statesman and administrator, a skilled musician witnessed by the fact that
he organized the temple music and wrote many of the Psalms (See 1 Samuel
16:17-18). He made his debut in Israelite history when he killed the Philistine
champion Goliath which resulted in the rout of the Philistine armies (See 1 Samuel
17). Consequently, King Saul adopted David into his court (1 Samuel 17:55-18:2).
David struck up a great friendship with Saul’s son Jonathan and it lasted till
Jonathan’s death on the battlefield with his father (1 Samuel 18:1-4). Saul
persecuted David out of jealousy for David’s great talents and his tremendous
popularity among the citizens of Israel and even attempted to assassinate David (1
Samuel 16:14-23; 1 Samuel 18:5-9).
The next several years of David’s life were as a fugitive and an outlaw as a
result of Saul’s repeated attempts to assassinate him. During his years of exile, he
became an ally with the Philistines (1 Samuel 27). His years of exile ended with
the death of Saul and his son Jonathan (1 Samuel 28:1-2; 1 Chronicles 12:19-22).
David was anointed king over the house of Judah at Hebron and reigned seven
and a half years over that tribe (2 Samuel 2:1-11). The long civil war between the
house of David and the house of Saul eventuated in the extermination of the house
of Saul and David being anointed king over all Israel (2 Samuel 2:8-5:5).
As king over Israel, David defeated the Philistines (2 Samuel 5:17-25; 1
Chronicles 18:1; 2 Samuel 21:15-22). He conquered the Moabites, Aramaeans,
Ammonites, Edomites and Amalekites (2 Samuel 8:10; 12:26-31). David built up a
substantial empire for his son Solomon, which reached from Ezion-geber on the
gulf of Aqabah in the south to the region of Hums bordering on the city-state of
Hamath in the north (See W.F. Albright, page 131). He demonstrated his great
administrative talents by the extensive kingdom he left behind and the preservation
of accounts of efficient organization (1 Chronicles 22:17-27:34).
David also reestablished Levitical cities and cities of refuge. He captured
Jerusalem from the Jebusites and established his capital there (2 Samuel 5:6-8; 1
Chronicles 11:4-8). He brought back the Ark of the Covenant (2 Samuel 6:12-15)
but only after several failed attempts (2 Samuel 6:11-15; 1 Chronicles 15:13). He
was responsible for the organization of the temple music and made plans for the

rebuilding of the temple, which he was not allow to do by the Lord who assigned
David’s son Solomon with the task (2 Samuel 7; 1 Chronicles 17:1).
David received the tremendous promise from God that his throne would be
established forever (2 Sam. 7:16), namely that the Messiah would descend from
him. This promise is called the “Davidic” covenant, which was given to David
through the prophet Nathan and was an unconditional covenant meaning its
fulfillment was based upon the faithfulness of God rather than the faithfulness of
Israel.
The “Davidic” covenant deals with the dynasty that will rule the nation of Israel
as indicated in 2 Samuel 7:16 where God promised David that a descendant of his
would sit on his throne forever.
2 Samuel 7:1 Now it came about when the king lived in his house, and the
LORD had given him rest on every side from all his enemies, 2 that the king
said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark
of God dwells within tent curtains.’ 3 Nathan said to the king, ‘Go, do all that
is in your mind, for the LORD is with you.” 4 But in the same night the word
of the LORD came to Nathan, saying, 5 “Go and say to My servant David,
‘Thus says the LORD, ‘Are you the one who should build Me a house to dwell
in? 6 For I have not dwelt in a house since the day I brought up the sons of
Israel from Egypt, even to this day; but I have been moving about in a tent,
even in a tabernacle. 7 Wherever I have gone with all the sons of Israel, did I
speak a word with one of the tribes of Israel, which I commanded to shepherd
My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’ 8
Now therefore, thus you shall say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD
of hosts, ‘I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be ruler
over My people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone and
have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a great
name, like the names of the great men who are on the earth. 10 I will also
appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant them, that they may live in
their own place and not be disturbed again, nor will the wicked afflict them
any more as formerly, 11 even from the day that I commanded judges to be
over My people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. The
LORD also declares to you that the LORD will make a house for you. 12
When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise
up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will
establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will
establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be a father to him and he
will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod
of men and the strokes of the sons of men, 15 but My lovingkindness shall not
depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before
you. 16 Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your
throne shall be established forever.’” 17 In accordance with all these words
and all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David. (NASB95)
The Davidic covenant is also confirmed in the following passages: Isa. 9:6-7;
Jer. 23:5-6; 30:8-9; 33:14-17, 20-21; Ezek. 37:24-25; Dan. 7:13-14; Hos. 3:4-5;
Amos 9:11; Zech. 14:4, 9.
Psalm 89:34, “My covenant I will not violate, nor will I alter the utterance
of My lips. 35 Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David. 36 His
descendants shall endure forever and his throne as the sun before me. 37 It
shall be established forever like the moon, and the witness in the sky is
faithful. Selah.” (NASB95)
The Davidic covenant contains four promises: (1) A Davidic House: Posterity
of David will never be destroyed. (2) A Davidic Throne: Kingdom of David shall
never be destroyed. (3) A Davidic Kingdom: David’s Son (Christ) will have an
earthly sphere of rule. (4) It Shall Be Unending. The “sign” of the Davidic
Covenant is a Son (Lord Jesus Christ).
Provisions of the Davidic covenant: (1) David is to have a child, yet to be born,
who will succeed him and establish his kingdom (2) This son (Solomon), instead
of David, will build the temple. (3) The throne of his kingdom will be established
forever. (4) The throne will not be taken away from him (Solomon) even though
his sins justify God’s discipline. (5) David’s house, throne and kingdom will be
established forever.
The essential features of the Davidic covenant are found in three words in 2
Samuel 7:16: (1) House (physical descendants): A line stemming from David
would continue indefinitely and would be the divinely recognized royal line. (2)
Kingdom (political body): the political body that David would rule and over which
David’s descendants would successively reign. (3) Throne (right to rule): refers to
the authority as king vested in him.
Just as important as these three terms is the word “forever,” which refers to any
time during which the descendants of Abraham would exist. Even though there
might be temporary interruptions in the exercise of royal authority because of
divine discipline, the authority would never transfer to another line.
As in the case of the Abrahamic covenant, this covenant with David is restated
and reconfirmed elsewhere in Scripture. One of the royal titles that the Lord Jesus
Christ possesses is that of the “Son of David,” which denotes His rulership over the
nation of Israel (Matt. 1:1; 20:30; Mark 10:47-48; Luke 1:32; 2 Tim. 2:8; Rev. 3:7;
5:5; 22:16).
The Bible anticipates a future literal fulfillment of the Davidic covenant. The
Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of David, will literally fulfill this covenant during His
millennial reign.
The prophetic implications of the Davidic covenant: (1) Israel must be
preserved as a nation. (2) Israel must have a national existence and be brought back
into the land of her inheritance. (3) David’s descendant, the Lord Jesus Christ,
must return to the earth, bodily and literally, in order to reign over David’s
covenanted kingdom. (4) A literal earthly kingdom must exist over which the
returned Messiah will reign. (5) This kingdom must become an eternal kingdom.
New Covenant
The last covenant that God established during the dispensation of Israel was the
New covenant. This is also an unconditional meaning that its fulfillment is based
upon the faithfulness of God rather than the faithfulness of Israel (Jer. 31:31-37).
The New covenant is related to the restoration of the nation during the Second
Advent and subsequent millennial reign of Christ. There were additional blessings
added to the unconditional Abrahamic covenant. Before the covenant nation could
enjoy the covenanted blessings it must walk in obedience to the laws of God. The
obedience required was outlined for the nation in the Mosaic Law, which was
given alongside the Abrahamic covenant (Gen. 17:19) to define what God
expected as a prerequisite for blessing.
The nation of Israel was unable to fulfill the obedience the Law required. The
nation of Israel was characterized by God as being stiff-necked (Jer. 17:23). They
were hardened and obstinate (Ezek. 3:7). Therefore, if the nation was to experience
the blessings of the covenant they would need forgiveness for their sins, they
would need to be regenerated (born-again), a new heart characterized by
obedience, and empowerment from the Holy Spirit. A covenant that guarantees
Israel these divine provisions is given in Jeremiah 31:31-34.
Jeremiah 31:31, “Behold, days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will
make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 32
not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them
by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they
broke, although I was a husband to them, declares the LORD. 33 But this is
the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,
declares the LORD, I will put My law within them and on their heart I will
write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 They will not
teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know
the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of
them," declares the LORD, ‘for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I
will remember no more.’” (NASB95)
Within the original Abrahamic covenant were promises concerning the
following: (1) Land: Palestinian covenant developed the land promises to Israel.
(2) Seed: Davidic covenant developed the seed promises to Israel. (3) Blessings:
New covenant developed the blessing promises of the original Abrahamic
covenant.
The prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel have a great deal to say about these
blessings that will flow from the New Covenant, which they speak of often. In
spite of the disobedience of the nation, this covenant necessitates the continuation
of the nation. Even continued disobedience cannot remove Israel from her
covenanted position (Jer. 31:34-35; Rom. 11).
Further the nation is promised a restoration to the land (Jer. 32:37; 33:11; Ezek.
11:17; 36:28-35; 37:21-22, 25). The prophets speak of the rebuilding of Jerusalem
(Jer. 31:38-40). The temple will be rebuilt (Ezek. 37:27-28). The blessings the
nation of Israel will receive are based on the New covenant (Isa. 61:8-9; Hos. 2:18-
20). The greatest blessing in this covenant is that of being brought in close
relationship with God (Jer. 30:22; 31:33; 32:38-41; Ezek. 11:20; 34:25-27; 37:27).
The New covenant with Israel was based upon the voluntary substitutionary
spiritual deaths of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union.
Luke 22:20 And in the same way {He took} the cup after they had eaten,
saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My
blood.” (NASB95)
1 Corinthians 11:25 In the same way {He took} the cup also after supper,
saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you
drink {it}, in remembrance of Me.” (NASB95)
The Lord Jesus Christ is the mediator of this New Covenant to Israel.
Hebrews 12:24a and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant. (NASB95)
These four unconditional covenants (Abrahamic, Palestinian, Davidic and New)
are all related to Israel and not the church. The nation of Israel was “directly
given” the covenants according to Romans 9:1-5. However, the church and
regenerate Gentiles who live outside the church age participate in the blessings of
these covenants since she is the bride of Jesus Christ, the king of Israel (See
Galatians 3).
Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having
become a curse for us -- for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO
HANGS ON A TREE” 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of
Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of
the Spirit through faith. (NASB95)
Ephesians 3:1-13 teaches that it was a mystery that the Gentiles through faith in
Christ would become fellow heirs with Jewish believers, fellow members of the
body of Christ and fellow partakers of the four unconditional covenants of promise
to Israel.

Ephesians 3:1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the
sake of you Gentiles. 2 If indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God's
grace which was given to me for you 3 that by revelation there was made
known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief (in Ephesians 1:8-9).
(NASB95)
“Mystery” is the noun musterion, which refers to doctrines that centered upon
the Person of Christ and members of His body and were doctrines never revealed
to Old Testament saints.
Ephesians 3:4 By referring to this, when you read you can understand my
insight into the mystery of Christ (that which is disclosed in Christ), 5 which
in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now
been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit 6 to be specific,
that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow
partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. (NASB95)
The mystery is not that the Gentiles would be saved since this was prophesied
in the Old Testament (Isa. 11:10; 60:3). Rather, the mystery concerning the
Gentiles is that they would become fellow heirs with Jewish believers, fellow
members with Jewish believers in the body of Christ and fellow partakers of the
covenant promises to Israel.
The content of this mystery is three-fold: (1) The Gentile believers are fellow
heirs with Jewish believers in the sense that they share in the spiritual riches God
gave them because of His covenant with Abraham.
Galatians 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27
For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with
Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man,
there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if
you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to
promise. (NASB95)
Ephesians 3:6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow
members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus
through the gospel. (NASB95)
(2) Gentile believers in Christ are fellow members of the body of Christ with
Jewish believers. There is one body, the body of Christ (Eph. 4:4), which has no
racial distinctions (1 Cor. 12:13) and has the Lord Jesus Christ as its head (Eph.
5:23). Each individual member of the body of Christ shares in the ministry (Eph.
4:15-16).
(3) Gentile believers in Christ are fellow partakers of the four unconditional
covenants of promise to Israel. Although, the four unconditional covenants of
promise to Israel were specifically given to Israel (Rom. 9:1-6), the church will

still and does benefit from them since they are in union with Christ who is the ruler
of Israel.
Ephesians 3:7 of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of
God's grace which was given to me according to the working of His power.
(NASB95)
Ephesians 3:7 teaches us that the Gentile believer’s union with Christ gives
them the 100% availability of divine power that was manifested in the life of Paul
and His proclamation of the Gospel.
Ephesians 3:8 To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to
preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ. (NASB95)
Ephesians 3:8 teaches that the Gentile believer’s union with Christ gives them
infinite wealth.
Ephesians 3:9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the
mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things 10 so
that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the
church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. (NASB95)
Ephesians 3:9-10 teaches that this mystery concerning the Gentiles is important
to the angels both elect and non-elect since it reveals the multifaceted wisdom of
God.
Ephesians 3:11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He
carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord 12 in whom we have boldness and
confident access through faith in Him. 13 Therefore I ask you not to lose heart
at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory. (NASB95)

Chapter Five: First Christocentric Dispensation: Hypostatic Union
The term hypostatic union is a critical doctrine in Christology. Christology is

the study of Christ.
The Scriptural evidence is overwhelming that Jesus of Nazareth who is the
Christ is both God and man forever. The two distinct natures, which as to their
attributes differ significantly, were brought together into personal union, which
will continue forever.
In theology or specifically Christology (the study of Christ), the term
“hypostatic union” is used by theologians to describe the teaching of the Scriptures
that Jesus Christ is undiminished deity and true sinless humanity in one person
forever.
The word “hypostatic” is a Bible Word meaning that it is derived from the
original language of Scripture (Heb. 1:3).
Hebrews 1:3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact
representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.
When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the
Majesty on high. (NASB95)
“Nature” is the noun hupostasis, which was a word that belonged to the realm
of science and medicine, and has a variety of meanings in classical Greek and
means “essence,” “nature” or “substance.”
Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary defines essence, “the properties or
attributes by means of which something can be placed in its proper class or
identified as being what it is.” The word essence refers the “nature of something.”
The doctrine of the hypostatic union teaches that our Lord’s divine nature and
His human nature were united forever.
Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary defines the word union as, “an act
or instance of uniting or joining two or more things into one.” To unite is to put
together two things to form a single unit.
Jesus Christ unites in Himself, the essence or nature of God and the essence or
nature of man. This union forms a new hupostasis, or “essence,” the hypostatic
union, the God-Man. If we were to make the hypostatic union a mathematical
equation, it would look like this: The nature of God + the nature of man = the
hypostatic union.
The hypostatic union is the complete unique person of Christ. Therefore, the
Lord Jesus Christ is the “unique theanthropic person of the universe” as Lewis
Sperry Chafer declared (Systemic Theology, volume 3, chapter 2, The Person of
the Savior).
He is different from the other members of the Trinity in that He is true
humanity. He is different from the rest of humanity in that He is God and sinless.
This makes our Lord the unique theanthropic person of the universe. There is no
one like Him in the universe and there will never be someone like Him ever again.
Now, it must be remembered that the Scriptures teach that in His human nature,
the Lord Jesus Christ, the God-Man was subordinate to the Father. However, in
His deity, He is of course co-infinite, co-equal and co-eternal with both the Father
and the Spirit.
The New Testament emphatically teaches that in His person, Jesus of Nazareth
who is the Christ was both God and man, which we established in chapters two and
four respectively.
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw
His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and
truth. (NASB95)
Romans 1:1 Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set
apart for the gospel of God, 2 which He promised beforehand through His
prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son, who was born of a
descendant of David according to the flesh 4 who was declared the Son of God
with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of
holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord. (NASB95)
Romans 8:3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the
flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an
offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh. (NASB95)
Romans 9:1 I am speaking the truth in accordance with the code of Christ.
I am by no means lying, while my conscience does confirm to me in
accordance with the code of the Holy Spirit. 2 That, as far my feelings are
concerned, there is always great sorrow as well as unceasing anguish in my
heart. 3 In fact, I could almost wish that I myself could be accursed, totally
and completely separated from Christ as a substitute for my brothers,
specifically, my fellow countrymen with respect to racial descent. 4 Who
indeed by virtue of their unique, privileged character are, as an eternal
spiritual truth, Israelites. To them belongs the adoption as sons and the glory
and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the service and the promises.
5 To them belong the fathers and from them, the Christ with respect to
human racial descent, the one who is, as an eternal spiritual truth, God over
each and every living and non-living thing, worthy of praise and glorification
throughout eternity. Amen! (Author’s translation)
Philippians 2:5 Everyone continue thinking this (according to humility)
within yourselves, which was also in (the mind of) Christ Jesus 6 who
although existing from eternity past in the essence of God, He never regarded
existing equally in essence with God an exploitable asset. 7 On the contrary,
He denied Himself of the independent function of His deity by having assumed
the essence of a slave when He was born in the likeness of men. 8 In fact,
although He was discovered in outward appearance as a man, He humbled
Himself by having entered into obedience to the point of spiritual death even
death on a Cross. 9 For this very reason in fact God the Father has promoted
Him to the highest-ranking position and has awarded to Him the rank, which
is superior to every rank. 10 In order that in the sphere of this rank possessed
by Jesus every person must bow, celestials and terrestrials and sub-
terrestrials. 11 Also, every person must publicly acknowledge that Jesus
Christ is Lord for the glory of God the Father. (Author’s translation)
Colossians 1:19 For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to
dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made
peace through the blood of His cross; 20 through Him, I say, whether things
on earth or things in heaven. 21 And although you were formerly alienated
and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, 22 yet He has now reconciled you in
His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and
blameless and beyond reproach. (NASB95)
1 Timothy 3:16 By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness:
He who was revealed in the flesh, was vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels,
proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.
(NASB95)
Hebrews 2:14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He
Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might
render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil.
(NASB95)
touched concerning the Word who is the life (of God). 2 That is, this One who
is the life (of God) was revealed (by the Holy Spirit) and we have witnessed
and we testify and we are proclaiming (from God) at this particular time for
the benefit of all of you this One who is the eternal life (of God), who indeed
by virtue of His divine nature has always existed face to face with the Father
and was revealed (by the Holy Spirit) for the benefit of all of us. 3 Who, we
have witnessed and we have heard, we also are proclaiming (from God) at this
particular time for the benefit of all of you in order that all of you without
exception might also continue to experience fellowship and this fellowship is
with the Father and with His Son, Jesus who is the Christ. 4 Also, we
ourselves are providing information in writing at this particular time
concerning these things in order that it might at this particular time cause our
joy to overflow. (Author’s translation)

1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see
whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into
the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses
that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; 3 and every spirit that
does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of
which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.
(NASB95)
2 John 7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do
not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and
the antichrist. (NASB95)
Many of these passages such as Romans 1:3-4, 8:3, Philippians 2:6-11, John
1:14 and 1 John 1:1-3 make it clear that the eternal Son of God added to His deity
a sinless human nature and became a human being.
The act of incarnation was not temporary but rather permanent according to the
testimony of the Scriptures. His human body is now glorified in that it is a
resurrected body, thus His human nature continues forever.
Matthew 26:64, Mark 14:62 and Luke 22:69-70 make clear that Christ’s
humanity will continue forever. The appearances of Christ after His resurrection
also provide further evidence that His humanity will continue forever (Matthew
28:9; Luke 24:30-31, 39-43; John 20:17, 22, 27-28; Acts 1:1-11; 7:56).
1 John 2:1 teaches that He now sits at the right hand of the Father as the
believer’s Advocate interceding for the believer when Satan accuses the believer
(Compare Zechariah 3:1-7; Revelation 12:10). This is further evidence of the
continuance of Christ’s humanity.
Furthermore, passages dealing with the rapture of the church in 1 Thessalonians
4:13-17 and Philippians 3:20-21 make clear the continuance of Jesus Christ’s
humanity. The many passages that deal with His Second Advent to terminate
Daniel’s seventieth week make this clear as well (Zechariah 12; 14:1-9; Romans
11:25-27; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; 2:8; 2 Peter 3:3-4; Jude 14-15; Revelation 1:7-8;
2:25-28; 16:15; 19:11-21).
The Relationship Between Christ’s Divine and Human Nature
The term “hypostatic union” means that deity and true humanity are combined
in one personality, forever and that personality is Jesus Christ. He did not have two
personalities because He had two natures. Because He is a man does not make our
Lord less than God. Nor, does His being God prevent Him from being truly a man.
The integrity of the attributes of His divine nature, were not corrupted or
compromised by the fact that His divine nature was united permanently with a

human nature. Nor were the integrity of the attributes of His human nature
corrupted or compromised by the fact that He was God.
His two natures, though united, retain their separate identities. There was no
mixture of His divine nature with that of His human nature. His divine attributes
are always united to His divine nature. His human attributes are always united to
His human nature. Deity remains deity and humanity remains humanity. The
infinite cannot become finite and the immutable cannot be changed. No attribute of
deity was altered when our Lord became a man through the incarnation. The same
holds true when He died on the cross. To take away a single attribute from His
divine nature would destroy His deity. To take away from His perfect human
nature a single attribute would destroy His humanity.
Walvoord writes, “Though Christ sometimes operated in the sphere of His
humanity and in other cases in the sphere of His deity, in all cases what He did and
what He was could be attributed to His one person. Even though it is evident that
there were two natures in Christ, He is never considered a dual personality. The
normal pronouns such as I, You and He are used of Him frequently.” (Jesus Christ
our Lord, page 112).
The two natures of Christ are not only united without affecting the attributes of
the two natures but they are also combined in one person. As Charles Hodge
writes, “The Son of God did not unite Himself with a human person but with a
human nature.”
The hypostatic union is “eternal,” which means “no beginning, and no end.”
Christ as eternal God will never cease to be a member of the human race (Heb.
13:8). Our Lord in His deity always existed.
The attributes of His divine nature are never attributed to the attributes of His
human nature. However, the attributes of both natures are properly attributed to his
person. Thus, there seems to be a contradiction. Our Lord could be weak and yet
omnipotent. He increased in knowledge yet He was omniscient. He was finite yet
infinite. These qualities of course are traced to their respective natures.
Walvoord commenting on the relationship between the two natures of our Lord,
writes, “One of the difficult aspects of the relationship of the two natures of Christ
is that, while the attributes of one nature are never attributed to the other, the
attributes of both natures are properly attributed to His person. Thus Christ at the
same moment has seemingly contradictory qualities. He can be weak and omnipo-
tent, increasing in knowledge and omniscient, finite and infinite. These qualities
can, of course, be traced to their corresponding nature but, as presented in
Scripture, a variety of treatment can be observed. At least these seven
classifications of this aspect of the truth can be observed in what is called the
communion of attributes: (1) Some attributes are true of His whole person such as
the titles Redeemer, Prophet, Priest and King. As Redeemer, Christ is both Man
and God, both natures being essential to this function. It is therefore an attribute or
characteristic true of His whole person. (2) Some attributes are true only of Deity,
but the whole person is the subject. In some cases the person of Christ is related to
an attribute peculiar to the divine nature. For instance, Christ said: ‘Before
Abraham was, I am’ (John 8:58) - The whole person is the subject, but the attribute
of eternity applies only to the divine nature. It is possible, however, to say of the
person of the incarnate Christ that His person is eternal even though humanity was
added in time. (3) Some attributes are true only of humanity, but the whole person
is the subject. In contrast to John 8:58, in some cases attributes true only of His
humanity are mentioned but the whole person is in view. On the cross Christ said:
‘I thirst’ (John 19:28). The statement can be attributed only to the human nature,
but the whole person is involved. This type of reference disappears after His
resurrection and ascension and the resulting freedom from the limitations of His
earthly life. (4) The person may be described according to divine nature but the
predicate of the human nature. A seeming contradiction is sometimes found when
the person of Christ is described according to His divine nature, but that which is
predicated is an attribute of the human nature. An illustration is afforded in the
revelation of Christ in glory in Revelation 1:12.18 where the deity of Christ is in
evidence. Yet Christ is revealed as the One who ‘was dead’ (v. 18), an attribute
possible only for the humanity of Christ. (5) The person may be described
according to human nature but the predicate of the divine nature. In John 6:62
(ASV) the significant statement occurs: ‘What then if ye should behold the Son of
man ascending where he was before?’ The title ‘Son of man’ describes Christ
according to His human nature, but the predicate of ascending up where He was
before could have reference only to the divine nature. (6) The person may be
described according to the divine nature, but the predicate of both natures.
According to John 5:25-27, Christ as the Son of God spoke to those who were
spiritually dead, and those who heard lived. As the Son of man, however, Christ is
said to execute judgment in the future. Hence, Christ is described as the Son of
God, but the predicate of speaking can be attributed to both natures as
demonstrated by the fact that the human nature is specifically mentioned as in view
in the future judgment. (7) The person may be described according to human
nature but the predicate of both natures. According to John 5:27 mentioned above,
Christ will judge the world as One possessing both human and divine natures.
Another example is found in Matthew 27:46 where Christ said: ‘My God, my God,
why hast thou forsaken me?’ Christ was speaking from the viewpoint of His
human nature in His prophetic cry, addressing His Father as His God, but the
pronoun ‘me’ seems to refer to both natures or His whole person. Christ was being
judicially forsaken because He was bearing the sin of the world. It was not simply

the divine nature forsaking the human nature as some have held.” (Jesus Christ our
Lord, pages 116-118)
The Lord Jesus Christ was always aware of His deity and humanity. He was
always aware in Himself with respect to His deity and He grew in self-
consciousness with respect to His humanity. There was no point in the life of our
Lord when He suddenly became aware that He was the Son of God. His divine
self-consciousness was always fully operative when He was an infant in the arms
of Mary and this was the case as a mature adult. However, it is clear from the
Scriptures that His human nature developed. There was a corresponding
development of His human self-consciousness as His human nature developed.
Therefore, our Lord had a divine and human self-consciousness. However, there
was never any conflict between the two. Sometimes He spoke and acted from His
divine self-consciousness and other times from His human self-consciousness. The
Gospels make clear that Jesus Christ’s divine consciousness was expressed in both
His words and actions.
Our Lord was conscious that not only was He the Son of God but also a King
and that He was the fulfillment of the Old Testament Messianic promises and key
to the fulfillment of the promises contained in the four unconditional covenants to
Israel (Abrahamic (Gen. 12:1-3; 13:16; 22:15-18; 26:4; 28:14; 35:11; Ex. 6:2-8);
Palestinian (Gen. 13:15; Ex. 6:4, 8; Num. 34:1-12; Deut. 30:1-9; Jer. 32:36-44;
Ezek. 36:21-38); Davidic (2 Sam. 7:8-17; Ps. 89:20-37); New (Jer. 31:31-34; cf.
Heb. 8:8-12; 10:15-17). Jesus Christ was also conscious of being omnipotent and
that He was the promised Savior of the world.
The Relationship Between Christ’s Two Natures To His Will
The question arises that since Christ had a divine and human nature, did each
nature have a corresponding “will”? In order to answer this question, we must
define “will.” If we speak of “will” in terms of a desire, then it is clear that there
would be conflicting desires in the divine and human natures of Christ. However, if
by will we mean volition then we know that one person can have only one will. As
we noted earlier from Charles Hodge, “The Son of God did not unite Himself with
a human person but with a human nature.”
The mark of personhood whether of an angel, a man or God Himself is that of
volition. Volition does not help to compose the divine nature or human nature or
the nature of angels since it is not unique to the nature of God, the nature of man or
the nature angels for that matter. God has a volition and men and angels do.
Therefore, when we speak of our Lord having a human nature, or that He has
human attributes, we are not including volition since it is not unique to the divine
nature, or human nature or angelic nature for that matter rather it is the mark of

personhood. Therefore, our Lord had only one volition but yet added to His divine
nature, human attributes that do not include volition since again volition does not
help to compose the divine nature, human nature or angelic nature but rather helps
to constitute personhood. Thus, when the Son of God became a man, He did not
attach Himself to another human being or add a human will since He was already a
person but rather He added the attributes of a human being.
We also must not confuse God’s volition with His attribute of sovereignty
though they are obviously related to each other. The term “sovereignty” connotes a
situation in which a person, from his innate dignity, exercises supreme power, with
no areas of his province outside his jurisdiction. As applied to God, the term
“sovereignty” indicates His complete power over all of creation, so that He
exercises His volition or will absolutely, without any necessary conditioning by a
finite will (volition) or wills (volitions). Therefore, God exercises His volition
absolutely without any necessary conditioning by the volition of His creatures
whether men or angels, which constitutes His sovereignty over them.
Therefore, Jesus Christ did not have two volitions but rather one, namely, the
volition that is related to His divine nature. When the Son of God added to His
divine nature a human nature, this did not include a human volition since the
implication of that would be that the Son of God attached Himself to another
person.
Our Lord praying in the Garden of Gethsemane demonstrates the exercise of
His sovereign will in relation to His human nature’s desire to not lose fellowship
with the Father by experiencing a substitutionary spiritual death.
Luke 22:39 And He came out and proceeded as was His custom to the
Mount of Olives; and the disciples also followed Him. 40 When He arrived at
the place, He said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” 41
And He withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and
began to pray, 42 saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from
Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.’ Now an angel from heaven appeared
to Him, strengthening Him.” (NASB95)
The “cup” that our Lord refers to in His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane
refers to not only His physical sufferings but also His substitutionary spiritual
death, which is recorded in Matthew 27:46.
Matthew 27:46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice,
saying, “ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?’ that is, ‘MY GOD, MY GOD,
WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?” (NASB95)
“Spiritual death” means that our Lord in His perfect human nature “lost
fellowship with God the Father” during those last three hours on the Cross. His
spiritual death was “unique” in that He suffered spiritual death as a “sinless”

human being whereas every member of the human race suffers spiritual death the
moment they are born into the world.
Our Lord’s spiritual death was “voluntary” in that our Lord in His impeccable
humanity “chose” to lose fellowship with His Father during those last three hours
of darkness upon the Cross because He loved the entire world.
In our Lord’s deity, His fellowship with the Father and the Spirit was “never”
broken at any time. However in His perfect human nature He suffered temporarily
loss of fellowship with the Father so that all of sinful mankind might not be
separated forever from God. The person of the Son of God was able to experience
spiritual and physical death as well as being resurrected through His sinless human
nature.
In His human nature, our Lord’s desire was to avoid losing fellowship with His
Father. It was natural for the sinless human nature of Christ to desire to avoid this
as it was in keeping with His divine nature’s desire to avoid being judged for sin.
However, the will or more accurately the desire of the Father was that Christ would
die both a substitutionary spiritual and physical death on the cross in order to
provide salvation for all men and this our Lord did willingly. This desire of the
Father was not hindered or prevented from being fulfilled by the function of the
volition of men or angels.
The Results of the Hypostatic Union
The union of Christ’s divine and human natures are related to His acts as an
incarnate person. Though His divine nature was immutable, His human nature
could suffer and learn through experience so that as a result the person of Christ
with two natures came into new experiences. The Son of God came into a new
experience of suffering by becoming a human being.
The voluntary substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths of Christ on the
cross were based on the hypostatic union. The act of Christ redeeming sinners
through His substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the cross was an act of
His whole person in that these deaths originated from both natures and not merely
to the human nature alone or divine nature. As a human being Christ could die
spiritually and physically but only as God could these deaths have infinite value,
sufficient to redeem sinners. Thus the substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths
of Christ have eternal and infinite value because they were experienced and
suffered by the divine-human person. They have value because of who He is as a
person, the Son of God.
Our Lord’s great high priesthood is also based upon the hypostatic union. In
order to be our great high priest, He had to be both God and man. As a man, he
could act as human priest and as God this priesthood could be forever after the
order of Melchizedek. Thus He could be the mediator between God and man
because of His hypostatic union. As a man, his priesthood could sympathize with
the human experience (Hebrews 4:15) but as God, He was assured of always being
heard by the Father.
Our Lord’s office as a prophet was based as well on having two natures since it
was God’s purpose to reveal Himself through a man, which required God
becoming a human being (John 1:18).
His office as King depends on both the divine and human natures since the
Davidic covenant, which promised that a descendant of David’s would sit on his
throne forever could not be fulfilled unless God become a human being.
The Preexistence of Christ
John 8:58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham
was born, I am.” (NASB95)
This statement by our Lord to the Jews clearly affirms His preincarnate state or
preexistence as the eternal Son of God. It will be noted that Christ’s existence prior
to becoming a human being is nowhere in Scripture argued as a doctrine, but is
everywhere assumed and used as the basis of the doctrines of the incarnation,
hypostatic union and atonement for sin.
Our Lord’s birth in Bethlehem 2000 years ago was not His origin, only His
incarnation. There could be no incarnation and hypostatic union without our Lord
having a previous existence. To deny the preexistence of our Lord renders the
incarnation and hypostatic union impossible. To go back further, could there be a
Trinity were there no preexistent Son of God? The one necessarily presupposes the
other. Christ’s preexistence is not a matter of purely academic interest but in fact it
is the foundation on which the whole superstructure of the Christian faith rests. If
our Lord is not preexistent, He cannot be God, and if He is not God, He cannot be
the Creator or Redeemer.
Jesus was unique among men in that His birth did not mark His origin, but only
His appearance as a man on the stage of time. Of no other person would it be
possible to distinguish between His birth and origin, or to say that His life did not
begin when He was born. He was the meeting place of eternity and time, the
uniting of deity and humanity, the junction of heaven and earth. His origin was not
related to His birth, or His nature dependent only on human ancestry. His nature
was derived from His eternal being.
The Lord Jesus Christ did not become God’s Son at the incarnation or when He
rose from the dead. His resurrection in fact demonstrated that He was the eternal
Son of God who has no beginning. He is God, supreme and without beginning.

Our Lord was conscious of a previous existence. He spoke of the glory He had
with the Father before the foundation of the world.
John 17:5 “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory
which I had with You before the world was.” (NASB95)
He claimed preexistence in explicit and unmistakable terms.
John 16:26 “In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you
that I will request of the Father on your behalf; 27 for the Father Himself
loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth
from the Father. 28 I came forth from the Father and have come into the
world; I am leaving the world again and going to the Father.” (NASB95)
Our Lord’s first appearance on earth was not when born of His virgin mother.
Every other man in history entered life as the result of a biological process and as a
new being, but the Lord Jesus knew neither beginning of days nor end of life (Heb.
7:3).
Old Testament Prophets’ Testimony of the Preexistence of Christ
The Old Testament abounds in references to our Lord’s preexistence or

preincarnate state. In these appearances He is often called the “Angel of the Lord.”
They also are called in theology, “theophanies” or “Christophanies,” which are
theological terms used to refer to either a visible or auditory manifestation or both
of the Son of God before His becoming a man permanently in Bethlehem.
The first of these appears in Genesis 1:1 where He is presented as the Creator of
the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
(NASB95)
“In the beginning” refers to eternity past when there was only the Trinity and
no creation or creatures.
A comparison of Genesis 1:1 with other Scripture clearly teaches that all of
creation is the work of the second Person of the Trinity, God the Son, the Lord
Jesus Christ.
Colossians 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all
creation. 16 For by Him all things were created, {both} in the heavens and on
earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or
authorities-- all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is
before all things, and in Him all things hold together. (NASB95)
The preincarnate Christ appeared to the patriarch Abraham (Genesis 18:1) and
his Isaac (Genesis 26:23-25), and Isaac’s son Jacob whose name was later changed
to Israel (Genesis 28:10-22; 31:10-13; 32:24-32; 35:1). The Lord also appeared to

Moses (Exodus 3:2) and his successor Joshua (Joshua 5:13-15). It was the Lord
who was in the fiery furnace with Daniel’s three friends (Daniel 3:19-30).
The prophet Isaiah presents His testimony concerning the preexistence of Christ
in Isaiah 9:6-7.
Isaiah 9:6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the
government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful
Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no
end to the increase of {His} government or of peace, on the throne of David
and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and
righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts
will accomplish this. (NASB95)
The expression “the Everlasting Father” means that Jesus Christ is the eternal
Son of God in human flesh (Jn. 8:58).
The prophet Micah also testifies to the preexistence of Christ.
Micah 5:2 “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the
clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His
goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity.” (NASB95)
“From the days of eternity” is an obvious reference to the fact that the baby
named Jesus by Mary in Bethlehem existed from eternity past.
The Apostle John’s Testimony of the Preexistence of Christ
In the very first paragraph of his gospel, the apostle John testifies to the fact that
Jesus of Nazareth, the incarnate Word of God, existed from eternity past.
John 1:1-4, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came
into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that
has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.”
John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw
His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and
truth.” (NASB95)
The prepositional phrase “in the beginning” that appears in John 1:1-2 refers to
eternity past. “Word” is the noun logos, which is one of the many titles for the
Lord Jesus Christ. It denotes the fact that He reveals God to men, thus He is the
perfect and complete revelation of God. He is the perfect manifestation of the
Trinity. The Word is the personal manifestation of deity and the life of the Trinity,
which is eternal.
The noun logos indicates that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Creator and Sustainer
of the universe (John 1:3, 10; Col. 1:16-17; Heb. 1:3, 10). It expresses His divine
omnipotence, thus, the word indicates that the Lord Jesus Christ is the author,
sustainer and giver of life. Notice, that the Word of God who existed from eternity
past became a human being according to John 1:14, thus making clear the
preexistence of Jesus Christ.
In 1 John 1:1-4, the apostle John teaches concerning the preexistence of Christ.
1 John 1:1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we
have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands,
concerning the Word of Life 2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen
and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and
was manifested to us, 3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also,
so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with
the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 These things we write, so that our
joy may be made complete.” (NASB95)
“What” is the relative pronoun hos, which should be translated “who” and not
“what” since it is a personal reference to the unique theanthropic person of history,
the Lord Jesus Christ. The figure of speech called constructio ad sensum is in
effect here where sense agreement supersedes tactical agreement. Therefore, even
though the neuter gender of the relative pronoun does not agree with the masculine
gender of logos, “Word,” and the feminine gender of zoe, “life” it is a personal
reference for the Lord Jesus Christ. This is confirmed by the fact that John is
stating that he heard someone speak, bore witness to His words and actions, with
his own eyes, observed and even touched with his own hands.
“Was” is the verb eimi, which is used in an absolute sense meaning “to exist.”
The imperfect tense of the verb is a customary imperfect tense, which can be used
to indicate a regularly recurring activity in past time (habitual) or a state that
continued for some time (general). Here in 1 John 1:1 the latter is in view referring
to an ongoing state. It indicates that the Lord Jesus Christ has always existed from
eternity past.
“From the beginning” is composed of the preposition apo, “from” and the
genitive feminine singular form of the noun arche, “the beginning.” The
preposition apo, “from” is used in a temporal sense. It is employed with the
genitive of time arche, which refers to eternity past. The preposition apo plus the
genitive arche does not emphasize kind of time but rather the extent of time.
Together, they answer the question as to how long the Lord Jesus Christ has
existed. This prepositional phrase declares that He has always existed from eternity
past.
So we could translate 1 John 1:1 as follows: Who has always existed from
eternity past, who we have heard, who we have witnessed with our eyes, who
we observed, even our hands touched concerning the Word who is the life (of
God).
In this passage, the apostle John mentions the first two of three states or spheres
of existence experienced by the Lord Jesus Christ: (1) Pre-incarnate: Eternity past
as the second person of the Trinity, the Son of God. (2) Incarnate: Virgin birth
through the first advent to the resurrection. (3) Glorified Incarnate: Resurrection
and on into eternity future.
In 1 John 2:13-14 and Revelation 1:8, 21:6 and 22:13, John refers to the
preexistence of his Lord and Savior.
1 John 2:13 “I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has
been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have
overcome the evil one. 14 I have written to you, children, because you know
the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has
been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are
strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil
one. (NASB95)
Revelation 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, Who is
and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” (NASB95)
Revelation 21:6 “And He (the Lord Jesus Christ) said to me, it is done. I
am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.” (NASB95)
Revelation 22:13 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the
beginning and the end.” (NASB95)
The Apostle Paul’s Testimony Concerning the Preexistence of Christ
The apostle Paul teaches in Philippians 2:6 that Jesus Christ existed from
eternity past.
Philippians 2:5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ
Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality
with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a
bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in
appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point
of death, even death on a cross. 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted
Him, and bestowed on Him the name, which is above every name, 10 so that at
the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven
and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (NASB95)
In this passage, the apostle presents a three-fold division of Christ’s career: (1)
His preincarnate state as the Son of God in eternity past. (2) His incarnate state as
the “Theanthropos” during His first advent. (3) His glorified state as resurrected
humanity.

Philippians 2:6-11 consists of two main sections, which are built up in parallel
style. The first section is contained in verses 6-8 and forms the “catabasis” of our
Lord. This refers to His gradual descent from existence in eternity past to His
substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the cross. The second section is
contained in verses 9-11 and forms the “anabasis” of our Lord. This refers to His
gradual ascent from resurrection out from the dead to the Great Genuflex at the
conclusion of human history.
These verses express the true humility of the Lord Jesus Christ and His
servanthood. The passage emphasizes His obedience as the Last Adam in contrast
to the disobedience of the first Adam. It records a succession of events from our
Lord’s preexistence in eternity past to the incarnation, the cross and culminating in
His glorification.
Let’s look at Philippians 2:6 in greater detail since this passage contains a verb
that denotes our Lord’s preexistence.
Philippians 2:6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not
regard equality with God a thing to be grasped. (NASB95)
“Although He existed” is the nominative masculine singular present active
participle form of the verb huparcho. This verb occurs as early as Homer in the
eighth century B.C. It is a compound word composed of the preposition hupo,
“under,” and arche, “a beginning.”
The preposition hupo is often prefixed to other words to intensify or alter their
meaning. The prepositions apo, ek, para, and hupo all denote “issuing, proceeding
from.” As we noted in 1 John 1:1, the term arche means “eternity past.” Huparcho
is a word use to denote existence, which proceeds or issues from eternity past.
Paul does not use the simple verb of being here which is eimi but instead
employs the stronger huparcho to denote existence, which proceeds or issues from
the beginning. The latter denotes the inherency and expression of the divine
attributes by our Lord in His preincarnate state. It refers to eternity past in which
our Lord functioned as infinite and eternal God. The verb expresses the fact that
prior to entering the human race permanently in Bethlehem, He was the eternal
Son of God who expressed all the attributes of deity.
Lightfoot commenting on the word, writes, “The word denotes ‘prior
existence,’ but not necessarily ‘eternal existence.’ The latter idea however follows
in the present instance from the conception of the divinity of Christ which the
context supposes” (St. Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians, page 110).
Vincent commenting on the word’s usage in our passage, writes, “Huparchon
has a backward look into an antecedent condition, which has been protracted into
the present. Here appropriate to the preincarnate being of Christ, to which the
sentence refers. In itself it does not imply eternal, but only prior existence.”
(Vincent’s Word Studies of the New Testament, volume III, page 430).
Vine states that huparcho “denotes to be, to be in existence, involving an
existence or condition both previous to the circumstances mentioned and
continuing after it. This is important in Philippians 2:6, concerning the deity of
Christ. The phrase ‘being (existing) in the form (morphe, the essential and specific
form and character) of God,’ carries with it two facts of the antecedent Godhood of
Christ, previous to His Incarnation, and the continuance of His Godhood at and
after the event of His birth” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament
Words, pages 400-401).
Kenneth Wuest makes the following excellent comment, he writes, “The time at
which the apostle says our Lord gave expression to His essential nature, that of
Deity, was previous to His coming to earth to become incarnate as the Man Christ
Jesus. But Paul, by the use of the Greek word translated ‘being,’ informs his Greek
readers that our Lord’s possession of the divine essence did not cease to be a fact
when He came to earth to assume human form. The Greek word is not the simple
verb of being, but a word that speaks of an antecedent condition protracted into the
present. That is, our Lord gave expression to the essence of Deity, which He
possesses, not only before He became Man, but also after becoming Man, for He
was doing so at the time this Philippian epistle was written. To give expression to
the essence of Deity implies the possession of Deity, for this expression, according
to the definition of our word ‘form,’ comes from one’s inmost nature. This word
alone is enough to refute the claim of Modernism that our Lord emptied Himself of
His Deity when He became Man” (Word Studies in the Greek New Testament,
volume II, page 63).
In Philippians 2:6, the verb huparcho is what we call a concessive participle,
which is used by Paul to call attention to the fact that God the Son did something
for us under unfavorable circumstances, i.e., He became human! He became for a
little while lower than the angels (Heb. 2:9).
2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that
though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through
His poverty might become rich. (NASB95)
Hebrews 2:7 “YOU HAVE MADE HIM FOR A LITTLE WHILE
LOWER THAN THE ANGELS; YOU HAVE CROWNED HIM WITH
GLORY AND HONOR, AND HAVE APPOINTED HIM OVER THE
WORKS OF YOUR HANDS; 8 YOU HAVE PUT ALL THINGS IN
SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET.” (NASB95)
The Creator left heaven where He received the worship of angels in order to
become a human being and to suffer the humiliation of dying as a criminal on a
cross as well as spiritual and physical death! God the Son condescended by
becoming human.

The Deity of Christ
The preexistence of Jesus of Nazareth who is called the Christ testifies to the
fact that He is infinite, eternal Son of God (John 1:1-2; John 8:58; 10:30a; Col.
2:9a; Rev. 1:8).
There are several titles ascribed to Jesus Christ that signify His deity. He is
called “the Son of God” (Luke 1:35), “the Son of the Most High” (Luke 1:32),
“mighty God” (Isaiah 9:6), “eternal Father” (Isaiah 9:6), “His goings forth are from
long ago, from the days of eternity” (Micah 5:2) “Lord” (Rom. 15:30; Eph. 1:22;
Phil. 2:11) and “God” (Titus 2:13).
The Scriptures assign to Jesus Christ the same divine essence as God the Father
and God the Holy Spirit meaning that He possesses all the attributes of deity. The
Scriptures teach that He is sovereign (Matt. 28:18a; Col. 2:10b), that He is perfect
righteousness (John 8:46a; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 7:26; 1 Pet. 2:22; 1 John 2:21b) and
justice (John 8:16a; 2 Tim. 4:8; Ps. 9:8; Deut. 32:4; Rev. 15:3b). Furthermore, the
attribute of love is ascribed to Him (John 13:34; Rom. 5:8; Eph. 3:19; 1 John 4:9-
10) as well as eternal life (1 Tim. 1:17; 1 John 5:11), omniscience (Luke 11:17;
John 2:24-25; 6:64; 21:17), omnipresence (Matt. 18:20; Prov. 15:3), omnipotence
(John 1:3, 10; 5:21; 1 Cor. 1:23-24; Phil. 3:21; Heb. 1:3; Rev. 1:8), immutability
(Mal. 3:6; Heb. 1:10-12; 13:8) and veracity (John 1:14; 14:6a; 1 John 3:16).
The Word of God presents Jesus Christ as the Creator and Sustainer of the
universe (John 1:3, 10; Col. 1:16-17; Heb. 1:3, 10). His deity is referred to in that
He is said to have authority to forgive sins (Matt. 9:6; Luke 5:24; Col. 3:13). He
has the power to raise the dead (John 5:21; 6:40; 11:25).
The Bible teaches that all judgment belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ (John 5:22;
1 Cor. 3:11-15; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rev. 20:11-14), and that He receives worship from
both men and angels (Ps. 99:5; Phil. 2:10; Rev. 5:13-14) since He is equal with the
Father (John 10:30, 37-38; 14:9; 17:5, 24-25).
Fulfilled Prophecy Testifies to the Deity of Christ
Then there is the subject of the Old Testament Messianic prophecies that Jesus
literally fulfilled, which substantiate His claims to being God. The Old Testament
was written over a 1000 year period and contains nearly 300 references to the
coming Messiah. All of these were literally fulfilled in the Person of Jesus Christ,
and they establish a solid confirmation of His credentials as the Messiah. These
Messianic prophecies extend over hundreds of years and yet find their literal
fulfillment in the short 33 ½ year life span of one person, Jesus of Nazareth. Many
of these prophecies were fulfilled in one day. These prophecies truly accomplish
the purposes of the Gospel writers as they carefully pointed to the Person, words,
and works of Christ. The early church evangelized unbelievers by appealing to
these fulfilled Messianic prophecies, therefore, Christians today should follow suit.
For these fulfilled prophecies substantiate Christ’s claims as being the Son of God.
John 20:31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus
is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His
name. (NASB95)
Matthew 26:56 “But all this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures of the
prophets.” (NASB95)
Luke 24:25 And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to
believe in all that the prophets have spoken. 26 Was it not necessary for the
Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” 27 Then beginning
with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things
concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. (NASB95)
Luke 24:44 Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to
you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in
the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”
(NASB95)
The Lord Jesus Christ said He came to fulfill prophecy.
Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the
Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.” (NASB95)
Jesus appealed to these Messianic prophecies many times during His ministry.
These Messianic prophecies were uttered by many different voices and over a
period of five hundred years yet they were all fulfilled within twenty hours on the
day that the Lord died for the sins of the world.
There is the prophecy that He would be sold for thirty pieces of silver.
Prophecy: Zechariah 11:12 “I said to them, ‘If it is good in your sight, give
{me} my wages; but if not, never mind.’ So they weighed out thirty
{shekels} of silver as my wages.” (NASB95)
Fulfillment: Matthew 26:14 Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot,
went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What are you willing to give me to
betray Him to you?” And they weighed out thirty pieces of silver to him.
(NASB95)
Then we have the prophecy that He would be betrayed by a friend.
Prophecy: Psalm 55:12 “For it is not an enemy who reproaches me, then I
could bear {it;} nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me,
then I could hide myself from him. 13 But it is you, a man my equal, My
companion and my familiar friend; 14 We who had sweet fellowship together
walked in the house of God in the throng.” (NASB95)
Fulfillment: Matthew 26:49 Immediately Judas went to Jesus and said,
“Hail, Rabbi.” and kissed Him. 50 And Jesus said to him, “Friend, {do} what
you have come for.” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and seized Him.
(NASB95)
There is the prophecy of the money cast to the potter.
Prophecy: Zechariah 11:13 Then the LORD said to me, “Throw it to the
potter, that magnificent price at which I was valued by them.” So I took the
thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the LORD.
(NASB95)
Fulfillment: Matthew 27:5 And he threw the pieces of silver into the
sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hanged himself. 6 And the
chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, “It is not lawful to put them
into the temple treasury, since it is the price of blood. 7 And they counseled
together and with the money bought the Potter’s Field as a burial place for
strangers.” (NASB95)
The disciples forsook Him, again true to prophecy.
Prophecy: Zechariah 13:7 “Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, And
against the man, My Associate,” declares the LORD of hosts. ‘Strike the
Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered; And I will turn My hand against
the little ones.’” (NASB95)
Fulfillment: Matthew 26:56 “But all this has taken place that the Scriptures
of the prophets may be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left Him and fled.
(NASB95)
He was accused by false witnesses.
Prophecy: Psalm 35:11 Malicious witnesses rise up; They ask me of things
that I do not know. (NASB95)
Fulfillment: Matthew 26:59 Now the chief priests and the whole Council
kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, in order that they might
put Him to death; 60 and they did not find any, even though many false
witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward. (NASB95)
Jesus of Nazareth was smitten and spit upon, again another fulfillment of
prophecy.
Prophecy: Isaiah 50:6 “I gave My back to those who strike Me, And My
cheeks to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover My face from
humiliation and spitting.” (NASB95)
Fulfillment: Matthew 27:30 And they spat on Him, and took the reed and
began to beat Him on the head. (NASB95)
Then there is the prophecy that He would be dumb before His accusers.
Prophecy: Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did
not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that
is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. (NASB95)

Fulfillment: Matthew 27:12 And while He was being accused by the chief
priests and elders, He made no answer. 13 Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You
not hear how many things they testify against You?” 14 And He did not
answer him with regard to even a single charge, so that the governor was
quite amazed. (NASB95)
Isaiah prophesied that He the Messiah would be wounded and bruised.
Prophecy: Isaiah 53:5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon
Him, And by His scourging we are healed. (NASB95)
Fulfillment: Matthew 27:26 “hen he released Barabbas for them; but after
having Jesus scourged, he delivered Him to be crucified. . . . 29 And after
weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right
hand; and they kneeled down before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail,
King of the Jews.’” (NASB95)
One thousand years before Jesus of Nazareth appeared on the pages of history,
David prophesied that the Messiah would have His hands and feet pierced. David
spoke of crucifixion centuries before it was invented by the Persians. The Romans
perfected it.
Prophecy: Psalm 22:16 “For dogs have surrounded me; A band of evildoers
has encompassed me; They pierced my hands and my feet.” (NASB95)
Fulfillment: Luke 23:33 And when they came to the place called The Skull,
there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on
the left. (NASB95)
The prophet Isaiah wrote that the Messiah would be crucified with thieves.
Prophecy: Isaiah 53:12 “Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great,
And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself
to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the
sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.” (NASB95)
Fulfillment: Mark 15:27, And they crucified two robbers with Him, one on
His right and one on His left. 28 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says,
“And He was numbered with transgressors.’” (NASB95)
Then there is the prophecy that people would ridicule Him.
Prophecy: Psalm 22:8 Commit yourself to the LORD; let Him deliver him;
Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him. (NASB95)
Fulfillment: Matthew 27:41 In the same way the chief priests also, along
with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him, and saying, 42 “He saved
others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come
down from the cross, and we shall believe in Him. 43 He trusts in God; let
Him deliver Him now, if He takes pleasure in Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son
of God.” (NASB95)
There is the prophecy in the book of Psalms that the suffering Messiah would
have His garments parted and lots would be cast for them. Again, Jesus of
Nazareth fulfilled this perfectly.
Prophecy: Psalm 22:18 “They divide my garments among them, And for my
clothing they cast lots.” (NASB95)
Fulfillment: John 19:23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus,
took His outer garments and made four parts, a part to every soldier and also
the tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece. 24 So they said to
one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall
be”’; this was to fulfill the Scripture: “They divided My outer garments
among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.” (NASB95)
There is the prophecy of His forsaken cry.
Prophecy: Psalm 22:1 “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me? Far
from my deliverance are the words of my groaning.” (NASB95)
Fulfillment: Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a
loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God,
why hast Thou forsaken Me?” (NASB95)
The Psalms state that gall and vinegar would be given to Him.
Prophecy: Psalm 69:21 “They also gave me gall for my food, and for my
thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” (NASB95)
Fulfillment: John 19:28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had
already been accomplished, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said,
“I am thirsty.” 29 A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a
sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop, and brought it up to His
mouth. (NASB95)
Each of the following prophecies was literally fulfilled by Jesus of Nazareth.
Prophecy: Psalm 38:11 “My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my
plague; and my kinsmen stand afar off.” (NASB95)
Fulfillment: Luke 23:49 And all His acquaintances and the women who
accompanied Him from Galilee, were standing at a distance, seeing these
things. (NASB95)
Prophecy: Psalm 34:20 He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.
(NASB95)
Fulfillment: John 19:33, 36 but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was
already dead, they did not break His legs; . . . 36 For these things came to
pass, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, Not a bone of Him shall be broken.
(NASB95)
Prophecy: Isaiah 53:9 “His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He
was with a rich man in His death, because He had done no violence, nor was
there any deceit in His mouth.” (NASB95)
Fulfillment: Matthew 27:57 When it was evening, there came a rich man
from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of
Jesus. 58 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate
ordered it to be given over to him. 59 And Joseph took the body and wrapped
it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had
hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the
tomb and went away. (NASB95)
There is no way short of being supernatural that Jesus could have manipulated
the events and people in His life to respond in exactly the way necessary for it to
appear that He was fulfilling all these prophecies, including John’s heralding Him.
So there were many prophecies concerning the Messiah that were simply
beyond the human control of Jesus: (1) Place of birth (Mic. 5:2). (2) Time of birth
(Dn. 9:25; Gen. 49:10). (3) Manner of birth (Is. 7:14). (4) Betrayal (5) Manner of
death (Ps. 22:16). (6) People’s reactions (mocking, spitting) (7) Piercing (John
19:34) (8) Burial (Mt. 27:59; Mk. 15:46).
The following probabilities are taken from Peter Stoner’s book entitled Science
Speaks which shows that coincidence is ruled out by the science of probability.
Stoner says that by using the modern science of probability in reference to the
eight prophecies, Stoner states the following: “We find the chance that any man
might have lived down to the present time and fulfilled all 8 prophecies is 1 in
1017…that would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000…17 zeros.
In order to help us comprehend this staggering probability, Stoner illustrates it
by supposing that we take 1017 silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas.
They will cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars
and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him
that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say
that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just
the same chance that the prophets would have of writing these eight prophecies and
having them all come true in any one man, from their day to the present time,
providing they wrote them according to their own wisdom.
Now these prophecies were either given by inspiration of God or the prophets
just wrote them as they thought they should be. In such a case the prophets had just
one chance in 10 to the 17th power of having them come true in any man, but they
all came true in Christ. This means that the fulfillment of these eight prophecies
alone proves that God inspired the writing of those prophecies to a definiteness
which lacks only one chance in 10 to the 17th power of being absolute.
The Resurrection Demonstrated the Deity of Christ
The resurrection of Christ was a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.

Psalm 16:10 “For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You
allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.” (NASB95)
It is also the greatest attested fact in all of human history and is mentioned by
secular historians as well (Tacitus, Annals, XV, 44; Josephus, Antiquities, Book
18, chapter 3).
Tacitus writes, “Christus, from whom the name (Christians) had its origin,
suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our
procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for
the moment broke out not only in Judea, the first source of the evil, but even in
Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find
their centre and become popular” (Annals XV, 44).
Josephus writes, “Now, there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be
lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works-a teacher of such
men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the
Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was the Christ; and when Pilate, at the
suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those
that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again
the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other
wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from him,
are not extinct at this day” (Antiquities Book 18, chapter 3).
Talmud states, “On the eve of Passover Yeshu was hanged. For forty days
before the execution took place, a herald went forth and cried, ‘He is going forth to
be stoned because he has practiced sorcery and enticed Israel to apostasy. Any one
who can say anything in his favor let him come forward and plead on his behalf.’
But since nothing was brought forward in his favor he was hanged on the eve of
the Passover.”
Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, the resurrection of our Lord from the dead
is a fundamental doctrine of the Christian faith at the very heart of the gospel.
1 Corinthians 15:3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also
received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures 4 and that
He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the
Scriptures. (NASB95)
The resurrection is fundamental to the gospel because it demonstrates that Jesus
of Nazareth is in fact God. It demonstrated the substitutionary spiritual and
physical deaths of our Lord were acceptable to the Father as the atonement for sin.
The resurrection of Jesus from the dead was central to the preaching of the
apostles, who were witnesses of His resurrection (see Acts 2:24, 32; 3:15, 26; 4:10;
5:30; 10:40; 13:30, 33, 34, 37; 17:31).

Only one resurrection has taken place in human history-the humanity of our
Lord Jesus Christ. He was the first fruits in resurrection (1 Cor. 15:23). There were
only resuscitations prior to the humanity of Christ’s resurrection.
The following is a list of those who were resuscitated in both the Old and New
Testaments: (1) Elijah and “the widow’s son” (1 Kings 17:17-24). (2) “The
daughter of Jairus” was resuscitated by our Lord (Matt. 9:18-26; Mark 5:21-26;
Luke 8:41-56). (3) “The widow’s son” was resuscitated by our Lord” (Luke 7:11-
18). (4) “Lazarus” was resuscitated by our Lord after being dead for 4 days (John
11:1-44). (5) “Paul” was resuscitated after being stoned at Lystra (Acts 14:19-20;
2 Cor. 12:2-4). (6) Paul resuscitated “Eutychus” who died after falling out of a
third floor window sill because fell asleep during one of Paul’s doctrine classes
(Acts 20:7-12).
Jesus never predicted His death without adding that He would rise again. Look
at the list of Scriptures in which Jesus predicted His resurrection: Matthew 12:38-
40; 16:21; 17:9, 22-23; 20:18-19; 26:32; 27:63; Mark 8:31-9:1; 9:10, 31; 10:32-34;
14:28, 58; Luke 9:22-27; John 2:18-22; 12:34; chapters 14-16. Jesus not only
predicted His resurrection but also emphasized that His rising from the dead would
be the “sign” to authenticate his claims as being the Messiah (Jn. 2:13-22).
Our Lord declared openly that He was the resurrection (John 14:6).
John 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who
believes in Me will live even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes
in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” (NASB95)
The apostles confirmed that He had risen from the dead on the third day (Acts
1:22; 2:24, 32; 3:15).
The resurrection of Christ demonstrated to all that He was indeed who He
claimed to be, namely, the incarnate Son of God (Rm. 1:1-4).
Romans 1:1 Paul, a slave owned by Christ who is Jesus, called as an
apostle, set apart for the gospel originating from God, 2 which He promised
beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 concerning His
Son, who was born as a descendant of David with respect to His human
nature. 4 The One demonstrated as the Son of God by means of divine power
with respect to a nature characterized by holiness because of the resurrection
from the dead ones, Jesus Christ, our Lord. (Author’s translation)
Neither the Romans nor the Jews could produce the body of our Lord to
disclaim what the apostles were proclaiming to the world. It was in the interests of
these two groups to put an end to such talk by simply producing the body which
they could not since He had in fact risen from the dead. Not even a guard of
Roman soldiers protecting the tomb could prevent the resurrection of Christ.
The tomb of our Lord was owned by Joseph of Arimathea who was rich and
was sealed with large rock by the Romans at the request of the leaders of the Jews
in order to prevent the theft of the body by the disciples (Matt. 27:62-66). Even our
Lord’s enemies remembered Him distinctly saying that He would rise from the
dead on the third day. Pilate’s own soldiers were sent to perform the task of
protecting the tomb (Matt. 28:14). These hardened Roman soldiers were terrified
by the angel who rolled away the large rock which had sealed the tomb from entry
on that Sunday morning of our Lord’s resurrection (Matt. 28:4).
In fact some of the guard went into the city of Jerusalem to report the
resurrection of Christ (Matt. 28:11-15). In Matthew’s day it was common
knowledge in Jerusalem that these Roman soldiers had witnessed the angels rolling
away the great rock which sealed the tomb and had accepted a bribe from the Jews
to keep quiet about the resurrection (Matt. 28:15). It was the guards that spread the
lie that the body had been stolen.
The foundation of Christianity is built upon the resurrection of Christ since the
integrity of our Lord is at issue and as attested by many witnesses He did rise from
the dead as He said He would (Acts 1:22; 4:2, 33; 17:18; 23:6; 1 Cor. 15:14).
Christianity stands or falls with the resurrection of Christ. If Jesus Christ didn’t
rise from the dead, then He is the greatest deceiver of all time. If He did rise from
the dead, then He is indeed the Son of God and we are obligated to worship and
adore Him as our Lord and Savior. If the resurrection of Christ never took place,
then as Paul says we as Christians are of all people to be most pitied (1 Co. 15:15-
23).
The Lord Jesus Christ has three credentials: (1) Impact of His life through His
miracles and teachings upon history (2) Fulfilled prophecy in His life (3) His
resurrection. During His ministry, He pointed to the sign of His resurrection as His
single most important credential. He boldly declared even to His enemies that He
would rise from the dead. He said something only a fool would dare say. No
founder of any world religion known to men ever dared say a thing like that! But
Jesus did!
Christ predicted His resurrection in an unmistakable and straightforward
manner. His disciples didn’t understand the fact that He had to suffer and rise
again, but His enemies, the Jews took His assertions quite seriously (Mt. 27:62-
66).
Think about this for a minute regarding Jesus’ claims of rising from the dead. If
you or I should say to any group of friends that we expected to die, either by
violence or naturally, at a certain time, but that, three days after death, we would
rise again, we would be quietly taken away by friends, and confined to an
institution until we got our act together. You would have to be a fool to make the
claims that Jesus made unless you knew without a doubt that this was going to take
place.

Only someone who was the Son of God could know these things about Himself
and make the claims that Jesus made! Paul said that the resurrection demonstrated
to all that Jesus Christ was indeed who He claimed to be, the incarnate Son of God
(Rm. 1:1-4).
C.S. Lewis wrote, “A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things
Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic-on a
level with the man who says he is a poached egg-or else he would be the Devil of
Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or
else a madman or something worse.” (Mere Christianity, page 41; New York:
Macmillan)
William Lane Craig states: “Without belief in the resurrection the Christian
faith could not have come into being. The disciples would have remained crushed
and defeated men. Even had they continued to remember Jesus as their beloved
teacher, his crucifixion would have forever silenced any hopes of His being the
Messiah. The cross would have remained the sad and shameful end of His career.
The origin of Christianity therefore hinges on the belief of the early disciples that
God raised Jesus from the dead” (Knowing the Truth About the Resurrection,
pages 116-117).
There is No Hope For Sinful Humanity Without the Resurrection of Christ
The apostles always appealed to the resurrection of Christ when evangelizing

(cf. Acts 2:14-41). Not merely is the resurrection of Christ the principle theme of
apostles’ message but if that doctrine were removed from their message, there
would be no doctrine left. If you remove the doctrine of the resurrection of Christ
from the Bible, everything else in the Bible is meaningless.
For the resurrection is considered as being: (1) The explanation of Jesus’ death
(2) Prophetically anticipated as the Messianic experience (3) Apostolically
witnessed (4) The cause of the Baptism of the Spirit (5) Certifying the Messianic
and Kingly position of Jesus of Nazareth.
The resurrection of Christ is the doctrine that turned the world upside down in
the first century that lifted Christianity above Judaism and the pagan religions of
the Mediterranean world. The resurrection of Christ is of critical, practical
importance because it completes our salvation.
What are the consequences of such an event in history? It is the concrete,
factual, empirical proof that life has hope and meaning. With the resurrection of
Christ, God defeated through His Son our greatest enemies as human beings: sin,
Satan and spiritual and physical death!
Without the resurrection Jesus’ claims as the Messiah would not be established.
Without the resurrection there would still be no fulfillment of the prophecies
concerning the Messiah’s suffering and glory. Without the resurrection the
Baptism of the Spirit would not have taken place.
If the resurrection of Christ is not historic fact, then the power of death remains
unbroken, and with it the effect of sin and the significance of Christ’s death
remains uncertified, and accordingly believers are yet in their sins, precisely where
they were before they heard the name of Jesus. There is no hope for this lost and
dying world under the deceptions of the Devil if Christ did not rise from the dead.
If Christ has not risen, then we are not justified before God for Christ has been
raised for our justification according to Romans 4:25. If Christ has not risen, then
we will not rise from the dead according to Romans 8:11, and if we will not rise
from the dead, then we have no hope.
The book of Acts records the proclamation of the resurrection of Christ as its
central fact. The New Testament epistles and the book of Revelation are
meaningless unless Christ did indeed rise from the dead. The resurrection of Christ
has been and always be the central tenet of the church. It is one of the most
fundamental doctrines to the Christian faith.
As W. Robertson Nicoll states: “The empty tomb of Christ has been the cradle
of the church.”
From her infancy, the church has not only believed in the resurrection of Christ,
but that her whole existence is totally dependent upon it. Without faith in the
resurrection of Christ there would be no Christianity at all. Christianity stands or
falls with the truth of the resurrection. If you can disprove the resurrection of
Christ, then you have destroyed Christianity.
Resurrection of Jesus Christ is Supported by Evidence and Witnesses
Christianity is based upon the historical fact of the resurrection of Christ. It is

based upon facts and these facts are verified by eyewitnesses that testify as to it
taking place. The resurrection of Christ is either the greatest miracle of history or
the greatest delusion which history records.
The meaning of the resurrection of Christ is a theological matter. The
resurrection of Christ is an event in history.
The nature of the resurrection body of Christ might be a mystery but the fact
that the body disappeared from the tomb is a matter to be decided upon by
historical evidence.
Here are the basic facts surrounding Christ’s death and resurrection: (1) Jesus
was a Jew crucified by the Romans in the first century. (2) There is a vast mass of
literature that tells us that Jesus was a historical person. (3) He was condemned by
the Jewish Sanhedrin who then handed Him over to be executed by the Romans.
(4) Pontius Pilate passed the death sentence. (5) Jesus died at 3pm in the afternoon
at the Jewish Passover, the 14th day of the Jewish month of Nisan (April). (6) The
body of Jesus was placed in a tomb near the crucifixion site, which was owned by
a friend of Jesus. (7) The Romans soldiers verified that Jesus was dead by thrusting
a spear into Jesus side, which pierced His heart, which released blood and water
from the heart. (8) The Jews requested of Pilate that he seal the tomb and place a
guard over it to prevent the disciples of Jesus from taking the body. (9) The place
where Christ’s body was laid is a specific geographical location near Jerusalem.
(10) The man who owned the tomb was a man living in the first half of the first
century. (11) Jesus was buried according to the Jewish custom of burying dead
bodies. (12) The tomb was composed of rock in a hillside near Jerusalem. (13)
There are many witnesses who claim to have seen Jesus on the third day after His
death. (14) The disciples went out and proclaimed that Jesus had risen. (15) The
disciples were men among men, they were historical individuals. (16) The tomb of
Jesus was sealed with a large bolder. (17) The disciples of Jesus were not
expecting His resurrection. (18) The enemies of Jesus understood His claims that
He would rise again therefore they placed a seal on the tomb and assigned a
Roman Guard to prevent the body of Jesus from leaving the tomb. (19) The tomb
of Jesus was empty on the third day after His death. (20) The Seal on the tomb was
broken and rolled away from the tomb of Jesus. (21) Grave clothes of Jesus were
found undisturbed in the tomb by His disciples. (22) The enemies of Christ could
not produce the body of Jesus in order to refute the claims of Jesus’ disciples that
He rose from the dead. (23) The Jewish Sanhedrin bribed the Roman soldiers to
say that the disciples of Jesus stole the body.
The resurrection of Christ is an historical fact of history that can be verified by
eyewitnesses: (1) Disciples of Christ (Lk. 24:9-11; Acts 1:1-3; 21-22; 2:23-24; 31-
32; 3:14-15; 10:39-41; 13:29-39) (2) Roman Guard Protecting the Tomb of Jesus
(Mt. 27:62-66; 28:11-15) (3) Enemies of Christ (Mt. 28:11-15; Acts 2).
The resurrection of Christ can be verified by evidence: (1) The Empty Tomb
(Jn. 20:2-9) (2) The Stone (Mt. 28:1-4; Mk. 16:1-4; Lk. 24:2) (3) Seal (Mt. 27:62-
66). (4) The Grave Clothes (Jn. 20:2-9) (5) The Roman Guard (Mt. 27:57-60;
28:11-15; Mk. 15:42-45; Lk. 23:50-52; Jn. 19:38). (6) The Silence of the Enemies
of Christ at Pentecost (Acts 2) (7) The Transformed Lives of the Disciples of Jesus
(8) The Existence of the Christian Church (9) The Observance of the First Day of
the Week (Sunday) as the Lord’s Day (10) Christ’s Appearances (500 on more
than one occasion: 1 Cor. 15:1-8; Peter 1 Cor. 15:5; 2 on the way to Emmaus Lk.
24:13-15; 11 apostles Jn. 20:24-28; Paul Acts 9).
Luke alludes to this preponderance of incontrovertible evidence and
eyewitnesses in Acts 1:1-3. The proclamation of the resurrection of Jesus could
have not been maintained in Jerusalem for a single day, for a single hour, if the
emptiness of the tomb had not been established as a fact for all concerned.
The burden of proof rests not upon those who proclaim the resurrection as a
historical fact but rather the burden of proof rests upon those who either deny that
the tomb was found empty, or attempt to explain the absence of the Lord’s body by
some other rationale.
Remember the enemies of Christ went to extraordinary lengths to ensure the
fact that the body of Jesus would not leave the tomb on the third day. The fact that
the body of Jesus was not in the tomb despite the extreme security measures by our
Lord’s enemies was indisputable evidence that He had risen.
The last thing the enemies of Christ wanted was to have His body leave that
tomb and yet it did! Neither the Romans nor the Jews could produce the body of
our Lord to disclaim what the apostles were proclaiming to the world. It was in the
interests of these two groups to put an end to such talk by simply producing the
body which they could not since He had in fact risen from the dead.
The four gospels agree that Jesus’ body was placed in a tomb after His
crucifixion and that on the third day it was empty. Even our Lord’s enemies could
not dispute that the tomb was empty. Our Lord’s enemies could have simply
disproved the resurrection of Christ and stop all the talk in Jerusalem concerning it
if they could have simply produced the body, which they knew they could not.
They didn’t even attempt to arrest the apostles in order to obtain it because they
trusted in the veracity of the Roman soldiers who were under the command of
Pilate himself. The silence of the Jewish leaders is as significant as the boldness of
speech by our Lord’s disciples.
The grave clothes were undisturbed in the tomb thus incontrovertible evidence
that our Lord’s body was not stolen by grave robbers since they would not take the
time to make sure everything was in proper order because of time constraints to
commit such a crime.
The gospels describe an orderly scene, not one of confusion that would have
resulted had the grave clothes been torn from the body. That something
extraordinary had taken place is shown by the fact that John “saw and believed”
(John 20:8).
The five written accounts (the 4 Gospels and 1 Cor. 15) tell of ten different
appearances by Jesus after the Resurrection, five on the first day, five more spread
over forty days, then an abrupt cessation.
Acts 1:1 The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus
began to do and teach, 2 until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after
He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen. 3
To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many
convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking
of the things concerning the kingdom of God. (NASB95)

In Acts 1:3, Luke tells us that Jesus showed Himself alive by many infallible
proofs (en pollois tekmeriois). This is an expression in the Greek, which indicates
the strongest type of legal evidence. The Greek word for “proofs” is the noun
tekmerion. It is a hapax legomenon in the New Testament meaning it appears only
once in this body of literature, namely, Acts 1:3. It is found in secular Greek from
Herodotus to the second century A.D.
Tekmerion refers to “that which causes something to be known as verified or
confirmed.” The word indicates “something that is surely and plainly known,
indisputable evidence, a proof.”
So what Luke is telling Theopholis is that the resurrection of Christ “was surely
and plainly known, and that there is indisputable evidence that supports that this
event took place.” Therefore, the resurrection of Christ is an event within history.
At no point within the New Testament is there any evidence that the Christians
stood for an original philosophy of life or an original ethic. Their sole function was
to bear witness to what they claimed to have taken place, namely, the resurrection
of Jesus Christ.
Consider this: Have you noticed that in the book of Acts there is an enormous
amount of emphasis upon the resurrection of Christ but not a single reference to an
empty tomb. The Gospels record that fact.
Now, why is there no mention of an empty tomb when the apostles evangelized
in the book of Acts? Simply this: There was no point in arguing about the empty
tomb. Everyone, friend and foe alike knew that it was empty. The only questions
worth arguing about were why it was empty and what its emptiness proved.
In Acts 2, did you notice that there was no refutation given by the Jews to
Peter’s bold proclamation that Jesus had risen from the dead. Why not? They knew
the tomb was empty and they could not deny this fact.
Now remember this: The empty tomb does not prove the resurrection, but it
does present two distinct alternatives: The empty tomb was either an act of divine
power or a human one. There really is only one to choose from.
The enemies of Jesus had no motive for removing the body. The friends of
Jesus had not power to do so. It would have been to the advantage of the
authorities that the body should remain where it was. The view that the apostles
stole the body is impossible. Therefore, the power that removed the body of the
Savior from the tomb must have been divine!
Thomas Arnold, was for 14 years the famous headmaster of Rugby, author of
the famous 3-volume History of Rome, appointed to the chair of modern history at
Oxford, and one well acquainted with the value of evidence in determining
historical facts, states the following: “The evidence for our Lord’s life and death
and resurrection may be, and often has been, shown to be satisfactory; it is good
according to the common rules for distinguishing good evidence from bad.
Thousands and tens of thousands of persons have gone through it piece by piece, as
carefully as every judge summing up on a most important cause. I have myself
done it many times over, not persuade others but to satisfy myself. I have been
used for many years to study the histories of other times, and to examine and
weigh the evidence of those who have written about them, and I know of no one
fact in the history of mankind which is proved by better and fuller evidence of
every sort, to the understanding of a fair inquirer, than the great sign which God
hath given us that Christ died and rose again from the dead” (The New Evidence
That Demands A Verdict, page 217).
Former Chief Justice of England, Lord Darling states: “we, as Christians, are
asked to take a very great deal on trust; the teachings, for example, and the
miracles of Jesus. If we had to take all on trust, I, for one, should be skeptical. The
crux of the problem of whether Jesus was, or was not, what He proclaimed Himself
to be, must surely depend upon the truth or otherwise of the resurrection. On that
greatest point we are not merely asked to have faith. In its favor as living truth
there exists such overwhelming evidence, positive and negative, factual and
circumstantial, that no intelligent jury in the world could fail to bring in a verdict
that the resurrection story is true.”
The People vs. Jesus of Nazareth
Picture yourself a member of a jury, preparing to decide one of the oldest cases
in the history of jurisprudence: The People vs. Jesus of Nazareth. The case has to
do with the claims of Jesus of Nazareth that He died and rose from the dead. The
people have been prosecuting this case based upon one of three theories:
The “Swoon theory” contends that Jesus did not actually die on the cross but
was in such a state of exhaustion due to loss of strength and blood that he
“swooned” into a coma. In that coma-like state, they contend that he was believed
to be dead but when placed in the dampness of the tomb, He was revived and then
somehow pushed the stone away and slipped out into the night, unnoticed by
anyone. He then appeared to His followers, claiming to have been raised
miraculously when actually He had fallen into a coma.
The “Kidnap theory” contends that Jesus did actually die but in the middle of
the night someone came and took His body. While unseen by the soldiers who
were guarding the tomb, this alleged kidnapper or kidnappers broke the Roman
seal and pushed the stone back and stole the body and hid it where it would never
be found. The disciples they allege claimed that Jesus was raised because the tomb
was empty, when all along, His body was kidnapped.
The “Hallucination theory” contends that the disciples of Jesus were
“hallucinating” that they saw Jesus raised from the dead and were actually seeing
an apparition or a ghost. In other words, this theory states that the claims of Jesus’
disciples that He was raised were simply a figment of their imaginations.
These three theories are the prosecution’s case but now its time to hear the
defense.
The attorneys for the defense are Matthew (Matthew 27:50), Mark (Mark
15:37), Luke (Luke 23:46) and John (John 19:30), the four gospel writers who
offer eyewitness testimony that Jesus did in fact die physically.
Their case contends that Jesus did actually die and did not swoon or was
kidnapped and that they were not hallucinating when they saw Jesus three days
after His death.
Now, some would say the testimony of these men was biased so the defense
calls to the stand the centurion, the Roman soldier in charge of the squad that
crucified Jesus of Nazareth.
Mark 15:39 When the centurion, who was standing right in front of Him,
saw the way He breathed His last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of
God!” (NASB95)
Let’s call to the witness stand the other soldiers in the crucifixion detail.
John 19:31 Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, so that
the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath
was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they
might be taken away. 32 So the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the first
man and of the other who was crucified with Him; 33 but coming to Jesus,
when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34 But
one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and
water came out. 35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is
true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe.
(NASB95)
Let’s now call to the witness stand those who belonged to the burial party of
Jesus of Nazareth.
John 19:38 After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of
Jesus, but a secret {one} for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take
away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took
away His body. 39 Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came,
bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds {weight}. 40
So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the
spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. (NASB95)
The body of Jesus was wrapped in eight-inch to one-foot-width strips of linen
that were wrapped tightly by the gummy consistency of the spices. During the
wrapping, the spices were pushed into the folds so that ultimately the body was
encased in a hardened wrapping of linen, from the shoulders to the ankles.
The head was wrapped in a face cloth that was wrapped about the top of the
head and tied under the jaw to keep the jaw from sagging. This preparation of the
body in this manner would have left the appearance of Jesus’ body looking like an
Egyptian mummy. These men who prepared the body of Jesus would never have
wrapped the burial clothes around Jesus and laid Him in the tomb if there was the
slightest sign of life in Him. Therefore, as a jury member, you have heard the
eyewitness testimony as to the death of Jesus, which refutes the so-called “Swoon
Theory.”
Now, with the death of Jesus of Nazareth firmly established, we come to the
cornerstone of the defense’s case: the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.
John 19:41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden,
and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 Therefore
because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid
Jesus there. (NASB95)
The tomb was a cave, one of many that pockmarked the area around Jerusalem.
A large one ton stone, circular in shape, was rolled in front of the entrance to the
tomb and was set into an inclined groove leading down to the mouth of this
opening. The stone was held in place, away from the opening by a wedge at the
bottom and when the burial preparations were completed, the wedge was removed,
allowing the pull of gravity to roll the stone into place, sealing the opening of the
cave, which kept the body safe from would be robbers or wild animals.
In the burial of Jesus, extra precaution was taken because of the insistence of
the chief priests and the Pharisees. The Romans placed a seal on the tomb and
posted a guard to insure that no fanatical follower of Jesus would try to steal the
body. The enemies of Jesus did not want an empty tomb since that would verify
Jesus’ promise that He would rise from the dead.
In this regard, let’s call Mary Magdalene to the witness stand who is another
eyewitness.
John 20:1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to
the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from
the tomb. (NASB95)
The displaced stone and broken seal is the first piece of historical evidence for
the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, which brings us to the second piece of
evidence for the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, namely the empty tomb.
John 20:2 So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple
whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of
the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.” 3 So Peter and the
other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb. 4 The two were
running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came
to the tomb first 5 and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings
lying there; but he did not go in. 6 And so Simon Peter also came, following
him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there 7 and
the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings,
but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 So the other disciple who had first come to
the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet they did not
understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. (NASB95)
Now, the prosecution would jump up and state that Mary stated that she thought
someone took the body away, which leads us to three possible alternatives in
answering the question as to why the tomb was empty. The first possibility is that
Jesus was really alive and got out of the tomb under His own strength but this
would have been a physical impossibility for a man to roll back the one ton stone
from inside the cave, especially for a man who had just suffered through a
crucifixion.
The second possibility is that Jesus was dead, and somebody took the body and
hid it somewhere. There are only two groups of individuals who could have moved
the body, namely, Jesus’ friends or His enemies. The last thing the enemies of
Jesus wanted was for His body to leave the tomb and in fact, all their efforts with
the extra security precautions around the tomb give every indication that they did
not want to remove the body from the tomb.
Also, if the enemies of Jesus removed the body then why didn’t they produce
the body when the disciples of Jesus proclaimed He had risen from the dead. So if
the enemies of Jesus did not take His body then that leaves only one alternative,
His disciples, which is exactly what the Pharisees claimed but the disciples of
Jesus, were terrified of the Jewish and Roman authorities.
In fact, the only apostle that was at the crucifixion was John. Peter had denied
three times of ever knowing the Lord, thus, the disciples could never have
overpowered the Roman soldiers and took the body of Jesus Christ from the tomb.
Matthew 28:2 And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel
of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and
sat upon it. 3 And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white
as snow. 4 The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. 5 The
angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking
for Jesus who has been crucified.’ 6 He is not here, for He has risen, just as He
said. Come, see the place where He was lying. 7 Go quickly and tell His
disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of
you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.” 8 And they
left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His
disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up
and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do
not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there
they will see Me.” 11 Now while they were on their way, some of the guard
came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened. 12
And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they
gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, 13 and said, “You are to say, ‘His
disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’ 14 And if
this should come to the governor’s ears, we will win him over and keep you
out of trouble.” 15 And they took the money and did as they had been
instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this
day. (NASB95)
So we see that the second theory that the disciples of Jesus took the body was a
story falsified by Jesus’ enemies. Now, we come to exhibit three, namely, the
grave clothes, the most tangible, material evidence.
John 20:3 So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going
to the tomb. 4 The two were running together; and the other disciple ran
ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first 5 and stooping and looking
in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. 6 And so
Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the
linen wrappings lying there 7 and the face-cloth which had been on His head,
not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 So the
other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw
and believed. (NASB95)
The first “saw” in verse five is the Greek verb blepo, which denotes a casual
glance whereas the next “saw” in verse six is the verb theoreo, which indicates a
careful observation of details. What Peter observed carefully was that the grave
clothes, the hardened mummy-like wrappings were still intact. This gave the
appearance that a body was still within the wrappings, revealing the contour of
Jesus’ body, but they were like a hollow cocoon and the head cloth was shaped as
though still wrapped around a head, but there was no head.
The third “saw” in verse eight is the verb eidon, which means that John had
come to an understanding that Jesus had risen from the dead as the result of
perceiving the grave clothes.
Now to solidify the case of the defense we have over five hundred eyewitnesses
who state that they saw Jesus alive after His death including the apostles.
1 Corinthians 15:3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also
received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that
He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the
Scriptures, 5 and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 After that
He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom
remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; 7 then He appeared to James,

then to all the apostles; 8 and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared
to me also. (NASB95)
The fact that over five hundred people claimed to have seen Jesus of Nazareth
raised from the dead destroys the “hallucination” argument presented in this case
since it is highly unlikely that all these people could have been hallucinating. Not
only do we have the testimony of eyewitnesses recorded in the Word of God but
also the testimony of changed and transformed lives of innumerable individuals
throughout the centuries, up to this very day, both men and women, of all races and
backgrounds.
Therefore, since you have heard the eyewitness testimony and the presentation
of evidence, what is your verdict? If you are an unbeliever, your response to the
testimony of the witnesses and evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ should
be one of faith in Jesus Christ (John 3:16-18; Acts 16:30-31). If you are already a
believer, your response to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ should be one
of obedience and total commitment to Him (Mark 12:30).
Order of Events in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ
Chronology of the Post-Resurrection Appearances of Christ: (1) Mary

Magdalene (John 20:14-18; Mark 16:9). (2) The women returning from the tomb
(Matt. 28:8-10). (3) Peter later on the day of the resurrection (Luke 24:34; 1 Cor.
15:5). (4) The disciples going to Emmaus in the evening (Luke 24:13-31). (5) The
apostles (except Thomas) (Luke 24:36-45; John 20:19-24). (6) The apostles a week
later (Thomas present) (John 20:24-29). (7) In Galilee to the 7 by the Lake of
Tiberius (John 21:1-23). (8) In Galilee on a mountain to the apostles and 500
believers (1 Cor. 15:6). (9) At Jerusalem and Bethany again to James (1 Cor. 15:7).
(10) To the 11 disciples (Matt. 28:16-20; Mark 16:14-20; Luke 24:33-53; Acts 1:3-
12). (11) At Olivet and the ascension (Acts 1:3-12). (12) To Paul near Damascus
(Acts 9:3-6; 1 Cor. 15:8). (13) To Stephen outside Jerusalem (Acts 7:55). (14) To
Paul in the temple (Acts 22:17-21; 23:11). (15) To John on the island of Patmos
(Rev. 1:10-19).
There evidently were more appearances that the Scriptures do not record but
which are implied by John at the end of his gospel since our Lord gave the
disciples many infallible proofs that He had indeed risen from the dead (John
21:25).
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ Makes Christianity Unique
The resurrection of Christ makes Christianity distinct from Buddhism, or Islam

or any other religion on the face of the earth. The original accounts of Buddha
never ascribe to him any such thing as a resurrection. In fact the earliest accounts
of his death, we read that when Buddha died it was “with that utter passing away in
which nothing whatever remains.”
Mohammed died on June 8, 632 A.D. at the age of 61, at Medina, where his
tomb is annually visited by thousands of devout Mohammedans. All the millions
and millions of Jews, Buddhists and Mohammedans agree that their founders have
never come up out of the dust of the earth in resurrection.
The resurrection sharply distinguishes Jesus of Nazareth from all other religious
founders. The bones of Abraham and Muhammad and Buddha and Confucius and
Lao-Tzu and Zoraster are still here on earth.
You might say well many individuals have died for their religion such as the
Muslims. When a member of Islam dies for his religion it is in vain whereas when
the Christian dies for the sake of Jesus Christ it is not in vain. Why? Simply the
Christian dies for someone, namely Jesus Christ who rose from the dead. The
member of Islam cannot make that claim.
The difference between a member of Islam dying for his religion and the
Christian dying for his, is that the Christian’s faith is based upon an historical
Person, Jesus Christ, who died and has risen from the dead whereas the member of
Islam cannot make that claim. The Christian dies for that which he knows to be
true and what he knows to be true is based upon factual historical evidence. The
same cannot be said of those who belong to the Islamic faith or any other religion
on the face of the earth.
The resurrection of Christ lends credibility to the Christian’s faith in Jesus.
Christianity, whose basis is that of the resurrection of Christ, is not a blind faith,
but rather it is a faith based upon verifiable factual evidence and witnesses.
The Effect of the Resurrection of Christ on His Disciples
The tomb of Jesus is empty. How else can we account for the transformation of
the apostles? Before the resurrection of Christ, His disciples were a frightened lot,
who for the exception of John were not even there at the cross when He was
crucified.
They denied ever knowing Him as in the case of Peter according to Matthew
26:69-75. They were huddled behind lock doors in fear and confusion according to
John 20:19. But after the resurrection, they were transformed. They were
courageous, and willing to give their lives for the Man from Nazareth according to
Acts 4:1-13 and many other passages.
After the resurrection, the apostles were confident, embarking on massive
missionary projects so that they evangelized the entire Roman Empire. What could
account for this transformation? No doubt, it was the resurrection of Christ.
Something happened to them that so utterly transformed their innermost being.
They became courageous martyrs, rejoicing as ambassadors for Christ. They were
not afraid of death since their Lord had risen from the dead.
The Omnipotence of God and the Resurrection of Christ
The omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit raised Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ
from the dead (Rom. 1:4; 8:11). The same divine power that raised Him from the
dead will raise the Christian from the dead at the rapture of the Church.
The Lord Jesus Christ was trichotomous: (1) Body (2) Soul (3) Spirit.
Therefore, His death was unique: (1) His physical body went to the grave (Luke
23:50-53). (2) His human spirit went to heaven (Luke 23:46; John 19:30). (3) His
human soul went into Paradise a compartment of Hades (Luke 23:43; Acts 2:27;
2:31; Eph. 4:9).
God the Father and God the Holy Spirit are agents in the resurrection. The Lord
was brought back from the dead by three categories of divine power: (1)
Omnipotence of God the Father sent back Jesus Christ’s human spirit to the body
in the grave (Acts 2:24; Rom. 6:4; Eph. 1:20; Col. 2:12; 1 Thess. 1:10; 1 Pet. 1:21).
(2) Omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit sent back His human soul to the body in
the grave (Rom. 1:4; 8:11; 1 Pet. 3:18). (3) Omnipotence of God the Son raised His
physical body from the grave (John 6:39-40, 54 10:17-18).
The Resurrection of Christ in Relation to the Christian
In the book of Romans, Paul teaches how the resurrection relates to the
Christian. In Romans 4:25, Paul declares that the Lord Jesus Christ died because of
the Christian’s sins and was raised from the dead because of the Christian’s
justification. Christ was raised for the Christian’s justification in the sense that the
resurrection of Christ demonstrated that God the Father had accepted His Son’s
spiritual and physical deaths on the cross to resolve the problem of personal sin
and the sin nature in the human race.
Romans 4:25 “Who has been delivered over to death because of our
transgressions and in addition was raised because of our justification.
In Romans 6:4-5, Paul taught that just as the Christ was raised through the glory
of the Father so in the same way the Christian would be as well since the Christian
has been identified with Christ in His physical death and resurrection.
Romans 6:4 Therefore, we have been buried with Him through baptism
with respect to His physical death in order that just as Christ was raised from

the dead ones through the glory of the Father, in the same way, we, ourselves
will also walk in the realm of an extraordinary life. (Author’s translation)
In Romans 6:5, the apostle teaches that the justified sinner is identified with
Christ in His resurrection in order that the believer might receive a resurrection
body like the last Adam, Christ so as to replace his sinful body.
Romans 6:5 Therefore, if and let us assume that it is true for the sake of
argument that we are entered into union with Him, conformed to His physical
death. Of course, we believe this is true. Then, certainly, we will also be united
with Him, conformed to His resurrection. (Author’s translation)
Romans 10:9 Teaches That Faith in the Resurrection is An Acknowledgement of

the Deity of Christ
In Romans 10:9, the apostle Paul teaches that if the Jew acknowledges with his
mouth to the Father that Jesus is Lord, which is equivalent to believing in his heart
that the Father raised him from the dead, then the Jew will receive eternal
salvation. This passage teaches that to acknowledge with one’s mouth to the Father
that Jesus is Lord, i.e. God is the same as believing in one’s heart that the Father
raised Jesus from the dead since the resurrection demonstrated the deity of Christ
and faith alone in Christ alone is the only way to receive eternal life. A person can
only be saved if he or she acknowledges the deity of Christ and to do so one must
believe in the resurrection since Romans 1:4 teaches that the resurrection
demonstrates the deity of Christ. So Romans 10:9 lends further support for the
deity of Christ.
In Romans 10:9, Paul is teaching the mechanics of how the Jew can get saved.
This continues his discussion of his desire and prayer to see the nation of Israel
saved.
He teaches in Romans 10:1 that he desires and prays to the Father for Israel’s
salvation.
Romans 10:1 Spiritual brothers, indeed, the desire produced by my own
heart and in addition my specific detailed request on behalf of them is always
for their deliverance. (Author’s translation)
Then, in Romans 10:2, he testifies to Israel’s zeal for God, though he says it is
not according to an experiential knowledge of Him in the sense that they did not
personally encounter God through faith as He is revealed in the person and works
of Jesus of Nazareth.
Romans 10:2 Because I testify concerning them that they possess a zeal for
God, however by no means according to an experiential knowledge. (Author’s
translation)

Next, the apostle Paul in Romans 10:3 teaches that the reason why unsaved
Israel did not have an experiential knowledge of God is that they rejected God’s
righteousness, which is offered in the gospel. He also teaches in this passage that
because the Jews zealously sought to establish their own righteousness, they never
submitted to God’s righteousness, which is offered in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Romans 10:3 Because they have in the past rejected the righteousness
originating from God the Father and continue to do so up to the present
moment. In fact, because they have in the past zealously sought to establish
their own and continue to do so up to the present moment, they never
submitted to the righteousness originating from God the Father. (Author’s
translation)
In Romans 10:4, Paul presents the reason for what is implied in Romans 10:3,
namely, that the Jews were wrong for not submitting to God’s righteousness
because they zealously sought to establish their own righteousness. They were
wrong “because” faith in Christ is the goal or purpose of the Mosaic Law resulting
in the imputation of divine righteousness to everyone who believes in Christ as
Savior.
Romans 10:4 Because (faith in) Christ is, as an eternal spiritual truth, the
purpose of the Law resulting in righteousness for the benefit of each and every
member of the human race to those who at any time do exercise absolute
confidence (in Christ). (Author’s translation)
Then, in Romans 10:5, Paul cites Leviticus 18:5 to support his teaching in
Romans 10:4 that the purpose of the Law was to lead Israel to faith in Christ.
Romans 10:5 Because Moses writes concerning this particular
righteousness, which is based upon obedience to the Law (as constituting a
source of justification): “The person who obeys them will cause himself to live
by means of them.” (Author’s translation)
The apostle in Romans 10:5 presents the reason why faith in Christ resulting in
the imputation of divine righteousness and justification has always been the
ultimate purpose of the Law rather than obedience to the Law and to support this
he begins to cite a series of Old Testament passages. In Leviticus 18:5, Moses
writes concerning the righteousness that is based on obedience to the Law that the
Jew who obeys the commandments of the Law perfectly will live by them or in
other words, obtain eternal life. Of course, every person born into the world is
spiritually dead and possesses a sin nature, making it impossible to render the
perfect obedience that the Law requires.
Then, in Romans 10:6, Paul quotes from Deuteronomy 9:4 and 30:12 to teach
that the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in Christ is non-
meritorious and attainable unlike perfect obedience to the Law.

Romans 10:6 However, the righteousness originating from and based on
faith speaks in the following manner: “Do not think in your heart, ‘Who will
ascend into heaven?’” This does imply bringing Christ down. (Author’s
translation)
Paul quotes from Deuteronomy 9:4 to teach that the righteousness originating
from and based on faith in Christ is non-meritorious since in the context of this
passage the Lord emphasizes with Israel that He would bring them into the land of
Canaan not on the basis of their own righteousness.
Paul quotes from Deuteronomy 30:12 to teach that the righteousness that
originates from and is based on faith in Christ does not ask the question “Who will
ascend into heaven?” which is an implicit denial of the incarnation. This question
also implies that the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in
Christ is not an impossibility and is attainable unlike attempting to obey the Law
perfectly, which he mentions in Romans 10:5.
Next in Romans 10:7, Paul does not quote exactly from Deuteronomy 30:13 but
rather only the principle taught in this passage to further emphasize that the
righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in Christ is not an
impossibility and is attainable unlike attempting to obey the Law perfectly.
Romans 10:7 Or, “‘Who will descend into the abyss?” This does imply
bringing Christ up from the dead ones. (Author’s translation)
In this passage, Paul cites the principle taught in Deuteronomy 30:13 to teach
that the righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in Christ does not
deny the resurrection has taken place in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.
Just as he used the question “Who will ascend into heaven?” in Romans 10:6
as an implicit denial of the incarnation, so he uses the question “Who will descend
into the abyss?” in Romans 10:7 as an implicit denial of the resurrection.
Just as it is impossible for someone to ascend into heaven since that would
imply that Christ did not come in the flesh so it is impossible for someone to
descend into the abyss since that would imply that Christ did not rise from the
dead.
Just as Paul taught in Romans 10:6 that it is impossible for someone to ascend
into heaven since that would imply that Christ did not come in the flesh so in the
same way he teaches in Romans 10:7 that it is impossible for someone to descend
into the abyss since that would imply that Christ did not rise from the dead.
Just as Paul taught in Romans 10:6 that the righteousness that originates from
and is based on faith does not reject the incarnation, so in Romans 10:7, he
describes this righteousness does not reject the resurrection as well.
Now, in Romans 10:8, Paul cites Deuteronomy 30:14 to teach that the
righteousness that originates from and is based on faith in Christ is easily
accessible available unlike the righteousness through perfect obedience to the Law.
Romans 10:8 But in contrast what does it say? “The word is always readily
accessible and available with respect to you,” in your mouth as well as in your
heart, namely, the word, which brings about faith, which we make it a habit to
publicly proclaim as heralds in a dignified and authoritative manner.
It is “readily accessible and available” in the sense that with the sinner’s heart
he or she can trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and with his or her mouth they can
audibly acknowledge to the Father that Jesus is Lord. This is indicated by a
comparison of the expression “in your mouth and in your heart” in Romans 10:8
with Paul’s statements in Romans 10:9-10.
Romans 10:9 presents the basis for Paul’s statement in verse 8 that the word,
i.e. the gospel is always readily accessible and available to the Jew, in his mouth as
well as in his heart, namely, the word, i.e. the gospel which brings about faith. The
gospel, which brings about faith in Christ, is readily accessible and available to the
Jew “because” if the unsaved Jew acknowledges with his mouth to the Father Jesus
is Lord, which is equivalent to believing in his heart that the Father raised Him
from the dead, then the unsaved Jew will be saved.
Romans 10:9 Because, if you acknowledge with your mouth Jesus is Lord
in other words, exercising absolute confidence with your heart that God the
Father raised Him from the dead ones, then you will be delivered. (Author’s
translation)
To acknowledge with one’s mouth to the Father that Jesus is Lord is the same
as believing in one’s heart that the Father raised Jesus from the dead since the
resurrection demonstrated the deity of Christ and faith alone in Christ alone is the
only way to receive eternal salvation.
Therefore, Romans 10:9 emphasizes that it is absolutely essential for salvation
that the sinner acknowledges the deity of Christ. This passage presents the basis for
Paul’s statement in Romans 10:8 that the word, i.e. the gospel is always readily
accessible and available to the Jew, in his mouth as well as in his heart, namely, the
word, i.e. the gospel which brings about faith.
Romans 10:8 But in contrast what does it say? ‘The word is always readily
accessible and available with respect to you,’ in your mouth as well as in your
heart, namely, the word, which brings about faith, which we make it a habit to
publicly proclaim as heralds in a dignified and authoritative manner.
In Romans 10:9, the conjunction hoti introduces a statement that gives the
reason why the gospel message, which brings about faith in Christ, is readily
accessible and available to the Jew. The gospel, which brings about faith in Christ,
is readily accessible and available to the Jew “because” if the unsaved Jew
acknowledges with his mouth to the Father Jesus is Lord, which is equivalent to
believing in his heart that the Father raised Him from the dead, then the unsaved
Jew will be saved.
Some interpret hoti as introducing a content clause specifying the content of
“the word, which brings about faith.” However, Paul’s statement in Romans
10:9 is not presenting the content of the gospel since Christ Himself and His death
and resurrection are the content of the gospel according to 1 Corinthians 15:3-4.
Paul’s statement in Romans 10:9 is not presenting the content of the gospel but
rather it is explaining “how” the gospel is readily accessible and available to the
Jew. Namely, if the Jew acknowledges with his mouth to the Father Jesus is Lord,
which is to believe in his heart that the Father raised Him from the dead, then he
will be saved.
If the emphasis was on content then Paul’s statement would simply present
Christ Himself and His death and resurrection. However, his emphasis is upon the
basis as to why the gospel, which brings about faith in Christ, is readily and
accessible to the Jew.
It is readily accessible and available “because” all the Jew has to do to be saved
is acknowledge with his mouth to the Father that Jesus is Lord, which is equivalent
to believing in his heart that the Father raised Him from the dead since the
only way to receive eternal salvation.
Romans 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and
believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
(NASB95)
“If” is the conditional particle ean, which is employed with the subjunctive
mood of the verbs homologeo, “you confess” and pisteuo, “believe” in order to
form the protasis of a third class condition.
The apodasis is implicit and involves the future indicative form of the verb
sozo, “you will be saved.” The protasis: “if you confess with your mouth Jesus
as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead.” The
apodasis: “you will be saved.”
The third class condition in Romans 10:9 indicates the “certain fulfillment in
the future” that the Jew will be saved if he fulfills the condition of acknowledging
with his mouth to the Father Jesus is Lord, which is equivalent to believing in his
heart that the Father raised Him from the dead since the resurrection demonstrated
the deity of Christ and faith alone in Christ alone is the only way to receive eternal
salvation.
In Romans 10:9, we have a third class condition, which offers a condition that
is certain to be fulfilled in the future since Paul is speaking of salvation through
faith alone in Christ alone.

“You confess” is the second person singular aorist active subjunctive form of
the verb homologeo, which means, “to acknowledge” that Jesus of Nazareth is
Lord, which is a word here that denotes His deity.
The question arises, “to whom does the unbeliever have to acknowledge that
Jesus is Lord in order to be saved?” Is a public affirmation to men required or is
this an acknowledgement to oneself or to God?
Some interpret homologeo in Romans 10:9 as a “public affirmation” to men and
use Luke 12:8 to support this interpretation. However, Jesus is speaking to
believers in Luke 12:8-9 and in Romans 10:9 he is writing concerning unsaved
Jews. That Jesus is speaking to believers in Luke 12:8-9 is clearly indicated by the
context since Luke 12:1 reveals that He is addressing His disciples and in Luke
12:4, He calls those whom He addresses “My friends” and in Luke 12:4-7, He
teaches those whom He addresses regarding the Father’s care for them.
Luke 12:8 “And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the
Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God; 9 but he who
denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.” (NASB95)
Therefore, confessing or acknowledging Jesus before men is not a reference to
getting saved since Jesus is teaching those who are already His disciples and thus
already saved. But rather the person who confesses the Lord before men in Luke
12:8 is a reference to the believer living an obedient life.
When Jesus says He will acknowledge the person who acknowledges Him, it
refers to the public testimony by the Son of God to the faithful life of the obedient
Christian who executes the Father’s will. Thus, in this passage, when Jesus says He
will deny the believer before men, it doesn’t mean that they are denied salvation
since He is talking to those who are already believers. Neither does it mean you
will lose your salvation since that is obviously false doctrine. It means that He will
deny the believer of rewards.
2 Timothy 2:12 If we deny Him, He also will deny us. (NASB95)
Therefore, those who interpret homologeo in Romans 10:9 as a “public
affirmation” to men of the deity of Christ can not use Luke 12:8 as support for this
interpretation since in Luke 12:8 our Lord is addressing believers and Romans 10:9
is addressing how unsaved Israelites can get saved.
Remember Paul in Romans 9-10 is addressing the nation of Israel’s rejection of
Jesus of Nazareth as Messiah.
Now, in John 12:42, John writes that many of the Jewish rulers believed in
Jesus but because of the Pharisees they were not acknowledging before the public
that they believed Jesus to be the Messiah for fear that they would be put out of the
synagogue.
The Lord Jesus Christ taught Nicodemus that if he believes in Him that he will
receive eternal life and be saved.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His uniquely born
Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17
For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world (Christ would
die in their place), but that the world should be saved through Him (faith
alone in Christ alone). 18 He who believes in Him (the Lord Jesus Christ) is
not judged. He who does not believe has been judged already, because he has
not believed in the name of the uniquely born Son of God.” (NASB95)
John 3:36, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life, but he who does not
obey the Son shall not see eternal life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
(NASB95)
Paul also makes this clear throughout his writings that salvation is by faith
alone in Christ alone (Romans 3:22, 26, 30; 4:3, 5; 5:1; Galatians 2:16; 3:24, 26;
Ephesians 2:8).
Paul also makes it clear to the Philippian jailor in Acts 16:31.
Acts 16:30 “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They said, “believe in the
Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (NASB95)
All of these passages make clear that no public affirmation is essential for
salvation. Therefore, in Romans 10:9, the verb homologeo does not refer to a
“public affirmation” or “admitting to people” that one has faith in Jesus Christ as
Savior since the Scriptures teach that the sinner can receive eternal life and thus
eternal salvation only through faith alone in Christ alone.
There is no public acknowledgment of Christ necessary. Rather, the verb refers
to the sinner acknowledging to the Father that Jesus is Lord and which
acknowledgement is, in and of itself, exercising faith that the Father raised Jesus
from the dead. This is clearly indicated in the Scriptures because as we noted the
Scriptures teach that it is through faith alone in Christ alone that one is saved. It is
also indicated in that to acknowledge that Jesus is Lord is the equivalent to having
faith that the Father raised Jesus from the dead since the Father’s act of raising His
Son Jesus from the dead demonstrated that Jesus was in fact God.
Remember, the term “Lord” in Romans 10:9 is a reference to the deity of
Christ. To acknowledge that Jesus is Lord, i.e. God is to believe that the Father
raised Him from the dead since the Father’s act of raising His Son Jesus from the
dead demonstrated that Jesus was in fact God. This is clearly indicated by Paul in
Romans 1:4. In this passage he teaches that there is a direct connection between the
resurrection of Jesus Christ and His deity in that the resurrection demonstrated that
Jesus of Nazareth was in fact the Son of God.
If the Father does not raise Jesus from the dead, then He is not God. The fact
that the Father raised Jesus from the dead makes clear that Jesus is the Son of God
and that He is also the object of faith for salvation and justification. The
resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth was the ultimate proof to the human race that He
was God and that the Father approved of Him and accepted His substitutionary
spiritual and physical deaths on the Cross as the solution to the problem of
personal sins and the sin nature.
Therefore, in Romans 10:9 when Paul teaches that if the Jew confesses with his
mouth Jesus is Lord and believes in his heart that the Father raised Jesus from the
dead he is referring back to what he taught in Romans 1:4, which teaches that the
resurrection of Christ demonstrated the deity of Christ. Thus, when Paul teaches in
Romans 10:9 that if the Jew confesses with his mouth Jesus is Lord and believes in
his heart that the Father raised Jesus from the dead he means that to believe in
one’s heart that the Father raised Jesus from the dead is in fact, an
acknowledgment to the Father that Jesus is Lord, i.e. God.
To acknowledge to the Father that Jesus is Lord is to believe that the Father
raised Him from the dead since by raising Him from the dead, the Father was
demonstrating that Jesus was His Son and thus God.
Therefore, in Romans 10:9, Paul is giving only one condition for salvation
when he teaches that the sinner must acknowledge with one’s mouth that Jesus is
Lord and believe in his heart that the Father raised Jesus from the dead.
That there is only one condition being presented in Romans 10:9 and that faith
alone in Christ is the only way to receive eternal salvation and be declared justified
by God is further indicated in Romans 10:11.
Romans 10:11 For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM
WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” (NASB95)
So when Paul teaches in Romans 10:9 that in order to be saved the sinner must
acknowledge with his mouth that Jesus is God and believe in his heart that the
Father raised Him from the dead he is saying acknowledging in one’s heart that
Jesus is Lord is to believe that the Father raised Him from the dead. In other words,
to exercise faith that the Father raised Jesus from the dead is, in and of itself, an
acknowledgment that Jesus is Lord, i.e. God since the resurrection demonstrated
that Jesus is God and one is saved only by faith alone in Christ alone! Therefore,
we can also say based upon this principle that faith in Jesus as Savior is an
acknowledgement to the Father or agreeing with the Father on the part of the
sinner that one is a sinner and that Jesus is the Savior and God.
Also, we can conclude that the verb homologeo in Romans 10:9 is an
acknowledgement “to the Father” that Jesus is His Son rather than an
acknowledgement to men because the Father raised Jesus from the dead to
demonstrate that Jesus was His Son. Therefore, because of the connection between
the resurrection of Christ and the deity of Christ, Paul is presenting only one
condition for salvation, and not two. To acknowledge that Jesus is God is to have
faith that the Father raised Jesus from the dead since the resurrection demonstrated
the deity of Jesus.
Romans 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and
believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
(NASB95)
“With your mouth” is composed of the preposition en, “in” and the articular
dative neuter singular form of the noun stoma, “mouth” and the genitive second
person singular form of the personal pronoun su, “your.”
The noun stoma refers to that organ of the human body that gives one the
capacity for speaking. In Romans 10:9, it is used in relation to the unsaved Jew
acknowledging with his or her mouth to the Father that Jesus is Lord. This is
equivalent to believing in his heart that the Father raised Him from the dead since
the resurrection was a demonstration of the deity of Christ and salvation is only
through faith alone in Christ alone.
The preposition en functions as a marker of means and the noun stoma
functions as a “dative instrumental of means.” This denotes that “with” his mouth,
the unsaved Jew’s mouth must acknowledge to the Father that Jesus is Lord in
order to be saved.
The definite article before the noun stoma is used with the personal pronoun su,
“your” to denote possession. The personal pronoun su refers to no particular Jew
and functions as a “genitive of possession” and “possessive” pronoun indicating
that this mouth in question “belongs to” the Jew.
“Jesus” is the accusative masculine singular form of the proper name Iesous,
which refers to the impeccable human nature of the Lord Jesus Christ who is the
God-Man.
The word functions as an “object” in an object-complement double accusative
construction. Generally, in such constructions the first accusative is the object, and
the second is the complement, but this is not always the case.
In Romans 10:9, the first accusative is the noun kurios, “Lord” and in
apposition to it is the proper name Iesous, “Jesus.” Now, it appears that because of
word order that the former is the object and the latter is the complement but this is
not the case.
Dan Wallace presents the following principles of Greek grammar to determine
which accusative is the “object” and which is “complement” is a follows: (1) If one
of the two is a pronoun, it will be the object (2) If one of the two is a proper name,
it will be the object (3) If one of the two is articular, it will be the object. (Daniel
Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics-Exegetical Syntax of the New
Testament, An Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament, page 183; Zondervan
Publishing House, 1996)
Therefore, in Romans 10:9, since Iesous, “Jesus” is a proper name, even though
it follows the noun kurios, “Lord” by way of word order, Iesou, “Jesus” functions

as the direct object of the verb homologeo, “you acknowledge” and the other
accusative, kurios, “Lord” is its complement.
So the double accusative construction in Romans 10:9 indicates that the
acknowledgement that is required is that “Jesus is Lord,” i.e., Yahweh, the God of
the Old Testament.
“Lord” is the accusative masculine singular form of the noun kurios, which is a
reference to the second member of the Trinity, Jesus Christ since up to this point in
the book of Romans, it is used of Him and there is nothing in the present context,
which indicates otherwise. In fact, in the book of Romans, kurios is always used of
Jesus Christ.
When the noun kurios is applied to Jesus Christ it indicates the following: (1)
His equality with the Father and the Spirit. (2) His joint-rulership with the Father
over the entire cosmos. (3) His highest ranking position as Chief Administrator in
the divine government. (4) His absolute sovereign authority as Ruler over all
creation and every creature. (5) His strategic victory over Satan and the kingdom
of darkness in the angelic conflict.
In His deity, Jesus Christ is “Lord” (See Luke 20:42), however in His human
nature He received this title as a result of His obedience to the Father’s will, which
called for Him to suffer a spiritual and physical death on the cross as a substitute
for every member of the human race-past, present and future (See Philippians 2:5-
11).
In Romans 10:9, Paul employs kurios, “Lord” to emphasize that Jesus of
Nazareth is God.
As we noted earlier, the word functions as the “complement” in an object-
complement double accusative construction. This means that it is complementing
the accusative form of the proper name Iesous, “Jesus” in that it predicates or
affirms something about it. Therefore, kurios, “Lord” is affirming the deity of
Jesus of Nazareth.
“And” is the “epexegetical” or “explanatory” use of the conjunction kai, which
introduces a statement that “explains” the previous statement of acknowledging
with one’s mouth to the Father that Jesus is Lord.
In Romans 10:9, the conjunction kai is connecting the previous statement “if
you acknowledge that Jesus is Lord” with the one to follow “believe in your
heart that God raised Him from the dead.”
As we noted both of these statements speak of one condition for salvation. To
acknowledge to the Father with one’s mouth that Jesus is Lord is equivalent to
believing in one’s heart that the Father raised Him from the dead since the
only way a sinner can receive eternal salvation.

The previous statement “if you acknowledge that Jesus is Lord” looks at
salvation from the perspective of acknowledging the deity of Christ. The statement
to follow “believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead” looks at
salvation from the perspective of believing that the Father raised Jesus from the
dead. Therefore, because these two statements speak of one condition and are
looking at salvation from two different perspectives, the deity of Christ and His
resurrection, the conjunction kai is “explanatory” meaning that it is introducing a
statement that “explains” salvation from a different perspective. We will translate
the word, “in other words.”
“Believe” is the second person singular present aorist active subjunctive form of
the verb pisteuo, which refers to making the non-meritorious decision “to trust” or
“to have absolute confidence in” the fact that the Father raised Jesus from the dead.
In Romans 10:9, the second person singular form of the verb is a reference to
the unsaved Jew who needs to hear what Paul is saying in this passage to be saved.
“In your heart” is composed of the preposition en, “in” and the articular dative
locative feminine singular form of the noun kardia, “heart” and the genitive
second person singular form of the personal pronoun su, “your.”
The noun kardia denotes that aspect of the heart, namely the volition exercising
absolute confidence or in other words, faith that the Father raised Jesus from the
dead. This is equivalent to acknowledging with one’s mouth to the Father that
Jesus is Lord since the resurrection was a demonstration of the deity of Christ and
salvation is only through faith alone in Christ alone.
The preposition en functions as a marker of means and the noun kardia
functions as a “dative instrumental of means” denoting that the heart is “the means
by which” the unsaved Jew’s must believe that the Father raised Jesus from the
dead in order to be saved.
The definite article before the noun kardia is used with the personal pronoun su,
“your” to denote possession. The personal pronoun su refers to no particular Jew
and functions as a “genitive of possession” and “possessive” pronoun indicating
that this heart in question “belongs to” the Jew.
“That” is the conjunction hoti, which is used with the indicative mood of the
verb egeiro, “raised” in order to introduce a direct object clause meaning that is
introducing a clause that is receiving the action of the verb pisteuo, “exercising
absolute confidence.”
“God” is the articular nominative masculine singular form of the noun theos,
which refers to the Father since the articular construction of this noun in the New
Testament commonly signifies that it is a reference to God the Father.
“Raised” is the third person singular aorist active indicative form of the verb
egeiro, which means, “to raise from physical death” and is used of the Father
raising His Son from the dead.
“Him” is the accusative masculine singular form of the intensive personal
pronoun autos, which refers of course to the Son, Jesus Christ.
“From the dead” is composed of the preposition ek, “from” and the genitive
masculine plural form of the adjective nekros, “the dead.”
The plural form of the adjective nekros, “dead ones” refers to members of the
human race who have died physically. The preposition ek denotes separation and
the adjective nekros functions as a “genitive of separation” or as some
grammarians call an “ablative of separation” in which the genitive substantive is
that from which the verb or sometimes the head noun is separated indicating point
of departure. Thus, the adjective nekros functions as a “genitive” or “ablative of
separation” indicating that the human nature of Jesus Christ was raised “out from”
those who are physically dead.
“You will be saved” is the second person singular future passive indicative
form of the verb sozo, which means, “to deliver.”
In Romans 10:9, the verb refers to being delivered by God from eternal
condemnation as well as the sin nature, personal sins, Satan and his cosmic system
since Paul is speaking with reference to unsaved Israel in our present context. So in
Romans 10:9 Paul is teaching that if the unsaved Jew acknowledges with his
mouth to the Father that Jesus is Lord (i.e. God), in other words, if he believes with
his heart that the Father raised Jesus from the dead, then he will delivered from
eternal condemnation. The acknowledgement that Jesus is Lord is an affirmation of
His deity and to believe with his heart that the Father raised from the dead is
connected to it since the resurrection demonstrated that Jesus is God. Since the
Bible teaches that faith alone in Christ alone is the only way to receive eternal
salvation and the resurrection demonstrated that Jesus is the Son of God, we can
conclude that to acknowledge that Jesus is God is to believe that the Father raised
Him from the dead.
The Apostle Paul In Philippians 2:6 Affirms The Deity of Christ
Once again we return to the book of Philippians to continue with our discussion
regarding the person of Christ and in particular Philippians 2:6 in which Paul
affirms the deity of Christ.
“In the form of God” is the prepositional phrase en morphe theou. The noun
morphe, “form” appears only three times in the Greek New Testament (Mark
16:12; Phil. 2:6-7) where it is used only with reference to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Morphe means “essence” and is used in two antithetical or contrasting statements
in Philippians 2:6 and 7. In verse 6, the word is used of the divine “essence” of the
Lord Jesus Christ whereas in verse 7, it is used with reference to God the Son
adding to His divine essence, the “essence” of a servant or slave.
Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary defines essence, “the properties or
attributes by means of which something can be placed in its proper class or
identified as being what it is.” They also define attribute, “an inherent
characteristic.”
Vine quoting Gifford writes, “Morphe is therefore properly the nature or
essence, not in the abstract but as actually subsisting in the individual and retained
as long as the individual exists.” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament
Words Unabridged Edition, page 463)
Vincent gives an excellent definition of morphe in Philippians 2:6, he writes,
“We must dismiss from our minds the idea of shape. The word is used in its
philosophical sense, to denote that expression of being which carries in itself the
distinctive nature and character of being to whom it pertains, and is thus
permanently identified with that nature and character. Thus it is distinguished from
schema fashion, comprising that which appeals to the senses and which is
changeable. Morphe is identified with the essence of a person or thing” (Vincent’s
Word Studies in the New Testament, volume III, page 431).
Wuest makes the following comment he writes “Our Lord was in the form of
God. The word ‘God is without the definite article in the Greek text, and therefore
refers to the divine essence. Thus, our Lord’s outward expression of His inmost
being was as to its nature the expression of the divine essence of Deity. Since that
outward expression which this word ‘form’ speaks of, comes from and is truly
representative of the inward being, it follows that our Lord as to His nature is the
possessor of the divine essence Deity, and being that, it also necessarily follows
that He is absolute Deity Himself, a co-participant with God the Father and God
the Holy Spirit in that divine essence which constitutes God, God” (Word Studies
in the Greek New Testament, volume II, page 63).
The English word “essence” is derived from the Greek adjective ousia, which
means “being, substance.” Essence means “inner nature, true substance, a person’s
qualities or attributes.” Some of these qualities of a person are visible and some are
invisible. Essence implies being or existence. God exists and there are certain
qualities or attributes which belong to His essence.
The divine essence has the following attributes: (1) Sovereignty (Father: Matt.
6:10; Son: Matt. 28:18; Holy Spirit: 1 Cor. 12:11) (2) Righteousness (Father: John
17:25; Son: 1 John 2:1) (3) Justice (Father: Rom. 3:24-26; Son: 2 Tim. 4:8; Spirit:
John 16:8-11) (4) Love (Father: John 3:16; Son: Rom. 5:8; Spirit: Rom. 5:5) (5)
Eternal life (Father and Son: John 1:1; Spirit: Heb. 9:14) (6) Omnipotence (Father:
Mark 14:36 and Luke 1:37; Son: Col. 1:16-17; Spirit: Rom. 15:13) (7)
Omniscience (Father: Matt. 6:8; Son: John 2:25 and 18:4; Spirit: Isa. 11:2) (8)
Omnipresence (Father: Eph. 4:6; Son: Matt. 28:18; Spirit: Ps. 139:7) (9)
Immutability (Father: Jam. 1:17; Son: Heb. 13:8; Spirit: 1 John 5:7) (10) Veracity
(Father: John 7:28; Son: John 14:6; Spirit: 1 John 5:7).
The Scriptures teach that God is three co-equal, co-infinite and co-eternal
Persons with the same identical essence or attributes: (1) God the Father (1 Cor.
8:6; Eph. 1:3) (2) God the Son (John 10:30; 14:9; Col. 2:9) (3) God the Holy
Spirit (Isa. 11:2; Ex. 31:3; Isa. 6:8, 9; cf. Acts 28:25-26; Jer. 31:31-34 cf. Heb.
10:15-17).
God is one in essence but three in Person. All the invisible attributes of God are
always present in Him, but not all are revealed to man at the same time. Essence is
the Being which is attributed to God since the characteristics of His essence are
eternal and inherently in Him.
So therefore, in Philippians 2:6, the noun morphe means “essence” and is used
as the object of the preposition en, which expresses a condition or a state. Now,
this prepositional phrase is employed with the nominative masculine singular
present active participle form of the verb huparcho, “although He existed.”
Paul does not use the simple verb of being here which is eimi but instead
employs the stronger huparcho to denote existence, which proceeds or issues from
the beginning. In Philippians 2:6, huparcho denotes the inherency and expression
of the divine attributes by our Lord in His preincarnate state. It refers to eternity
past in which our Lord functioned as infinite and eternal God. The verb expresses
the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ prior to entering the human race permanently in
Bethlehem was the eternal Son of God, who expressed all the attributes of deity.
Therefore, the expression en morphe theou huparchon, means “who although
existing from eternity past in the essence of God.” This expression affirms that
our Lord is infinite and eternal God and has a divine nature.
Philippians 2:6, “who, although He existed in the form of God, did not
regard equality with God a thing to be grasped.” (NASB95)
The Greek expression to einai isa theo, “equality with God” also affirms the
deity of our Lord and explicitly teaches that Jesus Christ is God, equal to the
Father and the Spirit. This expression should be translated “existing equally in
essence with God.”
In this expression, we have the present active infinite form of the verb eimi,
which means “to exist.” The present tense can be regarded as “stative” and a
“gnomic” present. The former denotes that our Lord “always existed in the state of
being” equal with God. The latter denotes that our Lord “as an eternal spiritual
truth” has always existed equally in essence with God.
The adjective isos, “equality” pertains to that which is equal, either in number,
size, quality or characteristics. (Louw and Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the
New Testament Based on Semantic Domains, 58.33). In Philippians 2:6 the
adjective describes Jesus Christ as being equal with God in character, nature and
essence. So it is explicitly affirming that Jesus Christ is equal to God.
Therefore, we can see that the expressions “form of God” and “equality with
God” are among the strongest expressions of our Lord and Savior’s deity in all the
New Testament.
The Incarnation of the Son of God
The word “incarnation” is from the Latin: In and caro, the stem carn means,
“flesh.” In the context of Christian theology, the “incarnation” is the act whereby
the eternal Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, without ceasing to be
what He is, namely God the Son, added permanently to His deity what He did not
possess before the act, namely an impeccable human nature, thus making Him, the
unique theanthropic person of the cosmos. The “hypostatic union,” which we will
note in chapter five, is the result of the incarnation. It was accomplished by means
of the incarnation, which itself was accomplished by means of the virgin
pregnancy.
The virgin birth was the means by which the incarnation became a reality.
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld
His glory, glory as of the only uniquely born One from the Father, full of
grace and truth. (NASB95)
1 Timothy 3:16 And by common confession great is the mystery of
godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, was vindicated in the Spirit,
beheld by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world,
taken up in glory. (NASB95)
The second person of the Trinity, the Lord Jesus Christ, entered permanently
into the human race by means of the virgin birth. He is the only member of the
Trinity to take upon Himself a human nature. Therefore, He is different from the
other members of the Godhead.
He is different from the Father and the Spirit in that He added to His deity as
sinless human nature. He is different from the other members of the human race in
that He is God, and without a sin nature because He did not have a human father.
He did not cease to be God because He became a man, nor was He less of a man
because He was God. He was every bit of a human as the rest of the human race.
However, He did not possess a sin nature since the Holy Spirit impregnated Mary
and not a man. Therefore, there is no one like Him in the universe; He is a totally
unique person, because He combined forever in Himself undiminished deity along
with perfect sinless humanity.
Isaiah’s Prophecies
When speaking of the incarnation, we must of course discuss the virgin birth
since, as we noted, the incarnation was the result of the virgin birth (Isa. 9:6-7;
Micah 5:2; Luke 1:30-35).
The virgin birth was predicted in the Old Testament. In 700 B.C., the prophet
Isaiah was used by God the Holy Spirit to prophecy of the birth of our Lord.
Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: “Behold, a
virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name
Immanuel.” (NASB95)
“Immanuel” is the Hebrew proper name ̔immanuel’el, which means “with us is
God.”
“Virgin” is the noun àlmah, which means a “young woman who has not had
sex yet with a man, but is at the age to be married.” That a virgin would give birth
to Immanuel obviously signals a miraculous birth.
Contrary to Jewish tradition, no father is mentioned. The omission fits with the
fact that the Child is virgin-born. Matthew 1:23 tells us who “Immanuel” is, the
Lord Jesus Christ, and “the virgin” is, Mary.
The phrase “The Lord Himself will give you a sign” points to the fact that the
omnipotence of God will perform the miracle of implanting the seed for the
formation of the human body of Christ.
Matthew 1:18, Luke 1:35 and Hebrews 10:5 says that God the Holy Spirit
prepared a human body for God the Son.
The prophet Isaiah also speaks of the incarnation in Isaiah 9:6-7.
Isaiah 9:6 “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the
government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful
Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no
end to the increase of {His} government or of peace, on the throne of David
and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and
righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts
will accomplish this.” (NASB95)
The phrase “will be born” is the person feminine singular pual perfect form of
the verb yaladh, “to bear a child, to give birth.” The perfect tense of the verb says
that in 700 B.C. when this was written, God saw the virgin birth as already having
occurred. The Pual stem is an intensive passive stem meaning that the divine
promise to the house of Israel of the virgin birth is certain to occur or pictured in
the mind of God as already having taken place. The pual passive means that the
house of Israel will receive the virgin birth from God.
“Will be given” is the third person masculine singular niphal perfect form of
the verb nathan, “to give.” The pual stem is used in the passive sense meaning that
the nation of Israel is going to be acted upon by God when God the Holy Spirit will
produce a sinless human body for the Son of God. The perfect tense indicates that
God already considers that the birth of Christ is a certainty since He knows all
things because He is omniscient and He is sovereign and has determined this to
take place.
“The government will rest on His shoulders,” is a prophecy that our Lord
would be a King.
The Holy Spirit’s description that our Lord would be “wonderful” was
manifested in His “wonderful” character, life, words and works (cf. Matt. 21:15;
Lk. 4:22; Acts 2:22; 4:30). “Wonderful” means He will be a supernatural wonder,
a marvel (Ex. 15:11; Judges 13:18).
The Holy Spirit’s description that our Lord would be a “Counselor” was
expressed by our Lord’s perfect wisdom and in fact He was the personification of
divine wisdom.
“Mighty God” is the Hebrew name El Gibbor which refers to the fact that the
Child will be the omnipotent God.
The expression “the Everlasting Father” means that Jesus Christ would be the
eternal Son of God in human flesh (Jn. 8:58).
The expression “Prince of Peace” (Sar-Shalom) means that Jesus Christ would
reconcile fallen humanity to God through His death on the Cross (Eph. 2:14, 17).
The fulfillment of the prophecies of Isaiah 7:14 and 9:6-7 are recorded in
Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2.
Matthew’s Account of the Birth of Christ
The gospel of Matthew provides us with one of two accounts of the birth of
Christ.
Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His
mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she
was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. 19 And Joseph her husband,
being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her
away secretly. 20 But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the
Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be
afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her
is of the Holy Spirit.” (NASB95)
“Joseph” who was engaged to Mary is said to be a “son of David,” which is
intended to show Jesus’ legitimate claim to the throne of David through his legal
father Joseph (see verse 31). The marriage of Mary and Joseph made our Lord the
“adopted” son and “legal heir” of Joseph, which reflects God’s sovereignty,
omniscience and omnipotence.

The angel tells Joseph that Mary conceived by the omnipotence of the Holy
Spirit. God the Holy Spirit was the source of Mary’s pregnancy (Matt. 1:18) since
the divine omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit created the human body of our
Lord.
Hebrews 10:5 Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says,
“SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY
YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME; 6 IN WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS
AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE TAKEN NO PLEASURE.” (NASB95)
An act of divine omnipotence produced the sperm that fertilized the egg in
Mary’s womb and as a result the Lord Jesus Christ had no sin nature like we do
because He did not have a human father. Mary’s womb was only the vehicle for
the formation of the human body of our Lord and the omnipotence of God the Holy
Spirit provided 23 perfect chromosomes to fertilize Mary’s normal, pure ovum,
which produced a fetus in Mary’s womb that was uncontaminated by Adam’s old
sin nature.
Matthew 1:21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for
He will save His people from their sins. 22 Now all this took place to fulfill
what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet. 23 BEHOLD, THE
VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND
THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL,’ which translated means,
‘GOD WITH US.’” 24 And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel
of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife 25 but kept her a
virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus. (NASB95)
The name “Jesus” means, “Yahweh saves” and expresses that Jesus would be
the long awaited Savior of the world and would be the fulfillment of the prophecy
of Genesis 3:15.
Luke’s Account of the Birth of Christ
The gospel of Luke gives us more details regarding the birth of Christ than
Matthew.
Luke 1:26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to
a city in Galilee called Nazareth to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was
Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
(NASB95)
The phrase “in the six-month” refers to six month’s after the angel Gabriel had
been sent to Zechariah to announce that his wife Elizabeth would be pregnant in
her old age and the child that she would bear would be the forerunner of Jesus
Christ, namely, John the Baptist.

“Virgin” is the noun parthenos, which denotes “a young, unmarried girl who
has not had sex with a man yet.”
Joseph and Mary were legally considered to be married but had not
consummated the marriage by having sex. The Jews had a tradition called betrothal
or engagement period, which was considered preparation for marriage but was
legally binding. It was an agreement that included witnesses, a marriage contract,
and the payment of the bridal price and was the first stage of the marriage and
usually began when the girl was about 12 years of age. This period was generally
concluded after a year when the woman would go to live at the man’s house
instead of her parents. If the marriage did not take place because of a breach of
contract such as the dowry not paid to her parents or if she had sex before
marriage, the young woman could not be married to another man until she was
freed by due process and a certificate of divorce.
Luke 1:28 And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The
Lord is with you.” (NASB95)
“Favored one” is the verb charitoo, which means that God the Father was
bestowing upon Mary the gracious honor of bearing the human nature of the
Messiah.
“The Lord is with you” is an Old Testament greeting preparing Mary for her
service to bear the human nature of the Savior, including the assurance of divine
assistance in accomplishing this service and indicates that Mary was experiencing
fellowship with the Lord at this time.
Luke 1:29 But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept
pondering what kind of salutation this was. (NASB95)
The statement “she was very perplexed at this statement” indicates that
Gabriel’s greeting confused Mary and she could not understand why she is being
singled for such a wonderful and gracious greeting.
The statement “(she) kept pondering what kind of salutation this was,”
indicates that Mary carefully considered the implications and nature of this
extraordinary manner of greeting she received from the angel Gabriel.
Luke 1:30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have
found favor with God.” (NASB95)
Gabriel tells her not to be afraid since she would be the recipient of an
extraordinarily gracious and fantastic honor, which is described in the following
verses. He tells her that she has found favor or grace in the eyes of God meaning
that God is going to bestow a great honor upon her that she did not earn or deserve
but does indicate that she was experiencing fellowship with God since God would
not choose her to bear the Savior if she were not.
Luke 1:31 “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name Him Jesus.” (NASB95)
The name “Jesus” means, “Yahweh saves” and expresses that Jesus would be
the long awaited Savior of the world and would be the fulfillment of the prophecy
of Genesis 3:15.
Luke 1:32 “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High;
and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.” (NASB95)
The statement “He will be great” emphasizes the importance of Jesus to the
fulfillment of the Father’s plan to rule over the works of His hands (cf. Ps 8; Heb.
2:5-10). It also means that Jesus would possess superiority in rank over both men
and angels and would be great in power and in wisdom, and in dominion on both
earth and in heaven since He will be the God-Man Savior (cf. Phlp. 2:5-11).
The prophecy that Jesus would be “called the Son of the Most High”
emphasizes the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 9:6.
The prophecy the “the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father
David” refers to the fact that Jesus would fulfill the Davidic covenant in which
God promised David that a descendant of his would sit on his throne forever ruling
over the nation of Israel (See 2 Samuel 7:12-13; Jeremiah 23:5).
Luke 1:33, “and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His
kingdom will have no end.” (NASB95)
The prophecy that Jesus would “reign over the house of Jacob forever” refers
to the fact that He would be the King of Israel and the prophecy “His kingdom
will have no end” refers to the fact that Jesus’ reign will never end on planet earth.
Luke 1:34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”
(NASB95)
Mary’s question was not an expression of unbelief like Zechariah recorded in
Luke 1:18-19 but rather it was an expression of faith since she believed the
promises but did not understand how they would be fulfilled with her since her
marriage with Joseph was not yet consummated.
Luke 1:35 The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come
upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that
reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.” (NASB95)
In Luke 1:35, the term “overshadow” is an Old Testament image of the cloud
of God’s presence that descended upon the tabernacle (Ex. 40:35) and is a
metaphor for the presence of God.
Luke 1:36 “And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a
son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month.
37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, the
bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.”’ And
the angel departed from her. (NASB95)
When Mary said, “be it done to me according to your Word” (Luke 1:38),
she was saying yes to the plan of God and expresses her faith in the Lord.
Mary had to agree with God’s plan before the omnipotence of God the Holy
Spirit could implant the seed that would form the perfect humanity of our Lord
Jesus Christ, thus revealing a spiritual principle that our faith appropriates the
omnipotence of God in our lives (cf. Matt. 17:20).
Luke 2:1 Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that
a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. (NASB95)
According to Luke 2:1, our Lord’s birth took place during the reign of Caesar
Augustus who was the great nephew and adopted son of Gaius Julius Caesar who
was one of the greatest men of the ancient world. The title Augustus was a
religious title and an attempt to claim deity and he took the name Caesar by
adoption and was the first Roman Emperor who ruled from 31 B.C. to 14 A.D.
Rome was a Republic and then became an Empire under Octavius meaning he
was the sole ruler of Rome, and whose rulership stretched over most of the
inhabited world at that time and was the fourth kingdom described in the
prophecies of Daniel 2:40 and 7:23.
Rome took a census every fourteen years for both military and tax purposes and
each Jewish male had to return to the city of his fathers to record his name,
occupation, property and family. Augustus issued a decree that a census be taken
of everyone in the Roman Empire but it was God who moved Augustus to issue
this census so that the prophesy in Micah 5:2 could be fulfilled.
Proverbs 21:1 The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the
LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes. (NASB95)
The phrase “all the inhabited earth” refers to the entire Roman Empire. The
spiritual condition among members of the human race was spiritually bankrupt and
morally decadent since the Gentiles were polytheists, as were the Romans, and the
Greeks also worshipped many gods along with philosophy.
The spiritual condition of the Jews was no better as evidence by their reception
of Jesus as recorded in John 1:11, “He came unto His own and His own received
Him not.” But it does appear that many in Christ’s day were expecting and looking
for Messiah to come, which is demonstrated by the fact that they knew where
Messiah was to be born (cf. Matthew 2:4). Luke 2:25-38 records that Simeon was
looking for the consolation of Israel, the Messiah.
Luke 2:2 This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of
Syria. (NASB95)
Quirinius was governor of Syria on two different occasions (First: Luke 2:2;
Second: Acts 5:37) and so the census in Luke 2:2 took place during his first reign
as governor of Syria in 4 B.C.
Luke 2:3 And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to
his own city. 4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to
Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the
house and family of David 5 in order to register along with Mary, who was
engaged to him, and was with child. 6 While they were there, the days were
completed for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and
she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no
room for them in the inn. (NASB95)
Each man went to the town where his family’s register was kept and Joseph and
Mary who were of the house of David, lived in the town of Nazareth but both
Joseph and Mary’s family registers were in the town of Bethlehem. The last three
months of Mary’s pregnancy were spent in Bethlehem away from the gossip and
the turmoil that would have surrounded her in Nazareth.
Notice that Luke records that Jesus was Mary’s “first-born,” and not Joseph’s
indicating clearly that Joseph was the legal father by adoption, but not by
conception.
Mary wrapped the Child in strips of cloth like bandages used to keep the
infant’s limbs straight and to limit movement. This type of treatment was
considered appropriate and also served to identify a newborn (Luke 2:12). The
mother who bore the child had to wrap the child herself. The custom of the day
included cleaning and rubbing the baby with oil, usually olive oil. Then the arms
were placed at the baby’s side and were wrapped in strips of cloth. This also served
as a sign to the shepherds who were in field and were told by the angel of the Lord
that they could see the Messiah wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger (Luke
2:12).
The word for “manger” is the Greek noun phatne, which means, “feeding
trough” and was employed by Mary and Joseph as a crib for the baby Jesus. The
mangers in the ancient world were often made of stones laid like blocks, then
plastered over with a substance to make them waterproof. These feeding troughs
could also be carved from a single block of stone. Placing our Lord in one of these
troughs speaks of the believer feeding from our Lord who is the Word of God
(John 6:54-56).
Therefore, we see that at the birth of our Lord there were no trappings of
royalty, no purple robes, and no signs of wealth or of position, even though this
One was born to be the King of kings and Lord of lords. The King of glory
condescended to be cradled in a manger that was to hold food for cattle. He who
had come to provide heaven’s bread descended to a manger.
We do not have any information regarding these Palestinian inns but in the
Roman Empire, we know they were places of ill repute and travelers, whenever
possible, stayed with friends, thus, the New Testament emphasizes hospitality to
strangers. Jewish inns may have been better, but this is only conjecture and some
believe the word “inn” should be translated “caravansary” and another translation

might be “guest house” because the word can mean “guest room” but it was,
however, a place where travelers stayed.
The earliest non-scriptural reference to the birth of Christ is found in Justin
Martyr, an early church father, and is dated about A.D. 140 who stated that Christ
was born in a cave and Origen said the same in A.D. 248 as did Jerome, one of the
most brilliant scholars of the early church. Tradition says it was a cave in the side
of the hill behind the inn or guest house of the village but the point is that whatever
the exact nature of the place, the city was so crowded with people because of the
census that the only place left for them was a cave.
Luke 2:8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the
fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord
suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them;
and they were terribly frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be
afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the
people 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior,
who is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby
wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there appeared
with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is
pleased.” 15 When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the
shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then,
and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.”
16 So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the
baby as He lay in the manger. 17 When they had seen this, they made known
the statement, which had been told them about this Child. 18 And all who
heard it wondered at the things, which were told them by the shepherds. 19
But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 The
shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard
and seen, just as had been told them. (NASB95)
The announcement of the birth of Christ was not given to the religious people in
Jerusalem, the Pharisees but rather it was given to a despised class of people, the
shepherds. The Pharisees despised them, putting them under the same
classification as publicans and tax collectors, depriving them of certain rights in the
community. They were not allowed to hold a judicial position and could not be
admitted as a witness in court. The reason for this harsh treatment was that the
shepherd was out alone in the fields for months at a time without supervision,
which was a great temptation to steal some of the increase of the flock.
The Pharisees hated the shepherds but our Lord identified with them, calling
Himself the Good Shepherd (John 10:11, 14). In fact, He is described in Hebrews
13:20 as the Great Shepherd of the sheep. Peter describes Him as the Shepherd (1
Pet. 2:25). The fact that the good news of the Savior being born in Bethlehem was
given to the shepherds provides a striking picture of the mission of Christ on earth
who reached out to the forsaken, disenfranchised and offscouring of society.
Reasons for the Incarnation
There are many reasons for the incarnation. First of all, it was important since it
resulted in Satan being judged. Our Lord’s obedience to the Father’s will defeated
Satan in the angelic conflict.
John 12:31 “Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world
shall be cast out.” (NASB95)
John 16:7 “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away;
for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send
Him to you. 8 And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin
and righteousness and judgment; 9 concerning sin, because they do not
believe in Me; 10 and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father
and you no longer see Me; 11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of
this world has been judged.” (NASB95)
Without the incarnation there would be no cross and without the cross, there
would be no victory over Satan.
Colossians 2:15 When He (the Father) had disarmed the rulers and
authorities, He (the Father) made a public display of them, having triumphed
over them through him (Christ). (NASB95)
Not only did the incarnation bring about the defeat of Satan but of course it also
provided all of mankind with a Redeemer.
Galatians 4:4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His
Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those
who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
(NASB95)
If not for the incarnation, there would be no cross and resurrection and therefore
there would be no salvation or hope for mankind.
Titus 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all
men. (NASB95)
If there was no incarnation, there would be no cross and if no cross, no
resurrection, thus leaving the entire human race lost in sin.
1 Corinthians 15:17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is
worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in
Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all
men most to be pitied. (NASB95)
The incarnation provided hope for mankind.
1 Timothy 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the
commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope.
(NASB95)
Man would not be reconciled to God without the incarnation.
Romans 5:10 For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God
through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be
saved by His life. 11 And not only this, but we also exult in God through our
Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
(NASB95)
2 Corinthians 5:18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to
Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely,
that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their
trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of
reconciliation. (NASB95)
dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to himself, having
made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether
things on earth or things in heaven. 21 And although you were formerly
alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, 22 yet He has now
reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you
before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach. (NASB95)
1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the
unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in
the flesh, but made alive in the spirit. (NASB95)
Thus, since Christ reconciled sinful humanity to a holy God, He is also the only
“mediator” between God and man. Thus without the incarnation, there would be no
mediator between sinful humanity and a holy God.
Job 9:32 “For He (God) is not a man as I am that I may answer Him, that
we may go to court together. 33 There is no umpire between us, who may lay
his hand upon us both.” (NASB95)
1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God
and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the
testimony borne at the proper time. (NASB95)
The incarnation provided the human race with a “kinsman redeemer” who is
someone who pays a price to set someone free who is under bondage to another.
1 Corinthians 6:20a For you have been bought with a price. (NASB95)
There would be no high priest to represent the believer before God without the
incarnation.
Hebrews 2:17 Therefore, He (the Lord Jesus Christ) had to be made like His
brethren (incarnation) in all things, that He might become a merciful and
faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the
sins of the people. (NASB95)
Hebrews 3:1 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of a heavenly calling,
consider Jesus, the Apostle and high priest of our confession. (NASB95)
Hebrews 4:14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed
through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses,
but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let
us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may
receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need. (NASB95)
Hebrews 6:19, “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both
sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, 20 where Jesus has
entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according
to the order of Melchizedek.” (NASB95)
Hebrews 7:25 Therefore, He (the Lord Jesus Christ) is also able to save
forever (eternal security) those who draw near to God through Him, since He
always lives to make intercession for them. 26 For it was fitting that we should
have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separate from sinners and
exalted above the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, like those high priests,
to offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people,
because this He (the Lord Jesus Christ) did once for all when He offered
Himself. (NASB95)
Hebrews 8:1 Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have
such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of
the Majesty in the heavens. (NASB95)
Hebrews 9:24 For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a
mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the
presence of God for us; 25 nor was it that He should offer Himself often, as
the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood not his own. 26
Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the
world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested
(a reference to the incarnation) to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. 27
And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes
judgment, 28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of
many, shall appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to
those who eagerly await Him. (NASB95)
Jesus Christ functions as the believer’s “advocate” before the Father when the
believer is accused by Satan. This ministry is connected to His great high
priesthood.

1 John 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may
not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ
the righteous. (NASB95)
“Advocate” is the word parakletos, which is a legal term used of “someone
who assists or defends another who has been accused of something.”
Satan accuses the believer before the Father day and night. However, Jesus
Christ intercedes for the believer and defends the believer against Satan’s
accusations.
Revelation 12:10 “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of
our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our
brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them before our god day and
night.” (NASB95)
Therefore, without the incarnation, the believer would have no advocate in
heaven.
There would be no “new creation” without the incarnation.
2 Corinthians 5:17a Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature.
(NASB95)
Ephesians 2:14 For He Himself (the Lord Jesus Christ) is our peace, who
made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,
15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments
contained in ordinances, that in Himself (the Lord Jesus Christ) He might
make the two (Jew and Gentile) into one new man, thus establishing peace.
(NASB95)
There would be no one to sit upon David’s Throne without the incarnation.
Isaiah 9:7 “There will be no end to the increase of His government or of
peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to
uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The
zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.” (NASB95)
Luke 1:32 “He (the Lord Jesus Christ) will be great, and will be called the
Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of his father
David.” (NASB95)
There would be no millennium without the incarnation.
Revelation 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment
was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded
because of the testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those
who had not worshipped the beast (Anti-Christ) or his image, and had not
received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they came to
life and reigned with christ for a thousand years. (NASB95)
Revelation 20:6, “Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first
resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be
priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him (the Lord Jesus Christ) for
a thousand years.” (NASB95)
There would be no manifestation of God to man without the incarnation.
John 1:18 No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten God (the
Lord Jesus Christ), who is in the bosom of the Father, He (the Lord Jesus Christ)
has explained Him (the Father). (NASB95)
“Explained,” is the verb exegeomai, which means, “to lead out, to show the
way to.” The Lord Jesus Christ “led, who God is, out into the open.” In other
words, He explained or manifested through His words and actions the character
and nature of the Father. The Lord Jesus Christ fully revealed who God is and
made known the complete revelation of God to man.” Hence, He “explained” God
to man.
John 10:30 “I and the Father are one.” (NASB95)
John 14:8 Philip said to Him (the Lord Jesus Christ), “Lord, show us the
Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with
you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen me has
seen the Father; how do you say, show us the Father’?” (NASB95)
God’s love for mankind is revealed through the incarnation.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He (God the Father) gave His
only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him (the Lord Jesus Christ) should
not perish, but have eternal life.” (NASB95)
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while
we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (NASB95)
1 John 3:16a We know love by this that He (the Lord Jesus Christ) laid down
His life for us. (NASB95)
1 John 4:10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and
sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (NASB95)
The prophecy of Moses that God would raise up a Man who would be a prophet
like himself is fulfilled through the incarnation.
Deuteronomy 18:15 “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet
like me from among you, you shall listen to Him.” (NASB95)
Deuteronomy 18:18 “I will raise up a prophet from among their
countrymen like you, and I will put My words in His (the Lord Jesus Christ)
mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. 19 And it shall
come about that whoever will not listen to My words which He (the Lord Jesus
Christ) shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him.” (NASB95)
Matthew 17:5 While he (Peter) was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud
overshadowed them; and behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying, “This is My
beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” (NASB95)

John 7:16 “My teaching is not Mine, but His (God the Father) who sent
Me.” (NASB95)
John 8:28b “I do nothing of My own initiative, but I speak these things as
the Father taught Me.” (NASB95)
John 12:47 “And if anyone hears My sayings, and does not keep them, I do
not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.
48 He who rejects Me, and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges
him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. 49 For I did not
speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me
commandment, what to say, and what to speak. 50 I know that His
commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the
Father has told Me.” (NASB95)
The grace of God towards mankind was manifested through the incarnation.
John 1:17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were
realized through Jesus Christ. (NASB95)
Romans 5:15 But the free gift (Christ’s act of obedience to the Father’s will in
going to the cross) is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression
(Adam's sin) of the one (Adam) the many died (imputation of Adam's sin to all
members of the human race), much more did the grace of God and the gift by
the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. (NASB95)
Titus 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation to all men.
(NASB95)
The Humanity of Christ
The incarnation of the eternal Son of God resulted in of course, our Lord
becoming a human being.
The Scriptures use the following titles when stressing our Lord’s humanity: (1)
“The Son of Man” (Matt. 24:30; Mark 26:64; Luke 5:24; 6:5; John 1:51; 3:14;
8:28). (2) “The Son of David” (Matt. 1:1; Mark 10:47; Luke 1:32; 18:39; Rev.
22:16). (3) “The Man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5). (4) “Jesus” (Acts 2:32; 8:35;
Rom. 3:26; 1 Thess. 4:14; Heb. 2:9; 6:20).
The Scriptures teach that the Lord Jesus Christ has a human body like ours but
without a sin nature (John 1:14; Heb. 10:5; 1 John 1:1; 1 John 4:2-3), that He has a
human soul (Matt. 26:38a; Isa. 53:11a) and a human spirit (Luke 23:46; John
13:21; 19:30). He did not have an old sin nature like every human being born in
Adam because of the virgin birth. He did not have a sin nature because He did not
have a human father (Luke 1:35). The father passes along the sin nature in the
human race. However, our Lord did not have a human father since the Holy Spirit
impregnated Mary. Therefore, Jesus Christ was totally free from the sin nature,
which means He was perfect or flawless. He remained free from all three
categories of sin in the human race: (1) Old sin nature (2) Adam’s original sin (3)
Personal sins.
Therefore our Lord was found to be without sin in His humanity (John 8:46a; 2
Cor. 5:21; Heb. 7:26; 1 Pet. 2:22; 1 John 3:5). He was tempted in all things as
sinful humanity (Heb. 4:15). However, even though He was tempted to act and live
independently from God the Father’s plan for His life, He never once sinned (Luke
4:1-4; Matt. 16:21-23). He even was tempted not to go to the cross (Luke 22:39-
44).
The Word of God also testifies to the fact that our Lord performed the
following human functions and suffered circumstances common to humanity. First
of all He was said to have “wept” (John 11:35; Heb. 5:7). He “slept” (Mark 4:38)
and became “hungry” (Luke 4:2). He was “thirsty” (John 19:28), “ate” and
“drank” (Mark 2:16; Luke 5:30). The Scripture tells us He was “weary” (John
4:6) and was in “agony” (Luke 22:44). He had to “grow” physically and mentally
(Luke 2:40) and had to “learn” the Scriptures (Luke 2:52). He also had to learn
“obedience” (Heb. 5:7). Our Lord also “prayed” (Luke 21:41-42; Heb. 5:7). He
also was “tempted” (Luke 4:2; Heb. 2:18; 4:15) and was a Man of “sorrows”
(Isaiah 53:3). He was “despised” and “forsaken” of men (Isaiah 53:3). He is also
said to have “rejoiced” (Luke 10:21). He “died” physically (John 19:33) and
“died” spiritually (Matt. 27:45-46).
Now, it must be remembered that the Scriptures teach that in His human nature,
the Lord Jesus Christ, the God-Man was subordinate to the Father. However, in
His deity, He is of course as we established in chapter two co-infinite, co-equal and
co-eternal with both the Father and the Spirit.
John’s Testimony Concerning the Humanity of Christ
The apostle John in his gospel and first epistle refutes Docetic Gnosticism,
which denied the humanity of Christ.
John 1:14 And the Word (Jesus Christ) became flesh (a Man), and dwelt
among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only uniquely born One
from the Father, full of grace and truth. (NASB95)
“Word” is the noun logos, which is used here in John 1:1 and 14 with reference
to the Son of God and is used in this manner in 1 John 1:1. It emphasizes the deity
of Christ. This word designates a distinct personality in the Trinity, namely the
second person of the Trinity, the Son of God. The Word reveals God to men, thus
He is the perfect and complete revelation of God. He is the perfect manifestation of
the Trinity. The Word is the personal manifestation of deity and the life of the

Trinity, which is eternal. The noun logos, “the Word” expresses Jesus Christ’s
relationship to other members of the Trinity.
“Became” is the verb ginomai, which means, “to enter into a new condition or
state, to become something you weren’t before,” thus the word is used of God the
Son, the Word entering into the human condition through the virgin birth. This
entrance into the human race as we noted in chapter three refers to the
“incarnation” of the Son of God.
“Flesh” is the noun sarx, “flesh,” which refers to the human nature of Jesus
Christ, which is how the word is used in many other passages in the Greek New
Testament.
Romans 1:1 Paul, a slave owned by Christ who is Jesus, called as an
apostle, set apart for the gospel originating from God, 2 which He promised
beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 concerning His
Son, who was born as a descendant of David with respect to His human
Ephesians 2:11 Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the
flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “‘Circumcision,”
which is performed in the flesh by human hands – 12 remember that you were
at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel,
and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in
the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have
been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who
made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,
15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments
contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one
new man, thus establishing peace, 16 and might reconcile them both in one
body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.
(NASB95)
dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having
made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether
things on earth or things in heaven. 21 And although you were formerly
alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, 22 yet He has now
reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you
before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach. (NASB95)
1 Timothy 3:16 By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness:
He who was revealed in the flesh, was vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels,
proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.
(NASB95)
unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the
flesh, but made alive in the spirit. (NASB95)
1 Peter 4:1 Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves
also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has
ceased from sin, 2 so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the
lusts of men, but for the will of God. (NASB95)
1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see
whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into
the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses
that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; 3 and every spirit that
does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of
which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.
(NASB95)
2 John 7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do
not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and
the antichrist. (NASB95)
Therefore, the apostle John makes it absolutely clear in John 1:14 that the Son
of God who is the eternal Word of the Father became something that He was not
before, namely a human being. He added to His deity a sinless human nature.
The epistle of 1 John was written by the apostle John in the last decade of the
first century and was addressed to believers located in the city of Ephesus, in the
Roman province of Asia, which today, is the western border of Turkey. The
purpose of 1 John was to protect believers from Gnostic teaching and to present to
them principles that would help them to restore and maintain fellowship with God
and confirm that they are experiencing fellowship with God.
The Gnostic teachers had infiltrated Ephesus and the churches around the
Roman Empire. Gnosticism was amalgamation of Greek philosophy and
Christianity and denied the deity of Christ and taught that there was no such thing
as a sin nature and that you do not have to confess your sins after salvation. Its
central teaching was that spirit is entirely good and matter is entirely evil.
Gnosticism denied Christ’s true humanity in two ways: (a) Some taught that
Christ only appeared to have a body, a view called Docetism, from the Greek
dokeo, “to seem,” and (b) Others taught that the deity of Christ joined the man
Jesus at His baptism and left Him before He died, a view called Cerinthianism,
after its most prominent spokesman, Cerinthus.
This view is the background of much of 1 John (see 1:1; 2:22; 4:2-3). In
contrast to these Gnostic claims, John demonstrates that he, the other apostles and
disciples were eyewitnesses to the fact that Jesus of Nazareth was indeed the
incarnate Son of God or in other words, that He was God in the flesh.
John reveals that he and the other apostles knew the incarnate Word of life
through experience. They heard Him speak, they saw Him and touched His human
body. Thus their testimony concerning the historicity of the incarnate Word of God
refutes the Gnostic heresy.
touched concerning the Word who is the life (of God). 2 That is, this One who
is the life (of God) was revealed (by the Holy Spirit) and we have witnessed
and we testify and we are proclaiming (from God) at this particular time for
the benefit of all of you this One who is the eternal life (of God), who indeed
by virtue of His divine nature has always existed face to face with the Father
and was revealed (by the Holy Spirit) for the benefit of all of us. 3 Who, we
have witnessed and we have heard, we also are proclaiming (from God) at this
particular time for the benefit of all of you in order that all of you without
exception might also continue to experience fellowship and this fellowship is
with the Father and with His Son, Jesus who is the Christ. 4 Also, we
ourselves are providing information in writing at this particular time
concerning these things in order that it might at this particular time cause our
joy to overflow. (Author’s translation)
The first important theme of 1 John 1:1-4 is that of the eyewitness apostolic
testimony concerning the fact that the Word of God became a human being (cf.
4:14, 5:6-12) and this testimony appeals to three senses: (1) Hearing (2) Sight (3)
Touch.
1 John 1:1-4 mentions the first two stages of the Lord Jesus Christ’s career: (1)
Pre-incarnate: Eternity past as the second person of the Trinity, the Son of God. (2)
Incarnate: Virgin birth through the First Advent to the resurrection. (3) Glorified
Incarnate: Resurrection and on into eternity future.
The second important theme of 1 John 1:1-4 is that the Son of God became a
man as a part of God’s revelation of Himself in Jesus Christ and this revelation
concerns the manifestation of the eternal life of the Father (cf. 4:2, 5:6).
1 John 1:1-4 refutes the Gnostic teaching that stated that Jesus of Nazareth was
not really a human being but a phantom. The Gnostics believed that Christ either
temporarily inhabited a human body but left it before the crucifixion or merely
assumed human appearance.
Docetic Gnosticism contended that Christ’s humanity was a mere appearance or
aberration. By denying the unique Person of Christ, John’s readers would be
preventing themselves from having fellowship with God since eternal life as

manifested in the unique Person of Christ is the basis for fellowship with God
since God is eternal life.
concerning the Word of Life – 2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen
and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and
was manifested to us – 3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you
also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is
with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. (NASB95)
The word “what” should be translated “who” since the context clearly indicates
that John is writing concerning a person who the apostles saw, heard and touched.
The word in the original Greek text of 1 John 1:1-3 is the relative pronoun hos,
which is employed here five times in the prologue. The context clearly indicates
that each time that the relative pronoun appears in the prologue, it is referring to
the Lord Jesus Christ. This is made clear since John states that he heard, witnessed
with his own eyes, observed and even touched! You don’t touch a message or an
apostolic testimony, but rather you touch a person.
“We have heard” is the verb akouo, which refers to the act of hearing. The first
sense that John appeals to in the prologue as a witness to the historicity of the
incarnation and resultant hypostatic union is hearing. John is speaking here of the
fact that he heard the incarnate Word of God speak the words of eternal life. What
John and the other witnesses heard confirmed to them that Jesus of Nazareth was
indeed the incarnate Word of God. The content of our Lord’s speech revealed to
John and the other witnesses that He spoke the words of eternal life (cf. Jn. 6:63,
68; 7:46).
“We have seen with our eyes” is the verb horao, which refers to physical sight
and in context, it refers to the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ was seen by witnesses
who could testify to the fact that He was indeed the incarnate Word of Life.
To witness means to be formerly present when something was happening. It has
the added idea of having observed with sufficient care to be able to give an account
as evidence. John, the other apostles and other disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ
were present during His First Advent and in particular during His three and a half
year ministry. They observed with sufficient care as to be able to give an account
as evidence.
The apostles and disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ were witnesses to the many
demonstrations that the Lord presented, which testified to the fact that He was
indeed God in the flesh. So the verb horao refers to seeing in the sense of being a
witness to the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is undiminished deity and true
humanity in one Person forever.

To witness something is to see or know by personal presence and perception, or
it can mean to be present at (an occurrence) as a formal witness, spectator, and
bystander. It refers here to the fact that John and the other witnesses were
personally present during the First Advent of Christ. They personally saw Him
demonstrate that He was the God-Man. This was demonstrated by His miracles and
particularly by His physical death, which demonstrated that He was in fact human.
Horao refers here to the fact that John and the other apostles and disciples of
our Lord were eyewitnesses to the hypostatic union. John is saying here that he and
the others saw with their own eyes that the Lord Jesus Christ was the God-Man;
they were witnesses to this fact, which He demonstrated through His miracles and
His physical death, which demonstrated that He was in fact human. They also saw
Him after His resurrection, which was further incontrovertible evidence that He
was in fact the incarnate Son of God (Romans 1:4).
“We have looked at” is the verb theaomai, which means, “to observe” in the
sense that it implies paying strict attention to what one sees or perceives. It is
continuative in action. To observe is to mark or be attentive to something seen and
heard. It refers to observing something carefully. This word conveys the idea of
intense scrutiny.
Therefore, theaomai here in 1 John 1:1 means that John, the other apostles and
disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ observed or scrutinized carefully the fact that He
was the incarnate Word of God in whom there was eternal life. They paid strict
attention to what they saw during His First Advent and in particular during His
three and a half year ministry, which included His miracles, death, resurrection and
ascension. They marked or were attentive to what they saw Him do and what they
heard Him say during His First Advent. They observed carefully all that the Lord
Jesus Christ said and did during His First Advent and in particular during His three
and a half year ministry. These witnesses were spectators, to the First Advent of
Christ since they were continually observing carefully all that the Lord Jesus Christ
said and did, which demonstrated that He was God incarnate.
“Touched” is the verb pselaphao, which is used in relation to the eyewitness
apostolic testimony concerning the historicity of the incarnation, which produced
the hypostatic union. By using this word here, John is refuting the Cerinthian and
Docetic Gnostic teaching that denied the historicity of the incarnation and resulting
hypostatic union of the eternal Word of life, the Lord Jesus Christ.
John is saying here that he, the other apostles and disciples touched the physical
human body of the eternal Word of God, thus confirming the incarnation and
hypostatic union of the eternal Word of God and refuting Cerinthian and Docetic
Gnostic teaching that stated that the Lord wasn’t a human being.
By denying the historicity of the incarnation and hypostatic union of the eternal
Word of life, they were denying that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ or Messiah.
In contrast to these Gnostic claims, John demonstrates that he, the other
apostles and disciples knew the humanity of Christ in hypostatic union or in other
words, they knew the incarnate Word of life through experience. They heard Him
speak, they saw Him and touched His human body, thus their testimony
concerning the historicity of the incarnate Word of God refutes the Gnostic heresy.
concerning the Word of Life. (NASB95)
As was the case in John 1:1 and 14, “the Word” is the noun logos, which is
used here in 1 John 1:1 with reference to the Son of God and is used in this manner
in John 1:1. It does not emphasize the doctrine or teaching of Christ but rather His
deity.
The expression “the Word of life” is one of the many titles for the eternal Son
of God. It refers to the deity of Christ. Therefore, 1 John 1:1 clearly indicates that
the eternal Word of God, i.e. the Son of God became a human being and John, the
other apostles and disciples were eyewitnesses to this fact of history.
“Life” is the noun zoe, which denotes the Son of God’s attribute of eternal life.
This word functions grammatically, as a genitive of apposition or epexegetical
genitive where the substantive in the genitive case refers to the same thing as the
substantive to which it is related. The genitive of apposition typically states a
specific example that is a part of the larger category named by the head noun. It is
frequently used when the head noun is ambiguous or metaphorical.
Here the articular genitive form of the noun zoe, “of life” stands in apposition to
another articular genitive noun logos, “the Word.” The latter is ambiguous and
needs clarifying and can also be considered metaphorical as well whereas the
former states a specific example that is part of the larger category named by the
head noun logos. Therefore, instead of translating the genitive expression tou logou
tes zoes, “the Word of life,” we can translate it “the Word who is the life (of
God).”
This is not an objective genitive meaning “the word about life” since the
context is discussing a Person here, namely the Word of God, i.e. the Son of God
who became a human being.
This is not an attributive genitive meaning “the living Word” although this does
have parallel expressions in the Gospel of John such as “the bread of life” (i.e.
living bread). But this is not the case since the context indicates that John is
emphasizing both the nouns zoe and logos since he employs an articular
construction with each and in the very next parenthetical clause in verse 2 he uses
the articular construction of zoe without logos.
It makes more sense that this genitive is epexegetical indicating that it is simply
defining the noun logos meaning “the Word who is the life (of God).” Here in 1
John 1:1, John is emphasizing the eyewitness apostolic testimony concerning the
historicity of the incarnation and resultant hypostatic union.
Remember, the Cerinthian and Docetic Gnostic teaching prompted the prologue
and which teaching denied the humanity of the eternal Word of God, the Lord
Jesus Christ. John states that he heard, witnessed with his own eyes, observed,
even touched the human body of the incarnate Word of God. Furthermore, this
Jesus of Nazareth who we claim is the incarnate Word of God manifested the life
of God, which is eternal. The claims by these eyewitnesses that Jesus of Nazareth
was the incarnate Son of God were substantiated by the fact that He manifested the
life of God in both His words and actions.
Paul’s Teaching Concerning The Humanity Of Christ
Romans 1:3-4
In Romans 1:3-4, Paul identifies to his readers the subject of the epistle, who is
the Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 1:1 Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set
apart for the gospel of God, 2 which He promised beforehand through His
prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son, who was born of a
descendant of David according to the flesh. (NASB95)
The phrase “His (God’s) Son” emphasizes the deity of our Lord.
“Who was born” is the verb ginomai, which means, “to enter into a new
condition or state, to become something you weren’t before,” thus the word is used
of God the Son entering into the human condition through the virgin birth.
The phrase “a descendant of David according to the flesh” emphasizes the
human nature of Jesus Christ, which descended from King David. Together, this
phrase and “His Son” express the uniqueness of Jesus Christ as the God-Man,
which theologians define as the “hypostatic union” of Jesus Christ, which we will
note in the next chapter.
“According to” is the preposition kata, which in context denotes the
relationship between the human nature of Christ to His unique Person and means,
“with respect to.”
Jesus Christ Himself echoes this statement by Paul.
Revelation 22:16 “I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright
morning star.” (NASB95)
This is why He is identified in the Gospels as the “the Son of David” (Matt.
1:1; 20:30; Mark 10:47-48; Luke 1:32; 2 Tim. 2:8; Rev. 3:7; 5:5; 22:16), which is a
royal title referring to the fact that He is the Ruler of Israel (Matt. 1:1; 20:30; Mark
10:47-48; Luke 1:32; 2 Tim. 2:8; Rev. 3:7; 5:5; 22:16).
The expression “a descendant of David according to the flesh” also is a
reference to the “Davidic” covenant, which deals with the dynasty that will rule the
nation of Israel. It refers to God’s promise to David that a descendant of his would
sit on his throne forever, which will be literally fulfilled by Jesus Christ during His
millennial reign. (See 2 Samuel 7:16; Psalm 89:34-37).
“Christ” is proper name Christos, which is a technical word designating the
humanity of our Lord as the promised Savior for all mankind and signifies that He
is unique as the incarnate Son of God and totally and completely guided and
empowered by the Spirit as the Servant of the Father.
“Jesus” is the proper noun Iesou, which is the Greek spelling of the Hebrew
word Jehoshua meaning, “Jehovah saves,” and refers to the perfect human nature
of our Lord.
“Lord” is the noun kurios, which indicates the following: (1) Jesus of
Nazareth’s equality with the Father and the Spirit. (2) His joint-rulership with the
Father over the entire cosmos. (3) His highest ranking position as Chief
Administrator in the divine government. (4) His absolute sovereign authority as
Ruler over all creation and every creature. (5) His strategic victory over Satan and
the kingdom of darkness in the angelic conflict. In His deity, Jesus Christ is
“Lord” (See Luke 20:42), however in His human nature He received this title as a
result of His obedience to the Father’s will, which called for Him to suffer spiritual
death on the cross as a substitute for every member of the human race-past, present
and future (See Philippians 2:5-11).
Romans 8:3
The apostle Paul’s teaching in Romans 8:3 supports the doctrine of the
humanity of Jesus Christ.
“In the likeness of” is composed of the preposition en, “in” and the dative
neuter singular form of the noun homoioma, “the likeness of.”
Homoioma is “what is made similar, copy, like-shaped, likeness, image.” The
stress lies on correspondence and similarity with the reference to the concrete,
individual form.
The word appears six times in the Greek New Testament (Rom. 1:23; 5:14; 6:5;
8:3; Phil. 2:7; Rev. 9:7). The noun is used to indicate something that is similar,
though not necessarily identical, with something else, but resembles in some
important way that with which it is compared.

In context, the word in Romans 8:3 is used of Jesus Christ’s humanity, which
was similar to the rest of the human race but not identical since He was first of all,
God and also He did not have a sin nature and was sinless because He did not have
a human father that passed the sin nature down. Therefore, the noun homoioma
indicates that Jesus Christ did not have a sin nature and implies He did not have a
human father since the sin nature is passed down through sex.
Paul’s thought here is that the Son of God added to His deity a sinless human
nature. The noun homoioma maintains the sinless or impeccability of Jesus Christ
in the sense that in His human nature Jesus Christ was similar but not identical in
essence to the rest of humanity in that He was not only God but also did not
possess a sin nature and was therefore sinless.
In Romans 8:3, the noun homoioma functions as the object of the preposition
en, which functions as a marker of a state or condition indicating that the Son of
God was in the state or condition of being in the likeness of sinful humanity.
“In the flesh” is composed of the preposition en, “in” and the articular dative
feminine singular form of the noun sarx, “the flesh.” As was the case in John 1:14
and Romans 1:3 and Romans 8:3, the noun sarx, “flesh” refers to the human nature
of Jesus Christ.
The preposition en functions as a marker of means or the instrument employed
by the Father to execute the judgment against the sin nature. The noun sarx is a
“dative instrumental of means” indicating that the physical death of the human
nature of Jesus Christ was the “means by which” the Father executed the sin
nature. This indicates that the “physical death” of the impeccable human nature of
Jesus Christ in hypostatic union was the “means by which” God executed the sin
nature whereas His spiritual death dealt with the issue of personal sins.
In Romans 8:3, the apostle Paul is referring to the physical death of Jesus
Christ, which the Christian was identified with through the baptism of the Spirit,
which in turn delivers them or sets them free from the tyranny of the sin nature and
real spiritual death.
In Romans 8:3, the articular construction of the noun sarx functions as a
“possessive pronoun” meaning “His” and denotes that this human nature “belongs
to” Jesus Christ. This is further evidence that Jesus Christ has a human nature as
well as a divine nature.
Philippians 2:7-8
The apostle Paul in Philippians 2:7-8 teaches that Jesus Christ is not only the
Son of God but also a human being as well.

regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking
the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. (NASB95)
“Being made” is the verb ginomai, which refers to the virgin birth when God
the Son entered into a new condition, namely that of a human being. This word is
used of acquiring or experiencing a new state, i.e., a human nature through
physical birth. The verb means here to become something that you weren’t before.
It means to acquire and experience an existence that you did not possess or
experience before.
“In the likeness of men” is composed of the preposition en, “in” and the
locative singular neuter noun homoioma, “likeness,” and the masculine plural
genitive anthropos, “men.”
The preposition en is used here to denote a state of being or condition which
God the Son entered into at the virgin birth.
We saw the noun homoioma in Romans 8:3 where it was used in the same way
as here in Philippians 2:7. It is used of Jesus Christ’s humanity, which was similar
to the rest of the human race but not identical since He was first of all, God and
also He did not have a sin nature and was sinless because He did not have a human
father that passed the sin nature down. Therefore, the noun homoioma indicates
that Jesus Christ did not have a sin nature and implies He did not have a human
father since the sin nature is passed down by the male through sex.
Again Paul’s thought here in Philippians 2:7 as it was in Romans 8:3 is that the
Son of God added to His deity a sinless human nature. The noun homoioma
maintains the sinlessness or impeccability of Jesus Christ in the sense that in His
human nature Jesus Christ was similar but not identical in essence to the rest of
humanity in that He was not only God but also did not possess a sin nature and was
therefore sinless. We will note in detail the impeccability of our Lord in chapter
six.
Philippians 2:8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself
by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (NASB95)
“In appearance” is the noun schema, which is used of Christ comprising
everything in His human nature which strikes the senses, the figure, bearing,
discourse, actions, manner of life, etc. The word refers to the appearance of His
human nature. It signifies here His whole outward presentation to other men.
Trench writes, “Schema is His character, manner of life, dress, foot, posture,
speech, and actions. In these there was no difference between Jesus and other men”
(Trench Synonyms of the New Testament, page 276).
Vincent states that schema in our passage refers to “that which is purely
outward and appeals to the senses. The form of a servant is concerned with the fact
that the manifestation as a servant corresponded with the real fact that Christ came
as the servant of mankind. In the phrase in the likeness of men the thought is still
linked with that of His essential nature which rendered possible a likeness to men,
but not an absolute identity with men. In being found in fashion as a man the
thought is confined to the outward guise as it appealed to the sense of mankind.
Likeness states that the fact of real resemblance to men in mode of existence:
fashion defines the outward mode and form. As a man. Not being found a man:
not what He was recognized to be, but as a man, keeping up the idea of semblance
expressed in likeness” (Vincent Word Studies in the New Testament, volume 3,
The Epistles of Paul pages 434-435).
So schema refers to the humanity of Christ that is to say His outward
appearance, His behavior and conduct in the eyes of men, that which appealed to
the senses of mankind.
“Man” is the noun anthropos and denotes that the eternal Son of God was a
human being.
The statement “He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of
death, even death on a cross” is a further indication that Jesus Christ was a
human being since deity can not die, only humanity can.
In 1 Timothy 3:16, Paul teaches that it was a common belief throughout the
churches in the first century that the Son of God became a human being.
The statement “He who was revealed in the flesh” teaches that the Son of God
was manifested in a human being, Jesus Christ. The phrase “was vindicated in the
Spirit” denotes that Jesus Christ was proven to be the Son of God by the
omnipotence of the Holy Spirit through His miracles and of course resurrection.
Impeccability of Christ
The Scriptures clearly teach that Jesus Christ never committed an act of sin and
neither did He possess a sin nature.
John 8:46a “Which one of you convicts Me of sin?” (NASB95)
2 Corinthians 5:21 He (Christ) who never knew sin experientially (Christ
was impeccable), on behalf of us (as our Substitute), was made (the
representative of) sin in order that we might become the very righteousness of
God in Him. (Author’s translation)
Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize
with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are,
yet without sin. (NASB95)
Hebrew 7:26 For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy,
innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens.
(NASB95)

1 Peter 1:19 But with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and
spotless, the blood of Christ. (NASB95)
1 Peter 2:22 Who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His
mouth. (NASB95)
1 John 3:5 And you know that He appeared in order to take sins; and in
Him there is no sin. (NASB95)
Most orthodox theologians agree that Jesus Christ never committed an act of
sin. Walvoord writes, “This seems to be a natural corollary to His deity and an
absolute prerequisite to His work of substitution on the cross. Any affirmation of
moral failure on the part of Christ requires a doctrine of His person which would
deny in some sense His absolute deity” (The Person and Work of Christ Part VII,
The Impeccability of Christ).
There has been debate regarding whether the sinlessness of Christ was the same
as that of Adam before the fall or whether it possessed a unique character because
of His divine nature. Could the Son of God be tempted as Adam was tempted and
could He have sinned as Adam sinned? Was there any potential of Him sinning
once? Most theologians who are orthodox agree that Christ could be tempted
because of the presence of a human nature, but there is great division as to whether
being tempted He could have sinned or was there the potential of Him ever
sinning.
The term used to describe the teaching that there was a potential that Christ
could sin is called “peccability.” The term used to designate that there was never
any potential of Christ sinning is called the “impeccability” of Christ.
Both positions are in agreement that Christ did not sin. Both contend that Jesus
Christ is infinite and eternal God (John 1:1-2; John 8:58; 10:30a; Col. 2:9a; Rev.
1:8). They both agree that in His Deity, Jesus Christ always occupied a place of
equality and fellowship with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. They both
agree that as God, He is equal with the Father (John 10:30, 37-38; 14:9; 17:5, 24-
25).
Both views are in agreement that He has the same divine essence as God the
Father and God the Holy Spirit. They agree that our Lord possesses all the
attributes of deity: (1) Sovereignty (Matt. 28:18a; Col. 2:10b). (2) Perfect
righteousness (John 8:46a; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 7:26; 1 Pet. 2:22; 1 John 2:21b). (3)
Justice (John 8:16a; 2 Tim. 4:8; Ps. 9:8; Deut. 32:4; Rev. 15:3b). (4) Love (John
13:34; Rom. 5:8; Eph. 3:19; 1 John 4:9-10). (5) Eternal life (1 Tim. 1:17; 1 John
5:11). (6) Omniscience (Luke 11:17; John 2:24-25; John 6:64). (7) Omnipresence
(Matt. 18:20; Prov. 15:3) (8) Omnipotence (1 Cor. 1:23-24; Rev. 1:8). (9)
Immutability (Heb. 13:8). (10) Veracity (John 1:14; 14:6a).
Both views are in agreement that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Creator and
Sustainer of the universe (Col. 1:16-17), that He has authority to forgive sins
(Matt. 9:6). They agree that the Lord Jesus Christ has the power to raise the dead
(John 5:21; 6:40) and that all judgment belongs to Him (John 5:22), and that He
receives worship from both men and angels (Ps. 99:5; Phil. 2:10; Rev. 5:13-14).
Both views agree that the Lord Jesus Christ has a human body like ours but
without a sin nature (John 1:14; Heb. 10:5; 1 John 1:1; 1 John 4:2-3), that He has a
human soul (Matt. 26:38a; Isa. 53:11a) and a human spirit (Luke 23:46; John
13:21; 19:30).
In regards to our Lord’s humanity, both the peccable and impeccable view are
in agreement that our Lord was totally free from sin, which means He was perfect
or flawless. They both agree that Christ remained free from all three categories of
sin in the human race: (1) Old sin nature (2) Adam’s original sin (3) Personal sins.
These two views are in agreement that because of the virgin birth our Lord did
not have an old sin nature like every human being born in Adam. They agree that
He did not have an old sin nature because He did not have a human father (Luke
1:35). The peccability view and the impeccability view both agree that the Lord
Jesus Christ was found to be without sin in His humanity (John 8:46a; 2 Cor. 5:21;
Heb. 7:26; 1 Pet. 2:22; 1 John 3:5). They agree that in His humanity that our Lord
was tempted in all things as sinful humanity (Heb. 4:15). They agree that in His
humanity, He was tempted to act and live independently from God the Father’s
plan for His life (Luke 4:1-4; Matt. 16:21-23) and that He was tempted not to go to
the cross (Luke 22:39-44).
Therefore, both views are in agreement that our Lord did not sin, but the
peccability view contends that He could have sinned. They say that there was a
potential of Him sinning. While on the other hand, the impeccability view contends
that our Lord could never have sinned meaning there was absolutely no potential of
Him ever sinning once because He is the Son of God.
The impeccability position has been challenged. Can an impeccable person be
tempted in any proper sense? Since Christ had a human nature that was subject to
temptation, does this mean that He could have sinned? The point of view of those
who believe that Christ could have sinned is expressed by Charles Hodge, he
writes, “This sinlessness of our Lord, however, does not amount to absolute
impeccability. It was not a non potest peccare. If He was a true man, He must have
been capable of sinning. That He did not sin under the greatest provocations; that
when He was reviled He blessed; when He suffered He threatened not; that He was
dumb as a sheep before its shearers, is held up to us as an example. Temptation
implies the possibility of sin. If from the constitution of his person it was
impossible for Christ to sin, then his temptation was unreal and without effect and
He cannot sympathize with his people.” (Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, II,
457)

John Walvoord makes the following comment in response to Hodge, he writes,
“The problem that Hodge raises is very real, and, judging by our own experience,
temptation is always associated with peccability. Hodge, however, assumes certain
points in his argument which are subject to question. In order to solve the problem
as to whether Christ is peccable, it is necessary, first of all, to examine the
character of temptation itself to ascertain whether peccability is inevitably involved
in any real temptation and, second, to determine the unique factor in Christ, i.e.,
that He had two natures, one a divine nature and the other a sinless human nature.
It is generally agreed by those who hold that Christ did not commit sin that He had
no sin nature. Whatever temptation could come to Him, then, would be from
without and not from within. Whatever may have been the natural impulses of a
sinless nature which might have led to sin if not held in control, there was no sin
nature to suggest sin from within and form a favorable basis for temptation. It must
be admitted by Hodge, who denies impeccability, that in any case the temptation of
Christ is different than that of sinful men. Not only is there agreement on the fact
that Christ had no sin nature, but it is also agreed on the other hand, that as to His
person He was tempted. This is plainly stated in Hebrews: ‘For we have not a high
priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath
been in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin’ (4:15 ). It is also clear
that this temptation came to Christ in virtue of the fact that He possessed a human
nature, as James states: ‘Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God;
for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempteth no man’ (1:13 ). On
the one hand, Christ was tempted in all points except through that of a sin nature,
and on the other hand His divine nature could not be tempted because God cannot
be tempted. While His human nature is temptable, His divine nature is not
temptable. On these points all can agree. The question is, then, can such a person
as Christ is, possessing both human and divine natures, be tempted if He is
impeccable? The answer must be in the affirmative. The question is simply, is it
possible to attempt the impossible? To this all would agree. It is possible for a
rowboat to attack a battleship, even though it is conceivably impossible for the
rowboat to conquer the battleship. The idea that temptability implies susceptibility
is unsound. While the temptation may be real, there may be infinite power to resist
that temptation and if this power is infinite, the person is impeccable. It will be
observed that the same temptation which would be easily resisted by one of sound
character may be embraced by one of weak character. The temptation of a drunken
debauch would have little chance of causing one to fall who had developed an
abhorrence of drink, while a habitual drunkard would be easily led astray. The
temptation might be the same in both cases, but the ones tempted would have
contrasting powers of resistance. It is thus demonstrated that there is no essential
relation between temptability and peccability. Hodge’s viewpoint that temptation
must be unreal if the person tempted is impeccable is, therefore, not accurate.
Temptability depends upon a constitutional susceptibility to sin, whereas
impeccability depends upon omnipotent will not to sin.” (The Person and Work of
Jesus Christ Part VII: The Impeccability of Christ)
Shedd writes: “It is objected to the doctrine of Christ’s impeccability that it is
inconsistent with his temptability. A person who cannot sin, it is said, cannot be
tempted to sin. This is not correct; any more than it would be correct to say that
because an army cannot be conquered, it cannot be attacked. Temptability depends
upon the constitutional susceptibility, while impeccability depends upon the will.
So far as his natural susceptibility, both physical and mental, was concerned, Jesus
Christ was open to all forms of human temptation excepting those that spring out
of lust, or corruption of nature. But his peccability, or the possibility of being
overcome by those temptations, would depend upon the amount of voluntary
resistance which he was able to bring to bear against them. Those temptations were
very strong, but if the self-determination of his holy will was stronger than they,
then they could not induce him to sin, and he would be impeccable. And yet
plainly he would be temptable.” (William G. T. Shedd, Dogmatic Theology, II,
396)
The doctrine of the impeccability of Christ acknowledges the reality of the
temptations of Christ due to the fact that our Lord had a human nature which was
temptable. Our Lord might have sinned if His human nature had not been sustained
by His divine person, nature and sovereign will.
Adam sinned because he was not sustained by divine power, nor did he have a
divine nature to sustain him of course. However, there is absolutely no possibility
or potential that Christ could have sinned since He was infinite and eternal God,
having a divine nature and also having a sinless human nature as well.
Attributes Of Christ’s Deity Support Impeccability View
The concept of peccability in the person of Christ is refuted by the attributes of

immutability and omnipotence. For example, the immutability of Christ (Hebrews
13:8) supports the impeccability of Christ in the sense that since Christ was infinite
and eternal God in eternity past, it is absolutely essential that this divine attribute
as well His others be preserved unchanged eternally. Therefore, our Lord must be
impeccable since He is immutable. It is ridiculous to think that God could sin in
eternity past, thus, it was impossible for God to sin in the person of Christ
incarnate. The nature of His person forbids susceptibility to sin. To say that He
could have sinned, you would have to separate the deity of Christ from His
humanity.

Also, the omnipotence of Christ makes it impossible for Him to sin. We must
remember that peccability always implies weakness on the part of the one tempted
in the sense that He is weak to the extent that He can sin. However, with our Lord,
this was impossible. It is true that if the human nature of Christ was left to itself,
He would have been both peccable and temptable, but since His human nature was
permanently united to an omnipotent divine nature, this made our Lord
impeccable. The infinite quality of our Lord’s omnipotence makes it clear that
Christ is impeccable.
There Was Nothing In Christ’s Divine Or Human Nature That Would Be Attracted
To The Temptations of Satan To Sin
The debate surrounding peccability and impeccability is easily resolved by an

accurate understanding from the Scriptures of the Person of Christ and the nature
of His testings. As we have noted in chapter two, the Bible teaches that Jesus
Christ is infinite and eternal God (John 1:1-2; John 8:58; 10:30a; Col. 2:9a; Rev.
1:8). In His Deity, He always occupied a place of equality and fellowship with God
the Father and God the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus Christ as God was equal with
the Father (John 10:30, 37-38; 14:9; 17:5, 24-25). Therefore, as to His divine
nature, there is no inherent propensity for Him to sin. In other words, there is
nothing in the divine nature of Christ that could incite Him to sin. No temptation of
Satan would be attractive to Him since His divine nature would be repulsed by
anything that contradicted or rejected the will of the Father.
James 1:13a When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For
God cannot be tempted by evil.” (NASB95)
As we noted in chapter four, our Lord is a human being. The Word of God
teaches that He had a human body and now has resurrected human body. The
difference between Jesus Christ and the human race is that He did not have a sin
nature resident in the genetic structure of His human body (John 1:14; Heb. 10:5; 1
John 1:1; 1 John 4:2-3). Unlike the human race, Christ did not have a sin nature
and thus did not have an inherent propensity to sin like we do!
Therefore, since Jesus Christ is fully human, yet without a sin nature, as to His
human nature, there was no inherent propensity to sin just as there was no inherent
propensity to sin in His divine nature. In other words, there was nothing in His
human nature that would incite Him to sin because He did not have a sin nature.
Thus, if there was nothing in both His divine and human natures that could incite
Him to sin or tempt Him to sin, then, there could have been no possibility
whatsoever, that Christ could have sinned. There was nothing in His divine nature
that would be attracted to the temptations of the devil and likewise there was

nothing in His human nature that would be attracted to those temptations since He
did not have a sin nature.
The temptations that the Lord’s human nature had undergone were from
without. However, those temptations unlike the first Adam did not incite in Him
anything that could cause Him to sin since there was nothing in both His divine
and human natures that would be enticed to sin or attracted to the temptations of
the devil. Jesus Christ could always bring to bear His divine omnipotence that is
inherent in His deity to withstand any temptations.
There are some in Christianity who argue that God would be unfair to Satan in
his appeal trial if there was no possibility for Christ to sin. However, this view is
based upon a misunderstanding of God’s holiness, His justice and righteousness.
Matthew 25:41 teaches that God sentenced Satan to the Lake of Fire for his
rebellion. God would have been fair if He executed that sentence. However, in His
grace, He did not as evidenced by the fact that Satan is the god of the world
according to 2 Corinthians 4:4 and that he deceives the entire world according to 1
John 5:19 and Revelation 12:10.
To say that God would have been unfair to Satan if there was no possibility for
Christ to sin fails to recognize that God would have been fair to execute Satan’s
sentence immediately. The fact that God did not execute the sentence immediately
indicates that God was operating in grace towards Satan. To say that in order to be
fair to Satan that there had to be a possibility that Christ could sin is to call into
question God’s justice and righteousness, His integrity since God did not have to
prove His fairness to His creatures since He would have been fair in the first place
to execute Satan’s sentence immediately.
What God was doing for Satan and the angels was demonstrating His grace and
love towards them by not executing their sentence immediately. Therefore, the
argument that it would have been unfair to Satan if there was no possibility of
Christ sinning is a faulty argument that in fact attacks God’s integrity and
character.
Also, the fact that Christ did die on the Cross for sinners in obedience to the
Father’s will demonstrated the righteousness of God itself and that God is integrity
(Romans 3:21-26; 5:6-8)! To say that God demonstrated His integrity through the
potential of Christ sinning is without Scriptural basis. However, the fact that Christ
dying on the Cross for sinners demonstrated God’s justice and righteousness does
have wealth of Scripture to support it.
Condescension or Kenosis of Christ?
I’ve chosen this title because we will discuss a controversial passage, namely
Philippians 2:7, which depending on your own your interpretation of the verb
kenoo, which appears in this passage, affects how we view the incarnate Son of
God. Some interpret this verb as indicating that our Lord emptied Himself of His
divine attributes, while others state He voluntary denied Himself of His divine
attributes as a human being. These represent the liberal and conservative views of
what we call in theology the “kenosis” of Christ. However, others contend that this
verb is simply presenting to us the condescension of our Lord. The latter is the
view of this writer.
One of the most controversial subjects concerning the person of our Lord is the
“kenosis” of Christ. “Kenotic” theology is a theology that focuses on the person of
Christ in terms of some form of self-limitation by the preexistent Son in his
becoming man.” (Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Second Edition, Edited by
Walter A. Elwell, page 651; Baker Academic; Grand Rapids, Michigan)
The origins of “kenotic” theology began in Germany with a German Lutheran
theologian named Gottfried Thomasius (1802-75). The major concern that brought
about this theology was to find a way of understanding the person of Christ that
allowed his full humanity to be adequately expressed (ibid, page 651). In other
words, how do we explain the full humanity of Christ since the Gospels portray our
Lord as a real human being with human limitations such as hunger and thirst?
Secondly, another concern of the kenotic theologians was to affirm that God truly
was in Christ. In other words, how do we explain that God was truly in Christ and
maintain His being one person when the gospels teach that He had to learn yet at
the same time, as God, He was omniscient? Is He not two persons? Thirdly,
kenotic theology sought to address a specific concern, namely that, if Jesus of
Nazareth was both omniscient God and limited man, then did He not have two
centers of consciousness?
Consequently, all of these concerns led to kenotic theologies in various forms.
“All forms of classical orthodoxy either explicitly reject or reject in principle
kenotic theology. This is because God must be affirmed to be changeless; any
concept of the incarnation that would imply change would mean that God would
cease to be God.” (Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Second Edition, Edited by
Walter A. Elwell, page 651; Baker Academic; Grand Rapids, Michigan)
Rodney Decker, the Assistant Professor of New Testament at Baptist Bible
Seminary in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania lists the various forms of kenotic
theology, he writes: “Less conservative views: (1) Christ had a human soul, to
which the Logos imparted his divinity, little-by-little until he became completely
divine. (= gradual incarnation, Dorner, who was an opponent of the Kenotic
theologians) (2) Laid aside his deity which was then restored at the ascension
(Gess and Beecher, cf. summary in Hodge, ST, 2:435 f). Takes morphe as = divine
nature &/or essence. This is also referred to as “incarnation by divine suicide.” (3)
‘Abandoned certain prerogatives of the divine mode of existence in order to
assume the human,’ e.g., omniscience; morphe is defined as God’s ‘permanent
characteristics’ (Gore, The Incarnation of Son/God, 170f). Others explain that he
surrendered the external, physical attributes of omniscience, though retaining the
attributes of love and truth (A. M. Fairbairn, The Place of Christ…, 475–78). This
was also held by Thomasius (Hodge, ST, 2:434), Delitzsch, and H. Crosby. (4) He
lived a double life from two, non-communicating life centers. As God, he
continued his trinitarian and providential existence, and as man he was united with
a human nature. He did not know consciously anything of his divine, Trinitarian
existence (Martensen; cf. Berkhouwer [?], 328). (5) He disguised his deity and
attributes, not by giving them up, but by limiting them to a time-form appropriate
to a human mode of existence (eternal form > temporal form). His attributes could
only be expressed in relation to the (human) time and space that his human form
could experience (Ebrard; cf. A. B. Bruce, Humiliation of Christ, 152ff).
More conservative views: (1) ‘Old Orthodoxy’ (Strong’s desig., ST, 704) He
gave up the use of the attributes (cf. Carson, FD&FPJ, 35). (2) He acted as if he did
not possess divine attributes (Anselm). (3) He gave up the independent exercise of
the divine attributes (Strong, ST, 703). (a) He did not give up the attributes nor
their use. (b) He only exercised the divine attributes as directed by the Holy Spirit
for the purpose of his Messianic/Redemptive mission. morphe = ‘that independent
exercise of powers and prerogatives of Deity which constitutes his ‘equality with
God’ (Strong, ST, 706). (4) He limited himself to the voluntary non-use of the
attributes (Walvoord, JCL, 143–44, although he also uses the phrase ‘independent
exercise of attributes’ in his summary!). (5) D. A. Carson (FD&FPJ, 37) modifies:
‘abandoned some substantial measure of independence in the use of his divine
prerogatives.’” (Philippians 2:5-11, The Kenosis, pages 2-3)
As noted earlier, the passage of Scripture that this subject revolves around is
Philippians 2:7.
Philippians 2:7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant,
and being made in the likeness of men. (NASB95)
“Emptied” is the third person singular aorist active indicative form of the verb
kenoo. Kenotic theology spawned from this verb in Philippians 2:7. In this passage,
this verb is employed with the reflexive pronoun heautou, “Himself.”
The verb’s usage goes back to the fifth century B.C. during the Age of Pericles
of Athens. The word was used by the Herodotus, Thucydides, Hippocrates, Plato,
Aeschylus, Josephus and Philo.
Liddell and Scott list the following meanings of the word in classical literature:
(1) “To empty” (2) “To be emptied, to be made or left empty” (3) “To desert a
place” (4) “To empty be depletion, to evacuate” (5) “To make away with” (6) “To
expend” (7) “To waste away, shrivel” (8) “To make empty (metaphorically), to
make void or of no effect.”
Albrecht Oepke list the following meanings of the word in his research: (1) “To
make empty” (2) “To deprive of content or possession,” mostly with a genitive of
object more rarely of person, or absolute. (3) “To empty” (medically) (4) “To be
desolate” (passive) (5) “To nullify, destroy” (6) “To come to nothing” (passive)
(Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, volume 3, page 661).
Louw and Nida list the following meanings for the verb (Greek-English
Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains, volume 2): (1) To
take away the power or significance of something – ‘to cause to lose power, to
cause to be emptied of power, to make powerless’ (page 683). (2) To completely
remove or eliminate elements of high status or rank by eliminating all privileges or
prerogatives associated with such status or rank – ‘to empty oneself, to divest
oneself of position’ (page 740).
Literature-Third Edition lists the following meanings for the word: (1) to make
empty, to empty (a) of desertion by an earthly spirit (b) divestiture of position and
prestige: of Christ who gave up the appearance of his divinity and took on the form
of a slave (2) to cause to be without result of effect, destroy, render void, or of no
effect (Page 539).
There are only two instances of kenoo in the Septuagint (Greek translation of
the Hebrew Bible) (Jer. 14:2; 15:9). The Hebrew equivalent in each case is the
pulal of àmal, “to waste away, languish.”
Jeremiah 14:2 The people of Judah are in mourning. The people in her
cities are pining away. They lie on the ground expressing their sorrow. Cries
of distress come up to me from Jerusalem. (NET Bible)
Jeremiah 15:9 “The mother who had seven children will grow faint. All the
breath will go out of her. Her pride and joy will be taken from her in the
prime of their life. It will seem as if the sun had set while it was still day. She
will suffer shame and humiliation. I will cause any of them who are still left
alive to be killed in war by the onslaughts of their enemies, says the Lord.”
(NET Bible)
The word appears fives times in the Greek New Testament (Rom. 4:14; 1 Cor.
1:17; 9:15; 2 Cor. 9:3; Phil. 2:7). It is found exclusively in the Pauline corpus.
Romans 4:14 For if they become heirs by the law, faith is empty and the
promise is nullified. (NET Bible)
1 Corinthians 1:17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the
gospel – and not with clever speech, so that the cross of Christ would not
become useless. (NET Bible)
1 Corinthians 9:15 But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not
writing these things so that something will be done for me. In fact, it would be

better for me to die than – no one will deprive me of my reason for boasting!
(NET Bible)
2 Corinthians 9:3 But I am sending these brothers so that our boasting
about you may not be empty in this case, so that you may be ready just as I
kept telling them. (NET Bible)
Philippians 2:7 but emptied himself by taking on the form of a slave, by
looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature. (NET Bible)
The New Testament uses the verb kenoo in a literal and metaphorical sense. In
Philippians 2:7, the literal sense of “emptied himself” appears in the RSV, NSRV,
NET Bible and the NASB. However, the metaphorical sense of “made himself
nothing” appears in the NIV and ESV. The KJV and NKJV interpret a
metaphorical sense for the verb by rendering it “made himself of no reputation.”
The literal translation is incorrect and inaccurate since our Lord did not empty
Himself of anything during His incarnation since He was still God according to
Philippians 2:6.
“In the form of God” is the prepositional phrase en morphe theou, which refers
to the fact that Jesus Christ has a divine essence or nature. The expression to einai
isa theo, “equality with God” also affirms the deity of our Lord and explicitly
teaches that Jesus Christ is God, equal to the Father and the Spirit. This expression
should be translated “existing equally in essence with God.” Therefore, we can see
that the expressions “form of God” and “equality with God” affirm the deity of
Jesus Christ.
Now, the translation “emptied himself” in Philippians 2:7 is not only
inaccurate because our Lord did not empty Himself of anything but also because it
conveys the idea that our Lord emptied Himself of His divine attributes or deity.
This view is totally false since to say that Christ emptied Himself of His divine
attributes is to say that He ceased to be God.
Philippians 2:7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant,
and being made in the likeness of men. (NASB95)
Also, notice that the text of Philippians 2:7 says absolutely nothing about His
divine attributes. Thus, to say that the verb kenoo refers to the fact that Jesus
voluntarily denied Himself the use of His divine attributes or restricted their use as
Walvoord states, is in error. Nor, does the text say that our Lord abandoned some
substantial measure of independence in the use of his divine prerogatives as Carson
contends. The reason both views are incorrect is that the text does not say anything
about His attributes. Therefore, the translation to “deny Himself” would be
incorrect.

The context tells us that the metaphorical sense of kenoo is being used by Paul
in Philippians 2:7 and not the literal sense. There are two participial clauses that
follow this verb that make clear that the verb should be rendered “He made himself
nothing” or “of no reputation.”
The first participle clause is morphe doulou labon, which is translated by the
NASB “taking the form of a bond-servant” and “taking the very nature of a
servant” by the NIV and “by taking on the form of a slave” by the NET Bible.
The second is en homoiomati anthropon genomenos, which is rendered by the
NASB “being made in the likeness of men” and “being made in human
likeness” by the NIV and “by looking like other men” by the NET Bible.
The participle form of the verbs lambano, “taking” and ginomai, “being made”
are what we call in Greek grammar a “participle of means” meaning that they
indicate the means by which the action of a finite verb is accomplished. These two
words are defining the verb kenoo, which is vague and begs to be defined.
Therefore, these two participial clauses that are formed by these two verbs are
presenting to the reader “the means by which” the Son of God “made Himself
nothing” or of “no reputation.” Thus, the NET Bible captures the idea of the
participles better than the other translations. So Paul is teaching us that God the
Son made Himself of nothing or inconsequential or of no significance or we could
say of no reputation by “by having assumed the essence of a slave by being born in
the likeness of men.” (Author’s translation)
So we can see that in actuality the verb kenoo in Philippians 2:7 is not referring
to our Lord’s divine attributes but rather it is pointing to His human nature. The
statements “taking the form of a bond-servant” and “being made in the likeness
of men” are obvious references to our Lord’s human nature. Both are connected to
the verb kenoo since the verb lambano, “taking” and ginomai, “being made” are
participle of means meaning that they are indicating the means which the action of
the verb kenoo is accomplished! This means that our Lord made Himself nothing
or of no reputation by becoming a servant and being made in the likeness of men,
though He had no sin nature like other men.
Our Lord made Himself nothing in the sense that through His human nature and
servanthood, He veiled from the rest of sinful humanity, His divine nature. This in
turn resulted in the removal from the view of the rest of sinful humanity, all the
elements of His high status and rank as the Son of God. Through His human nature
and servanthood, He eliminated from the view of the rest of sinful humanity all the
privileges and prerogatives associated with His status or rank as the Son of God.
He was still exercising His attributes during His incarnation but not in the presence
or full view of the human race except when it was according to the Father’s will to
do so such as in His transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-3).

Matthew 17:1 Six days later Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John
the brother of James, and led them privately up a high mountain. 2 And he
was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes
became white as light. (NET Bible)
Therefore, we can see that the Lord Jesus Christ did not empty Himself of
anything. He certainly did not empty Himself of His divine attributes since the text
of Philippians 2:6-8 does not say this. In fact, as we noted earlier, the text says
nothing about His divine attributes. However, the text does say that God the Son
made Himself nothing or of no consequence or of no reputation in the eyes of men
by assuming the essence of a slave and by becoming a human being.
In this condition, He did not (not could not) manifest His divine nature. It was
veiled. He still possessed this divine nature even though He added to this divine
nature, a human nature. He did not cease to be God as a human being. His human
nature and servanthood served as a temporary veil for His divine nature.
God the Son humbled Himself by assuming the nature of a slave and a slave’s
existence revolves around serving others. God the Son humbled Himself by being
born in the likeness of humanity. The Lord Jesus Christ did not assert His
superiority over members of the human race in order to benefit Himself but rather
chose not to assert His superiority over members of the human race in order to
serve them.
Humility is choosing not to assert an easily demonstrated superiority over
others. Arrogance seeks to assert an easily demonstrated superiority over others.
Paul uses this text in Philippians 2:6-8 to impress upon the Philippian church to be
humble and serve each other just as their Lord humbled Himself by becoming a
human being and making Himself of no consequence to serve sinful mankind by
dying for their sins.
Therefore, the verb kenoo in Philippians 2:7 presents to us the “condescension”
of our Lord. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (11th Edition) defines the
term “voluntary descent from one’s rank or dignity in relations with an inferior.” If
we paraphrase this definition and apply it to this verb kenoo in Philippians 2:7, we
can see that this verb depicts the condescension of our Lord in that He voluntarily
descended from His rank and dignity as sovereign God by making Himself nothing
or of no reputation or consequence in the eyes of the human race by becoming a
human being and a servant at that in order to die for the sins of the world.

Chapter Six: Second Christocentric Dispensation: Church
In the New Testament the term “church” translates the noun ekklesia, which
was employed to designate the following regarding this group of believers who are
in union with Christ by virtue of the Baptism of the Spirit: (1) Local assembly of
believers in a city or town. (2) Universal assembly of believers living throughout
the world.
The term “church” in the New Testament designates a totally unique group of
believers who at the moment of conversion were called out of the cosmic system of
Satan and were placed into union with the Lord Jesus Christ through the baptism of
the Spirit. Consequently, they have been provided with totally unique privileges
and opportunities to glorify God.
This term “church” is synonymous with other terms in the New Testament,
which also designate this same group of believers, e.g., citizens of heaven, body of
Christ, bride of Christ, branches, kingdom of priests, stones of the building, etc.
This group of believers was first prophesied by our Lord in Matthew 16:18. They
are totally unique by virtue of what God has provided them under His policy of
grace. They are the beneficiaries of at least sixty things at the moment of
conversion. Therefore, the church age is called the “dispensation of grace” (Eph.
3:2). It began ten days after the Lord Jesus Christ's resurrection.
The dispensation of the church age is divided into two categories: (1) Pre-
Canon: Before the New Testament was completed (Book Acts 30-96 A.D.) (2)
Post-Canon: After the New Testament was completed (Epistles of New Testament
96 A.D.-Rapture).
The church age ends with a resurrection just as the dispensation of the
hypostatic union. It is a unique dispensation because it is between the first two
resurrections in history. The resurrection of the church is called by many as “the
rapture.”
Classical Usage of Ekklesia
The noun ekklesia is a compound word composed of the following: (1)

Preposition ek, “out from.” (2) Verb kaleo, “to call.” As a secular term, he ekklesia
was a technical term for the lawful assembly of free Greek citizens met to transact
public affairs. That they were summoned is expressed in the verb kaleo and the
preposition ek indicates that they were summoned out of the whole population as a
select portion that included neither the populace, strangers, nor those who had
forfeited their civic rights. Both the calling and the calling out are the distinctives
that make the word well adapted for its new Christian usage.

The word was used in classical literature for the summons to the army to
assemble. It is attested from Eurpides and Herodotus onwards (5th century B.C.)
and denotes in the usage of antiquity the popular assembly of the competent full
citizens of the polis, “city.” It reached its greatest importance in the 5th century and
met at regular intervals (in Athens about 30-40 times a year, elsewhere less
frequently) and also in cases of urgency as an extra-ordinary ekklesia. Its sphere of
competence included decisions on suggested changes in the law (which could only
be effected by the council of the 400), on appointments to official positions and-at
least in its heyday-on every important question of internal and external policy
(contracts, treaties, war and peace, finance). To these was added in special cases
(e.g. treason) the task of sitting in judgment, which as a rule fell to regular courts.
The ekklesia opened with prayers and sacrifices to the gods of the city. It was
bound by the existing laws.
Every citizen had the right to speak and to propose matters for discussion, but a
proposition could only be dealt with if there was an expert opinion on the matter
(Aristotle Ath. Pol. 45). A decision was only valid if it won a certain number of
votes. Authorization to participate, and the methods of summoning the assembly
and of voting-by show of hands in Athens (Aristotle Ath. Pol., 45), by acclaim
(Thuc. 1.87), by ballot sheets or stones (Xenophon Hell. 1.7.9)-were strictly
regulated, as was the control of the assembly, which originally lay with the
president of the Prytaneis and from the 4th century B.C. with a college of nine.
Thus, ekklesia, centuries before the LXX and the New Testament was clearly
characterized as a political phenomenon, repeated according to certain rules and
within a certain framework.
It was the assembly of full citizens, functionally rooted in the constitution of the
democracy, an assembly in which fundamental political and judicial decisions were
taken. The scope of its competence varied in the different states. The word ekklesia
throughout the Greek and Hellenistic areas, always retained its reference to the
assembly of the polis. In only three exceptional cases was it used for the business
meeting of a cultic guild. Otherwise it was never used for guilds or religious
fellowships. The Greeks had a well developed vocabulary to describe their
religious gatherings and offerings. Most of these terms are not found in the New
Testament. Ekklesia was used in a very restricted sense while sunagoge was used
especially for the cultic gatherings and various offerings to the pagan deities.
Septuagint Usage of Ekklesia
The noun ekklesia occurs about 100 times, of which 22 are in the Apocrypha
and a further 3 have no Hebrew equivalent. It represents exclusively the Hebrew
qahal (including once each for 4 derivatives of the root). On the other hand, it is
striking that the Hebrew word is not always rendered by ekklesia. In Genesis,
Leviticus and Numbers for example qahal is translated 21 times by synagoge, and
of the 15 passages in Ezekiel ekklesia appears only in Ezekiel 32:23 and never in
the 5 passages in Jeremiah. Instead, sunagoge along with ochlos, “crowd” (eg. Jer.
31:8; Ezek. 16:40; 17:17) or plethos, “multitude” (Ex. 12:6; 2 Ch. 31:18) are used.
Ekklesia did not pass immediately from the heathen world to the Christian
church; the LXX supplied the point of transition. When the Alexandrian translators
undertook the rendering of the Hebrew Scriptures, they found 2 constantly
recurring words: (1) Edah (2) Qahal.
For these they employed their most adequate Greek equivalents: (1) Sunagoge
(2) Ekklesia. This is the rule they seem to have followed: to render edah for the
most part by sunagoge and never by ekklesia. Where ekklesia is used in the LXX
for qahal, it indicates the assembly of the people or a judicial assembly (e.g. Deut.
9:10; 23:3 ff.; Jdg. 21:5, 8; Mic. 2:5), the political body (e.g., the returned exiles
Ezr. 10:8, 12; Neh. 8:2, 17). It also indicates, especially in the Chronicler, the
assembly of the people for worship (e.g. 2 Chr. 6:3 at the consecration of the
temple; 30:2, 4, 13, 17 at Hezekiah’s Passover; cf. also Joel 2:16 and several times
in the Ps. e.g. 21.
Nevertheless, even in these instances (even though, unlike Deut. 23:2, 3, 4, 9,
Mic. 2:5, and Jdg. 20:2, the gen. Kuriou, of the Lord, or tou theou, of God, is not
added) ekklesia is only used where it is a question of the people as God’s
assembly, characterized by having answered Yahweh’s call. The noun ekklesia was
used in the LXX primarily as an equivalent to qahal, a term which to some degree
was itself a particular group within the people of God, even when it was translated
by sunagoge. Ekklesia was used only infrequently for non-religious assemblies
and it was never used for a pagan religious gathering.
New Testament Usage of Ekklesia
The term ekklesia is employed 114 times in the New Testament. It appears only
3 times in the Gospels (Mt. 16:18; 18:17 twice). The word occurs most frequently
in the Pauline epistles. In the overwhelming majority of the New Testament
passages, ekklesia is used as a fixed Christian term and is to be translated with
congregation or congregational assembly or church.
Early Christianity did not conceive of ekklesia primarily as an organizational,
but rather as a theological entity. The ekklesia universalis is neither a secondary
union made up of individual autonomous churches, nor is the local congregation
only an organizational sub-unit of the total church. Rather, both the local assembly
of Christians and the trans-local community of believers are equally legitimate
forms of the ekklesia created by God.
Ekklesia, wherever it appears by itself as an ecclesiological term, is to be
understood as an abbreviation of the original term ekklesia tou theou, “the church
of God.”
The New Thayer’s Greek Lexicon lists the following meanings for the word
(pages 195-196): (1) A gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some
public place; an assembly (2) Among the Greeks from Thucydides down, an
assembly of the people convened at the public place of council for the purpose of
deliberating (3) In the LXX often equivalent to qahal, the assembly of the
Israelites (4) Any gathering or throng of men assembled by chance or tumultuously
(5) In the Christian sense: an assembly of Christians gathered for worship; a
company of Christians, or of those who, hoping for eternal salvation through Jesus
Christ, observe their own religious rites, hold their own religious meetings, and
manage their own affairs according to regulations prescribed for the body for
order’s sake; those who anywhere, in city or village, constitute such a company
and are united into one body; the whole body of Christians scattered throughout the
earth; collectively, all who worship and honor God and Christ in whatever place
they may be.
Bauer, Gingrich and Danker list the following meanings (A Greek-English
Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature pages 240-
241): (1) Assembly, as a regularly summoned political body (2) Assemblage,
gathering, meeting (3) The congregation of the Israelites, especially gathered for
religious purposes (4) Of the Christian church or congregation (5) A church
meeting (6) The church or congregation as the totality of Christians living in one
place (7) Of house-churches (8) The church universal, to which all believers
belong (9) The local church
Louw and Nida lists the following (Greek-English Lexicon of the New
Testament Based on Semantic Domains volume 2): (1) A congregation of
Christians, implying interacting membership – ‘congregation, church’ (page 126).
(2) The totality of congregations of Christians – ‘church’ (page 127). (3) A group
of citizens assembled for socio-political activities – ‘assembly, gathering’ (page
133).
The use of ekklesia became more widespread than sunagoge as the church
rooted itself more predominately in the soil of the secular world, breaking away
from its Jewish stock and stem.
The use of sunagoge in the early first century church declined because it was
permanently associated with the dispensation of the client nation of Israel, while
the use of ekklesia increased, not only because it was already familiar but also
because it had an honorable meaning in Greek culture. After the period of the exile
it was the synagogue, which dominated the religious life of the Jews. It was in the
Greek Diaspora that the synagogue became accepted as the new designation for the
èdhah. The name applied not only to the house of the synagogue but to the
congregation of the synagogue as well.
Having this background in mind, it is very interesting that the Gentile Christian
congregations did not use the designation of synagogue for their signification. The
members of these first Christian congregations came in a large degree from the
Jewish synagogues, which consisted of both Jews and proselytes. These believers
claim to represent the true Jewish religion (Rm. 2:28-29) and the true Israel of God
(Rm. 9:6) since they were regenerate. Although these ancient Christian
congregations were patterned primarily after the Jewish synagogues, they avoided
using the term synagogue.
In fact, the term synagogue is used only one time in the New Testament as a
designation for a Christian congregation (Jms. 2:2) since James was speaking
exclusively to regenerate Jews. The first and 2nd century Christians did not employ
synagogue as a term to describe themselves in order to avoid being identified with
the client nation of Israel since the latter belong to an entirely different
dispensation. In the Roman Empire the synagogues stood as symbols of Jewish law
and religion, and the new Christian religion. However, Christian congregations
avoided association with this term. Instead, they adopted the term ekklesia, which
had fallen out of usage in Jewish circles. As well as avoiding associations with the
Jewish religion, the Christians also chose ekklesia as a way of distancing
themselves from the terms utilized by the pagan Greek cults. Here a multitude of
terms would have been at the disposal of the ancient Christians.
Secular Gentile authors such as Lucian and Celsus did, however, identify the
Christians congregations by the pagan term thiasos. More amazing than this
though, the early Church historian Eusebius also used the term for the Church.
Therefore, the term ekklesia was employed by the New Testament writers as a
technical term to designate a totally unique group of believers who at the moment
of conversion were called out of the cosmic system of Satan and were placed into
union with the Lord Jesus Christ through the baptism of the Spirit and as a result
have been provided with totally unique privileges and opportunities to glorify God.
Day of Pentecost and the Baptism of the Spirit
The church age began with the baptism of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost.
During the dispensation of the church age when a sinner exercises faith alone in
Christ alone, the omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit places that person in a eternal
union with Christ, thus identifying the believer positionally with Christ in His
crucifixion, death, resurrection and session. This results in making the believer a
permanent member of the royal family of God, a new spiritual species and
eternally secure (Mark 16:16; John 7:37-39; 14:20; Acts 1:5; 2:1-4; Rom. 6:3-5; 1
Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:26-28; Eph. 4:5; Col. 2:11-13; 1 Pet. 3:21). This is called the
“baptism of the Spirit.”
To be identified with Christ means that the Holy Spirit has made the justified
sinner identical and united with the Lord Jesus Christ and also means that the Spirit
ascribes to the believer the qualities and characteristics of the Lord Jesus Christ.
This does not mean that the believer becomes the second person of the Trinity, but
rather it means that God views the believer has having been crucified, died and
buried with Christ two thousand years ago as well as raised and seated with Him.
The baptism of the Spirit results in positional sanctification and the potential to
experience sanctification in time and the promise of ultimate sanctification at the
resurrection of the church.
This ministry of the Spirit never took place before the day of Pentecost in June
of 32 A.D. and will not take place after the rapture of the church. The completion
of the royal family of God at the rapture will mark the end of the baptism of the
Spirit. The baptism of the Spirit distinguishes the church age from other
dispensations. There was no church before the baptism of the Spirit.
There are seven baptisms in the Word of God: (1) Baptism of John (2) Baptism
of Jesus (3) Christian water baptism in the pre-canon period of the church age (4)
Baptism of Moses (5) Baptism of the Cross (6) Baptism of Fire (7) Baptism of the
Spirit.
Vocabulary
There are two important words in the Greek New Testament that related to the
doctrine of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. They are baptisma, “baptism” and the
verb baptizo, “baptized.”
The verb baptizo belong to the following word group: (1) Bapto (verb), “to dip,
to dye, to stain, to wet, to moisten” (2) Baptisma (noun), “identification” (3)
Baptismos (noun), “the ritual washing of cups, utensils, bowls.”
The verb bapto is seldom found in the Greek New Testament but is found
extensively in classical and Hellenistic writings. Homer, Aeschylus, Euripides,
Aristotle, Sophocles, Euripides, Epictectus, Aristophanes, all used the verb bapto.
It is used 16 times in the Septuagint and is found once in Luke 16:24, twice in John
13:26, and once in Revelation 19:13. It has many diverse meanings and usages
during the classical and Hellenistic periods.
Bapto is never used to put an object into a fluid to remain there permanently or
for an unlimited amount of time. Nor is it used to draw up anything out of a liquid,
which it had not first put into it.
There are two categorical usages from which there are several modifications,
namely, primary and secondary usages. Bapto in its primary usage expresses a
sharply defined action. It demands a movement, which carries its object
momentarily, within a fluid element. Examples: “if any one should dip into wax”
(Aristotle, On the Soul, 3.12) and “He dipped a vessel into water” (Constantine,
Epigr of Hermolaus).
From this primary usage, bapto can mean, “to wet, to moisten, to wash, to
plunge.” In the ninth book of the Odyssey, Homer uses the word to compare the
hissing sound of Cyclops punctured eye with the sound cold water makes when a
blacksmith plunges (bapto) a red hot iron into it (Od. 9, 392).
The secondary usage means, “to dye.” Examples: “When it drops upon the
garments they are dyed” (Hippocrates). Bapto in its secondary usage expresses a
condition or quality of color to be secured. Bapto in its secondary usage demands a
condition, which is met by flowing, pouring, or sprinkling. From this secondary
usage, bapto can mean, “to stain, to smear, to paint, to temper, to impregnate, to
make gold or inlay with gold.”
Out of this secondary usage of the verb bapto grew baptizo. Homer, Aristotle,
Plutarch, Polybius, Epictectus, Hippocrates, Aristophanes, Strabo, Josephus and
Philo all used baptizo. It is only found four times in the Septuagint and many times
in the Greek New Testament.
Baptizo has many diverse meanings and usages in the classical and Hellenistic
periods. Its primary usage can also be called its literal usage and its secondary
usage can also be called its metaphorical or figurative usage.
Baptizo is the intensified form of bapto. The suffix -izo introduces a causative
notion to bapto. Baptizo refers to that which literally “causes a thoroughly
complete change of condition or permanent change of condition.”
The literal usage refers to an object’s thoroughly changed condition that has
been brought about by the object being introduced into some new circumstance.
Baptizo in its primary or literal usage refers to placing an object in any fluid that
could change the object’s condition without respect to time. After the object’s
condition has been changed, the enveloping fluid has no further power to effect
additional change on the object.
In the literal or physical sense baptizo refers to that which is destructive for
persons and for things and this is why it is not found in classical writings of ritual
bathes.
The literal usages of the word are “to immerse, to plunge, to submerge, to wash,
to make clean by dipping in water, to bath oneself, to drown, to perish, to sink a
ship, to sink in the mud.”
Example 1: “We all, therefore, changed our position to the higher parts of the
ship, so that we might raise up the baptized part of the ship” (Achilles Tatius 3.1).

Example 2: “Alexander, falling upon the stormy season, and trusting,
commonly, to fortune, pressed on before the flood went out, and through the entire
day the army marched baptized up to the waist” (Strabo, 14.3.9).
Baptizo developed a secondary or metaphorical usage from this primary or
literal usage. In its secondary or metaphorical usage, baptizo referred to being
placed into an element that could effect a thoroughly changed or permanently
changed condition without regard to time. It refers to a condition that results from
baptism and to the cause of that condition, regardless of the way in which the
condition is affected.
The metaphorical usage of the word is “to overwhelm, to inflict great and
abounding calamities on someone, to be overwhelmed with faults, desires,
sicknesses, magical arts, to sink into sleep, intoxication, impotence, to flood a city
with crowds, to be soaked in wine, to be over one’s head and ears in debt, to be in
deep water, i.e., trouble, to draw wine by dipping a cup in a bowl.”
The Greek author and soldier, Xenophon in his work Anabasis describes Greek
and barbarian soldiers before going into battle placing (baptizo) the points of their
swords and spears in a bowl of blood, which symbolized or represented the blood
of their enemy.
The Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised lists the following meanings for the
verb, “to dip, immerse; to cleanse or purify by washing; to administer the rite of
baptism, to baptize; metaphorically with various reference to the ideas associated
with Christian baptism as an act of dedication, e.g. marked designation, devotion,
trial, etc; middle, to procure baptism for one’s self, to undergo baptism.” (Page 65)
A Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament and Other Early Christian
Literature lists the following meanings, “dip, immerse, mid. Dip oneself, wash,
plunge, sink, drench, overwhelm; fig. soak.”
They list the following usages: (1) of Jewish ritual washings (2) in special sense
baptize (a) of John the Baptist (b) of Christian baptism-performed by Jesus’
disciples. As the sacrament of initiation after Jesus’ death (3) In figurative sense
though related to the idea of Christian baptism (a) Typologically of Israel’s
passage through the Red Sea (1 Cor. 10:2). (b) Baptism of fire (c) Of martyrdom
(pages 131-132).
The New Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon lists the following meanings: (I) (1)
Properly to dip repeatedly, to immerge, submerge (a) to cleanse by dipping or
submerging, to wash, to make clean with water; in the middle and the first aorist
passive, to wash oneself, bathe (3) Metaphorically, to overwhelm (II) In the NT it
used particularly of the rite of sacred ablution, fist instituted by John the Baptist,
afterwards by Christ’s command received by Christians and adjusted to the
contents and nature of their religion, an immersion in water, performed as a sign of
the removal of sin, and administered to those who, impelled by a desire for
salvation, sought admission to the benefits of the Messiah’s kingdom (a) The word
is used absolutely, to administer the rite of ablution, to baptize; passively, to be
baptized; Passive in a reflexive sense, to allow one’s self to be initiated by baptism,
to receive baptism (b) with prepositions; eis, to mark the element into which the
immersion is made; to mark the end; to indicate the effect; to bring by baptism into
fellowship with Christ, into fellowship in His death, by which fellowship, we have
died to sin (Gal. 3:27; Rom. 6:3); en with dative of the thing in which one is
immersed; passively, epi, relying on the name of Jesus Christ; huper, on behalf of
the dead, i.e. to promote their eternal salvation by undergoing baptism in their
stead” (pages 93-94).
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains lists
the following meanings for the verb baptizo: (1) to wash (in some contexts,
possibly by dipping into water), with a view to making objects ritually acceptable –
‘wash, to purify, washing, purification’ (volume 2, page 536). (2) to employ water
in a religious ceremony designed to symbolize purification and initiation on the
basis of repentance – ‘to baptize, baptism’ (volume 2, page 537). (3) to cause
someone to have a highly significant religious experience involving special
manifestations of God’s power and presence – ‘to baptize’ (volume 2, page 539).
Vine commenting on the verb baptizo, writes, “Baptizo, ‘to baptize,’ primarily a
frequentative form of bapto, ‘to dip,’ was used among the Greeks to signify the
dyeing of a garment, or the drawing of water by dipping a vessel into another, etc.
Plutarchus uses it of the drawing of wine by dipping the cup into the bowl (Alexis,
67) and Plato, metaphorically, of being overwhelmed with questions (Euthydemus,
277 D). It is used in the NT in Luke 11:38 of washing oneself (as in 2 Kings 5:14,
‘dipped himself,’ Sept.); see also Isa 21:4, lit., ‘lawlessness overwhelms me.’ In
the early chapters of the four Gospels and in Acts 1:5; 11:16; 19:4, it is used of the
rite performed by John the Baptist who called upon the people to repent that they
might receive remission of sins. Those who obeyed came ‘confessing their sins,’
thus acknowledging their unfitness to be in the Messiah's coming kingdom.
Distinct from this is the ‘baptism’ enjoined by Christ, Matt 28:19, a ‘baptism’ to be
undergone by believers, thus witnessing to their identification with Him in death,
burial and resurrection, e. g., Acts 19:5; Rom 6:3-4; 1 Cor 1:13-17; 12:13; Gal
3:27; Col 2:12. The phrase in Matt 28:19, ‘baptizing them into the Name’ (RV; cf.
Acts 8:16, RV), would indicate that the ‘baptized’ person was closely bound to, or
became the property of, the one into whose name he was ‘baptized.’ In Acts 22:16
it is used in the middle voice, in the command given to Saul of Tarsus, ‘arise and
be baptized,’ the significance of the middle voice form being ‘get thyself baptized.’
The experience of those who were in the ark at the time of the Flood was a figure
or type of the facts of spiritual death, burial, and resurrection, Christian ‘baptism’
being an antitupon, ‘a corresponding type,’ a ‘like figure,’ 1 Peter 3:21. Likewise
the nation of Israel was figuratively baptized when made to pass through the Red
Sea under the cloud, 1 Cor 10:2. The verb is used metaphorically also in two
distinct senses: firstly, of ‘baptism’ by the Holy Spirit, which took place on the
Day of Pentecost; secondly, of the calamity which would come upon the nation of
the Jews, a ‘baptism’ of the fire of divine judgment for rejection of the will and
word of God, Matt 3:11; Luke 3:16. (Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical
Words, Copyright (c) 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers)
As we will note later on in detail in this article, in Romans 6:3, 1 Corinthians
12:13 and Galatians 3:27, the verb baptizo is employed in a figurative or
metaphorical sense to denote the Holy Spirit causing the believer to be “identified”
with Christ.
Ritual and Real Identifications
There are three “ritual” identifications in the Bible: (1) Baptism of John (2)
Baptism of Jesus (3) Christian Water Baptism.
There are four “real” identifications in the Bible: (1) Baptism of Moses (2)
Baptism of the Cross (3) Baptism of Fire (4) Baptism of the Spirit.
“Ritual” baptisms use water as a teaching tool to picture by ritual a real
identification. The first ritual identification is the Baptism of John (Matt. 3:1-10;
John 1:25-33) in which water represented the kingdom of God. In this baptism, the
believer was submerged (usually Jordan River), which pictured identification with
the kingdom of God through their faith in the coming Messiah. When the believer
was brought out of the water, this was a picture of resurrection meaning
identification with the King forever in a resurrection body.
The second ritual identification is the Baptism of Jesus (Matt. 3:13-17). Jesus
told John the Baptist to baptize Him. This baptism represented our Lord’s
identification with the Father’s plan, will, and purpose for His next three years.
When John submerged the Lord under the water of the Jordan River, this
represented our Lord’s positive volition to the Father’s plan for the next three years
and when He came out of the water that was a picture of resurrection.
The third ritual identification is Christian baptism. Water baptism was used to
teach the baptism of the Spirit before the canon of Scripture was completed in 96
A.D (Acts 8:36-38; 16:33).
Ritual water baptism ended along with all “temporary” spiritual gifts in 96 A.D.
There were two rituals ordained for the pre-canon period of church age, namely,
the Lord’s Table and water baptism. When the believer was submerged under the
water, this portrayed his identification with Christ in His death and burial, which
we call in theology, “retroactive positional truth” meaning that the Father views the

believer as having been crucified, died and buried with Christ when Christ was
crucified, died and buried.
When the believer came up out of the water, this meant the believer was
identified with Christ in His resurrection, ascension and session, which is called in
theology, “current positional truth” meaning that the believer is “currently” seated
at the right hand of Father with Christ. This represented that the believer is a new
spiritual species, a member of the royal family of God and a member of the body
of Christ. Therefore, water baptism was an outward, visible symbol of what the
Holy Spirit has done inwardly and invisibly in the believer.
“Real” baptisms are actual identifications. The baptism of Moses refer to the
fact that the Exodus generation was identified with Moses (1 Cor. 10:2). No one
got wet except the Egyptians. Moses identified himself with the Lord.
The baptism of the cup or the Cross (Mark 10:38-39) refers to the identification
of our sins with Christ. The baptism of fire (Matt. 3:11; Luke 3:16) refers to all
unbelievers who survive the Tribulation are identified with fire at the Second
Advent. They are put into the Fire of Torments, which is a real identification with
fire.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 4:5; 1 Pet. 3:21) is a real
identification and invisible. God the Holy Spirit places the church age believer in
union with Christ the moment were justified through faith in Christ resulting in a
permanent change of condition for the believer. The omnipotence of God the Holy
Spirit performs the action. The baptism of the Spirit is one of the seven salvation
ministries of God the Holy Spirit, which he performs for the sinner, the moment
they trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior. It connects the dispensation of the
hypostatic union with the church age and forms the royal family of God and
creates a new spiritual species. It first occurred on the day of Pentecost 32 A.D. in
fulfillment of our Lord’s prophecy.
John the Baptist Reference to the Baptism of the Spirit
John the Baptist prophesied of the baptism of the Spirit (Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:8;
Luke 3:16; John 1:33). God the Father tells John the Baptist that the Lord Jesus
Christ will be responsible for the Baptism of the Spirit (John 1:33). John the
Baptist places a clear distinction between water baptism and the baptism of the
Spirit (Mark 1:8; Matt. 3:11; Luke 3:16).
Matthew 3:11, “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He
who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His
sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
The baptism of the Spirit is for believers and the baptism of fire is for the
unbeliever (Luke 3:16).
The Lord Jesus Christ Prophecy of the Baptism of the Spirit
The Lord Jesus Christ prophesied about the baptism of the Spirit (John 7:37-
39).
John 7:37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and
cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He
who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow
rivers of living water.” 39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who
believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus
was not yet glorified. (NASB95)
He described the baptism of the Spirit as “rivers of living water” (John 7:38).
At that time, the baptism of the Spirit had not yet taken place when our Lord issued
this prophesy (John 7:39). In this passage, John writes that the reception of the
baptism of the Spirit is contingent upon believing in Christ (John 7:38) and that the
giving of the Spirit was contingent upon our Lord’s glorification (John 7:39). The
last day of the great feast refers to the Feast of Booths or Tabernacles, which lasted
eight days (Lev. 23:36), and was considered the climax to the Feast.
Seven days symbolized Israel’s wandering the desert and the eighth day was a
solemn day of rest depicting the eternal state of the believer in Christ. There was a
ceremony during the eighth day in which water was drawn from the Pool of Siloam
and then poured out, commemorating God’s provision for Israel in the desert. Our
Lord was interpreting the meaning of this ceremony, which depicted the baptism of
the Spirit.
The phrase “from His innermost being shall flow rivers of living water”
refers to the soul of the believer which receives eternal life (John 4:14; 1 Cor.
10:4).
“Shall flow” is the Greek verb rheo, “to gush, overflow,” and was used in the
ancient world of gushing or overflowing rivers. Our Lord uses it figuratively of the
soul of the believer which has received eternal life.
In John 14:16, our Lord promises to the send the Spirit in His Upper Room
Discourse.
John 14:16 “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper,
that He may be with you forever.” (NASB95)
Our Lord promises the disciples that He will send them “another” (allon)
“Helper” (parakletos) to assist them while in the devil’s world. Parakletos means
“one who is called or sent for to assist another.” God the Holy Spirit would act in
this capacity for believers during the church age dispensation.

In John 14:20, the phrase “in that day” refers to the day of Pentecost when the
apostles would be placed in union with Christ by the omnipotence of God the Holy
Spirit.
John 14:20 “In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in
Me, and I in you.” (NASB95)
“You in Me” is our Lord’s prophesy concerning the baptism of the Spirit,
which is something they had never read in the Scriptures before because it was
never known to Old Testament saints. It is exclusive to the church age.
The phrase “in Me” (en emoi) is a locative of sphere meaning that the apostles
will be identified with Christ. This prepositional phrase speaks of the believer’s
intimate, eternally secure position in Christ. It speaks of the believer’s union and
identification with Christ that makes the believer eternally the object of the
Father’s divine-love. It alludes to the doctrine of positional truth and the justified
sinner’s union and identification with Christ in His crucifixion, His death and His
resurrection.
In John 14:26, the Lord taught His disciples that God the Father would send the
Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost in His name.
John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in
My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all
that I said to you.” (NASB95)
At that time it was still future to our Lord’s thinking. God the Holy Spirit is our
true teacher of bible doctrine. God the Holy Spirit would bring to remembrance all
that our Lord said during this night before He was to go to the Cross.
“In My name” has a five-fold meaning. First, it refers to the “person” of the
Lord Jesus Christ, who is undiminished deity and true humanity and, thus, the
unique theanthropic person of history and creation. Second, the word refers to the
“character” of the Lord Jesus Christ, the aggregate features and traits of the Lord
Jesus Christ’s divine and human nature. It also refers to the Lord Jesus Christ’s
work during His First Advent, which ended with His greatest accomplishment, His
substitutionary spiritual death on the cross. His death fulfilled the righteous
requirements of the Mosaic Law, destroyed the works of the devil, redeemed the
entire human race from the slave market of sin, propitiated the Father’s righteous
demands that every sin in history be judged, and reconciled the entire human race
to God. What an accomplishment! The phrase also alludes to Christ’s resurrection,
ascension, and session at the right hand of the Father (Eph 1:21; Phi 2:5-11; Heb
1:4), since it refers to His reputation before mankind as the Savior of the world,
redeemer of all mankind, and sovereign ruler of history. Lastly, it refers to the Lord
Jesus Christ’s position before the Father as righteous and holy and as His beloved
Son. Essentially, this all refers to the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only
person holy enough to have merit before God the Father.
In Acts 1:5, our Lord distinguishes between water baptism and the baptism of
the Spirit.
Acts 1:4 Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave
Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,”’ He said,
“you heard of from Me 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be
baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (NASB95)
This prophecy took place on the day of our Lord’s ascension and session. Not
many days turned out to be ten days. Ten days after our Lord’s ascension, the
baptism of the Spirit took place and the church age began. Luke states in Acts 1:3
that our Lord appeared to His disciples over a period of forty days.
Pentecost means fiftieth and designated among the Jews the fiftieth day after
Passover. Our Lord was crucified on the Passover and rose three days later,
ascended into heaven on the fortieth day after Passover and then sent the Spirit ten
days later on Pentecost.
The baptism of the Spirit could not take place until our Lord was glorified
which was about to take place after He finished saying these things to His apostles.
Our Lord had to go away.
In Acts 1:8, our Lord repeats His promise to the apostles of sending them the
Holy Spirit.
Acts 1:7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which
the Father has fixed by His own authority 8 but you will receive power when
the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in
Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the
earth.” (NASB95)
Our Lord gives the apostles the promise of a Person (God the Holy Spirit), a
power (the omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit) and a program (missionary
activity to the Jews, the Samaritans and the entire world). Throughout the
dispensation of the church age believers would have available to them one hundred
percent availability of divine power to execute the plan of God the Father. The
baptism of the Spirit makes this possible.
The Baptism of the Spirit Unites Jewish And Gentile Believers In One Body
The baptism of the Spirit first took place among Jewish believers on the day of
Pentecost in approximately June of 32 A.D. and was a fulfillment of the prophecies
made by John the Baptist and our Lord. It also took place among the Gentiles as
recorded by Luke in Acts 10:34-38, 19:1-7, thus making it universal in scope in the
church age (Gal. 3:27; 1 Cor. 12:13). It unites Jewish believers with Gentile
believers making them a new humanity under the headship of Jesus Christ who is
the head of the new creation.
This ministry of the Spirit never took place before the day of Pentecost and will
not take place after the rapture. The completion of the royal family of God at the
rapture will mark the end of this ministry of the Spirit. The baptism of the Spirit
distinguishes the church age from other dispensations. There was no church before
the baptism of the Spirit.
Acts 2:1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one
place. (NASB95)
Pentecost is one of the seven Great Feasts of Israel: (1) Passover: Leviticus
23:4-5; 1 Corinthians 5:7. (2) Unleavened Bread: Leviticus 23:6-8; 1 Corinthians
5:7-8. (3) First Fruits: Leviticus 23:9-14; 1 Corinthians 15:23. (4) Pentecost:
Leviticus 23:15-22; Acts 2:1-4. (5) Trumpets: Leviticus 23:23-25; 1 Corinthians
15:52. (6) Day of Atonement: Leviticus 23:26-32; 1 John 2:2. (7) Tabernacles:
Leviticus 23:33-44; John 7:2.
It was the second national festival in Israel and took place fifty days after the
Passover Sabbath (Ex. 23:16; 34:22; Lev. 23:25-21; Num. 28:26-31; Deut. 16:9-
12). It was designated the Feast of Weeks which celebrated the wheat harvest in
Israel and was a one day feast of celebration. It was originally the festival of the
first fruits of the grain harvest (Ex. 23:16; Lev. 23:17-22; Num. 28:26-31). It was
called the Feast of Weeks because it came after a period of seven weeks of
harvesting that began with the offering of the first barley sheaf during the Passover
celebration and ended with the wheat harvest.
Pentecost took place fifty days after the Feasts of First fruits, which spoke of
our Lord’s resurrection. It was celebrated in Israel as the anniversary of the giving
of the Mosaic Law at Mount Sinai in 1441 B.C., which was the beginning of the
dispensation of the Law. The dispensation of grace began on the day of Pentecost
with the baptism of the Spirit. So God is setting a contrast between the Law and
Grace.
Pentecost was looked upon in Judaism as one of the three great pilgrim festivals
in Judaism along with Passover preceding it and Tabernacles some four months
later. Because it was a great festival in Israel, there were many pilgrims from
around the Roman Empire in Jerusalem at this time who spoke many different
languages.
Acts 2:2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent
rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 And
there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they
rested on each one of them. (NASB95)
Luke states that the tongues were like fire, which would be of great significance
to Jew in the first century. Fire in the Old Testament was a symbol of God’s
presence in Israel. The Lord spoke to Moses in the burning bush (Ex. 3:2-5), the
pillar of fire guided Israel by night through the wilderness (Ex. 13:21), the
consuming fire on Mount Sinai (Ex. 24:17) and the fire that hovered over the
wilderness Tabernacle (Ex. 40:38). Luke states the baptism of the Spirit was like
tongues of fire, or as tongues of fire, which denotes the fact that it wasn’t fire or
tongues or some ecstatic experience.
The word translated “as” in the New American Standard is the comparative
particle hosei, which means “as,” or “like.” The sign of the fire was for the benefit
of the disciples to give them the confidence that the Lord was indeed present
among them and gave them confidence to speak the Gospel boldly.
The initial outpouring came on the day of Pentecost, and there were other
outpourings in the books of Acts. Some of these outpourings came to those who
had been baptized in water, and some came to those who had not yet been baptized
in water (Acts 8:15-17; 10:44-48; 11:15-16; 19:1-6).
Now the book of Acts documents the difficult transition from the dispensation
of Israel to the dispensation of the church age. In the book of Acts, God the Holy
Spirit is the most prominent member of the Trinity. God the Holy Spirit is the
member of the Trinity that actively guides the early Jewish believers in the church
in this transition from the Law to Grace…from the dispensation in which they
previously lived to a new dispensation with a new modus operandi.
The apostle Peter of course was a Jew who lived his entire life attempting to
live in accordance with the mandates of the Mosaic Law. The apostle Peter did not
understand that God has began a new dispensation called the church age. In Acts
10 and 11 we find God instructing Peter regarding this transition from the Law to
Grace. God teaches Peter that he no longer makes any racial distinctions between
Jew and Gentiles by instructing Peter to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles so that
they too might receive the Baptism of the Spirit. The fact that the Gentile believers
like the Jewish believers could receive the same awesome invisible asset of the
baptism of the Spirit as a result of faith alone in Christ alone was a shocking,
revolutionary thing for Jewish believers such as Peter during the first century.
The apostle Peter’s obedience to God’s directives resulted in Cornelius and his
family getting saved and receiving the baptism of the Spirit. Peter’s presentation of
the Gospel to the Gentiles set an example for other Jewish believers to follow.
God had gotten his message across to Peter regarding the new dispensation that
began among only Jewish believers initially on the day of Pentecost in the city of
Jerusalem in June of 32 A.D. that there would be no racial distinctions in the
church age. Those of Gentile origin and those of Jewish racial descent would all be
under the federal headship of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Any biological or racial Jew who believes in Christ as his Savior during the
church age, is considered by God to be “church” or “body of Christ” since
according to 1 Corinthians 12:13 and Galatians 3:26-28, there are no racial
distinctions in the church age. After the conclusion of the church age, any Jew
racially or biologically that accepts Christ as his Savior during the Tribulation
dispensation (aka “Daniel’s 70th week) that follows the church age, becomes a
member of “regenerate” or “born-again” Israel. In the same way Gentiles who
believe in Christ after the church age. They become “regenerate” or “born-again”
Gentiles.
Now, Paul was an apostle to the Gentiles, for Jesus clearly commissioned him
to do so as recorded in Acts 9:15.
Paul had already declared the Gentiles were not excluded writing.
Romans 1:16 For I am never ashamed of the gospel for it is as an eternal
spiritual truth God’s power resulting in deliverance for the benefit of
everyone who as an eternal spiritual truth believe, to the Jew first and then to
the Greek. (NASB95)
In Galatians Paul taught that the Gentiles were not excluded from receiving the
gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
become a curse for us -- for it is written, “‘CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO
HANGS ON A TREE 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of
Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of
the Spirit through faith. ’
Galatians 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27
For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with
Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man,
there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (NASB95)
In Ephesians Paul emphasized that salvation was made available to the
Gentiles. In Ephesians 2:11-22, Paul teaches that God the Holy Spirit is building a
spiritual temple, which is the church and it is composed of both Jew and Gentile
races. Both Jews and Gentiles were reconciled into the body of Christ through the
baptism of the Spirit.
The church in Ephesus was composed primarily of Gentiles racially rather than
those of Jewish descent.
Ephesians 2:11 Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the
flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,”’
which is performed in the flesh by human hands. (NASB95)
The term “circumcision” refers to people who are Jewish racially whereas the
term “uncircumcision” refers to those people who are not Jewish in racial descent,
which is synonymous with the term “Gentiles.”
The term “uncircumcision” was actually a derogatory term used by the Jews
among themselves when referring to the Gentiles.

Ephesians 2:12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ,
excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of
promise, having no hope and without God in the world. (NASB95)
In Ephesians 2:11, Paul gives five-fold description of the Gentiles: (1)
“Separate from Christ”: The Gentiles were not saved and under condemnation
since salvation is received through faith alone in Christ alone. (2) “Excluded from
the commonwealth of Israel”: The Gentiles were not citizens of the nation of
Israel, which God had specifically separated from the heathen to represent Him in
the world. (3) “Strangers to the covenants of promise”: The Gentiles were “not”
the beneficiaries of the four unconditional covenants to Israel: (1) New (2)
Palestinian (3) Davidic (4) Abrahamic. (4) “Having no hope”: The Gentiles were
under the deception and tyranny of Satan, in fear of death and having no
understanding of the true meaning and purpose of human life, which is to love and
serve and worship the Lord Jesus Christ. (5) “Without God in the world”: The
Gentiles did not know or have a relationship or fellowship with the true and living
God, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you (Gentiles) who formerly were
far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is
our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the
dividing wall. (NASB95)
Ephesians 2:14, teaches that the Lord Jesus Christ’s substitutionary spiritual
death on the cross demolished the barrier that separated Jew and Gentile races from
being united. Our Lord’s death united both Jew and Gentile races and made both
groups into one new entity and organic unit.
“The barrier” is a reference to the Jewish Temple, which was divided into
various courts: (1) Holy of Holies (2) Holy Place (3) Priests (4) Israel (5) Women
(6) Gentiles.
A wall, about 3 or 4 feet high, ran through the temple area separating the Court
of the Gentiles from the inner court into which Jews only were permitted. This wall
contained an inscription, which read: “No foreigner may enter within the barricade
which surrounds the sanctuary and enclosure. Anyone who is caught doing so will
have himself to blame for his ensuing death.”
The inner court is where the worship of God took place and the Gentiles were
not allowed but Christ’s work has enabled the Gentiles to worship God.
Ephesians 2:15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of
commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make
the two into one new man, thus establishing peace. (NASB95)
The term “His flesh” refers to the perfect “human nature” of our Lord. “The
enmity” is a reference to the Mosaic Law. The cause of the enmity was the Mosaic
Law, because the Law made a definite distinction between Jews racially and
Gentiles. The Mosaic Law was perfectly fulfilled by the impeccable humanity of
Christ in hypostatic union during His First Advent (Rm. 10:4). The Law was
designed to show man his total helpless and hopeless condition before a righteous
and just God and to lead him to the Savior.
Ephesians 2:16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through
the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. (NASB95)
Ephesians 2:16 teaches that one of the purposes of Christ’s death was to not
only fulfill the righteous demands of the Mosaic Law but also make effect a
reconciliation between the Jewish and Gentiles races into one body.
Ephesians 2:17 “AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU
WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR.”
(NASB95)
Where Ephesians 2:14 teaches that the Lord Jesus Christ is our peace,
Ephesians 2:17 teaches that He proclaimed God’s peace treaty to those were “far
away,” which refers to the Gentiles and to those “near,” which refers to the Jews.
Ephesians 2:18 for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to
the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are
fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household. (NASB95)
Paul is teaching the Ephesians that their citizenship is in heaven and are now
members of God’s household (Philippians 3:20).
Ephesians 2:20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone. (NASB95)
The phrase “the foundation of the apostles and prophets” refers to the
“teaching” of the mystery doctrine for the church by the apostles and the “New”
Testament prophets who proclaimed the mystery doctrine for the church age until
the New Testament canon was closed in 96 A.D.
The Person of Jesus Christ and His teaching is the Chief Cornerstone of the
church.
Psalm 118:22 “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief
corner stone. 23 This is the LORD'S doing; It is marvelous in our eyes.”
(NASB95)
Ephesians 2:21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is
growing into a holy temple in the Lord. (NASB95)
Both Jewish and Gentile believers are said to be growing into a holy temple in
the Lord, which is accomplished by growing up spiritually and becoming like
Christ (Ephesians 4:11-16).
Ephesians 2:22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of
God in the Spirit. (NASB95)
God does not dwell now in a temple built with human hands but now dwells in
His new temple, which is constructed not from inanimate materials but of living
believers. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit now permanently
indwell every church age believer, both Jew and Gentile (Ephesians 4:4-6;
Colossians 1:25-27; Romans 8:11).
Ephesians 3:1-13 teaches that it was a mystery that the Gentiles through faith in
Christ and the baptism of the Spirit would become fellow heirs with Jewish
believers, fellow members of the body of Christ and fellow partakers of the four
unconditional covenants of promise to Israel.
Ephesians 3:1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the
sake of you Gentiles. 2 If indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God's
grace which was given to me for you, 3 that by revelation there was made
known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief (in Ephesians 1:8-9).
(NASB95)
“Mystery” is the noun musterion, which refers to doctrines that centered upon
the Person of Christ and members of His body and were doctrines never revealed
to Old Testament saints.
Ephesians 3:4 By referring to this, when you read you can understand my
insight into the mystery of Christ (that which is disclosed in Christ), 5 which
in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now
been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit. 6 To be specific,
that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow
partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. (NASB95)
The mystery is not that the Gentiles would be saved since this was prophesied
in the Old Testament (Isa. 11:10; 60:3). Rather, the mystery concerning the
Gentiles is that they would become fellow heirs with Jewish believers, fellow
members with Jewish believers in the body of Christ and fellow partakers of the
covenant promises to Israel.
The content of this mystery is three-fold: (1) The Gentile believers are fellow
heirs with Jewish believers in the sense that they share in the spiritual riches God
gave them because of His covenant with Abraham.
(2) Gentile believers in Christ are fellow members of the body of Christ with
Jewish believers. There is one body, the body of Christ (Eph. 4:4), which has no
racial distinctions (1 Cor. 12:13) and has the Lord Jesus Christ as its head (Eph.
5:23). Each individual member of the body of Christ shares in the ministry (Eph.
4:15-16).
(3) Gentile believers in Christ are fellow partakers of the four unconditional
covenants of promise to Israel.
The four great unconditional covenants to Israel will be fulfilled: (1) Abrahamic
deals with the race of Israel (Gen. 12:1-3; 13:16; 22:15-18). (2) Palestinian is the
promise of land to Israel (Gen. 13:15; Num. 34:1-12). (3) Davidic deals with the

aristocracy of Israel (2 Sam. 7:8-17) (4) New deals with the future restoration of
Israel during the millennium (Jer. 31:31-34).
Although, the four unconditional covenants of promise to Israel were
specifically given to Israel (Rom. 9:1-6), the church will still and does benefit from
them since they are in union with Christ who is the ruler of Israel.
Ephesians 3:7 of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of
God's grace which was given to me according to the working of His power.
(NASB95)
Ephesians 3:7 teaches us that the Gentile believer’s union with Christ gives
them the 100% availability of divine power that was manifested in the life of Paul
and His proclamation of the Gospel.
preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ. (NASB95)
Ephesians 3:8 teaches that the Gentile believer’s union with Christ gives them
infinite wealth.
Ephesians 3:9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the
mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things 10 so
that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the
church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. (NASB95)
Ephesians 3:9-10 teaches that this mystery concerning the Gentiles is important
to the angels both elect and non-elect since it reveals the multifaceted wisdom of
God.
Ephesians 3:11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He
carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and
confident access through faith in Him. 13 Therefore I ask you not to lose heart
at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory. (NASB95)
Paul told the Colossians that salvation was available to the Gentiles.
Colossians 3:9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self
with its evil practices, 10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to
a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him, 11 a
renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised
and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all,
and in all. (NASB95)
Water Baptism Versus Spirit Baptism
The Bible teaches that water baptism is emphatically not the means by which a
person gets saved. The sinner is saved through faith alone in Christ alone (John
3:16-18; Acts 16:31; Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:16).

“Baptismal regeneration” is the teaching which contends that a sinner is
regenerated by observing water baptism. It is taught by the Roman Catholic
Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, some Pentecostal sects (notably the anti-
trinitarian United Pentecostal Church and other “Jesus Only” groups), and pseudo-
christian cult groups such as the Mormons. Baptismal regeneration is also the
doctrinal stance of many teachers and preachers within the Restoration Movement,
sometimes called Campbellism (from its founder, Alexander Campbell), whose
members are mainly found in churches called Churches of Christ or Independent
Christian Churches.
Proponents of baptismal regeneration argue that water baptism is an essential
part of salvation because, in their view, it is in the act or ceremony of water
baptism that we are born again.
The apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:13 and Ephesians 4:5 state dogmatically
that there is only one baptism that matters, Spirit baptism. Both passages teach that
there is one Spirit, God the Holy Spirit and therefore, only one baptism.
In 1 Corinthians 1:10-17, Paul addresses the problem of divisions in the
Corinthian church and he specifically mentions water baptism. Some believers
made water baptism an issue, which resulted in divisions among believers in the
church at Corinth (1 Cor. 1:10).
Paul was saying in 1 Corinthians 1:10-17 that water baptism was a non-
essential and he emphasizes the fact that Christ sent him to preach the gospel and
not to baptize with water (1 Cor. 1:17). The apostle emphasizes the importance of
having the same mind, which refers to being unified in their doctrine (1 Cor. 1:10).
The Corinthians were occupied with non-essentials such as tongues and water
baptism and not with Bible doctrine, which is the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16).
The baptism in the Holy Spirit was defined by John the Baptist, the forerunner
of Jesus Christ, as being a distinctive part of the ministry of Christ. He contrasted
the baptism of water with the baptism in the Spirit.
Mathew 3:11 “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He
who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to
carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (NASB95)
Mark 1:8 “I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with
the Holy Spirit.” (NASB95)
Luke 3:16 John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water;
but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to
loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (NASB95)
John 1:32 And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending
from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. 33 I did not know Him,
but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the

Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the
Holy Spirit.’” (NASB95)
In Romans 6, it is obvious that the context is being placed into Christ and the
passage dwells on the believer’s identification with Christ, with His death, and
with His resurrection. In this passage, the believer is not baptized into water, but
into the death of Christ or more accurately identified with Christ in His death.
Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that
grace may increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live
in it? 3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ
Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried
with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the
dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death,
certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection. (NASB95)
Colossians 2:9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, 10
and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule
and authority; 11 and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision
made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the
circumcision of Christ; 12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which
you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who
raised Him from the dead. (NASB95)
unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the
flesh, but made alive in the spirit; 19 in which also He went and made
proclamation to the spirits now in prison, 20 who once were disobedient, when
the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction
of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through
the water. 21 Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you -- not the removal
of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience -- through
the resurrection of Jesus Christ. (NASB95)
Notice what Peter says as he states that it is not water that is used in baptism, it
is the Spirit who is poured out and regenerates the sinner who trusts in Jesus Christ
as Savior. It is also significant that Jesus never performed water baptism on
anyone. If water baptism was essential to salvation, why wasn’t the Lord practicing
it?
John 4:1 The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more
disciples than John, 2 although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his
disciples. 3 When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and went back once
more to Galilee.” (NIV)

Water baptism was a teaching aid to instruct believers that when they believed
in Christ, the Holy Spirit placed them in union with Christ identifying them with
Christ in His death and resurrection. When the believer was dipped underneath the
water, this portrayed the reality that the Holy Spirit identified them with Christ in
His death and when they were taken up out of the water, this portrayed that they
were identified with Christ in His resurrection.
When the believer was dipped underneath the water, this portrayed that he was
now dead to the cosmic system of Satan, the Law and the old sin nature and when
he was taken up out of the water, this portrayed the fact that he was now a new
creation and was to walk in newness of life. Baptism meant a clean break with the
past and the old creation marred by sin and ruled by Satan.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. (NASB95)
Characteristics of the baptism of the Spirit: (1) Invisible. (2) Eternal in Nature.
(3) Not related to any form of human merit or works. (4) Obtained at the moment
the sinner is declared justified through faith in Jesus Christ. (5) Performed by God
the Holy Spirit and not by men. (6) Not water baptism. (7) Not felt. (8) Not an
experience. (9) Not an external activity. (10) Not speaking in tongues. (11) Not
emotion. (12) Can’t be improved upon.
Should Water Baptism Be Observed
There is a passage in Matthew 28:18, which many churches use as

documentation to support their observance of the ritual of water baptism. This is
the only passage in the Gospels where our Lord mentions water baptism and it is
not even a command. So, the question we must ask ourselves is that should we
observe this ritual of water baptism as we do the Lord’s Table. Did our Lord
command it of His disciples?
Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
(NASB95)
The verb for “baptize” in Matthew 28:19 is not in the imperative mood, but
rather the verb translated “make disciples” is in the imperative mood. The verb
baptizo, “baptizing” in Matthew 28:19 is a participle that accompanies the action
of the main verb matheteuo, “make disciples.”
The early church practiced water baptism. In every recorded instance in Acts
after trusting in Jesus Christ as Savior, the believer was baptized (Acts 2:41; 8:12-
13, 38; 9:18; 10:48; 16:15, 33; 18:8; 19:5).
Water baptism was commanded of the pre-canon period of the church age as a
teaching aid in order to teach the extremely important doctrines of retroactive and
current positional truth to the early church, but since we have the completed canon
of Scripture, we no longer observe it as a church ordinance (cf. 1 Cor. 1:10-17;
John 4:1-2). Here in the post-canon period of the church age, we have the
completed canon of Scripture and all the doctrines that teach retroactive and
current positional truth.
The New Testament epistles do not have any commands for believers to
observe the ritual of water baptism. The gospels record the disciples of Jesus as
performing the ritual but not the Lord Himself (John 4:1-2).
Identification with Christ
In Romans 6:3, 1 Corinthians 12:13 and Galatians 3:27, Paul is using the verb
baptizo in a figurative or metaphorical sense to denote the Holy Spirit causing the
believer to be “identified” with Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:13 By means of one Spirit, we are all baptized into one
body, whether Jews or Greek (Gentiles), slaves or free, and we are all made to
drink into one Spirit. (NASB95)
Galatians 3:27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed
yourselves with the nature of Christ. (Author’s translation)
Romans 6:3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into
Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? (NASB95)
“Have been baptized” is the first person plural aorist passive indicative form
of the verb baptizo, “to cause the believer to be identified with the Lord Jesus
Christ.”
At the moment of conversion, the omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit causes
the believer to become identical and united with the Lord Jesus Christ and also
ascribes to the believer the qualities and characteristics of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Baptism of the Spirit results in positional sanctification and the potential to
experience sanctification in time and the promise of ultimate sanctification at the
By positionally, I mean that God views the believer as crucified, died, buried,
raised and seated with Christ since at the moment of conversion, the Holy Spirit
placed the believer in union with Christ, identifying him with Christ’s crucifixion
(Romans 6:6; Galatians 2:20), His death (Romans 6:2, 7-8; Colossians 2:20; 3:3),
His burial (Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12), His resurrection (Romans 6:5;
Ephesians 2:6; Philippians 3:10-11; Colossians 2:12; 3:1) and His session
(Ephesians 2:6; Colossians 3:1).
Therefore, in 1 Corinthians 12:13 and Galatians 3:27 and Romans 6:3, the verb
baptizo does not refer to water baptism but rather it refers to the act performed by
the omnipotence of the Holy Spirit on behalf of those sinners who exercise faith in
Jesus Christ as their Savior. This act places the believer in Jesus Christ in an
eternal union with Jesus Christ and identifies them with Christ in His crucifixion,
death, burial, resurrection and session.
The omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit causes the believer to become identical
and united with the Lord Jesus Christ and also ascribes to the believer the qualities
and characteristics of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In Romans 6:3, the aorist tense of the verb baptizo is a “constative” aorist
describing in summary fashion the moment that Paul and his fellow Christians
were identified with Christ, which was when they were declared justified by the
Father through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.
The passive voice means that the subject receives the action of the verb from
either an expressed or unexpressed agency. Therefore, the passive voice means that
the sinner who trusts in Jesus Christ as their Savior as the subject received the
action of being identified with Christ by the unexpressed agency of God the Holy
Spirit.
Although the Holy Spirit is not explicitly mentioned as the agency as
identifying the believer with Christ, Matthew 3:11, John 7:37-39, Acts 2 and 10
and 1 Corinthians 12:13 make clear that He was the member of the Trinity that
performed this act.
The indicative mood of the verb is “declarative” presenting this assertion as an
unqualified statement of Bible doctrine.
Werner Bieder makes the following comment regarding the verb’s usage in
Romans 6:3, he writes, “The statement concerning baptism in Romans 6:3f
includes three factors: (1) Baptism unites those who are baptized with the death of
Christ to such a degree that Christ’s death is viewed as the death of the one who is
baptized. (2) Baptism causes the one who is baptized to share in Christ’s burial (3)
Baptism allows the one who is baptized to complete the decisive change to new
life which began with faith, so that he might walk from now on ‘in newness of life’
(verse 4) and present himself as a ‘new creation’ (2 Cor. 5:17). (The Exegetical
Dictionary of the New Testament, volume 1, page 195).
James Montgomery Boice commenting on the verb baptizo writes, “The
clearest example that shows the meaning of baptizo is a text from the Greek poet
and physician Nicander, who lived about 200 B.C. It is a recipe for making pickles
and is helpful because it uses both words. Nicander says that in order to make a
pickle, the vegetable should first be 'dipped' (bapto) into boiling water and then
'baptised' (baptizo) in the vinegar solution. Both verbs concern the immersing of
vegetables in a solution. But the first is temporary. The second, the act of baptizing
the vegetable, produces a permanent change. When used in the New Testament,
this word more often refers to our union and identification with Christ than to our

water baptism... mere intellectual assent is not enough. There must be a union with
Him, a real change, like the vegetable to the pickle!”
Leon Morris makes the following comment regarding the verb baptizo in
Romans 6:3, he writes, “We may perhaps miss something of what he (Paul) is
saying because for us baptized evokes liturgical associations; it points to a
comforting and inspiring piece of ceremonial. But in the first century, while the
verb could denote this ceremony and Paul certainly means that here, to “baptize”
evoked associations of violence. It meant “immerse” rather than “dip.” It was used,
for example, of people being drowned, or of ships being sunk. Josephus used it
metaphorically of crowds who flooded into Jerusalem and “wrecked the city”
(Bell. 4.137; Loeb translation). It is quite in keeping with this that Jesus referred to
His death as baptism (Mk. 10:38; Lk. 12:50). When it is applied to Christian
initiation we ought not to think in terms of gentleness and inspiration; it means
death, death to a whole way of life. It is this that is Paul’s point here. Christians are
people who have died, and their baptism emphasizes that death. Death runs
through this passage and is mentioned in every verse up to verse 13. We should not
let the modern associations of baptism blinds us to the point Paul is making so
strongly. He is saying that it is quite impossible for anyone who understands what
baptism means to acquiesce cheerfully in a sinful life. The baptized have died to all
that.” (The Epistle to the Romans; pages 246-247; W. B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity
Press)
Kenneth Wuest explains that the verb “can be illustrated by the action of the
smith dipping the hot iron in water, tempering it, or the dyer dipping the cloth in
the dye for the purpose of dying it...The word refers to the introduction or placing
of a person or thing into a new environment or into union with something else so
as to alter its condition or its relationship to its previous environment or condition.
While the word...had other uses, yet the one that predominated above the others
was the above one. Observe how perfectly this meaning is in accord with the usage
of the word in Romans 6:3, 4, where the believing sinner is baptized into vital
union with Jesus Christ. The believing sinner is introduced or placed in Christ, thus
coming into union with Him. By that action he is taken out of his old environment
and condition in which he had lived, the First Adam, and is placed into a new
environment and condition, the Last Adam. By this action his condition is changed
from that of a lost sinner with a totally depraved nature to that of a saint with a
divine nature. His relationship to the law of God is changed from that of a guilty
sinner to that of a justified saint. All this is accomplished by the act of the Holy
Spirit introducing or placing him into vital union with Jesus Christ. No ceremony
of water baptism ever did that. The entire context is supernatural in its character.
The Greek word here should not be transliterated but translated, and the translation
should read; “As many as were introduced (placed) into Christ Jesus, into His
death were introduced. Therefore we were buried with Him through the
aforementioned introduction into His death.” (Wuest’s Word Studies from the
Greek New Testament: Studies in the Vocabulary of the Greek New Testament:
Grand Rapids: Eerdmans)
Allen Ross makes the following insightful comment, he writes, “What does
Paul mean when he talks about being baptized in the likeness of his death. What
kind of baptism is this? The word “baptism” is a difficult one to define in all its
nuances. The background of the word refers to the ritual with water whereby
someone is immersed (in the first century by self-immersion in a ritual bath with
an authority figure witnessing it [but not touching the person]), either as a
purification ritual, or an initiation rite. But it can be used in the Bible to mean
identification with something, such as judgment (a baptism by fire), or
regeneration (a baptism by the Holy Spirit). So what kind of baptism does Paul
mean here? (1) One view is that it could be water baptism. In support of this we
have the common use of the word baptism, as well as the truths that the rite sets
forth, death, burial, and resurrection. Moreover, verse 3 sounds as if not all the
readers had been baptized (‘as many as are’), whereas all believers have been
baptized by the Spirit (according to 1 Cor. 12:13). And so according to verse 5 we
have been united with him in the likeness of his death. His death was physical and
representative; our death in Christ is spiritual and judicial. There is a likeness, but
both are real. (2) The other view is that it is the baptism of the Holy Spirit that Paul
has in mind. Water is in the picture when we talk of baptism; but water is the
physical representation of the spiritual reality. For example, when John baptized
Jesus, it was an actual act using water. But that act inaugurated Jesus’ ministry
which was to lead to the suffering at the cross. John’s baptism prepared the way for
the death of Christ. So when people respond to the preaching of the Gospel and
want to be baptized, the water baptism is a testimony of the spiritual reality, that is,
Spirit baptism. If they have come to faith in Christ, they have already been ‘united
with’ Christ (baptized) by the Spirit; the ritual now becomes the sign (as
circumcision was in the Old Covenant with Abraham). The point Paul makes in 1
Corinthians 12:13 is clear: all believers have been baptized by the Spirit into one
body, the Church. There could be no regeneration (new birth) without the Holy
Spirit. So the idea of the term ‘baptism’ is that of ‘identification with’ Christ.
There is a mystical union between the believer and his Lord. If anyone is ‘in
Christ’ by faith, that person has ‘died’ in Christ. When God the Father beholds the
cross of Calvary, he sees the Savior dying for our sins; but he also sees the believer
dying in Christ unto sin. Our sins were placed on Christ; but we were in him in an
identifying union. His death for sin was our death to sin. Our burial with him is a
spiritual fact which demonstrates the reality of our death to sin (see Gal. 2:20).
This language is hard for many to understand, but it has to be grasped as spiritual
language to describe what saving faith means. If I truly believe in Christ (not just
believe things about him), then I am identifying myself, my life, my destiny with
him. When I accept Christ as my Savior, then I am receiving by faith the salvation
that he purchased for me on the cross. And if that faith is saving faith, I am so
identified with Christ, I am so committed to Christ, that it will change my life to be
like his. And the basis for the change is in my identification by faith with his death
on the cross. So Paul can say it is as if we died on the cross, and were buried, and
rose to a new life—if we have the kind of faith that places our whole life in him.
Perhaps an illustration of this will help. In the Old Testament the Israelite brought
an animal to sacrifice on his behalf. He placed his hand on the head as the throat
was slit, and the animal would die at his hands and crumple life less to the ground.
By laying his hands on the animal, the worshiper was identifying with the animal
to be slain; and when the animal died, the believer knew that that should be his
blood spilled, and that should be his body on the ground. But God in his grace
allowed a substitute, an animal for the sinner. For all spiritual purposes, he died
with and in that animal. That truth would have a profound impact on the way the
believer lived in the future, knowing that only by God’s grace could he walk away
from judgment of the burning altar. So too the believer today knows that faith in
Christ is that kind of identification. The Christian faith is not a nice little
philosophy of life, or some moral teachings to live by; it is salvation through the
death of Christ—a salvation that not only delivers us from the judgment of God,
but also changes the way we live today. How can we cling to a sinful life-style
when we have so identified with Christ who was slain on our behalf for that life-
style that God declared sinful. To express how it should change us, Paul speaks
symbolically about our dying with Christ.” (The Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans,
pages 27-28; the Biblical Studies Foundation; www.bible.org).
Warren Wiersbe makes the following comment on the verb, he writes, “The
Greek word has two basic meanings: (1) a literal meaning-to dip or immerse (2) a
figurative meaning-to be identified with.”
He makes the following comment on the word’s usage in Romans six, he
writes, “It appears that Paul had both the literal and the figurative in mind in this
paragraph, for he used the readers’ experience of water baptism to remind them of
their identification with Christ through the baptism of the Holy Spirit. To be
‘baptized into Jesus Christ’ (Rom. 6:3) is the same as ‘For by one Spirit are we all
baptized into one body’ (1 Cor. 12:13). There is a difference between water
baptism and the baptism of the Spirit (John 1:33). When a sinner trusts Christ, he is
immediately born into the family of God and receives the gift of the Holy Spirit. A
good illustration of this is the household of Cornelius when they heard Peter preach
(Acts 10:34-38). When these people believed on Christ, they immediately received
the Holy Spirit. After that, they were baptized. Peter’s words, “Whosoever believes
in Him shall receive remission of sins’ gave to them the promise that they needed.
They believed-and they were saved. Historians agree that the mode of baptism in
the early church was immersion. The believer was ‘buried’ in the water and
brought up again as a picture of death, burial and resurrection. Baptism by
immersion (which is the illustration Paul is using in Romans 6) pictures the
believer’s identification with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. It is an
outward symbol of an inward experience. Paul is not saying that their immersion in
water put them ‘into Jesus Christ,’ for that was accomplished by the Spirit when
they believed. Their immersion was a picture of what the Spirit did. The Holy
Spirit identified them with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection.” (The Bible
Exposition Commentary, volume 1, page 531).
Identification with Christ’s Spiritual Death
Romans 6:3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into
Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? (NASB95)
“Have been baptized” is the first person plural aorist passive indicative form
of the verb baptizo, which is employed this time with the prepositional phrase eis
ton thanaton autou, “into His death” and thus means, “to cause the believer to be
identified with” the Lord Jesus Christ in His spiritual death.
This identification with Jesus Christ in His spiritual death is called in theology,
“retroactive positional truth” meaning that when Christ died spiritually on the
Cross, God the Father considers and views the believer has having died with Christ
at that moment.
At the moment of conversion, the omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit causes
the believer to become identical and united with the Lord Jesus Christ in His
spiritual death and also ascribes to the believer the qualities and characteristics of
the Lord Jesus Christ’s spiritual death.
The aorist tense of the verb baptizo is a “constative” aorist describing in
summary fashion the moment that Paul and his fellow Christians were identified
with Christ in His spiritual death, which was when they were declared justified by
the Father through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.
The passive voice means that the subject receives the action of the verb from
either an expressed or unexpressed agency. Therefore, the passive voice means that
the sinner who trusts in Jesus Christ as their Savior as the subject received the
action of being identified with Christ in His spiritual death by the unexpressed
agency of God the Holy Spirit.
Although the Holy Spirit is not explicitly mentioned as the agency as
identifying the believer with Christ, Matthew 3:11, John 7:37-39, Acts 2 and 10

and 1 Corinthians 12:13 make clear that He was the member of the Trinity that
performed this act.
The indicative mood of the verb is “declarative” presenting this assertion as an
unqualified statement of Bible doctrine.
“Into His death” is composed of the preposition eis, “into” and the articular
accusative masculine singular form of the noun thanatos, “death” and the genitive
masculine singular form of the intensive personal pronoun autos, “His”
In Romans 6:3, the noun thanatos refers to the unique voluntary substitutionary
spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union.
Our Lord’s spiritual death is recorded in Matthew 27:46.
Matthew 27:45 Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land
until the ninth hour. 46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud
voice, saying, “ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” that is, “MY GOD, MY
GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?” (NASB95)
When the Lord Jesus Christ cried out “My God, My God, why have You
forsaken Me? He was experiencing spiritual death meaning that in His human
nature he was separated from His Father.
In John 19:30, the Lord triumphantly said “It is finished” while He was still
alive and which statement refers to the payment of our sins.
John 19:30 “Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It
is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. (NASB95)
Therefore, it was His spiritual death that was the payment for our sins and not
His physical death. In His sinless human nature, our Lord suffered the loss of
fellowship with the Father during those last three hours of darkness on the Cross so
that we might never suffer the second death in the eternal lake of fire, which is
eternal loss of fellowship with God.
Therefore, God the Father considers Christ’s spiritual death to be the believer’s
since this death dealt with the believer’s problem of real spiritual death. Every
person that is born into the world is physically alive yet spiritually dead and
possesses a sin nature as a result of God imputing Adam’s sin in the Garden of
Eden to his posterity, i.e. the human race. This sin nature and spiritual death
manifest itself in the life of a human being through the function of the volition in
obeying the desires of the sin nature.
The fact that our Lord’s spiritual death was the payment for our sins and not His
literal blood is illustrated in Isaiah 53.
Isaiah 53:10 But the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to
grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring,
He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in
His hand. 11 As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be

satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the
many, as He will bear their iniquities. (NASB95)
“Anguish of His soul” refers to the intense suffering of our Lord’s human soul
as a result of being separated from the Father on the Cross and experiencing
spiritual death as a perfect sinless human being. This suffering no angel or man
will ever be able to identify with since no angel or man has kept themselves
experientially sinless.
Notice that Isaiah says that the anguish of the Son’s soul while experiencing
spiritual death “satisfied” the Father, which refers to propitiation. This passage
further substantiates that it was the Lord Jesus Christ’s spiritual death that
propitiated the Father and not His literal blood.
The greatest suffering the humanity of Christ endured on the cross was “not”
the physical and mental torture of the cross but rather when He experienced
separation from His Father during those last three hours on the Cross as a result of
receiving the imputation of the sins of the entire world by the justice of God the
Father.
The physical suffering that our Lord endured through the scourging and
beatings at the hands of the Jews and Romans as well as the crucifixion itself were
in fact part of His bearing the judgment for our sins.
Remember, the unbeliever will suffer eternity in the Lake of Fire in a
resurrection body according to Daniel 12:1, Romans 2:7, Revelation 20:11-15 and
many other passages. This suffering is not only spiritual death but also physical
suffering. Thus, since our Lord died spiritually so that no human being will be
separated from God for all of eternity in the Lake of Fire so Christ suffered the
physical torture so that no human being will suffer physically forever in the Lake
of Fire.
Our Lord’s loss of fellowship with His Father in His humanity during those last
three hours in darkness on the Cross was infinitely more painful to our Lord than
the physical suffering He had endured and was enduring.
Our Lord’s loss of fellowship with His Father in His humanity during those last
three hours in darkness on the Cross was valued infinitely more by the Father than
the shedding of His literal blood or His physical suffering. This is not to say that
the Father did not value the physical suffering of His Son, or His literal blood,
which was sinless, He did, but literal blood though sinless cannot resolve man’s
problem of separation from God under real spiritual death.
The separation from God of a perfect human being whose soul was never
contaminated by sin was the penalty that had to be paid in order to redeem human
souls from the curse of Adam sin of disobedience and real spiritual death.
Our Lord died spiritually and was separated from His Father during those last
three hours on the Cross so that we might never be separated from God for all of
eternity due to sin. During the last three hours on the cross, God the Father imputed
every sin in human history-past, present and future to the impeccable humanity of
Christ in hypostatic union. Consequently, Christ voluntarily suffered the penalty
for this imputation as our Substitute, which was spiritual death (2 Corinthians 5:21;
Galatians 3:13).
This spiritual death served as the propitiation for these sins, the reconciliation of
the world to God, the redemption of the entire human race out of the slave market
of sin and the basis for the forgiveness of sins and eternal salvation.
Imputation is the function of the justice of God in crediting something to
someone for cursing or for blessing.
There are two categories of imputations: (1) Real: “crediting to a person
something which belongs to him” (2) Judicial: “crediting to a person something
which does not belong to him.”
A real imputation has a target or a home whereas as a judicial imputation has no
target or home, and emphasizes the Source, the justice of God. To complete a
judicial imputation divine justice must immediately pronounce a verdict, cursing or
blessing.
Judicial Imputations: (1) Imputation of human sin to Christ (2) Imputation of
divine righteousness to sinful mankind through faith in Christ.
Sin is any thought, word or action that is contrary to the will and holy character
of God and is thus disobedience to the commands and prohibitions of God.
Therefore, during the last three hours on the cross, God the Father imputed
every sin in human history-past, present and future to the impeccable humanity of
Christ in hypostatic union.
During the last three hours on the Cross, God the Father credited to the
impeccable humanity of Christ something, which did not belong to Him, namely
the sins of the entire world-past, present and future! When the sins of mankind
were imputed to the impeccable humanity of Christ, the justice of God took action
and pronounced a guilty verdict. Therefore, when Christ was receiving the
imputation of the sins of the world, God was not projecting into the soul of the
human nature of Christ the sins of the world, nor does imputation put Him into
contact with sin.
This imputation made the Lord a curse for us and set Him up to receive the
penalty for our sins, which is spiritual death, i.e. separation from God.
become a curse for us -- for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO
HANGS ON A TREE.” (NASB95)
When Christ cried “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” He was
suffering the “consequences” for our sins, which was separation from the Father
and was “not” coming into contact with our sins, nor was He becoming literal sin.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is (spiritual) death, but the free gift of
God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NASB95)
Christ could not experience or come into contact with sin unless He Himself
chose to sin. You cannot experience or come into contact with sin unless one
chooses to sin. Therefore, there is no way possible that the Lord could come into
contact with our sins or experience them.
Furthermore, the imputation of every sin in history to Christ does “not” mean
that Christ became literal sin, which is a heretical statement. If the Lord did
become literal sin then He would no longer be qualified to be our perfect
Substitute.
Therefore, Jesus Christ died spiritually meaning that in His human nature, He
was separated from His Father in the sense that He lost fellowship with His Father
during those last three hours on the Cross. He suffered this spiritual death so that
no member of the human race should have to. Thus, the believer is identified with
our Lord’s spiritual death since this death spared the believer from the second
death in the eternal lake of fire.
Remember, Adam died spiritually first and then physically. This pattern holds
true as noted in Romans 5:12-21 for his posterity, the human race. Jesus Christ’s
obedience to the Father’s will in dying a spiritual death negated Adam’s spiritual
death and its effects, namely, physical death and eternal condemnation. Therefore,
the sinner who trusts in Jesus Christ is delivered from all three.
Romans 5:12 Therefore, based on this (principle), just as, through one
man, the sin nature entered into the human race so that spiritual death
entered through this sin nature. Thus, in this manner, spiritual death spread
to each and every member of the human race without exception because each
and every member of the human race sinned (the moment Adam sinned). 13
For you see, prior to the giving of the Law, personal sin was habitually taking
place among the individual members of the human race however personal sin
is never, as an eternal spiritual truth, charged to one’s account while the Law
does not exist. 14 Yet, in spite of this, spiritual death reigned as king from the
fall of Adam to the giving of the Law to Moses, specifically, over those who
had not sinned according to the same exact transgression committed by
Adam, who is, as an eternal spiritual truth, an illustration of the One destined
to come. 15 However, on the other hand, absolutely not like this transgression
is, as an eternal spiritual truth, also, in the same way, the gracious act. For if
and let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument that by means of this
transgression committed by the one, the entire human race died. Of course,
we know this is true. How much more then has the grace originating from
God and the gracious gift on the basis of grace, which is specifically, on the
basis of the obedience of the one Man, who is Jesus, who is the Christ been
generously and graciously offered to the entire human race. 16 In fact, the
condemnation through the one who sinned is absolutely not, as an eternal
spiritual truth, like the gift itself. On the one hand the verdict arose from one
transgression resulting in condemnation while on the other hand, the gracious
act arose from innumerable transgressions resulting in justification. 17 For if,
and let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument that by means of the
transgression committed by the one, spiritual death reigned as king through
this one. Of course, we know this is true. Then, how much more those who do
receive His transcendent grace, specifically, the gracious gift, which is His
righteousness, will, as a certainty, reign as kings by means of life through the
One, who is Jesus, who is the Christ. 18 Therefore, as previously stated, just as
through the one who committed the transgression resulted in condemnation
affecting each and every member of the human race without exception in the
same way also through the One who committed the righteous act resulted in
the basis for the offer of justification, which produces (eternal) life, affecting
each and every member of the human race without exception. 19 For you see,
just as through the one man’s disobedience, the entire human race has been
rendered sinners in the same way also through the One’s obedience, many
will, as a certainty, be rendered righteous. 20 Now, the Law was an addendum
in order that the transgression might increase but where personal sin
increased, grace infinitely abounded. 21 In order that just as, the sin nature
reigned as king in the realm of spiritual death in the same way, also grace
would reign as king through righteousness resulting in eternal life through
Jesus, who is the Christ, who is our Lord. (Author’s translation)
Romans 5:12-21 taught us that the sin nature came into the world through
Adam’s transgression and spiritual death through the sin nature. God imputed
Adam’s transgression to every member of his posterity, i.e. the human race.
Therefore, every member of the human is born into this world, physically alive yet
spiritually dead and in need of justification.
The sin nature resides in the physical body (Romans 6:6). Personal sin is the
result of obeying the desires of the sin nature. Spiritual death is the result of
possessing a sin nature and committing personal sin perpetuates this status.
Therefore, the human race had three major problems that are interconnected, the
sin nature, spiritual death and personal sins. Jesus Christ’s spiritual and physical
deaths dealt with all three.
Spiritual death is the product of the sin nature and personal sin perpetuates this
status of spiritual death. The human race is under the status of real spiritual death
because of the sin nature, which was passed down from Adam. Spiritual death is
the consequence of not only possessing but also obeying the desires of the sin
nature and committing personal sin. Instead, of the human race suffering the
consequences of possessing a sin nature and obeying its desires and committing
personal sin, Jesus Christ died spiritually in their place as their Substitute.
Therefore, our Lord had to die spiritually to solve the problem of spiritual death in
the human race. His spiritual death dealt with the consequences of the human race
possessing a sin nature and obeying its desires.
Adam acquired a sin nature when he disobeyed the Lord’s command to not eat
from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This sin nature was passed down
to his posterity, i.e. the human race through sex and resides in the genetic structure
of every body of every human being. Therefore, the status of spiritual death was
passed down to Adam’s posterity since spiritual death entered the human race
through the sin nature. Spiritual death is the status of possessing a sin nature due to
the imputation of Adam’s original sin in the Garden of Eden. Therefore, our Lord
had to die physically to solve the problem of the sin nature, which resides in the
body of every human being. Our Lord’s resurrection body replaces the sinful body
of Adam. The believer will receive a resurrection body like Christ in order to
replace their physical bodies that possess the sin nature, the Adamic body.
Therefore, God the Father viewed His Son’s spiritual death as negating spiritual
death in the human race and viewed His physical death as negating the sin nature.
Personal sin perpetuated the status of real spiritual death and through the function
of human volition is the product of the sin nature.
Consequently, the sinner who is declared justified through faith in Christ is
identified with Christ in His spiritual death in order to solve the sinner’s problem
of real spiritual death whereas the sinner is identified with Christ in His physical
death in order to solve the sinner’s problem with the old sin nature. Therefore,
Christ’s spiritual and physical death resolved the human race’s problem with the
sin nature, spiritual death and personal sins.
The first Adam sinned. Then, he died spiritually while simultaneously acquiring
sin nature and then he died physically (Genesis 5:5). The last Adam obeyed the
Father, died spiritually as a Substitute for Adam and his posterity, and then died
physically to break the power of the sin nature. Then, the last Adam was raised
from physical death and received a resurrection body, which would be passed
down to His spiritual posterity, those who trust in Him as Savior.
In Romans 6, Paul follows this pattern. In Romans 6:3, he speaks of the
justified sinner being identified with Christ in His spiritual death so as to solve the
believer’s problem of being spiritually dead. Then, in Romans 6:4, he speaks of the
justified sinner being identified with Christ in His physical death so as to solve the
problem of possessing a sin nature. In Romans 6:5, the apostle teaches that the
justified sinner is identified with Christ in His resurrection in order that the
believer might receive a resurrection body like the last Adam, Christ so as to
replace his sinful body.
Therefore, in Romans 6:3, the noun thanatos, “death” is a reference to the
spiritual death of Christ, which dealt with the consequences of obeying the desires
of the sin nature and committing personal sin, namely, spiritual death. However, in
Romans 6:4, Paul teaches that the believer is identified with Jesus Christ in His
physical death since thanatos, “death” is used in relation to our Lord’s burial,
which certified that a person was physically dead.
Identification with Christ’s Physical Death
Romans 6:4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism
into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the
Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. (NASB95)
“Through baptism” is composed of the preposition dia, “through” and the
articular genitive neuter singular form of the noun baptisma.
The noun baptisma does not appear in classical writings or the Septuagint and is
unique to the New Testament. The word means, “the identification of one thing
with another resulting in a change.”
In Romans 6:4, the noun means that God the Holy Spirit places the church age
believer in union with Christ at the moment of conversion resulting in a permanent
change of condition for the believer. It does not refer to water baptism but rather it
refers to the act performed by the omnipotence of the Holy Spirit on behalf of
those sinners who exercise faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior. This act places the
believer in Jesus Christ in an eternal union with Jesus Christ and identifies them
with Christ in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session.
The omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit causes the believer to become identical
and united with the Lord Jesus Christ and also ascribes to the believer the qualities
and characteristics of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In Romans 6:4, the articular construction of the noun baptisma is “anaphoric”
indicating that the word’s synonym, the verb baptizo was used in Romans 6:3
referring to the same ministry performed by the Holy Spirit on behalf of the sinner
who trusts in Jesus Christ as Savior. The articular construction also emphasizes
that this ministry performed by the Holy Spirit is “well-known” to Paul’s readers.
The preposition dia functions as a marker of means and the noun baptism as a
“genitive of means” indicating that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the means by
which the believer has been identified with Christ in His physical death.
“Into death” is composed of the preposition eis, “into” and the articular
accusative masculine singular form of the noun thanatos, “death.”
Since burial of a dead body certified the reality of physical death, the verb
sunthapto indicates that the noun thanatos, “death” is not being used in reference
to Christ’s spiritual death in Romans 6:4, which it was in Romans 6:3 but rather
that it is being used with reference to His physical death. Therefore, the articular
construction is not anaphoric since thanatos in Romans 6:3 was used for the
spiritual death of Christ but rather, it is functioning as a possessive pronoun.
Therefore, in Romans 6:4, Paul is teaching that the believer has been identified
with Christ in His physical death whereas in Romans 6:3, he taught that the
believer has been identified with Christ in His spiritual death.
The physical death of our Lord is recorded in the Gospels (Matthew 27:47-50;
Mark 15:22-40; Luke 23:33-49; John 19:16-30).
The Lord Jesus Christ did “not” die from suffocation or exhaustion, nor did He
bleed to death, or die of a broken heart but rather He died unlike any person in
history, namely by His own volition. Remember what our Lord said in John 10:18.
If He had bleed to death, He would have fainted. The Lord Jesus Christ was in
total control of His faculties and was totally and completely alert throughout all
His suffering on the cross. Our Lord’s voluntary physical death was another
indication to those observing Him at the Cross that He was indeed the Son of God.
He died like no other man in history, namely, of His own choosing. This is why the
centurion stated that our Lord was the Son of God.
Matthew 27:50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up
His spirit. (NASB95)
“Yielded up” is the aorist active indicative form of the verb aphiemi, “to
dismiss, to release, to let go.”
The aorist tense of the verb is a culminative aorist, which views an event from
its existing results, the Lord Jesus Christ's physical death.
The active voice expresses the fact that the Lord Jesus died of His own volition
since the active voice indicates that the subject produces the action of the verb.
The Lord is the only human being in history to dismiss His own spirit from His
body. Every human being that dies physically as a result of a sovereign decision of
God but here the Lord chooses to die physically. He died physically so that He
could be raised for our justification.
Our Lord’s voluntary physical death was another indication to those observing
Him at the Cross that He was indeed the Son of God. He died like no other man in
history, namely, of His own choosing.
Our Lord’s burial is recorded in John 19:38-42.
The perfect sinless humanity of Christ was born trichotomous: (1) Body (2)
Soul (3) Spirit.
Therefore, our Lord’s physical death was unique because it was a trichotomous
separation: (1) His physical body went to the grave (Luke 23:50-53). (2) His
human spirit went to heaven (Luke 23:46; John 19:30). (3) His human soul went
into Paradise a compartment of Hades (Luke 23:43; Acts 2:27; 2:31; Eph. 4:9).

The Lord was brought back from the dead by three categories of divine
omnipotence: (1) Omnipotence of God the Father sent back our Lord’s human
spirit to the body in the grave (Acts 2:24; Rom. 6:4; Eph. 1:20; Col. 2:12; 1 Thess.
1:10; 1 Pet. 1:21). (2) Omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit sent back our Lord’s
human soul to the body in the grave (Rom. 1:4; 8:11; 1 Pet. 3:18). (3)
Omnipotence of God the Son raised His physical body from the grave (John 2:20-
23; 6:39-40, 54 10:17-18).
Sanctification and the Baptism of the Spirit
The believer’s “sanctification” is directly related to the baptism of the Spirit.

“Sanctification” is a technical theological term for the believer who has been set
apart through the baptism of the Spirit at the moment of conversion in order to
serve God exclusively and is accomplished in three stages: (1) Positional (2)
Experiential (3) Ultimate.
Sanctification deals with conforming the believer to the holiness of God and
reproducing it in the believer. At the moment of the moment the believer was
declared justified through faith in Jesus Christ, the omnipotence of God the Holy
Spirit caused the believer to become identical and united with the Lord Jesus Christ
in His crucifixion, His spiritual and physical death, His burial, resurrection and
session. It also ascribes to the believer the qualities and characteristics of the Lord
Jesus Christ.
The baptism of the Spirit results in positional sanctification and the potential to
experience sanctification in time and the guarantee of ultimate sanctification at the
By positional, I mean that God views the believer as crucified, died, buried,
raised and seated with Christ since at the moment of conversion, the Holy Spirit
placed the believer in union with Christ, identifying him with Christ’s crucifixion
(Romans 6:6; Galatians 2:20), His death (Romans 6:2, 7-8; Colossians 2:20; 3:3),
His burial (Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12), His resurrection (Romans 6:5;
Ephesians 2:6; Philippians 3:10-11; Colossians 2:12; 3:1) and His session
(Ephesians 2:6; Colossians 3:1).
“Positional sanctification” is the believer’s “entrance” into the plan of God for
the church age resulting in eternal security as well as two categories of positional
truth (1 Cor. 1:2, 30; 1 Pet. 1:2; 1 Thess. 5:23; Eph. 5:26-27; Heb. 2:11; 10:10;
Acts 20:32; 26:18; Rom. 6:3, 8; 2 Thess. 2:13).
“Retroactive” positional truth is the church age believer’s identification with
Christ in His death and burial (Romans 6:3-11; Colossians 2:12). In other words,
when Christ, died God considers the believer to have died with Him.

Romans 6:4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism
into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the
Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. (NASB95)
1 Corinthians 1:30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became
to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and
redemption. (NASB95)
Colossians 2:12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you
were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised
Him from the dead. (NASB95)
“Current” positional truth is the church age believer’s identification with Christ
in His resurrection, ascension and session (See Ephesians 2:4-6; Colossians 3:1-4).
In other words, when Christ was raised and seated at the right hand of the Father,
the Father considers the believer to have been raised and seated with Christ as well.
“Positional sanctification”: (1) What God has done for the church age believer.
(2) His viewpoint of the church age believer. (3) Sets up the potential to experience
sanctification in time. (4) Provides the believer with the guarantee of receiving a
resurrection body.
“Experiential sanctification” is the function of the church age believer’s
spiritual life in time through obedience to the Father’s will, which is revealed by
the Spirit through the communication of the Word of God (John 17:17; Rom. 6:19,
22; 2 Tim. 2:21; 1 Pet. 3:15; 1 Thess. 4:3-4, 7; 1 Tim. 2:15).
The will of the Father is for the believer to obey the Spirit’s teaching in the
Word of God that he has been crucified, died, buried, raised and seated with Christ,
which constitutes experiencing sanctification.
2 Thessalonians 2:13 But we should always give thanks to God for you,
brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the
beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the
truth. (NASB95)
“Experiential sanctification” is the post-salvation experience of the believer
who is in fellowship with God by confessing any known sin to the Father when
necessary followed by obedience to the Father’s will, which is revealed by the
Spirit through the Word of God.
Experiential sanctification is only a potential since it is contingent upon the
church age believer responding to what God has done for him at the moment of
conversion, therefore, only believers who are obedient to the Word of God will
experience sanctification in time.
The believer who experiences sanctification is walking in “newness of life” and
he does this by obeying the teaching of the Word of God, which states that the
believer has been crucified, died, buried, raised and seated with Christ and which
teaching is inspired by the Holy Spirit (See Romans 6).
The believer can experience this victory and deliverance by appropriating by
faith the teaching of the Word of God that he has been crucified, died, buried,
raised and seated with Christ (Romans 6:11-23; 8:1-17; Galatians 2:20; Colossians
3:5-17). This is what Paul did.
The believer’s faith in the teaching of the Word of God that he has been
crucified, died, buried, raised and seated with Christ will express itself in
obedience, which results in the believer experiencing sanctification.
The believer who appropriates by faith the teaching of the Word of God that he
has been crucified, died and buried with Christ will experience deliverance from
the lust patterns of the old sin nature.
Galatians 5:24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the
flesh with its passions and desires. (NASB95)
The believer is to consider the members of his body to be dead to these lust
patterns of the old sin nature since they were crucified at the cross and he has died
with Christ.
Colossians 3:5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as
dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts
to idolatry. (NASB95)
The Lord Jesus Christ was crucified so that the believer might not live for the
lusts of the old sin nature but for the will of God (See 1 Peter 4:1-3).
Prior to salvation, the believer was enslaved to the lust patterns of the old
Adamic sin nature since he was under real spiritual death meaning he had no
capacity to experience fellowship with God (See Ephesians 2:1-3).
At the moment of conversion, through the baptism of the Spirit, the
omnipotence of the Spirit identified the believer with Christ in His crucifixion,
death, burial, resurrection and session (See Romans 6:4-7; Ephesians 2:4-6).
Also, at the moment of conversion, God gave the believer a new divine nature
that gives him the capacity to experience deliverance from the lust patterns of the
old Adamic sin nature (See 2 Peter 1:4).
Galatians 3:27 For all of you who were identified with Christ have clothed
yourselves with the nature of Christ. (Author’s translation)
1 Corinthians 15:45 So also it is written, “‘The first MAN, Adam,
BECAME A LIVING SOUL.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
(NASB95)
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new spiritual
species; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. (NASB95)
2 Peter 1:4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent
promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature,
having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. (NASB95)

1 John 3:9 No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed
abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. (NASB95)
The new Christ nature that indwells every believer is the holiness of God and is
perfectly holy just as Christ is and thus cannot sin. Believers sin because they
choose to obey the temptations of the old sin nature and the lies of Satan’s cosmic
system. The new Christ nature provides the believer the capacity to experience the
holiness of God in his life and Christ-likeness is the production or the result of
having a lifestyle of living in the new Christ nature.
The new Christ nature functions when the believer is obedient to the voice of
the Spirit, which is heard through the communication of the Word of God and
constitutes putting on the new man or the new self or new nature.
Ephesians 4:24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has
been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. (NASB95)
Fruit bearing, i.e. Christ-like character is the result of experiencing the holiness
of God, which is synonymous with “experiential sanctification” since the believer
cannot experience fellowship with a holy God unless he himself is holy.
Sanctification is experiencing the holiness of God or in other words manifesting
the character of God through one’s thoughts, words and actions. Since the believer
has been crucified with Christ and has died with Him, he is commanded to
consider himself dead to the sin nature.
Romans 6:11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to
God in Christ Jesus. (NASB95)
Therefore, since the believer has been crucified, died and buried with Christ and
has been raised and seated with Him and has been given a new divine nature, he is
commanded to abstain from the various lust patterns of the old sin nature, which
wage war against the believer’s soul and is to flee them.
1 Peter 2:11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from
fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. (NASB95)
2 Timothy 2:22 Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness,
faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
(NASB95)
The believer is prohibited from obeying the lust patterns of the old Adamic sin
nature and is commanded to put on the nature of Christ, which is accomplished by
obeying the Word of Christ and this constitutes walking by means of the Spirit
(See Romans 6:12-13; 13:14; Galatians 5:16; Ephesians 4:17-24).
The believer sins because he chooses to disobey the teaching of the Word of
God that his sin nature was crucified with Christ at the Cross and thus allows the
sin nature to control and influence his soul so that he produces mental, verbal and
overt acts of sin (See James 1:13-15).

The believer’s sin nature will not be totally eradicated until he physically dies
or when the rapture of the church takes place when the believer will receive a
resurrection body to replace the body he now has, which contains the old sin nature
(See 1 Corinthians 15:51-57; Philippians 3:20-21).
In the meantime, the believer has a battle raging within him since he has two
natures, which are diametrically opposed to one another and he must choose
between the two since the old sin nature wars against the Spirit.
Galatians 5:17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit
against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may
not do the things that you please. (NASB95)
Having died with Christ and being raised with Christ and possessing the new
Christ-nature sets the Christian free from the old Adamic nature. We utilize the
new Christ-nature by obeying the Word of God, which constitutes experiencing
fellowship with God (1 John 2:3-5) and walking by means of the Spirit since the
Spirit speaks to the believer through the Word of God.
Galatians 5:16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the
desire of the flesh. (NASB95)
The believer loses fellowship through obeying the sin nature and committing
personal sins. However, he is restored through the confession of sin (1 John 1:9).
1 John 1:9 If any of us does at any time confess our sins, then, He (God the
Father) is faithful and just with the result that He forgives us our sins and
purifies us from each and every wrongdoing. (Author’s translation)
This fellowship is maintained by bringing one’s thoughts into obedience to the
teaching of Jesus Christ, which constitutes obeying the commands of Ephesians
5:18 to be influenced by means of the Spirit and Colossians 3:16 to let the Word of
Christ richly dwell in your soul since both produce the same results.
Ephesians 5:18 And do not permit yourselves to get into the habit of being
drunk with wine because that is non-sensical behavior, but rather permit
yourselves on a habitual basis to be influenced by means of the Spirit.
Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all
wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (NASB95)
Therefore, obedience to the Word of God will enable the believer to experience
fellowship with God, which is synonymous with experiencing sanctification.
1 John 2:5 But, whoever, at any time does observe conscientiously His
Word, indeed, in this one, the love for the one and only God is accomplished.
By means of this we can confirm that we are at this particular moment in
fellowship with Him. (Author’s translation)
This obedience constitutes loving the Lord.
John 14:15 If you love Me, you will observe conscientiously My
commandments. (Author’s translation)
So this battle rages between the flesh, the sin nature and the Spirit. The
believer’s soul is a battleground. The battle in the soul is related to whether they
will live for self in the old sin nature or live for God in the new nature. Paul relates
this battle in his own life as a believer in Romans 7:14-25.
“Experiential” sanctification is experiencing the holiness or in other words
manifesting the character of God through one’s thoughts, words and actions (1
Peter 1:14-16).
“Ultimate sanctification” is the perfection of the church age believer’s spiritual
life at the Rapture, i.e. resurrection of the church, which is the completion of the
plan of God for the church age believer (1 Cor. 15:53-54; Gal. 6:8; 1 Pet. 5:10;
John 6:40). It is the guarantee of a resurrection body and will be experienced by
every believer regardless of their response in time to what God has done for them
at salvation.
All three stages of sanctification refer to the process of conforming the believer
into the image of Jesus Christ, which is the Father’s plan from eternity past
(Romans 8:28-30).
The Rapture
The dispensation of the church ends with the “rapture” of the church, which is a
technical theological term for the resurrection of the church, which is imminent,
and will be invisible to the world, and will terminate the church age dispensation.
It will take place in the earth’s atmosphere when the Lord Jesus Christ will
suddenly and forcefully remove the church from planet earth in order to deliver her
from the Tribulation period.
Now we must remember that like the term “Trinity,” the term “rapture” is not
found in the original languages of Scripture but rather is taken from the Latin term
rapio, “caught up” that is used to translate the Greek verb harpazo, “caught up,”
which appears in 1 Thessalonians 4:17.
Like the term “Trinity” the term “rapture” is used by theologians to describe a
doctrine that is taught in the Bible. The rapture is taught in John 14:1-3, 1
Corinthians 1:7, 15:50-57, Philippians 3:20-21, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 and Titus
2:13.
1 Thessalonians 4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren,
about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have
no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will
bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to
you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the

coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the
Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of {the}
archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in
the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the
Lord. (NASB95)
“Will be caught up” is the verb harpazo, “to snatch or take something away
forcefully in such a way that no resistance is offered, to grab or seize by force with
the purpose of removing and/or controlling” The verb harpazo refers to the Lord
Jesus Christ taking His Church forcefully and suddenly out of the world by means
of His divine omnipotence.
1 Thessalonians 4:18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
(NASB95)
The rapture is the “blessed hope” of the church since it delivers her from the
wrath that is to come upon a Christ rejecting world during the Tribulation period,
which will be the worst period in all of human history and immediately follows the
rapture.
Titus 2:13 Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of
our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus. (NASB95)
The church age is a dispensation, which contains no prophecy except for that of
the rapture. The church age began with a miracle and will end with a miracle. The
church age will end with the rapture, which the Scriptures teach is preceded by
apostasy (1 Tim. 4:1-3; 2 Tim. 3:1-5). The rapture will also mark the completion of
the royal family of God. The formation of the church began with the baptism of the
Spirit on the day of Pentecost and its completion will be at the rapture.
The church or royal family of God is called the body of Christ preceding the
rapture (1 Cor. 12:12-27). The church or royal family of God is called the bride of
Christ after it (Rev. 19:7-9). Therefore, the Bible teaches that the body of the bride
of Christ will not be complete until the rapture comes.
The Rapture of the Church is a Mystery
The resurrection or rapture of the church was a mystery that was not known to
Old Testament saints.
1 Corinthians 15:50 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot
inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed
in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; 52 for the
trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be
changed. (NASB95)
“Mystery” is the noun musterion. The precise origin of the noun musterion is
itself a mystery according to Bornkamm (Kittel 4:803). The word is found from the
time of the “Tragic Poets” onwards and comes from the verb muo, “to shut, to
close.”
The noun means “that which must not or cannot be said.” It was a term for the
many ancient mystery cults, which developed from the seventh century B.C. to the
fourth century A.D.
The basic features of these mysteries were the guarding of secrets and the
initiation process where the participants share through a ritual act in the life of the
god. Another feature was the promise of cosmic salvation.
Finkernath states “The mystery celebration gave a ceremonial and dramatic
representation of the deity suffering and overcoming death and the initiated
attained salvation and deification by sharing in the deity’s fortunes through
resurrection.” (The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology,
Colin Brown, General Editor, volume 3, page 501; Regency, Reference Library,
Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1967, 1969, 1971)
Over time, these mystery cults infiltrated philosophical circles with
terminology, concepts and speculation. Magic was influenced as well.
“Mysteries” were “secrets” that were disclosed to the Gnostic practitioner.
Liddell-Scott lists the following meanings for the noun musterion: (1) mystery
or secret rite (2) mystic implements and ornaments (3) of the military sacrmentum
(4) secret revealed by God, i.e. religious or mystical truth (Page 1156).
The majority of the documents containing the noun musterion are non-
canonical intertestamental writings that do not have Hebrew behind them.
However, it appears that the concept of musterion appears in Daniel which is
reflected in the Aramaic word raz, “secret, mystery.”
This word describes the mystery revealed to Daniel as the interpreter of
Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Both the Septuagint and Theodotion’s version render
musterion with the raz. In Daniel, the meaning of musterion went from “secret” to
“revealed secret.”
Bornkamm writes, “In Daniel musterion takes on for the first time a sense
which is important for the further development of the word, namely that of an
eschatological mystery, a concealed intimation of divinely ordained future events
whose disclosure and interpretation is reserved for God alone…and for those
inspired by His Spirit.” (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, volume 4,
page 814-815; Gerhard Kittel, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand
Rapids, Michigan, 1964)
The noun musterion appears twenty-seven times in the Greek New Testament,
twenty are attributed to Paul. Of the remaining seven, three occur in the Synoptic

Gospels in parallel texts (Matthew 13:11; Mark 4:11; Luke 8:10). The other four
appear in Revelation (1:20; 10:7; 17:5, 7).
Literature-Third Edition commenting on this word musterion, writes, “Secret,
secret rite, secret teaching, mystery, a technical term applied in the Greco-Roman
world mostly to the mysteries with their secret teachings, religious and political in
nature, concealed within many strange customs and ceremonies. The principal rites
remain unknown because of a reluctance in antiquity to divulge them.” (Page 661).
They list the following meanings for the word: (1) the unmanifested or private
counsel of God, (God’s) secret, the secret thoughts, plans and dispensations of
God, which are hidden from human reason, as well as from all other
comprehension below the divine level and await either fulfillment or revelation to
those for whom they are intended (2) that which transcends normal understanding,
transcendent/ultimate reality, secret, with focus on Israelite/Christian experience
(Page 662).
The Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised, “a matter to the knowledge of which
initiation is necessary; a secret which would remain such but for revelation; a
concealed power or principle; a hidden meaning of a symbol” (Page 273).
Vine commenting on musterion, writes, “Musterion, primarily that which is
known to the mustes, ‘the initiated’ (from mueo, ‘to initiate into the mysteries’; cf.
Phil 4:12, mueomai, ‘I have learned the secret,’ RV). In the NT it denotes, not the
mysterious (as with the Eng. word), but that which, being outside the range of
unassisted natural apprehension, can be made known only by divine revelation, and
is made known in a manner and at a time appointed by God, and to those only who
are illumined by His Spirit. In the ordinary sense a ‘mystery’ implies knowledge
withheld; its Scriptural significance is truth revealed. Hence the terms especially
associated with the subject are ‘made known,’ ‘manifested,’ ‘revealed,’ ‘preached,’
‘understand,’ ‘dispensation.’ The definition given above may be best illustrated by
the following passage: ‘the mystery which hath been hid from all ages and
generations: but now hath it been manifested to His saints’ Col 1:26, RV. It is used
of: (a) spiritual truth generally, as revealed in the gospel, 1 Cor 13:2; 14:2 [cf. 1
Tim 3:9]. Among the ancient Greeks ‘the mysteries’ were religious rites and
ceremonies practiced by secret societies into which any one who so desired might
be received. Those who were initiated into these ‘mysteries’ became possessors of
certain knowledge, which was not imparted to the uninitiated, and were called 'the
perfected,' cf. 1 Cor 2:6-16 where the Apostle has these ‘mysteries’ in mind and
presents the gospel in contrast thereto; here ‘the perfected’ are, of course the
believers, who alone can perceive the things revealed; (b) Christ, who is God
Himself revealed under the conditions of human life, Col 2:2; 4:3, and submitting
even to death, 1 Cor 2:1 [in some mss., for marturion, testimony], 7, but raised
from among the dead, 1 Tim 3:16, that the will of God to coordinate the universe
in Him, and subject it to Him, might in due time be accomplished, Eph 1:9 (cf. Rev
10:7), as is declared in the gospel Rom 16:25; Eph 6:19; (c) the Church, which is
Christ's Body, i. e., the union of redeemed men with God in Christ, Eph 5:32 [cf.
Col 1:27]; (d) the rapture into the presence of Christ of those members of the
Church which is His Body who shall be alive on the earth at His Parousia, 1 Cor
15:51; (e) the operation of those hidden forces that either retard or accelerate the
Kingdom of Heaven (i. e., of God), Matt 13:11; Mark 4:11; (f) the cause of the
present condition of Israel, Rom 11:25; (g) the spirit of disobedience to God, 2
Thess 2:7; Rev 17:5,7, cf. Eph 2:2.” From Notes on Thessalonians, by Hogg and
Vine pp. 256. 257. To these may be added (h) the seven local churches, and their
angels, seen in symbolism, Rev 1:20; (i) the ways of God in grace, Eph 3:9. The
word is used in a comprehensive way in 1 Cor 4:1. See The Twelve Mysteries of
Scripture, by Vine. (Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright
(c)1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers)
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains
defines the word “the content of that which has not been known before but which
has been revealed to an in-group or restricted constituency – ‘secret, mystery’”
(volume 2, page 345).
The New Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon: (1) a hidden or secret thing, not
obvious to the understanding (2) a hidden purpose or counsel (3) Denotes the
mystic or hidden sense (Page 420).
In relation to the Greek New Testament, the noun musterion referred to Bible
doctrine that was never revealed to Old Testament saints but was revealed through
the Spirit to the church. It referred to God’s set of instructions for the church age
believer, which were not known to Old Testament saints.
Romans 16:25 Now, to the One who is, as an eternal spiritual truth, always
able to strengthen each and every one of you without exception according to
my gospel namely, publicly proclaiming as a herald in a dignified and
authoritative manner Jesus, who is the Christ on the basis of receiving
revelation concerning the mystery, which has been concealed from eternity
past. 26 But now has been manifested. Indeed, through the prophetic
Scriptures according to the decree of the eternal God has been fully made
known publicly and explicitly for the benefit of all the Gentiles for the purpose
of obedience produced by faith. 27 To the unique, wise God through Jesus
Christ, to whom, will be directed glory (in the sense of adoring praise and
worshipful thanksgiving) throughout eternity. So it will be. (Author’s
translation)
The noun musterion was used by the Greeks of the content of the doctrines and
the actual principles and points that had to be learned by the initiated. It was used
in the ancient fraternities of Athens, Greece. These ancient fraternities had secret
doctrines, which they called mystery doctrines and only those initiated into those
fraternities knew the mystery doctrines or the secrets. Every Greek fraternity had
its own secret doctrines and cultic rites.
The mystery doctrine that the Apostle Paul taught and is found in the New
Testament is truth. Paul took the noun musterion away from the secrets of the
ancient mystery cults and used it in technical theological language. He did this to
indicate that the doctrine that he was teaching was totally unknown in Old
Testament times.
Musterion is something that is hidden from those outside the fraternity. The
fraternity is the royal family of God formed by the baptism of the Holy Spirit at the
moment of conversion. Only members of the royal family of God have received
the mystery doctrine of the church age.
Our Lord taught this principle to us disciples and employed it Himself (Matt.
13:10-11). Only the initiated or within our Lord’s circle of students were given the
mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. The Person of Christ is called the “mystery of
godliness” (1 Tim. 3:16).
The indwelling of Christ in church age believers is a mystery not known to Old
Testament saints (Colossians 1:24-2:3). It was a mystery that the Gentiles would be
“fellow heirs with Christ” (Eph. 3:4-6).
Ephesians 5:22-33 teaches that the eternal union between church age believers
and the Lord Jesus Christ is also described by Paul as a “mystery.”
In Romans 11:25, the noun musterion means “mystery” and refers to the will of
God concerning Israel and the Gentiles being revealed during the church age by the
Spirit through the apostles to the church and which will was not previously known
to the Old Testament prophets of Israel. The content of this mystery is that a partial
hardening of Israel has taken place and will continue to take place until the full
number of Gentiles who will be saved have been saved.
Romans 11:25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this
mystery -- so that you will not be wise in your own estimation -- that a partial
hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come
in. (Author’s translation)
The partial hardening of Israel is manifested in that only a remnant of Jews
have believed in Christ since the First Advent of Christ up to the time Paul wrote
Romans and this will continue to be the case up to the Second Advent of Christ.
Paul taught the remnant doctrine in Romans 9:27-29 and 11:2-6.
Lastly, as pertaining to our subject, the resurrection of the church is also a
mystery in that it was not known to Old Testament prophets but was revealed
exclusively to the apostles and thus to church age believers (1 Cor. 15:51-53).

The fact that the rapture is a mystery doctrine indicates that it is a totally unique
feature of the church age. It belongs exclusively to the church age. 1 Corinthians
15:51-57 teaches that not all church age believers will die physically but that those
alive at the Rapture will be “changed” meaning that they will receive a resurrection
body which will be incorruptible. This passage also teaches that the dead in Christ
will be raised first before those alive on the earth. It also teaches that the rapture
will happen in a “winking of an eye” (1 Cor. 15:52). The resurrection of the church
will occur “in a moment.” This was a mystery to Old Testament saints and never
recorded in the Old Testament canon of Scripture.
Therefore, the church age is also called the dispensation of the great
parenthesis. Old Testament prophets skipped over the church age in silence as in
Daniel 2:40 ( ) 41; 7:23 ( ) 24; 8:22 ( ) 23; 11:35 ( ) 36; Hosea 3:4 ( ) 5; 5:15 ( )
6:1. Old Testament prophets knew nothing about the church age. It was not
revealed to them but only to the New Testament writers of Scripture.
Immanency
The rapture of the church is “imminent” which means that the rapture could
happen at any time. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2 teaches that the day of the Lord will
come like a thief in the night meaning that it will take place unexpectedly.
1 Thessalonians 5:1 Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have
no need of anything to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know full well
that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. (NASB95)
The only way the day of the Lord could break unexpectedly upon the world is
to have it begin immediately after the rapture of the church, which is imminent.
Supporting the “imminent” return of Christ for His bride is that the Lord Jesus
in John 14:1-3 first speaks of the rapture and does not mention any intervening
events between preparing a place for His disciples in His Father’s house and
receiving them to Himself.
John 14:1 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also
in Me. 2 In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I
would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go and prepare
a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am,
{there} you may be also.” (NASB95)
Notice the Lord says that He will “receive us to Himself.” Compare it with this
passage in 2 Thessalonians 2:1, which deals extensively with the rapture.
2 Thessalonians 2:1 “we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him. (NASB95)
There are several Scriptures, which teach the church to expect Christ to come
back at any moment.
Romans 13:12 The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let
us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. (NASB95)
James 5:7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord.
The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it,
until it gets the early and late rains. 8 You too be patient; strengthen your
hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. 9 Do not complain, brethren,
against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the
Judge is standing right at the door. (NASB95)
Philippians 4:5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is
near. (NASB95)
Hebrews 10:25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit
of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day
drawing near. (NASB95)
Revelation 22:7 And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds
the words of the prophecy of this book. (NASB95)
Revelation 22:20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming
quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. (NASB95)
The purpose of such immanency is that the church may be in a constant state of
expectancy, always looking for and waiting for the coming of her Lord from
heaven. Not only is the hope of His return a source of comfort and encouragement
to the believer, but also it is a very definite incentive for service and for holy
living. This is what John is saying in 1 John 3:2-3.
1 John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as
yet what we will be. 3 We know that when He appears, we will be like Him,
because we will see Him just as He is and everyone who has this hope fixed on
Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. (NASB95)
The doctrine of the “imminent” return of Christ at the rapture of the church is
also supported by the fact that there are no signs preceding the rapture whereas
there are many signs prior to the Second Advent of Christ, which terminates the
Tribulation period.
The Distinctions Between the Rapture and the Second Advent of Christ
It is important to understand that the Bible teaches that there are distinctions
between the rapture and the Second Advent of Christ. Those who don’t believe in a
“pre-tribulation” rapture of the church also fail to see the distinctions between the
Second Advent of Christ and the rapture and thus attribute passages dealing with
the latter to the former.
The rapture delivers the church while the Second Advent delivers Israel. It is
seen only by the church and is therefore invisible while the Second Advent is the
visible manifestation of Christ on the earth. The Lord meets the church in the
earth’s atmosphere at the rapture, whereas the Lord physically lands on the Mount
of Olives in Jerusalem at the Second Advent.
Signs do not precede the rapture whereas visible signs precede the Second
Advent. The Lord claims His Bride at the rapture but He returns with her at the
Second Advent. The rapture completes God’s program for the church while the
Second Advent is related to God’s program for Israel. The rapture is a mystery, not
known to Old Testament saints whereas the Second Advent is prophesied
throughout the Old Testament canon. The rapture leaves creation unchanged
whereas the Second Advent entails a change in creation.
The rapture does not fulfill God’s covenants to Israel whereas the Second
Advent marks the beginning of their fulfillment. The rapture precedes the
Tribulation whereas the Second Advent follows it. Further support of the “pre-
tribulation” view is that this position recognizes that there is an interval of time
between the rapture and the Second Advent of Christ.
Eager Anticipation of the Rapture
The rapture is something every church age believer should be eagerly

anticipating because at that time they will receive their resurrection bodies. The
resurrection body will be composed of flesh and bone and will not have blood as
the physical body now has. It will have a different molecular structure which will
enable it to walk through walls as our Lord did in John 20:19. It will be able to
leave the earth vertically as our Lord did in Acts 1:9. It will be able to travel
through space in an instant and appear in heaven. The believer will still be able to
eat and drink in a resurrection body (Luke 24:42-43). The resurrection body will
never get tired or sick and will minus the old sin nature. It will be a spiritual body
with flesh and bones (1 Cor. 15:35-50).
The resurrection or “rapture” of the church will mark the permanent eradication
of the sin nature from the existence of the believer and will be the completion of
the believer’s deliverance from the sin nature as well as the believer’s
sanctification.
In Philippians 3:21, Paul teaches the Philippians that the Lord Jesus Christ will
transform the believer’s humiliating into conformity with His glorious resurrection
body.
Philippians 3:20 For our citizenship exists from eternity past in the realm
of the heavens, out from which also we ourselves at the present time are
eagerly anticipating as Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ 21 who will cause our
humiliating body to be outwardly transformed to be identical in essence with

His glorious body because of the power that will enable Him to marshal all
things created to Himself. (Author’s translation)
In Philippians 3:21, the expression “to be outwardly transformed” is the third
person future active indicative form of the compound verb metaschematizo.
The word refers to the Lord Jesus Christ causing the church age believer’s
physical body to be transformed in outward appearance into a resurrected body at
the rapture of the church.
Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary defines the verb transform:
(1) To change in form, appearance, or structure, metamorphose (2) To change in
condition, nature, or character; convert (3) To change into another substance;
transmute.
If we were to paraphrase this definition, we would say that the church age
believer’s physical body: (1) Will change in form, appearance, or structure,
metamorphose at the rapture or resurrection of the church. (2) Will change in
condition, nature, character; convert at the rapture or resurrection of the church. (3)
Will change into another substance; transmute at the rapture or resurrection of the
church.
The predictive future indicates that the believer will have his physical body
transformed into a resurrection body that is patterned after the resurrection body of
the Lord Jesus Christ’s resurrection body. This is a causative active voice where
the Lord Jesus Christ as the subject is the cause or ultimate source of the
transformation of the believer’s physical body into a resurrection body.
“Humiliating” is the genitive feminine singular form of the noun tapeinosis,
which describes the believer’s physical body, which is mortal. It refers to the state
of humiliation that the believer experiences in his mortal body because it contains
the old sin nature as a result of Adam’s original sin in the garden (R. 5:12; cf. 7).
The physical body of the believer is humiliating in comparison to the
resurrection body. It is being corrupted as a result of the old sin nature (Eph. 4:22)
and is subjected to death (1 Cor. 15:42-44). It is thus mortal whereas the
resurrection body is immortal. The mortal body of the believer is governed by the
old Adamic-nature whereas the resurrection body is governed by the new Christ-
nature.
Christ crucified the old Adamic-nature at the cross (R. 6:6). It tempts the soul to
commit mental, verbal and overt acts of personal sin and produces evil (Col. 3:9).
The mortal body of the believer is in bondage to the sin nature (R. 7:14). Its actions
cannot please God and wars against the Spirit (R. 8:3; cf. Ga. 5:18-21).
“To be identical in essence” is the accusative neuter singular form of the
adjective summorphos, which is employed in an eschatological sense referring to
the rapture when the believer will receive a resurrection body that will have the
same identical essence as the resurrection body of the Lord Jesus Christ.
This compound adjective is composed of the preposition sun, “with, together
with,” and the noun morphe, “essence.” Literally it means “having the same
essence of nature,” or “identical in essence or nature.”
The believer’s resurrection body will not only look like the resurrection body of
the Lord Jesus Christ but it will be in essence, identical to His, composed of flesh,
bone and spirit and no blood because it will be minus the old sin nature. It will be
composed of the same molecular structure and will function in the same manner as
the resurrection body of Christ, which He first modeled after His resurrection.
The resurrected body of the Lord Jesus Christ serves as the model for the
resurrected body of the believer. Every church age believer will receive a
resurrection body at the rapture of the church (1 John 3:2). The omnipotence of the
Lord Jesus Christ will be responsible for the believer’s new resurrection body
according to Philippians 3:21.
The believer’s physical body is a body of humiliation compared to the
resurrection body which is called the “body of His glory” (Phil. 3:21). The
resurrection body will be composed of flesh and bones and will not have blood as
the physical body now has (Lk. 24:39), but will be composed of flesh, bones and
spirit. The resurrection body will have a different molecular structure which will
enable it to walk through walls as our Lord did in John 20:19. It will be able to
leave the earth vertically as our Lord did in Acts 1:9. It will be able to travel
through space in an instant and appear in heaven.
The believer will still be able to eat and drink in a resurrection body (Luke
24:42-43). The resurrection body will never get tired or sick and will minus the old
sin nature. It will be a spiritual body with flesh and bones (1 Cor. 15:35-50). It will
be an imperishable body and not like the one believer’s now have (1 Cor. 15:52).
The resurrection body will be immortal (1 Cor. 15:53). The believer’s
resurrection body is a result of our Lord’s victory over death at the Cross (1 Cor.
15:57). Our Lord delivered us from the fear of death (Heb. 2:14-15). The believer
in a resurrection body will no longer be able to sin because it will be minus the old
sin nature which tempts the believer to commit acts of sin-mental, verbal and overt.
The resurrection body will be an eternal monument to the grace policy of God.
All church age believers will receive a resurrection body regardless of whether or
not they were a winner in time. The only requirement for receiving a resurrection
body is believing on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.
Faith alone in Christ alone is the means of receiving a resurrection body. It only
takes one non-meritorious decision to receive a resurrection body.
Paul uses the Stellar Universe analogy to illustrate the fact that there will be
varieties of resurrection bodies in heaven (1 Cor. 15:40-41). The resurrection body
will be totally governed by the Spirit, made alive and sustained by the eternal

living power of the Spirit. The resurrection body of the believer will have the same
identical attributes and properties that the resurrection body of Christ has.
In Philippians 3:21, “the power” is the accusative feminine singular form of the
noun energeian, which refers to the divine omnipotence of God the Son.
The humiliating body of the believer will be outwardly transformed to be
identical in essence to the glorified resurrected body of Christ at the rapture of the
church. In context, Paul is referring to the omnipotence of God the Son since he is
discussing the resurrection body. The same power that raised the humanity of
Christ from the dead will raise every church age believer from the dead at the
rapture (Rom. 8:11).
Four Views of the Rapture
The Bible teaches that the rapture will take place prior to the Tribulation period
since it teaches that the church is delivered from the wrath to come.
1 Thessalonians 5:9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for
obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. (NASB95)
This teaching that the rapture will take place prior to the Great Tribulation
period is called by theologians and students of prophecy, the “pre-tribulation”
view. Not all Christians adhered to this view as a result there are four different
views of the rapture. I will present the arguments for each view and then
demonstrate through the Scriptures that these other views are incorrect and that the
“pre-tribulation” rapture view is the correct biblical view.
The four views of the rapture: (1) “Pre-tribulation”: The rapture will take place
“before” the Tribulation. (2) “Partial”: Only those believers who are worthy will be
taken off the earth at the rapture. (3) “Mid-tribulation”: The rapture will take place
during the “midway” point of the Tribulation. (4) “Post-tribulation: The rapture
will take place “after” the Tribulation.
Dwight Pentecost gives seven points on which the post-tribulation position is
based on: “Posttribulationsim must be based on a denial of dispensationalism and
all dispensational distinctions. It is only thus that they can place the church in that
period in which is particularly called ‘the time of Jacob’s trouble’ (Jer. 30:7).
Consequently, the position rests on a denial of the distinctions between Israel and
the church. The position must rest on a denial of the Scriptural teaching concerning
the nature and purpose of the tribulation period. Whereas Scripture uses such terms
as wrath, judgment, indignation, trial, trouble, and destruction to describe this
period, and states that the divine purpose in this period is to pour out judgment on
sin, the advocate of this position must deny this essential teaching of the Word.
The posttribulationist must deny all the distinctions observed from the Scriptures
between the rapture and the second advent, making them one and the same. The

posttribulationist must deny the doctrine of imminence, which says that the Lord
may come at any time, and substitute the teaching that a multitude of signs must be
fulfilled before the Lord can possibly come. The posttribulationist denies any
future fulfillment to the prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27, claiming for it an historical
fulfillment. The posttribulationist must apply major passages of Scripture that
outline God’s program for Israel (Matt. 13; Matt. 24-25; Rev. 4:19) to the church
in order to support his views. It will thus be observed that the position rests
essentially on a system of denials of the interpretations held by the pretribulation
rapturist, rather than on a positive exposition of the Scripture.” (Things to Come,
pages 164-165)
Pentecost gives six points in which the mid-tribulation position is based on:
“Midtribulationism must either deny or at least weaken the dispensational
interpretation of the Scriptures, and deny the strict distinctions between Israel and
the church. This is observed in that this position places the church in the first half
of the last seven years of the period determined upon Daniel’s people and city. The
position must rest on a view of the tribulation that divides the period into two
separate and unrelated halves, so that the church can go through the first half, even
though it has no part in the last half. The position must deny the doctrine of
imminence, for all the signs of the first half of the week apply to the church. The
position must deny the concept of the church as a mystery, so that the church age
may overlap God’s program with Israel. The position must depend, to a certain
extent, on the spiritualizing method of interpretation. This is particularly evident in
the explanation of the portions of Scripture dealing with the 1st half of the
tribulation period.” (Things to Come, pages 179-180)
In regards to the Pretribulation rapture position, Pentecost writes,
“Pretribulation rapturism rests essentially on one major premise-the literal method
of interpretation of the Scriptures. As a necessary adjunct to this, the
pretribulationist believes in a dispensational interpretation of the Word of God.
The church and Israel are two distinct groups with whom God has a divine plan.
The church is a mystery, unrevealed in the Old Testament. This present mystery
age intervenes within the program of God for Israel because of Israel’s rejection of
the Messiah at His first advent. This mystery program must be completed before
God can resume His program with Israel and bring it to completion. These
considerations all arise from the literal method of interpretation.” (Things to Come,
page 193)
Pre-Tribulation View
The first view of the rapture is the “pre-tribulation” view, which contends that
the rapture of the church will take place prior to the Tribulation period and will
deliver every church age believer from this awful period. The “pre-tribulation”
view adheres to the literal method of interpreting the Bible unlike the “post-
tribulation” view, which spiritualizes the literalness of the events in the Tribulation
in an attempt to harmonize these events with other Scriptures in the light of this
interpretation.
The “mid-tribulation” view will only apply the literal method of interpretation
to the last half of Daniel’s Seventieth Week but spiritualize the events of the first
half to permit the church to go through the first half. The “pre-tribulation” view
makes a distinction between Israel and the church and sees them as two distinct
entities in the plan of God. In fact, the essence of dispensationalism is the
distinction between Israel and the Church. This arises out of the dispensationalist’s
consistent utilization of normal or plain interpretation.
Dispensationalism recognizes distinctions in God’s program in history. The
dispensationalist follows the principle of interpreting the Bible literally, and does
not allegorize away the Bible, thus he is consistent in his interpretation. It
recognizes that God’s message to man was not given in one single act but was
unfolded in a long series of successive acts and through the minds and hands of
many men of varying backgrounds.
A dispensation is a period of human history defined in terms of divine
revelation. According to the Bible, history is a sequence of divine administrations.
These consecutive eras reflect the unfolding of God’s plan for mankind. A
dispensation is a period of history where God has designed a particular plan for
man and man is tested as to whether or not he will be obedient to that particular
plan.
Now, 1 Thessalonians 1:10 explicitly teaches that the church age believer is
delivered from this wrath, thus it follows that the church will be raptured “before”
the Tribulation.
The purposes of the Tribulation do not include the church, thus favoring a “pre-
tribulation” rapture of the church. The first great purpose of the tribulation is to
prepare the nation Israel for her Messiah (Deut. 4:30; Jer. 30:7; Ezek. 20:37; Dan.
12:1; Zech. 13:8-9).
The book of Revelation teaches that the Tribulation period is a time when God
deals with His covenant people Israel (Rev. 7:4-6; 12:1-2; 17). God’s purpose for
Israel in the Tribulation is “crisis evangelism” or in other words, to lead them to a
saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. These Jews who turn to Jesus Christ as Savior
will enter into the blessings of the Christ’s millennial kingdom and experience the
fulfillment of all Israel’s covenants.
The second great purpose of the tribulation is to pour out judgment on
unbelieving man and nations.

Revelation 3:11 “Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I
also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come
upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” (NASB95)
Joel 3:2 “I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the valley of
Jehoshaphat. Then I will enter into judgment with them there on behalf of My
people and My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the
nations and they have divided up My land.” (NASB95)
Since the church is composed of individuals who have believed in Jesus Christ
as Savior, it follows that the church will not go through the Tribulation and God’s
wrath since Christ experienced God’s wrath for the church. It is impossible for the
church age believer to face God’s wrath during the Tribulation period since this
would in effect cause Christ to have to face God’s wrath again since the church age
believer is united to Christ as members of His body and His future bride.
The Bible teaches that the Tribulation portion of the day of the Lord is
characterized by wrath, i.e. God’s righteous indignation or legitimate anger
towards sin (Zeph. 1:15, 18; 1 Thess. 1:10; 5:9; Rev. 6:16-17; 11:18; 14:10, 19;
15:1, 7; 16:1, 19). The tribulation period will witness the wrath of Satan in his
animosity against Israel (Rev. 12:12-17) and of Satan’s man, the Beast, also known
as Antichrist, in his animosity against the saints (Rev. 13:7) but even Satan’s wrath
does “not” come close to the intensity of God’s wrath.
The Scriptures plainly teach that the wrath poured out during the Great
Tribulation period originates with God and is therefore a time of God’s wrath upon
a Christ rejecting a world that is deceived by the devil (See Isaiah 34:1-2; Joel
1:15; Obadiah 15; Revelation 15:1, 7; 16:1; Revelation 19:11-21).
The Scriptures plainly reveal that Daniel’s Seventieth week, also known as the
Great Tribulation period is distinctly the time when God’s wrath and judgment fall
upon the earth. This is not wrath from men, nor from Satan, except as God may use
these agencies as instruments for the execution of His will, thus the wrath during
Daniel’s Seventieth week is tribulation from God. This period differs from all
preceding tribulation, not only in intensity but also in the kind of tribulation, since
it comes from God Himself.
1 Thessalonians 5:9 explicitly teaches that the church age believer is delivered
from this wrath.
1 Thessalonians 5:9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for
obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. (NASB95)
1 Thessalonians 1:10 and 5:9 clearly exempt the church from the wrath of God.
Revelation 3:10 explicitly teaches that the church will not go through the
Tribulation.

“Because you have kept the word of my perseverance” refers to the believer
in Jesus Christ in the sense that he or she has trusted in His person and work on the
cross and who now sits at the right hand of the Father interceding for the believer.
“The word of My perseverance” refers to the testimony of Scripture regarding
the truth of Christ as the suffering, resurrected, and so also, the victorious Savior
who endured the shame of rejection and the cross and who endures today as the
resurrected and ascended Lord now sitting at God’s right hand (Heb. 1:3 with 12:1-
3).
The statement “I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour
which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the
earth” is a promise from the Lord Jesus Christ to all church age believers that
because they have trusted in Him as Savior, He will deliver them from the
Tribulation period.
J. Hampton Keathley III has this insightful comment regarding this promise, he
writes, “‘I will also keep you from the hour of testing’ ‘Testing’ is the Greek
peirasmos, ‘a trial, temptation, or testing.’ The context must determine the exact
meaning of the word. Here the context shows us the reference is to a very specific
meaning, that of world-wide testing or tribulation. ‘Hour’ is metaphorical for a
shortened period. Because of the clause that follows, this clearly refers to more
than the general trials or testings or temptations which people today may
encounter. The hour is defined in three ways: (1) It is ‘the’ hour of trial. The
presence of the Greek article specifies this as a very specific time of testing. (2) It
is to come upon the whole world. The term translated ‘world’ is oikoumene,
meaning ‘the inhabited earth,’ but modifying it is the adjective, holos, ‘whole,
complete.’ The testing is worldwide. (3) Finally, it is designed to test a certain
category of people defined as ‘those who dwell upon the earth.’ The verb ‘dwell’ is
katoikeo from kata, ‘down’ and oikeo, ‘dwell, live.” Katoikeo„ means “to live,
dwell, reside, settle (down),” or it can mean ‘inhabit,’ The construction of the
Greek (a substantival present articular participle) describes the inhabitants as those
who are characterized as earth dwellers. As used in Revelation, ‘those who dwell
upon the earth’ is basically a technical term for unbelievers because they are
earthdwellers, i.e., people bound only to this life and what it can give (6:10; 8:13;
11:10; 13:8, 14; 17:8; Isa. 24:17f). In contrast to believers who are to think and live
as sojourners or aliens, the earthdweller is quite at home on earth. ‘The hour of
trial,’ sometimes referred to as ‘the Tribulation,’ refers to the time of wrath or
judgment described in chapters 6-19. This is the same as Daniel’s Seventieth Week
(Dan. 9:27) and the time of Jacob’s trouble described by Jeremiah as
unprecedented in its judgment (Jer. 30:7). The promise: First, note that this is not a
reward to the faithful. This will come in verses 11-12. Instead, this is a promise to
the church as a whole. This is clear from 3:13 which broadens this as a promise to
the churches at large. All believers are to listen to these messages and their
warning, exhortations, and promises and act accordingly. As in 1 Thessalonians
4:13-18, this is to bring comfort to the church. Second, the promise is ‘I will keep
you from the hour…’ i.e., from the Tribulation. This is very specific and carefully
described in the Greek to emphasize and clearly teach the pre-tribulation rapture of
the church. The Greek words for ‘keep out’ are tereo and ek meaning ‘out of.’
There are four other ways this could have been stated if John wanted to imply that
church age believers would be in the Tribulation, but none of them were used: (1)
tereo en = To keep in. This would be a promise of preservation in the Tribulation.
(2) tereo dia = to keep through. This would be a promise to keep us through the
Tribulation. (3) aireo ek = to take out, or sozo ek = to save out. This could mean
that believers would go into the Tribulation and then be taken out of the
Tribulation. (4) aireo apo = to take from. This would mean that believers would go
into the Tribulation and then be taken out of the Tribulation. Rather than any of the
above, John chose to use tereo ek, which means ‘to keep out.’ This is a promise
that believers will never get into the Tribulation. But how? Paul describes this for
us 1 Thessalonians 4:13f. We can chart it like this: Some have tried to argue that
this construction means just the opposite of the above interpretation. Gundry, for
instance, in his book, the Church and the Tribulation, believes it argues for a post-
tribulational emergence of the saints. He writes, ‘As it is, ek lays all the emphasis
on emergence, in this verse on the final, victorious outcome of the keeping-
guarding.’ Although this is generally true with ek, if ek is related to a non-motion
verb like tereo the idea of motion out of something is negated by the static nature
of the verb. The fact then, that a motion verb like sozo is used here with ek shows
the fallacy of Gundry’s argument. However, even if a verb of motion were used, it
would not prove Gundry’s argument. A good illustration is 2 Corinthians 1:10
which has rhuomai ek, ‘delivered us from death.’ Certainly Paul did not mean that
God had delivered them out of death through resurrection, but that He had kept
them from death. Another illustration of this use of ek with a verb of motion is
James 5:20, ‘save him from (the peril) of death,’ sozo plus ek. As James 5:20 and 2
Corinthians 1:10 means saved from the peril of death, i.e., from dying. So likewise
1 Thessalonians 1:10 and Rev. 3:10 means delivered from the peril of wrath, the
time of testing, the Tribulation. (Studies in Revelation-Christ’s Victory Over The
Forces Of Darkness, pages 74-76; Biblical Studies Press; www.bible.org; 1997)
In support of the “pre-tribulation” view is Revelation 6-18. These chapters
describe the events that will take place during Daniel’s Seventieth Week and the
church is conspicuously not mentioned once in these chapters, thus implying that
the church will not go through this period because it has already been removed
from the earth at the rapture.
The fact that the church is never mentioned in Revelation 6-18, which deals
exclusively with events of the Tribulation period is an indication that the church
will not go through the Tribulation.
Also, in support of the “pre-tribulation” view of the rapture is that the New
Testament epistles are silent on the church going through the Tribulation, which
would leave the church unprepared if they were to go through the Tribulation.
Revelation 12 teaches that the object of Satan’s attack during the Tribulation
period is Israel, which is significant since the church is the body of Christ and why
not attack the church!
Also supporting the “pre-tribulation” view is the fact that the Holy Spirit
permanently indwells each and every church age believer and 2 Thessalonians 2:7
teaches that the Antichrist cannot appear until the Spirit who indwells the church is
taken away from the earth.
2 Thessalonians 2:1 Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, 2 that
you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a
spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the
Lord has come. 3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come
unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son
of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or
object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying
himself as being God. (NASB95)
The expressions “the man of lawlessness” and “the son of destruction” is a
reference to Antichrist.
Paul’s statement that the Antichrist “opposes and exalts himself above every
so-called god or object of worship” means that he ranks himself superior to all
the supreme beings worshiped by the various religions of the world, which will be
a fulfillment of Daniel 11:36.
Paul’s statement in 2 Thessalonians 2:4 that Antichrist will “take his seat in
the temple of God, displaying himself as God” is a reference to the statement in
Daniel 9:27, “on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate.”
2 Thessalonians 2:5 “Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I
was telling you these things? 6 And you know what restrains him now, so that
in his time he will be revealed. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at
work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. 8
Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the
breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; 9
that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, 10 with
all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of
wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the
truth so as to be saved. (NASB95)
“He who now restrains” refers to the Holy Spirit since He is the only one who
has the power to restrain evil.
The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit permanently indwells the church age
believer’s body anointing (John 14:16-17; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:18-
20).
A comparison of these passages with 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 teaches that
Antichrist cannot be revealed until the Holy Spirit is taken out of the way and for
the Holy Spirit to be taken out of the way, every church age believer would have to
be removed as well since the Spirit permanently indwells every church age
believer.
The “immanency” of the rapture further supports the “pre-tribulation” view
since 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2 teaches that the day of the Lord will come like a thief
in the night meaning that it will take place unexpectedly.
Those who don’t believe in a “pre-tribulation” rapture of the church also fail to
see the distinctions between the Second Advent of Christ and the rapture and thus
attribute passages dealing with the latter to the former.
There will be three major events following the Rapture for the church in
heaven: (1) Bema Seat Evaluation: Involving all believers (2 Cor. 5:10; Rom.
14:10). (2) Overcomer believers are presented to the Father by the Lord Jesus
Christ (Rev. 3:5). (3) Marriage of the Lamb: Involving all believers (Rev. 19:7).
Also, the events of Daniel’s Seventieth Week have to take place between the
rapture and the Second Advent of Christ.
The “pre-tribulation” view unlike the “mid-tribulation” and “post-tribulation”
views do not take this into consideration.
If all believers are raptured at the Second Advent of Christ, then there are no
believers with non-glorified bodies to enter the millennial kingdom, which causes a
major problem for the “post-tribulation” view, which contends that the rapture will
take place at the end of the Tribulation period.
Therefore, the “pre-tribulation” view is the correct biblical view because it
interprets the bible literally and does not allegorize or spiritualize Scripture and
thus respects the authority of Scripture.
Secondly, this view is the biblical view because it recognizes the distinctions
between Israel and the church and the rapture and the Second Advent. It also is
correct since it supports the immanency of the rapture, which is designed to
motivate the Christian to grow to spiritual maturity.

Finally, it magnifies the faithfulness of the Lord to the church in that it
corresponds with the Lord’s explicit promise to deliver His bride from the
Tribulation.
Mid-Tribulation View
The “mid-tribulation” position contends that Christ will remove the church
from the earth during the midway point of the Tribulation. In this view, the rapture
is said to occur in connection with the sounding of the seventh trumpet and the
catching up of the two witnesses in Revelation 11. However, the seventh and final
trumpet judgment recorded in Revelation 11:15-19 comes at the end of the
Tribulation period and results in the Second Advent of Christ.
The seven trumpets mentioned in Revelation chapters 8 and 9 and 11:15-19 are
all related to the nation of Israel during Daniel’s Seventieth Week and have no
connection whatsoever to the church.
The first four trumpet judgments are separated from the last three in that the
latter are specifically called “woe” judgments. Revelation 8:6-7 records the first of
the seven trumpet judgments and is directed at the earth and results in a third of the
inhabitants of planet earth are killed.
The first trumpet results in hail and fire being cast to the earth mingled with
blood, which results in a third of the earth being burned up meaning trees and the
grass are burned up as well as various crops like wheat, barley, rice, and corn.
Revelation 8:8-9 records the second of the seven trumpet judgments and is
directed at the sea and results in a third of the sea becoming blood and a third of
aquatic life dying and a third of the ships being destroyed.
Revelation 8:10-11 records the third trumpet judgment, which involves a large
star called “Wormwood” falling upon rivers and springs of water making them
bitter.
Revelation 8:12-13 records the fourth of the seven trumpet judgments that is
directed at the sun, moon and stars of the stellar universe, which results in a third
of them being darkened so that the day would not shine for a third of it and the
night in the same way.
Revelation 9:1-12 records the fifth trumpet judgment, which is the first woe,
and results in the release from prison of fallen angels who look like locusts and are
energized by Satan and are not permitted to kill men but only to torment them.
Revelation 9:13-21 records the sixth of the seven trumpet judgments, which is
the second woe.
Revelation 11:15-19 records the seventh and final trumpet judgment, which is
the third woe and results in the Second Advent of Christ.

Revelation 11:15 Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud
voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom
of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” 16 And
the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces
and worshiped God, 17 saying, “We give You thanks, O Lord God, the
Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power
and have begun to reign. 18 And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath
came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward
Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your
name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.” 19
And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His
covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning and
sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm.
(NASB95)
Chronologically, the seven bowl judgments follow the seven trumpet judgments
that are recorded in Revelation 8:1-9:21 and 11:15-19 and the seven trumpet
judgments follow the seven seal judgments that are in Revelation 6:1-17 and 8:1-5.
So the seven seal judgments begin God’s judgment program during Daniel’s
Seventieth Week.
Revelation 6:1-2 records the Lord Jesus Christ in heaven breaking the first of
the seven seal judgments, which results in the appearance of the Antichrist on the
stage of history as a peace maker and who is depicted as riding on a white horse.
The rise to prominence of the Antichrist as a man of peace is the result of the
breaking of the first seal judgment recorded in Revelation 6:1-2.
Revelation 6:1 Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and
I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder,
“Come.” 2 I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a
bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to
conquer. (NASB95)
The rider in this passage is not the Lord Jesus Christ since this occurs too early
in Daniel’s Seventieth Week since at this time Christ is in heaven rewarding His
bride while at the same time pouring out wrath from the throne mentioned in
Revelation 4:2. Christ’s coming on a white horse is at the end and is the
culmination of the Tribulation.
Also, Revelation 6:16 records the Lamb as still in heaven. Furthermore, the
white horse rider is not Christ since the other three horses are instruments of
judgment with each rider an instrument of evil and judgment on the world. The
Lord Jesus Christ is also the one who opens the seals allowing the riders to go forth
and would not be one of the riders. He also puts an end to the Tribulation
judgments. Here, in Revelation 6:1-2, the judgments of the entire Tribulation have
yet to take place. Lastly, the crown this first rider is wearing is the stephanos
crown, a single crown and a victor’s crown, not the diadem crown of a sovereign.
Revelation 19, the white horse rider wears many crowns, and they are the
diadem crowns or in other words, the crowns of sovereignty. That the rider sat on a
white horse is significant since white is a symbol of peace, thus the symbolism is
that Antichrist will come as a peacemaker.
Daniel 9:27 teaches that the Antichrist will establish a peace treaty with the
leadership of Israel, which begins Daniel’s Seventieth Week. One of Antichrist’s
first accomplishments will be to find a solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict with a
peace treaty with Israel according to Daniel 9:26-27, which begins Daniel’s 70th
week, the unprecedented time of Jacob’s distress (Jer. 30:7).
Daniel 9:27 “And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one
week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain
offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate,
even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one
who makes desolate.” (NASB95)
The statement “he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week”
refers to Antichrist making a 7 year covenant with Israel, which actually begins
Daniel’s 70th week (See 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4).
The expression “firm covenant” means that Antichrist will not renew an
existing treaty but will establish an original one that contains strong and firm
guarantees with the Israeli leadership ensuring Israel’s security.
“The many” does “not” mean that Antichrist will make this covenant “with all”
since the definite article in the Hebrew text that precedes the adjective rav,
converts the adjective into a noun and means, “the leaders” which is a reference to
the military and political leadership of the nation of Israel at that time.
Therefore, Daniel 9:27 teaches that Daniel’s Seventieth Week comes after the
rapture but does “not” begin with the rapture. So, while the rapture will precede
Daniel’s Seventieth Week (Great Tribulation period), it does “not” begin it but
rather the signing of the peace treaty between Antichrist and the leadership in
Israel will begin it.
Daniel 9:27a indicates that he will pretend to be Israel’s benefactor and make a
treaty with her but will turn against her in the mid way point of Daniel’s Seventieth
Week and will persecute Israel and occupy Jerusalem for three and a half years.
Notice in Revelation 6:1-2 that the rider’s weapon is a bow, yet no arrows are
mentioned. The bow is a symbol of distant victory and since no arrows are
mentioned it seems to indicate that he gains his victory by bloodless tactics. That
all this is true is indicated further by the fact that peace isn’t taken from the earth
until the second seal.

Antichrist will have a hidden agenda since his purpose is not world peace, but
rather world domination since Revelation 6 goes on to say that he goes out
conquering and to conquer. This covenant between Antichrist and Israel is a peace
treaty, which will guarantee Israel’s safety in the land and suggests that Israel will
be in her land but will seek support that she had previously. The agreement
between Israel and Antichrist stipulates that he will rush to the aid of Israel in the
event of an enemy attack (Dan. 9:27; cf., 11:38-39).
The Lord Jesus Christ’s prophecy in His Olivet Discourse of the appearance of
false Christ’s during the first three and a half years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week
recorded in Matthew 24:5-6, parallels the first seal judgment recorded in
Revelation 6:1-2.
Therefore, the rapture does not occur in connection with the sounding of the
seventh trumpet and the catching up of the two witnesses in Revelation 11 since
the seventh trumpet completes God’s judgment program at the end of the
Tribulation.
Also, the first seal judgment, which precedes the seven trumpet judgments
predicts the emergence of Antichrist and 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 says he cannot
appear until the removal of the Spirit, which would result in the removal of the
church since the church is permanently indwelt by the Spirit.
So the seventh trumpet judgment takes place at the end of the Tribulation period
and thus cannot be used as support for the “mid-tribulation” position. Connected to
this, the “mid-tribulation” view also contends that the seventh trumpet of
Revelation 11:15 and the last trump of 1 Corinthians 15:52 and 1 Thessalonians
4:16 are identical.
Some expositors have tried to associate the “trumpet of God” in 1
Thessalonians 4:16 and the “last trumpet” in 1 Corinthians 15:52 with the last or
seventh trumpet of the Tribulation and with the trumpet of Matthew 24:31. By
doing this, they attempt to put the rapture either in the Tribulation or at its end,
when the Lord returns to earth.
In both of these passages, this trumpet is followed by the resurrection of the
church, i.e. the rapture. There are obvious differences that exist between the
“trumpet of God” in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and the “last trumpet” in 1
Corinthians 15:52 and the last or seventh trumpet of the Tribulation in Revelation
8:7f. and with the “great trumpet” of Matthew 24:31.
The trumpet in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and 1 Corinthians 15:22 should not be
equated with Joel 2:1 or with Revelation 8:7f since there are many differences
between them. In 1 Corinthians 15:22 the trumpeter is not stated whereas the
trumpet in Matthew 24:31 and the trumpets of Revelation 8 are blown by angels. In
1 Thessalonians 4:16 the trumpeter is Christ whereas the trumpet in Joel is a
human being, an Israelite.
The purpose of the “great trumpet” in Matthew 24:31 is to have the elect
angels gather the living elect on the earth whereas the purpose of 1 Corinthians
15:52 is to gather the living church age believers. With the blowing of the trumpet
in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, Christ Himself and not the elect angels gathers living
church age believers to Himself whereas in Revelation purpose of the blowing of
the trumpet by angels to execute judgment during the last three and a half years of
Daniel’s Seventieth Week.
The purpose of the trumpet in Joel 2:1 to assemble Israel and warn them against
danger. The trumpet in Joel is an alarm to the nation of Israel that signals that the
day of the Lord has begun. In Joel 2, the armies of Israel and her people are being
warned of an impending attack.
The result of the blowing of the “great trumpet” in Matthew 24:31 results in
entrance into the kingdom or millennial kingdom of Christ whereas the result of
the blowing of the trumpet in 1 Corinthians 15:52 is the resurrection of church age
believers.
The result of the blowing of the trumpet of God in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 is also
the resurrection of church age believers whereas the result of the blowing of the
trumpets by elect angels in Revelation 8 is the execution of judgments during the
last three and a half years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week.
The result of the blowing of the trumpet in Joel 2 is war and an invasion from
an enemy.
Therefore, because of these obvious differences between these trumpets, the
trumpets of Revelation 8 and the “great trumpet” in Matthew 24:31 and the
trumpet of Joel 2:1 do not take place at the same time as the trumpets mentioned
by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:52 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16.
The “last trumpet” of 1 Corinthians 15:52 is thought by some expositors of the
Bible to be associated with the trumpet judgments that appear in Revelation 8.
Consequently, they place the rapture at the end of the Tribulation period, i.e.
Daniel’s Seventieth Week. However, a comparison of the differences between the
various trumpets mentioned in Revelation 8, Joel 2:1, Matthew 24:31, 1
Corinthians 15:52 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16, indicates quite clearly that the “last
trumpet” in 1 Corinthians 15:52 is the very voice of the Lord Jesus Christ calling
out the church in resurrection.
The “last trumpet” of 1 Corinthians 15:52 and the “trumpet of God” in 1
Thessalonians 4:16 both result in the resurrection of the church and the purpose of
both are to gather the church to Christ and they are not blown by elect angels.
Whereas, the trumpet judgments of Revelation 8 and the “great trumpet” in
Matthew 24:31 are blown by elect angels and the result of the former is the
execution of judgments during the Tribulation whereas the result of the latter is
entrance into Christ’s millennial kingdom.
Commenting on the meaning of the “last trumpet” in 1 Corinthians 15:52, J.
Hampton Keathley III, writes, “But what does the Apostle mean by “the Last
Trump”? Because of the adjective “last,” some seek to associate this with the
seventh or last trumpet of Revelation 8 and thus place the rapture at the end of the
Tribulation. But as the above comparison shows, this is a distinct signal, evidently
the very voice of the Lord Himself for the church. It is not blown by angels and is
not for the world. John Eadie, a well-known scholar who wrote at the end of the
1800s wrote: The phrase, ‘the last trump’ (1 Cor. XV, 52), is supposed … to imply
previous trumpets, at the last of which the Judge descends, while others identify it
with the seventh trumpet of the Apocalypse; but these notions, the second
especially, are exceedingly precarious—the phrase, ‘the last trump,’ being
apparently a popular one, and meaning the trumpet in connection with the End.
John Eaide, A Commentary on the Greek Text of the First Epistle of Paul to the
Thessalonians (Reprint by James and Klock Christian Publishing Co.,
Minneapolis, 1977), p. 165) Of course the issue is the end of what? Since this is
written to believers of the church age who are waiting for His imminent return, the
end is that of the church age, not of the end of the age of Israel, or of all things. In
the Old Testament, the blowing of the trumpet was used to accompany the
Theophanies, the manifestations of God, as in Exodus 19:16. There it signaled the
approach of the Lord at the giving of the Law. For the church this is the end and
involves the Christophany, the manifestation of Christ, but at the same time, it will
form the beginning of the end in that afterwards (how soon is not revealed), the
Tribulation will begin which will be culminated just seven years later by the mani-
festation of Christ’s parousia, His presence openly revealed to the world as He
descends with His church as described above. (1 Thessalonians: An Exegetical and
Devotional Commentary, page 91; Biblical Studies Press, 1998)
Therefore, the “mid-tribulation” view that the seventh trumpet of Revelation
11:15 and the last trump of 1 Corinthians 15:52 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16 are
identical is erroneous. Also, the “mid-tribulation” view holds that the rapture is
described in Revelation 11.
The “mid-tribulation” view holds that the rapture is described in Revelation 11
by contending that the “two-witnesses” are symbolic of a “larger company of
witnesses” that they represent two groups, the dead and the living at the rapture.
They interpret the cloud as representing the Lord’s presence and that the great
voice is the shout of 1 Thessalonians 4:16. This interpretation is totally devoid of
exegesis and is an argument from analogy.
The two witnesses are spoken of in Revelation 11 as individuals and not as
symbolic representatives of the church. These two witnesses are called “two olive
trees,” which means that they are associated with Israel since in the Old Testament
the olive tree represented Israel, which would refute the “mid-tribulation” view
that the two witnesses are symbolic of the church (See Hosea 14:6; Romans 11:17,
24).
The problem with the “mid-tribulation” position is that it denies the distinction
between Israel and the church in the sense that it places the church in the first half
of the seventieth week, which was decreed for Daniel’s people the Jews according
to Daniel 9:24. The church is nowhere mentioned in the prophecy of Daniel’s
Seventy Weeks and in particular the Seventieth Week. In fact, this prophecy deals
explicitly with Israel and never mentions the church which would be inappropriate
since the church is the body of Christ.
Daniel 9:24 “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your
holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement
for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and
prophecy and to anoint the most holy place.” (NASB95)
The phrase “your people” indicates that the prophecy deals specifically with
the history of the nation of Israel and the city of Jerusalem and not with world
history or church history.
The “mid-tribulation” position also denies the doctrine of the immanency of the
rapture in that they apply to the church all the signs that were designed to warn
Israel of Christ’s Second Advent. It also denies the doctrine that the church age is a
“mystery” dispensation meaning it was not known to Old Testament prophets in
that it has the church age overlap with God’s program for Israel detailed in
Daniel’s Seventy Weeks.
preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to
light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden
in God who created all things. (NASB95)
The “mid-tribulation” view argues that God promises the church tribulation and
therefore can expect to experience the first half of the Tribulation period. However,
the term “tribulation” can be used in a “technical” way referring to a specific
period in the future and a “non-technical” way meaning it is not used with
reference to a specific period of time in the future.
The term “tribulation” is used in relation to the church in a “non-technical” way
in John 16:33, Romans 5:3, 8:35, 12:12, 1 Thessalonians 1:6 and Revelation 1:9,
2:9-10, whereas it is used in “technical” way in Matthew 24:9, 21, 29, Mark 13:19,
24 and Revelation 7:8, 14 where it is used with reference to the Tribulation period.
God does not want the Christian to believe in the “mid-tribulation” position
because it denies the distinction between Israel and the church in the sense that it
places the church in the first half of the seventieth week, which was decreed for
Daniel’s people the Jews according to Daniel 9:24.

Why is it important that the Christian knows that the mid-tribulation view is
incorrect? God does not want the Christian to believe in the “mid-tribulation” view
because it denies the doctrine of the immanency of the rapture in that they apply to
the church all the signs that were designed to warn Israel of Christ’s Second
Advent. He wants you to know that the rapture is imminent because it serves as
motivation to live our lives in a manner worthy of the Lord (1 John 3:1-3).
The “mid-tribulation” view argues that God promises the church tribulation and
therefore can expect to experience the first half of the Tribulation period. However,
the term “tribulation” can be used in a “technical” way referring to a specific
period in the future and a “non-technical” way meaning it is not used with
reference to a specific period of time in the future.
It is also important for every Christian that he or she understands the pre-
tribulation view of the rapture is the correct view because it is God’s will and God
wants His children to know His will.
Also, it is important for every Christian that he or she understands that they will
not go through the tribulation period because it is in the Word of God and
Christians in 2 Peter 3:18 are commanded to grow in the grace and “knowledge” of
the Lord Jesus Christ and the Word of God is His mind and thinking.
Lastly, it is important for every Christian that he or she understands that the
mid-tribulation view of the rapture is incorrect in order to minister to fellow
Christians who have been misled by such teaching and instruct them in the correct
doctrine.
Post-Tribulation View
The third view is the “post-tribulation” position, which contends that the rapture
will take place at the end of the Tribulation period, which means then that the
church would have to go through the Tribulation. With this position, the church is
taken off the earth and then immediately placed right back down on it, which
obviously leaves no time for the Bema Seat Evaluation of the church to take place
(2 Corinthians 5:10) and the Marriage of the Lamb (Revelation 19:1-7).
The “post-tribulation” position denies all distinctions between the rapture and
the Second Advent since they make them one and the same event. The rapture
delivers the church while the Second Advent delivers Israel. The rapture is seen
only by the church and is therefore invisible while the Second Advent is the visible
manifestation of Christ on the earth. The Lord meets the church in the earth’s
atmosphere at the rapture, whereas the Lord physically lands on the Mount of
Olives in Jerusalem at the Second Advent.
Signs do not precede the rapture whereas visible signs precede the Second
Advent. The Lord claims His Bride at the rapture but He returns with her at the
Second Advent. The rapture completes God’s program for the church while the
Second Advent is related to God’s program for Israel. The rapture is a mystery, not
known to Old Testament saints whereas the Second Advent is prophesied
throughout the Old Testament canon. The rapture leaves creation unchanged
whereas the Second Advent entails a change in creation. The rapture does not
fulfill God’s covenants to Israel whereas the Second Advent marks the beginning
of their fulfillment. The rapture precedes the Tribulation whereas the Second
Advent follows it.
Therefore, as we can see the “post-tribulation” position denies all distinctions
between the rapture and the Second Advent since they make them one and the
same event. Also, the “post-tribulation” view like the “mid-tribulation” view
argues that the church has been promised tribulation, which indicates then that the
church will have to go through the Tribulation period. However, the “tribulation”
can be used in a “technical” way referring to a specific period in the future and a
“non-technical” way meaning it is not used with reference to a specific period of
time in the future.
Also, another problem with the “post-tribulation” position is that it considers
the prophecy of Daniel’s Seventy Weeks to be completely fulfilled. A “week” in
the prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27 refers to 7 prophetic years of 360 days; therefore,
the prophecy of the 70 weeks of Daniel refers to 490 prophetic years of Israel’s
history.
“To finish the transgression” refers to the nation of Israel’s apostasy and sin
and wandering over the face of the earth will be brought to its consummation
within the seventy-sevens or 490 prophetic years at the 2nd Advent of Christ, on the
Day of Atonement.
“To bring an end of sin” refers to bringing sin into judgment at the cross, and
extending forgiveness for sins already committed through faith in the coming
Redeemer, the Messiah.
“To make an atonement for iniquity” refers to the Cross of Christ as it affects
the restoration of the nation of Israel at the Second Advent of Christ (See
Zechariah 12:10).
In the Hebrew text, the phrase “to bring in everlasting righteousness” literally
means “to cause to bring in everlasting righteousness” and refers to the millennial
reign which will be characterized by righteousness.
The phrase “to seal up vision and prophecy” refers to the fact that all that God
promised to Israel throughout her history by means of the prophets will be fulfilled
during Christ’s millennial reign.
The sixth divine objective “to anoint the Most Holy Place” refers to the
dedication of the most holy place in the millennial temple which is described in
detail in Ezekiel 41-46.
Daniel 9:25 “So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a
decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be
seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat,
even in times of distress.” (NASB95)
“The issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem” was the fourth of
four decrees made by Persian rulers in reference to the Jews: (1) Cyrus’ decree in
538 B.C. (2 Chronicles 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-4; 5:13). (2) Darius’ I decree in 520
B.C. (Ezra 6:1; 6-12). (3) Artaxerxes Longimanus’ decree in 458 B.C. (Ezra 7:11-
26). (4) Artaxerxes Longimanus’ decree in 444 B.C. (Nehemiah 2:1-8).
The first three decrees say nothing about the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem
itself since the first two decrees pertain to the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem
and the third relates to finances for animal sacrifices at the temple but the fourth
decree granted the Jews permission to rebuild Jerusalem’s city walls.
The first period of 49 years refers to the rebuilding of Jerusalem (Neh. 2:12-15)
and the 62 “sevens” or 434 years extend up to the introduction of Jesus as the
Messiah to the nation of Israel (“until the Messiah, the Prince”), which was
concluded on the day of our Lord’s Triumphal entry into Jerusalem just before He
was crucified (“cut off).”
Daniel 9:26 “Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and
have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city
and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there
will be war; desolations are determined.” (NASB95)
The statement “after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off” refers
to the crucifixion of Christ.

“The people” refers to the Romans who under the general Titus destroyed the
city of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
“The prince who is to come” refers to the Antichrist who will make a seven
year treaty with Israel to begin Daniel’s 70th week.
Three and a half years into the treaty, he will break and desecrate the rebuilt
Jewish temple and declare himself world-ruler and God and will demand to be
worshipped as God.
So we can see that the first seven weeks and the sixty-two weeks that followed
it ran consecutively with no time between them and totaled 483 years and extended
from March 5, 444 B.C to March 30, 33 A.D.
In order to understand how 444 B.C. to A.D. 33 can equal 483 years, we must
understand that the Jewish calendar had 360 days per year, thus 483 years times
360 days equals 173,880 days. The Gregorian Calendar contains 365 days a year
and under this 444 B.C. to A.D. 33 would be 476 years since only one year expired
between 1 B.C. and A.D. 1. A total of 476 years divided by four (a leap year every
four years) gives 119 additional days but three days must be subtracted from 119
because centennial years are not leap years, though every 400th years is a leap year.
Thus, 476 years times 365 days equals 173,740 days and if we add 116 days in
leap years and 24 days (March 5-30), we have 173,880 days.
The church age takes place between Daniel 9:26 and 27 and was a “mystery”
(Eph. 3:9) meaning it was not known to Old Testament prophets such as Daniel.
God has temporarily set aside Israel because of her rejection of Jesus Christ as
Messiah (Rom. 9-11) in order to form the church and to fulfill the “times of the
Gentiles,” which we will note in this study of the day of the Lord.
refers to antichrist making a covenant with Israel, which actually begins Daniel’s
70th week (See 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4).
“But in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain
offering and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate,”
refers to the antichrist stopping the Levitical sacrifices that will be reestablished in
the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem in the middle of Daniel’s 70th week.
The statement in Daniel 9:27, “on the wing of abominations will come one
who makes desolate” means that the Antichrist will proclaim himself as God and
seat himself on the mercy seat between the wings of the two cherubim on either the

recovered Ark of the Covenant or one built by himself, which will be located in the
Holy of Holies in the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem.
Matthew 24:15 “Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF
DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in
the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then those who are in Judea
must flee to the mountains.” (NASB95)
2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come
unless the departure comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the
son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god
or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying
The phrase “even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is
poured out on the one (Antichrist) who makes desolate” refers to the
destruction of antichrist at the 2nd Advent of Christ when he will be thrown into the
lake of fire (See Revelation 19:20; Daniel 7:11, 26).
So, we can see that the seventy weeks of Daniel of 490 prophetic years are
divided into three segments: (1) 7 “sevens” (49 years): The decree of Artaxerxes in
444 B.C. (Neh. 2:1-8) to the completion of the rebuilding of Jerusalem (Dan. 9:25).
(2) 62 “sevens” (434 years): The completion of the rebuilding of Jerusalem to
Christ’s Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem and crucifixion in 33 A.D. (Dan. 9:25-26)
(3) 1 “seven” (7 years): Tribulation period (Dan. 9:27).
None of the events mentioned in Daniel 9:27 have been fulfilled in history, thus
refuting the “post-tribulation” position that Daniel’s Seventy Weeks have been
fulfilled. Also, the Lord Jesus Christ in His Olivet Discourse, in which He
addressed the future of Israel, spoke of a yet future fulfillment of the Seventieth
Week of Daniel “after” His death.
Proponents of this “post-tribulation” view contend that John the Baptizer began
his ministry as the “Seventieth Week” was ushered in and Christ was baptized,
tempted and began to preach a few months later. They also say that the first half of
the week was used in preaching the gospel of the kingdom and the middle of the
week was reached at Passover. They contend that the Passover was exactly in the
middle of the seventieth week.
According to this theory Christ becomes the one who confirms the covenant
and in the period of His ministry the six great promises of Daniel 9:24 have already
been fulfilled. In response to this, it can be stated that the six areas of promise in
Daniel 9:24 are related to Israel and Jerusalem and are the logical outgrowth of the
covenant with that nation. Israel has not experienced her national salvation. The
church can not now be fulfilling these promises. Therefore, we can conclude that
the six promises in Daniel 9:24 await a future fulfillment.

Christ could not have confirmed the covenant as the “post-tribulation” view
holds since the “he” of Daniel 9:27 must have as its antecedent “the prince that
shall come” of the preceding verse. Therefore, because this one is related to the
people who destroyed Jerusalem, namely the Romans, the one confirming the
covenant can not possibly be Christ but rather Antichrist who will make a treaty
with Israel, which he shall break.
“Post-tribulation” view most strongly depends on the interpretation that the
resurrection of all believers whether the church or Old Testaments saints is at the
end of the Tribulation period just prior to the millennium. Again, they fail to see
the distinction between Israel and the church in that they have the resurrection of
the church taking place at the same time as the resurrection of Israel. They also fail
to see that the Scriptures teach that the resurrection of believers throughout history
takes place in stages.
The chronological order of events in God’s resurrection program: (1) The
humanity of Christ in hypostatic union (Matthew 28; Mark 16:1-14; Luke 24:1-12;
John 20:1-9). (2) The Church at the rapture, which takes place prior to Daniel’s
Seventieth Week (1 Cor. 15:51-58; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Philippians 3:21). (3) Old
Testament believers and Tribulation martyrs at the Second Advent of Jesus Christ,
which ends Daniels’ Seventieth Week (Daniel 12:2-3; Revelation 20:4). (4) Every
non-believer in human history will be raised from the dead at the Great White
Throne Judgment of unbelievers at the end of human history (Daniel 12:2;
Lastly, another argument used to support the “post-tribulation” position is that
the wheat in our Lord’s parable of the wheat and the tares that appears in Matthew
13 refers to the church being raptured.
Matthew 13:24-30 records our Lord giving this parable. Matthew 13:36-43
records our Lord explaining the parable to His disciples.
This parable of the wheat and the tares does not refer to the history of the
church has some have erroneously interpreted it to be but rather it is the history of
the kingdom of God. It does not refer to the church age but rather the entire age
from the rejection of Christ to His Second Advent.
In the parable, God will be sowing and so will the devil and at the end of the
age, God will distinguish those who are His children and those who are the devils’.
The latter will be removed from the earth. This judgment will be followed by the
establishment of the millennial kingdom on earth. So the rapture is not in view in
the parable and thus the parable cannot be used to support the “post-tribulation”
position.

Chapter Seven: First Eschatological Dispensation: Tribulation
One of the major lines of prophecy running throughout the Old Testament and
continuing through the New Testament is the prophetic truth related to the Day of
the Lord.
The term “Day of the Lord” occurs in the following passages: Isa. 2:12; 13:6, 9;
Ezek. 13:5; 30:3; Joel 1:15; 2:1, 11, 31; 3:14; Amos 5:18 (twice), 20; Obadiah 15;
Zeph. 1:7, 14 (twice); Zech. 14:1; Mal. 4:5; Acts 2:20; 1 Thess. 5:2; 2 Thess. 2:2; 2
Pet. 3:10.
The phrases “that day” or “the day” or “the great day” also refer to the day of
the Lord and appear more than 75 times in the Old Testament.
The term “day of the Lord” and the phrases “that day” or “the day” or the “great
day” are used with reference to Daniel’s Seventieth Week (Isaiah 13:5-6; Ezekiel
30:3; Joel 1:15; 2:1, 11, 29, 31; 38:10-19; 39:11, 22; Obadiah 14-15; Zephaniah
1:14, 18; 2:2-3; Zechariah 12:3-4, 6, 8-9; Malachi 4:5), the Second Advent of
Christ (Zechariah 12:11; 14:4, 6, 8), millennium (Ezekiel 45:22; 48:35; Joel 3:18;
Zechariah 14:9; Zephaniah 3:11), and the creation of the new heavens and earth (2
Peter 2:10).
Therefore, a comparison of these passages indicates that the “day of the Lord”
is “not” a literal twenty-four period but rather, it is an extended period of time. It
begins with God’s dealing with Israel after the rapture of the church that takes
place prior to Daniel’s Seventieth Week. It extends through the Second Advent of
Jesus Christ and His millennial reign, culminating with the creation of the new
heavens and the new earth.
The frequency with which the day of the Lord is referred to is evidence of its
importance in the plan of God and the passages noted above reveal that the idea of
judgment is paramount in all of them. This judgment includes not only the specific
judgments upon Israel and the nations at the end of the tribulation that are
associated with the Second Advent, but from a consideration of the passages
themselves, includes judgments that extend over a period of time prior to the
Second Advent. Thus, we can conclude that the Day of the Lord will include the
time of the tribulation.
The scope of the Day of the Lord has been a matter of debate among
interpreters of the Scriptures. Some refer the Day of the Lord to the years of the
tribulation period only while others relate this to the Second Advent of Christ and
the subsequent judgments immediately connected with the event.
The first view held by Scofield is that the Day of the Lord would cover that
time period from the Second Advent of Christ to the new heaven and new earth
after the millennium.

Ironside expresses the other view, which coincides with Scofield’s as to the
terminus of the Day of the Lord but begins it with the tribulation period so that the
events of the tribulation, Second Advent and millennium are all included within the
scope of the Day of the Lord.
Zechariah 14:1-4 makes it clear that the events of the Second Advent are
included in the program of the Day of the Lord.
Zechariah 14:1 A day of the Lord is about to come when your possessions
will be divided as plunder in your midst. 2 For I will gather all the nations
against Jerusalem to wage war; the city will be taken, its houses plundered,
and the women raped. Then half of the city will go into exile, but the
remainder of the people will not be taken away. 3 Then the Lord will go to
battle and fight against those nations, just as he fought battles in ancient days.
4 On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives which lies to the east
of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in half from east to west,
leaving a great valley. Half the mountain will move northward and the other
half southward. (NET Bible)
2 Peter 3:10 gives authority for including the entire millennial age with this
period known as the day of the Lord.
2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the
heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with
intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. (NASB95)
If the Day of the Lord did not begin until the Second Advent, since that event is
preceded by signs, the Day of the Lord could “not” come as a “thief in the night,”
unexpected, and unheralded, as it is said it will come in 1 Thessalonians 5:2.
1 Thessalonians 5:1 Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have
no need of anything to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know full well
that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.” (NASB95)
The only way this day could break unexpectedly upon the world is to have it
begin immediately after the rapture of the church, which is imminent. When an
event is truly imminent, we never know exactly when it will happen. So again, the
only way that the “day of the Lord” could break unexpectedly upon the world is to
have it begin immediately after the rapture of the church, which is imminent.
We thus can conclude that the “day of the Lord” is “not” a literal twenty-four
period but rather is an extended period of time beginning with God’s dealing with
Israel after the rapture including Daniel’s Seventieth Week and extending through
the Second Advent and the millennial age unto the creation of the new heavens and
the new earth after the millennium.
Therefore, based upon our definition of the “day of the Lord,” we can conclude
that the “rapture of the church” will trigger this period.

Daniel 9:24-27-The Seventy Weeks of Daniel
The next dispensation to follow the rapture of the church is the “Great
Tribulation Period,” which called by students of prophecy as “Daniel’s Seventieth
Week.” Therefore, we will study the great prophecy that appears in Daniel 9:24-27
that is called by theologians, “The Seventy Weeks of Daniel.”
Daniel’s Seventieth week refers to a 7-year period that extends from the rapture
of the church to the Second Advent of Christ and is concerned with the nation of
Israel exclusively and will be the worst period in all of Israel’s and the world’s
history when Antichrist will rule the world. This 7-year period is divided into two
three and a half year periods with the first three and a half years characterized as a
cold war (Mt. 24:6) whereas the last three and a half years are characterized as a
hot war (Mt. 24:21-22).
A “week” in the prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27 refers to 7 prophetic years of 360
days; therefore, the prophecy of the 70 weeks of Daniel refers to 490 prophetic
years of Israel’s history.
This prophecy of Daniel’s took place in the first year of the reign of Darius the
Mede, in 538 B.C., when Daniel was between 85 and 90 years of age, 66 years
after he had been exiled to Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar in 606 B.C. As a result
of his prophetic abilities, Daniel was elevated from the position of a captive slave
to ultimately becoming the prime minister of the Babylonian empire, which at that
time, ruled the world. However, the Babylonian empire was overthrown by Medo-
Persian Empire, which paved the way for the liberation of the Jewish captives who
had been in exile since Nebuchadnezzar’s first invasion of Jerusalem in 606 B.C.
Medo-Persian Empire under Darius honored Daniel who served Darius’
successor Cyrus, which takes us to the days that Daniel received the prophecy
regarding the 70 prophetic weeks regarding the future of the nation of Israel and
Her Messiah. Daniel has now seen a new great world power emerge and is
wondering about the future and especially the future of his own people who are in
exile in Babylon.
In Daniel 9:1-2, we see Daniel turning to study the Word of God and in
particular he reads the prophecy of one of his contemporaries, Jeremiah. The
prophecy that Daniel read is found in Jeremiah 25:11-12.
It is the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede. The year is 538 B.C. Daniel
is between 85 and 90 years of age. He is old man now. He had been captured back
in 606 B.C. when he was about 17. That means that the 70 year period of Israel’s
exile is coming to an end. Daniel has now seen a new great world power emerge.
He is wondering about the future and especially the future of his own people who
are in exile in Babylon.

Daniel 9:1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median
descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans—2 in the first
year of his reign, I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years
which was {revealed as} the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet for
the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, {namely} seventy years.
(NASB95)
So Daniel turns to study the Word of God and in particular he reads the
prophecy of one of his contemporaries, Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 25:11 “This whole land will be a desolation and a horror, and
these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years. 12 Then it will be
when seventy years are completed I will punish the king of Babylon and that
nation, declares the LORD, “for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans;
and I will make it an everlasting desolation.” (NASB95)
Therefore, in 538 B.C. Daniel was reading this prophecy and knew that the 70
years of the Babylonian Captivity would end within 2 years in 536 B.C.
In Daniel 9:3-20, Daniel prayed to God asking Him for revelation regarding the
future of the Jewish people.
Daniel 9:3 So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek {Him by} prayer
and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes. 4 I prayed to the LORD
my God and confessed and said, ‘Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God,
who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep
His commandments, 5 we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly
and rebelled, even turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances. 6
Moreover, we have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in
Your name to our kings, our princes, our fathers and all the people of the
land. 7 Righteousness belongs to You, O Lord, but to us open shame, as it is
this day-- to the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel,
those who are nearby and those who are far away in all the countries to which
You have driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds which they have
committed against You. 8 Open shame belongs to us, O Lord, to our kings,
our princes and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. 9 To the
Lord our God {belong} compassion and forgiveness, for we have rebelled
against Him; 10 nor have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk
in His teachings which He set before us through His servants the prophets. 11
Indeed all Israel has transgressed Your law and turned aside, not obeying
Your voice; so the curse has been poured out on us, along with the oath which
is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against
Him. 12 Thus He has confirmed His words which He had spoken against us
and against our rulers who ruled us, to bring on us great calamity; for under
the whole heaven there has not been done {anything} like what was done to
Jerusalem. 13 As it is written in the law of Moses, all this calamity has come
on us; yet we have not sought the favor of the LORD our God by turning from
our iniquity and giving attention to Your truth. 14 Therefore the LORD has
kept the calamity in store and brought it on us; for the LORD our God is
righteous with respect to all His deeds which He has done, but we have not
obeyed His voice. 15 And now, O Lord our God, who have brought Your
people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and have made a name for
Yourself, as it is this day-- we have sinned, we have been wicked. 16 O Lord,
in accordance with all Your righteous acts, let now Your anger and Your
wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain; for because
of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people {have
become} a reproach to all those around us. 17 So now, our God, listen to the
prayer of your servant and to his supplications, and for your sake, O Lord, let
your face shine on your desolate sanctuary. 18 O my God, incline your ear
and hear! Open your eyes and see our desolations and the city which is called
by your name; for we are not presenting our supplications before you on
account of any merits of our own, but on account of your great compassion. 19
O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! For Your own
sake, O my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called
by Your name.’” (NASB95)
In Daniel 9:20-27, he gets an immediate answer since God sends the angel
Gabriel.
Daniel 9:20 Now while I was speaking and praying, and confessing my sin
and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the
LORD my God in behalf of the holy mountain of my God, 21 while I was still
speaking in prayer, then the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision
previously, came to me in {my} extreme weariness about the time of the
evening offering. 22 He gave {me} instruction and talked with me and said, “O
Daniel, I have now come forth to give you insight with understanding. 23 At
the beginning of your supplications the command was issued, and I have come
to tell {you} for you are highly esteemed; so give heed to the message and gain
understanding of the vision. 24 Seventy weeks have been decreed for your
people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to
make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up
vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place.” (NASB95)
In the Hebrew text, the phrase “seventy weeks” literally reads, “seventy
sevens,” which refers to years and “not” days as clearly indicated through a
comparison of Scripture with Scripture.
First of all, as we noted earlier, Daniel was reading Jeremiah’s prophecy
regarding the Israel’s Babylonian exile, which was to last 70 years. Furthermore, 2
Chronicles 36:21 speaks of Jeremiah’s prophecy concerning the Babylonian exile
and it indicates quite clearly that the exile would last 70 years.
These 70 weeks in Daniel 9:24 cannot possibly be 70 weeks in the ordinary,
literal sense or 490 days for the number has an obvious relation to the 70 years of
Jeremiah’s prophecy in Jeremiah 25:11 and 2 Chronicles 36:21.
Finally, the context clearly indicates that Daniel is referring to years and not
days since Daniel 9:2 indicates that Jeremiah’s prophecy of Israel’s Babylonian
captivity would be 70 years.
The 70 years of captivity were the specific penalty for violating 70 sabbatic
years, which would be 70 sevens, a total of 70 years. Seven days are in one week
and every seventh year was a Sabbath rest and seventy sevens brought them to the
year of Jubilee which is noted in Leviticus 25:8-12. The provisions for the land’s
Sabbath rest are recorded in detail in Leviticus 25:2-4, 26:32-35, 43 but in those
490 years, Israel had violated exactly 70 sabbatic years so they would go into
captivity for 70 years to make amends.
The 490 could not designate days (about 1 1/3 years) for that would not be
enough time for the events prophesied by Daniel 9:24-27 to occur and the same is
true of 490 weeks of seven days each (i.e. 3,430 days, about 9 ½ years). Also if
days were intended one would expect Daniel to have added the phrase “of days”
after “70 sevens” for in Daniel 10:2-3 he wrote literally, “three sevens of days”.
Also, it is important to understand that the length of a prophetic year was “not”
365 days but rather 360 days since the solar year, which we live by, of 365.25 days
was unknown to the nations in the Old Testament but the Jewish year of biblical
times was lunar-solar and had only 360 days. This is borne out in Revelation in
John’s vision of the Great Tribulation period since it describes the last 3 ½ years as
precisely 1260 days (Rev. 12:6) “a time, times and half a time” where “time” in
Hebrew stands for a year of 360 days (verse 14) and “forty-two months” of 30
days each (13:5). Therefore, the “seventy weeks of Daniel” refers to 490 biblical
years of 360 days.
“To finish the transgression” refers to the nation of Israel’s apostasy and sin
and wandering over the face of the earth will be brought to its consummation
within the seventy-sevens or 490 prophetic years at the Second Advent of Christ,
on the Day of Atonement.
“To bring an end of sin” refers to bringing sin into judgment at the cross, and
extending forgiveness for sins already committed through faith in the coming
Redeemer, the Messiah.
“To make an atonement for iniquity” refers to the Cross of Christ as it affects
the restoration of the nation of Israel at the Second Advent of Christ (See
Zechariah 12:10).
In the Hebrew text, the phrase “to bring in everlasting righteousness” literally
means “to cause to bring in everlasting righteousness” and refers to the millennial
reign which will be characterized by righteousness.
The phrase “to seal up vision and prophecy” refers to the fact that all that God
promised to Israel throughout her history by means of the prophets will be fulfilled
during Christ’s millennial reign.
The sixth divine objective “to anoint the Most Holy Place” refers to the
dedication of the most holy place in the millennial temple which is described in
detail in Ezekiel 41-46.
“The issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem” was the fourth of
four decrees made by Persian rulers in reference to the Jews: (1) Cyrus’ decree in
538 B.C. (2 Chronicles 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-4; 5:13). (2) Darius’ I decree in 520
B.C. (Ezra 6:1; 6-12). (3) Artaxerxes Longimanus’ decree in 458 B.C. (Ezra 7:11-
26). (4) Artaxerxes Longimanus’ decree in 444 B.C. (Nehemiah 2:1-8).
The first three decrees say nothing about the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem
itself since the first two decrees pertain to the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem
and the third relates to finances for animal sacrifices at the temple but the fourth
decree granted the Jews permission to rebuild Jerusalem’s city walls.
The first period of 49 years refers to the rebuilding of Jerusalem (Neh. 2:12-15)
and the 62 “sevens” or 434 years extend up to the introduction of Jesus as the
Messiah to the nation of Israel (“until the Messiah, the Prince”), which was
concluded on the day of our Lord’s Triumphal entry into Jerusalem just before He
was crucified (“cut off).”
The statement “after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off” refers
to the crucifixion of Christ. “The people” refers to the Romans who under the
general Titus destroyed the city of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. “The prince who is to
come” refers to the Antichrist who will make a seven year treaty with Israel to
begin Daniel’s seventieth week. Three and a half years into the treaty, he will
break and desecrate the rebuilt Jewish temple and declare himself world-ruler and
God and will demand to be worshipped as God.
So we can see that the first seven weeks and the sixty-two weeks that followed
it ran consecutively with no time between them and totaled 483 years and extended
from March 5, 444 B.C to March 30, 33 A.D.
In order to understand how 444 B.C. to A.D. 33 can equal 483 years, we must
understand that the Jewish calendar had 360 days per year, thus 483 years times
360 days equals 173,880 days. The Gregorian Calendar contains 365 days a year
and under this 444 B.C. to A.D. 33 would be 476 years since only one year expired
between 1 B.C. and A.D. 1. A total of 476 years divided by four (a leap year every
four years) gives 119 additional days but three days must be subtracted from 119
because centennial years are not leap years, though every 400th years is a leap year.
Thus, 476 years times 365 days equals 173,740 days and if we add 116 days in
leap years and 24 days (March 5-30), we have 173,880 days.
The church age takes place between Daniel 9:26 and 27 and was a “mystery”
(Eph. 3:9) meaning it was not known to Old Testament prophets such as Daniel.
God has temporarily set aside Israel because of her rejection of Jesus Christ as
Messiah (Rom. 9-11) in order to form the church and to fulfill the “times of the
Gentiles,” which we will note in this study of the day of the Lord.
So therefore, the last seven years of Daniel’s prophecy have yet to be fulfilled
but will be fulfilled after the rapture of the church (1 Thess. 4:13-18).
refers to antichrist making a covenant with Israel during the Daniel’s seventieth
week (See 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4).
the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem in the middle of Daniel’s seventieth week.
2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come
unless the departure comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the
son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god
or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying
The phrase “even until a complete destruction, one (Antichrist) that is
decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate” refers to the destruction
of antichrist at the Second Advent of Christ when he will be thrown into the lake of
fire (See Revelation 19:20; Daniel 7:11, 26).
Therefore, we can see that the seventy weeks of Daniel of 490 prophetic years
are divided into three segments: (1) 7 “sevens” (49 years): The decree of
Artaxerxes in 444 B.C. (Neh. 2:1-8) to the completion of the rebuilding of
Jerusalem (Dan. 9:25). (2) 62 “sevens” (434 years): The completion of the
rebuilding of Jerusalem to Christ’s Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem and crucifixion
in 33 A.D. (Dan. 9:25-26) (3) 1 “seven” (7 years): Tribulation period (Dan. 9:27).
As we will develop later in this article, early in the first half of the Tribulation a
ten-nation federation will be arrayed in the west with headquarters at Rome and is
designated in Scripture “ten horns” in Daniel 7:7-8, 23-24, Revelation 13:1-10,
and 17:8-10, and is sometimes called the Revived Roman Empire. The ruler of this
federation is the Antichrist, the King of the West, who is referred to in Scripture as
“the beast” (Rev. 13:1-2), the “little horn” (Dan. 7:8), the “prince that will
come” (Dan. 9:26-27), the “man of lawlessness” (2 Th. 2:3-10), and the “scarlet
beast” (Rev. 17:3).
The agreement between Israel and Antichrist stipulates that he will rush to the
aid of Israel in the event of an enemy attack (Dan. 9:27; cf., 11:38-39). Michael
and the elect angels will cast Satan out of heaven to the earth during the midway
point of Daniel’s seventieth week (Rev. 12:1-3) and will instigate Russia to attack
Israel but God will destroy Russia (Joel 2:20; Ezek. 38-39; Dan. 11:40). Following
the destruction of the Russian armies, the cold war comes to an end because
halfway through the Tribulation, while the treaty is still in force, the Antichrist will
issue a new decree stating that all sacrifices in the Temple shall cease!
In their place, a statue of the Antichrist called the “abomination of
desolation,” (Dan. 12:11) will be set up in the Most High Place for mandatory
worship (Dan. 9:27; 12:11; cf., Rev. 13:15). This will mark the worst persecution
in the history of Israel and will begin the last 3 ½ years of the Tribulation, which
coincides with the war of Armageddon. Jewish believers in the Tribulation who are
knowledgeable of the Word of God will obey the Lord’s warning and flee (Mt.
24:15-20; cf., Dan. 11:41; Rev. 12:6) and wait for the Lord Jesus Christ to deliver
them at His 2nd Advent.
The Second Advent of Christ terminates Daniel’s seventieth week, aka, the
Tribulation and at that time, the Lord will bodily land in Jerusalem on the Mount
of Olives (See Zechariah 14:4).
At His Second Advent, the Lord Jesus Christ will destroy the Tribulational
armies, have Antichrist and the False Prophet thrown into the Lake of Fire (Rev.

19:11-19), will imprison Satan for a thousand years (Rev. 20:1-3) and will
establish His millennial reign on planet earth (Rev. 20:4-6).
Daniel’s 70 Weeks (Daniel 9:24-27)

Decree to Christ’s
Antichrist
Completion Triumphal
rebuild
Antichrist’s Breaks Second
of the Entry into
Jerusalem
Treaty with Treaty Advent
in 444 Rebuilding of Jerusalem of
Jerusalem Israel Christ
B.C.
Rapture
7 Weeks= 62 Weeks = Church 3½ 3½

49 Years 434 Years Age Years Years
69 Weeks=483 Years 70th Week-7
Years
Historical-Have Been Fulfilled Eschatological-
Future
T r ib u la tio n P e r io d ( D a n ie l’ s
7 0 th W e e k )
R a p tu r e ( 1 2 nd A d v e n t o f
S a ta n ’ s
T h e s s . 4 :1 3 - 1 7 ) . C h r is t ( M t.
E x p u ls io n fr o m
H e a v e n (R e v . 2 4 :3 0 - 3 1 ; R e v .
1 9 :1 1 - 2 1 ) .
1 2 :7 - 1 7
“ A b o m in a tio n o f
D e s o la t io n ” ( D a n .
9 :2 7 ; M t. 2 4 :1 5 )
C o ld W a r , “ W a r s a n d W a r o f A rm a g e d d o n
R u m o rs o f W a rs” ( M a tt h e w 2 4 :1 5 - 2 9 ;
M a tth e w 2 4 : 1 - 1 3 R e v . 6 -1 9
T r ib u la tio n ( D a n ie l’ s 7 0 th W e e k - D a n . 9 :2 7 )
The Nature, Source and Purpose of Daniel’s Seventieth Week
A survey of many passages that refer to the Tribulation portion of the Day of
the Lord indicates that the nature or character of this particular period of history is

that of: (1) Wrath (Zeph. 1:15, 18; 1 Thess. 1:10; 5:9; Rev. 6:16-17; 11:18; 14:10,
19; 15:1, 7; 16:1, 19). (2) Judgment (Rev. 14:7; 15:4; 16:5, 7; 19:2). (3)
Indignation (Isa. 26:20-21; 34:1-3). (4) Trial (Rev. 3:10). (5) Trouble (Jer. 30:7;
Zeph. 1:14-15; Dan. 12:1. (6) Destruction (Joel 1:15; 1 Thess. 5:3). (7) Darkness
(Joel 2:2; Amos 5:18; Zeph. 1:14-18). (8) Desolation (Dan. 9:27; Zeph. 1:14-15).
(9) Overturning (Isa. 24:1-4, 19-21). (10) Punishment (Isa. 24:20-21).
The tribulation period will witness the wrath of Satan in his animosity against
Israel (Rev. 12:12-17) and of Satan’s man, the Beast, also known as Antichrist, in
his animosity against the saints (Rev. 13:7) but even Satan’s wrath does “not”
come close to the intensity of God’s wrath.
The Scriptures plainly teach that the wrath poured out during the Great
Tribulation period originates with God and is therefore a time of God’s wrath upon
a Christ rejecting a world that is deceived by the devil (See Isaiah 34:1-2; Joel
1:15; Obadiah 15; Revelation 15:1, 7; 16:1; Revelation 19:11-21).
Zephaniah 1:14 Near is the great day of the LORD, Near and coming very
quickly; Listen, the day of the LORD! In it the warrior cries out bitterly. 15 A
day of wrath is that day, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction
and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick
darkness, 16 a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and the
high corner towers. 17 I will bring distress on men So that they will walk like
the blind, because they have sinned against the LORD; And their blood will
be poured out like dust and their flesh like dung. 18 Neither their silver nor
their gold will be able to deliver them on the day of the LORD'S wrath; And
all the earth will be devoured in the fire of His jealousy, for He will make a
complete end, indeed a terrifying one, of all the inhabitants of the earth.
(NASB95)
The Scriptures plainly reveal that Daniel’s seventieth week, also known as the
Great Tribulation period is distinctly the time when God’s wrath and judgment fall
upon the earth. This is not wrath from men, nor from Satan, except as God may use
these agencies as instruments for the execution of His will, thus the wrath during
Daniel’s seventieth week is tribulation from God. This period differs from all
preceding tribulation, not only in intensity but also in the kind of tribulation, since
it comes from God Himself.
The first great purpose of the tribulation is to prepare the nation Israel for her
Messiah (Deut. 4:30; Jer. 30:7; Ezek. 20:37; Dan. 12:1; Zech. 13:8-9). Many in
Israel will accept Jesus of Nazareth as their Messiah during the Tribulation period
and along with Old Testament saints, they will enter into the millennial reign of
Christ, which is subsequent to the Second Advent of Christ, which terminates the
Tribulation period. Our Lord, in His Olivet Discourse makes it clear the tribulation
will be the worst period in Israel’s history (Matt. 24:9-26).
The book of Revelation teaches that the Tribulation period is a time when God
deals with His covenant people Israel (Rev. 7:4-6; 12:1-2; 17). God’s purpose for
Israel in the Tribulation is “crisis evangelism” or in other words, to lead them to a
saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. These Jews who turn to Jesus Christ as Savior
will enter into the blessings of the Christ’s millennial kingdom and experience the
fulfillment of all Israel’s covenants. The good news that the King is about to return
will be preached (Matt. 24:14) so that Israel may be turned to their Deliverer.
The book of Revelation teaches that many Jews will believe in Jesus Christ as
their Savior (Rev. 7:1-8; Matt. 25:1-13) and also, many Gentiles will come to a
saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and will be martyred according to Revelation
7:9-17.
The second great purpose of the tribulation is to pour out judgment on
unbelieving man and nations.
God judges the nations since they have fallen for the deception of the apostate
religious system (Rev. 14:8) and have partaken of the “wine of the wrath of her
fornication” and they have followed the false prophet in the worship of the beast
(Rev. 13:11-18) and therefore must be judged (Rev. 6:15-17). Since the kingdom
to follow is a reign of righteousness, this judgment must be viewed as another step
in the progress of God’s program in dealing with sin so that the Messiah may
reign. This program of judgment on sinners constitutes the second great purpose of
the tribulation period.
The divine judgments that will fall on the inhabitants of the earth are designed
to lead men to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ since God desires all men to be
saved (2 Peter 3:9).
The divine judgments that will fall on the earth are also designed to destroy
Satan’s cosmic system and establish Christ’s millennial rule.
voices in heaven, saying, “the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom
of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” (NASB95)
The Bible also teaches that the church is delivered from the wrath to come
during the Great Tribulation period (1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9).
The Events of Daniel’s Seventieth Week

The events that will take place during Daniel’s seventieth week are staggering
and mind boggling. The following is a list of events that will take place during the
first of the Tribulation: (1) The Rise of the Ten Nation Confederacy called the
Revived Roman Empire at the beginning of Daniel’s seventieth week (Dan. 2; 7).
(2) Antichrist rises to power as the King of the Western Confederacy in Europe
(Dan. 7:20, 24; 9:27; Rev. 13:1-10). (3) The formulation of a false religious system
under the false prophet at the beginning of Daniel’s seventieth week (Rev. 13:11-
18). (4) Antichrist makes a 7-year covenant with Israel to protect her (Dan. 9:24-
27; first seal Rev. 6:1-2). (5) Israel living in peace in the land (Ezek. 38:8). (6)
Temple rebuilt in Jerusalem and sacrifices instituted (Rev. 11:1-2; 2 Th. 2:4). (7)
World-wide apostate church dominates (Rev. 17). (8) The pouring out of the
judgments under the seals (Rev. 6). (9) 144,000 Born-again Jews evangelize Israel
and the world (Rev. 7:1-8).
The following is a list of events in the middle of the Tribulation: (1) Satan is
expelled from heaven by Michael and the elect angels and cast down to earth (Rev.
12:1-17). (2) Gog and her allies invade Israel from the north (Joel 2:20; Ezek. 38-
39). (3) Gog and her allies are destroyed by God (Ezek. 38:17-23).
The following are the events during the second half of Tribulation: (1)
Antichrist breaks his covenant with Israel and puts an end to sacrifices in temple
and declares himself as God (Dan. 9:27; 2 Thess. 2:4). (2) Antichrist becomes
world ruler as a result of the power vacuum in the world caused by the destruction
of Russia’s military (Rev. 6:1-2; 13:5, 7; 17:12-13). (3) War, famine and death
(second, third and fourth seals, Rev. 6:3-8). (4) Martyrdom of both Jewish and
Gentile believers who don’t receive mark of the Beast (fifth seal, Rev. 6:9-11; 7:9-
14; Mt. 24:9). (5) Jerusalem overrun by Gentile armies (Rev. 11:2; Lk. 21:24). (6)
Two Witnesses (Moses and Elijah) killed and raised from the dead (Rev. 11). (7)
Image of Antichrist worshipped by the world (Dan. 9:27; Mt. 24:15; 2 Th. 2:4;
Rev. 13:14-15). (8) Worldwide deception by false prophets and Antichrist (Mt.
24:11; 2 Th. 2:9-11). (9) Gospel proclaimed worldwide (Mt. 24:14). (10)
Worldwide disasters from divine wrath (6th seal, Rev. 6:12-17). (11) Worldwide
persecution of Israel (Jer. 30:5-7; Dan. 12:1; Mt. 24:21-22). (12) Trumpet
Judgments (Rev. 8-9, 11). (13) Bowl Judgments (Rev. 16). (14) Antichrist destroys
the worldwide apostate church (Rev. 17:16-18).
The following are the events concluding the Tribulation: (1) Signs appear in the
earth and sky (Isa. 13:10; Joel 2:10; Mt. 24:29). (2) Christ returns to deliver Israel
(Rev. 19:11-19; Mt. 24:27-31). (3) World’s armies unite to fight Christ at
Armageddon and are destroyed (Joel 3:9-11; Rev. 16:16; 19:17-19). (4) Antichrist
and False Prophet are thrown into Lake of Fire (Rev. 19:20). (5) Satan imprisoned
for 1000 years (Rev. 20:1-3). (6) Judgment of Israel (Ezek. 20:33-38). (7)
Judgment Gentile nations (Mt. 25:31-46). (8) Resurrection of Old Testament and
Tribulational martyrs (Dan. 12:1-3; Rev. 20:4-6). (9) Marriage supper of the Lamb
(Rev. 19:7-9). (10) Millennial reign begins (Rev. 20:4).
Daniel 2:31-45-The Tribulation and the Times of the Gentiles from Man’s
Perspective
When studying Daniels’ seventieth week it is important that we understand the

Bible’s teaching concerning another prophetic subject, namely, “the times of the
Gentiles.” Daniel’s seventieth week brings an end to “the times of the Gentiles.”
Understanding this will help us to understand the first major event that will take
place during the first half of the Tribulation period, namely, the rise of the revived
Roman Empire under Antichrist.
In Luke 21:24, the Lord Jesus Christ makes mention of “the times of the
Gentiles” in relation to the Tribulation period in His Olivet Discourse.
“The times of the Gentiles” refers to an extended period of time when the
Gentiles are the dominant world powers and Israel is subject to those powers and
extends from the Babylonian capture of Jerusalem under Nebuchadnezzar (586
B.C.) and continues through the Tribulation, i.e. Daniel’s seventieth week
(Revelation 11:2). This period of history includes the destruction of Jerusalem in
A.D. 70 and the church age and the Tribulation period. This phrase does not rule
out temporary Jewish control of Jerusalem as has occurred in the past during the
Maccabean era (164-63 B.C), the first Jewish revolt against Rome (A.D. 66-70),
the second Jewish revolt (A.D. 132-135) and now since 1967, the Six-Day War.
However, this control is only temporary because Revelation 11:1-2 predicts at least
another three-and-one-half years of Gentile domination during the last half of
Daniel’s Seventieth Week, also known as the Tribulation.
Therefore, any Jewish takeover of the city of David before the Second Advent
of Christ must be therefore viewed as a temporary one and does not mean that “the
times of the Gentiles” has ended since it can only end with the Second Advent of
Jesus Christ, which will forever stop Gentile powers waging war against Israel.
There are two great prophecies that appear in Daniel chapter two and chapter
seven, which present to us the prophetic outline of the Gentiles during the Times of
the Gentiles. The prophecy that appears in Daniel chapter two, views the Times of
the Gentiles from the perspective of man whereas the prophecy in Daniel chapter
seven, views it from God’s perspective. These two prophecies will also reveal that
there will be a revived form of the Roman Empire during the Tribulation period
under Antichrist, which will be destroyed by the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.
We will first study the prophecy contained in Daniel chapter two. In Daniel 2:1-
30, we read of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, dreaming dreams and

summoning his wise men to interpret these dreams for him who fail to do so,
which presented Daniel with an opportunity to interpret the King’s dreams. Daniel
2:31-35 records Daniel revealing the dreams to the King and this is where will pick
up the account.
Daniel 2:31 “You, O king, were looking and behold, there was a single
great statue; that statue, which was large and of extraordinary splendor, was
standing in front of you, and its appearance was awesome. 32 The head of that
statue was made of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its
thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. 34
You continued looking until a stone was cut out without hands, and it struck
the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them. 35 Then the iron, the
clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were crushed all at the same time and
became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried
them away so that not a trace of them was found. But the stone that struck the
statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.” (NASB95)
Head of Gold-Babylon
(609-539 B.C.)
Chest and Arms of Silver-

Medo Persia (539-331
B.C.)
Belly and Thighs of

Brass-Greece (331-168
B.C.)
Legs of Iron-Rome Jesus Christ’s

(168 B.C.- 476 A.D. Millennial
Kingdom
Feet of Iron and Clay-
Revived Roman
Empire in Europe
Daniel 2:31-35 provides the content of the dream, which consisted of two
objects, an image of a man and a stone cut without hands out of the side of a
mountain indicating that it was not human in origin.

Daniel 2:36 “This was the dream; now we will tell its interpretation before
the king. You, 37 O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven
has given the kingdom, the power, the strength and the glory 38 and wherever
the sons of men dwell, or the beasts of the field, or the birds of the sky, He has
given them into your hand and has caused you to rule over them all. You are
the head of gold. 39 After you there will arise another kingdom inferior to
you, then another third kingdom of bronze, which will rule over all the earth.”
(NASB95)
Daniel progressed from the top to the bottom of the image, which represented
the passage of time, thus the upper parts portrayed earlier time and the lower parts
represented later time. He states that the head of gold represented both the
Babylonian empire and its great king since Orientals regarded kings and their
kingdoms synonymously.
In Daniel 2:39, Daniel reveals to the King of Babylon that Medo-Persia and
Greece constituted the second and third portions of the statue in his dream. The
Medo-Persians conquered the Babylonians in 539 B.C. and are represented in
Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams as the arms of silver representing two distinct nations,
namely, Media and Persia that together defeated Babylon.
Although the Medo-Persia Empire lasted over 200 years (539-330 B.C.) longer
than the Neo-Babylonian Empire of 87 years (626-539), the Medo-Persian Empire
was inferior to it, as silver is compared with gold. History confirms that the Medo-
Persian Empire, and the empire of Alexander which followed, lacked the central
authority and fine organization which characterized the Babylonian Empire, thus
the Babylonian Empire was greater.
Daniel himself seems to imply that the inferiority of the succeeding empires
does not prevent them from wide geographic control, for he specifically states that
the “third kingdom” will “rule over all the earth.” The belly and thighs of
bronze of the image represented the third kingdom to arise, which was the Grecian
Empire under Alexander the Great who conquered the Medo-Persian Empire
between 334 and 330 B.C. and assumed authority over them and their territory as
well as the entire earth. The two thighs of the image represented the division of
Alexander’s Kingdom after his death at an early age when four of his generals
divided his kingdom but only two of these played important roles in Jewish
history.
Daniel 2:40 “Then there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron;
inasmuch as iron crushes and shatters all things, so, like iron that breaks in
pieces, it will crush and break all these in pieces. 41 In that you saw the feet
and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, it will be a divided
kingdom; but it will have in it the toughness of iron, inasmuch as you saw the
iron mixed with common clay. 42 As the toes of the feet were partly of iron
and partly of pottery, so some of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will
be brittle. 43 And in that you saw the iron mixed with common clay, they will
combine with one another in the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one
another, even as iron does not combine with pottery. 44 In the days of those
kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed,
and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an
end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever. 45 Inasmuch as you
saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands and that it
crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold, the great God
has made known to the king what will take place in the future; so the dream is
true and its interpretation is trustworthy.” (NASB95)
In Daniel 2:40-45, we read where Daniel informs the King that Rome will be
the fourth great Gentile power after Greece, which is represented by the image’s
two legs of iron and feet and toes of iron and clay. This fourth kingdom conquered
the Greek Empire in 63 B.C. and though the Roman Empire was divided into two
legs and culminated in a mixture of iron and clay, it was one empire.
The two legs of iron are an accurate portrayal of the Roman Empire since it
ruled extensive areas of both the western and eastern divisions of the world and
eventually was divided in A.D. 364 into two political divisions, the Western
portion had Rome as its capital and the East had Constantinople as its capital. The
Roman Empire was characterized by its strength, as iron is stronger than bronze
(Greece), silver (Medo-Persia) and gold (Babylon) and was thus stronger than all
the empires that preceded it. However, the feet and toes of the image were a
mixture of iron and clay, which indicates that there would two distinct stages of
existence for the Roman Empire, namely, an earlier stage and a later one.
The mixture of iron and clay speaks of a progressive weakness and
deterioration since iron and clay can not be mixed. If iron and clay are put into a
crucible, heated to the melting point and poured into a mold, when the pour has
cooled the iron and clay remain separate and the clay can be broken out, which
leaves a weak casting.
The Roman Empire was characterized by division (Western and Eastern) and
deterioration since it could never unite the people they conquered to form a united
empire and so in that sense the people were a “mixture” and were not united. Just
as iron is strong, so the final stage of the Roman Empire will be strong militarily
and just as clay is characterized by brittleness, so the final stage of the Roman
Empire will be characterized by division.
Different groups of people will unite to form the final stage of the Roman
Empire but they will not adhere completely to one another just as iron and clay
cannot adhere completely with each other. Therefore, the final stage of the Roman
Empire will consist of a federation of several divisions, which will unite for the
sake of military strength but they will not integrate to the extent of losing their
ethnic and cultural identities.
The ten toes of the image indicated that the final stage of the Roman Empire
will consist of a ten-division federation. Daniel 7:23-24 signifies that eventually
the Roman Empire will consist of a federation of ten divisions with ten equal rulers
(See Revelation 17:12). Since the Roman Empire has never in its history consisted
of a ten-division federation with ten equal rulers, we can conclude that this stage of
the Empire’s existence will take place in the future during the Tribulation period.
Also, Daniel 2:45 records that “in the days of those kings the God of heaven
will set up a kingdom,” i.e. the millennial reign of Jesus Christ, which has never
taken place in history but is yet future. Therefore, sometime in the future, after the
rapture of the church, a revived form of the Roman Empire will be established.
The empire collapsed in Western Europe in 476 A.D. but will be brought to life
again in the form of a ten-division federation that will ultimately give its allegiance
to the Antichrist (Revelation 17).
In Daniel 2:40-44, we can observe that there are several important features
concerning the final form of Gentile power: (1) The final form of Gentile power is
an outgrowth from and final development of the fourth great empire, Rome, which
is represented by the feet and ten toes (Daniel 2:41-42). (2) The final form of this
power is marked by division (Daniel 2:41), which is the significance of the
emphasis on the ten toes and the clay and the iron. (3) The final form of the Gentile
power is marked by a federation of states of that which is weak and that which is
strong, autocracy and democracy, the iron and the clay (Daniel 2:42). (4) This final
divided condition is not now historical but is prophetic. The “kings” mentioned in
Daniel 2:44 do not come into existence until the time when the “stone…cut out of
the mountain without hands” appears (Daniel 2:45).
Daniel 2:44 “In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a
kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for
another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will
itself endure forever. 45 Inasmuch as you saw that a stone was cut out of the
mountain without hands and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the
silver and the gold, the great God has made known to the king what will take
place in the future; so the dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy.”
(NASB95)
Daniel 2:44-25 reveals that the revived Roman Empire will be succeeded by a
fifth kingdom, which is represented by the stone that “was cut out of the
mountain without hands.” In Scripture a rock often refers to Jesus Christ, Israel’s
Messiah (Psalm 118:22; Isaiah 8:14; 28:16; Matthew 21:33-45; 1 Peter 2:4-8).
There are several features regarding this fifth and final kingdom: (1) It will be
set up by the God of heaven and not by man. (2) It will never be destroyed so that
no other kingdoms will succeed it. (3) It will end and destroy all Gentile kingdoms
portrayed in the image of the dream and will endure forever. (4) It will fill the
entire earth indicating that it will rule the earth literally just as the Gentile
kingdoms ruled the known earth of their days.
Since the ancient Orientals regarded kings and kingdoms synonymously, the
stone of the Nebuchadnezzar’s dream must represent not only the future kingdom
of God but also its King who will be the Messiah (Psalm 2:2, 6), the Son of God
(Psalm 2:4-12), the Son of Man who comes with the clouds of heaven (Daniel
7:13-14). The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ is that person (Matthew 16:16; 26:63-
64) and so therefore, the stone represented the future kingdom of God and Jesus
Christ Himself. So therefore, we can see from this study that the Gentiles will be
the dominant world powers and the people of Israel would be subject to those
powers for an extended period of time, which has up to the present time and will
again be the dominant political condition of the Great Tribulation.
Daniel 7-The Tribulation and the Times of the Gentiles from God’s Perspective
Next, we will study the prophecy that appears in Daniel chapter seven, which
deals with the Times of the Gentiles from God’s perspective. The prophecies of
Daniel chapters two and seven reveal that there will be a revived form of the
Roman Empire during the Tribulation period under Antichrist, which will be
destroyed by the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.
Daniel 7:1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel saw a
dream and visions in his mind as he lay on his bed; then he wrote the dream
down and related the following summary of it. 2 Daniel said, “I was looking in
my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven (symbolic of God’s
sovereign power) were stirring up the great sea (symbolic of mass of
unregenerate humanity enslaved to sin and Satan). 3 And four great beasts were
coming up from the sea, different from one another. 4 The first was like a lion
(symbolizes power and strength and royal power, king of the beasts; 1 Kings
10:20; 2 Chronicles 9:19) and had the wings of an eagle (speaks of swiftness;
king of the birds; Ezekiel 17:3, 7). I kept looking until its wings were plucked,
and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a
man; a human mind also was given to it.” (NASB95)
The first empire symbolizes Babylon since the first beast corresponds to the
head of gold in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel chapter two, which Daniel
identified as being Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon (See Daniel 2:37-38). Further
confirmation comes from history itself since both the lion and the eagle were both
national symbols of Babylon (See Jeremiah 4:7, 13; Ezekiel 17:3). The fact that
this first beast was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a
man and was given a human mind indicates that this refers to the conversion of
Nebuchadnezzar after being humbled by God (Daniel 4).
Daniel 7:5 “And behold, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear.
And it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its
teeth; and thus they said to it, ‘Arise, devour much meat!” (NASB95)
The bear symbolizes Medo-Persian since she conquered Babylon and
corresponds to the arms of silver in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel chapter
two. The fact that the bear was raised up on one side refers to the one-side merging
of the Median and Persian empires in that over time Persia became more dominant
over Media (Daniel 10:13). The three ribs in the mouth of the bear represent the
kingdoms of Egypt, Assyria and Babylon, which had preceded the empire,
represented by the bear and were conquered by Medo-Persian Empire.
Daniel 7:6 “After this I kept looking, and behold, another one, like a
leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird; the beast also had four
heads, and dominion was given to it.” (NASB95)
The leopard represents Greece since it corresponds to the sides of brass in
Nebuchadnezzar’s image in Daniel chapter two and was noted for its speed and
cunning in attacking its prey, which characterized Alexander the Great’s conquests
that were without precedent in the ancient world. The four wings on this leopard
emphasizes a speed beyond its capacity, which characterized Alexander the Great’s
lightening fast conquest of the civilized world from Macedonia to Africa and
eastward to India. The four heads depict the four-fold division of Alexander’s
empire after his death between four of his generals (Daniel 8:8, 22).
Daniel 7:7 “After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a
fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large
iron teeth. It devoured and crushed and trampled down the remainder with
its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had
ten horns.” (NASB95)
The fourth beast if you notice is not likened to some known animal but rather is
simply called a beast and was more terrifying and powerful than the three
preceding beasts and devoured, crushed and trampled down the other beasts, which
characterized the Roman Empire.
Also, further confirming that the fourth beast represents the Roman Empire is
that it corresponds to the legs of iron in the image that appeared in
Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel chapter two, which we noted represented the
Roman Empire.
Now, we must remember that the four beasts in Daniel chapter seven
correspond exactly to the four metals in the image of Nebuchadnezzar’s vision in
Daniel chapter two.

Image in Daniel 2 Four Beasts in Daniel 7 Nations Designated
Head of Gold Lion Babylon
Arms of Silver Bear Medo-Persia
Sides of Brass Leopard Greece
Legs of Iron Beast with Iron Teeth Rome
Daniel describes this fourth beast as having ten horns, which corresponds to the
ten toes of Nebuchadnezzar’s image in Daniel chapter two that referred to the
Revived Roman Empire that will consist of a ten nation confederation during
Daniel’s Seventieth Week. The ten horns do not represent a fifth kingdom but
rather they grow out of the head of the fourth kingdom and are the last
development of the beast, which corresponds to the ten toes on the image in
Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel chapter two.
Daniel 7:8 “While I was contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a
little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out
by the roots before it; and behold, this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a
man and a mouth uttering great boasts. 9 I kept looking until thrones were set
up, and the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow
and the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, its
wheels were a burning fire. 10 A river of fire was flowing and coming out
from before Him; Thousands upon thousands were attending Him, and
myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; The court sat, and the
books were opened.” (NASB95)
In Daniel 7:8-10, we have the vision of the Ancient of Days who is God the
Father in heaven. This vision precedes the final destruction of Gentile world power
and the Antichrist and the establishment of Christ’s millennial reign.
Daniel 7:11 “Then I kept looking because of the sound of the boastful
words which the horn was speaking; I kept looking until the beast was slain,
and its body was destroyed and given to the burning fire. 12 As for the rest of
the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but an extension of life was
granted to them for an appointed period of time.” (NASB95)
The little horn refers to the Antichrist since it is identified with the Revived
Roman Empire and in Daniel 7:19-26, he is described as waging war against God’s
people up to the time of the Second Advent of Christ, which corresponds to the
depiction of the antichrist in Revelation (Daniel 7:11, 20-26; 8:25; Revelation
13:1-10; 19:20).
Daniel 7:13 “I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds
of heaven (Reference to the revelation of Christ’s deity; Exodus 13:21-22; 19:9; 1
Kings 8:10-11; Isaiah 19:1; Matthew 24:30; Mark 13:26) one like a Son of Man
(Title for human nature of Jesus Christ; Matthew 24:30; Mark 26:64; Luke 5:24;
6:5; John 1:51) was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was
presented before Him.” (NASB95)
The expression “one like a Son of Man was coming and He came up to the
Ancient of Days” is a reference to the Lord Jesus Christ’s ascension (Acts 1:9-11;
Ephesians 4:10; Hebrews 4:14; 9:24) and session (Ephesians 1:20; Hebrews 1:3) at
the right hand of the Father 40 days after His resurrection.
Daniel 7:14 “And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that
all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His
dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away and His
kingdom is one which will not be destroyed. 15 As for me, Daniel, my spirit
was distressed within me, and the visions in my mind kept alarming me. 16 I
approached one of those who were standing by and began asking him the
exact meaning of all this. So he told me and made known to me the
interpretation of these things: 17 ‘These great beasts, which are four in
number, are four kings who will arise from the earth. 18 But the saints of the
Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all
ages to come. 19 Then I desired to know the exact meaning of the fourth beast,
which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of
iron and its claws of bronze, and which devoured, crushed and trampled
down the remainder with its feet, 20 and the meaning of the ten horns that
were on its head and the other horn which came up, and before which three of
them fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth uttering great boasts
and which was larger in appearance than its associates. 21 I kept looking, and
that horn was waging war with the saints and overpowering them 22 until the
Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the
Highest One, and the time arrived when the saints took possession of the
kingdom. 23 Thus he said: ‘The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the
earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the
whole earth and tread it down and crush it. 24 As for the ten horns, out of this
kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be
different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings. 25 He will speak
out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and
he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given
into his hand for a time (one year), times (two years), and half a time (6
months).’” (NASB95)
The expression “for a time, times, and a half time” refers to the last three and
a half years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week, which equals the 1,260 days in
Revelation 12:6 and the 42 months in Revelation 11:2 and 13:5.
Daniel 7:26 “But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be
taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever. 27 Then the sovereignty, the
dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will
be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an
everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him. 28 At
this point the revelation ended. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts were greatly
alarming me and my face grew pale, but I kept the matter to myself.”
(NASB95)
Therefore, we can see that toward the end of the Times of the Gentiles, a one
world government under a tyrannical dictator will emerge from a ten nation
confederacy. This confederacy will emerge out of the old Roman Empire and thus
will be a European confederacy. This ten-nation confederacy that will take place in
the future will be a revived form of the Roman Empire since it is portrayed in
Daniel 2 and 7 as emerging from the fourth kingdom, Rome.
Daniel 7-The Rise of the Antichrist and the Revived Form of the Roman Empire
As we saw in Daniel chapter seven, the Antichrist will come to power through
the ten-nation confederacy that will constitute the revived form of the Roman
Empire. In Daniel chapter seven, he is called “the little horn.”
Daniel 7:1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel saw a
dream and visions in his mind as he lay on his bed; then he wrote the dream
down and related the following summary of it. 2 Daniel said, “I was looking in
my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the
great sea. 3 And four great beasts were coming up from the sea, different
from one another. 4 The first was like a lion and had the wings of an eagle. I
kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground
and made to stand on two feet like a man; a human mind also was given to it.
5 And behold, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear. And it was
raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth; and
thus they said to it, ‘Arise, devour much meat!’ 6 After this I kept looking,
and behold, another one, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a
bird; the beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it. 7 After this
I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and
terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and
crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different
from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. 8 While I was
contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a little one, came up among
them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and
behold, this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth uttering
great boasts. 9 I kept looking until thrones were set up, and the Ancient of
Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow and the hair of His head
like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, its wheels were a burning
fire. 10 A river of fire was flowing and coming out from before Him;
Thousands upon thousands were attending Him, and myriads upon myriads
were standing before Him; The court sat, and the books were opened. 11 Then
I kept looking because of the sound of the boastful words which the horn was
speaking; I kept looking until the beast was slain, and its body was destroyed
and given to the burning fire. 12 As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion
was taken away, but an extension of life was granted to them for an appointed
period of time.” (NASB95)
The little horn refers to the Antichrist since it is identified with the Revived
Roman Empire and Daniel 7:19-26 describes it as waging war against God’s
people up to the time of Jesus Christ’s Second Advent to establish His millennial
reign, which corresponds to the depiction of the antichrist in Revelation (Daniel
7:11, 20-26; 8:25; Revelation 13:1-10; 19:20).
The Scriptures give the Antichrist many titles and names: (1) “The beast”
(Revelation 13:1-2) (2) “The prince that will come” (Daniel 9:26-27) (3) The
“man of lawlessness” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-10) (4) The “scarlet beast”
(Revelation 17:3) (5) The willful king (Daniel 11:36-40) (6) “The man of sin” (2
Thessalonians 2:3), (7) “The son of perdition” (2 Thessalonians 2:3) (8) The
Desolater (Daniel 9:27).
He will not appear until the Day of the Lord has begun (2 Thessalonians 2:2)
and his manifestation is being hindered by the Restrainer (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7)
and this appearance will be preceded by the rapture of the church (2 Thessalonians
2:3).
Antichrist will be a Gentile since he arises from the sea according to Revelation
13:1 and since the sea depicts the Gentile nations according to Revelation 17:15,
he must be of Gentile origin. He will arise from the Roman Empire, since he is a
ruler of the people who destroyed Jerusalem (Dan. 9:26).
Antichrist is the head of the last form of Gentile world dominion, for he is like a
leopard, a bear, and a lion (Revelation 13:1; compare Daniel 7:7-8, 20,24;
Revelation 17:9-11) and as such he is a political leader.
Daniel 7:13 “I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds
of heaven one like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient
of Days and was presented before Him. 14 And to Him was given dominion,
glory and a kingdom that all the peoples, nations and men of every language
might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass
away and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed. 15 As for me,
Daniel, my spirit was distressed within me, and the visions in my mind kept
alarming me. 16 I approached one of those who were standing by and began
asking him the exact meaning of all this. So he told me and made known to me
the interpretation of these things: 17 ‘These great beasts, which are four in
number, are four kings who will arise from the earth. 18 But the saints of the
Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all
ages to come. 19 Then I desired to know the exact meaning of the fourth beast,
which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of
iron and its claws of bronze, and which devoured, crushed and trampled
down the remainder with its feet, 20 and the meaning of the ten horns that
were on its head and the other horn which came up, and before which three of
them fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth uttering great boasts
and which was larger in appearance than its associates.’” (NASB95)
Daniel 7:8 reveals that the little horn came after the ten horns, which represent
ten kings, who were in existence and then were contemporaneous with them and
uprooted three of the ten horns and was intelligent. Daniel 7:11 revealed that the
little horn was arrogant and boastful, which corresponds to the actions of the first
beast in Revelation 13:6.
Daniel 7:21 “I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints
and overpowering them 22 until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was
passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the
saints took possession of the kingdom.” (NASB95)
Daniel 7:21-22 reveals the following regarding the little horn: (1) He will
persecute the saints of the Most High and is thus a person and Daniel 7:24 says that
he is a king. (2) He will overcome the nation of Israel and will bring that nation
under his authority (Revelation 12:13-17; 17:7). (3) He will be judged by God
(Revelation 19:19-20) and Israel will thus enter into her millennial reign.
Daniel 7:23 “Thus he said: ‘The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on
the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour
the whole earth and tread it down and crush it.’” (NASB95)
Daniel 7:23 reveals that the little horn will have a world-wide kingdom
(Compare Revelation 13:7) and it will be an overwhelming conquest, which
anticipates a coming one-world government under a worldwide dictator.
Daniel 7:24 “As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise;
and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous
ones and will subdue three kings. 25 He will speak out against the Most High
and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make
alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time,
times, and half a time.” (NASB95)
Daniel 7:25 corresponds to Revelation 13:1-10 and gives us three more
additional facts about the little horn: (1) He will oppose God’s authority as
indicated by the phrase “He will speak out against the Most High” (Compare
Revelation 13:6). (2) He will oppress born-again Israel as indicated by the
statement “wear down the saints of the Highest One”. (3) He will introduce an
entirely new era in which he will abandon all previous laws and institute his own
system as indicated by the statement “he will intend to make alterations in times
in law” (Compare Daniel 11:36-37; 2 Thessalonians 2:4).
Daniel 9:27a indicates that he will pretend to be Israel’s benefactor and make a
treaty with her but will turn against her in the mid way point of Daniel’s Seventieth
Week and will persecute Israel and occupy Jerusalem for three and a half years.
The expression “for a time, times, and a half time” refers to the last three and
a half years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week called the “Great Tribulation” with “a
time” meaning one year, “times” two years and “half a time” six months. This
equals the 1,260 days in Revelation 12:6 and the 42 months in Revelation 11:2 and
13:5.
Daniel 7:26 “But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be
taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever.” (NASB95)
Daniel 7:26 refers to the Supreme Court of Heaven, (God the Father) passing
down the decision to remove the little horn’s power, which will take place at the
Second Advent of Christ, which terminates Daniel’s Seventieth Week (See
Revelation 19:11-20:6).
Daniel 7:27 “Then the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all
the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints
of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the
dominions will serve and obey Him.” (NASB95)
Daniel 7:27 is a reference to the millennial reign of Christ that will follow the
Second Advent of Christ and the judgments of Israel (Ezekiel 20:37-38; Zechariah
13:8-9; Malachi 3:2-3, 5; Matthew 25:1-30) and the Gentiles (Matthew 25:31-46).
Daniel 7:28 “At this point the revelation ended. As for me, Daniel, my
thoughts were greatly alarming me and my face grew pale, but I kept the
matter to myself.” (NASB95)
This ten-nation confederacy that will take place in the future will be a revived
form of the Roman Empire since it is portrayed in Daniel 2 and 7 as emerging from
the fourth kingdom, Rome. The little horn will seek to prevent Christ’s rule on the
earth by attempting to destroy God’s covenant people Israel but his reign will be
short, only three and a half years and will be terminated with the Second Advent of
Jesus Christ who at that time will establish His millennial reign on earth in
fulfillment of God’s covenant promises to Israel.
This prophecy concerning the little horn will take place in the future since no
such ruler has attained world-wide rulership over a one-world government, no such
ruler has subdued 3 of 10 kings who were ruling at once and no such ruler has
persecuted Israel for three and a half years and no such ruler has been destroyed by
the return of Jesus Christ!
Revelation 13:11-18; 17:1-18-The Formulation of the False Religious System
Under the False Prophet
From our studies of Daniel 2 and 7, we have learned that two major events will
transpire during the first three and a half years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week: (1)
The rise of the Ten Nation Confederacy called the Revived Roman Empire at the
beginning of Daniel’s seventieth week (Dan. 2; 7). (2) Antichrist rises to power as
the Ruler of the Revived Form of the Roman Empire (Dan. 7:20, 24; 9:27; Rev.
13:1-10).
Revelation 13 and 17 teach that rise of the revived form of the Roman Empire
under Antichrist during the first three and a half years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week
will be accompanied by the formulation of a false religious system under the false
prophet.
Revelation 13:1 And the dragon (refers to Satan) stood on the sand of the
seashore. Then I saw a beast (refers to Antichrist and corresponds to the “little
horn” in Daniel 7:7-8) coming up out of the sea (refers to the Gentile nations),
having ten horns (ten nation European confederacy, i.e. the Revived Form of the
Roman Empire; Daniel 7:7-8) and seven heads (Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-
Persia, Greece, Rome and Revived Roman Empire of the Tribulation), and on his
horns were ten diadems (signifies ten independent nations, each with a ruler of its
own), and on his heads were blasphemous names (anti-Christ character). 2 And
the beast which I saw was like a leopard (Greece; Daniel 7-Revived Roman
Empire under Antichrist will sum up the brilliancy and speed of Greece), and his
feet were like those of a bear (Medo-Persia, Daniel 7-Revived Roman Empire
under Antichrist will sum up massive power of Medo-Persia), and his mouth like
the mouth of a lion (Babylon; Daniel 7-Revived Roman Empire under Antichrist
will sum up absolute autocratic dominion of Babylon). And the dragon gave him
his power and his throne and great authority. 3 I saw one of his heads as if it
had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was
amazed and followed after the beast. 4 They worshiped the dragon because he
gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is
like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?” 5 There was given to
him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act
for forty-two months was given to him. 6 And he opened his mouth in
blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is,
those who dwell in heaven. 7 It was also given to him to make war with the
saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and
tongue and nation was given to him. 8 All who dwell on the earth will worship
him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the
world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. 9 If anyone has an
ear, let him hear. 10 If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if
anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the
perseverance and the faith of the saints. 11 Then I saw another beast coming
up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a
dragon. 12 He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And
he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose
fatal wound was healed. (NASB95)
This second beast is called in Revelation 16:13, 19:20 and 20:10 “the false
prophet” and a comparison of these passages with Revelation 13:11-18 indicates
that he will promote the worship of the first beast, i.e. the Antichrist. The false
prophet will be a religious leader as indicated in that he is depicted as a lamb with
two horns. The horns speak of power and the lamb is a religious symbol, a symbol
of sacrifice, so this beast is a religious figure and as a lamb is also symbolical of a
mild, lamb-like manner, so this second beast will adopt a mild lamb-like
appearance, but he will be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. (Maybe one of the Popes in
the future since the pope is located in Rome where Antichrist will originate.)
Revelation 13:13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come
down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. 14 And he deceives
those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to
perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to
make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to
life. 15 And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that
the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship
the image of the beast to be killed. 16 And he causes all, the small and the
great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a
mark on their right hand or on their forehead, 17 and he provides that no one
will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name
of the beast or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has
understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a
man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six. (NASB95)
Revelation 17 is in part an amplification of Revelation 13 in that it shows us
one of the ways the Antichrist and his political system rise to power where he uses
the religious influence and power of the woman, the religious system of mystery
Babylon. This system will have its tentacles in every part of the world where there
is any kind of religion at all, apostate Christendom (the Roman Catholic Church,
the Greek Orthodox Church, Protestant unbelieving churches), the Jewish religion,
and the cults. These will all come together in one great ecumenical movement, a
super world religion, and the beast will use this to extend his authority and power
throughout Europe, parts of Africa and perhaps the Americas.
Revelation 17:1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls
came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the judgment of
the great harlot who sits on many waters (refers to the nations of the world).”
(NASB95)
Babylon’s description as “the great harlot” refers to the spiritual prostitution
and fornication that categorizes the apostate church of the Tribulation which is
unfaithful and rejects the Lord Jesus Christ as her husband (2 Pet. 2:1-2).
The prostitute exists today in many forms (Roman Catholicism, liberal
Protestantism, the cults, etc.), but after the church is gone, or perhaps even before it
is gone, they will unite and become one great ecumenical religious system.
Revelation 17:2 “with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of
immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine
of her immorality.” (NASB95)
The wine refers to the demonic doctrines, ideologies and concepts produced by
this religious/political alliance and one of these demonic doctrines of the
Babylonian religion was not allowing their priests to marry (See 1 Timothy 4:1-3).
Revelation 17:3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness;
and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast (refers to Antichrist), full of
blasphemous names (anti-Christ character), having seven heads (Egypt, Assyria,
Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome and Revived Roman Empire of the
Tribulation) and ten horns (ten nation European confederacy called the Revived
Roman Empire). 4 The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet (stands for
apostate church’s political power), and adorned with gold and precious stones
and pearls (apostate church’s immense wealth), having in her hand a gold cup
full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality 5 and on her
forehead a name was written, a mystery, “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE
MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE
EARTH.” (NASB95)
“And on her forehead was written” refers to the practice of harlots in ancient
times was to write their names on their foreheads for easy recognition, which
showed the shamelessness of their character and it revealed a seared conscience
from continual rejection of God’s truth.
“Mystery” here is not a part of the name but a description of the name, a secret
and “Babylon the Great” is the secret name and is telling us that Babylon the
Great refers not only to the city of Revelation 18, but to a religious system, the
Babylonianism of ancient time, which will reach its peak in the Tribulation.
History shows us this system has never ceased to exist in one form or another
and will exist in a revived form in the Tribulation as never before (Rev. 17 and 18).
Ever since, the Lord intervened at the Tower of Babel (Genesis 10-11), Babylon
has been a source and center of confusion in the world in the sense that the
complex religious system established there by Nimrod and his wife was carried
into all the nations by those who were dispersed from the city.
The term “Babel” suggests confusion (Genesis 11:9) and later the name was
applied to the city of Babylon, which itself has a long history dating back to as
early as 3,000 years before Christ.
After a period of decline Babylon again became great on the world scene under
Nebuchadnezzar about 600 years before Christ and its subsequent history is the
background of the book of Daniel.
Babylon was not only important politically but also religiously. The founder of
Babylon, Nimrod (Genesis 10:8-12) had a wife known as Semiramis who founded
the secret religious rites of the Babylonian mysteries, according to accounts outside
the Bible. Semiramis had a son with an alleged miraculous conception who was
given the name Tammuz and in effect was a false fulfillment of the promise of the
seed of the woman give to Eve (Genesis 3:15).
Various religious practices were observed in connection wit this false
Babylonian religion, including recognition of the mother and child as God and of
creating an order of virgins who became religious prostitutes.
Tammuz according to the tradition was killed by a wild animal and then
restored to life, a satanic anticipation and counterfeit of Christ’s resurrection.
Scripture condemns this false worship repeatedly (Jer. 7:18; 44:17-19, 25; Ezek.
8:14).
After the Persians took over Babylon in 539 B.C., they discouraged the
continuation of the mystery religions of Babylon. Consequently, the Babylonian
cultists moved to Pergamum (or Pergamos) where one of the seven churches of
Asia Minor was located (Rev. 2:12-17). Satan’s throne was located in Pergamum
when John wrote Revelation according to Revelation 2:13.
Crowns in the shape of a fish head were worn by the chief priests of the
Babylonian cult of honor the fish god and bore the words “Keeper of the Bridge,”
symbolic of the “bridge” between man and Satan. This handle was adopted by the
Roman emperors, who used the Latin title Pontifex Maximus, which means,
“Major Keeper of the Bridge.”
The same title was later used by the bishop of Rome. The pope today is often
called the pontiff, which comes from pontifex.
When the teachers of the Babylonian mystery religions later moved from
Pergamum to Rome, they were influential in paganizing Christianity and were the
source of many so-called religious rites, which have crept into ritualistic churches.
Babylon then is the symbol of apostasy and blasphemous substitution of idol-
worship for the worship of God in Christ and in Revelation 17-18 we see Babylon
judged by God. This idolatrous religion culminates at last in the Bible in the book

of Revelation and is described as the “great harlot” whose name is “Mystery
Babylon the Great,” the originator of all the harlotries and false religions of earth.
The religious system, which began in Babel (or Babylon), became the mother,
the source of all pagan religions of the world and this is the reason she is called
“Mother of Harlots” (Rev. 17:5).
Revelation 17:5 and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery,
“BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE
ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” 6 And I saw the woman drunk with
the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I
saw her, I wondered greatly. 7 And the angel said to me, “Why do you
wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries
her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. 8 The beast (does not refer to
Antichrist but to the Revived Roman Empire as the description to follow indicates)
that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go
to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been
written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when
they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come. 9 Here is the mind
which has wisdom. The seven heads (Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia,
Greece, Rome, Revived Roman Empire all supported Babylonian religious system)
are seven mountains on which the woman sits 10 and they are seven kings;
five have fallen (Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece), one is (Rome
existed during the days of John), the other has not yet come (Revived Roman
Empire of the Tribulation); and when he comes, he must remain a little while (3
½ years of Tribulation). 11 The beast which was and is not, is himself also an
eighth (refers to the fact that the revived Roman empire will take on the form of an
imperial dictatorship and by this change actually become an eighth kingdom, a
whole new and vicious form of government, the blasphemous form seen in
Revelation 13) and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction. 12 The ten
horns (ten nation European confederacy during Tribulation) which you saw are
ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as
kings with the beast for one hour. 13 These have one purpose, and they give
their power and authority to the beast (this time referring to Antichrist, Satan
controlled man and not the Revived Roman Empire because we are speaking in the
context of kings or leaders). 14 These will wage war against the Lamb, and the
Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and
those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful. 15 And he said
to me, ‘The waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and
multitudes and nations and tongues. 16 And the ten horns (ten nation European
confederacy) which you saw, and the beast (Antichrist), these will hate the
harlot (apostate religious system originated from ancient Babylon) and will make
her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire.
17 For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a
common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of
God will be fulfilled. 18 The woman whom you saw is the great city (Rome
where the apostate church will reside, which promotes Babylonianism), which
reigns over the kings of the earth.” (NASB95)
Daniel 9:27-The Antichrist’s Peace Treaty with Israel Begins Daniel’s Seventieth
Week
Next, we will study the event that takes place after the rapture of the church,
which actually begins Daniel’s Seventieth Week, namely, Antichrist’s peace treaty
with Israel, which is recorded in Daniel 9:27.
If you recall, a “week” in the prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27 refers to 7 years of
360 days. Therefore, the “seventy weeks” refers to 490 years of 360 days of
Israel’s history. These “seventy weeks” or 490 years is divided into three periods:
(1) 7 weeks=49 years (2) 62 weeks=434 years (3) 1 week=7 years.
The phrase “your people” refers to the nation of Israel and the city of
Jerusalem and not with world history or church history.
“The issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem” refers to the
decree issued by Artaxerxes Longimanus’ in 444 B.C. (Nehemiah 2:1-8).
“Seven weeks” refers 49 prophetic biblical years beginning with the decree of
Artaxerxes in 444 B.C. (Neh. 2:1-8) to the completion of the rebuilding of
Jerusalem (Dan. 9:25).
“Sixty-two weeks” refers to 434 prophetic biblical years beginning with the
completion of the rebuilding of Jerusalem to Christ’s Triumphal Entry into
Jerusalem and crucifixion in 33 A.D. (Dan. 9:25-26).

The statement “after the sixty-two weeks” refers to the completion of 69 of the
70 weeks of Daniel, 483 prophetic years and “the Messiah will be cut off” refers
to the death of Christ.
“The people” refers to the Romans who destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in
70 A.D. and the phrase “the prince who shall come” refers to the Antichrist.
refers to Antichrist making a 7 year covenant with Israel, which actually begins
Daniel’s seventieth week (See 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4).
The expression “firm covenant” means that Antichrist will not renew an
existing treaty but will establish an original one that contains strong and firm
guarantees with the Israeli leadership ensuring Israel’s security.
“The many” does “not” mean that Antichrist will make this covenant “with all”
since the definite article in the Hebrew text that precedes the adjective rav,
converts the adjective into a noun and means, “the leaders” which is a reference to
the military and political leadership of the nation of Israel at that time. Therefore,
Daniel 9:27 teaches that Daniel’s seventieth week comes after the rapture but does
“not” begin with the rapture. So, while the rapture will precede Daniel’s seventieth
week (Great Tribulation period), it does “not” begin it but rather the signing of the
peace treaty between Antichrist and the leadership in Israel will begin it.
Daniel 9:27a indicates that Antichrist will pretend to be Israel’s benefactor and
make a treaty with her but will turn against her in the mid way point of Daniel’s
seventieth week and will persecute Israel and occupy Jerusalem for three and a half
years. The agreement between Israel and Antichrist stipulates that he will rush to
the aid of Israel in the event of an enemy attack (Dan. 9:27; cf., 11:38-39).
conquer. (NASB95)
Notice that the rider sat on a white horse, which is significant since white is a
symbol of peace, thus the symbolism is that Antichrist will come as a peacemaker.

One of Antichrist’s first accomplishments will be to find a solution to the Arab-
Israeli conflict with a peace treaty with Israel according to Daniel 9:26-27, which
begins Daniel’s seventieth week, the unprecedented time of Jacob’s distress (Jer.
30:7).
Also, notice that the rider’s weapon is a bow, yet no arrows are mentioned. The
bow is a symbol of distant victory and since no arrows are mentioned it seems to
indicate that he gains his victory by bloodless tactics. That all this is true is
indicated further by the fact that peace isn’t taken from the earth until the second
seal. Antichrist will have a hidden agenda since his purpose is not world peace, but
conquering and to conquer.
Today the world is ripe for the rise of such a man with his world government as
an answer to international problems. Prominent world leaders and movements have
posed the idea that what we need is a world order with a charismatic leader who
can mold the world into harmony and peace.
In his book, written in 1973, The Day the Dollar Dies, Willard Cantelon quotes
a number of world leaders to this effect. He writes: Harold Urey said, “The only
escape from total destruction of civilization will be a world government.” Robert J.
Oppenheimer stated, “In the field of atomic energy, there must be set up a world
power.” Arthur Compton added his word, “World government has become
inevitable.” Dr. Ralph Barton Perry of Harvard said, “One world government is in
the making. Whether we like it or not, we are moving toward a one-world
government.” Professor Hocking wrote, “Therefore the alternative is that we vest
all political power in one agency and resign that power ourselves.”
This covenant between Antichrist and Israel is a peace treaty, which will
guarantee Israel’s safety in the land and suggests that Israel will be in her land but
will seek support that she had previously.
The United States is nowhere in prophecy and is thus no longer a superpower at
the time of Antichrist’s rise to power. The United States is the greatest benefactor
of Israel since her return to the land in 1948 and so it is easy to see why Israel
would seek an alliance with a superpower with the United States no longer a major
player on the world stage. Therefore, it appears that she will seek a treaty with the
Revived Roman Empire, the United States of Europe headed by Antichrist and she
will welcome the peacemaking role of Antichrist and the Revived Roman Empire.
Revelation 12:7-17-Satan is Driven Out of Heaven By Michael in the Middle of

Daniel’s Seventieth Week
Now, in the middle of Daniel’s seventieth week, the cold war will become a hot
war and overflow to planet earth. The event that will mark this is Michael the
archangel and his legions of elect-angels expelling Satan and his legions from
heaven (Rev. 12:7). Satan and the fallen angels defeat in heaven and permanent
expulsion from heaven commences the worst period in all of human history and the
war to end all wars.
Revelation 12:1 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman (Nation of
Israel) clothed with the sun (Represents Jacob), and the moon (Represents
Rachel and Leah) under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars
(Represents 12 Sons of Jacob) 2 and she was with child (Represents Jesus Christ);
and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth. 3 Then another sign
appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon (Represents Satan) having
seven heads (Represents 7 great Gentile world empires: (1) Egypt (2) Assyria (3)
Babylon (4) Medo-Persia (5) Graeco-Macedonia (6) Rome (7) Future Revived
Roman Empire) and ten horns (10 Ten European Confederacy, i.e. Revived
Roman Empire), and on his heads were seven diadems. 4 And his tail swept
away a third of the stars of heaven (Represents fallen angels) and threw them
to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give
birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child. 5 And she gave
birth to a son, a male child (Jesus Christ), who is to rule all the nations with a
rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne (Ascension
and Session of Jesus Christ). 6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness where
she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for
one thousand two hundred and sixty days (Last 3 ½ years of Daniel’s Seventieth
Week). 7 And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war
with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, 8 and they were not
strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven.
(NASB95)
Michael and the elect angels who number two-thirds of the angels that were
created overwhelm Satan and his angels who number one-third of the angels
created by the Lord because of a simple spiritual principle: Victory or defeat in
angelic warfare is gained by the application of power and the withdrawal of the
inferior force (Invisible War, Barnhouse).
Now, there were originally nine divisions in the angelic order of battle and in
eternity past, Satan possessed the highest rank among the angels as the guardian
cherub. He was adorned with nine jewels according to Ezekiel 28:13, which are
comparable to the twelve jewels found on the breastplate of the high priest of
Israel, where each jewel represented one of the twelve tribes liable for military
service (Exodus 28:15-21).
Satan in eternity past before his rebellion was the high priest of God ruling over
these nine divisions or tribes of angels just as the high priest in Israel presided over
the twelve tribes of Israel (Ezekiel 28:14). Revelation 12:4 says that one-third of
the angels fell, that means three angelic divisions in the Lord’s military rebelled.
These three angelic divisions are arranged in rank, thus mimicking God.
So like God, Satan has a military that is organized in ranks. This is suggested by
the fact that Michael is called the Archangel or chief angel (Jude 9) and in Daniel
10:13 he is called one of the chief princes.
Ephesians 6:12 presents the Satanic “order of battle,” which is a military term
generally used to denote the force structure of a particular combatant in any given
military campaign.
Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against
the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness,
against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. (NASB95)
“Rulers” is the noun arche and refers to the highest rank of angels in the
Satanic order of battle and hold positions of authority (“thrones”) in the Satanic
kingdom and are subordinate to only Satan himself.
The Lord Jesus Christ created these “rulers” (Col. 1:16) and He has defeated
them through His death (Col. 2:15).
“Powers” is the Greek noun exousia, which refers to the rank of fallen angels
who have been given by Satan “dominions” and are subordinate only to the arche,
“rulers” and Satan himself.
“World-forces” is the noun kosmokrator, “world-ruler” and expresses the
power or authority, which the fallen angels exercise over the cosmic system.
These angels are subordinate directly to the exousia, “authorities” and carry out
their orders and are more than likely they are behind the miracles and other satanic
demonstrations of power (cf. Rev. 13:13).
“Spiritual forces” refers to the rank and file angels in Satan’s military.
These rank and file angels are also known in Scripture by a variety of names
such as: (1) “Demons” (Lev. 17:7; Mt. 9:34). (2) “Evil spirits” (Lk. 7:21; Acts
19:13). (3) “Unclean spirits” (Mt. 10:1; Mk. 1:27). (4) “Devils” (Jn. 6:70).
“In the heavenly places” designates the “location” of the base of operations
and activities of these rank and file angels.
Compare Ephesians 6:12 with Colossians 1:16.
Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens
and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or
authorities -- all things have been created through Him and for Him.
(NASB95)
“Thrones” is the noun thronos, which does not refer to a particular rank of
angels but rather simply to a “position of authority” that the arche, “rulers”
possess.

“Dominions” is the noun kuriotes, which refers to the “dominion or
jurisdiction” exercised by one who is in a ruling position, namely, the exousia,
“powers” and does not refer to a particular rank of angels.
“Rulers” is the noun arche and refers to the highest rank of angels in the
Satanic order of battle and hold positions of authority (“thrones”) in the Satanic
kingdom and are subordinate to only Satan himself.
The fact that the noun arche means, “one who possesses the highest ranking
authority” eliminates the idea that the nouns thronos, “dominions” and kuriotes,
“dominions” in Colossians 1:16 are referring to a higher rank of angels than the
group designated by the name arche, “rulers.”
“Authorities” is the noun exousia and refers to the rank of fallen angels who
have been given by Satan “dominions” and are subordinate only to the arche,
“rulers” and Satan himself.
So Satan has governmental organization or hierarchy patterned after God since
he mimics God and he has a military. Although Satan had instigated revolution
against God in heaven, he recognizes the importance of discipline and order.
Patterned after the divine system, Satan divided his demons into officer personnel
all the way down to the rank and file. Much of what the Bible has to say about
angels, holy and fallen, is couched in military language and terminology.
Among the military terms used to describe angelic groupings are the words
“hosts” (1 Kng.22:19; Neh.9:6; Ps.103:21; 148:2; Dan.8:10; cf. Lk.2:13), “army”
(Lk.2:13; Rev.19:9), “legion” (Matt.26:53; Mk.5:9; Lk.8:30), and “band”
(Ps.78:49).
The base of operations of the fallen angels and their activities take place in the
earth’s atmosphere as well as the stellar universe.
We noted this in our study of Genesis 1:6-8 where after the second day of
restoration, the Lord did “not” designate the restoration of the earth’s atmosphere
as tov, “good,” or more accurately, “perfect.”
The reason for this omission is that Satan and the fallen angels inhabit the
earth’s atmosphere.
Fallen angels also have access to the third heaven where the Supreme Court of
heaven resides and is convened 24/7 according to a comparison of Scripture with
Scripture.
Job 1:6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present
themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. (NASB95)
Satan has access to heaven and accuses believers before the throne of God
(Zechariah 3:1-7) but the Lord Jesus Christ sits at the right hand of the Father as
the believer’s advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1).
So the Bible teaches that during the midway point of Daniel’s seventieth week
that Michael and the elect angels of God and defeat Satan and his armies and throw
them out of heaven. Thus, the fallen angels must have access to the third heaven in
order to be thrown out of it.
Revelation 12:7 And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels
waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, 8 and
they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them
in heaven. (NASB95)
The name “Michael” means “who is like God?” and poses a rhetorical and
negative question, one demanding a negative answer meaning “who is like the
Lord? No one! This is significant for this angel’s very name and presence stands as
a rebuke and refutation to Satan’s boast in Isaiah 14:14b, “I will make myself like
the most High,” i.e., “I will be like God.”
In Daniel 12:1 he is called the great prince and in Jude 9 he is “the archangel,”
i.e., first or chief of the angels. Here, in Revelation, we read of “Michael and his
angels,” those under his authority, thus, it appears that Michael became the chief
commander and leader of the holy angels after Satan’s fall.
Michael, the archangel, is the guardian of the nation of Israel (Dan. 10:13, 21;
12:1; Jude 9). Until this point in the Tribulation, Michael never lays a hand on
Satan. But at this point in the Tribulation, however, Michael gets to do what he
undoubtedly has longed to do for millenniums; he gets to boot Satan out of heaven.
The Lord foresaw the defeat of Satan in heaven.
Luke 10:18 And He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven
like lightning.” (NASB95)
This event was also prophesied by the prophet Daniel in Daniel 12:1.
Daniel 12:1 Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard
over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress
such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that
time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued.
(NASB95)
Revelation 12:9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old
who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was
thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
(NASB95)
The “great dragon” and “serpent of old” is identified as “Satan,” which is the
noun Satanas, a legal term meaning “adversary” and “Devil,” which is the noun
Diabolos, also a legal term meaning “slanderer, false accuser.”
“The great dragon” emphasizes Satan’s vicious and cruel character and
emphasizes his end time activity and behavior.
“The serpent of old” draws our attention to Satan’s crafty character and
reminds us of the Garden of Eden, the fall of man, his usurpation of man’s rule on
earth, and his constant activity of temptation and deception.
Revelation 12:10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the
salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of
His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down,
he who accuses them before our God day and night. 11 And they overcame
him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their
testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. 12 For
this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth
and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath,
knowing that he has only a short time.” 13 And when the dragon saw that he
was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the
male child. 14 But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman,
so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished
for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. 15 And
the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so
that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood. 16 But the earth
helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river
which the dragon poured out of his mouth. 17 So the dragon was enraged with
the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep
the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. (NASB95)
The believer has three great enemies according to the Scriptures: (1) Satan, our
chief adversary, the devil: (1 Pet. 5:8-9; Eph. 6:12; John 16:11; Col. 2:15; but note
1 John 2:13-14). (2) The world, a system and arrangement of the affairs of men and
government under the control of the evil one and opposed to God and His purposes
for man: (John 16:33; 1 John 5:4; Eph. 2:2). (3) Indwelling Adamic sin nature or
the flesh and all its corrupting power and life-dominating patterns: (Rom. 7:15;
8:4-8, 13; Gal. 5:16-26).
The intelligence apparatus of a nation plays a vital part in modern warfare.
Unless, we know who our enemy is, where he is, and what he can do, we will have
a difficult time defeating him. The leader of the church’s great invisible enemy is
of course Satan whose name means, “adversary” because he is the enemy of God.
He is also called the “tempter” (Mt. 4:3), the murderer (Jn. 8:44). He is compared
to a “lion” in 1 Peter 5:8, a serpent (Gen. 3:1; Rev. 12:9), an angel of light (2 Cor.
11:13-15), the “god of this age” (2 Cor. 4:4). The Christian is not to be ignorant of
his schemes and devices (2 Cor. 2:11).
Satan is a created being. The Lord Jesus Christ created angels who are moral
rational creatures like mankind and the greatest of these was angels was Satan.
Therefore, Satan is a creature (cf. John 1:1 with Psa. 148:1-5; Col. 1:16; Ezek.
28:13). He is also a spirit being. Hebrews 1:14 describes angels as spirits and
demons are called unclean spirits (Matt. 8:16; 12:45; Luke 7:21; 8:2; 11:26; Acts
19:12; Rev. 16:14).
Furthermore, the fact we are told that “we do not wrestle with flesh and
blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world
rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in
heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12) also suggest that Satan and his demons are spirit
beings.
Finally, the fact that Paul describes them as invisible also shows they are spirit
beings (Col. 1:16).
Satan is not omniscient, omnipotent or omnipresent like God but rather he has
limitations. He simply cannot be everywhere at once. Nor, can he read your mind.
Angels, though spirit beings and very powerful, are not omnipotent, omniscient,
or omnipresent. They cannot be everywhere at once and this is true of Satan.
However, as the chief of his demons forces or as the “prince of the power of the
air” (Eph 2:2), he is chief of a vast host of demons who are so numerous as to
make Satan’s power and presence seem to be practically ubiquitous or everywhere
at once (cf. Mark 5:9).
Therefore, because of this limitation, many references to Satan or the devil
include his whole kingdom. The person of Satan does not personally tempt each of
us for he simply cannot do that. He is only able to do so through his world system
and demon hosts.
In his appearance when the sons of God came to present themselves before the
Lord (Job 1:6), in the temptation of Christ (Matt. 4:10f), and the entrance into
Judas (Luke 22:3) we surely have clear references to the person of Satan himself,
but in many other passages, Satan or the devil seems to stand for Satan’s kingdom
(see Mark 3:23; 4:15; Luke 13:16; 1 Pet. 5:8-9; Jam. 4:7).
It is also comforting to know that Satan is limited. The promise of Scripture is
that “greater is He who is in us, than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). For
all his power and hatred against God and man, he could do nothing against Job that
God did not expressly allow. Therefore, he can be resisted and made to flee (Jam.
4:7), but only by the strength of God made available to believers in Christ (Eph.
6:10-18).
Satan is a person. The Scripture state that he possesses the traits of personality.
He shows intelligence (2 Cor. 11:3). He exhibits emotions (Rev. 12:17, anger;
Luke 22:31, desire). He demonstrates that he has a will (Isa. 14:12-14; 2 Tim.
2:26).
Satan is referred to as a person in both Old and New Testaments (Job 1; Matt.
4:1-12). If Satan were merely a personification that people have devised to express
their ideas of evil, then such a personification could scarcely be held morally
responsible for his actions, since, in reality, there is no being who can be held
accountable. But Satan is held accountable by the Lord (Matt. 25:41), and this

passage reminds us that to deny the reality of Satan requires denying the veracity
of Christ’s words.
We must learn from the devil’s failure. If angels like Satan who were so close
to God gave way to the pride of seeking to be independent of God and fell in sin,
we certainly should learn from this that we might be more careful “to take heed
lest we fall” (cf. 1 Cor. 10:12 with 1 Tim. 3:6-7). We should know full well, as
with the temptation of Eve, Satan will seek to reduplicate his sin in us by seeking
to get us to attempt to live life independently of God as though we were gods
ourselves.
Let’s go back to the original angelic Eden, to a time before Satan had rebelled
from God and had fallen from his privileged status. What we know about Satan in
his perfect state comes mainly from the testimony of Isaiah (chapter fourteen) and
Ezekiel (chapter twenty-eight). It must be remembered that in eternity past, Satan
held a 3-fold office, which is now belongs to the incarnate Son of God, the Lord
Jesus Christ.
Satan was a prophet, priest and a king in eternity past prior to his rebellion
against his Creator. The devil was the preeminent creature in the universe before
his fall, and each of the various characteristics described below call attention to
specific aspects of this preeminence.
Ezekiel 28:11 Again the word of the LORD came to me saying, 12 “Son of
man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre and say to him, ‘Thus says
the Lord GOD, ‘You had the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in
beauty.’” (NASB95)
“Seal of Perfection” is the Hebrew chatham, “a seal of proportion, a sealer of
symmetry, one sealing perfection, which are literal renderings from the Hebrew
and can be expanded to the meaning “the one who puts his seal on harmonious-
proportion” or, better, the “touchstone of symmetry” (that is, norms and standards
of all kinds as seen from the divine point of view).
Satan, in his un-fallen state, could be looked to as one who upheld, embodied
and represented perfect divine standards. It is a tragic irony that he is now the
prime example of all that is wicked, wrong and anti-God. In contrast to Satan, our
Lord Jesus Christ is the One who died to satisfy the Father's righteous standard
regarding our sin (2 Cor.5:21; 1 Pet.2:24).
“Full of wisdom” is composed of the Hebrew adjective male, “full,” and the
noun chokhmah, “wisdom.”
The adjective male is used figuratively here in Ezekiel 28:12 indicating a high
degree of wisdom by which Satan in eternity past, before his fall was
characterized. This word indicates that Satan did not reject God out of ignorance.
To the contrary, he was the wisest of God's creatures until he perverted that
wisdom (Ezek.28:17).
It is a tragic irony that Satan corrupted this wisdom and so became the “father
of lies”, the adversary of God's wisdom and truth (Jn.8:44). In contrast to Satan,
our Lord Jesus Christ is the very wisdom of God (1Cor.1:24).
Ezekiel 28:12 “Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre
and say to him, Thus says the Lord GOD, “You had the seal of perfection, full
of wisdom and perfect in beauty.” (NASB95)
“Perfect in beauty” is composed of the Hebrew adjective kalil, “perfect,” and
the noun yophi, “beauty.” Satan before his fall in eternity past was the epitome of
beauty.
Ezekiel 28:13 “You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone
was your covering: The ruby, the topaz and the diamond; The beryl, the onyx
and the jasper; The lapis lazuli, the turquoise and the emerald; And the gold,
the workmanship of your settings and sockets, was in you. On the day that
you were created they were prepared.” (NASB95)
This “Eden” in Ezekiel 28:13 refers to the original garden of Eden on the
original planet earth before the earth’s renovation in Genesis 1:3 and following.
Though he was the premier creature in a utopian setting, Satan was not content. It
is a tragic irony that through his rebellion he has exchanged a perfect environment
for eternal place in the lake of fire, and is leading his followers to share his fate
(Matt.25:41). In contrast to Satan, our Lord Jesus Christ has prepared a place for us
(Jn.14:1-4), a place whose wonders will outstrip even those of that first Eden
(Rev.2:7).
The precious stones mentioned in this verse are indeed additional
manifestations of Satan's beauty, but it is likely that they also mark him out as the
one who represented the angels before God. The nine stones mentioned in this
context bear a striking similarity to those placed on the high priest's breastplate
(Ex.28:17-21; 39:10-14).
In the Exodus context, each of the stones represented one of the twelve tribes of
Israel and bore its name inscribed on the gem. Exodus 28:29 states that Aaron (i.e.,
the high priest) shall wear the breastplate with the stones inscribed with the twelve
tribes “over his heart” whenever he enters the Holy Place “as a continual
memorial before the Lord”; the verse also calls the breastplate so equipped “the
breastplate of judgment”.
Each of Israel's tribes is thus a precious jewel in God's sight, and was
represented before Him in this fashion whenever the high priest entered into the
presence of God.
Furthermore, the breastplate also served the practical function of acting as a
means of communication from the Lord in designating specific tribes for specific
tasks. What we see in Ezekiel's representation of a very similar apparatus on Satan,
therefore, should be seen as fulfilling a similar function.
As the “anointed cherub who covers”, Satan would have been continually in
the presence of the Lord as the prime representative of angelic kind in the same
way that our Lord Jesus Christ (symbolically represented by Israel's high priest)
has been continually in His presence as the “last Adam” (1Cor.15:45) and “the
Son of Man” (e.g., Jn.9:35) since His ascension.
It is a tragic irony that Satan, who used to represent his angelic brethren before
the Lord would go on to corrupt many of them, thus leading them to eternal
punishment (Matt.25:41). In contrast to Satan, our Lord Jesus Christ is our guide to
eternal life (Heb.2:10; 12:2).
Ezekiel 28:14 “You were the anointed cherub who covers, And I placed you
there. You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked in the midst of the
stones of fire.” (NASB95)
“Anointed” is the Hebrew adjective mimshach, whose cognate verb is
mashach, “to anoint,” and the noun mashiach, “Anointed One, Messiah.” The
Greek noun Christos, “Christ” translates the Hebrew noun for Messiah, which is
mashiach.
The Hebrew verb mashach means “to rub, anoint,” or “spread” a liquid. This
word was used of anointing of people for special service or office such as priest
(Ex. 29:7; Lev. 4:5, 16; 6:22; 21:10), prophet (1 Kings 19:16), and king (1 Sam.
2:10; 12:3; 16:6; 24:6; 2 Sam. 12:7; 19:21). The person who experienced such
anointing was often called “the Lord’s anointed” (1 Sam. 26:9; 2 Sam. 23:1).
In the OT 2 office bearers are expressly described as mashiach i.e. as anointed
with oil: (a) High priest (b) King. The most reference in the OT is to the anointing
of the King. The rite of anointing was performed on the high priest in the post-
exilic community in Judah. The anointing never became a rite of initiation into the
prophetic office. The prophet is discharged a specific task assigned to him by
Yahweh Himself. He is anointed for this. Thus the act of anointing confers power.
So the mashach’s Hebrew cognate adjective mimshach in Ezekiel 28:13
describes Satan as one who God conferred divine power to in order to carry out his
duties. This anointing marked Satan out as God’s number one man!
“Cherub” is the Hebrew noun keruv. Cherubs take the lead in worshiping God
(Is.6; Rev.4:8b; 5:8,14; 7:11-12; 19:4), act as intermediaries for God in His royal
manifestations (Rev.6:1-7; 15:7), and, perhaps most significantly, control access
into His presence and fellowship (a duty most strikingly evident from their
guarding of the “way to the tree of life” after Man's expulsion from the garden:
Gen.3:24).
“Who covers” refers to the fact that Satan's original position can thus be
described as that of the ultimate "imperial guard", charged with warding off all that
is profane from the perfect holiness of God. It is a tragic irony that Satan's position
as a bulwark against the profane has been altered by his own rebellion into that of a
promoter of all that is detestable to God's holiness. In contrast to Satan, Christ kept
Himself experientially pure from sin, so that in fulfillment of the Father's plan He
might “become sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in
Him” (2 Cor.5:21).
Ezekiel 28:15 “You were blameless in your ways from the day you were
created until unrighteousness was found in you. 16 By the abundance of your
trade you were internally filled with violence, and you sinned; Therefore I
have cast you as profane from the mountain of God. And I have destroyed
you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. 17 Your heart
was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom by reason
of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, that they
may see you. 18 By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of
your trade you profaned your sanctuaries. Therefore I have brought fire from
the midst of you; It has consumed you, and I have turned you to ashes on the
earth in the eyes of all who see you. 19 All who know you among the peoples
are appalled at you; You have become terrified and you will cease to be
forever.” (NASB95)
As we noted earlier, in the beginning the most exalted of all the angels was the
anointed cherub, whom the Bible calls Satan or the devil, the son of the morning
(Isa. 14:12). He was entrusted with responsibilities and was granted privileges
beyond those of any other angel, but he abused his freedom through arrogance and
rebellion against God (Ezek. 28:12-19). He was the anointed cherub who guarded
the throne of God, he was said to be created perfect in wisdom and beauty and he
was blessed with the title of Hallel Ben Shechar, “morning star, son of the dawn”
(Is. 14:12). But the Scriptures teach that he led the angels in rebellion against God
(Is. 14:12-14). Instead of being one will in the universe, now there was
two…God’s and Satan’s. Satan had the audacity to oppose God.
Now, according to Matthew 25:41 Satan was sentenced to the Lake of Fire for
his rebellion but he appealed the sentence.
Matthew 25:41 “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from
Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil
and his angels.’” (NASB95)
This sentence has not been executed since the Scriptures states that Satan is the
“prince of the power of air” (Eph. 2:3), and the ruler of this world.
We can accurately infer that Satan’s argument for appealing his sentence was
that how could a loving God cast some of His creatures into the Lake of Fire
forever and ever, thus God granted Satan his appeal. This appeal provides God an
opportunity to demonstrate His incomparable love for all His creatures, both men
and angels and thus vindicate His perfect character and integrity that was
impugned by Satan (Romans 5:6-8).
Therefore, God convened a trial to consider the evidence and pronounce
judgment. In the prehistoric trial God was the judge and the prosecution. Satan was
the defense. God considered all the evidence and pronounced a guilty verdict and
He sentenced Satan and all the fallen angels to "eternal fire" (Matt. 25:41). So
“eternal fire has been prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt. 25:41), but
because the sentence was not been immediately executed-and, in fact, will not be
carried out until the end of human history (Rev. 20:10)-we can accurately infer that
Satan appealed the sentence.
The elapse of time between the sentence and its execution indicates that human
history is part of this momentous trial, the appeal trial of Satan. Human history is
the appeal trial of Satan.
Further biblical evidence for the prehistoric trial of the fallen angels is found in
Satan's titles. Human history was designed to resolve this conflict between God
and Satan. The words “devil” and “Satan” are not names but titles, both of which
mean “accuser” or “adversary” as an attorney accuses someone in court.
The Greek New Testament terms Satanas, “Satan” and Diabolos, “devil” are
legal terms. The term Satanas means “adversary,” and diabolos means “slanderer,
false accuser.”
He is called the devil and Satan because he was the defense attorney who
represented himself and the fallen angels at the prehistoric trial and because he
continues to act as an attorney now that the trial has entered its appeal phase during
human history (Job 1:6-12; 2:1-5; Zech. 3:1-2).
Isaiah 14:12-14 gives us further insight into Satan’s rebellion.
Isaiah 14:12 “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son
of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened
the nations!” (NASB95)
“Star of the morning, son of the dawn” (English transliteration from the
Hebrew: Helel Ben-Shachar). This title speaks of Satan's role in reflecting the
glory of God (cf. Job 38:7, where all the elect angels are described as “stars of the
morning”).
“Star of the morning” (helel) literally means, “shining one” is translated in the
LXX as “light bearer” and by the Latin Vulgate as “Lucifer.”
“Son of the dawn” (Ben-Shachar) is an apt rendering of this title, for it denotes
a heavenly body so brilliant that it can be seen even in daylight.
As the prime creature of the original Eden, a place without darkness (for
darkness did not exist before Satan's fall), Satan was the foremost representative of
God's splendor, reflecting, for all angelic kind to behold, the brilliant glory of their
Creator. It is a tragic irony that through his own choice he has now become the
ruler of the domain of darkness (Eph.6:12; Col.1:13).

Far from reflecting God's glory, he now opposes it in every way, but his
ultimate destiny is to have his light extinguished forever (Jude 6, 13). In contrast to
Satan, our Lord Jesus Christ, the new Morning Star (2 Pet.1:19; Rev.2:28; 22:16;
cf. Num.24:17; Is.9:1-2; 42:6; 49:6; Matt.2:2; 2:9; 4:16; Lk.2:30-32; Jn.1:4-5;
8:12; 9:5), is the perfect reflection of the Father's glory (Heb.1:3).
Isaiah 14:13 “But you said in your heart, “I will ascend to heaven; I will
raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of
assembly In the recesses of the north. 14 I will ascend above the heights of the
clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ 15 Nevertheless you will be
thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit. 16 Those who see you will
gaze at you, They will ponder over you, saying, ‘Is this the man who made the
earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms, who made the world like a wilderness
And overthrew its cities, Who did not allow his prisoners to go home?’”
(NASB95)
So we can conclude from a study of Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14 that Satan was the
most talented, attractive and personable creature to come from the hand of God
(Ezek. 28:12; 2 Cor. 11:14). His force of persuasion is as compelling today as
when he convinced one third of all the angels to join his prehistoric revolution
against God (Rev. 12:4a).
Satan’s fall and his leadership of myriad angels in revolt started the prehistoric
warfare called the angelic conflict which continues today and will be concluded
only with the final judgment at the end of human history.
Ezekiel 38-39-The Russian Led Invasion of Israel During the Middle of Daniel’s
Seventieth Week
Once Satan is thrown down permanently on the earth during the middle of
Daniel’s seventieth week, he will inspire the leader of Russia and her allies to
invade Israel during the midway point of Daniel’s Seventieth Week. This invasion
of Israel by Russia and her allies is recorded in Ezekiel 38:1-39:24.
Ezekiel was the younger contemporary of Jeremiah and his name means “may
God strengthen” or “God strengthens.” According to Ezekiel 1:3, the prophet
Ezekiel was the son of the priest Buzi. So he was from a priestly family as was the
case with Jeremiah (Jer. 1:1) and Zechariah (Zech. 1:1; Neh. 12:4, 16).
Ezekiel, Jeremiah and Zechariah were the only prophet-priests and all three
prophesied during the exilic or post-exilic periods of Israel. He was providentially
deported to Babylon in 597 B.C. along with Jehoiachin and several thousand of the
upper class citizens of Israel, eleven years before the destruction of Jerusalem
according to 2 Kings 24:12-14. Ezekiel was a member of a community of Jewish
exiles who settled in a village of Tel-Abib by the river Chebar or what was called
the Grand Canal, according to Ezekiel 1:1, 3; 3:15. The settlement was located
near the city of Nippur, southeast of Babylon, and Ezekiel’s home was a mecca for
the elders of the exiles (3:24; 8:1; 14:1; 20:1).
The prophet was married, but had no children (24:16-18). Ezekiel’s wife died
the day the siege of Jerusalem began in 588 B.C. according to Ezekiel 24:1, 15-18,
The date for Ezekiel’s ministry can be determined by noting the chronological
notations in his book (1:2; 8:1; 20:1; 24:1; 29:1, 17; 30:20; 31:1; 32:1, 17; 33:21;
40:1). Ezekiel’s ministry began “in the fourth month on the fifth day” of “the
fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s exile” (1:2) in 592 B.C.
Jehoiachan came to the throne in December 597 B.C. after Jehoiakim died (2
Kgs. 24:1-2). After a reign of only three months Jehoiachin was captured by
Nebuchadnezzar and deported to Babylon. The fifth year of Jehoiachin’s exile was
593 B.C. and the fourth month was the month of Tammuz, which began on July 27
in 593 B.C. Therefore, Ezekiel began his ministry on July 31, 593 B.C. (the fifth
day is inclusive counting both July 27 and 31).
Ezekiel said his ministry began “in the thirtieth year” (Ezek. 1:1), which
refers to his age when he was commissioned as a prophet and was also qualified to
serve as priest at this age. Remember he was from a priestly family. The service of
a Levitical priest was twenty-five years, from twenty-five to fifty years of age
according to Numbers 8:24-28.
Ezekiel began prophesying in 593 B.C. (the fifth year of Jehoiachin’s exile,
1:2), and his last dated prophecy was “in the twenty-seventh year, in the first
month on the first day” (Ezek. 29:17), thus, his prophetic activity spanned at least
22 years (593-571 B.C.) from age 30 to 52.
The events of Ezekiel 38:1-39:24 have never taken place in the past since no
historical events have matched this prophecy. This invasion of Israel takes place
toward the middle of Daniel’s seventieth week, after Israel and Antichrist have
entered into a treaty and prior to Antichrist breaking the treaty since it is preceded
by the casting of Satan out of heaven.
Now, the Gog and Magog mentioned here in Ezekiel 38:1-39:24 are not the
same Gog and Magog of Revelation 20:7-9 that make war against the Lord Jesus
Christ at the end of His millennial reign. The conflict involving the Gog and
Magog in Revelation 20:7-9 involves armies from all four corners of the globe and
is followed by the Great White Throne Judgment of unbelievers (Rev. 20:11-15).
Therefore, the prophecy of Ezekiel 38:1-39:24 will not be fulfilled at the end of the
millennium. Nor will it be fulfilled at the end of the Tribulation and the
Armageddon campaign since the invasion of Israel at the end of the Tribulation
involves the armies from around the world whereas the invasion in Ezekiel 38:1-
39:24 only includes a certain group of nations led by Russia.

Also, the object of the Armageddon invasion is to destroy Israel whereas the
invasion of Ezekiel is to take spoil. Furthermore, the invasion of Ezekiel 38:1-
39:24 will not take place prior to the treaty with Antichrist and thus Daniel’s
Seventieth Week, i.e. the Tribulation period.
Many contend that the description of Israel found in Ezekiel 38 fits well with
the nation of Israel as she is now today, and state that this invasion will take place
before the Tribulation and prior to Israel’s treaty with Antichrist. They cite that the
meaning of batach in Ezekiel 38:11 indicates that Israel dwells securely due to
confidence in their own strength.
Today Israel is secure, confident that her army can repel any invasion from the
Arab states, thus Israel is dwelling securely in fulfillment of the prophecy in
Ezekiel 38:11 of Israel dwelling in unwalled villages. This is very descriptive of
the present-day kibbutzim in Israel, they contend.
These points can also support the position that the events in Ezekiel 38:1-39:24
will take place during the midway point of the Tribulation prior to Antichrist
declaring himself to be God. During the first three and a half years of Daniel’s
Seventieth Week, Israel will be dwelling securely under the treaty with the
Antichrist.
Batach can also support the idea that Israel has placed her confidence on the
military might of the Revived Form of the Roman Empire under the little horn, i.e.
Antichrist and not just her own military strength. This is supported historically in
that Israel throughout her history has continually trusted in Gentile powers rather
than God.
The second major point made in support of the Russian Invasion taking place
after the rapture and prior to the treaty with Antichrist is that Russia is still a major
world power before the Tribulation. This point is rather weak since it can support
the position that Russia is a major player during the Tribulation.
Those who believe that the Russian invasion will take place prior to the treaty
with Antichrist and after the rapture contend that placing the invasion at this point
resolves the problem of the seven years of burning the Russian weapons in Ezekiel
38:9 and the seven months of burying the Russian dead in Ezekiel 38:12. They
state that putting this invasion in the beginning of the Tribulation presents no real
problem with the seven months, but it does have problems with the seven years.
They say that this would put it at a time when Israel would be in flight and would
not have time to finish the burning of the weapons. They contend that the middle
of the Tribulation view has problems with both the seven months and the seven
years. They say that the seven months would extend into the second half of the
Tribulation, a time when Israel has to worry about her own dead, let alone the
Russians.

Also, they explain that the seven years would extend throughout the rest of the
Tribulation and three and a half years into the Millennium, making it inconsistent
with the biblical view of the Millennium.
Furthermore, they state if the invasion took place during the midway point of
the Tribulation that Israel would need these weapons in the second half of the
Tribulation and would not burn them.
Therefore, they contend that the events of Ezekiel 38:1-39:24 must take place
before the Tribulation since it is the only interpretation, which has no problems
with either the seven months or the seven years. They say that the Jews continue to
dwell in the Land after this invasion and remain there until the middle of the
Tribulation, thus the seven months of burial is no problem. They state that the
seven years also creates no problem since they would begin before the Tribulation
and can extend as far as the middle of the Tribulation if at all necessary. According
to this view, they state this invasion must take place at least three and a half years
or more before the Tribulation starts.
First of all, concerning the burning of the weapons into the Millennium, by
placing the Russian invasion of Israel during the midway point of the Tribulation is
not a problem since according to Isaiah 2:4 speaking of the Millennium, says,
“They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning
hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for
war anymore.” (NIV)
Furthermore, the problem of the fuel lasting seven years is not a real prophetic
problem because even after the Lord returns at His Second Advent to deliver Israel
they will still need fuel for fires in the millennial kingdom as life goes on.
Accordingly, the seven year figure should not be considered an obstacle to placing
the Magog-Russian invasion somewhere in the mid way point of the Tribulation
with the possibility that it may occur earlier in the seven year period and justify the
approximate figure of seven years. Thus, the burning of the weapons does not
conflict with the idea that the Russian Invasion will take place during the midway
point of the Tribulation.
The invasion could take place seven months before Antichrist breaks the treaty.
The point that Israel would not burn weapons during the last half of Tribulation
when she would need those weapons to fight against the Tribulational armies and
Antichrist can be easily answered as well. This invasion from Russia and her allies
is massive and thus the amount of weapons left behind will be massive as well.
Israel’s army and population are much smaller than that of the invading armies.
Thus, Israel could burn weapons while gathering enough weapons to defend
herself from Antichrist and the armies of the world that will be descending upon
Israel during the Armageddon campaign.

The burying of the dead is not a problem since the invasion could take place at
least seven months maybe more before Antichrist breaks the treaty leaving Israel
time to bury the Russian dead.
Another point to consider is that if the Russian invasion takes place after the
rapture and prior to the treaty with Antichrist, then why would Israel seek to
establish a treaty with Antichrist and his Ten-Nation European Confederacy when
God has supernaturally intervened and destroyed Russia and her allies? It makes
more sense having Antichrist establishing the treaty with Israel prior to the Russian
invasion.
Since 1948, the United States has been Israel’s greatest benefactor and yet she
is nowhere in end time prophecy. There are several reasons why the United States
is nowhere to be found. She could be destroyed militarily, decimated by the rapture
since the greatest concentration of Christians and Bible teaching is in America.
Another scenario is that she could have gradually faded from world prominence
through economic, social and military problems like Britain did in the twentieth
century. Thus, a more likely scenario is that Israel will welcome a treaty with
Antichrist and his ten-nation confederacy as a result of losing her greatest
benefactor, the United States.
Also, since Russia and her allies will be destroyed supernaturally by God and
not by Israel herself, this will give Antichrist an opportunity to take credit for the
victory and declare himself to be God in the rebuilt Jewish temple, which will
begin the last three and a half years of Daniel’s seventieth week.
In fact, Daniel 11:40-41 reveals that this Russian led invasion will cause
Antichrist to invade and occupy Israel since his treaty with Israel stipulates that he
will come to the aid of Israel in the event of an enemy attack.
Daniel 11:40 “At the end time the king of the South will collide with him,
and the king of the North will storm against him with chariots, with horsemen
and with many ships; and he will enter countries, overflow them and pass
through. 41 He will also enter the Beautiful Land, and many countries will
fall; but these will be rescued out of his hand: Edom, Moab and the foremost
of the sons of Ammon.” (NASB95)
Therefore, placing the Russian invasion of Israel during the midway point of
Daniel’s Seventieth Week, prior to Antichrist invading Israel and declaring himself
God in the rebuilt Jewish temple is a reasonable interpretation based on the
Biblical record.
The events of Ezekiel 38:1-39:24 coincide with second seal judgment recorded
in Revelation 6:3-4.
It is fascinating that Jewish commentaries on Ezekiel 38 and 39 describe an oral
tradition recorded from the Vilna Gaon that advises Jews to observe carefully
when the Russian fleet (Magog) passes from the Black Sea through the Bosporus
to the Mediterranean. The Russian navy today has massive amounts of ships now
in the Mediterranean Sea to challenge US supremacy.
The following is an outline of Ezekiel 38:1-39:24: (1) The identification of the
invading force (Ezekiel 38:1-6). (2) When the invasion will take place and who
will be attacked (Ezekiel 38:7-9). (3) The objective of the invasion (Ezekiel 38:10-
13). (4) The objective of God in permitting the invasion (Ezekiel 38:14-16). (5)
The destruction of the northern confederacy by God (Ezekiel 38:17-23). (6) The
place of the destruction (Ezekiel 39:1-6). (7) The sanctification of God’s Name
(Ezekiel 39:7-8). (8) The seven years of burning weapons and the seven months of
burying the dead (Ezekiel 39:9-16). (9) The Lord’s sacrificial banquet for the bird
and animal kingdom (Ezekiel 39:17-20). (10) The eight-fold result of the
destruction of the Russian led invasion of Israel (Ezekiel 39:21-24).
Ezekiel 38:1 And the word of the LORD came to me saying, 2 “Son of man,
set your face against Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech
and Tubal, and prophesy against him 3 and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD,
‘Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal.’”
(NASB95)
The statement “the word of the Lord came to me” indicates that Ezekiel 38:1-
39:24 is divine in origin and that Ezekiel was inspired to write this passage. The
expression “son of man” is a title for Ezekiel. “Set your face” is a phrase used by
Ezekiel to express God’s anger toward a nation and is used throughout Ezekiel’s
book as an expression of opposition (cf. 4:3; 6:2; 13:17). It was also part of the
Levitical language of warning against idolatry and disobedience and is used by
Jeremiah (Jer. 21:10). The Lord is announcing through the prophet Ezekiel His
opposition against Gog who is the leader of this Northern Confederacy that will
invade Israel during the Tribulation period. This is language the Lord used against
Israel (Ezek. 5:8), Tyre (26:3), Sidon (28:22), Pharaoh (29:3) and Edom (35:3).
The name “Gog” is the proper noun gogh (gw)G) (gogh), which is a title for a
ruler like Caesar or Pharaoh and means, “the man on top,” i.e. the dictator. The
name “Magog” is the proper noun maghogh (gw)gm*) (maw-gogue), which
means, “land of Gog.” Magog was the second son of Japheth according to Genesis
10:2.
His descendants inhabited exclusively the region of the Caucasus and of
northern Armenia. It is interesting that the name “Caucasus” means, “Gog’s fort.”
Josephus says that Magog “founded those that from him were named Magogites
but who by the Greeks were called Scythians.”
The Scythians themselves have a tradition that their ancestors originally came
forth from Armenia. This agrees with the Scriptures, which places the immediate
descendants of Noah in Armenia.
Historians agree that the Magogites were divided into two distinct races: (1)
Japhetic or European (2) Turanian or Asiatic.
The Japhetic race comprised those whom the Greeks and Romans called
Sarmatians, but who in modern times are called Slavs or Russians. It is interesting
to note Jewish commentaries identify Magog as Russia. Also, the Great Wall of
China in the Arabic language means, “the wall of Al Magog” because the Great
Wall was built to keep out the invading armies from Russia.
The descendants of “Magog” include: Russians, Ukrainians, Hungarians, Finns,
Siberians, Yugoslavians, Croatians, Bosnians, Serbians, Slovenians, Slovakians,
Bulgarians, Poles, and Czechs. Therefore, “Magog” signifies the nation and “Gog”
is the title of the ruler of that nation.
Ezekiel 38:2-3 states that Gog, from the land of Magog is the leader of Rosh,
Meshech and Tubal.
“Prince” is the noun nasi (ayc!n*) (naw-see), which means, “exalted one” and
denotes Gog is the leader of a particular nation.
“Rosh” is the proper noun ro’sh (var)) (roshe), which means, “first, head,
chief.”
The well-known nineteenth century Hebrew lexicographer Gesenius says,
“Rosh is the proper name of a northern nation…probably equated with the
Russians.” But this linguistic evidence is uncertain and presumptive. Therefore, we
cannot base our interpretation here that Gog is the prince of Russia. But the
geographical and contextual evidence is overwhelmingly in favor that the “Rosh”
was indeed located in Russia.
The geographic and contextual evidence clearly indicates that “Rosh” is Russia
since it is said to be located extreme north of Israel. Remember, Ezekiel 38:6, 15
and 39:2 clearly state that these invading armies are coming from the extreme
north of Israel.
If one takes any map of the world and draws a line north of the land of Israel he
will inevitably come to the nation Russia. As soon as the line is drawn to the far
north beyond Asia Minor and the Black Sea it is in Russia and continues to be in
Russia for many hundreds of miles all the way to the Arctic Circle. Russia today
spreads east and west some 6,000 miles, and one cannot escape Russia if he goes
north of the Holy Land.
On the basis of geography alone, it seems quite clear that the only nation which
could possibly be referred to as coming from the far north would be the nation
Russia. The suggestion that the nation is ancient Assyria revived is rendered
improbable by the geographic description.

The ethnic evidence links the prince of Rosh with Meshech and Tubal who like
Magog were sons of Japheth according to Genesis 10:2. This is repeated in 1
Chronicles 1:5.
These Japhethites (Meshech and Tubal) migrated from Asia and later from Asia
Minor to the north beyond the Black Sea, the Taurus Mountains and the Caspian
Sea.
The name “Meshech” is the proper noun meshekh (Ev#@m#) (meh-shek),
which means, “led along.”
The name “Tubal” is the proper noun tuval (lb^T|) (too-val), which means,
“you shall be led.”
The meanings of these two proper nouns coincide with the Lord’s intention to
put hooks into the jaws of Gog, the leader of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal.
The descendants of “Meshech” include Muscovites, Lithuanians, Romanians
whereas the descendants of “Tubal” include Georgians and Albanians.
Some expositors believe that “Meshech” refers to the city of Moscow and
“Tubal” to the city of Tobolsk but this is not the case since Ezekiel was speaking
of countries and not cities.
Ezekiel had historical places in mind when he refers to “Meshech” and
“Tubal.”
Meshech and Tubal are the Mushki and Tabali of the Assyrian monuments
(Ezek. 27:13), in the ninth century B.C. located northeast of Cilicia in Asia Minor.
By the time of Herodotus they had moved northward to the mountainous region of
the Black Sea.
Geographic evidence indicates that the only nation in the territory to the
extreme north of Israel and in fact extending to the Artic circle is Russia! Magog’s
land was located in what is called today, the Caucasus and the adjoining steppes.
These three, Rosh, Meshech and Tubal were called by the ancients, Scythians.
They roamed as nomads in the country around and north of the Black (located
directly north of Turkey and along the eastern border of Russia) and Caspian Seas
(located directly north or Tehran, Iran and along southern border of Russia) and
were known as wild barbarians.
Josephus (Ant. 1.6.1) and Jerome, identify the Magog of Ezek 38:2 Ezek
39:1,6, the land of which Gog was prince, with the land of the Scythians, who in
Ezekiel’s time inhabited the region between the Caspian and Black seas.
The Scythians of the time of Herodotus and Ezekiel are believed to have been a
Japhetic race. They were backward in civilization so that their name became
proverbial for wildness or barbarity much as the Greeks used the epithet
“barbarian” (cf. Col 3:11). Thus, Meshech and Tubal were located in area where
several Russian Republics are located, namely Chechnya, Stavropol, Krasnodar,
Dagestan, and Rostov as well as the country of Georgia located south of these
Russian Republics and the Ukraine.
Therefore, we can conclude that in Ezekiel 38:1-3, the name “Gog” is the title
of the ruler and “Magog” signifies the land, which is composed of three parts,
“Rosh, Meshech and Tubal,” all of which were located in an area that is now
known as Russia.
Russia was once the largest and the most prominent republic of the Union of
Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR, or Soviet Union). In 1991 the USSR broke apart
and Russia became an independent country. The Russian Federation became an
independent state in December 1991 as a result of the collapse of the USSR.
During the Communist era the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic
(RSFSR) was the largest of the USSR’s 15 republics. The present Russian
Federation occupies the same territory as the former RSFSR.
Russia today is divided into 89 administrative units: 21 republics, 6 territories
known as krays, 10 autonomous national areas called okrugs, 49 oblasts (regions),
1 autonomous region, and the cities of Moscow and Saint Petersburg, which have
federal status.
During much of the Soviet period, Russia contained 16 autonomous republics, 5
autonomous oblasts, and 10 autonomous okrugs. In late 1990 the term autonomous
was dropped from the names of the republics, and in July 1991 four of the five
autonomous oblasts became republics.
The Jewish Autonomous Oblast was the only autonomous oblast not elevated to
the rank of a republic. The USSR was a military superpower with a massive
nuclear arsenal and millions of troops; in the 1980s the armed forces had more than
5 million members.
Immediately after the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, the armed forces came
under the military command of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), an
organization comprising most of the former Soviet republics.
In May 1992 Russia created its own military structure in response to the
formation of separate armies by several CIS states, notably Ukraine. The CIS
military command continued to function for another year, although its power was
greatly reduced. It was finally abolished in June 1993 and most of its functions
were transferred to the Russian military command.
Under the new Russian military structure, an executive body known as the
Security Council formulates defense policy. The Russian president appoints and
dismisses members of the council and dominates its proceedings.
In 1999 Russia had 1 million troops in the army, navy, air force, air defense
force, and strategic rocket force (which controls the country’s nuclear weapons).
Paramilitary forces, including border troops, numbered an additional 220,000.
However, Russia’s conventional forces were generally unprepared for combat.
The disastrous performance of the army during the 1995 and 1996 campaign in
Chechnya revealed immense deficiencies in command, logistics, training, and
morale. Since the collapse of the USSR all nuclear weapons of the former Soviet
forces have been concentrated in Russia.
Some have been destroyed, but most remain intact. Western governments have
expressed concern over the safety of these weapons and the sale of weapons to
unfriendly nations or terrorist movements. In both total area and geographic extent
Russia is the largest country in the world.
With an area of 17,075,200 sq km (6,592,800 sq mi), Russia constitutes more
than one-ninth of the world’s land area and nearly twice the area of the United
States or China. From north to south Russia extends more than 4,000 km (2,400
mi) from Arctic islands in the Barents Sea to the southern border along the
Caucasus Mountains.
From the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea to Big Diomede Island (Ratmanov
Island) in the Bering Strait, Russia’s maximum east-west extent is almost 10,000
km (6,200 mi), a distance encompassing 11 time zones and spanning nearly half
the circumference of the Earth.
Russia stretches across parts of two continents, Europe and Asia, with the Ural
Mountains and Ural River marking the boundary between them.
During most of the Soviet era religious expression was strictly discouraged and
the Communist Party controlled religious institutions. In the late 1980s, however,
the government began to ease its restrictions on religion, and a 1990 law granted
Russians far more religious freedom.
Since the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, religious following has increased
and there has been a resurgence of traditional religions, particularly Orthodox
Christianity. The ancestors of today’s Russians adopted Orthodox Christianity in
the 10th century. It is now the country’s primary religion. About one-fourth of the
population belongs to the Russian Orthodox Church, and members are dispersed
throughout the country. However, the vast majority of Orthodox believers do not
attend church on a regular basis. Muslims form the second largest religious group
in Russia.
There are also relatively small populations of Jews, Protestants, Catholics, and
Buddhists. Jews and Christians are dispersed throughout the country. Buddhists
live chiefly in the republics of Buryatia and Tuva on the Russian border with
Mongolia and in Kalmykia on the northwest shore of the Caspian Sea.
Despite the reemergence of traditional religions, most Russians do not adhere
strictly to a single belief. Instead, they combine traditional faiths with other
alternative beliefs. Witchcraft, astrology and New Age philosophies are popular,
especially among young people.

The growing popularity of foreign religions prompted concern among Russian
lawmakers. In 1997 the government revised the 1990 religious freedom law to
categorize religions into those that were part of Russia's historical development and
those that were not. Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Judaism were identified as
Russia's only traditional religions. The law limits the activities of organizations
that represent any other religious faith. These organizations must register annually
with the government for a period of 15 years before they attain the higher status.
During this time they cannot publish, distribute, or teach religious material,
although they can engage in charitable activities.
Ezekiel 38:4 “I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will
bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them splendidly
attired, a great company with buckler and shield, all of them wielding
swords.” (NASB95)
The imagery of “hooks in your jaw” is a graphic one that had a literal reality in
the way captives were treated as they were taken away to the land of their captors
(Ezek. 19:4, Jehoiahaz to Egypt and Ezek. 19:9, Jehoiachin to Babylon).
The hook was an instrument of domination or subjugation and is used to
parallel the placing of a bit in a horse’s mouth to insure control of the animal. This
word is not only used in this manner here in Ezekiel 38:4 of Gog but also of
Ezekiel’s prophecy against Egypt in Ezekiel 29:4 where the Lord speaks of putting
hooks in the jaws of the great crocodile, which symbolizes Pharaoh.
Isaiah prophesied that Assyria would be led away with hooks in their noses (2
K. 19:28). So Gog, the leader of Russia is described here as a wild animal that is
out of control. Consequently, the Lord will turn him around and put hooks into his
jaws to bring him to his ultimate destruction on the mountains of Israel.
Ezekiel 38:5 “Persia, Ethiopia and Put with them, all of them with shield
and helmet; 6 Gomer with all its troops; Beth-togarmah from the remote
parts of the north with all its troops -- many peoples with you.” (NASB95)
“Persia” is the proper noun paras (sr^P*) (paw-ras), which means, “splendid,
pure” and was located in what is now known as Iran.
“Ethiopia” is the proper noun kush (vWK) (koosh), which means, “black” and
was located in what is now known as modern Ethiopia and Sudan.
“Put” is the proper noun put (fWP) (poot), which means, “a bow” and was
located in what is now known as modern Libya.
“Gomer” is the proper noun gomer (rm#G)) (go-mer), which means,
“completion” and was located in what is now known as modern Ukraine and
Georgia, which are south of Russia.

“Togarmah” is the proper noun togharmah (hm*&&r+g^T)) (to-gar-maw),
which means, “you will break her” and was located in what is now known as
Turkey.
The expression “many peoples with you” indicates that other groups of people
that are related to the one’s mentioned will also take part in this invasion since the
term àm (<u^) (am) is used of people in terms of their being kinsmen, relatives
or members of a tribe. Therefore, this identification of the invading force is not
exhaustive.
Therefore, Ezekiel 38:1-6 reveals that Russia, (Rosh, Meshech and Tubal from
the land of Magog), Georgia, and Ukraine (Gomer) and Turkey (Togarmah) will
invade Israel from the north, Iran will come from the east, Ethiopia and Sudan
from the south while Libya (Put) from the west, thus Israel will be surrounded.
Ezekiel 38:7-9 identifies when the invasion will take place and who will be
attacked.
Ezekiel 38:7 “Be prepared, and prepare yourself, you and all your
companies that are assembled about you, and be a guard for them. 8 After
many days you will be summoned; in the latter years you will come into the
land that is restored from the sword, whose inhabitants have been gathered
from many nations to the mountains of Israel which had been a continual
waste; but its people were brought out from the nations, and they are living
securely, all of them. 9 You will go up, you will come like a storm; you will be
like a cloud covering the land, you and all your troops, and many peoples with
you.” (NASB95)
The statement “After many days you will be summoned; in the latter years
you will come into the land that is restored from the sword, whose inhabitants
have been gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel which had
been a continual waste” refers to the first half of Daniel’s seventieth week after
Israel has made a treaty with the Antichrist, the leader of the ten nation European
Confederacy also called by students of prophecy, the Revived Roman Empire.
Prior to 1948, the land of Israel was a continual waste but has since been
restored by the nation of Israel, the land is prospering. Today, the nation of Israel is
composed of Jews who have been scattered around the world for centuries or
whose grandparents or parents were.
Ezekiel says that Israel will be dwelling securely and that is because of the
peace treaty with Antichrist.
In Ezekiel 38:9, the statement “You will go up, you will come like a storm;
you will be like a cloud covering the land, you and all your troops, and many
peoples with you” indicates how massive this invading force is.

In Ezekiel 38:10-13, we have the objective of this invading force presented to
us.
Ezekiel 38:10 “Thus says the Lord GOD, ‘It will come about on that day,
that thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil plan, 11
and you will say, ‘I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will go
against those who are at rest, that live securely, all of them living without
walls and having no bars or gates, 12 to capture spoil and to seize plunder, to
turn your hand against the waste places which are now inhabited, and against
the people who are gathered from the nations, who have acquired cattle and
goods, who live at the center of the world.’ 13 Sheba and Dedan and the
merchants of Tarshish with all its villages will say to you, ‘Have you come to
capture spoil? Have you assembled your company to seize plunder, to carry
away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to capture great spoil?’”
(NASB95)
The scene described here in Ezekiel 38:11 is a modern one for it would be
unheard of in Ezekiel’s day to not have walls protecting a city or village. Ezekiel
had never seen a village without walls. Yet, in our day, Israel is a land of unwalled
villages for the simple reason that modern techniques of warfare (bombs and
missiles) make city walls irrelevant and obsolete for defense.
Notice that Israel will be living securely and this is because of her covenant that
she made with the Antichrist who is also known in Scripture as the Beast (first in
Revelation 13) and the King of the West in Daniel 11:40.
“Securely” is the noun betach (jf^B#) (beh-takh), which expresses that sense
of well-being and security, which results from having something or someone in
whom to place confidence. This confidence that Israel has is not in the Lord but in
Antichrist whom they have made a treaty with that will ensure them peace from the
neighbors and protection from the armies of the Revived Roman Empire.
There are comparative passage, which also speak of Israel being regathered to
the land and living securely, which again refers to the first 3 ½ years of the
Tribulation period.
Jeremiah 23:7 “Therefore behold, the days are coming, declares the
LORD, when they will no longer say, as the LORD lives, who brought up the
sons of Israel from the land of Egypt, 8 but as the LORD lives, who brought
up and led back the descendants of the household of Israel from the north
land and from all the countries where I had driven them. Then they will live
on their own soil.” (NASB95)
Jeremiah 49:31 “Arise, go up against a nation which is at ease, which lives
securely, declares the LORD. ‘It has no gates or bars; They dwell alone.’”
(NASB95)

Ezekiel 28:25 “Thus says the Lord GOD, ‘When I gather the house of
Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and will manifest My
holiness in them in the sight of the nations, then they will live in their land
which I gave to My servant Jacob. 26 They will live in it securely; and they
will build houses, plant vineyards and live securely when I execute judgments
upon all who scorn them round about them. Then they will know that I am
the LORD their God.’” (NASB95)
The fact that Israel is living securely at this time of the Tribulation period
indicates that the attack from Russia will be sometime toward the end of the first
three and a half years of Daniel’s seventieth week while Israel is under the treaty
with Antichrist who promises protect to her.
Ezekiel 38:11-12 reveals the motivation of this Great Northern Confederacy
headed by Russia. They covet Israel’s great wealth and strategic position in the
world since they are at the center of the earth. Israel sits on enormous mineral
wealth in the Dead Sea area and has strategic access to the Mediterranean Sea,
Suez Canal, and Indian Ocean.
The first hook that the Lord will use to bring Russia to her destruction on the
mountains of Israel is that Russia does not possess a warm weather port and needs
one to have entrance into the waterways of the world. Israel has this and Russia
covets this.
Furthermore, Russia wants oil. The oil in the Middle East is essential for the
survival of modern nations and modern militaries. Despite the strained relations
between the Arabs and Israel, there is still a great deal of oil going through Israel
today. Therefore, one of the hooks that the Lord will use to bring Russia to invade
Israel to destroy her is oil.
The third hook is the Dead Sea mineral deposits that are so great that they
cannot be evaluated in today’s market. It is estimated that the Dead Sea contains
approximately 2 billion tons of potassium chloride, which is potash that is needed
to sweeten and enrich the soil that is readily depleted around the world. The Dead
Sea also contains approximately 2 billion tons of magnesium chloride, 12 billion
tons of sodium chloride and 6 billion tons of calcium chloride.
In addition, the Dead Sea contains cerium, cobalt, manganese and even gold!
Isn’t it interesting that when the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, the cities of
the plain, which is now the Dead Sea, He was baiting a hook for Russia?
Sodom and Gomorrah, the cities of the plain are considered by many Biblical
archeologists to be under the Dead Sea.
Ezekiel 38:13 “Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish with all its
villages will say to you, ‘Have you come to capture spoil? Have you assembled
your company to seize plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away
cattle and goods, to capture great spoil?’” (NASB95)
“Sheba” is the proper noun sheva’, which means, “seven” or “oath” and
“Dedan” is the proper noun dedhan, which means, “low country.”
The names “Sheba” and “Dedan” appear in the Table of Nations in Genesis 10,
both were children of Raamah whose grandfather was Cush who was a son of
Ham, one of Noah’s three sons according to Genesis 10:7.
“Sheba” was in southwest Arabia in what is now part of Yemen and was once
famed as the Land of Spices whose land was extremely fertile, being watered by
ingenious irrigation systems that were controlled by a vast dam that once spanned
the river Adhanat.
“Dedan” was also located in Arabia near Edom according to Isaiah 21:13,
Jeremiah 25:23, 49:8 and Ezekiel 25:13 and was associated with “Sheba” since
they were trade partners with Tyre (Ezek. 27:15, 20; 38:13).
“Tarshish” is the proper noun tarshish (vyv!!r+T^) (tar-sheesh), which
means, “yellow jasper.”
The name “Tarshish” appears in Genesis 10:4 and was a son of Javan who was
one of the sons of Japheth, who himself was one of the three sons of Noah
according to Genesis 10:1-5.
“Tarshish” appears frequently in the Old Testament representing a Phoenician
copper-smelting center either in “Sardinia” or in “Tartessus” in southern Spain
near Gibraltar.
“Villages” is the noun kephir (ryp!K+) (kef-eer), which is a Hebrew idiom
referring to nations that have come out of Tarshish.
Therefore, Ezekiel 38:13 indicates that the value of the spoil signifies that
Gog’s invasion of Israel will have enormous economic repercussions that
commercial nations such as Arab peoples and maritime trading peoples will be
excited over the economic prospects for their nations as a result of this invasion.
In Ezekiel 38:14-16, the objective of God permitting this invasion to take place
presented to us is that He would be sanctified in the eyes of the nations.
Ezekiel 38:14 “Therefore prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog, ‘Thus says
the Lord GOD, ‘On that day when My people Israel are living securely, will
you not know it? 15 You will come from your place out of the remote parts of
the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a
great assembly and a mighty army 16 and you will come up against My people
Israel like a cloud to cover the land. It shall come about in the last days that I
will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me when I am
sanctified through you before their eyes, O Gog.’” (NASB95)
In Ezekiel 38:17-23, Ezekiel predicts the destruction of the invading force led
by Russia.

Ezekiel 38:17 “Thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Are you the one of whom I spoke
in former days through My servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in
those days for many years that I would bring you against them? 18 It will
come about on that day, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,’ declares
the Lord GOD, ‘that My fury will mount up in My anger. 19 In My zeal and
in My blazing wrath I declare that on that day there will surely be a great
earthquake in the land of Israel. 20 The fish of the sea, the birds of the
heavens, the beasts of the field, all the creeping things that creep on the earth,
and all the men who are on the face of the earth will shake at My presence;
the mountains also will be thrown down, the steep pathways will collapse and
every wall will fall to the ground. 21 I will call for a sword against him on all
My mountains,’ declares the Lord GOD. ‘Every man's sword will be against
his brother. 22 With pestilence and with blood I will enter into judgment with
him; and I will rain on him and on his troops, and on the many peoples who
are with him, a torrential rain, with hailstones, fire and brimstone. 23 I will
magnify Myself, sanctify Myself, and make Myself known in the sight of many
nations; and they will know that I am the LORD.’” (NASB95)
There are three great judgments against Gog and his armies: (1) Great
earthquake (Ezek. 38:19-20) (2) Friendly fire (Ezek. 38:21). (3) Convulsions of
nature (Ezek. 38:22).
Notice, that there will be no armies defeating and destroying Russia and her
allies on the battlefield. Gog will reap what he sows.
This passage refers the fact that other prophets of Israel prophesied of Gog’s
doom as well.
Jeremiah 1:13 “The word of the LORD came to me a second time saying,
‘What do you see?’ And I said, ‘I see a boiling pot, facing away from the
north.’ 14 Then the LORD said to me, ‘Out of the north the evil will break
forth on all the inhabitants of the land.’” (NASB95)
Jeremiah 4:6 “Lift up a standard toward Zion! Seek refuge, do not stand
still, for I am bringing evil from the north, and great destruction.” (NASB95)
Jeremiah 6:22 “Thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, a people is coming from the
north land, and a great nation will be aroused from the remote parts of the
earth.’” (NASB95)
Jeremiah 10:22 “The sound of a report! Behold, it comes -- a great
commotion out of the land of the north -- to make the cities of Judah a
desolation, a haunt of jackals.” (NASB95)
Jeremiah 46:20 “Egypt is a pretty heifer, but a horsefly is coming from the
north -- it is coming! 21 Also her mercenaries in her midst are like fattened
calves, for even they too have turned back and have fled away together; They
did not stand their ground. For the day of their calamity has come upon them,
the time of their punishment. 22 Its sound moves along like a serpent; For
they move on like an army and come to her as woodcutters with axes. 23 They
have cut down her forest, declares the LORD; ‘Surely it will no more be
found, Even though they are now more numerous than locusts and are
without number. 24 The daughter of Egypt has been put to shame, given over
to the power of the people of the north.’” (NASB95)
This earthquake in Ezekiel 38:19 is also mentioned in other Old Testament
passages.
Haggai 2:6 “For thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Once more in a little while,
I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land.’”
(NASB95)
Joel 3:16 The LORD roars from Zion and utters His voice from Jerusalem,
and the heavens and the earth tremble. But the LORD is a refuge for His
people and a stronghold to the sons of Israel. (NASB95)
Ezekiel 38:23 reveals that this attack against Israel by confederation of nations
led by Russia during the Tribulation will be another means of God’s displaying to
the nations His holy and righteous character and sovereign power over human
history. This is referred to several times in the book of Ezekiel.
Ezekiel 20:41 “As a soothing aroma I will accept you when I bring you out
from the peoples and gather you from the lands where you are scattered; and
I will prove Myself holy among you in the sight of the nations.” (NASB95)
Ezekiel 28:25 “Thus says the Lord GOD, ‘When I gather the house of
Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and will manifest My
holiness in them in the sight of the nations, then they will live in their land
which I gave to My servant Jacob.’” (NASB95)
Ezekiel 36:23 “I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has
been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst.
Then the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Lord GOD,
‘when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight.’” (NASB95)
Ezekiel 38:23 “I will magnify Myself, sanctify Myself, and make Myself
known in the sight of many nations; and they will know that I am the LORD.”
(NASB95)
Ezekiel 39:27 “When I bring them back from the peoples and gather them
from the lands of their enemies, then I shall be sanctified through them in the
sight of the many nations.” (NASB95)
Ezekiel 39:1-6 records the place in which this massive invasion led by Russia
will be destroyed by God. Chapter 39 is not another invasion by Gog but is
inextricably connected with chapter 38. It is an amplification and to some extent, a
repetition for emphasis, stressing the importance in biblical prophecy of the attack
by the Northern Confederacy during the middle of Daniel’s seventieth week.
Chapter 39 also describes the results of the destruction of the Northern
Confederacy. Ezekiel 38 deals with the composition, motives and defeat of Gog’s
armies by God’s intervention.
Ezekiel 39:1-8 also describes Gog’s fall, but the subsequent verses present the
aftermath of this failed invasion. Like Ezekiel 38, Ezekiel 39 begins with the
opening formulas commonly found in Ezekiel.
Ezekiel 39:1 “And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog and say, ‘Thus
says the Lord GOD, Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh,
Meshech and Tubal; 2 and I will turn you around, and I will drive you
forward, and I will cause you to depart from the remotest parts of the north
and I will cause you to be brought against the mountains of Israel. 3 I will
cause your bow to struck from your left hand and I will cause your arrows to
fall from your right hand. 4 You will fall on the mountains of Israel, you and
all your troops and the peoples who are with you; I will give you as food to
every kind of predatory bird and beast of the field. 5 You will fall on the open
field; for it is I who have spoken,’ declares the Lord GOD.'” (Author’s
translation)
This imagery of foreign armies being given as food to the birds and beasts of
the field also appears in other passages of Scripture: (1) Pharaoh’s Egypt (Ezek.
29:1-6); Antichrist and the Tribulation armies (Rev. 19:17-21).
Ezekiel 39:6 “And I will send fire upon Magog and those who inhabit the
coastlands in safety; and they will know that I am the LORD.” (NASB95)
Ezekiel stating here that the Lord will send fire upon the nation of Russia,
which implies destruction and military devastation (Ezek. 30:8; 14, 16; cf. Hosea
8:14; Amos 1:7, 10, 14; 2:2, 5). The Lord Himself will herself destroy Russia who
along with her allies invaded Israel.
“The coastlands” refers to the lands and islands in the Mediterranean Sea area
and is used often by Ezekiel (26:15, 18; 27:3, 6-7, 15, 35).
Ezekiel 39:7-8 reveals that God’s purpose for permitting Russia and her allies
to attack Israel during the Tribulation was to reveal His holiness to not only Israel
but the entire world!
Ezekiel 39:7 “My holy name I will make known in the midst of My people
Israel; and I will not let My holy name be profaned anymore. And the nations
will know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel. 8 Behold, it is coming
and it shall be done, declares the Lord GOD. ‘That is the day of which I have
spoken.’” (NASB95)
This destruction of the Russia led Northern confederacy during the midway
point of the Tribulation will have the same affect on the world that the destruction
of Pharaoh’s Egyptian army in the days of Moses and the Exodus generation. The

Lord is very much concerned about His reputation and holiness and this
destruction of the Russian led invasion will vindicate His holy Person.
God’s purpose for permitting Russia and her allies to attack Israel during the
Tribulation was to reveal His holiness to not only Israel but all the world! This
annihilation of the Russian led invasion will serve notice to the nations that the
Lord will no longer tolerate His Holy Person to be profaned.
The holiness of God is the aggregate of perfect divine attributes that form the
nature of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Thus, God’s
holiness is related to all of His divine attributes.
The holiness of God is simply the harmony of all His perfections or attributes.
In fact, grace is simply the function of the holiness of God (sum total of His divine
attributes) toward undeserving mankind. Holiness is used often to describe the
Person of God.
Leviticus 22:2 “Tell Aaron and his sons to be careful with the holy gifts of
the sons of Israel, which they dedicate to Me, so as not to profane My holy
name; I am the LORD.” (NASB95)
1 Chronicles 16:10 “Glory in His holy name; Let the heart of those who
seek the LORD be glad.” (NASB95)
Psalm 30:4 “Sing praise to the LORD, you His godly ones, and give thanks
to His holy name.” (NASB95)
Psalm 97:12 “Be glad in the LORD, you righteous ones, and give thanks to
His holy name.” (NASB95)
This absolute perfection of God’s character is celebrated throughout the
Scriptures.
Isaiah 6:3 And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the
LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.” (NASB95)
Revelation 4:8 And the four living creatures, each one of them having six
wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease
to say, “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY IS THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY,
WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME.” (NASB95)
The holiness or perfect character of God is the perfection of the glory of God
and every Person of the Trinity. It is the rule of all His actions and relationships
with both men and angels.
The Lord Jesus Christ revealed the holiness or character of God during His first
Advent.
John 1:18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is
in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him. (NASB95)
The term holiness has become an obscure term. Webster’s New Universal
Unabridged Dictionary defines holiness, “the quality or state of being holy;
sanctity.” They define sanctity, “sacred or hallowed character.”
One of the definitions that Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary
gives for the adjective holy is, “entitled to worship or profound religious reverence
because of divine character or origin or connection with God or divinity.”
Therefore, holiness pertains to the absolute perfection of the divine character.
The perfect character or holiness of God is the excellence of the divine nature.
It is the very antithesis to sin, evil, moral blemish or defilement. The Word of God
devotes many passages to the holiness or righteousness of God since it is the
excellency of His divine nature and because it was attacked by Satan in eternity
past and continues to be attacked throughout human history, which is the appeal
trial of Satan.
The Lord’s holiness manifested by His abhorrence of the evil perpetrated by
Russia and her allies against Israel will cause Him to destroy their armies. The fact
that God is concerned about His holiness not being profaned among the nations is
mentioned in Ezekiel 36.
Ezekiel 39:9-10 records that the weapons of the invading force will be burned
for fuel for seven years.
Ezekiel 39:9 “Then those who inhabit the cities of Israel will go out and
make fires with the weapons and burn them, both shields and bucklers, bows
and arrows, war clubs and spears, and for seven years they will make fires of
them. 10 They will not take wood from the field or gather firewood from the
forests, for they will make fires with the weapons; and they will take the spoil
of those who despoiled them and seize the plunder of those who plundered
them, declares the Lord GOD.” (NASB95)
Notice that the prophet Ezekiel states that citizens of the nation of Israel in the
aftermath of the destruction of the Northern Confederacy will be using the Russian
weapons as firewood. It is interesting that some Russian produced weapons are
manufactured with lignostone, a compressed wood product, which was developed
in Holland to be used as fuel. However, the Russian weapon scientists found that
this unique product was as strong as steel, light, pliable and invisible to radar.
These characteristics encouraged Russian military strategists to use this product in
many military vehicles and weapons.
One of its characteristics is that it burns at very high temperatures and could be
readily used as an alternative fuel. The following is quote from Grant Jeffery’s
book entitled “Armageddon” (page 105), which I think you will find interesting
and illuminating regarding Russia’s intentions toward Israel: “In June of 1982,
Israel responded to a PLO artillery bombardment of the villages of northern
Galilee from a terrorist base in southern Lebanon. When the Israeli army entered
Lebanon to destroy the PLO bases, they expected to uncover substantial arms
depots. However, they were astonished at the staggering number of weapons,
which Russia had stockpiled in tunnels carved out of rock by an amazing tunneling
machine developed in the USSR. Reports from Lebanon stated that there were
tanks, anti-tank missiles, and thousands of shells. Huge underground supply dumps
contained hundreds of thousands of uniforms, AK-47 assault rifles and millions of
rounds of ammunition. These figures are so incredible that I would not have been
able to report them without verification. An Israeli colonel (Reserve) Yehuda Levi,
who was the Israeli Defense Forces media spokesman during the events in
Lebanon, was in a position to know firsthand about these captured Russian
supplies. In a conversation I had with him in Vancouver, B.C. after those events, I
asked him if the reports were correct. While of course, he would not give
additional details, he agreed that the reports were substantially correct.”
Jeffery goes on to state on page 106, “The implications of these Soviet weapons
in Lebanon are significant regarding the possible timing of this attack. The stored
Russian military food rations had a shelf life of only 6 months, which indicates that
the massive attack of Israel was planned for the fall of 1982! Israel’s “incursion”
obviously set back the planned invasion somewhat, but it is clear that the political-
military decision to attack Israel and risk a major war with the West has already
been taken. In the years since 1982, Russia has had ample time to restore the
weapons “lost” to Israel.”
Ezekiel 39:11-16 records that Israel will be burying the dead from the invading
force for seven months.
Ezekiel 39:11 “On that day I will give Gog a burial ground there in Israel,
the valley of those who pass by east of the sea, and it will block off those who
would pass by. So they will bury Gog there with all his horde, and they will
call it the valley of Hamon-gog. 12 For seven months the house of Israel will
be burying them in order to cleanse the land. 13 Even all the people of the
land will bury them; and it will be to their renown on the day that I glorify
Myself," declares the Lord GOD. 14 They will set apart men who will
constantly pass through the land, burying those who were passing through,
even those left on the surface of the ground, in order to cleanse it. At the end
of seven months they will make a search. 15 As those who pass through the
land pass through and anyone sees a man's bone, then he will set up a marker
by it until the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamon-gog. 16 And even
the name of the city will be Hamonah. So they will cleanse the land.”
(NASB95)
“The valley of those who pass by” is composed of the noun gay plus the
definite article ha and the Qal active participle form of the verb avar. The articular
expression ha avar could be, “the Travelers,” or “the valley of Abarim.” The latter
is in view here referring to the mountains of Abarim, which are located east of the
Dead Sea that Israel traveled on her way to the land of Canaan (Nm. 33:48).

The burial of the armies of Magog along with her allies will be in the Valley of
Abarim just across the Dead Sea from Israel proper in the land of Moab. The
valley where the dead will be buried will be on the east side of the Dead Sea,
which today is Jordan.
The phrase “the valley of Hamon-gog” literally means, “the valley of the
multitude of Gog.”
In Ezekiel 39:17-20, we have the Lord inviting the bird and animal kingdom to
a banquet.
Ezekiel 39:17 “As for you, son of man, thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Speak to
every kind of bird and to every beast of the field, ‘assemble and come, gather
from every side to My sacrifice which I am going to sacrifice for you, as a
great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel, that you may eat flesh and drink
blood. 18 You will eat the flesh of mighty men and drink the blood of the
princes of the earth, as though they were rams, lambs, goats and bulls, all of
them fatlings of Bashan. 19 So you will eat fat until you are glutted, and drink
blood until you are drunk, from My sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.
20 You will be glutted at My table with horses and charioteers, with mighty
men and all the men of war,’ declares the Lord GOD.” (NASB95)
This imagery of foreign armies being given as food to the birds and beasts of
the field appears in other passages of Scripture: (1) Pharaoh’s Egypt (Ezek. 29:1-
6); Antichrist and the Tribulation armies (Rev. 19:17-21).
Ezekiel 39:21-24 reveals that eight things will result from the Lord destroying
this Russian invasion of Israel.
Ezekiel 39:21 “And I will set My glory among the nations; and all the
nations will see My judgment which I have executed and My hand which I
have laid on them. 22 And the house of Israel will know that I am the LORD
their God from that day onward. 23 The nations will know that the house of
Israel went into exile for their iniquity because they acted treacherously
against Me, and I hid My face from them; so I gave them into the hand of
their adversaries, and all of them fell by the sword. 24 According to their
uncleanness and according to their transgressions I dealt with them, and I hid
My face from them.” (NASB95)
Ezekiel 39:21-24 reveals at least eight things that will result from the Lord’s
great defeat over the Russian led Northern Confederacy: (1) It will vindicate God’s
holiness and magnify Him among the nations by judging Gog’s willful pride. (2) It
will glorify the Lord in the nation of Israel. (3) It will clarify as to why the Lord
sent the nation of Israel out on the fifth cycle of discipline, which expelled them
from the land for centuries and dispersed them throughout the nations of the world.
Israel failed and not the Lord. (4) It will bring glory to His Holy Person. (5) It will
be a magnificent display of the Lord’s concern for His reputation among the
nations. (6) It will result in the regeneration of Israel. (7) It will result in their
trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ for security and deliverance. (8) It will result in
the Lord being set apart as sovereign over the nations through His restoration of
the nation of Israel.
Daniel 9:27; 2 Thessalonians-The Antichrist Breaks His Treaty With Israel In The
Middle of Daniel’s Seventieth Week
Daniel 9:27 reveals that the Antichrist will break his treaty with Israel in the
middle of the seventieth week.
who makes desolate.”
refers to Antichrist making a seven year covenant with Israel, which actually
begins Daniel’s seventieth week (See 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4).
Once Satan is thrown down permanently on the earth, he will inspire the leader
of Russia and her allies to invade Israel during the midway point of Daniel’s
Seventieth Week according to Ezekiel 38-39.
Ezekiel chapters thirty eight and thirty nine reveals that the Lord Himself will
destroy this invasion by Russia who will be accompanied by Georgia, Ukraine,
Turkey, Iran, Ethiopia, Sudan and Libya. The next major event will be Antichrist
breaking his treaty with the Israel.
the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem in the middle of Daniel’s seventieth week.
The Russian led invasion of Israel will cause the Antichrist to break his treaty
with Israel and occupy Israel according to Daniel 11:41.
In His Olivet Discourse, the Lord Jesus Christ referred to this event, warning
the inhabitants of Israel at the time to flee to the mountains.
Matthew 24:15 “Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF
DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in
the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then those who are in Judea
must flee to the mountains.” (NASB95)
The apostle Paul makes a reference to Antichrist’s breaking of the treaty with
Israel and also reveals that Antichrist will demand the worship that belongs to only
God Himself.
2 Thessalonians 2:1 Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, 2 that
you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a
spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the
Lord has come. 3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come
unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son
of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or
object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying
himself as being God. 5 Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I
was telling you these things? 6 And you know what restrains him now, so that
in his time he will be revealed. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at
work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. 8
Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the
breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; 9
that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all
power and signs and false wonders, 10 and with all the deception of
wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the
truth so as to be saved. 11 For this reason God will send upon them a deluding
influence so that they will believe what is false, 12 in order that they all may
be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. 13
But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the
Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through
sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. (NASB95)
Daniel 9:27, 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, Revelation 13:7, 11-18-The World-Wide

Worship and Rulership of Antichrist
After the Antichrist breaks his treaty with Israel and the destruction of the
Russian led invasion of Israel by the Lord, the false prophet will cause the entire
world to worship the image of Antichrist (Dan. 9:27; Mt. 24:15; 2 Th. 2:4; Rev.
13:14-15). This will be connected to his world-wide rulership.
prophecy and to anoint the most holy place. 25 So you are to know and
discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem
until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will
be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. 26 Then after
the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the
people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary.
And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war;
desolations are determined. 27 And he will make a firm covenant with the
many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice
and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes
desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out
on the one who makes desolate.” (NASB95)
The statement in Daniel 9:27, “on the wing of abominations will come one
who makes desolate” means that the Antichrist will proclaim himself as God and
seat himself on the mercy seat between the wings of the two cherubim on either the
recovered Ark of the Covenant or one built by himself, which will be located in the
Holy of Holies in the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem.
In Matthew 24:15, the Lord Jesus Christ specifically referred to this event. In 2
Thessalonians 2:3-4, Paul teaches that at that time, Antichrist will declare himself
to be the object of the world’s worship and display himself as being God in the
rebuilt Jewish temple.
Paul’s statement that the Antichrist “opposes and exalts himself above every
so-called god or object of worship” means that he ranks himself superior to all
the supreme beings worshiped by the various religions of the world, which will be
a fulfillment of Daniel 11:36.
Paul’s statement in 2 Thessalonians 2:4 that Antichrist will “take his seat in
the temple of God, displaying himself as God” is a reference to the statement in
Daniel 9:27, “on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate.”
Revelation 13:14-15 also mentions Antichrist exalting himself as God and
receiving the worship of the world as such.
Revelation 13:1 And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I
saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and
on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names.
(NASB95)
The “dragon” refers to Satan according to Revelation 12:9. In Revelation 13:1-
4, the “beast” refers to the Revived Form of the Revived Roman Empire under
Antichrist since it is compared to previous Gentile world powers in Revelation
13:3 and it has “ten horns,” which signifies the Revived Roman Empire in Daniel
7:7, 20, 24, Revelation 17:3, 7, 12 and 16.
Now, when approaching Revelation 13, we must understand that the ancient
Orientals regarded kings and kingdoms synonymously. Therefore, the “beast” in
Revelation 13 will refer at times to the Revived Roman Empire and at times to the
Antichrist who is the leader of it with the context determining which one is view.
The “sea” refers to the Gentile nations according to Revelation 17:15 indicating
that this beast is a Gentile kingdom and the “ten horns” refers to the ten nation
European Confederacy according to Daniel 7:7, which is the revived form of the
Roman Empire. This beast represents the Revived Form of the Roman Empire
because it corresponds to both the feet of iron and clay in the image that appeared
in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2:40-43. It also corresponds to the ten horns
in Daniel’s vision recorded in Daniel 7:7, both of which as we noted represented
the Roman Empire
The “seven heads” refers to six great Gentile nations throughout history and the
one to come in the future: (1) Egypt (2) Assyria (3) Babylon (4) Medo-Persia (5)
Greece (6) Rome (7) Revived Roman Empire of the Tribulation.
The “ten diadems” signifies that there will be ten independent nations in this
European Confederacy, led by Antichrist, each with a ruler of its own and the
“blasphemous names” represents the anti-Christ character of this confederacy.
Revelation 13:2 And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet
were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the
dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. (NASB95)
The statement that the beast was like a “leopard” is a reference to Daniel’s
prophecy about Greece in Daniel 7:6 and refers to the fact that like the Grecian
Empire under Alexander the Great and his generals, the Revived Roman Empire
under Antichrist will sum up the brilliancy and speed of Greece.
The statement that the beast’s feet were like those of a “bear” is a reference to
Daniel’s prophecy about the Medo-Persian Empire in Daniel 7:5 and refers to the
fact that like the Medo-Persian Empire, the Revived Roman Empire under
Antichrist will sum up the massive power of Medo-Persia.
The statement that the beast’s mouth was like the mouth of a “lion” is a
reference to Daniel’s prophecy about the Babylonian Empire in Daniel 7:4 and
refers to the fact that like the Babylonian Empire, the Revived Roman Empire
under Antichrist will sum up the absolute autocratic dominion of Babylon.
Revelation 13:3 I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal
wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the
beast. (NASB95)
This statement refers to the restoration of the Roman Empire and not the
Antichrist since John is speaking in the context of the ten horns that represent the
Revived Roman Empire.
Revelation 13:4 They worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority
to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and
who is able to wage war with him?” (NASB95)
Revelation 13:5-9 refers to the Antichrist since the passage emphasizes a
personality who speaks arrogant words and receives the worship of men.
Revelation 13:5 There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words
and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him.
(NASB95)
The “forty-two months” refers to the last three and a half years of Daniel’s
Seventieth Week and corresponds with the “for a time (one year), times (two
years), and a half time (six months)” in Daniel 7:25 and the “one thousand two
hundred and sixty days” in Revelation 12:6 and the “forty-two months” in
Revelation 11:2.
Revelation 13:6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to
blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven.
(NASB95)
Revelation 13:5-6 corresponds with Daniel 7:8 and 11.
Revelation 13:7 It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to
overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and
nation was given to him. (NASB95)
This statement corresponds with Daniel 7:23, which reveals that the little horn
will have a world-wide kingdom and it will be an overwhelming conquest, which
anticipates a coming one-world government under a worldwide dictator.
Revelation 13:8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone
whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the
book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. 9 If anyone has an ear, let him
hear. 10 If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills
with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance
and the faith of the saints. (NASB95)
Daniel 7:25 corresponds to Revelation 13:1-10.
Revelation 13:11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and
he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon. 12 He exercises all the
authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those
who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.
(NASB95)
This second beast is called in Revelation 16:13, 19:20 and 20:10 “the false
prophet” and will be a religious leader as indicated in that he is depicted as a lamb
with two horns. The horns speak of power and the lamb is a religious symbol, a
symbol of sacrifice, so this beast is a religious figure and as a lamb is also
symbolical of a mild, lamb-like manner, so this second beast will adopt a mild
lamb-like appearance, but he will be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. (Maybe the Pope)
Revelation 13:13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come
down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. 14 And he deceives
those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to
perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to
make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to
life. (NASB95)

This passage teaches that the second beast, i.e. the false prophet will promote
the worship of the first beast, which refers to the Antichrist and not the Revived
Roman Empire since first beast is said to have “had a wound of the sword and
has come to life,” which refers to surviving a fatal wound from an act of violence.
Rome was never destroyed by the sword, i.e. militarily but rather disintegrated
from division and deterioration from within, thus indicating that Antichrist will
survive an assassination attempt.
Revelation 13:15 And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the
beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as
do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 And he causes all, the
small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the
slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead. 17 And he
provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the
mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. 18 Here is
wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast,
for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.
(NASB95)
To enforce the worship of the beast and to make life impossible without his
worship, men cannot buy or sell without the mark of the beast. Consequently,
millions of believers will be killed because they do not have the mark and refuse to
receive it or because they starve to death since they cannot buy or sell.
Some will survive, however, by living off the land or because other believers
who have food share with those who do not (cf. Matt. 24:15-25 and 25:31-40). To
receive the mark of the beast is tantamount to the worship of the beast, and
rejection of Jesus Christ (cf. 13:8; 17:8; 14:9-12; 15:2; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4).
Revelation 13:17 say that the mark is his number, which is defined in verse 18
as 666 and is one of the options for the mark, either his name or his number and
will be the means by which believers in the Tribulation period will identify the
beast. This will not be just a number or identification mark on a plastic card but
rather it will be on the person himself and symbolic of the fact that he is only a
man and not God as he claims to be. It is interesting that within the identification
numbers of various agencies, the IRS and others, the number 666 is beginning to
pop up more and more.
Daniel 11:40-45; Revelation 12:6-17-World-Wide Persecution Of Israel And The

Occupation Of Jerusalem By Gentile Armies
The next major event will be Antichrist breaking his treaty with the Israel. The
Russian led invasion of Israel will cause the Antichrist to break his treaty with
Israel and occupy Israel according to Daniel 11:41. As a result of the power
vacuum in the world caused by the destruction of Russia’s military, the Antichrist
will become a world ruler (Rev. 6:1-2; 13:5, 7; 17:12-13).
Antichrist will be worshipped world-wide (Daniel 11:36; 2 Thessalonians 2:4;
Revelation 13:14-15) and during this time Jerusalem will be occupied by Gentile
armies. The prophet Daniel predicts that Antichrist will enter Israel and occupy it
during the last three and a half years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week.
Daniel 11:40 “At the end time the king of the South will collide with him,
and the king of the North will storm against him with chariots, with horsemen
and with many ships; and he will enter countries, overflow them and pass
through. 41 He will also enter the Beautiful Land, and many countries will
fall; but these will be rescued out of his hand: Edom, Moab and the foremost
of the sons of Ammon. 42 Then he will stretch out his hand against other
countries, and the land of Egypt will not escape. 43 But he will gain control
over the hidden treasures of gold and silver and over all the precious things of
Egypt; and Libyans and Ethiopians will follow at his heels. 44 But rumors
from the East and from the North will disturb him, and he will go forth with
great wrath to destroy and annihilate many. He will pitch the tents of his royal
pavilion between the seas and the beautiful Holy Mountain; yet he will come
to his end, and no one will help him.” (NASB95)
The prophet Zechariah speaks of the occupation of Israel during the last three
and a half years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week.
Zechariah 14:1 “Behold, a day is coming for the LORD when the spoil
taken from you will be divided among you. 2 For I will gather all the nations
against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses
plundered, the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the
people will not be cut off from the city.” (NASB95)
The occupation of Jerusalem during the last three and half years of Daniel’s
Seventieth Week is predicted in Revelation 11:1-2.
Revelation 11:1 Then there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and
someone said, “Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and
those who worship in it. 2 Leave out the court which is outside the temple and
do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread
under foot the holy city for forty-two months.” (NASB95)
Accompanying this occupation of Israel and her capital Jerusalem will be a
great world-wise persecution of the Jews inspired by Satan himself. Anti-Semitism
will be at its height.
“Anti-Semitism” is opposition to, prejudice against, or intolerance of the Jewish
people. However, the term “Semite” encompasses much more than just the Jews
since it refers to those peoples that are descended from one of Noah’s three sons,
“Shem” the other two sons were “Japheth” and “Ham.”
In the book of Genesis and 1 Chronicles 1-2, the names of children are listed in
the order in which they were born, thus, the phrase “Shem, Ham and Japheth”
appears in Genesis 5:32, 6:10, 7:13, 9:18, 10:1 and 1 Chronicles 1:4, indicating
that Shem was the oldest followed by Ham and then Japheth as the youngest.
The fact that Shem is the older brother of Japheth is confirmed in Genesis
10:21. 1 Chronicles 1:5-7 lists the descendants of Japheth and then 1 Chronicles
1:8-16 lists the descendants of Ham and lastly 1 Chronicles 1:17-27 lists the
descendants of Shem up to Abraham and then only the line of Shem continues
forward.
1 Chronicles 1:28 records that Abraham had two sons Isaac and Ishmael. 1
Chronicles 1:34 records that Isaac had a son called Israel who is also known as
Jacob. 1 Chronicles 2:1-2 records the twelve sons of Israel from whom the nation
of Israel originates. The descendants of Shem are recorded in Genesis 10:22-31,
and 1 Chronicles 1:17-27.
Noah’s prophecy in Genesis 9:26 records that God elected the line of Shem to
rule the earth and that the line of Shem would produce the promised “Seed” and
fulfill the prophecy of Genesis 3:15 to crush the head of the serpent, Satan.
In His human nature, Jesus Christ is descended from Shem and Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob and is from the tribe of Judah. Therefore, the Jews are but one branch of
the Semitic peoples, which include the Arabs, Syrians, Assyrians, Babylonians and
Persians.
Revelation 12 predicts that Israel experience the worst persecution in her
history during the last three and half years of Daniel’s seventieth week. This
chapter also teaches that “Anti-Semitism” is Satanic in origin since it teaches that
Satan has persecuted the nation of Israel throughout her history because the
Messiah would be a Jew.
Revelation 12:1-5 refers to the history of the nation of Israel from its inception
to the ascension and session of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 12:1 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman (Nation of
Israel) clothed with the sun (Represents Jacob), and the moon (Represents
Rachel and Leah) under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars
(Represents 12 Sons of Jacob) 2 and she was with child (Represents Jesus
Christ); and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth. 3 Then
another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon (Represents
Satan) having seven heads (Represents 7 great Gentile world empires: (1) Egypt
(2) Assyria (3) Babylon (4) Medo-Persia (5) Graeco-Macedonia (6) Rome (7)
Future Revived Roman Empire) and ten horns (10 Ten European Confederacy,
i.e. Revived Roman Empire), and on his heads were seven diadems. 4 And his
tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven (Represents fallen angels) and
threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was
about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child. 5
And she gave birth to a son, a male child (Jesus Christ), who is to rule all the
nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His
throne (Ascension and Session of Jesus Christ). (NASB95)
Revelation 12:6-17 refers to the last three and half years of Daniel’s Seventieth
Week.
Revelation 12:6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a
place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand
two hundred and sixty days (Last 3 ½ years of Daniel’s seventieth week).
(NASB95)
Revelation 12:7-9 refers to Satan being tossed out of heaven during the midway
point of Daniel’s Seventieth Week.
Revelation 12:7 And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels
waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, 8 and
they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them
in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is
called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown
down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. (NASB95)
Revelation 12:10-17 refers to Satan’s persecution of the nation of Israel during
the last three and half years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week.
Revelation 12:10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the
salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of
His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down,
he who accuses them before our God day and night. 11 And they overcame
him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their
testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. 12 For
this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth
and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath,
knowing that he has only a short time.” 13 And when the dragon saw that he
was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the
male child. 14 But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman,
so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished
for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. 15 And
the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so
that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood. 16 But the earth
helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river
which the dragon poured out of his mouth. 17 So the dragon was enraged with
the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep
the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. (NASB95)
The prophet Jeremiah speaks of this greatest persecution in Israel’s history.
Jeremiah 30:5 “For thus says the LORD, ‘I have heard a sound of terror,
of dread, and there is no peace. 6 Ask now, and see if a male can give birth.
Why do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in childbirth?
And why have all faces turned pale? 7 ‘Alas! for that day is great, there is
none like it; And it is the time of Jacob's distress, but he will be saved from
it.’” (NASB95)
In His great Olivet Discourse, in Matthew 24:9, the Lord Jesus Christ predicts
this great persecution of the nation of Israel.
Matthew 24:9 “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you,
and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.” (NASB95)
Revelation 11:1-14-The Two Witnesses Murdered And Then Raised From The
Dead By God
Next, we will study Revelation 11:1-14, which predicts the appearance of two
men who will be the Lord’s witnesses during the last three and a half years of
Daniel’s seventieth week. They will prophesy but will be murdered by the
Antichrist who will not permit their bodies to be buried and will be left in the
streets of Jerusalem for three and a half days. But then suddenly, they will be
raised from the dead by God and ascend into heaven in front of a world-wide
television audience.
The following is an outline of Revelation 11:3-14: (1) The character, time and
length of the ministry of the two witnesses (3-5) (2) The character and conduct of
the two witnesses (4-6) (3) The martyrdom of the two witnesses (7-10). (4) The
resurrection of the two witnesses (11-13) (5) End of the second woe (14).
Revelation 11:1 Then there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and
someone said, “Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and
those who worship in it. 2 Leave out the court which is outside the temple and
do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread
under foot the holy city for forty-two months.” (NASB95)
The measuring of the temple is symbolic of the fact that the temple is God’s
possession since measuring something meant that you were claiming it for
yourself. The fact that God tells John not to measure the court outside the temple
because it would be given to the nations is a reference to the “times of the
Gentiles.”
“The times of the Gentiles” is prophesied in Daniel 2:31-45 and Daniel 7 and
refers to an extended period of time when the Gentiles are the dominant world
powers and Israel is subject to those powers and extends from the Babylonian
capture of Jerusalem under Nebuchadnezzar (586 B.C.) and continues through the
Tribulation (Revelation 11:2).
This period of history includes the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 and the
church age and the Tribulation period. This phrase does not rule out temporary
Jewish control of Jerusalem as has occurred in the past during the Maccabean era
(164-63 B.C), the first Jewish revolt against Rome (A.D. 66-70), the second Jewish
revolt (A.D. 132-135) and now since 1967 and the Six-Day War. However, this
control is only temporary because Revelation 11:1-2 predicts at least another three-
and-one-half years of Gentile domination during the last half of Daniel’s
Seventieth Week, also known as the Tribulation.
Luke 21:23 “Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing
babies in those days; for there will be great distress upon the land and wrath
to this people; 24 and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led
captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the
Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” (NASB95)
The “forty-two months” refers to the last three and a half years of Daniel’s
seventieth week since it corresponds with the “for a time (one year), times (two
years), and a half time (six months)” in Daniel 7:25 and the “one thousand two
hundred and sixty days” in Revelation 12:6 and the “forty-two months” in
Revelation 13:5.
Revelation 11:3 “And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they
will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”
(NASB95)
The identity of these two witnesses is not revealed to us but some contend that
they are Moses and Elijah and others Enoch and Elijah. However, this is an
argument from silence meaning that the Scriptures do not identify that either
Moses and Elijah or Enoch and Elijah will appear during the last three and a half
years of Daniel’s seventieth week and prophecy.
Dwight Pentecost commenting on the identity of the two witnesses in
Revelation 11 writes: “An important consideration relative to Israel’s position in
the tribulation is given in Revelation 11:3-12, where the ministry of the two
witnesses is described. There is a wide divergence of opinion in the interpretation
of this passage. A. The symbolic Interpretation. There are two principal views that
result from a symbolic interpretation of the two witnesses. (1) The first is the view
that these two witnesses represent the church, which will be raptured in the middle
of the tribulation period. This rapture, according to this view, occurs in verse 12.
Such is the position of the midtribulation rapturist, which has been examined
previously. (2) The second is the view that the two witnesses represent the entire
remnant of the tribulation period. This view is based on the observation that the
number two is the number of witnesses and, since the 144,000 are witnesses during
the period, they must be symbolically represented here. Both of these views
depend on a non-literal method of interpretation. There are several objections to
these views. (1) While it is recognized that Revelation does employ symbols, it
seems a mistake to take all that is revealed there as symbolic. The word ‘signify’ in
Revelation 1:1: does not primarily mean “to make known by symbols” but rather
refers to an historical fact that has some spiritual significance to it. The seven
‘signs’ in John’s Gospel were not mere symbols, but actual historical events to
which spiritual significance was attached. The use of ‘signify’ would not give
warrant for a non-literal interpretation here. Consistency to the literal method
demands that that which is revealed be understood literally unless the text clearly
indicates otherwise as it does, for instance, in Revelation 12:3, 9. (2) Since the
other numbers in this passage are taken literally, this number two must be taken
literally also. The forty and two months (11:2), the thousand two hundred and
threescore days (11:3), are taken in a literal manner so as to be understood to
describe one-hall of the seventieth week period. There seems to be no reason not to
take the three and one-half (11:9, 11) literally. Thus, since the other numbers are
not spiritualized the number two should not be either. (3) The witnesses all perish
at one point of time (11:7) so that their testimony ceases. We know that the
believing remnant, although decimated by the activities of the Beast, will continue
throughout the period unto the coming of the Lord. The continuing witness seems
to argue against identifying them with the remnant. (4) As long as a portion of the
remnant continues there would be no cause for rejoicing (11:10). The rejoicing
comes because this particular witness has terminated. Thus the conclusion is that
this does not refer to the believing witnessing remnant, but rather to two literal
individuals, who have been specially set apart by God, called ‘my two witnesses’
(11:3). As the two olive trees of Zechariah had reference to Zerubbabel and Joshua,
so the two olive trees (11:4) denote two literal individuals. Their miracles, their
ministry, their ascension all seem to identify them as individual men. The literal
Interpretation. Literalists are divided into two classes in their interpretation. There
are those who hold that these men are two men who lived previously and have
been restored to the earth for this ministry. There are also those who believe they
are literal men but they can not be identified. Those who hold the view that these
will be men who lived previously hold that one of the two witnesses will be Elijah.
There are several bases on which this view rests. (1) It is predicted in Malachi 3:1-
3; 4:5-6 that Elijah would come before the second advent to prepare the way for
the Messiah. (2) Elijah did not experience physical death (2 Kings 2:9-11) and thus
could return and experience death as the witnesses do. (3) The witnesses have the
same sign as was given to Elijah in regard to the rain (1 Kings 17:1; Rev. 11:6).
(4) The period of drought in Elijah’s day (1 Kings 17:1) was of the same duration
as the time of the ministry of the witnesses (Rev. 11:3). (5) Elijah was one of the
two who appeared at the transfiguration (Matt. 17:3) and discussed that to which
all witness would point, ‘his decease.’ Many of those who identify one of the
witnesses as Elijah identify the second witness as Moses. Several reasons are given
to support this interpretation. (1) Moses appeared with Elijah at the transfiguration
(Matt. 17:3) when the death of Christ was discussed. (2) The ministry of Moses in
turning waters into blood (Ex. 7:19-20) is the same as that of the witnesses (Rev.
11:6). (3) Deuteronomy 18:15-19 requires the reappearance of Moses. (4) The
body of Moses was preserved by God so that He might be restored (Deut. 34:5-6;
Jude 9). Thus the law (Moses) and the prophets (Elijah) would be joining in
witness unto Christ during the announcement of the coming of the King. There are
several difficulties in identifying Moses as one of the witnesses. (1) The phrase
‘like unto me’ in Deuteronomy 18:15 seems to preclude any possibility that Moses
himself will be one of the witnesses, for the prophet was not Moses, but one like
Moses. (2) The similarity of the miracles does not signify identification. The
miracles Moses wrought were signs to Israel. The signs of the witnesses will
likewise be signs to that nation It would be a striking thing to those to whom the
signs came if God should reduplicate those signs which had been the great signs to
Israel in past days. (3) While the transfiguration is identified with the millennial
age (2 Pet. 1:16-19) it is nowhere identified with the tribulation period or the
ministry of the witnesses. Because they appeared at the transfiguration, signifying
they would be related to the Lord at His coming for His kingdom, it does not mean
they must be the witnesses. (4) Moses’ body at the transfiguration was not his
resurrection body, since Christ Is the firstfruits of the resurrection (1 Cor. 15:20,
23), nor an immortal body, so it can not be argued on the basis of Jude 9 that
Moses’ body was preserved so he might return to die. Others, who identify one of
the witnesses as Elijah, identify the second as Enoch. Several reasons are given to
support this. (1) Enoch was translated without seeing death (Gen. 5:24). (2) Both
Elijah and Enoch would have put on immortality (1 Cor. 15: 53) at the time of their
translation, but Christ is the only one who now has immortality (1 Tim. 6:16).
Therefore these two were preserved without experiencing immortality that they
might return to die. (3) Enoch was a prophet of judgment, as was Elijah (Jude 14-
15) and this corresponds to the ministry of the two witnesses, for they prophesy in
the sign of judgment—sackcloth (Rev. 11:3). (4) In Revelation 11:4 the word
‘standing’ suggests that they were already there in John’s day, and must be two
people who have already been translated. Thus, it is held, only Elijah and Enoch
could meet this requirement. There seem to be several arguments against
identifying one of these witnesses as Enoch (1) It is the stated purpose that Enoch
was translated ‘in order that he might not see death’ (1kb. 11:5). In view of this it
could hardly be stated that he will be returned to die. (2) It would seem that the
antediluvian prophet would not be sent into a time when God is dealing with Israel.
(3) The position of Enoch and Elijah in translation does not differ from all the Old
Testament saints who are before the Lord through physical death. Their means of
entrance differed, but not their position upon entrance. Thus the fact that they were
raptured does not necessitate a difference of state, nor make it necessary that they
should return to die. (4) The witnesses have mortal bodies and are subject to death.
Elijah and Moses on the mount of transfiguration evidently did not have mortal
bodies, for they ‘appeared in glory.’ It is hardly likely that they would be given
mortal bodies again. English draws a conclusion concerning these views, when he
says: ‘If it could be said of a surety that the two witnesses are to be identified as
characters who appeared on the earth in Old Testament times, then we should have
to conclude, I think, that they will be Elijah and Moses, the former because he is
named as to come again, and the latter because of his association with Elijah on the
Mount of Transfiguration, because of the nature of his witness, and because he
symbolizes the law as Elijah represents the Prophets, both bearing witness to the
coming Lord of Glory.’ There are those who hold, because of the difficulties
involved and the silence of Scripture on the identification, that the two can not be
identified. English is representative of this group when he writes: ‘. . . . these two
witnesses cannot be identified, but . . . they will simply appear in the spirit and
power of Elijah. . . . The two witnesses are to have mortal bodies, and, though it is
possible for God, to whom ‘all things’ are possible, to send back to earth those who
have long since gone to be with the Lord, we have no Scriptural precedent or word
for such a re-advent of men. Yes, Lazarus, and the son of the widow of Zarephath,
and others had mortal bodies when raised from the dead, but their demise was only
a temporary experience, and allowed in order that God might be glorified through
the miraculous power of His son (or, His prophet) by their resurrection. Our Lord’s
reappearance after He was raised from among the dead was in His glorified body,
and as we have already pointed out Moses and Elias, on the Mount of Transfigura-
tion ‘appeared in glory’ (Luke 9:31), that is, in bodies glorified for that occasion. . .
. From this we conclude that the two witnesses cannot be identified, but rather that
they will fulfill in a future day a destiny that John the Baptist would have fulfilled
had Israel’s heart been receptive. It would seem best to conclude that the identity
of these men is uncertain. They, in all probability, are not men who lived before
and have been restored, but are two men raised up as a special witness, to whom
sign-working power is given. Their ministry is one of judgment, as their sackcloth
clothing indicates. They are slain by the beast (Rev. 13:1-10). Concerning the time
of their death the same author says: ‘Mental arithmetic will quickly reveal that the
period of prophecy entrusted to the two witnesses, twelve hundred and sixty days,
is three and one-half years in duration. In which half of the Tribulation, then, will
these witnesses prophesy? Or will their witness not be limited by either half of the
seven years, but run from one half into the other? I do not think we can be
dogmatic about it. There is thought-provoking logic in the argument that their
testimony will be given during the first half of Daniel’s prophetic week, and that
their martyrdom will be the first persecuting act of the Beast after he breaks his
covenant with the Jews (Dan. 9:27). Their ministry will be attended with power
over their enemies, whereas, according to Daniel 7:21, the ‘little horn’ (who is this
Beast) will make war with the saints and prevail against them, and this will be in
the last half of the week. On the other hand, in Revelation 11:2 the ‘forty and two
months’ undoubtedly refers to the second half of the Tribulation, and the period of
the testimony of the two witnesses seems to be synchronous with this. Further,
their witness is recorded just prior to the blowing of the Seventh Trumpet, and this
event takes us right on into the Millennial Kingdom. But the exact period when the
testimony will take place is unimportant to believers of this age—it will be in
God’s time, that we know, and that will be the proper time.’” (Things To Come, A
Study in Biblical Eschatology; pages 304-309; Academie Books Grand Rapids,
Michigan, Zondervan Publishing House)
J. Hampton Keathley III commenting on the identity of these two witnesses,
writes, “Because their miracles are similar to those of Elijah and Moses, and
because Malachi 4:5 says ‘Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet
before the coming of the great and terrible Day of the Lord’ (Mal. 3:1), some
believe one of these must be Elijah because Scripture says Elijah will come again.
Thus, they insist these must be identified as literal characters out of the Old
Testament. Further, Moses and Elijah were seen with the Lord on the Mount of
Transfiguration. So many believe and teach the two witness here are Elijah and
Moses, who are given bodies and who are brought back to earth. Others see them
as Elijah and Enoch who were translated and never saw death. The big question is
are they literally Moses and Elijah (or Elijah and Enoch), or are they two men who
will come in the power, spirit, and character of Moses and Elijah, etc., i.e., a virtual
Elijah and Moses, but not literally Elijah and Moses? There are several New
Testament passages that bear on this question and shed important light on the
problem. (1) Luke 1:17 clearly states that John the Baptist, as a forerunner of
Christ, would go forth in the spirit and power of Elijah (cf. Mark 1:2-3 with Matt.
3:3), i.e., he was a virtual Elijah. (2) Matthew 17:10-13 teaches us that Elijah had
come and that John the Baptist was that Elijah. (3) John himself said he was not
Elijah, only a voice of one crying in the wilderness to prepare men for Messiah
(John 1:21-22). John denied that he was a literal Elijah, though he saw his role as a
virtual Elijah doing what the Malachi passage said Elijah would do (Mal. 3:1; 4:6).
(4) Matthew 11:7-14 adds some very interesting light on the whole issue. These
verses show that John could have and would have fulfilled the Malachi passage if
Israel as a nation had believed and accepted his message. But since they rejected
both John and Messiah, another would have to come to fulfill the Malachi
prophecy and this would need to occur prior to Christ’s second advent. Since John
could have and would have fulfilled the Malachi passage, it seems obvious the one
who will come in the future, will be, like John, one who will come in the spirit and
power of Elijah, a virtual Elijah, but not literally Elijah himself. He does not have
to be a literal Elijah, or John could not have fulfilled the Malachi passage. Thus, in
Revelation 11, the two witnesses are not literally Elijah and Moses (or Elijah and
Enoch), but two men whom God will raise up in the spirit and power of their Old
Testament counterparts. They are similar from the standpoint of their ministries,
but similarity does not mean identity. Their ministries are similar because they are
ministering to Israel and such similarity would carry great significance to the Jews.
Some try to symbolize these two witnesses as movements or powers that occur in
some religious sense. But clearly, these two witnesses are specific persons and not
symbolical of movements or powers. This is proven by the article used with the
word ‘witnesses’ and by the fact that the term ‘witness’ in the New Testament is
always used of persons. Further, we must remember that they are not named in the
text which would indicate that God does not intend for us to identify them. They
are simply two exceptional men whom God will raise up in the Tribulation.
(Studies in Revelation-Christ’s Victory Over The Forces Of Darkness, page 159;
Biblical Studies Press; www.bible.org; 1997)
The statement “I will grant authority to my two witnesses” in the original text
is actually “I will give to my two witnesses” and does not explicitly identify what
is given to these two witnesses. However, the context indicates that they will be
given protection (Revelation 11:5), miraculous power (Revelation 11:5),
authoritative and effective testimony (Revelation 11:4) and deliverance
(Revelation 11:11-12).
The expression “My witnesses” emphasizes God’s personal relationship and
fellowship with these two witnesses and implies that they are owned by Him and
that they serve Him exclusively.
“Twelve hundred and sixty days” is identified as the length of the ministry of
these two witnesses and refers to the last three and a half years of Daniel’s
seventieth week.
Some expositors contend that this refers to the first three and a half years of
Daniel’s Seventieth Week but rather it refers to the last three and a half years.
J. Hampton Keathley III explains, “Many try to place their ministry in the first
half, but there are a number of reasons that seem to favor the last half instead. (1)
Immediately after this teaching regarding their ministry there is the announcement
of the third woe and the seventh trumpet (cf. 11:14-15). This seventh trumpet
occurs right at the end of the Tribulation and results in the ushering in of the
kingdom of God. Though chapter 11 is an interlude, it could imply a natural
sequence or relationship and may indicate they minister in the last half. (2) The
two witnesses pour out judgment on any who would attempt to harm them (vs. 5).
It would appear that this condition better fits the last half of the Tribulation after
the abomination of desolation when the beast is seeking to be worshipped, when
there is great anti-Semitism and persecution against all believers. (3) The hideous
acts of verses 9 and 10 also seem to fit better with the character of the last half of
the Tribulation with the lawlessness of the beast and his system and the worship of
Satan (13:4). (4) The reaction of men in verse 13 with mankind terrified and giving
glory to God also better fits the very end of the Tribulation than the middle or even
somewhat later in the seven-year period. During the last half of the Tribulation
men will worship the beast and Satan and exclaim ‘who is like the beast and who is
able to make war with him?’ (l3:4). This could even be exclaimed after the death
of these seemingly invincible prophets who are killed by the beast (11:8). But then,
there is their resurrection, the voice from heaven, and the devastating earthquake
(11:11-13). After this, those who are left, in terror, give glory to God instead of the
beast. (5) There seems to be a natural sequence and tie between verses 1, 2, and 3.
In verses 1 and 2a we see the temple that is to be measured. We know the temple is
present in the first half of the Tribulation (Dan. 9:27a). Then in verse 2b we have a
reference to the court of the Gentiles and the 42 months (three and one-half years),
when the nations will tread under foot the city of Jerusalem. We know this occurs
in the last half of the Tribulation, after the beast invades Palestine (Dan. 9:27b).
Right after this, we then have the mention of the two witnesses who prophesy for
1260 days (three and one-half years).” (Studies in Revelation-Christ’s Victory
Over The Forces Of Darkness, page 158; Biblical Studies Press; www.bible.org;
1997)
The fact that the two witnesses are “clothed in sackcloth” is significant
because it symbolizes what will characterize the ministry of these two, namely to
announce coming judgment and call men to trust in Jesus Christ as Savior. God
caused these two to dress in such a manner because sackcloth expressed mourning,
repentance and judgment.
Revelation 11:4 “These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that
stand before the Lord of the earth.” (NASB95)
Instead of relating the ministry of the two witnesses to Moses and Elijah or
Elijah and Enoch, the angel who speaks to John in Revelation 11 connects their
ministry to Zerubbabel and Joshua the high priest who appear in Zechariah 4.
Zerubbabel and Joshua were identified in the vision recorded in Zechariah 4 by the
angel speaking to Zechariah as the two olive trees.
The olive tree was a source of oil used to fuel lamps in the ancient world and
speaks of the ministry of the Holy Spirit empowering individuals for service to
God. Therefore, like Zerubbabel and Joshua, the two witnesses will be empowered
by the Spirit as signified by the two olive trees and two lampstands.
Revelation 11:5 “And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their
mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must
be killed in this way. 6 These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain
will not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have power over
the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague,
as often as they desire.” (NASB95)
Revelation 11:5-6 reveals that the ministry of the two witnesses is characterized
by the following: (1) they can kill their enemies (verse 5; cf. Elijah, 2 Kings 1:10-
14); (2) they can withhold rain for three and a half years (verse 6; cf. Elijah, 1
Kings 17:1, 8; 18:1; James 5:17); they can turn water into blood (verse 6; cf.
Moses, Exodus 7:17-21); they can bring plagues upon the earth’s inhabitants (verse
6; cf. Moses, Exodus 9:14; 11:10).
Revelation 11:7 “When they have finished their testimony, the beast that
comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and
kill them.” (NASB95)
“The beast” is a reference to the Antichrist who is identified by this designation
in Revelation 13:1, 2, 3, 4; 14:9, 11; 15:2; 16:2; 17:3; 19:20; and 20:10.
Revelation 11:8 “And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city
which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was
crucified.” (NASB95)
“The great city, which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt where also
their Lord was crucified” is a reference to the city of Jerusalem since Christ was
crucified in Jerusalem. Jerusalem is called “great” not because of its population or
size but because of its importance in the plan of God. The comparison of Jerusalem
to Sodom emphasizes its rebellious and immoral degeneracy (cf. Isaiah 1:10),
which characterized Sodom. The comparison to Egypt emphasizes that it is
dominated by Satan’s cosmic system since Egypt is often a picture of Satan’s
cosmic system. Together, these three descriptions of Jerusalem emphasize its
wicked, evil and Satanic character and opposition to God and His people because
of Antichrist’s influence who is occupying Jerusalem and Palestine at the time.
The two witnesses were not given a burial in order to demonstrate Antichrist’s
power that was responsible for the deaths of these two seemingly invincible
individuals.
Revelation 11:9 “Those from the peoples and tribes and tongues and
nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not
permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb.” (NASB95)
The fact that the entire world will view the bodies of these two witnesses lying
in the city of Jerusalem indicates that this event will be broadcast to the entire
world through satellite television.
Revelation 11:10 “And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them
and celebrate; and they will send gifts to one another, because these two
prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.” (NASB95)
This is the only recorded instance of rejoicing taking place in the Tribulation
period and reflects the widespread wickedness upon the earth in those days who
will celebrate because they don’t have to listen to messages from God any longer.
Revelation 11:11 “But after the three and a half days, the breath of life
from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell
upon those who were watching them.” (NASB95)
This passage records God delivering His two witnesses with a magnificent
display of His divine omnipotence in order to bear witnesses to the world that these
men were divinely ordained and spoke His words of judgment and calls to exercise
faith in Christ as Savior. The significance of the three and a half days is that it
made clear that the two witnesses were in fact dead and that God has manifested
Himself in the sight of the entire world by bringing these two back to life.
This miracle was designed to lead the unsaved inhabitants of the earth to obey
the gospel and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and which gospel the two witnesses
proclaimed for three and a half years.
Revelation 11:12 “And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to
them, ‘Come up here.’ Then they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their
enemies watched them.” (NASB95)
Christ ascended into heaven before His friends whereas these two witnesses
will ascend to heaven in the sight of their enemies. This miracle of the ascension of
the two witnesses is also designed by God to lead people to salvation and obey the
gospel, which the two witnesses proclaimed. Therefore, in effect, the resurrection
and ascension of these two witnesses validated that their ministry was in fact from
God.
Revelation 11:13 “And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a
tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and
the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.” (NASB95)
The fact that many people gave glory to God does not mean necessarily that
they trusted in Jesus Christ as their Savior rather it means that they simply will
acknowledge God’s glory and power and the reality that He does exist!
Revelation 11:14 “The second woe is past; behold, the third woe is coming
quickly.” (NASB95)
This last statement signifies that the events of Revelation 11:1-13 immediately
precede the Second Advent of Christ since the third woe refers to the seventh and
final trumpet, which immediately precedes the Second Advent according to
Revelation 11:15-19.
Revelation 5-6; 8:1-5-The Seven Seal Judgments

Next, we will study seven major events that will take place during the last three
and a half years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week, namely, the breaking of the seven
seal judgments by the Lord Jesus Christ in heaven. The Scriptures plainly teach
that the wrath poured out during the Great Tribulation period originates with God
and is therefore a time of God’s wrath upon a Christ rejecting a world that is
deceived by the devil (See Isaiah 34:1-2; Joel 1:15; Obadiah 15; Revelation 15:1,
7; 16:1; Revelation 19:11-21).
The Scriptures plainly reveal that Daniel’s seventieth week, also known as the
Great Tribulation period as we have pointed out is distinctly the time when God’s
wrath and judgment fall upon the earth. This is not wrath from men, nor from
Satan, except as God may use these agencies as instruments for the execution of
His will, thus the wrath during Daniel’s seventieth week is tribulation from God.
This period differs from all preceding tribulation, not only in intensity but also in
the kind of tribulation, since it comes from God Himself. The pouring out of God’s
Wrath will be administered by the Lord Jesus Christ when executes the seven seal
judgments.
One of the purposes of the tribulation is to pour out judgment on unbelieving
man and nations.
The seven seal judgments are directly related to this judgment of the world’s
inhabitants who are deceived by the devil. The divine judgments that will fall on
the inhabitants of the earth are designed to lead men to a saving knowledge of
Jesus Christ since God desires all men to be saved.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count
slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to
come to repentance. (NASB95)
The divine judgments that will fall on the earth are also designed to destroy
Satan’s cosmic system and establish Christ’s millennial rule.
voices in heaven, saying, “the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom
of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” (NASB95)
In Revelation chapter five, the apostle John under the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit records for us the events in heaven that immediately precede the great
judgments executed against the inhabitants of planet earth during Daniel’s
seventieth week. In this chapter, John has a vision of the Lamb of God, Jesus
Christ taking from the Father a seven-sealed book that contains the prophecy of
events to be unfolded during Daniel’s seventieth week.
Revelation 5:1 I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book
written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. (NASB95)
The one who is sitting on the throne is God the Father and not the Lord Jesus
Christ since the latter takes the seven sealed scroll from the hand of the Father
according to Revelation 5:7. “Seven” is the number of perfection or completeness.
Therefore, the number in relation to the seals expresses the perfection with which
the hidden counsels of God are securely hidden until they are disclosed by God
Himself as here.
This seven sealed document is actually the title deed to planet earth. Genesis
1:26-30, Psalm 8 and Hebrews 2:7-8 teach that mankind was designed to rule over
the works of God’s creation.
Genesis 1:26 Next, God decreed “let Us model man in Our image,
according to Our likeness. Consequently, they will rule over the fish in the
various bodies of water and over the birds in the earth’s atmosphere and over
the animal kingdom and over the entire earth and over each and every
creeper-crawler, those which crawl upon the earth.” (Author’s translation)
So Adam was created and designed in the image and likeness of God in order
that he might exercise sovereign authority over all creation.
Psalm 8 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth,
Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens! From the mouth of
infants and nursing babes You have established strength Because of Your
adversaries, to make the enemy and the revengeful cease. When I consider
Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You
have ordained; What is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man
that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, and
You crown him with glory and majesty! You make him to rule over the works
of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and
also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes through the paths of the seas. O LORD, our Lord, How
majestic is Your name in all the earth! (NASB95)
The rulership of the creation was lost by Adam and the Woman in the Garden
of Eden when they disobeyed the Lord’s prohibition to not eat from the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3). Satan usurped the rulership of the first
Adam over the earth when he deceived the woman into disobeying the Lord’s
prohibition to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and getting
Adam to do so as well. However, the Last Adam, the God-Man, the Lord Jesus
Christ has regained that rulership over the earth with His obedience to the Father’s
will in going to the Cross in order to die a substitutionary spiritual death in the
place of all of sinful humanity (Hebrews 2:6-9).

That Satan has temporary authority over the earth is indicated in that 2
Corinthians 4:4 says that he is the “god of this world.” The Lord Jesus Christ’s
death on the Cross gained the rulership of the earth back for mankind according to
Philippians 2:5-11 and Hebrews 2:9.
In Hebrews 2:6-8a, we have the record of God’s purpose for mankind decreed
whereas in Hebrews 2:8, we have this purpose delayed due to the Fall. In Hebrews
2:9, 14 and 17 we have this purpose accomplished through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, this scene in heaven recorded in Revelation chapter five is the
presentation of the title deed to planet earth to the Lord Jesus Christ.
J. Hampton Keathley III makes the following insightful comment regarding
these seals, he writes, “The Roman Custom: The Roman custom of making a will
included a ceremony involving a testator and seven witnesses. For each of the
seven witnesses there was a seal. In addition, a very reliable friend was selected
who would, for a coin, purchase the property for the family. In this way the
property would become the property of the reliable friend, however, upon the death
of the testator, the very reliable friend would return the property to the rightful
heirs. For such a document, a long scroll of parchment was used. The writer of the
document would begin writing and after a period, he would stop, roll up the
parchment enough to cover his words, and then seal the scroll with wax. He would
then resume writing, stop, seal another portion, and so on until the entire scroll was
sealed with seven seals. In this way, the scroll would read a section at a time after
each seal was broken. In the analogy, the Lord Jesus is the reliable Friend who has
purchased our redemption and is here seen opening the seals which provide us with
our inheritance. In this case, He is reclaiming that which was lost by Adam.
Further, this procedure was used to keep unauthorized persons from opening the
seven-sealed scroll. Only a “worthy” person, the one with the right credentials,
could open the seals, read the inheritance, and give it to the inheritors. The Jewish
Custom: Criswell points out that if a Jewish family were to lose its property or
possessions by some kind of misfortune or distress, their property could not be
permanently taken from them (the Old Testament law of jubilee and the kinsman
redeemer protected them against this). However, their losses were listed in a scroll
and sealed seven times. Then the conditions necessary to purchase back the land
and their possessions were written on the outside of the scroll. When a qualified
redeemer could be found, who could meet the requirements of reclamation (a
kinsman like Boaz as in the story of Ruth), the one who had taken the property was
required to return it to the original owner.” (Studies in Revelation-Christ’s Victory
Over The Forces Of Darkness, page 98; Biblical Studies Press; www.bible.org;
1997)
Revelation 5:2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice,
“Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?” 3 And no one in
heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look
into it. 4 Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to
open the book or to look into it 5 and one of the elders said to me, “Stop
weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David,
has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.” (NASB95)
The “Lion that is from the tribe of Judah” is a reference to the Lord Jesus
Christ as well as a reference to Israel’s prophecy regarding Judah’s descendants
(NASB95)
“Judah” (hd*Why+) (yehudhah) (yeh-hoo-daw) was the fourth child that Leah
bore to Jacob and his name means, “I will praise the Lord” and his birth is recorded
in Genesis 29:35.
Both King David and the Lord Jesus Christ descended from the tribe of Judah.
(NASB95)
Genesis 49:9 “Judah is a lion's whelp; From the prey, my son, you have
gone up. He couches, he lies down as a lion, and as a lion, who dares rouse him
up?” (NASB95)
“Lion’s whelp” is composed of the noun gur, “young lion” and the noun
àryeh, “mature lion” and so therefore, this expression literally reads, “a young lion
of a mature lion.” This expression does “not” refer to a young cub but rather a
young lion that has finally mature and is able to capture prey for itself.
In the ancient world, the lion was a proverbial symbol of courage, strength and
kingship because of its majestic appearance with its mane and swift, powerful
movements and prowess as a fearless predator. The lion was used as a figure in
Israel for the Messiah and was applied by the Holy Spirit to the Lord Jesus Christ
who is called “the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah” in Revelation 5:5.
Therefore, in Genesis 49:9, the phrase “Judah is a lion’s whelp” is a prediction
meaning that the tribe of Judah would have a lion-like nature, which refers to its
military prowess. This was fulfilled in a near sense when the tribe of Judah became
the leader of the other tribes militarily (See Numbers 2:1-3; Judges 1:1-2; 3:9;
20:18) and it was fulfilled through the military successes of King David. In a far
sense it will be fulfilled through the lion of Judah, the Lord Jesus Christ at His
Second Advent when He will destroy Israel’s enemies including antichrist and the
Tribulational armies (See Revelation 19:11-21; Zechariah 12 and 14).

Genesis 49:10 “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's
staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the
obedience of the peoples.” (NASB95)
The “scepter” in the ancient world was a symbol of authority, sovereignty and
kingship (See Numbers 24:17) and “the ruler’s staff” refers to the one who
establishes laws and decrees.
The expression “from between his feet” is a reference to kings who were
seated on their throne with a ruler staff between their feet.
“Until” is the preposition àdh, which does “not” mean that the kingship in
Israel will change from the tribe of Judah “until” the Messiah has arrived but rather
indicates that kings would arise from the tribe of Judah right “up to” the arrival of
the Messiah.
“Shiloh comes”: (1) Conjunction ki, “when” (2) Third person masculine
singular qal imperfect form of the verb bo, “He comes” (4) Relative particle
àsher, “which belongs” (5) Preposition le, “to” (6) Third person masculine
singular pronominal suffix, “him.”
With the exception of the RSV and NIV, most English translations incorrectly
translate the Hebrew expression hOyv! as “Shiloh” since the expression is almost
identical to the spelling of the proper noun Shiloh, which is hOv!.
The proper noun Shiloh refers to a Canaanite city captured by the Israelites but
in Genesis 49:10, the reference is to a person since the context is speaking of the
rulership or kingship in Israel coming from the tribe of Judah.
“Peoples” is the noun àm, which is used to denote all the inhabitants of the
earth.
The conjunction ki is used in a temporal sense meaning “when” referring to the
moment the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ assumes the Davidic throne at His
Second Advent to establish His millennial reign. Therefore, the preposition àdh
when coupled with the conjunction ki means, “up to the moment when.”
The relative particle àsher means “which belongs” referring to possession of
the scepter and ruler’s staff mentioned in the previous clause, which must be
inserted into the translation in order for it to make sense in the English.
In Genesis 49:10, Israel is prophesying that the kingship in Israel shall come out
of the tribe of Judah and this will continue up to the time that the Messiah arrives.
This prophecy has been fulfilled once the tribe of Judah under David assumed the
leadership over the nation, the kingship in Israel has never departed from Judah up
to time of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ’s First Advent who will establish His
millennial reign at His Second Advent.
The inhabitants of all the earth will be subjugated to the Lord Jesus Christ
during His millennial reign since God the Father bestowed upon Him the rulership
of the entire earth because He obeyed the Father’s will in going to the Cross and
dying for the sins of the entire world (See Philippians 2:5-11; Ephesians 1:20-23;
Colossians 1:18; Psalm 89:27; Zechariah 14:9).
Israel’s prophecy in Genesis 49:10 is a reference to the “Davidic” covenant,
which was an unconditional covenant and deals with the dynasty that will rule the
nation of Israel as indicated in 2 Samuel 7:16 where God promised David that a
descendant of his would sit on his throne forever.
The description of the Lord Jesus Christ as a “lion” refers to His Second Advent
since the lion in the ancient world spoke of majesty whereas as the description of
Him as a “lamb” is a reference to His First Advent since the lamb spoke of
meekness. The description of the Lord Jesus Christ as a “lion” emphasizes His
sovereign authority and His role as Judge of the earth and speaks of His theocratic
government. The description of Him as a “lamb” emphasizes His Saviorhood and
that He was judge by the Father as a substitute for sinful humanity and it speaks of
the grace of God.
Revelation 5:5 and one of the elders said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the
Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to
open the book and its seven seals.” (NASB95)
“The Root of David” is another title for the Lord Jesus Christ and is a reference
to the prophecy of Isaiah 11:1, 10.
Revelation 5:6 And I saw between the throne (with the four living
creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and
seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.
(NASB95)
The “seven horns” represent the perfection of the Lord Jesus Christ’s
omnipotence and authority since the number seven represents spiritual perfection
and the horn in the ancient world was used to symbolize power and governmental
authority.
The “seven eyes” denotes the spiritual perfection of the Lord Jesus Christ’s
knowledge and wisdom and speaks of His omniscience since again the number
seven speaks of spiritual perfection and the eyes in the ancient spoke of knowledge
of events.
The Lord Jesus Christ is omnipotence and omniscient is expressed through the
Holy Spirit whom He sent into the world according to the statement “which are the
seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.”
Revelation 5:7 And He came and took the book out of the right hand of
Him who sat on the throne. (NASB95)
The act of the Lord Jesus Christ taking the book out of the Father’s right hand
indicates that all power, authority and judgment have been given to Him. Daniel
speaks of this event in Revelation 5:1-7.
Daniel 7:13 I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds
of heaven (Reference to the revelation of Christ’s deity; Exodus 13:21-22; 19:9; 1
Kings 8:10-11; Isaiah 19:1; Matthew 24:30; Mark 13:26) one like a Son of Man
(Title for human nature of Jesus Christ; Matthew 24:30; Mark 26:64; Luke 5:24;
6:5; John 1:51) was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was
presented before Him. (NASB95)
The expression “one like a Son of Man was coming and He came up to the
Ancient of Days” is a reference to the Lord Jesus Christ’s ascension (Acts 1:9-11;
Ephesians 4:10; Hebrews 4:14; 9:24) and session (Ephesians 1:20; Hebrews 1:3) at
the right hand of the Father 40 days after His resurrection.
Revelation 5:8-14 record all the elect angels and redeemed men in heaven
worshipping the Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 6:1-8:6 records the seven seal judgments that will take place during
the final prophetic week of Israel’s history called “Daniel’s seventieth week.”
The following chart is an outline of the seven seal judgments.
Seal Passage 70th Description Interpretation

Week
First Seal Revelation 6:1-2 First 3 ½ White Horse Antichrist comes
years Rider as a peacemaker
Second Revelation 6:3-4 Last 3 ½ Red Horse War
years Rider
Third Revelation 6:5-6 Last 3 ½ Black Horse Famine as a result
years Rider of World-War
Fourth Revelation 6:7-8 Last 3 ½ Ashen Horse Death through
years Rider war, famine,
pestilence and
wild beasts
Fifth Revelation 6:9-11 Last 3 ½ Martyred Souls Martyrdom of
years of Saints Saints
Underneath the
Altar
Sixth Revelation 6:12-17 Last 3 ½ Great Disturbances in
years Earthquake the Stellar
Universe and the
Wrath of the Lamb
Seventh Revelation 8:1-5 Last 3 ½ Silence in Beginning of
years Heaven Seven Trumpet
Judgments

The rise to prominence of the Antichrist as a man of peace is the result of the
breaking of the first seal judgment recorded in Revelation 6:1-2.
conquer. (NASB95)
The rider in this passage is not the Lord Jesus Christ since this occurs too early
in Daniel’s seventieth week since at this time Christ is in heaven rewarding His
bride while at the same time pouring out wrath from the throne mentioned in
Revelation 4:2. Christ’s coming on a white horse is at the end and is the
culmination of the Tribulation.
Also, Revelation 6:16 records the Lamb as still in heaven. Furthermore, the
white horse rider is not Christ since the other three horses are instruments of
judgment with each rider an instrument of evil and judgment on the world. The
Lord Jesus Christ is also the one who opens the seals allowing the riders to go forth
and would not be one of the riders. He also puts an end to the Tribulation
judgments. Here, in Revelation 6:1-2, the judgments of the entire Tribulation have
yet to take place.
Lastly, the crown this first rider is wearing is the stephanos crown, a single
crown and a victor’s crown, not the diadem crown of a sovereign. Revelation 19,
the white horse rider wears many crowns, and they are the diadem crowns or in
other words, the crowns of sovereignty.
That the rider sat on a white horse is significant since white is a symbol of
peace, thus the symbolism is that Antichrist will come as a peacemaker. Daniel
9:27 teaches that the Antichrist will establish a peace treaty with the leadership of
Israel, which begins Daniel’s seventieth week. One of Antichrist’s first
accomplishments will be to find a solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict with a peace
treaty with Israel according to Daniel 9:26-27, which begins Daniel’s seventieth
week, the unprecedented time of Jacob’s distress (Jer. 30:7).
Notice in Revelation 6:1-2 that the rider’s weapon is a bow, yet no arrows are
mentioned. The bow is a symbol of distant victory and since no arrows are
mentioned it seems to indicate that he gains his victory by bloodless tactics. That
all this is true is indicated further by the fact that peace isn’t taken from the earth
until the second seal.

Antichrist will have a hidden agenda since his purpose is not world peace, but
conquering and to conquer.
Revelation 6:3-4 records the second seal judgment.
Revelation 6:3 When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living
creature saying, “Come.” 4 And another, a red horse, went out; and to him
who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would
slay one another; and a great sword was given to him. (NASB95)
This second seal judgment will begin the last three and a half years of Daniel’s
seventieth week. This judgment says that red horse rider will take peace from the
earth. While the white horse was symbolic of a victorious conqueror and one who
primarily gained his power by cold war and bloodless peace maneuvers, red is a
clear symbol of bloodshed or warfare and the rest of the verse clearly shows this to
be the case (Rev. 12:3; Isa. 63:2f).
The events of Ezekiel 38:1-39:24 coincide with second seal judgment recorded
in Revelation 6:3-4 and record the Russian led invasion of Israel that precedes
Antichrist breaking his treaty with Israel and proceeds after Satan’s expulsion from
heaven. At the time of this invasion, it must be remembered that Michael and the
elect angels have just cast Satan and the fallen angels out of heaven. The first thing
that Satan and his legions do once cast to the earth is that they influence Gog, the
prince of Russia to invade Israel.
Satan wants Israel destroyed in order that Christ will not be able to fulfill the
unconditional covenants to Israel (Abrahamic, Palestinian, Davidic and New), and
thus by doing so, he can accuse God of not keeping His promises. Satan knows his
time is short and that Christ’s Second Advent and His subsequent millennial reign
and his incarceration for a thousand years are imminent.
Remember, the Tribulation period is divided into two three and a half year
sections: (1) Cold war (2) Hot war. This invasion of Russia touches off the hot war
period, which is known as the Armageddon campaign.
The Lord Jesus Christ’s prophecy in His Olivet Discourse of world war during
the last three and a half years of Daniel’s seventieth week recorded in Matthew
24:6 parallels the second seal judgment recorded in Revelation 6:3-4.
Revelation 6:5-6 records the third seal judgment.
Revelation 6:5 When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living
creature saying, “Come.” I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat
on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard something like a voice in
the center of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a
denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil
and the wine.” (NASB95)

The third seal judgment brings famine to the world as the result of the second
seal judgment, which brought world war to the earth. The “black horse” speaks of
suffering and death and the “balances” of the careful rationing of food because of
its scarcity.
J. Hampton Keathley III commenting on this third seal, writes, “The denarius,
as a Roman coin, in ancient times was a normal day’s wage. In New Testament
times this coin would purchase eight quarts of wheat, or eight measures (one
measure equals about one quart) or 24 quarts of barley. Wheat was the better grain
and barley was normally used only for livestock except in times of scarcity. During
the Tribulation, however, one denarius (a full day’s wage) will buy only one
measure (about one meal) of wheat, or three meals of barley with nothing left. Of
course, the larger the family, the worse it will be. But note the words, “do not harm
the oil and the wine.” These were luxury items which will apparently be unharmed
at this point. There will be plenty of luxury items but only the super rich will have
them. The average man will spend all he has on the bare essentials. Barnhouse has
an interesting comment from his own experience on this. ‘Just after World War I, I
spent a few days in Vienna at the time when misery was very great.…There was a
shortage of coal and the police had ordered everyone off the streets by nine
o’clock. The city was filled with wealthy refugees from Russia and other countries.
Walking along the boulevard one afternoon as the crowds were coming out of the
opera which began early to conform with the curfew regulations, I saw men with
bare feet in the snow, their skeletons covered with rags, their ribs seen through the
holes in the cloths with which they attempted to cover their bodies. From time to
time there was blood on the snow from their feet. Out of the opera came men
escorting women with fortunes in jewels upon them. Never have I seen more
wonderful displays in any of the capitals of the earth. The beggars blocked the way
to the fine limousines that came for the rich. I saw the men striking the beggars
with their canes to clear the way for the women. Poor girls not clad in the gaudy
finery of prostitutes, but with poor clothing and in wooden shoes, clattered about
clutching at the passerby and offering to sell themselves for a coin which at that
moment could be purchased for one five hundredth part of a dollar. Mark well,
there was no famine in Vienna. There was scarcity in the midst of plenty, but there
was no hurt to the luxuries.’ The picture here is scarcity in the midst of plenty. This
will be accentuated in the times of the Antichrist, especially in the last half of the
Tribulation via his buying and selling policies.” (Studies in Revelation-Christ’s
Victory Over The Forces Of Darkness, page 98; Biblical Studies Press;
www.bible.org; 1997)
The Lord Jesus Christ’s prophecy in His Olivet Discourse of world-wide famine
during the last three and a half years of Daniel’s seventieth week recorded in
Matthew 24:7 parallels the third seal judgment recorded in Revelation 6:5-6.
Revelation 6:7-8 records the fourth seal judgment.
Revelation 6:7 When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of
the fourth living creature saying, “Come.” 8 I looked, and behold, an ashen
horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following
with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with
sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.
(NASB95)
The color of this horse is ashen, a pale or yellowish green since the word for
“ashen” in the original Greek text of Revelation 6:8 is the word chloros which
denotes a yellowish green, the light green of a plant, or the paleness of a person
who is critically ill.
We are told the name of this horse is death and that Hades follows. This is the
aftermath of war, famine and death. “Death” refers to physical death and “Hades”
refers to the prison and temporary quarters of the souls of unbelievers between
their death and the time of the Great White Throne Judgment. This is the
compartment called “torments” in Luke 16:23.
“Hades” is the name given in the New Testament for the temporary quarters for
the souls of unbelievers and “Sheol” is the name given in the Old Testament. This
place contains four compartments: (1) Paradise: the place of the departed souls of
believers before the resurrection of Christ (Lk. 23:39-43; Eph. 4:8-9) who were
transferred to heaven after the resurrection and ascension of Christ (Eph. 4:10). (2)
Torments: the temporary fire for the souls of unbelievers from all dispensations
(Lk. 16:19-31) who will be transferred to the Great White Throne Judgment that
concludes human history and from there will be cast in the Lake of Fire forever
(Rev. 20:11-15). (3) Tartarus: the abode of the fallen angels of Genesis 6 who had
sex with woman in order to corrupt the human race and prevent the incarnation of
the Son of God (1 Peter 3:18-22; 2 Peter 4; Jude 6). (4) The Abyss: the place of
imprisonment for the demons who violated certain rules for angelic creation and
will be released during the Tribulation (Lk. 8:30-31; Rom. 10:7; Rev. 20:1-3).
Prior to the resurrection, ascension and session of the Lord Jesus Christ, Old
Testament saints when they died did not go to the third heaven but rather to
Paradise. These Old Testament saints such as Abraham ascended with Jesus Christ
into heaven as part of our Lord’s triumphal procession as victor in the angelic
conflict and were part of the booty from our Lord’s victory that was accomplished
through His death and resurrection.
Ephesians 4:8 Therefore it says, “WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE
LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO
MEN.” (NASB95)

“He led host a host of captives” refers to Old Testament saints that were
temporarily residing in the second compartment of Hades called Paradise (Lk. 16;
23:43).
Revelation 6:7 When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of
the fourth living creature saying, “Come.” 8 I looked, and behold, an ashen
horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following
with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with
sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.
(NASB95)
“Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword
and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth” is an
amazing statement since it tells us that nearly a billion people by today’s
population figures, will be killed by these means mentioned by John. According to
present figures and estimations this is about 800,000,000, a staggering figure. In
Revelation 6:8, John records four means by which nearly a billion people will be
killed.
The first is “the sword,” which refers to death by war and perhaps by the
cruelty of the beast and his godless system under the domination of the Red
Dragon, Satan. The second is “famine,” which of course, anticipates death on an
even greater scale by starvation. The third is “pestilence,” which speaks of death
by disease and plagues. The fourth is “wild beasts,” perhaps, as an aftermath of the
above, anticipates the fact that people will be weak, unprotected and easy prey for
wild animals.
These first four seal judgments are a unit and a general description of the last
three and a half years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week.
Jeremiah 30:5 “For thus says the LORD, ‘I have heard a sound of terror,
of dread, and there is no peace. 6 Ask now, and see if a male can give birth.
Why do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in childbirth?
And why have all faces turned pale? 7 ‘Alas! for that day is great, there is
none like it; And it is the time of Jacob's distress, but he will be saved from
it.’” (NASB95)
Matthew 24:21 “For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not
occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. 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.” (NASB95)
The Lord Jesus Christ’s prophecy in His Olivet Discourse of the massive loss of
human life during the last three and a half years of Daniel’s seventieth week
recorded in Matthew 24:7-9 parallels the fourth seal judgment recorded in
Revelation 6:7-8.

Next, we come to the fifth seal judgment, which is recorded in Revelation 6:9-
11.
Revelation 6:9 When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the
altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and
because of the testimony which they had maintained 10 and they cried out
with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain
from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11
And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that
they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow
servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been,
would be completed also. (NASB95)
The fifth seal judgment concerns itself with the martyrdom of both Jewish and
Gentile believers during the last three and a half years of Daniel’s Seventieth
Week. The souls underneath the altar are not Old Testament martyrs but rather
those who were martyred during the Tribulation since their persecutors are still
alive on the earth. They were killed “because of the Word of God” meaning that
anyone who believes the Bible during the last three and a half years of Daniel’s
Seventieth Week and proclaims its message of faith alone in Christ alone will
persecuted and killed.
These believers will witness for Christ by their life as they hold fast to the Word
of God in the midst of a degenerate world, but they will also witness for Christ by
their death. John sees these martyrs very much alive. Men may destroy our bodies,
but they cannot kill the soul or the person who indwells the body, the house for the
person.
At death, the soul or the person goes to be with the Lord (Phil. 1:21-22; 2 Cor.
5:6-8). The body “sleeps” but the soul or the person is conscious, awake.
“Slain” is the Greek sphrazo, which was a sacrificial term used for the
slaughtering of the animals for sacrifice. The emphasis seems to be on the fact they
were not just killed, but slaughtered. These martyred saints are in heaven, with no
sinful natures and in God’s presence. They are seen crying out for justice but this is
not a cry for revenge, but for God’s justice and righteousness to prevail on earth
against the sin and the atrocities of man in rebellion to God. As in the disciples’
prayer, “Your kingdom come,” they are praying for the Second Advent which
ushers in millennial reign of Christ.
The martyrs are each given a “white robe” to symbolize their fully redeemed
state and the gift of righteousness by Jesus Christ.
The Lord Jesus Christ’s prophecy in His Olivet Discourse of the martyrdom of
believers during the last three and a half years of Daniel’s seventieth week
recorded in Matthew 24:9-10 and 16-22 parallels the fifth seal judgment recorded
in Revelation 6:9-11.
The sixth seal judgment is recorded in Revelation 6:12-17.
Revelation 6:12 I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a
great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and
the whole moon became like blood 13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth,
as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. 14 The sky was
split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island
were moved out of their places. 15 Then the kings of the earth and the great
men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and
free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains 16
and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from
the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb
17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”
(NASB95)
The breaking of the sixth seal judgment results in a tremendous earthquake that
will rock the entire world (Compare Luke 21:11). It will also result in the
darkening of the sun (Compare Isaiah 13:10; Ezekiel 32:7-8; Joel 2:10, 31; Amos
8:9; Matthew 24:29; Mark 13:24-25; Luke 21:25). The moon will also turn red
(Compare Joel 2:31; Acts 2:20) and there will be an enormous disturbance in the
stellar universe so that there will great meteor showers.
The sixth seal results in the direct intervention of the Creator upsetting the
normal order of His creation. The Lord used human agencies in the first five
judgments but with the sixth, He intervenes Himself.
The nature and effect of this judgment is such that it causes all of mankind from
kings to slaves to recognize that God the Creator is acting in human history in
righteous indignation. This enormous cosmic disturbance that is the result of the
breaking of the sixth seal is a direct intervention of God in history.
Revelation 6:12-17 emphasizes that men see it as the direct hand and action of
God. When the sixth seal occurs God shakes the universe like a rag doll and all the
world will know without a doubt not only that there is a God, but that He is acting
catastrophically in righteous indignation against man’s rebellion. This judgment
affects the creation, which from the beginning of time has manifested God’s divine
nature and is evidence of His existence. However, mankind has rejected creation as
evidence of God’s existence and has attributed creation to evolution (Rom.
1:19-22).
The Lord Jesus Christ’s prophecy in His Olivet Discourse of great disturbances
in the stellar universe during the last three and a half years of Daniel’s Seventieth
Week recorded in Matthew 24:29 parallels the sixth seal judgment recorded in
Revelation 6:12-14.
Our Lord’s prophecy in His Olivet Discourse of God’s judgment upon the
inhabitants of the earth at the end of Daniel’s Seventieth Week recorded in
Matthew 24:32-25:26 parallels the sixth seal judgment recorded in Revelation
6:15-17.
The sixth seal is now over on earth and silence in heaven follows for about a
half an hour according to Revelation 8:1. However, then suddenly a new wave of
judgments will begin to be poured out upon the earth, which are called the “seven
trumpet” judgments (8:1f).
Revelation chapter seven is parenthetic and does not carry the chronological
sequence forward, but adds some important details regarding the saved of the
Tribulation, many of whom are martyred. Revelation 8:2-5 records the Lamb of
God, the Lord Jesus Christ breaking the seventh seal, which results in silence in
heaven for about half an hour and the introduction of the seven trumpets
judgments.
Revelation 8:1 When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in
heaven for about half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before
God, and seven trumpets were given to them. 3 Another angel came and stood
at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so
that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which
was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the
saints, went up before God out of the angel's hand. 5 Then the angel took the
censer and filled it with the fire of the altar, and threw it to the earth; and
there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an
earthquake. (NASB95)
Trumpets play a major role in God's dealings with His people (cf. Exod. 19:16;
20:18; Isa. 27:13; Jer. 4:5; Joel 2:1; Zeph. 1:16; Matt. 24:31; 1 Cor. 15:51-52; 1
Thess. 4:16). The blowing of the trumpet was significant in Israel. They were part
of her ceremonial processions (e.g., Josh. 6:4, 13-16; 1 Kings 1:34, 39; 1 Chron.
15:24).
Trumpets were used to assemble the Israelites for war, journeys, and special
feasts (e.g., Num. 10:9-10). They also warned of the coming day of the Lord (e.g.,
Joel 2:1), and they announced the new year in Israel (e.g., Num. 29:1). Here they
announce divine judgment in the day of the Lord (cf. Zech. 1:14-16).
The seven trumpets mentioned in Revelation chapter 8 are all related to the
nation of Israel during Daniel’s seventieth week. Trumpets are never used in
Scripture in relation to the church but rather Israel. The trumpet mentioned in 1
Thessalonians 4:16 is used to sound the alarm to Israel that the worst period of her
history, the Great Tribulation period is about to begin.
The apostle Paul indicates that at the rapture of the church, the trumpet will
blow marking the beginning of God’s dealing once again with the nation of Israel
and in particular giving to Daniel’s seventieth week. These seven trumpet
judgments are administered by seven elect-angels.
Revelation 8:2-9:21; 11:15-19-The Seven Trumpet Judgments
The breaking the seventh seal results in the introduction of the seven trumpet
judgments, which will take place during the last three and a half years of Daniel’s
seventieth week, which are recorded in Revelation 8:2-9:21, 11:15-19. With the
breaking of the seven seals, we have the first portion of God’s judgment program
with the sounding of the seven trumpet judgments we have the second portion of
this program.
Revelation 8:1When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in
heaven for about half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before
God, and seven trumpets were given to them. 3 Another angel came and stood
at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so
that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which
was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the
saints, went up before God out of the angel's hand. 5 Then the angel took the
censer and filled it with the fire of the altar, and threw it to the earth; and
there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an
earthquake. (NASB95)
In Revelation 8:2, the trumpets are used to announce divine judgment, which
signify the judgments of the day of the Lord and precede the Second Advent of
Christ and the establishment of His millennial reign (cf. Zech. 1:14-16).
Joel 2:1 “Blow a trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm on My holy
mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the
LORD is coming; Surely it is near.” (NASB95)
Revelation 8:1-5 indicates quite clearly that the seven trumpet judgments
proceed out of the seventh seal judgment.
The word for “trumpet” in Revelation 8:2 is the noun salpinx (savlpigc). The
origin of the trumpet seems to be Oriental based on drawings found on the Mari
Temple, which date to 2700 B.C. The trumpet was made from a number of
materials including bone, shell, bronze, iron or copper. Its limited range in that had
only two or three notes, suggests it was not used as a musical instrument or in
conjunction with other instruments. Rather its use was limited to that of signals
such as military signals or as a signal to call a civic or religious assembly or to call
sheep (Friedrich, “salpinx” Kittel’s Theological Dictionary of the New Testament
volume 7, pages 73-76).
The Hebrews used two major kinds of trumpets. The shophar, made originally
from a curved ram’s horn, was blown at Sinai to signal Israel to approach the Lord
(Exodus 19:16). It also announced the arrival of the new moon and the new year
(Psalm 81:3 [LXX Psalm 80:3]) and the enthronement of a new king (1 Kings 1:34
[LXX 2 Kings 1:34]; 2 Kings 9:13 [LXX 4 Kings 9:13]). This trumpet was also
sounded in the temple to accompany the expression of worship of the Lord (Psalm
98:6 [LXX Psalm 97:6]). It was used in a military sense in signaling Israel to war
(Judges 3:27; 2 Samuel 20:1 [LXX 2 Kings 20:1]) and was instrumental in
Joshua’s victory at Jericho (Joshua 6) and in Gideon’s victory over the Midianites
(Judges 7).
Shophar was used in a figurative sense for the prophet of God since he was
God’s instrument to signal Israel to worship and warn of danger (Ezekiel 33:3-6;
Isaiah 58:1; Jeremiah 6:17). Then, the Hebrews used the chatsotsrah, which was a
tube of straight narrow bore, often made of metal (2 Kings 11:14 [LXX 2 Kings
11:4]; 2 Chronicles 23:13; 2 Samuel 6:15 [LXX 2 Kings 6:15]; 1 Chronicles 13:8).
It produced two or three pitches and was used primarily for religious purposes.
Then, there was the yovel, which means, “ram” and gave its name to both an
instrument and to a year whose beginning it signaled, Jubilee.
Trumpets were used by Israel on all their national occasions: for assembly to
battle, public assembly, to signal important events of the calendar year and almost
any important occasion. Numbers 10 gives us information regarding the sounding
of trumpets in Israel.
In Revelation 8 and 9 and 11:15-19, the seven trumpets blown by elect angels
symbolize the announcement of judgment and the number seven signifies the
completeness or perfect accomplishment of these judgments.
In Revelation 8, an elect angel is an instrument used by the God to execute
judgments (Rev. 7:1; 8:2).
The seven trumpets mentioned in Revelation chapters 8 and 9 and 11:15-19 are all
related to the nation of Israel during Daniel’s Seventieth Week and have no
connection whatsoever to the church.
Some expositors have tried to associate the “trumpet of God” in 1
Thessalonians 4:16 and the “last trumpet” in 1 Corinthians 15:52 with the last or
seventh trumpet of the Tribulation and with the trumpet of Matthew 24:31. By
doing this, they attempt to put the rapture either in the Tribulation or at its end,
when the Lord returns to earth.
1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with
a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the
dead in Christ will rise first. (NASB95)
1 Corinthians 15:51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but
we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last
trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable,
and we will be changed. (NASB95)
In both of these passages, this trumpet is followed by the resurrection of the
church, i.e. the rapture. There are obvious differences that exist between the
“trumpet of God” in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and the “last trumpet” in 1
Corinthians 15:52 and the last or seventh trumpet of the Tribulation in Revelation
8:7f. and with the “great trumpet” of Matthew 24:31.
The trumpet in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and 1 Corinthians 15:22 should not be
equated with Joel 2:1 or with Revelation 8:7f since there are many differences
between them. In 1 Corinthians 15:22 the trumpeter is not stated whereas the
trumpet in Matthew 24:31 and the trumpets of Revelation 8 are blown by angels. In
1 Thessalonians 4:16 the trumpeter is Christ whereas the trumpet in Joel is a
human being, an Israelite.
The purpose of the “great trumpet” in Matthew 24:31 is to have the elect
angels gather the living elect on the earth whereas the purpose of 1 Corinthians
15:52 is to gather the living church age believers. With the blowing of the trumpet
in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, Christ Himself and not the elect angels gathers living
church age believers to Himself whereas in Revelation purpose of the blowing of
the trumpet by angels to execute judgment during the last three and a half years of
Daniel’s seventieth week.
The purpose of the trumpet in Joel 2:1 to assemble Israel and warn them against
danger. The trumpet in Joel is an alarm to the nation of Israel that signals that the
day of the Lord has begun. In Joel 2, the armies of Israel and her people are being
warned of an impending attack.
The result of the blowing of the “great trumpet” in Matthew 24:31 results in
entrance into the kingdom or millennial kingdom of Christ whereas the result of
the blowing of the trumpet in 1 Corinthians 15:52 is the resurrection of church age
believers.
The result of the blowing of the trumpet of God in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 is also
the resurrection of church age believers whereas the result of the blowing of the
trumpets by elect angels in Revelation 8 is the execution of judgments during the
last three and a half years of Daniel’s seventieth week.
The result of the blowing of the trumpet in Joel 2 is war and an invasion from
an enemy.
Therefore, because of these obvious differences between these trumpets, the
trumpets of Revelation 8 and the “great trumpet” in Matthew 24:31 and the
trumpet of Joel 2:1 do not take place at the same time as the trumpets mentioned
by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:52 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16.
The “last trumpet” of 1 Corinthians 15:52 is thought by some expositors of the
Bible to be associated with the trumpet judgments that appear in Revelation 8.
Consequently, they place the rapture at the end of the Tribulation period, i.e.
Daniel’s seventieth week. However, a comparison of the differences between the
various trumpets mentioned in Revelation 8, Joel 2:1, Matthew 24:31, 1
Corinthians 15:52 and 1 Thessalonians 4:16, indicates quite clearly that the “last
trumpet” in 1 Corinthians 15:52 is the very voice of the Lord Jesus Christ calling
out the church in resurrection.
The “last trumpet” of 1 Corinthians 15:52 and the “trumpet of God” in 1
Thessalonians 4:16 both result in the resurrection of the church and the purpose of
both are to gather the church to Christ and they are not blown by elect angels.
Whereas, the trumpet judgments of Revelation 8 and the “great trumpet” in
Matthew 24:31 are blown by elect angels and the result of the former is the
execution of judgments during the Tribulation whereas the result of the latter is
entrance into Christ’s millennial kingdom.
Commenting on the meaning of the “last trumpet” in 1 Corinthians 15:52, J.
Hampton Keathley III, writes, “But what does the Apostle mean by “the Last
Trump”? Because of the adjective “last,” some seek to associate this with the
seventh or last trumpet of Revelation 8 and thus place the rapture at the end of the
Tribulation. But as the above comparison shows, this is a distinct signal, evidently
the very voice of the Lord Himself for the church. It is not blown by angels and is
not for the world. John Eadie, a well-known scholar who wrote at the end of the
1800s wrote: The phrase, ‘the last trump’ (1 Cor. XV, 52), is supposed … to imply
previous trumpets, at the last of which the Judge descends, while others identify it
with the seventh trumpet of the Apocalypse; but these notions, the second
especially, are exceedingly precarious—the phrase, ‘the last trump,’ being
apparently a popular one, and meaning the trumpet in connection with the End.
John Eaide, A Commentary on the Greek Text of the First Epistle of Paul to the
Thessalonians (Reprint by James and Klock Christian Publishing Co.,
Minneapolis, 1977), p. 165) Of course the issue is the end of what? Since this is
written to believers of the church age who are waiting for His imminent return, the
end is that of the church age, not of the end of the age of Israel, or of all things. In
the Old Testament, the blowing of the trumpet was used to accompany the
Theophanies, the manifestations of God, as in Exodus 19:16. There it signaled the
approach of the Lord at the giving of the Law. For the church this is the end and
involves the Christophany, the manifestation of Christ, but at the same time, it will
form the beginning of the end in that afterwards (how soon is not revealed), the
Tribulation will begin which will be culminated just seven years later by the mani-
festation of Christ’s parousia, His presence openly revealed to the world as He
descends with His church as described above.” (1 Thessalonians: An Exegetical
and Devotional Commentary, page 91; Biblical Studies Press, 1998)
Now, the blowing of the seven trumpets by elect angels are to be taken literally
and the signal literal judgments from God that will be executed upon the unsaved
inhabitants of planet earth. They are literal just like the judgments upon Egypt
were literal.

Dr. Thomas L. Constable commenting on the seven trumpet judgments, writes,
“These are the judgments that the angel ascending from the rising of the sun held
back until the bond-servants of God were sealed on their foreheads (7:3).
Therefore, they are more severe than the first six seal judgments. Their object is to
lead hostile unbelievers to repentance, but few will repent (9:20-21).” (Notes on
Revelation, page 84).
The first four trumpet judgments are separated from the last three in that the
latter are specifically called “woe” judgments. Revelation 8:6-7 records the first of
the seven trumpet judgments and is directed at the earth and results in a third of the
inhabitants of planet earth are killed.
Revelation 8:6 And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared
themselves to sound them. 7 The first sounded, and there came hail and fire,
mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth; and a third of the earth
was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green
grass was burned up. (NASB95)
The blowing of the first trumpet results in hail and fire being cast to the earth
mingled with blood. Consequently, a third of the earth is burned up meaning that
the trees and the grass are burned up as well as various crops of the earth like
wheat, barley, rice, and corn.
The destruction of pasture land would also devastate the meat and milk
industries. Of course, this would result in a devastating world-wide famine.
This first trumpet judgment reminds us of the seventh plague that God sent
against Egypt (Exodus 9:18-26).
The prophet Joel also predicted that “blood and fire” would take place during
the day of the Lord (Joel 2:30).
Revelation 8:8-9 records the second of the seven trumpet judgments and is
directed at the sea and results in a third of the sea becoming blood and a third of
aquatic life dying and a third of the ships being destroyed.
Revelation 8:8 The second angel sounded, and something like a great
mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; 9 and a third of the sea
became blood, and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life,
died; and a third of the ships were destroyed. (NASB95)
The statement “something like a great mountain with fire was thrown into
the sea” refers to an asteroid hitting one of the oceans on the earth since an
asteroid is literally a huge mountain hurling through space and when it hits the
earth’s atmosphere it would burn. This would result in tremendous earthquakes and
tsunamis bringing tremendous devastation to the earth.
Evidently sea life is killed by the change in the water and the ships are
destroyed by the impact of the burning object, probably by both the shock waves
and tidal waves, whatever the cause.
J. Hampton Keathley III makes this excellent comment on this second trumpet
judgment, he writes, “Let’s be careful to note exactly what this says and what it
does not say. It does not say that a great mountain, burning with fire was cast into
the sea. Rather, it says ‘Something like a great mountain…’ The object which is
cast into the sea is compared to a great burning mountain. It was a huge
mountain-like ball of fire which was cast into the sea. It is the perfect picture of
what we know today about asteroids. Asteroids are literally mountains hurling
through space. There is one family of asteroids called the Apollo group with an
orbit that crosses directly across the Earth. These asteroids are masses of rock
which vary in size from just a few miles to several hundred. ‘About 3,500 asteroids
have been cataloged, and more are discovered each year. Their orbits are generally
very elliptical, with one end closer to the sun than the other. The largest asteroid,
Ceres, is about 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) in diameter. Next in size are Pallas,
about 332 miles (534 kilometers); and Vesta, about 240 miles (386 kilometers)’
(Excerpted from Compton’s Interactive Encyclopedia. ©1994, 1995 Compton’s
NewMedia, Inc. All rights reserved). What would happen if even a small asteroid
struck the earth? First, as it entered our atmosphere, as with shooting stars, it would
begin to heat up and glow white with fire by friction. It would actually begin to
burn. Then, when it hit the sea (as this object will if this is something like an
asteroid) it would cause tidal waves and devastation for hundreds of miles. The
meteorite which fell in Siberia in 1908 devastated over 1,000 square miles. The
shock was felt as far away as Europe while trees up to 20 miles away were blown
down. Yet the 1908 meteorite was only about 200 feet across—a far cry from one
mile across!” (Studies in Revelation-Christ’s Victory Over The Forces Of
Darkness, page 98; Biblical Studies Press; www.bible.org; 1997)
Warren Wiersbe commenting on this second trumpet judgment writes, “As of
January 1, 1981 there were 24,867 ocean-going merchant ships registered. Imagine
the shock waves that would hit the shipping industry if 8,289 valuable ships were
suddenly destroyed! And what about their cargoes!” (The Bible Exposition
Commentary, volume 2, page 593; Victor Books)
Revelation 8:10-11 records the third of the seven trumpet judgments, which
involves a large star called “Wormwood” falling upon the rivers and springs of
water making them bitter.
Revelation 8:10 The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven,
burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of
waters. 11 The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third of the
waters became wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they
were made bitter. (NASB95)

This star enters the earth’s atmosphere and begins to burn and break up
affecting a very large area of land and especially the lakes, rivers and streams. This
will cause a chemical change making the waters bitter.
The star is called “wormwood.” The Bible teaches that God numbers His stars
and gives them names.
Isaiah 40:26 “Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars,
the One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name;
Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, not one
of them is missing.” (NASB95)
“Wormwood” was a type of wood growing in Palestine that had a very strong
and bitter taste. It is mentioned only seven times in the Old Testament where it
represents sorrow and bitter judgment (Deuteronomy 29:18; Proverbs 5:4;
Jeremiah 9:15; 23:15; Lamentations 3:15, 19; Amos 5:7).
In Revelation 8:11, the star is called “wormwood” because of the affect the star
has on the water. It makes the water like wormwood, i.e., bitter, but it appears that
while the wormwood in Palestine is not poisonous, this star will poison the water
because those who drink this water die. Thus one-third of the fresh water supply of
the Earth is made unfit for human consumption.
John Walvoord makes the following comment, he writes, “The reference to
wormwood seems to draw the parallel of the experience of the children of Israel at
the waters of Marah (Exodus 15:23-25). There the tree cast into the bitter waters
made them sweet. Here the wormwood cast into the sweet water made it bitter.
Such also is the contrast between Christ on the cross atoning for sin and making
that which is bitter sweet and Christ coming in judgment which turns the vain
hopes and ambitions of men into bitterness and despair. The result of this trumpet
is to inflict a divine judgment from God upon men themselves.” (The Revelation of
Jesus Christ, Moody Press, Chicago, 1966, page 155)
Warren Wiersbe commenting on the third trumpet judgment writes, “The
National Geographic Society lists about 100 principal rivers in the world, ranging
in length from the Amazon (4,000 miles long) to the Rio de la Plata (150 miles
long). The U.S. Geological Survey reports thirty large rivers in the United States,
beginning with the mighty Mississippi (3,710 miles long). One third of these rivers
and their sources, will become so bitterly polluted that drinking their water could
produce death.” (The Bible Exposition Commentary, volume 2, page 593; Victor
Books)
If ecologists are worried today about water pollution, what will they think when
this trumpet judgment takes place? Not only would people be affected by this in
that they would die if they drank the water but also fish and other creatures that
live in these waters will be adversely affected, not too mention the vegetation by
these rivers.
Revelation 8:12-13 records the fourth of the seven trumpet judgments that is
directed at the sun, moon and stars of the stellar universe, which results in a third
of them being darkened so that the day would not shine for a third of it and the
night in the same way.
Revelation 8:12 The fourth angel sounded, and a third of the sun and a
third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck, so that a third of them
would be darkened and the day would not shine for a third of it, and the night
in the same way. 13 Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in midheaven,
saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth,
because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are
about to sound!” (NASB95)
The first three trumpet judgments affected only a third part of the land and
various bodies of water on the earth. However, the fourth judgment will affect the
entire earth because this judgment is directed at the source of the earth’s life and
energy, namely, the sun. With one third less sunlight on the earth, there will be
obviously one third less energy available to support life systems of man and nature.
This judgment parallels the ninth plague executed against Egypt (Exodus 10:21-
23), which lasted three days.
There will be vast changes of temperature, which will affect human life and
food growth.
It is interesting that this fourth judgment affects the sun, moon and stellar
universe since it was on the fourth day that God created and made visible to the
Earth the sun, the moon and the stars (Genesis 1:14-19).
In Revelation 8:13, the triple “woe” announcement by the eagle indicates that
the remaining trumpet judgments will be far more severe in character than the
previous four.
As the ass spoke to Balaam, so this eagle, by the power of God, will speak from
heaven as it flies about the earth like a flying sound-truck giving warning of the
coming last three trumpets.
The first four trumpets seem to serve not only as judgments, but as warnings of
the last three trumpets since they are far worse. This is supported by the effects of
the fourth on the heavens which the Lord referred to as “great signs in the heavens”
(Luke 21:11), and by the warning of the eagle flying in heaven. Then, by the cry of
the eagle, “Woe, woe, woe,” these last three trumpets are designated as woes
because of their severity.
As bad as the first four will be, these last three will be even worse. It’s as if the
eagle is saying, “you think the last four judgments were rough, wait until you go
through the last three!”
Revelation 9:1-12 records the fifth of the seven trumpet judgments, which is the
first woe, and results in the release from prison of fallen angels who look like
locusts and are energized by Satan and are not permitted to kill men but only to
torment them.
Revelation 9:1 Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven
which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to
him. 2 He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the
smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the
smoke of the pit. 3 Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and
power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4 They were
told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but
only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 And they
were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their
torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man. 6 And in
those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and
death flees from them. 7 The appearance of the locusts was like horses
prepared for battle; and on their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, and
their faces were like the faces of men. 8 They had hair like the hair of women,
and their teeth were like the teeth of lions. 9 They had breastplates like
breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of
chariots, of many horses rushing to battle. 10 They have tails like scorpions,
and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men for five months. 11
They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is
Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon. 12 The first woe is
past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things. (NASB95)
In Revelation 9:1-2, John describes Satan as a fallen star who has been given by
God the key to the Abyss, which is a prison for fallen angels.
The “star from heaven which had fallen to the earth” is a symbolic reference
to Satan. There are several reasons that substantiate this interpretation.
First of all, the perfect tense of the verb pipto, “had fallen” is an “intensive”
perfect, which emphasizes the present state produced by a past action. It
emphasizes the present state of Satan that is the result of the past action of
rebelling against God (Ezekiel 28:12-19; Isaiah 14:12-14) and his being expelled
from heaven by Michael and the elect angels, which is recorded in Revelation 12.
That this star in Revelation 9:1 is not literal but symbolic for person is indicated
in that the star is called a “him,” which is the intensive personal pronoun autos. It
is correctly translated since it is describing a person.
Also, that this star is not a literal one but symbolic for a person is indicated in
that the star is seen performing the actions of personality. For example, he opens
the abyss (verse 2) which would indicate that the star is in charge of these creatures
of the abyss and somehow related to them. Also, the star is given the ascriptions
and appellatives of a person as seen in verse 11, which describes the star’s specific
relationship to the demonic creatures of the abyss. This star is not a literal one but
symbolic for a person because this star is spoken of not only as a person but also as
a king. Specifically, he is called the “angel of the Abyss,” and he is given the
names, “Abaddon” and “Apollyon.”
That the star of verse 1 is the king and angel of verse 11 seems clearly indicated
in that the mention of this fallen star in verse one would be meaningless unless he
is the personage who opens the pit. Unless this is the case, why call attention to a
fallen star.
Furthermore, the fact the star was given the key and authority to open the pit in
order to bring destruction on the world also fits with the names given to this angel
of the abyss.
Both names, “Abaddon” and “Apollyon,” mean “destruction,” which is
supported by the fact that, in Scripture, angels are called “stars” (Job 38:7). In fact,
Satan is specifically referred to as a star (cf. Isa. 14:12 with Luke 10:18). Other
Scriptures teach us that Satan is the ruler or king of the fallen angels since they are
viewed as under his authority (Matt. 12:24, 26; Eph. 2:2; Rev. 12:4, 7).
The locusts mentioned in connection with this fifth trumpet judgment are not
literal locusts but rather demons as indicated in that many of the fallen angels are
incarcerated at this point in history in the “bottomless pit” (translates the Greek
expression to phrear tes abussou, which means literally, “pit of the abyss”)
according to a comparison of Luke 8:31; Revelation 9:11, 11:7, 17:8, 20:1 and 3.
In fact, Satan during the millennial reign of Christ will be imprisoned in the
abyss according to Revelation 20:1 and 3.
The “Abyss” or “bottomless pit” is one of four compartments of Hades, which
is located underneath the earth: (1) Paradise: the place of the departed souls of
believers before the resurrection of Christ (Lk. 23:39-43; Eph. 4:8-9) who were
transferred to heaven after the resurrection of Christ (Eph. 4:10). (2) Torments: the
temporary fire for the souls of unbelievers from all dispensations (Lk. 16:19-31).
(3) Tartarus: the abode of the fallen angels of Genesis 6 who had sex with woman
in order to corrupt the human race and prevent the incarnation of the Son of God (1
Peter 3:18-22; 2 Peter 4; Jude 6). (4) The Abyss: the place of imprisonment for the
demons who violated certain rules for angelic creation and will be released during
the Tribulation (Lk. 8:30-31; Rom. 10:7; Rev. 20:1-3).
The fact that these locusts are not literal locusts but rather fallen angels is
indicated in that locusts do not have scorpionlike stings in their tails. Also, locusts
do not have a leader according to Proverbs 30:27 whereas in Revelation 9:11, John
describes these locusts as having a leader.
Furthermore, real locusts are destroyers but this army in Revelation 9:1-12 only
tortures those who are unbelievers. Also, notice that these demons are not called
scorpions, nor are we told that they look like scorpions, just that they have the
power (vs. 3), and torment (vs. 5) of a scorpion. This means they have the power to
cause tremendous pain, short of death, but extending for five months.
In Revelation 9:3-6, John records these demon armies attacking human beings
but they cannot kill anyone but only torment people.
Revelation 9:3 Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and
power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4 They were
told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but
only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 And they
were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their
torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man. 6 And in
those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and
death flees from them. (NASB95)
In Revelation 9:7-10, John describes the characteristics of this demon army.
Revelation 9:7 The appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for
battle; and on their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, and their faces
were like the faces of men. 8 They had hair like the hair of women, and their
teeth were like the teeth of lions. 9 They had breastplates like breastplates of
iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many
horses rushing to battle. 10 They have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in
their tails is their power to hurt men for five months. (NASB95)
In Revelation 9:11, John writes that these demons have a king over them and in
verse 12, there is the announcement of two more woes.
Revelation 9:11 They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his
name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon. 12
The first woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things.
(NASB95)
Revelation 9:13-21 records the sixth of the seven trumpet judgments, which is
the second woe.
Revelation 9:13 Then the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the
four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 one saying to the sixth
angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the
great river Euphrates.” 15 And the four angels, who had been prepared for
the hour and day and month and year, were released, so that they would kill a
third of mankind. 16 The number of the armies of the horsemen was two
hundred million; I heard the number of them. 17 And this is how I saw in the
vision the horses and those who sat on them: the riders had breastplates the
color of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone; and the heads of the horses are
like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceed fire and smoke and
brimstone. 18 A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the
fire and the smoke and the brimstone which proceeded out of their mouths. 19
For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails
are like serpents and have heads, and with them they do harm. 20 The rest of
mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of
their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver
and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor
walk; 21 and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of
their immorality nor of their thefts. (NASB95)
This judgment results in the release of four fallen angels bound under the
Euphrates river, which is located in southern Mesopotamia and rises in the
mountains of Armenia Major and flows through Assyria, Syria, Mesopotamia, and
the city of Babylon, from 1,700 to 1,800 miles into the Persian Gulf. It is by far the
longest and most important river of western Asia and was the natural boundary
separating the nations of the east from Palestine.
That these angels are non-elect is indicated in that elect angels are never bound.
John is describing a demon army numbered at 200 hundred million, which is
indicated in that they are led by four fallen angels who are bound at the Euphrates
River.
Many commentators believe that this massive army is a reference to the
Chinese because the Chinese claim that they can put an army of this size in the
field for battle. However, the description of this army makes clear that it is not that
of a human army or men who are Chinese.
Furthermore they are led by four fallen angels. This army is completely
different than the army led by the “kings of the east” mentioned in Revelation
16:12-16 since this army is related to the sixth bowl judgment whereas the army of
200 million of Revelation 9:16 is connected to the sixth trumpet judgment.
The fourth seal (Revelation 6:7-8) resulted in a fourth of the earth’s inhabitants
being killed whereas the sixth trumpet judgment results in a third of the remainder
being put to death. This means the earth’s total population is reduced by one-half
by these two judgments alone and these judgments do not account for all the deaths
that will occur. The other judgments also will result in widespread destruction of
human life.
As Walvoord says, “Never since Noah has such a substantial proportion of the
earth’s population come under God’s righteous judgment.” (The Revelation of
Jesus Christ, Moody Press, Chicago, 1966, page 165)
Revelation 9:17-19 describes this massive army and its tactics or method of
warfare, which indicate that this army is demonic rather than human. This passage
clearly indicates these are not ordinary horsemen or horses since this refers to a
demonic army.
Revelation 10-11:14 is parenthetical providing additional information as a
background to the seal, trumpet and bowl judgments.
Revelation 11:15-19 records the seventh and final trumpet judgment, which is
the third woe and results in the Second Advent of Christ.
voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom
of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” 16 And
the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces
and worshiped God, 17 saying, “We give You thanks, O Lord God, the
Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power
and have begun to reign. 18 And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath
came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward
Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your
name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.” 19
And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His
covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning and
sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm.
(NASB95)
The Second Advent is the visible return of Christ to planet earth with the elect
angels and the Church in order to save the nation of Israel from her enemies and
establish His millennial reign resulting in the fulfillment of the four unconditional
covenants to Israel. At that time, the Lord and His armies will orbit the earth before
landing on the Mount of Olives, which was the site of His ascension (Acts. 1:9-11).
Revelation 16-The Seven Bowl Judgments
The next aspect of the prophetic subject called “the Day of the Lord” that we
will study is the seven bowl judgments that will take place during the last three and
a half years of Daniel’s seventieth week, which are recorded in Revelation 16.
Chronologically, these seven bowl judgments follow the seven trumpet
judgments that are recorded in Revelation 8:1-9:21 and 11:15-19 and which will
follow the seven seal judgments that we noted last month in Revelation 6:1-17 and
8:1-5. These seven bowl judgments complete the third and final portion of God’s
program to exercise His wrath, i.e. righteous indignation during the last three and a
half years of Daniel’s Seventieth, which is also called by students of prophecy as
the “Great Tribulation.”
The trumpet judgments are very similar to the bowl judgments. For example, in
both, the first series deals with the earth (cf. 8:7 with 16:2). The second series deals
with the sea (cf. 8:8-9 with 16:3) while the third series deals with the rivers and
fountains of water (cf. 8:10-11 with 16:4). The fourth series deals with the sun (cf.
8:12 with 16:8) while the fifth series deals with darkness (cf. 8:12 with 16:10). The

sixth series deals with the Euphrates (cf. 9:13-14 with 16:12), and the seventh
series deals with lightnings, thunders, and earthquakes (cf. 11:19b with 16:17-21).
However, there are major differences between the two. For example, the first
four trumpets deal with only one-third of the earth while the bowl judgments are
universal in scope. Secondly, the bowl judgments are also much greater in intensity
as well as in degree of coverage and effect. They fall quickly as a liquid poured out
of a bowl and in rapid succession just like trip hammer blows. It is best, therefore,
to see the bowls as different from the trumpets judgments.
The seven bowl judgments cause the further hardening of the hearts of men
instead of humbling them. They have the same result on the world as the plagues
of Egypt had on Pharaoh. These plagues will reveal the total rebellion and
independence of the creature to his Creator. These judgments will result in anger
and blasphemy from the heart and mouths of unregenerate men rather than respect,
reverence and trust in Christ as Savior. They are hardening plagues which God
uses to His own glory (See Revelation 16:9, 11, 21). However, they will crush
man’s rebellion and remove the rebellious from the earth. The completion of this
will be accomplished by the return of Christ with His armies (Ezek. 20:38; Joel
3:2-17; Matt. 13:40-43; Rev. 19:11-21).
The seven bowl judgments will perfectly accomplish God’s righteous purposes
for the Seventieth Week of Daniel.
J. Hampton Keathley III commenting on this writes, “Here we have the last and
final judgments of the Tribulation, but they will also perfectly accomplish God’s
righteous purposes through this seven-year period. (1) As the time of Jacob’s
trouble. The Tribulation is first of all God’s discipline on the Jews for their willful
rejection of Christ as their Messiah and for their stubbornness. It will purge out the
rebels and cause the rest to turn to Christ (cf. Ezek. 20:33-44; Zech. 14:9-10). (2)
The Tribulation will bring God’s judgment on the Gentiles for anti-Semitism. It
will be a strong source of motivation for men to repent and turn to faith in Christ,
and judge the rest for their unbelief and rebellion. (3) As to Satan the Tribulation is
to demonstrate the true character and program of Satan as the source of sin, misery,
war and murder. (4) It will demonstrate to mankind as a whole (Jew and Gentile)
the true rebellion and spiritually corrupt nature of man and the depths to which he
will go when given the chance. Remember, at this time the restraint of the Holy
Spirit who is at work today through the church, the body of Christ, will have been
completely removed. The Tribulation, without this special restraint, will be a time
of unprecedented lawlessness and unrighteousness, which will demonstrate the
failure of man and how desperately he needs the Lord Jesus Christ. (5) As to God
and Christ it will demonstrate their absolute holiness, grace, faithfulness to their
promises, and that God is still on the throne and He is just in his decisions against
Satan and unbelieving man. So these last seven plagues will complete these
purposes as well as bring an end to the judgments (16:9-11, 13-14, 21).” (Studies
in Revelation-Christ’s Victory Over The Forces Of Darkness, pages 218-219;
The seven bowl judgments like the seven sealed judgments and seven trumpet
judgments are designed to vindicate the holiness of God and are by no means
vindictive, rather they are vindicative. They demonstrate the wrath of God or in
other words, His righteous indignation towards sin and rebellion.
God’s wrath is an expression of His holiness. “Wrath” in the Greek New
Testament is the noun orge, which refers to God’s attitude of “righteous
indignation” in response to any thought, word, or action of His moral rational
creatures, whether mankind and angels, that is opposed to His holiness and
manifests itself in actions that judge and punish the guilty.
The difference between righteous indignation and anger is that the former is
based upon concern for the holiness of God whereas the latter is emotional, selfish,
self-centered, vindictive and intent on harming another.
God’s righteous indignation is the legitimate anger towards evil and sin since
both are contrary to His holiness or perfect character and nature. In fact, God’s
righteous indignation expresses His holiness.
The holiness of God pertains to the absolute perfection of God’s character or
expressing the purity of His character or moral perfection and excellence and
means that God can have nothing to do with sin or sinners. He is totally separate
from sin and sinners unless a way can be found to constitute them holy and that
way has been provided based upon the merits of the impeccable Person and
Finished Work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross.
The presence of evil, sin and injustice is totally absent in the character of God,
thus God does not tolerate evil or sin because it is contrary to His character, i.e. His
inherent moral qualities, ethical standards and principles.
Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary defines “holiness” as “the
quality or state of being holy; sanctity” and they define “sanctity” as, “sacred or
hallowed character.”
One of the definitions that Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary
gives for the adjective “holy” is, “entitled to worship or profound religious
reverence because of divine character or origin or connection with God or
divinity.”
One of the definitions for the noun “character” that Webster’s New Universal
Unabridged Dictionary provides that applies to the context of our passage is the
following: “the aggregate of features and traits that form the apparent individual
nature of some person or thing.”

If we paraphrase these definitions, we would say that the God’s holiness refers
to “the aggregate (i.e. sum total) of perfect features and traits that form the divine
nature of God.”
Therefore, God’s holiness refers to the absolute perfection of His character,
expressing His purity of His character or moral perfection and excellence and
intolerance and opposition and rejection of sin and evil, thus God is totally separate
from sin and sinners. Thus, God’s holiness is related to all of His divine attributes
or in other words, it is simply the harmony of all His perfections or attributes.
Therefore, God’s wrath, which is in reality, righteous indignation is an expression
of His holiness, righteousness and love in opposition to sin and evil.
God’s wrath or righteous indignation is used of God’s settled opposition to and
displeasure against sin meaning that God’s holiness cannot and will not coexist
with sin in any form whatsoever. It is not the momentary, emotional, and often
uncontrolled anger to which human beings are prone and does not refer to an
explosive outburst but rather it refers to an inner, deep resentment that seethes and
smolders, often unnoticed by others as in the case of God’s wrath.
God hates sin so much and loves the sinner so much that He judged His Son
Jesus Christ for every sin in human history-past, present and future and provided
deliverance from sin through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.
The only way to avoid God’s righteous indignation is to believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ.
John 3:36 “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not
obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (NASB95)
Also, the seven bowl judgments, like the seven sealed judgments and seven
trumpet judgments demonstrate the omnipotence of God.
Now, Revelation chapter 15 is introductory or a prelude, preparing the reader
for the execution of the seven bowl judgments described in chapter 16. It is similar
to Revelation 8:1 in that it prepares the reader for the next set of judgments, the
seven bowls. It prepares for the resumption of the chronological progression of
events on earth that ended temporarily in Revelation 11:19 with the seventh
trumpet judgment.
In chapter 15, the seven bowl judgments are first described as the seven last
plagues and then as seven bowls full of the wrath of God (Revelation 15:7; 16:1).
These seven plagues will chronologically bring to an end the ordered events of the
judgments during the last three and a half years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week in a
dramatic crescendo.
Remember, the seven plagues and seven bowls used in Revelation 15 refer to
the same judgments. The use of different terms is designed to display the different
aspects and character of these last judgments. They are plague-like calamities, and

each is poured out suddenly, all at once as the contents of a bowl when it is turned
over.
Now, chronologically speaking, John under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit
gives a graphic description of six seals (6:1-17), but the seventh (8:1) is never
described. We are only told that when it is broken, there is silence in heaven (8:1).
The implication is that the seven trumpets come out of the seventh seal and
actually express the content of the seventh seal (8:1-9:21; 11:15-19).
This seventh trumpet takes us up to the return of Christ and includes within its
judgments the events of the seven last plagues or bowls of chapters 15 and 16,
which occur rapidly at the end. The final great event is the Second Advent of the
Lord Jesus Christ in glory (Revelation 19:11-21).
Also, we must remember that Revelation 10:1-11:4; 13-14; and 17:1-19:10 are
interludes or parenthetical in that they do not advance the Tribulation events
chronologically. They simply fill in the picture of the Tribulation giving important
details about key personages, events and concepts.
Revelation 15:1 Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous,
seven angels who had seven plagues, which are the last, because in them the
wrath of God is finished. 2 And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with
fire, and those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the
number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God. 3 And
they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the
Lamb, saying, “Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the
Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations! 4 Who will
not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy; For ALL
THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE YOU, FOR YOUR
RIGHTEOUS ACTS HAVE BEEN REVEALED.” 5 After these things I
looked, and the temple of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven was opened, 6
and the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple,
clothed in linen, clean and bright, and girded around their chests with golden
sashes. 7 Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven
golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. 8 And the
temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power; and
no one was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels
were finished. (NASB95)
Again as was the case with the seven trumpet judgments, elect angels are used
to execute the seven bowl judgments.
Now, in Revelation 16, the apostle John employs the adjective megas
(mevga$), “great” eleven times (1, 9, 12, 14, 17, 18 twice, 19 twice, 21 twice).
In verse 1, it is used to describe the voice from the temple that issues the orders
to the elect angels to execute the seven bowl judgments as “great” or “loud.” In
verse 9, it is used to describe heat proceeding from the sun after the fourth bowl
judgment. In verse 12, it is used in relation to the sixth bowl judgment and to
describe the Euphrates River.
The word appears in verse 14 in relation to the sixth bowl judgment and to
describe the day of God Almighty and the battle of Armageddon. It is used in
relation to the seventh bowl judgment in verse 17 and describes the voice again
coming from the temple of God in heaven. The word appears twice in verse 18 to
describe the earthquake that will be the result of the seventh bowl judgment. It
again appears twice in verse 19 to describe the city of Babylon and is also used in
relation to the seventh bowl. Lastly, the word appears twice in verse 21 to describe
the hail that will fall upon the earth as a result of the seventh bowl judgment.
The frequent use of megas in Revelation 16 in connection with the seven bowl
judgments indicates the unusual severity and intensity of these judgments.
Revelation 16:1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple, saying to the
seven angels, “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of
God.” (NASB95)
The “loud voice from the temple” is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself since no
one else will be allowed to enter the temple until the bowl judgments have all been
executed. Also, the word order emphasizes the power and authority of the voice.
Furthermore, if you recall, in Revelation 5, we saw that the Lamb, the Lord
Jesus Christ was the only one in heaven and on earth who was worthy to open the
seven sealed scroll, which is the title deed to planet earth. The Lord Jesus Christ
was the only one in heaven and earth who was worthy to break the seven sealed
scroll, which resulted in the execution of judgments upon the unsaved inhabitants
of planet earth.
Now, the seventh seal introduces the seven trumpet judgments and they are
followed by the seven bowl judgments. Thus, since these three categories of divine
judgment are interconnected with each other and since Christ began the execution
of these judgments by breaking the seven sealed scroll, we can infer that Christ’s
voice is the one speaking to the seven elect angels in Revelation 16:1.
Furthermore, Revelation 15 records the preparation of the seven bowl
judgments and the elect angels singing the praises of the Lamb, who is the Lord
Jesus Christ. Thus, we can see that the voice from heaven in Revelation 16:1
speaking to the elect angels and instructing them to execute the seven bowl
judgment is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
The first bowl judgment is recorded in Revelation 16:2 and is directed at those
unsaved inhabitants of the earth who received the mark of the beast, i.e. the
Antichrist and who worship his image. Therefore, this indicates that the bowl
judgments take place during the last half of Daniel’s seventieth week since
Antichrist will not order everyone on earth to receive this mark until after he
proclaims himself God and demands the worship of the world as world-ruler,
which takes place in the middle of Daniel’s seventieth week (See Revelation
13:11-18).
Revelation 16:2 So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the
earth; and it became a loathsome and malignant sore on the people who had
the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image. (NASB95)
This bowl judgment is reminiscent of the sixth plague in Egypt (Exodus 9:8-12;
note also Deuteronomy 28:27, 35). The second bowl judgment is recorded in
Revelation 16:3 and is directed at the sea as was the case with the second trumpet
judgment in Revelation 8:8.
Revelation 16:3 The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it
became blood like that of a dead man; and every living thing in the sea died.
(NASB95)
The third bowl judgment is recorded in Revelation 16:4-6 and is directed at the
inland waters such as rivers and fountains.
Revelation 16:4 Then the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers
and the springs of waters; and they became blood. (NASB95)
The second and third bowl judgments parallel the first plague in Egypt (Exodus
7:14-25). The second bowl judgment centers upon the oceans while the third
focuses upon the rivers of the world turning them into blood.
When the second trumpet judgment took place, a third part of the sea became
blood. However, with the second bowl judgment the entire system of seas and
oceans will be polluted.
The third trumpet makes a third part of the inland waters bitter as wormwood.
However, the third bowl judgment will turn all bitter inland waters in the world
into blood.
Therefore, since water is essential in order to sustain human life, these two
judgments demonstrate that there is no life in following the Devil and Antichrist.
The second and third bowl judgments results in a global catastrophe.
Under the second trumpet one-third was affected, but now, in keeping with the
nature of this judgment, the rest of the sea and marine life is struck. It will wreck
fishing and it is bound to affect ocean navigation, transportation and shipping. The
fresh water supply on the earth will be destroyed.
In Revelation 16:5-7, an elect angel proclaims the vindication of these
judgments upon a Christ rejecting world.
Revelation 16:5 And I heard the angel of the waters saying, “Righteous are
You, who are and who were, O Holy One, because You judged these things 6
for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given
them blood to drink. They deserve it.” 7 And I heard the altar saying, “Yes, O
Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.” (NASB95)
The fourth bowl judgment is recorded in Revelation 16:8-9 and is directed at
the sun. The blowing of the fourth trumpet judgment dealt with a third part of the
stellar universe resulting in the darkening of a third part of the day and of the night.
However, in contrast to this, the fourth bowl judgment is directed only at the sun
and increases the sun’s intensity and does not decrease it as was the case with the
fourth trumpet judgment.
Revelation 16:8 The fourth angel poured out his bowl upon the sun, and it
was given to it to scorch men with fire. 9 Men were scorched with fierce heat;
and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues,
and they did not repent so as to give Him glory. (NASB95)
The fifth bowl judgment is recorded in Revelation 16:10-11 and like the fifth
trumpet judgment, it results in darkness, which is reminiscent of the ninth plague
of Egypt (Exodus 10:21-23).
Revelation 16:10 Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of
the beast, and his kingdom became darkened; and they gnawed their tongues
because of pain, 11 and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their
pains and their sores; and they did not repent of their deeds. (NASB95)
This fifth bowl judgment is executed against the Antichrist’s center of power,
which anticipates the destruction of his kingdom. Again, these unregenerate
individuals refuse to repent and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior.
J. Hampton Keathley III makes an excellent commenting regarding the fifth
bowl judgment, he writes, “First, we are told the bowl is poured out ‘upon the
throne of the beast.’ The Greek construction of this phrase (the preposition epi with
the accusative case) refers to motion in a direction which completely attains its
goal. Regardless of his apparent power, he will not be able to escape God’s
judgment. Second, the beast refers to a person as well as to a political system,
therefore, his throne is a definite place. I believe it will be rebuilt Babylon on the
Euphrates River, the ancient capital of Satan’s wickedness in the land of Shinar
(Zech. 5:5-10). This is the land beast of Revelation 13 who will receive his power
from Satan and who will become the object of man’s worship. Men will marvel at
the beast and proclaim ‘who is like the beast, and who is able to make war with
him’ (Rev. 13:4). Remember, he will be seen as the solution to the world, the
answer to mankind, the hope of the world. Due to world conditions on every front
and in every area of the globe, things will look hopeless. People will be in despair
or certainly very fearful prior to the Tribulation. For the varied problems of the
world, man will have turned to a variety of sources looking for hope. These will
come in many forms and sizes. There will be the false prophets of modern science,
scholarship and research, false religions, the occult, the cults, false prophets like
Mr. Moon, the new world views, social ideologies and finally, the world will look
for answers in some new and great world leader whether political, religious, or
both. Such a man will come, but he will be ‘the man of lawlessness’ and ‘the son
of perdition who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called
god…displaying himself as God’ (2 Thess. 3 and 4). He will also be ‘the one
whose coming (his historical ascendancy to power) is in accord with the activity of
Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders’ (2 Thess. 2:9). Now suddenly at
this point in the Tribulation, like a bowl poured out, a judgment of darkness is
poured out on the beast’s throne, the very place of his rule, and neither Satan nor
this man can alleviate this judgment. This will clearly illustrate that there is only
one hope, the Eternal God and Creator, the Lord Jesus Christ whom the world has
by-in-large rejected; the One who alone is the Light of the world. What irony
strikes here (John 1:3-5, 9-11)! This judgment also anticipates the doom and
eternal prospects of the beast and his subjects; they will be cast into outer darkness
because they have turned away from the true Light of the world. The first effect is
seen in ‘his kingdom became darkened.’ The verb ‘became’ in the Greek text
suggests suddenly. It looks at the sudden envelopment of the throne of the beast in
total darkness. Of course, we are reminded of the ‘thick darkness’ in Egypt which
was so thick it could be felt (Exodus 10:21). ‘Darkened’ is an intensive perfect
which stresses the existing results of the blackout over the earth. Since the beast
rules practically the entire world, and since these are the last plagues of the
Tribulation which complete the wrath of God to establish God’s rule on earth, this
darkness is undoubtedly world-wide. As you read this, do not lose sight of the fact
that this is a brief forecast of the outer darkness, pain, and torment that men will
face in the lake of fire (Matt. 5:30; 22:13; 8:12). It is a literal taste of hell. But it is
also designed to symbolize the nature of the beast and his kingdom, his power, and
Satan who gives him his power. It is a kingdom of great darkness (Col. 1:13a; 2
Cor. 4:4; 11:13-15). The second effect: ‘And they gnawed their tongues because of
the pain.’ We have in this an accumulated effect of the preceding bowls, the sores,
the seas smitten, the fresh water turned into blood, the scorching of the sun, and
now total darkness. Men are shut up in their quarters with their sores and pain and
there is no alleviation, no hope—only constant torment. Literally the Greek says
‘they kept on gnawing their tongues out of agony.’ Here is a graphic picture of the
most intense and excruciating agony and pain, and a pain that cannot be alleviated.
In 9:21 the word ‘sorceries’ is the Greek pharmakeia from pharmakeuo„ ‘to
administer drugs.’ In connection with the witchcraft of that day there will be
widespread use of drugs. Nearly everyone will have access to drugs to deaden their
pain. But even this will have no effect to relieve their pain. The third and final
effect: ‘And they blasphemed the God of heaven…and they did not repent of their
deeds’ (vs. 11). In these words we are clearly told that the world will be conscious
that the ‘God of heaven’ is the source of these judgments. There will, at this time,
be no more atheists or agnostics. All men will know, like the demons, that God
exists, but they remain stubborn in their rebellion. Oh, the hardness and
stubbornness of the human heart! These verses clearly refute the idea of a final
universal salvation of all men who will finally repent when faced with God’s
judgment.” (Studies in Revelation-Christ’s Victory Over The Forces Of Darkness,
pages 226-227; Biblical Studies Press; www.bible.org; 1997)
The sixth bowl judgment is recorded in Revelation 16:12-16 and is directed at
the Euphrates river in Iraq and dries it up. This river is located in southern
Mesopotamia and rises in the mountains of Armenia Major and flows through
Assyria, Syria, Mesopotamia, and the city of Babylon, from 1,700 to 1,800 miles
into the Persian Gulf. It is by far the longest and most important river of western
Asia and was the natural boundary separating the nations of the east from
Palestine.
The Euphrates is mentioned in Revelation 9:14 when the sixth trumpet was
sounded resulting in the release of the fourth non-elect angels and a massive
demonic army. This river formed the Eastern boundary of ancient Rome and its
conquests and it also forms the Eastern boundary of the land as promised to
Abraham (cf. Gen. 15:18; Deut. 1:7; 11:24; Josh. 1:4). Both David and Solomon
extended their authority to the Euphrates (1 Kings 4:21; 1 Chron. 18:3; 2 Chron.
9:26).
The purpose of this sixth bowl judgment is to prepare the way for the invasion
of Israel by the kings from the east to do battle with the armies of the Antichrist so
that God might bring them into judgment at Armageddon.
Revelation 16:12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river,
the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, so that the way would be prepared
for the kings from the east. 13 And I saw coming out of the mouth of the
dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false
prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs 14 for they are spirits of demons,
performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them
together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. 15 (“Behold, I am
coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes,
so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.”) 16 And
they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-
Magedon. (NASB95)
“The kings from the east” in the original Greek text is literally “the kings from
the rising sun.” This is a poetical expression signifying the kings from where the
sun rises, as China, Japan, India, Persia, and Afghanistan.
So here we see God’s divine activity; God acting in His sovereignty using the
wrath and rebellion of Satan and man to carry out his own purposes. Knowing the
mind of Satan and man, the Lord will dry up this natural barrier to an invasion of
the land of Palestine.
The word “war” in Revelation 16:14 is the Greek word polemos (povlemo$),
which signifies a war, an entire campaign and not merely one isolated conflict or
battle. This indicates that this conflict described in Revelation 16:14 is a major war
as in World War II. Thus, assuming it is the next world war, John is describing
World War III, which will extend over the entire last half of Daniel’s Seventieth
Week and will involve several phases or invasions of Palestine and conflicts. This
will finally culminate in the gathering of all nations at the very end of the
Tribulation at Har-Magedon.
Ezekiel 38; Daniel 11:40-45; Zechariah 14:1-3 and Joel 3:1-17 all describe
these military events that will culminate in the Second Advent of the Lord Jesus
Christ.
“Har-Magedon” is the name Armageddon, which is a Greek transliteration of
two Hebrew words, har and Megiddo, “the hill of Megiddo.”
The word Megiddo means “place of troops or “place of slaughter.” It is also
called the Plain of Esdraelon and the Valley of Jezreel. The area is about fourteen
miles wide and twenty miles long and forms what Napoleon called “the most
natural battlefield of the whole earth.”
John Walvoord makes the following comment, he writes, “There has been
considerable discussion concerning the meaning of the term ‘Armageddon,’ taken
by some to mean ‘Mount of Slaughter.’ Geographically, it relates to the Mount of
Megiddo located adjacent to the plain of Megiddo to the west and the large plain of
Esdraelon to the northeast. Megiddo is the Hebrew word corresponding to the
Greek word Armageddon. This area was the scene of many of the great battles of
the Old Testament such as that of Barak and the Canaanites in Judges 4 and the
victory of Gideon over the Midianites in Judges 7. Here also occurred the deaths of
Saul and Josiah. The area, though it is a large one, is not sufficient for the armies
of all the world, though the valley of Esdraelon is fourteen miles wide and twenty
miles long. What this Scripture seems to indicate is that this area is the central
point for the military conflict which ensues. Actually the armies are deployed over
a 200-mile area up and down from this central location (cf. 14:20). At the time of
the second coming, some of the armies are in Jerusalem itself (Zech. 14:1—3).”
(The Revelation of Jesus Christ, Moody Press, Chicago, 1966, page 155)
Titus and the Roman army used this natural corridor and so did the Crusaders in
the Middle Ages. In recent history, the British General Allenby used it when he
defeated the Turkish armies in 1917.
The battle of Armageddon appears to be the result of the armies of the nations
of the earth gathering on their own initiative, which is true. However, this is
according to God’s plan from eternity past. Satan, Antichrist and the false prophet,
the Satanic trinity, through demonic powers, will influence the nations and cause
their rulers to assemble their armies for battle. This assembling of the world’s
armies for World War III is designed by God to bring an end to Satan’s rule of
planet earth and to establish His Son’s millennial reign.
Zechariah 12 and 14 describes this war from Israel’s perspective. Revelation 19
records the outcome of this war.
The seventh and final bowl judgment is recorded in Revelation 16:17-21 and is
poured out into the earth’s atmosphere resulting in an unprecedented earthquake,
the greatest to ever take place on the earth since man has been on it. As in the case
of the final seal judgment and seventh and final trumpet judgment the seventh and
final bowl judgment is introduced by the sound of voices, peals of thunder,
lightening and a great earthquake. This massive world-wide earthquake will reduce
the cities of the Gentiles to rubble and change the topography of the earth and will
also result in tremendous tsunamis.
Also, the city of Babylon will be split into three parts as a result of this
earthquake. Some interpret this city to be Jerusalem. However, Revelation 16:19
makes clear that this city will be Babylon since the cup of the wine of God’s fierce
wrath is poured out on this city. This city of Babylon located on the Euphrates
River will be rebuilt and will be the capital of the final world government.
Revelation 16:17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air,
and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, “It is done.”
18 And there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and
there was a great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to
be upon the earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty. 19 The great
city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the
great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His
fierce wrath. 20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not
found. 21 And huge hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, came down
from heaven upon men; and men blasphemed God because of the plague of
the hail, because its plague was extremely severe. (NASB95)
The supernaturally formed huge hailstones that will weigh one hundred pounds
each will destroy anything left standing from the earthquake and would no doubt
kill or seriously injure those they hit. Again, instead of this judgment leading to
repentance and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior, the unsaved continue to blaspheme
the person of God instead.
This seventh bowl judgment is reminiscent of the seventh plague in Egypt
(Exodus 9:22-26). Just as Pharaoh and the Egyptian leaders refuse to humble
themselves before the Lord and trust in Him, so the unsaved inhabitants of the
earth during this seventh bowl judgment will do the same.
This seventh bowl judgment, which results in this unprecedented, massive
world-wide earthquake completes God’s judgment program for the final three and
a half years of Daniel’s seventieth week and will result in the Second Advent of
Christ. Satan’s masterpiece, his world-wide system is destroyed, reduced to rubble
as a result of these seven bowl judgments.
Revelation 17-The Antichrist Destroys World-Wide Apostate Church
During the last three and a half years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week before
Christ’s Second Advent, both religious and political, commercial Babylon will be
destroyed.
Revelation 17 records the destruction of religious Babylon, while on the other
hand, Revelation 18 describes the destruction of political and commercial Babylon
as it is embodied in the city of Babylon, the headquarters of Antichrist. Revelation
17 describes Babylon in its mystery form, as a religious system or spirit of false
worship whereas Revelation 18 describes Babylon as a political and commercial
system embodied in a city, the city of Babylon of the future.
This system will have its tentacles in every part of the world where there is any
kind of religion at all, apostate Christendom (the Roman Catholic Church, the
Greek Orthodox Church, Protestant unbelieving churches), the Jewish religion, and
the cults. These will all come together in one great ecumenical movement, a super
world religion, and the Antichrist will use this to extend his authority and power
throughout Europe, parts of Africa and perhaps the Americas.
This apostate religious system originated in ancient Babylon of the Old
Testament whose origins were at the Tower of Babel rebellion led by Nimrod
Ancient Babylon began with Nimrod and the Tower of Babel rebellion and was
located in modern Iraq, about twenty miles south of Baghdad, near the modern city
of Hilla, on the Euphrates River, south of where the Tigris and Euphrates
approach. Babel was the seat of Satan’s ancient counterfeit strategy to destroy and
corrupt the knowledge of God as well as God’s plan of salvation as anticipated in
Genesis 3:15. It was accomplished by Nimrod’s political, commercial, and
international system as demonstrated in the tower of Babel and by the mother-child
cult instituted by Nimrod’s wife, Semiramis.
In the Babylonian religion, Nimrod died and became the sun god and his wife
Semiramis was impregnated by a sunbeam and gives birth to her son Tammuz (a
counterfeit miraculous birth) who was later killed by a wild boar. However, after
Semiramis cries for 40 days, Tammuz comes back to life again, which is a
counterfeit of the resurrection.
During the Babylonian captivity Jeremiah condemned Israel’s worship of
Semiramis “Queen of Heaven” (Jeremiah 7:18-19; 44:15-30) and at Jerusalem, in
the Temple, they were worshipping Tammuz, the son of Semiramis (Ezekiel 8:14-
15).
This idolatrous worship spread around the globe where in Egypt Semiramis is
called Isis and her son is Osiris, and in Assyria it was Ishtar and Bacchus and in
ancient Greece it was Aphrodite and Eros.
The mother-child cult worship is a clever attempt on the part of Satan to
anticipate the genuine virgin birth and thus to cast doubt upon the story when the
Son of God would later become a human being in the town of Bethlehem. The cult
has also crept into Christianity and forms the basis for Mariolatry that has
prevailed in the Roman Catholic Church, where the Mother and Child are
worshipped as joint redeemers.
This idolatrous religion culminates at last in the Bible in the book of Revelation
and is described as the “great harlot” whose name is “Mystery Babylon the
Great,” the originator of all the harlotries and false religions of earth. The religious
system, which began in Babel (or Babylon), became the mother, the source of all
pagan religions of the world and this is the reason she is called “Mother of
Harlots” (Rev. 17:5). History shows us this system has never ceased to exist in
one form or another and will exist in a revived form in the Tribulation as never
before.
Revelation 17:1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls
came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the judgment of
the great harlot who sits on many waters.” (NASB95)
Babylon’s description as “the great harlot” refers to the spiritual prostitution
and fornication that categorizes the apostate church of the Tribulation which is
unfaithful and rejects the Lord Jesus Christ as her husband (2 Pet. 2:1-2).
The description of the great harlot “who sits on many waters” refers to the fact
that the nations are religiously united and politically affiliated with each other
through the power and control of this religious system and its head.
The prostitute exists today in many forms (Roman Catholicism, liberal
Protestantism, the cults, etc.), but after the church is gone, or perhaps even before it
is gone, they will unite and become one great ecumenical religious system.
As some of the parables of Matthew 13 suggest, and as Paul and Peter explicitly
warn us, the church age will be characterized by growing apostasy (see 1 Tim. 4:1-
3; 2 Tim. 3:13; 2 Pet. 2:1-3:4). This apostasy will take the form of ecumenicity,
which is the movement of uniting all religions together into a one-world church
governed and controlled by Rome.
To accomplish its goals, this apostate ecumenical system will of necessity
employ a number of practices to bring off its goals of a world-wide, universal
church. First of all, it will refuse to accept any one system of doctrine, but seek to
take the so-called best from all systems of belief. Secondly, it cares little about
creeds or doctrine but rather emphasizes sincerity more than what is believed,
which opens the door for anything. Lastly, this system seeks to unite all opposing
theological and philosophical positions by arriving at a common denominator or by
coming to a new synthesis.
In all of these there will be persecution and rejection of the truth on behalf of
establishing a world church. True Christianity is exclusive in that it sees that only
Christianity has “the Truth” in the person of Jesus Christ and in the Bible (John
14:6; Acts 4:12). The world hates this commitment to absolute truth, especially as
it is promoted in the Bible (written Word of God) and in the person and work of
Jesus Christ (the Living Word). After all, the world is the child of the Antichrist,
and will have no tolerance for true Bible-based Christianity and will seek to
persecute and annihilate believers in Christ unmercifully.
Revelation 17:2 “with whom (the great harlot) the kings of the earth
committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made
drunk with the wine of her immorality.” (NASB95)
The wine refers to the demonic doctrines, ideologies and concepts produced by
this religious/political alliance between the kings of the earth and the apostate
religious system.
Revelation 17:3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness;
and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names,
having seven heads and ten horns. (NASB95)
The “wilderness” is not only a literal desert that the Spirit carried John away to
but also is symbolic of the “spiritual wilderness” the world will be during the
Tribulation because of the rejection of the absolute truth contained in the Bible.
“The scarlet beast” refers to the blood thirsty character of Antichrist and the
“blasphemous names” refers to His anti-Christ character.
“Ten horns” refers to the ten nation European confederacy of the Tribulation
period, which constitutes the Revived Roman Empire.
Revelation 17:4 The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and
adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold
cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality.
(NASB95)
The “purple and scarlet” are colors of royalty and the wealthy and
interestingly are the colors of the Roman Catholic Church and are symbolic of the
apostate church’s political power and wealth.
The harlot is “adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls” which
refers to the apostate church’s immense wealth.
“Abominations” refers to the various forms of idolatry involved in the worship
of God through images, statues, and medals, etc.
“Unclean things” refers not only to the nature of the doctrines taught, but what
they lead to in life, namely, immorality and impurity.

Revelation 17:5 And on her forehead a name was written, a mystery,
“BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE
ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” (NASB95)
“And on her forehead was written” refers to the practice of prostitutes in
ancient times where they wrote their names on their foreheads for easy recognition,
which showed the shamelessness of their character and it revealed a seared
conscience from continual rejection of God’s truth.
“Mystery” is not a part of the name but a description of the name, a secret in
that initiation into the mysteries of the cult was always a part of Babylonianism
and links this harlot with the ancient system.
“BABYLON THE GREAT” is the secret name and is telling us that Babylon
the Great refers not only to the city of Revelation 18, but to a religious system, the
Babylonianism of ancient time, which will reach its peak in the Tribulation.
The word “MOTHER” indicates the position the harlot will play in the final
days where she will gather all the forms of false religions under her wings for the
one great world-wide harlot system.
Revelation 17:6 And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints,
and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered
greatly. (NASB95)
“And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints” is a reference to
the fact that this apostate religious system will murder believers.
Revelation 17:7 And the angel said to me, “Why do you wonder? I will tell
you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the
seven heads and the ten horns. 8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is
about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell
on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the
foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and
is not and will come.” (NASB95)
As we have noted in previous chapters, we must understand that the ancient
Orientals regarded kings and kingdoms synonymously. Therefore, the “beast” in
Revelation 17 will refer at times to the Revived Roman Empire and at times to the
Antichrist who is the leader of it with the context determining which one is view.
“The beast” in Revelation 17:8 does not refer to Antichrist but to the Revived
Roman Empire since it is described as having “seven heads,” which refers to six
Gentiles nations of the past and one to come in the future. It is also described as
having “ten horns,” which refers to the ten-nation European confederacy, also
known as “the Revived Form of the Roman Empire” whose headquarters will be in
Rome. Lastly, the beast is described as having existed at one time in the past and
then will cease to exist but will come back into existence in the future and then go
to its final destruction in the future.
Revelation 17:9 “Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are
seven mountains on which the woman sits 10 and they are seven kings; five
have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must
remain a little while.” (NASB95)
“The seven heads are seven mountains” refers to six successive Gentile
nations in history and the one to come in the future: (1) Egypt (2) Assyria (3)
Babylon (4) Medo-Persia (5) Greece (6) Rome (7) Revived Roman Empire of the
Tribulation.
History teaches that the five kings who have fallen are Egypt, Assyria, Babylon,
Medo-Persian and Greece and the king that remained in John’s day was the Roman
Empire and the other to come is the Revived Form of the Roman Empire, which
John says will “remain a little while,” which refers to three and a half years.
Revelation 17:11 “The beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth
and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction.” (NASB95)
“The beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth” refers to the fact
that the revived form of the Roman Empire will take on the form of an imperial
dictatorship and by this change actually become an eighth kingdom, a whole new
and vicious form of government, the blasphemous form seen in Revelation 13.
Revelation 17:12 “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not
yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for
one hour. 13 These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority
to the beast.” (NASB95)
“The beast” this time is referring to Antichrist, Satan controlled man and not
the Revived Roman Empire because we are speaking in the context of kings or
leaders.
Revelation 17:14 “These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb
will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those
who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful. 15 And he said to
me, ‘The waters which you saw where the harlot sits are peoples and
multitudes and nations and tongues. 16 And the ten horns which you saw, and
the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked, and
will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire.’” (NASB95)
Revelation 17:16 teaches that Antichrist and his ten-nation European
confederacy, which is called by students of prophecy “the Revived Form of the
Roman Empire” will destroy this apostate religious system in order that he might
receive world-wide worship. For centuries the kings and the harlot have appeared
as lovers, but in reality they used each other to further their own ends and now the
religious system will have served its purpose, so the ten kings banish and
completely destroy the harlot when her wealth, buildings, property will be
confiscated, her leaders killed, and everything else destroyed.
Revelation 17:17 “For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose
by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until
the words of God will be fulfilled. 18 The woman whom you saw is the great
city, which reigns over the kings of the earth.” (NASB95)
The city here according to verse 5 is a mystery, not a literal city and the entire
context of chapter 17 supports this interpretation, distinguishing as it does between
the city identified with the woman and the political power referred to as the beast
and the ten horns. Yet it is the great city, the mother city, the archetype of the evil
Babylonian system that has been opposed to God throughout history.
Revelation 18-The Destruction Of Babylon
Revelation 18 describes the destruction of political and commercial Babylon as

it is embodied in the city of Babylon, the headquarters of Antichrist. Revelation 17
describes Babylon in its mystery form, as a religious system or spirit of false
worship whereas Revelation 18 describes Babylon as a political and commercial
system embodied in a city, the city of Babylon of the future.
Revelation 16:18-19 reveals that the literal city of Babylon will be destroyed by
a world-wide earthquake. This world-wide earthquake is the result of the execution
of the seventh bowl judgment. The seventh and final bowl judgment is recorded in
Revelation 16:17-21 and is poured out into the earth’s atmosphere resulting in an
unprecedented earthquake, the greatest to ever take place on the earth since man
has been on it.
This massive world-wide earthquake will reduce the cities of the Gentiles to
rubble and change the topography of the earth. Also, the city of Babylon will be
split into three parts as a result of this earthquake as indicated by Revelation 16:19,
which makes clear that this city will be Babylon since the cup of the wine of God’s
fierce wrath is poured out on this city.
This city of Babylon located on the Euphrates River will be rebuilt and will be
the capital of the final world government. The Babylon mentioned in Revelation 18
undoubtedly includes an actual city that will be rebuilt on the Euphrates and is a
politico-commercial system that becomes the means and basis of a new worldwide
religious system by which the beast will be worshipped (Rev. 13).
The Babylon of this chapter undoubtedly includes an actual city that will be
rebuilt on the Euphrates River in what is now modern day Iraq.
J. Hampton Keathley III commenting on this, writes, “Some argue against the
rebuilding of Babylon and claim that we must not take the references to Babylon in
Revelation too literally. They say this chapter refers to a spiritual Babylon, a city
which will become the incarnation of ancient Babylon, but will not be a literal
Babylon. They maintain Babylon has already been destroyed and Old Testament
prophecy teaches us it will never be rebuilt. But let’s consider some prophetic facts
about Babylon. (1) The Bible predicts the destruction of Babylon will be final and
complete (Jer. 50:35, 39-40; Isa. 13:1, 19-22). These verses show that it will no
more be inhabited and that its destruction will be as Sodom and Gomorrah with
absolutely nothing left (Jer. 51:24-26). (2) Scripture also predicts that the
destruction would be sudden, quick (Jer. 51:8). (3) The Old Testament predicts this
destruction will come in the “Day of the Lord” (Isa. 13:6-11; 13:1; 14:1-3; Jer.
50:1-6). (4) At the time of her destruction there will be a disturbance in the sun and
moon (Isa. 13:10). (5) Universal peace will result from the overthrow of Babylon
(Isa. 14:7-8). (6) A literal interpretation of Zechariah 5:5-11 demands a restored
and rebuilt Babylon. These verses involve the vision of the ephah. A woman called
‘wickedness’ is seen sitting in an ephah measure, covered with a round piece of
lead. An ephah to a Jew was a perfect symbol of commerce and was the largest dry
measure of the Jews. The ephah is then borne away by two women with wings of a
stork ‘to build for it an house in the land of Shinar’ (the land of Babylon). This
vision anticipates a final concentration of wickedness and commercialism in a
great center in the land of Shinar (Babylon) which would reach out over the whole
earth. This is the exact portrayal of Babylon as seen in Revelation 18. (7) The
historical situation concerning Babylon shows much of the prophecies mentioned
above have not been fulfilled and must await a final and complete fulfillment. The
prophecies regarding Babylon are an illustration of dual reference with a partial
(near) fulfillment versus a complete (far) fulfillment. When the Medes and
Persians conquered the city they came suddenly and gained immediate control, but
they did not destroy the city. Instead Cyrus the Mede beautified the city in 540
B.C. Hundreds of years later many Jews still lived at Babylon and a Jewish
Talmud actually originated from there. In the twelfth century A.D. Babylon had
grown and several mosques had been erected. Later a city by the name of Hillah
was built there and in 1900 it had a population of ten thousand. The land around
Babylon is fertile today and dates are grown in abundance (Isa. 13:21f). Other
cities around the area of Babylon were built from the ruins of ancient Babylon; in
fact the city of Hillah was built entirely from the ruins of Babylon. Bricks with the
word ‘Babylon’ stamped on them have been found as far away as Baghdad. It is
obvious from this historical information that the city was not destroyed suddenly
nor completely. Instead, it continued to be inhabited after it was conquered and the
land around her did not become desolate, but continued to be populated and fertile.
This is a fact of history. Her ruins were used in building other cities and there was
no disturbance in the sun or moon, nor did universal peace follow. The Word of
God is true and these prophecies still await a future fulfillment. The description of
Babylon’s destruction in Revelation 18 declares it will be destroyed suddenly (‘in
one day her plagues will come’ [vs. 8]; ‘for in one hour such great wealth has been
laid waste’ [vs. 17]). The destruction will be complete and final, “it shall be found
no more at all’ (Jer. 51:63-64); ‘So will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down
with violence, and will not be found any longer’ (Rev. 18:21). Babylon will be
destroyed with fire from heaven as God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah (Rev.
18:18; 16:17-21). Universal peace will follow the destruction. All of this coincides
exactly with the prophecies of the Old Testament and shows that Babylon must be
rebuilt in the Tribulation in order to be destroyed as prophesied in ‘the Day of the
Lord.’ Rome may well be the religious Babylon of the world in the first half of the
Tribulation, but I am convinced that Babylon on the Euphrates will be rebuilt and
will be the political and commercial capitol in the last half of the Tribulation.”
(Studies in Revelation-Christ’s Victory Over The Forces Of Darkness, pages 239-
240; Biblical Studies Press; www.bible.org; 1997)
The Babylon mentioned by John in Revelation 18 includes a
politico-commercial system that becomes the means and basis of a new worldwide
religious system by which the beast will be worshipped (Rev. 13). If you recall, the
beast brings about his own worship by his control of commerce, or buying and
selling. In Revelation chapter 17 the beast and his allies in politico-commercial
Babylon destroy religious Babylon, or apostate Christendom. However, by way of
contrast, in Revelation 18, it is God who overthrows commercial Babylon.
Revelation 18 reveals that God is going to judge godless commercialism or in
other words, big business is in for it! The commercialism of this world is man
made though satanically inspired since it is clearly not of God because it has an
independent and arrogant spirit that seeks its security and happiness apart from
God. It is not because the details of life and its luxuries are wrong, but because
they are allowed to usurp God’s place in the hearts of men (Rev. 18:7; 1 Tim.
6:5-11, 17-19; Luke 12:15). This is why the apostle John made the following
prohibition in 1 John 2:15-16.
Revelation 18:1 After these things I saw another angel coming down from
heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illumined with his glory.
(NASB95)
“After these things” refers the seven seal judgments (5-8:5), the seven trumpet
judgments (8:2-9:21; 11:15-19), the seven bowl judgments (16), and the
destruction of “religious” Babylon, i.e. the apostate church (17).
The elect angel has come from the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ and has
received great authority from Him in order to execute judgment upon “politico-
commercial” Babylon. This judgment will express God’s wrath, i.e. righteous
indignation, which is an expression of His holiness and removes the prime source
of evil in Satan’s cosmic system.
Revelation 18:2 And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, “Fallen,
fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place of demons and a
prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful
bird.” (NASB95)
“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!” is a prophetic way of declaring that
God’s great purpose in triumphing over evil is a fait accompli. (Mounce Robert H.,
The Book of Revelation. New International Commentary on the New Testament
series; Grand Rapids; William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1983; page 323).
This passage reveals that “politico-commercial” Babylon is demonic since the
fallen angels will be imprisoned there during the millennium (Compare Isaiah
13:19-22; Jeremiah 50:38-40). This is indicated in that the elect angel describes it
as “the dwelling place of demons,” a “prison of every unclean spirit” and “a
prison of every unclean and hateful bird,” which is an allusion to the Lord’s
parable recorded in Matthew 13:31-32 where birds refer to demonic leaders
operating in the apostate church.
Revelation 18:3 “For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion
of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed acts of
immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the
wealth of her sensuality.” (NASB95)
Verse 3 is connected to verse 2 indicating that the godless commercialism of
Babylon is demonic in origin. Revelation 18:3 also reveals that the godless
commercialism of Babylon is world-wide since the angel makes clear that every
nation and leader on earth has turned away from God for the almighty dollar and
the luxuries that it can buy.
International commerce tries to unify humanity through internationalism and
promotes a spirit of self-confidence, independence, and rebellion against God as it
existed in Babel in the time of Nimrod (Genesis 11). The spirit of commercialism
causes cities to become swollen with people which increases crime, violence,
negative volition, and ironically, poverty. Business, trade, making the almighty
dollar, etc., becomes more important than God (Isa. 2:5-7; Hosea 12:1, 7, 8; James
4:13).
The ultimate power and wickedness of commercialism is seen in the mark of
the beast of Revelation 13 by which he attempts to control the world through
manipulation and slavery. By its basic aims and nature, the spirit of commercialism
blots out the divine institutions of volition or human freedom, marriage, family,
country, and the love, adoration and dependence upon God through living in His
Word as God’s servants and people.
Revelation 18:4 I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of
her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her
plagues 5 for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has
remembered her iniquities.” (NASB95)

The voice from heaven is the Lord Jesus Christ since the voice says “My
people,” which is a reference to those who trust in Him as Savior.
In verse 4, the Lord issues a call to separate from the godless Babylonian
system of commercialism. In verse 5, the reason given for this separation is that the
number of sins produced by this evil system is innumerable and will result in its
receiving judgment from God Himself.
This passage also contains the spiritual law called “the law of remembrance”
meaning that God does not ignore or forget sin when the provision for sin, namely
His Son is rejected in the sense that He permits the build up of sin, but eventually
He will judge.
Revelation 18:6 “Pay her back even as she has paid, and give back to her
double according to her deeds; in the cup which she has mixed, mix twice as
much for her.” (NASB95)
This passage contains the spiritual law or principle called “the law of
retribution” meaning that because of the enormity of the sin of this evil Babylonian
system and because of the holy character of God, the judgment that will be
executed upon this system is doubled.
Revelation 18:7 “To the degree that she glorified herself and lived
sensuously, to the same degree give her torment and mourning; for she says in
her heart, ‘I SIT AS A QUEEN AND I AM NOT A WIDOW, and will never
see mourning. 8 For this reason in one day her plagues will come, pestilence
and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord
God who judges her is strong.” (NASB95)
Revelation 18:7-8 contains “the law of retaliation” meaning that because of the
arrogance of this godless commercial system that has assumed a position like that
of a queen and glorified itself, thus to the same degree that this system has rebelled
against God, He retaliates in righteous indignation to dethrone this system.
Revelation 18:9-19 reveals the reactions of different groups of people mourning
the destruction of the great city of Babylon by the world-wide earthquake. In
verses 8-9, there is recorded the reaction of world leaders who mourn that the city
of Babylon’s destruction was so sudden.
Revelation 18:9 “And the kings of the earth, who committed acts of
immorality and lived sensuously with her, will weep and lament over her
when they see the smoke of her burning 10 standing at a distance because of
the fear of her torment, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong
city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’” (NASB95)
In Revelation 18:11-17a records the reaction of the merchants or businessmen
of the earth mourning Babylon’s destruction who bemoan the fact that the wealth
of Babylon has been destroyed.

Revelation 18:11 “And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over
her, because no one buys their cargoes any more 12 cargoes of gold and silver
and precious stones and pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet,
and every kind of citron wood and every article of ivory and every article
made from very costly wood and bronze and iron and marble 13 and
cinnamon and spice and incense and perfume and frankincense and wine and
olive oil and fine flour and wheat and cattle and sheep, and cargoes of horses
and chariots and slaves and human lives. 14 The fruit you long for has gone
from you, and all things that were luxurious and splendid have passed away
from you and men will no longer find them. 15 The merchants of these things,
who became rich from her, will stand at a distance because of the fear of her
torment, weeping and mourning, 16 saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, she who
was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and
precious stones and pearls.’” (NASB95)
Revelation 18:17-19 records the reaction of the shipmasters of the world and
the sailors that they employed who were made rich by the wealth of the city of
Babylon and their passengers that they carried mourning the destruction of the city
of Babylon.
Revelation 18:17 “for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!
And every shipmaster and every passenger and sailor, and as many as make
their living by the sea, stood at a distance 18 and were crying out as they saw
the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What city is like the great city?’ 19 And
they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning,
saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became
rich by her wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!’” (NASB95)
Notice that the wailing of the businessmen of the world is greater than that of
the leaders of the world and the shipmasters, sailors and bystanders because their
loss is greater. Also, notice that with each of these different groups of people, their
happiness is based upon the materialism that Babylon provided them and this
indicated in that they are in mourning because they no longer can become wealthy
through the city of Babylon.
Now, in direct contrast to the reaction of the inhabitants of the cosmic system of
Satan, in Revelation 18:20-24, the inhabitants of heaven are commanded by God to
rejoice over the destruction of Babylon.
Revelation 18:20 “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles
and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her.”
(NASB95)
The Lord commands His people to rejoice since God has judged their case
against the city of Babylon and executed from her a just penalty. The godless
attitude of consumerism and commercialism of Babylon has been the cause of
much misery and pain for the people of God throughout human history, but the
people of God can rejoice because God has not forgotten them nor Babylon’s evil.
So we can see that the destruction of the city of Babylon has caused bitter
mourning on the earth but great rejoicing in heaven. This celebration in heaven
does not mean that we should be glad that sinners are judged but rather it centers
on God’s righteous judgment in that justice has been done.
Revelation 18:21 Then a strong angel took up a stone like a great millstone
and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon, the great city, be thrown
down with violence, and will not be found any longer.” (NASB95)
The angelic act of throwing the millstone into the sea is symbolic of Babylon’s
fate in the sense that as it is impossible for that huge stone to rise to the surface, so
the economic system that has driven Satan’s cosmic system throughout human
history will sink and never resurface again in human history.
Revelation 18:22-23a records the extent and nature of Babylon’s fall in that no
more music and entertainers or craftsmen, the food supply will disappear as well as
industry and social life will cease.
Revelation 18:22 “And the sound of harpists and musicians and flute-
players and trumpeters will not be heard in you any longer; and no craftsman
of any craft will be found in you any longer; and the sound of a mill will not
be heard in you any longer 23 and the light of a lamp will not shine in you any
longer; and the voice of the bridegroom and bride will not be heard in you any
longer; for your merchants were the great men of the earth, because all the
nations were deceived by your sorcery. 24 And in her was found the blood of
prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth.” (NASB95)
Revelation 18:23b-24 records three reasons for the destruction of Babylon: (1)
“For your merchants were the great men of the death”: Men whom the world
regards as great have enriched themselves and lifted themselves up in pride
because of Babylon’s influence. (2) “Because all the nations were deceived by
your sorcery”: Babylon has seduced men into thinking that joy, security, honor
and meaning in life come through the accumulation of material wealth. (3) “In her
was found the blood of the prophets and of saints and of all who have been
slain on the earth”: The commercial economic system of Babylon has murdered
God’s people throughout human history.
Warren Wiersbe writes, “Revelation 18:24 should be compared with Revelation
17:6 and Matthew 23:35. Satan has used religion and business to persecute and
slay the people of God.” (The Bible Exposition Commentary, volume 2, page 616;
Victor Books).
The destruction of the city of Babylon as recorded in Revelation 18 is the final
event that brings about the end of the times of the Gentiles, which began when the
Babylonian army attacked Jerusalem in 605 B.C. (Compare Luke 21:24).
Revelation 18 brings an end to the record of events that will take place during
the Tribulation period, i.e. Daniel’s seventieth week, which culminates with the
Second Advent of Jesus Christ, which is recorded in Revelation 19.
John Walvoord makes the following excellent comment, he writes, “Babylon,
politically symbolized by the great city of Revelation 18, attempts to achieve its
domination of the world by a world common market and a world government.
These are destroyed by Christ at His second coming (Rev. 19:11-12). The triumph
of God is therefore witnessed historically in the scattering of the people and the
unfinished tower of Genesis 11 and prophetically in the destruction of the world
church by the killing of the harlot of Revelation 17 and in the destruction of the
city of Revelation 18. With the graphic description of the fall of Babylon contained
in chapter 17 and 18, the way is cleared for the presentation of the major theme of
the book of Revelation, the second coming of Christ and the establishment of His
glorious kingdom.” (John F. Walvoord, The Revelation of Jesus Christ, Moody
Press: Chicago, 1966, p. 263)
A literal interpretation of Zechariah 5:5-11 demands a restored and rebuilt
Babylon.
Zechariah 5:5 Then the angel who was speaking with me went out and said
to me, “Lift up now your eyes and see what this is going forth.’ 6 I said, ‘What
is it?” And he said, “This is the ephah going forth.” Again he said, “This is
their appearance in all the land.” 7 (and behold, a lead cover was lifted up);
and this is a woman sitting inside the ephah. 8 Then he said, “This is
Wickedness!” And he threw her down into the middle of the ephah and cast
the lead weight on its opening. 9 Then I lifted up my eyes and looked, and
there two women were coming out with the wind in their wings; and they had
wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the ephah between the earth
and the heavens. 10 I said to the angel who was speaking with me, “Where are
they taking the ephah?” 11 Then he said to me, “To build a temple for her in
the land of Shinar; and when it is prepared, she will be set there on her own
pedestal.” (NASB95)
The phrase “the land of Shinar” is located in the southern region of
Mesopotamia, south of Baghdad in Iraq. An ephah to a Jew was a perfect symbol
of commerce and was the largest dry measure of the Jews. The ephah is then borne
away by two women with wings of a stork “to build for it an house in the land of
Shinar” (the land of Babylon). This vision anticipates a final concentration of
wickedness and commercialism in a great center in the land of Shinar (Babylon),
which would reach out over the whole earth, which is the exact portrayal of
Babylon as seen in Revelation 18. The historical situation concerning Babylon
shows much of the prophecies that we mentioned have not been fulfilled and must
await a final and complete fulfillment.
When the Medes and Persians conquered the city they came suddenly and
gained immediate control, but they did not destroy the city but instead Cyrus the
Mede beautified the city in 540 B.C. Hundreds of years later many Jews still lived
at Babylon and a Jewish Talmud actually originated from there and in the twelfth
century A.D. Babylon had grown and several mosques had been erected. Later a
city by the name of Hillah was built there and in 1900 it had a population of ten
thousand.
It is obvious from this historical information that the city was not destroyed
suddenly or completely. Instead, it continued to be inhabited after it was conquered
and the land around her did not become desolate, but continued to be populated
and fertile, which is a fact of history. Her ruins were used in building other cities
and there was no disturbance in the sun or moon, nor did universal peace follow.
The Word of God is true and these prophecies still await a future fulfillment.
The description of Babylon’s destruction in Revelation 18 declares it will be
destroyed suddenly (“in one day her plagues will come” [vs. 8]; “for in one hour
such great wealth has been laid waste” [vs. 17]).
The destruction will be complete and final, “it shall be found no more at all”
(Jer. 51:63-64); “So will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence,
and will not be found any longer” (Rev. 18:21) and that universal peace will
follow the destruction.
All of this coincides exactly with the prophecies of the Old Testament and
shows that Babylon must be rebuilt in the Tribulation in order to be destroyed as
prophesied during “the Day of the Lord.”
Rome may well be the religious Babylon of the world in the first half of the
Tribulation, but it is clear that Babylon on the Euphrates will be rebuilt and will be
the political and commercial capitol of the world in the last half of the Tribulation.
Revelation 19:11-21-The Second Advent Of Jesus Christ
The Second Advent of Jesus Christ will complete our study of the “Tribulation”
portion of this period, which is also known by students of prophecy as, “Daniel’s
Seventieth Week.” At His “Second Advent,” the Lord Jesus Christ will destroy the
Tribulational armies, have Antichrist and the False Prophet thrown into the Lake of
Fire (Rev. 19:11-19), will imprison Satan for a thousand years (Rev. 20:1-3) and
will establish His millennial reign on planet earth (Rev. 20:4-6).
At that time, the Lord and His armies will orbit the earth before landing on the
Mount of Olives, which was the site of His Ascension (Acts. 1:9-11). There will be
a great earthquake when our Lord’s foot touches the Mount of Olives (Zech. 14:1-
8) and will be a unique day having neither day nor night (Zech. 14:7).

Dwight Pentecost discusses the different views in Christianity regarding the
Second Advent of Jesus Christ, he writes, “Historically, there have been four major
views concerning the second advent of Christ. (A) The non-literal or spiritualized
view. The non-literal view denies that there will be a literal, bodily, personal,
return of Christ to the earth. Walvoord summarizes this view: A common modem
view of the Lord’s return is the so-called spiritual view which identifies the coming
of Christ as a perpetual advance of Christ in the Church that includes many
particular events. William Newton Clarke, for instance, held that the promises of
the second coming are fulfilled by “his spiritual presence with his people,” which
is introduced by the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, accompanied by the
overthrow of Jerusalem, and ultimately fulfilled by continual spiritual advance in
the church. In other words it is not an event, but it includes all the events of the
Christian era which are the work of Christ. [This view is) . . . held by many liberals
of our day. This view sees the second advent as being fulfilled in the destruction of
Jerusalem, or the day of Pentecost, or the death of the saint, or the conversion of
the individual, or any crisis in history or the individual’s experience. Their
controversy is as to whether there will be a literal second advent or not. Needless
to say such a view is based on disbelief in the Word of God or the spiritualizing
method of interpretation. (B) The post millennial view. The postmillennial view,
popular among covenant theologians of the post-Reformation period, holds,
according to Walvoord: - that through preaching the Gospel the whole world will
he Christianized and brought to submission to the Gospel before the return of
Christ. The name is derived from the fact that In this theory Christ returns after the
millennium (hence, post millennium). The followers of this view hold to a literal
second advent and believe in a literal millennium, generally following the Old
Testament teaching on the nature of that kingdom. Their controversy is over such
questions as who institutes the millennium, the relation of Christ to the
millennium, and the time of Christ’s coming in relation to that millennium. (C) The
amillennial view. The amillennial view holds that there will be no literal
millennium on the earth following the second advent. All the prophecies
concerning the kingdom are being fulfilled in the inter-advent period spiritually by
the church. Concerning this view it has been stated: Its most general character is
that of denial of a literal reign of Christ upon the earth. Satan is conceived as
bound at the first coming of Christ. The present age between the first and second
comings is the fulfillment of the millennium. Its adherents differ as to whether the
millennium is being fulfilled on the earth (Augustine) or whether it is being
fulfilled by the saints in heaven (Warfield). It may be summed up in the idea that
there will be no more millennium than there is now, and that the eternal state
immediately follows the second coming of Christ. It Is similar to postmillennialism
in that Christ comes after what they regard as the millennium. Their controversy is
over the question as to whether there will be a literal millennium for Israel or
whether the promises concerning the millennium are now being fulfilled in the
church, either on earth or in heaven. (D) The premillennial view. The premillennial
view is the view that holds that Christ will return to earth, literally and bodily,
before the millennial age begins and that, by His presence, a kingdom will be
instituted over which He will reign. In this kingdom all of Israel’s covenants will
be literally fulfilled. It will continue for a thousand years, after which the kingdom
will be given by the Son to the Father when it will merge with His eternal
kingdom. The central issue in this position is whether the Scriptures are to be
fulfilled literally or symbolically. In fact this is the essential heart of the entire
question. Allis, an ardent amillennialist, admits: “. . . Old Testament prophecies if
literally interpreted cannot be regarded as having been yet fulfilled or as being
capable of fulfillment in this present age.” It is not too much to say that the issues
dividing these four views can be solved only by settling the question concerning
the method of interpretation to be employed. (Things To Come, pages 371-373).
The “Second Advent” of Jesus Christ is taught in both the Old and New
Testaments (Deuteronomy 30:3; Psalm 2:1-9; 24:7-10; 96:10-13; 110; Isaiah 9:6-7;
63:1-6; Jeremiah 23:1-8; Daniel 2:44-45; 7:18-27; Zechariah 12; 14:1-9; Matthew
19:28; 24:27-31; Mark 13:24-30; Luke 12:35-40; 17:24-37; 18:8; 21:25-28; Acts
1:10-11; 15:16-18; Romans 11:25-27; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; 2:8; 2 Peter 3:3-4;
Jude 14-15; Revelation 1:7-8; 2:25-28; 16:15; 19:11-21).
Revelation chapter 19 teaches extensively regarding the Second Advent of
Jesus Christ. Revelation 19:1-10 reveals the events in heaven leading up to the
Second Advent, which is taught in Revelation 19:11-20:3.
In Revelation 19:1-6, John presents “hallelujah” choruses after the destruction
of the city of Babylon by the great world-wide earthquake.
Revelation 19:1 After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a
great multitude in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power
belong to our God; 2 BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND
RIGHTEOUS; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the
earth with her immorality, and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS
BOND-SERVANTS ON HER.” 3 And a second time they said, “Hallelujah!
HER SMOKE RISES UP FOREVER AND EVER.” (NASB95)
“After these things” refers to the events recorded in Revelation 17-18, which
deal with destruction of religious Babylon by Antichrist (Revelation 17) and the
destruction of politico-commercial Babylon by God (Revelation 18).
A “great multitude” forms the first chorus, which refers to the martyred dead
of the Tribulation.
“Hallelujah” is the interjection hallelouia, which is the Greek rendering of two
Hebrew words, the first is halelu and the second is the Hebrew name of God in the
shortened form, Yahh, and together they mean, “to sing praise, to give praise to the
Lord.”
So the nature of these choruses in heaven is to give praise to the Lord. The
content of their praise involves attributing salvation, glory and power to God for
His permanent destruction of both religious and politico-commercial Babylon
(verses 1-3) as well as giving praise for the permanent sovereignty of the Lord God
over both the significant and insignificant (verses 4-6).
This multitude praises God’s power, righteousness and justice.
Revelation 19:4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures
fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, “Amen.
Hallelujah!” (NASB95)
Revelation 19:4 records the “twenty-four elders and the four living
creatures” forming a chorus that answers antiphonally to the first chorus of the
martyred dead of the Tribulation, which formed a “great multitude.” The
“twenty-four elders” represent the representatives of the church and the “four
living creatures” represent the elect angels.
Revelation 19:5-6 records the final hallelujah chorus.
Revelation 19:5 And a voice came from the throne, saying, “Give praise to
our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the
great.” 6 Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like
the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder,
saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.” (NASB95)
This praise is prophetic for what is about to happen rather than for the judgment
just executed upon Babylon since at this point Christ had not bodily assumed the
sovereign rule of planet earth.
Revelation 19:7-10 records the proclamation of the wedding of the Lamb
Revelation 19:7 “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for
the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready. 8 It
was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine
linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9 Then he said to me, ‘Write, ‘Blessed
are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ And he said to
me, ‘These are true words of God.’ 10 Then I fell at his feet to worship him.
But he said to me, ‘Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your
brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of
Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.’” (NASB95)
In order to understand the significance of what is recorded in Revelation 19:7-
10, we must have some kind of understanding of the marriage custom in John’s
day, which took place in three stages:
(1) Betrothal: The marriage contract was drawn up by the parents when the
parties to the marriage were still children, which included a payment of a dowry.
Though the marriage was not consummated as of yet, they were considered legally
married.
The symbolism of this stage is fulfilled when the Christian became a part of the
bride of Christ the moment they accepted by faith Jesus Christ as their Savior. The
church age is the betrothal phase, the time when God is calling out a bride for His
Son.
The payment of a suitable dowry was fulfilled symbolically when Christ gave
His own life for the church age believer as a dowry. Today all believers are legally
married to Jesus Christ and through living faithfully in the Word, they are kept as
pure virgins, kept from Satanic apostasy or fornication (2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:25-26
with Jam. 4:4).
(2) Presentation: When the couple reached a suitable age the father of the
bridegroom would present the contract to the father of the bride. The bridegroom
would then go to the house of the bride in the company of his friends and escort
her to his home. This is the background for the parable of the virgins in Matthew
25:1-13.
During the betrothal phase the groom would prepare an apartment, a place to
live in his father’s house. Homes, especially for the wealthy, were often very large
complexes. Only the portions which were needed, however, were finished and
furnished. When a son was to be married, another portion was completed to make
ready for the new bride (John 14:2-3).
The rapture, or resurrection of the church, is the event which brings the groom
to the bride and which takes the bride back into heaven. The groom and his friends
would then escort the bride to their new home. The ceremony which followed was
the “presentation” or actual marriage. The hand of the bride was placed into the
hand of the groom’s father. He would then place it into the groom’s hand. This was
considered the marriage ceremony. Ephesians 5:27 speaks of this presentation, but
also of Christ’s present work of keeping the church pure and productive by loving
her through the Word.
(3) The Marriage Feast (The Reception): The groom would invite many guests
and gather all his friends to come to the marriage feast and view his bride. The
millennium represents the marriage feast where Christ displays His bride, the
church.
In the parable of Matthew 22:l-14 we have an illustration of this custom. The
parable, however, pictures the rejection of Israel and Christ’s gracious extension of
the invitation to all nations. Christ had prepared a great feast of spiritual blessings,
but Israel was too busy to be bothered so the offer was extended to the nations or
the Gentile world (cf. Rom. 11:1-32).
In Matthew 25:l-13 we have another reference to the wedding feast only this
time it refers to the millennium and the invitation is to come as guests to this great
feast. The invitation is to Jews and Gentiles of the Tribulation to come to the
marriage feast of Christ and His bride, the church. Of course, they can only come
by faith in the groom. Faith alone in Christ alone is the wedding invitation; this
provides the righteous garment necessary to get into the feast.
Revelation 19:7 “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for
the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.”
(NASB95)
Revelation 19:7 records the announcement of the wedding feast or the
millennial reign and not the announcement of the marriage, which already occurred
in heaven following the rapture with the presentation of the church to the Lord
Jesus Christ. Revelation 19:9 makes this clear.
The marriage supper or millennial reign can now be announced and anticipated
because Christ is about to return to remove all the enemies of God and unbelievers
from the earth in preparing the earth for this great celebration of 1,000 years.
However, for such an event the bride must be properly clothed and prepared so the
groom may show off his new bride.
Revelation 19:8 “It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright
and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.” (NASB95)
The bride refers to the church of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:22f). Second,
we are told, “His bride makes herself ready.” This brings out the aspect of
personal responsibility of individuals. There is first the responsibility in relation to
salvation.
To be a part of the bride, one must have believed in Christ as his or her personal
Savior from sin. But the primary emphasis here relates to the issue of true
spirituality which results in rewards or preparation for eternity. Men must
personally and responsibly believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior, and then, as
believers and as part of the bride of Christ, they must choose to walk by the Spirit
of God according to the Word, by faith, so they can bear fruit or reproduce good
works. This is what is meant by the statement, “makes herself ready.”
God’s part is brought with the statement in verse 8 that “it was given to her to
clothe herself…” The words “was given to her” focuses our attention on God’s
grace and refers, I believe, to two phases of His grace to all believers who make up
the bride of Christ.
First, it refers to those gifts Christ has given to the church which enable
believers to produce good works for God and to glorify Him. Second, “was given
to her” also refers to the reward the Lord will give for faithful service or the
righteous deeds done in the power of the Holy Spirit. The reward is a beautiful
wedding garment to be worn at the wedding feast. This is clearly spelled out in the
next words of our text, “… to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for
the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.”
Revelation 19:9 Then he said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are
invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” And he said to me, “These are
true words of God.” (NASB95)
Verse 9 has reference to the custom of inviting guests to the wedding feast as
seen in Matthew 22 and 25. This passage records a beatitude, a pronouncement of
blessing upon those invited. All men are invited, both Jews and Gentiles, but to
enter and be a part one must accept the invitation and come with the right wedding
garment, namely, clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. This means one
must first accept the invitation to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:12; 3:3,
16; Rom. 3:21-22; 4:5; Matt. 22:8-13).
Every guest must have on a wedding robe, a garment of righteousness, in order
to be a part of the marriage feast or the millennial reign of the Savior. These guests
are friends of the bridegroom (John 3:29).
Revelation 19:10 Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me,
“Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold
the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of
prophecy.” (NASB95)
John is overcome by the awesome revelation given to him and falls at the feet
of the angel who gave him this revelation and he is rebuked by the angel for doing
so. He had forgotten that one must always keep in mind that it is the message about
God and His ways and not the messenger that is important whether men or angels.
Revelation from God whether through an angel or man must always result in the
worship of God and not the messenger. The messengers are simply servants as the
angel tells John.
Revelation 19:11-20:3 records the “Second Advent” of Jesus Christ, which like
the “First Advent” will be literally fulfilled. None of the details given in Revelation
19:11-21 corresponds to the “Rapture” of the church.
The “Rapture” of the church is distinguished in Scripture from the “Second
Advent” of Jesus Christ. For example, the “Rapture” delivers the church from the
Tribulation (1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9) while the “Second Advent” delivers Israel
from Satan, Antichrist and the Tribulational armies. The “Rapture” is seen only by
the church and is therefore invisible to the world while the “Second Advent” is the
visible manifestation of Christ on the earth (Revelation 1:7).
The Lord meets the church in the earth’s atmosphere at the “Rapture,” (1
Thessalonians 4:13-17) whereas the Lord physically lands on the Mount of Olives
in Jerusalem at His “Second Advent.” (Zechariah 14:4). Signs do not precede the
“Rapture” whereas visible signs precede the “Second Advent.” (Matthew 24; Mark
13; Luke 21:10-31).
The Lord claims His Bride at the “Rapture” but He returns with her at the
“Second Advent.” (1 Thessalonians 3:13; 2 Thessalonians 1:10) The “Rapture”
completes God’s program for the church (1 Corinthians 15:51-58) while the
“Second Advent” is related to God’s program for Israel (Matthew 24).
The “Rapture” is a mystery (1 Corinthians 15:51-57), not known to Old
Testament saints whereas the “Second Advent” is prophesied throughout the Old
Testament canon. The “Rapture” leaves creation unchanged whereas the “Second
Advent” entails a change in creation from corruption to perfect environment
(Romans 8:18-22).
The “Rapture” does not fulfill God’s covenants to Israel whereas the “Second
Advent” marks the beginning of their fulfillment through Christ’s millennial reign.
The “Rapture” precedes the Tribulation whereas the “Second Advent” follows it as
indicated by the chronology presented in the book of Revelation.
The church is nowhere found during the events of the Tribulation period
recorded in Revelation 6-18 but appears as Christ’s bride in heaven in Revelation
19:1-10 and comes back with Christ at His Second Advent as recorded in
Revelation 19:11-21.
Revelation 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and
He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges
and wages war. (NASB95)
The “white horse rider” is a reference to Christ and is distinguished from the
white horse rider in Revelation 6:2, which refers to Antichrist coming as a
peacemaker during the first half of Daniel’s Seventieth Week.
In the ancient world, the horse was an animal used for warfare, thus here it
speaks of Christ making war against His enemies. During His First Advent, He
came riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, which was an animal that symbolized
peace, which He was offering to the nation of Israel, which they rejected when
they crucified Him. The fact that Christ is on a white horse is alluding to the
ancient Roman Triumph.
J. Hampton Keathley III commenting on this writes, “The Roman Triumph was
the highest honor that could be bestowed on a victorious Roman general. It came
from a Greek word that referred to a public and triumphal procession. The
procession was a parade up the Via Sacra, the main street of Rome, that led from
the Forum to the temple of Jupiter which lay on the Capitoline Hill. The General
was mounted on a white horse which was the symbol of a victorious triumph in the
field over the enemies of the nation. First came the spoils of war which were
eventually given to the general’s army and friends. Next came the captives who
had been defeated and captured in battle, disarmed and in chains. Then came the
General on his white horse followed by his family, friends, and his army. Later the
prisoners were often executed by the soldiers, often one on one until they were all
executed. Now compare the following Scriptures: in Colossians 2:15 we have a
reference to Christ’s victory in battle via the cross. Here Christ is proclaimed as the
triumphant General in the field of battle. Ephesians 4:7f speaks of Christ giving
gifts to men as spoils of war following the victory over the Satanic hosts. (The first
phase of the triumph.) Finally, Revelation 19:11 speaks of the removal of all
enemies. (The final phase of the procession resulting in the execution of all
enemies.)” (Studies in Revelation-Christ’s Victory Over The Forces Of Darkness,
page 268; Biblical Studies Press; www.bible.org; 1997)
Revelation 19:11-13 presents a twelve-fold description of Jesus Christ when He
appears at His Second Advent. The first description is that He is “faithful and
true.” Our Lord is described as “faithful,” which means that He can always be
counted on to keep His promises unlike rulers throughout human history who made
promises they could not or did not fulfill. He is described as “true” meaning that
He is the “real deal,” the perfect ruler for this world who always tells the truth
because as to His divine nature, He is truth.
The second description “in righteousness He judges and wages war” means
that every enemy of God on the earth is about to be judged and executed and
removed from the earth and this is in accordance with His perfect righteousness.
This stands in stark contrast to Christ’s “First Advent,” when He came full of grace
and truth, not to judge but to bear the penalty of sin, to be judged for our sin.
However, at His “Second Advent” He comes as Judge.
Revelation 19:12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many
diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except
Himself. (NASB95)
The third description of our Lord is that His “eyes are a flame of fire,” which
is symbolic language for the fact that at His Second Advent, He will come to judge
those on the earth in rebellion against God and to put down all unrighteousness.
The fourth description of Christ is that “on His head are many diadems,”
which symbolizes Christ’s right to rule as absolute, sole ruler of planet earth.
The fifth description of our Lord is that “He has a name written on Him
which no one knows except Himself.”
The word “name” refers to our Lord’s character. Jesus Christ is unique as the
God-Man in that He is the only member of the Trinity with a human nature and He
is the only member of the human race who has a divine nature as God, thus no one
knows His name except Himself.
Revelation 19:13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name
is called “The Word of God.” (NASB95)
The sixth description of Christ is that “He is clothed with a robe dipped in
blood,” which anticipates the defeat of His enemies (See Isaiah 63:1-6).
The seventh description of our Lord is that “His name is called the Word of
God,” which refers to the fact that He is the Word of God incarnate.

Revelation 19:14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen,
white and clean, were following Him on white horses. (NASB95)
This verse presents the eighth description of Christ at His Second Advent.
The armies following Christ are composed of two groups: (1) Elect angels
(Matthew 13:41; 16:27; 24:30-31; Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26; 2 Thessalonians 1:7) (2)
Overcomers from the church age (Revelation 19:1-8, 14). These “overcomers”
from the church age are “clothed in fine linen,” which Revelation 19:8 describes
as “the righteous acts of the saints.”
Revelation 19:15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He
may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He
treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. (NASB95)
The ninth description of Christ when He comes back at His Second Advent is
that “from His mouth comes a sharp sword so that with it He may strike down
the nations,” which speaks of the fact that Christ will remove all His enemies from
the earth.
The tenth description “He will rule them with a rod of iron” refers to Christ
wielding absolute governmental authority over the entire earth during His
millennial reign and will require all men to conform to His righteous and just
standards and that He will not tolerate lawlessness or injustices. This description
speaks of Christ acting the part of a shepherd by destroying the enemies of the
sheep.
The eleventh description of Christ at His Second Advent is that “He treads the
wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty,” which speak of a harvest
of judgment that is deliberate and continuous until it is complete and demonstrates
how much God hates sin and is an expression of God’s holiness.
Revelation 19:16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written,
“KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” (NASB95)
Revelation 19:16 records the twelfth description of Christ when He returns at
His Second Advent. This description refers to the majestic power of Christ since
the robe in the ancient world was a symbol of majesty and the thigh suggested
power.
Revelation 19:17-20:3 presents the conclusion of the Armageddon campaign,
which began with the Russian invasion of Israel during the midway point of
Daniel’s seventieth week.
The following is a chronology of major events that will take place during
Daniel’s Seventieth Week that lead up to the Second Advent of Christ: The first
event is the rise of the Ten Nation Confederacy called the Revived Roman Empire
at the beginning of Daniel’s 70th week (Dan. 2; 7). From this we have Antichrist
rising to power as the King of the Western Confederacy in Europe (Dan. 7:20, 24;
9:27; Rev. 13:1-10). The rise of the revived form of the Roman Empire under
Antichrist during the first three and a half years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week will
be accompanied by the formulation of a false religious system under the false
prophet (Rev. 13:11-18).
The next major event will be Antichrist’s peace treaty with the leadership of
Israel, which takes place after the rapture of the church and actually begins
Daniel’s Seventieth Week. Toward the middle of Daniel’s Seventieth week,
Michael the archangel and his legions of elect-angels will expel Satan and his
legions from heaven (Rev. 12:7). Once Satan is thrown down permanently on the
earth, he will inspire the leader of Russia and her allies to invade Israel during the
midway point of Daniel’s Seventieth Week according to Ezekiel 38-39. Ezekiel
chapters thirty eight and thirty nine reveals that the Lord Himself will destroy this
invasion by Russia who will be accompanied by Georgia, Ukraine, Turkey, Iran,
Ethiopia, Sudan and Libya.
The next major event will be Antichrist breaking his treaty with the Israel
(Daniel 9:27; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). The Russian led invasion of Israel will cause
the Antichrist to break his treaty with Israel and occupy Israel according to Daniel
11:41. As a result as a result of the power vacuum in the world caused by the
destruction of Russia’s military, the Antichrist will become a world ruler (Rev.
6:1-2; 13:5, 7; 17:12-13).
Antichrist will be worshipped world-wide (Daniel 11:36; 2 Thessalonians 2:4;
Revelation 13:14-15) and during this time Jerusalem will be occupied by Gentile
armies (Revelation 11:1-2) and with it great persecution of the Jews.
With the sixth bowl judgment, the Eastern Confederacy will cross the Euphrates
River and enter Palestine to do battle with the Antichrist and his armies
(Revelation 16:12-16; Daniel 11:44-45).
The sixth bowl judgment is recorded in Revelation 16:12-16 and is directed at
the Euphrates river in Iraq and dries it up.
The Euphrates is mentioned in Revelation 9:14 when the sixth trumpet was
sounded resulting in the release of the fourth non-elect angels and a massive
demonic army. This river formed the Eastern boundary of ancient Rome and its
conquests and it also forms the Eastern boundary of the land as promised to
Abraham (cf. Gen. 15:18; Deut. 1:7; 11:24; Josh. 1:4).
The purpose of this sixth bowl judgment is to prepare the way for the invasion
of Israel by the kings from the east to do battle with the armies of the Antichrist so
that God might bring them into judgment at Armageddon.
“The kings from the east” in the original Greek text is literally “the kings from
the rising sun” and is a poetical expression signifying the kings from where the sun
rises, as China, Japan, India, Persia, and Afghanistan.
The word “war” in Revelation 16:14 is the Greek word polemos, which
signifies a war, an entire campaign and not merely one isolated conflict or battle.
“Har-Magedon” is the name Armageddon, which is Greek transliteration of
two Hebrew words, har and Megiddo, “the hill of Megiddo.”
The word Megiddo means “place of troops or “place of slaughter” and is also
called the Plain of Esdraelon and the Valley of Jezreel. The area is about fourteen
miles wide and twenty miles long and forms what Napoleon called “the most
natural battlefield of the whole earth.”
The battle of Armageddon appears to be the result of the armies of the nations
of the earth gathering on their own initiative, which is true but this is according to
God’s plan from eternity past. Satan, Antichrist and the false prophet, the Satanic
trinity, through demonic powers, will influence the nations and cause their rulers to
assemble their armies for battle. This assembling of the world’s armies for World
War III is designed by God to bring an end to Satan’s rule of planet earth and to
establish His Son’s millennial reign.
Daniel 11:40-45, Zechariah 12 and 14 describes this war from Israel’s
perspective and Revelation 19 records the outcome of this war. Therefore, the
events recorded by John in Revelation 19:17-20:3 present the conclusion of the
Armageddon campaign.
Revelation 19:17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out
with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, “Come,
assemble for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings
and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of
horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men
and slaves, and small and great.” (NASB95)
The angel’s invitation to the birds of the earth anticipates how devastating and
complete Christ’s victory will be over the Tribulational armies.
Revelation 19:17-18 teaches that Jesus Christ will destroy all who resist Him
regardless of class and status in life. It teaches the principle that God’s judgment
upon man is no respecter of persons (See Romans 2:6-11).
Revelation 19:19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their
armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against
His army. (NASB95)
The armies of Antichrist will be fighting the Eastern Confederacy in the valley
of Jezreel, which is also called “Armageddon.” However, Revelation 19:19 teaches
that they will stop pointing their weapons at each other and will point them at
Christ.
“The beast” is a reference to the Antichrist who is identified by this designation
in Revelation 13:1, 2, 3, 4; 14:9, 11; 11:7; 15:2; 16:2; 17:3; 19:20; and 20:10.
“The kings of the earth” would include the seven remaining kings of the ten
nation European Confederacy (See Revelation 17:12-17; Daniel 7:18) as well as
the kings of the East (Revelation 16:12-17).
Revelation 19:20 And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet
who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had
received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two
were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. (NASB95)
“The beast” and the “false prophet” are the first human beings that will
occupy the Lake of Fire and the rest of unsaved humanity will join them at the
Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). Notice that they are thrown
“alive” into the Lake of Fire indicating a conscious existence in the place. Satan is
not sent to the Lake of Fire until after the millennium when he starts one final
rebellion, which God puts down (Revelation 20:7-10).
Revelation 19:21 And the rest were killed with the sword which came from
the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their
flesh. (NASB95)
This passage teaches that Christ’s victory over Antichrist, the false prophet and
the kings of the earth and their armies is a total and complete and absolute one.
Revelation 20:1-3 records that Satan will be captured at the Second Advent of
Christ and will be incarcerated for a thousand years.
Revelation 20:1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding
the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. (NASB95)
The “abyss” is a prison for fallen or non-elect angels.
Revelation 20:2 And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is
the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. (NASB95)
“The dragon” emphasizes Satan’s vicious and cruel character and emphasizes
his end time activity and behavior.
“The serpent of old” draws our attention to Satan’s crafty character and
reminds us of the Garden of Eden, the fall of man, his usurpation of man’s rule on
earth, and his constant activity of temptation and deception.
“Devil” is the noun Diabolos, a legal term meaning “slanderer, false accuser.”
“Satan” is the noun Satanas, which is a legal term meaning “adversary.”
Revelation 20:3 And he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it
over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the
thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a
short time. (NASB95)
The fact that Revelation 20:3 teaches that Satan will be incarcerated for a
thousand years at Christ’s Second Advent clearly implies that he is not
incarcerated at this present time in history and won’t be until the Second Advent of
Christ. In fact, 2 Corinthians 4:4 says that Satan is the “god of this world” at the
present time and also deceives the entire world as well (1 John 5:19; Revelation
12:10).

The Lord Jesus Christ describes the Tribulation period in detail and His Second
Advent.
Matthew 24:29 “But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE
SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS
LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the
heavens will be shaken. 30 And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in
the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the
SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and
great glory. 31 And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET
and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds,
from one end of the sky to the other.” (NASB95)
The Second Advent of Christ is further described in Zechariah chapter 12.
Zechariah 12:1 The burden of the word of the LORD concerning Israel.
Thus declares the LORD who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of
the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him, 2 “Behold, I am going to
make Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples around; and when
the siege is against Jerusalem, it will also be against Judah. 3 It will come
about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples;
all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be
gathered against it.” (NASB95)
Zechariah 12:1 indicates that this chapter is a prophecy concerning the future of
the nation of Israel during the last three and a half years of Daniel’s seventieth
week.
The phrase “a cup that causes reeling” is a prophetic phrase describing divine
judgment, which in this context deals with the Gentile nations who war against
Israel during the last three and a half years of Daniel’s Seventieth Week.
“In that day” refers to the last three and a half years of Daniel’s seventieth
week, which corresponds to the Armageddon campaign in which Gentile armies
will occupy and surround Israel and Jerusalem itself.
Zechariah 12:4-9 describes the Lord Jesus Christ delivering Israel from the
Gentile armies at His Second Advent.
Zechariah 12:4 “In that day, declares the LORD, ‘I will strike every horse
with bewilderment and his rider with madness. But I will watch over the
house of Judah, while I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. 5
Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘A strong support for us are
the inhabitants of Jerusalem through the LORD of hosts, their God.’ 6 In that
day I will make the clans of Judah like a firepot among pieces of wood and a
flaming torch among sheaves, so they will consume on the right hand and on
the left all the surrounding peoples, while the inhabitants of Jerusalem again
dwell on their own sites in Jerusalem. 7 The LORD also will save the tents of
Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the
inhabitants of Jerusalem will not be magnified above Judah. 8 In that day the
LORD will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one who is feeble
among them in that day will be like David, and the house of David will be like
God, like the angel of the LORD before them. 9 And in that day I will set
about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.”
The Lord prophesied concerning the day He will deliver Israel from her
enemies at His Second Advent.
Luke 21:25 “There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the
earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the
waves, 26 men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are
coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then
they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN A CLOUD with power and
great glory. 28 But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and
lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (NASB95)
Zechariah 12:10-14 records the Day of Atonement when the nation of Israel
will mourn as a nation over their rejection of Jesus of Nazareth as their Messiah
and will acknowledge as such and will turn to Him for deliverance from Antichrist
and the Tribulational armies. At that time, Israel will receive the Holy Spirit.
Zechariah 12:10 “I will pour out on the house of David and on the
inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they
will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one
mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter
weeping over a firstborn. 11 In that day there will be great mourning in
Jerusalem, like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo. 12
The land will mourn, every family by itself; the family of the house of David
by itself and their wives by themselves; 13 the family of the house of Nathan
by itself and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Levi by itself
and their wives by themselves; the family of the Shimeites by itself and their
wives by themselves; 14 all the families that remain, every family by itself and
their wives by themselves.” (NASB95)
Zechariah also gives us further insight into the Second Advent of Christ.
Zechariah 14:1 “Behold, a day is coming for the LORD when the spoil
taken from you will be divided among you.” (NASB95)
This summary verse announces the last future siege of Jerusalem in the “day of
the Lord,’ which is during the last three and a half years of Daniel’s Seventieth
Week.
Zechariah 14:2, “For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to
battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women
ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut
off from the city. 3 Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those
nations, as when He fights on a day of battle. 4 In that day His feet will stand
on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the
Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large
valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other
half toward the south.” (NASB95)
The Mount of Olives will be split in half by the return of our Lord to the Mount
of Olives. If you recall in Acts 1:9-11 upon our Lord’s ascension the angels told
the disciples of our Lord that He would return in the same manner to the Mount of
Olives in the future.
The statement that the Lord will stand “on the Mount of Olives, which is in
front of Jerusalem on the east” is a significant statement. This is not a casual
statement. You will notice throughout Scripture that help for Israel is coming from
the east. This is the reason the Jews pay great attention to that eastern gate, which
some call the golden gate. The Lord will come through the eastern gate at His
Second Advent in the rebuilt Jewish temple.
Zechariah 14:5 “You will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley
of the mountains will reach to Azel; yes, you will flee just as you fled before
the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD, my God,
will come, and all the holy ones with Him!” (NASB95)
When the Lord lands upon the Mount of Olives at His Second Advent to
personally and bodily deal with His enemies and those of His people, the Jews, the
Mount of Olives, dislodged by a severe and terrible earthquake, will dissolve into
“an exceedingly great valley.” Therefore, there will be a vast alteration of the
geography in Jerusalem in order that it might be the center of blessing to the world
Jerusalem will be the capital of the entire earth during the Millennium
according to Isaiah 2:2-3.
Zechariah 14:6 “In that day there will be no light; the luminaries will
dwindle. 7 For it will be a unique day, which is known to the LORD, neither
day nor night, but it will come about that at evening time there will be light.”
(NASB95)
The Second Advent of Christ will be unique because Jesus Christ is unique
since He is undiminished deity and true humanity in one Person forever, the God-
Man.
The phrase “neither day nor night but it will come about that at evening
time there will be light” indicates that the day of the Second Advent of Christ will
be utterly different from any day in the history of the world. It cannot be day for all
natural sources of light upon the earth will have failed, nor can it be light since
there will be an awesome display of light reflected from the glory of the Lord, His
angels and glorified saints. Nor can it be the mixture of day and night for twilight
for the same reason.
The Lord prophesied concerning this day.
Mark 13:24 “But in those days, after that tribulation, THE SUN WILL BE
DARKENED AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, 25 AND
THE STARS WILL BE FALLING from heaven, and the powers that are in
the heavens will be shaken. 26 Then they will see THE SON OF MAN
COMING IN CLOUDS with great power and glory. 27 And then He will send
forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from
the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven.” (NASB95)
Zechariah 14:8 “And in that day living waters will flow out of Jerusalem,
half of them toward the eastern sea (Dead Sea) and the other half toward the
western sea (Mediterranean); it will be in summer as well as in winter.”
(NASB95)
Jerusalem, who throughout her history has been an inland city, will become a
seagoing city, or port town at the Second Advent of Christ. The great earthquake
caused by Christ landing on the Mount of Olives that is recorded in Zechariah 14:4
will change the entire central highland ridge from Geba of Benjamin (Josh. 18:24;
2 K. 23:8), located some 6 miles northeast of Jerusalem, to Rimmon south of
Jerusalem, located 33 miles southwest of Jerusalem, an inhabited site in
Zechariah’s day. All the land of Palestine specified here in verse 10 shall be
transformed so as to become, like the Arabah.
The Arabah is the deep depression that extends from the Sea of Galilee, 652
feet below sea level to the Gulf of ‘Aqaba, and only 300 feet above sea level just
west of Petra in Edom, making the Arabah the deepest depression on the surface of
the earth. But the depth of the terrain was only one element that prompted the
comparison by Zechariah to the Arabah.
Another was its level character. Josephus twice mentions “the Great Plain” in
describing the Ghor or Rift, from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea (Wars 8.2;
Antiquities 6.1). Hence, Zechariah used the simile “like the Arabah” to stress the
exaltation of Jerusalem in emphasizing the depression of the surrounding hills and
their being made as level as a plain.
Jerusalem shall be elevated and exalted instead of being imbedded in the midst
of mountainous rough terrain that it is presently surrounded by.
Zechariah 14:9-11 describes the millennial reign of Christ.
Zechariah 14:9 “And the LORD will be king over all the earth; in that day
the LORD will be the only one, and His name the only one. 10 All the land will
be changed into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem; but
Jerusalem will rise and remain on its site from Benjamin's Gate (North wall)
as far as the place of the First Gate (Northeastern corner of the city) to the
Corner Gate (northwestern extremity), and from the Tower of Hananel (at the
opposite extremity of the “corner gate,” in the northeastern part of the city, Jer.
31:38) to the king's wine presses. 11 People will live in it, and there will no
longer be a curse, for Jerusalem will dwell in security.” (NASB95)
Zechariah 14:12-16 parallels Revelation 19:11-21 and describes in great detail
the judgment that the Eastern and Western Confederacies will receive from Christ
at His Second Advent.
Zechariah 14:12 “Now this will be the plague with which the LORD will
strike all the peoples who have gone to war against Jerusalem; their flesh will
rot while they stand on their feet, and their eyes will rot in their sockets, and
their tongue will rot in their mouth. 13 It will come about in that day that a
great panic from the LORD will fall on them; and they will seize one another's
hand, and the hand of one will be lifted against the hand of another. 14 Judah
also will fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the surrounding nations will
be gathered, gold and silver and garments in great abundance. 15 So also like
this plague will be the plague on the horse, the mule, the camel, the donkey
and all the cattle that will be in those camps. 16 Then it will come about that
any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from
year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to celebrate the
Feast of Booths (Feast of Tabernacles).” (NASB95)
The Hebrew term for “plague” is the noun maggephah, which appears in
Zechariah 14:12, 15 twice and 18 and refers to the direct judgment that Christ will
administer to His enemies at His Second Advent.
Not only does Zechariah 14:12-16 teach that Christ will personally destroy His
enemies but it also reveals that He will cause a great panic to come upon His
enemies and those who are born-again from the tribe of Judah will fight while
displaying super human valor as a result of being empowered by the Lord to do so.
Thus the Psalmist warns the nations of taking a stand against Christ.
Psalm 2:1 Why are the nations in an uproar and the peoples devising a
vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take
counsel together against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, 3 “Let
us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us!” 4 He who sits in
the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them. 5 Then He will speak to them in
His anger and terrify them in His fury, saying, 6 “But as for Me, I have
installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain. 7 I will surely tell of the
decree of the LORD: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten
You. 8 Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, and
the very ends of the earth as Your possession. 9 You shall break them with a
rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.” 10 Now therefore, O
kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth. 11 Worship
the LORD with reverence and rejoice with trembling. 12 Do homage to the
Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath may
soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him! (NASB95)
The Resurrections And Judgments Associated With The Second Advent Of Jesus
Christ
The Old Testament associated confident expectation of resurrection with the

Second Advent of Jesus Christ. For instance, in Daniel 12:2, the resurrection of
Old Testament believers is seen to be an event subsequent to Daniel’s seventieth
week when Antichrist is reigning.
Daniel 12:1 Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard
over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress
such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that
time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued.
(NASB95)
The statement “there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since
there was a nation until that time” is a reference to Daniel’s seventieth week and
specifically, the last three and a half years of this period, which is also denoted by
the phrase “at that time” that follows it.
“Your people” is a reference to the nation of Israel since Daniel was a member
of it and the statement “everyone who is found written in the book, will be
rescued” refers to those born-again Jews who will be rescued from the Western
and Eastern Confederacies at the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.
Daniel 12:2 Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake,
these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.
(NASB95)
The statement “Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will
awake, these to everlasting life” teaches that those born-again Jews who died will
be raised from the dead subsequent to the nation of Israel’s deliverance from the
Tribulation period.
The statement “but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt” refers
to those non-believers in Israel who will raised from the dead subsequent to
Israel’s deliverance by the Second Advent of Jesus Christ but in contrast to the
believers, they will suffer eternal condemnation in the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:4 teaches that subsequent to the Second Advent of Jesus Christ
when Satan is thrown into prison for a thousand years, both Jewish and Gentile
believers who died for the cause of Jesus Christ during the Tribulation period will
be raised from the dead to reign with Christ during His millennial reign.

the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold of the
dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a
thousand years. 3 And he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it
short time. 4 Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was
given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of
their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had
not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their
forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for
a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand
years were completed. This is the first resurrection. (NASB95)
The “first resurrection” is a reference to Old Testament and Tribulation
believers who will be raised from the dead at the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.
The statement “The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand
years were completed” is a reference to every non-believer in human history who
will be raised after the millennium.
Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first
resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be
priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
(NASB95)
“The second death” is a reference to the perpetuation of real spiritual death in
the eternal lake of fire, which every non-believer in human history will experience
as a result of rejecting Jesus Christ as their Savior.
The chronological order of events in God’s resurrection program: (1) The
humanity of Christ in hypostatic union (Matthew 28; Mark 16:1-14; Luke 24:1-12;
John 20:1-9). (2) The Church at the rapture, which takes place prior to Daniel’s
seventieth week (1 Cor. 15:51-58; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Philippians 3:21). (3) Old
Testament believers and Tribulation martyrs at the Second Advent of Jesus Christ,
which ends Daniels’ seventieth week (Daniel 12:2-3; Revelation 20:4). (4) Every
non-believer in human history will be raised from the dead at the Great White
Throne Judgment of unbelievers at the end of human history (Daniel 12:2;
Next, we must note that there will be two judgments conducted by the Lord
Jesus Christ immediately after His Second Advent and just prior to His millennial
reign. In fact, only believers will be living at the start of the millennial reign of our
Lord as a result of these judgments. Those Israelites and Gentiles who reject Jesus
Christ as Savior are removed from the earth whereas those who trust in Him as
Savior will enter the millennium. The judgment of those Israelites who survive the
Tribulation is referred to in Ezekiel 20:33-37 and Malachi 3:2-6 whereas Matthew
25:31-46 speaks of the judgment of those Gentiles who survive the Tribulation.
The chronology of prophesied events by our Lord in Matthew 24 and 25
indicates that the Lord Jesus Christ will judge Israel immediately upon returning at
His Second Advent and then after this He will judge the Gentiles.
The chronology of events listed in Matthew 24 and 25: (1) First three and a half
years of Daniel’s seventieth week (Matthew 24:4-6) (2) Last three and a half years
of Daniel’s Seventieth Week (Matthew 24:7-28) (3) The Second Advent of Jesus
Christ (Matthew 24:29-30) (4) The elect angels will regather Israel (Matthew
24:31). (5) The Lord Jesus Christ will judge Israel (Matthew 25:1-30) (6) The Lord
Jesus Christ will judge the Gentiles (Matthew 25:31-46). (7) Millennium.
A comparison of Daniel 9:27, 12:11 and 13 teaches that the Lord Jesus Christ
will conduct these judgments for 45 days. This is indicated in that Daniel 9:27
teaches that Daniel’s seventieth week is divided into two periods of 1,260 days
(Daniel 9:27). Daniel 12:11 speaks of 1,290 days from the time of Antichrist
abolishing the sacrifice and setting himself up as God, which indicates that there
will be a 30 day interval to cleanse the temple. Then, Daniel 12:12 says that
blessed is the person who attains to the 1,335 days, which gives us an additional 45
days beyond the 30 day interval, giving us a total of 75 days, which refers to the
period in which the Lord will judge both Israel and the Gentiles to determine who
will enter His millennial reign.
The following is a chronology of judgments that will take place subsequent to
the rapture of the church: (1) “Bema Seat Evaluation”: The name “Bema” is taken
from the Greek noun bema and this judgment takes place immediately after the
rapture and is an “evaluation” of the church age believer’s life after salvation to
determine if they merit rewards or not (1 Corinthians 3:11-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10;
1 John 2:24). (2) The judgment of “Israel” will take place immediately after the
Second Advent and prior to the millennial reign and involves the removal of
unregenerate Israel from the earth leaving only regenerate Israel to enter into the
Millennial reign of Christ (Ezekiel 20:37-38; Zechariah 13:8-9; Malachi 3:2-3, 5;
Matthew 25:1-30). (3) The judgment of the “Gentiles” and also takes place
immediately after the Second Advent of Christ and prior to His millennial reign
and involves the removal of unregenerate, anti-Semitic Gentiles from the earth
(Matthew 25:31-46). (4) The judgment of Satan and his fallen angels and will take
place at the end of the appeal trial of Satan, which runs co-terminus with human
history and is the execution of Satan and the fallen angels sentence for their pre-
historic rebellion against God (Matthew 25:41; 1 Corinthians 6:3; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude
6; Revelation 20:10). (5) The “Great White Throne” judgment, which will take
place at the end of human history and is the judgment of all unregenerate humanity
in human history for their rejection of Christ as Savior (Revelation 20:11-15).
Chapter Eight: Second Eschatological Dispensation: Millennium
The second eschatological dispensation is that of the millennium. The

Scriptures teach that Jesus Christ Himself will reign bodily in Jerusalem for a
thousand years as the King of the earth and Israel will be head of the nations. Jesus
Christ will establish His millennial reign at His Second Advent. He will come from
heaven with the elect angels and the church to deliver Israel from Satan and the
non-elect angels and Antichrist, the false prophet and the Tribulational armies.
During the millennial reign of Christ, Satan will be incarcerated for a thousand
years. Israel will be regathered and the four unconditional covenants that the Lord
established with the nation will be literally fulfilled. There will be perfect social,
economic, environmental and political conditions during the millennial reign of
Christ.
During this time, God will make a display of the absolute authority of divine
government through the rule of the Messiah. Men will be subjected to and tested
by the authority of the King.
The Messianic reign is the final divine trial of sinful man on this earth before
the Great White Throne Judgment and destruction of the earth. The millennial age
is designed by God to be the final test of fallen humanity under the most ideal
circumstances, surrounded by every enablement to obey the rule of the King, from
whom the outward sources of temptation such as Satan have been removed, so that
man may be found and demonstrated to be a sinner by nature.
The word “millennium” is derived from the Latin words mille, “thousand” plus
annus, “year.” The corresponding Greek expression in Revelation 20:4-7, chilia
ete, gives rise to the term “chiliasm,” properly a synonym for “millennialism.” The
term “chiliasm” has been superseded by the designation “premillennialism.”
The word “millennium” denotes a biblical doctrine taught in Revelation 20:1-6
and throughout the Old Testament. It describes the penultimate triumph by the
Lord Jesus Christ over Satan and the kingdom of darkness and the establishment of
the kingdom of God on planet earth.
The distinctive feature of this doctrine is that Christ will return “before” the
thousand years and therefore will characterize those years by His personal presence
and exercise of His rightful authority, securing and sustaining all the blessings on
the earth which are ascribed to that period.
This thousand year period takes place between the resurrection of the church,
Israel, born-again Gentiles and the resurrection of unsaved at the end of history.
The millennial reign of Christ will literally fulfill the four unconditional
covenants that God established with the nation of Israel: (1) Abrahamic (Gen.
12:1-3; 13:16; 22:15-18; 26:4; 28:14; 35:11; Ex. 6:2-8). (2) Palestinian (Gen.
13:15; Ex. 6:4, 8; Num. 34:1-12; Deut. 30:1-9; Jer. 32:36-44; Ezek. 36:21-38). (3)
Davidic (2 Sam. 7:8-17; Ps. 89:20-37) (4) New (Jer. 31:31-34; cf. Heb. 8:8-12;
10:15-17).
Millennial Reign of Christ

End of
Christ’s
Millennium
Second Beginning of
Advent Millennium Great
Satan’s
White
Last Revolt
Judgment Throne
of Israel Removal of Judgment
Curse Millennial
and Temple
Gentiles Christ on Eternity
Davidic Fulfillment of Four
Throne Covenants with Israel
75-Day
Interval 1000 Years
There are seven great features that are distinct in each of these unconditional
covenants to Israel: (1) Israel will be a nation forever. (2) Israel will possess a
significant portion of land forever. (3) Israel will have a King rule over her forever.
(4) Israel will have a throne from which Christ will ruler, forever. (5) Israel will
have a kingdom forever.
The entire expectation of Old Testament Israel is involved with its earthly
kingdom, the glory of Israel and the promised Messiah seated in Jerusalem as ruler
of the nations. Since the Lord Jesus Christ literally fulfilled prophecy during His
First Advent, then it follows that He will certainly literally fulfill the prophecies
related to the millennium at His Second Advent.
Satan Incarcerated
As we noted in the introduction, during the millennial reign of Christ, Satan will
be incarcerated for a thousand years. He will be thrown into prison at the Second
Advent of Christ according to Revelation 20:1-3 before the millennial reign begins
(Rev. 20:1-3).
the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold of the
dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a

thousand years. 3 And he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it
short time. (NASB95)
The fact that Revelation 20:3 teaches that Satan will be incarcerated for a
thousand years at Christ’s Second Advent clearly implies that he is not
incarcerated at this present time in history and won’t be until the Second Advent of
Christ. In fact, 2 Corinthians 4:4 says that Satan is the “god of this world” at the
present time and also deceives the entire world as well (1 John 5:19; Revelation
12:10).
Judgment of Satan
God the Father has awarded the incarnate Son of God the highest rank in the
entire cosmos for His substitutionary spiritual death on the cross with power and
authority over all creation and every creature.
within yourselves, which was also in (the mind of) Christ Jesus, 6 Who
Because the Lord Jesus Christ controls history as sovereign ruler of history, He
has the authority to conduct the following judgments and evaluations in the future.
The humanity of Christ in hypostatic union has been awarded the sovereign
rulership over the entire cosmos for His voluntary substitutionary spiritual death on
the cross and as a result has been awarded by God the Father the power and
authority to preside over and conduct the following judgments: (1) Bema Seat
Evaluation: Takes place at the Rapture of the Church and is the evaluation of the
Church Age believer’s life after salvation (Rom. 14:10; 1 Cor. 3:11-15; 2 Cor.
5:10; 1 John 2:24). (2) Israel: Takes place at the Second Advent and is the
removing unregenerate Israel from the earth leaving only regenerate Israel to enter
into the Millennial reign of Christ (Ezek. 20:37-38; Zech. 13:8-9; Mal. 3:2-3, 5;
Matt. 25:1-30). (3) Gentiles: Takes place at the Second Advent and is for the
purpose of removing unregenerate, anti-Semitic Gentiles from the earth (Matt.
25:31-46). (4) Fallen Angels: Takes place at the end of the appeal trial of Satan
which runs co-terminus with human history and is execution of Satan and the
fallen angels sentence for the pre-historic rebellion against God (1 Cor. 6:3; 2 Pet.
2:4; Jude 6; Rev. 20:10). (5) Great White Throne: Takes place at the end of
human history and is the judgment of all unregenerate humanity in human history
for the rejection of Christ as Savior (Rev. 20:11-15).
The following groups of regenerate human beings throughout human history
will be subjected to a eschatological compulsory evaluation that the victorious,
resurrected incarnate Son of God as Sovereign Ruler of the entire cosmos will
conduct: (1) OT saints in heaven who lived during the dispensation of the Gentiles
(Adam to the Exodus). (2) OT saints in heaven that lived during the dispensation of
Israel (Exodus to first Advent). (3) All Church Age believers (Day of Pentecost to
the Rapture). (4) Regenerate Jews who will live during the Tribulation (Post-
Rapture to the Second Advent). (5) Regenerate Gentiles who will live during the
Tribulation (Post-Rapture to the Second Advent). (6) Regenerate Jews and Gentiles
who will live during the Millennial reign of Christ (Second Advent to Gog and
Magog Rebellion).
The following groups of unregenerate human beings throughout human history
will be subjected to a eschatological compulsory judgment that the resurrected
incarnate Son of God as Sovereign Ruler of the entire cosmos will conduct: (1)
Unbelievers who lived during the dispensation of the Gentiles (Adam to the
Exodus). (2) Unbelievers who lived during the dispensation of the Jews (Exodus to
the first Advent). (3) Unbelievers who lived during the Church Age (Day of
Pentecost to Rapture). (4) Unbelievers who lived during the Tribulation (Post-
Rapture to Second Advent). (5) Unbelievers who lived during the Millennium
(Second Advent to Gog Rebellion).
All fallen angels including Satan himself have already been subjected to a
judgment before human history but the execution of that sentence has been delayed
because the Supreme Court of Heaven granted Satan and the fallen angels an
appeal trial, which runs co-terminus with human history. The elect angels do not
come under judgment for the very same reason that regenerate human beings don’t
come under judgment because they have exercised personal faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ for salvation.
Every regenerate human being in every dispensation of human history must at
some point in the future submit to an evaluation of their lives after salvation which
will be conducted by the resurrected and sovereign humanity of Christ in
hypostatic union.
Regenerate Israel who lived during the Age of Israel and Tribulation period will
evaluated at the Second Advent (Ezek. 20:37-38; Zech. 13:8-9; Mal. 3:2-3, 5; Matt.
25:1-30). Regenerate Gentiles who lived during the Age of the Gentiles and
Tribulation period will be evaluated at the Second Advent (Matt. 25:31-46).
Church Age believers will be evaluated at the Bema Seat Evaluation of Christ
(Rom. 14:10; 1 Cor. 3:11-15; 2 Cor. 5:10; 1 John 2:24). Regenerate Jews and
Gentiles who lived during the Millennium will be subjected to a judgment at the
conclusion of human history (Rev. 20:15).
Every unregenerate human being in every dispensation of human history must
submit to a judgment, which will also be conducted by the resurrected and
sovereign incarnate Son of God at the Great White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:11-
15).
Every fallen angel has already been judged and sentenced to the Lake of Fire by
the Supreme Court of Heaven before human history. The execution of that
sentence will not be carried out until the conclusion of the appeal trial of Satan and
the fallen angels (Rev. 20:10).
Social, Economic and Environmental Conditions During Millennium
The millennial kingdom will be a glorious kingdom (Is. 24:23; 4:2; 35:2). The
King will administer to every need and there will be complete comfort and rest in
the millennium (Is. 12:1-2; 29:22-23; Jer. 31:23-25; Zeph. 3:18-20; Zech. 9:11-12;
Rev. 21:4). There will be the administration of perfect justice to every individual
(Is. 9:7; 11:5; Jer. 23:5; 31:23; 31:29-30).
The millennial reign of Christ cannot begin until the beast (antichrist) and the
false prophet being thrown alive into the Lake of Fire (Rev. 19:20-21).
Furthermore, Satan must be thrown into prison at the Second Advent of Christ
according to Revelation 20:1-3 before the millennial reign begins (Rev. 20:1-3).
The demons have all been removed from the earth and a new civilization will
begin with believers only.
During the millennial reign of Christ religion will be abolished from the earth
because Satan, who is the author of religion, will be imprisoned. Only believers
will begin the millennial reign since all unbelievers will be removed through the
judgments of Israel and the Gentiles.
The judgment of “Israel” will take place immediately after the Second Advent
and prior to the millennial reign and involves the removal of unregenerate Israel
from the earth leaving only regenerate Israel to enter into the millennial reign of
Christ (Ezekiel 20:37-38; Zechariah 13:8-9; Malachi 3:2-3, 5; Matthew 25:1-30).
The judgment of the “Gentiles” and also takes place immediately after the
Second Advent of Christ and prior to His millennial reign and involves the removal
of unregenerate, anti-Semitic Gentiles from the earth (Matthew 25:31-46). These
judgments are designed to produce perfect government and environment on planet
earth.
Every home in the millennium will start off with believers. The “overcomers”
of the church age dispensation will reign with Christ during the millennium.
Revelation 3:21 “He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with
Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His
throne.” (NASB95)
Those believers who survived the Tribulation who remain on the earth and have
yet to receive their resurrection bodies will repopulate the earth. Those born will
have sin natures and will thus need to get saved through faith alone in Christ alone.
All of creation will be at peace during the Millennium (Zech. 3:9) and there will
be no war during the Millennium.
Isaiah 2:1 The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah
and Jerusalem. 2 Now it will come about that in the last days the mountain of
the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains, and
will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it. 3 And many
peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways
and that we may walk in His paths.’ For the law will go forth from Zion and
the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 4 And He will judge between the
nations, and will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer
their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will
not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war.”
(NASB95)
There will be international prosperity. The life of a man being during the
millennium will be greatly increased.
Isaiah 65:17 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the
former things will not be remembered or come to mind. 18 But be glad and
rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing
And her people for gladness. 19 I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in
My people; And there will no longer be heard in her The voice of weeping and
the sound of crying. 20 No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a
few days, Or an old man who does not live out his days; For the youth will die
at the age of one hundred And the one who does not reach the age of one
hundred will be thought accursed. 21 They will build houses and inhabit
them; They will also plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 22 They will not build
and another inhabit, they will not plant and another eat; For as the lifetime of
a tree, so will be the days of My people, And My chosen ones will wear out the
work of their hands. 23 They will not labor in vain, Or bear children for
calamity; For they are the offspring of those blessed by the LORD, And their
descendants with them. 24 It will also come to pass that before they call, I will
answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear. 25 The wolf and the
lamb will graze together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; and dust will
be the serpent's food. They will do no evil or harm in all My holy mountain,"
says the LORD.” (NASB95)
There will be no deserts on the earth (Isa. 35:1-3) and the animal kingdom will
be changed (Isa. 11). The original Adamic curse placed upon the creation that is
recorded in Genesis 3:17-19 will be removed so that there will be abundant
productivity to the earth. The animal kingdom will be at peace as well (Isa. 11:6-9;
35:9; 65:25), all sickness will be removed (Isa. 33:24; Jer. 30:17; Ezek. 34:16) and
all deformities will be healed (Isa. 29:17-19; 35:3-6; Jer. 31:8). There will be a
supernatural work of preservation of life through the King (Isa. 41:8-14; Jer. 32:27;
Ezek. 34:27; Joel 3:16-17; Amos 9:15; Zech. 8:14-15; 14:10-11). There will be
freedom from oppression (Isa. 14:3-6; Zech. 9:11-12).
There will be a perfect economic system during the millennium in which the
needs of men are abundantly provided for by labor in that system, under the
guidance of the King. There will be a fully industrialized society (Isa. 62:8-9;
65:21:23; Jer. 31:5; Ezek. 48:18-19) and agriculture as well as manufacturing will
provide employment. There will be economic prosperity because of the perfect
labor situation (Isa. 4:1; 35:1-2; 30:23-25; Jer. 31:5; Ezek. 34:26; Mic. 4:1; Zech.
8:11-12; Ezek. 36:29-30; Joel 2:21-27; Amos 9:13-14).
There will be a tremendous increase of solar and lunar light during the
millennium (Isa. 4:5; 30:26; 60:19-20). There will be unified worship of the Father
and the Messiah (Isa. 45:23; 52:1; Zech. 13:2; 14:16; Zeph. 3:9; Mal. 1:11).
Zechariah 14:16 “Then it will come about that any who are left of all the
nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship
the King, the LORD of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths.” (NASB95)
Jerusalem will become the center of the millennial earth (Isaiah 2:2-4; Jeremiah
31:6; Micah 4:1; Zechariah 2:10-11). Because the world is under the dominion of
Israel’s King, the center of Palestine becomes the center of the entire earth.
Jerusalem will be the center of the kingdom rule (Jeremiah 3:17; 30:16-17; 31:6,
23; Ezekiel 43:5-6; Joel 3:17; Micah 4:7; Zechariah 8:2-3)
Spiritual Character of the Millennium
The outstanding characterization of the millennium is its spiritual nature. The

millennial reign of Christ will be an earthly kingdom but it will be most definitely
spiritual in character.

The millennial kingdom will be characterized by righteousness. The key words
of the Lord Jesus Christ’s millennial reign are righteousness and peace, the former
being the root of which the latter is the fruit.
Isaiah 32:17 “And the work of righteousness will be peace, and the service
of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever. 18 Then my people will
live in a peaceful habitation, and in secure dwellings and in undisturbed
resting places.” (NASB95)
During the millennial reign of the King, the prophecy of Psalm 85:10 will be
fulfilled.
Psalm 85:10 Lovingkindness and truth have met together; Righteousness
and peace have kissed each other. 11 Truth springs from the earth, and
righteousness looks down from heaven. 12 Indeed, the LORD will give what is
good, and our land will yield its produce. 13 Righteousness will go before Him
and will make His footsteps into a way. (NASB95)
The Messiah’s presence in Jerusalem shall be the source from which all
millennial righteousness will emanate in spectacular glory.
Isaiah 62:1 For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I
will not keep quiet, until her righteousness goes forth like brightness, and her
salvation like a torch that is burning. 2 The nations will see your
righteousness, and all kings your glory; And you will be called by a new name
which the mouth of the LORD will designate. (NASB95)
Righteousness will be the descriptive term characterizing the rule of the
Messiah as a whole. Christ will be the King reigning in righteousness.
Isaiah 32:1 Behold, a king will reign righteously and princes will rule
justly. (NASB95)
He will judge the poor in righteousness and in judging and seeking judgment
He shall be quick to bring about righteousness.
Isaiah 11:4 “But with righteousness He will judge the poor, and decide with
fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod
of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. 5 Also
righteousness will be the belt about His loins, and faithfulness the belt about
His waist.” (NASB95)
Isaiah 16:5 A throne will even be established in lovingkindness, and a
judge will sit on it in faithfulness in the tent of David; Moreover, he will seek
justice and be prompt in righteousness. (NASB95)
Psalm 96:10 Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns; Indeed, the world
is firmly established, it will not be moved; He will judge the peoples with
equity.” (NASB95)
Under the Lord Jesus, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness shall be
filled.
Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be satisfied.” (NASB95)
The millennial kingdom will also be characterized by obedience. There will be
complete and willing obedience on the part of the Lord’s subjects. Through
regeneration, Israel will possess the capacity for obedience because of the
indwelling of the Spirit (Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:25-31).
There will be complete obedience in the millennial reign because of the absence
of Satan and the fallen angels. All the wicked evil social, religious, economic and
political systems of Satan’s cosmic system will be terminated.
There will be universal knowledge of the Lord, which will eliminate opposition
to God’s will through ignorance. Not only will there be obedience in the nation of
Israel to Christ’s rule but also there will be universal obedience among the Gentile
nations. There will be complete submission to the Lord’s sovereign authority in the
millennium. This perfect obedience to Christ’s authority will be another
manifestation of the spiritual character of the millennium.
Psalm 22:27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the
LORD, and all the families of the nations will worship before You. 28 For the
kingdom is the LORD'S and He rules over the nations. (NASB95)
Malachi 1:11 “For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name
will be great among the nations, and in every place incense is going to be
offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name will be
great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts.” (NASB95)
Another manifestation of the spiritual character of the millennium will be
holiness. Holiness will be manifested through the King and the King’s subjects.
The land will be holy, the city of Jerusalem holy, the temple holy and the subjects
holy unto the Lord (Is. 1:26-27; 4:3-4; 29:18-23; Jer. 31:33; Ezek. 36:24-31; 37:23-
24; Joel 3:21; Zeph. 3:11; Zech. 8:3; 13:1-2).
Zechariah 14:20, “In that day there will be inscribed on the bells of the
horses, ‘HOLY TO THE LORD.’ And the cooking pots in the LORD'S house
will be like the bowls before the altar. 21 Every cooking pot in Jerusalem and
in Judah will be holy to the LORD of hosts; and all who sacrifice will come
and take of them and boil in them. And there will no longer be a Canaanite in
the house of the LORD of hosts in that day.” (NASB95)
Christ will reign over the nations of the earth from the throne of His holiness.
Psalm 47:8 God reigns over the nations, God sits on His holy throne. 9 The
princes of the people have assembled themselves as the people of the God of
Abraham, for the shields of the earth belong to God; He is highly exalted.
(NASB95)
The fact that Christ will reign over the nations of the earth from the throne of
His holiness will be according to the promise of the Davidic covenant.
Psalm 89:35 Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David. 36
His descendants shall endure forever and his throne as the sun before Me.
(NASB95)
The millennial kingdom will also be characterized by truth. Jesus Christ will
judge the world with His truth (Ps. 96:10). Truth will triumph since “the Truth”
Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ will reign.
Zechariah 8:7 Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Behold, I am going to save
My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west; 8 and I will
bring them back and they will live in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be
My people, and I will be their God in truth and righteousness.” (NASB95)
Isaiah 65:16 “Because he who is blessed in the earth will be blessed by the
God of truth; And he who swears in the earth will swear by the God of truth;
Because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hidden from
My sight!” (NASB95)
Jeremiah 33:6 “Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal
them; and I will reveal to them an abundance of peace and truth. 7 I will
restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel and will rebuild them
as they were at first.” (NASB95)
Truth shall be joined together with mercy during our Lord’s reign and then
Israel shall say the following:
Psalm 98:3 He has remembered His lovingkindness and His faithfulness to
the house of Israel; All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our
God. (NASB95)
The millennial kingdom will be characterized by the full manifestation of the
Holy Spirit.
Joel 2:28 “It will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all
mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will
dream dreams, your young men will see visions. 29 Even on the male and
female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.” (NASB95)
The Spirit will indwell all believers during the millennial reign of Christ (Ezek.
36:22-28; 37:1-14). The filling of the Spirit will be common during the
millennium. This will be in contrast with the dispensations of human history prior
to the millennial reign.
National and individual peace is the fruit of the Messiah’s reign (Is. 2:4; 9:4-7;
11:6-9; 32:17-18; 33:5-6; 54:13; 55:12; 60:18; 65:25; 66:12; Ezek. 28:26; 34:25;
Hos. 2:18; Mic. 4:2-3; Zech. 9:10).
Joy will also be a distinctive mark of the millennial age (Is. 9:3-4; 12:3-6; Jer.
30:18-19; 31:13-14; Zeph. 3:14-17; Zech. 8:18-19; 10:6-7).

There will be a full knowledge of the Lord during the millennium because of
the indwelling presence of the Spirit in the subjects of the Lord (Is. 11:1-2; 41:19-
20; Hab. 2:14).
Habakkuk 2:14 “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the
glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” (NASB95)
This knowledge will be the result of the instruction that issues from the Lord
Jesus (Is. 2:2-3; 12:3-6; Jer. 3:14-15; Mic. 4:2).
Micah 4:2 “Many nations will come and say, ‘Come and let us go up to the
mountain of the LORD and to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may
teach us about His ways and that we may walk in His paths.’ For from Zion
will go forth the law, even the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” (NASB95)
The Millennial Government of Christ and His Subjects
The Scriptures make clear that the world government during the millennium
will be under the rule of the Lord Jesus Christ (Is. 2:2-4; 9:3-7; 11:1-10; 16:5; Dan.
2:44; 7:15-28; Obad. 17-21; Mic. 4:1-8; 5:2-5; Zeph. 3:9-10; Zech. 9:10-15; 14:16-
17).
Isaiah 16:5 A throne will even be established in lovingkindness, and a
judge will sit on it in faithfulness in the tent of David; Moreover, he will seek
justice and be prompt in righteousness. (NASB95)
There will be a perfect world government under the rule of Christ (Isa. 11:1-2;
Zech. 14:9). Christ will literally reign in Jerusalem and Israel will be the head of
the nations. Capital punishment will be used for punishment of any criminals
during the millennium as denoted by the phrase in Revelation 2:27 that Christ will
rule “with a rod of iron.”
The cessation of war through the unification of the kingdoms of the earth under
the reign of Christ, together with the resultant economic prosperity, since nations
need not devote vast proportions of their expenditure on weapons, is a major theme
of the prophets.
The city of Jerusalem, which was the center of David’s government will
become the center of the government of David’s greater Son. The city will become
a glorious city, bringing honor onto Jehovah (Isaiah 52:1-12; 60:14-21; 61:3; 61:1-
12; 66:10-14; Jeremiah 30:18; 33:16; Joel 3:17; Zechariah 2:1-13).
So closely is the King associated with Jerusalem that the city will partake of his
glory. The city will be protected by the power of the King (Isaiah 14:32; 25:4;
26:1-4; 33:20-24) so that it never again need fear for its safety. The city will be
greatly enlarged over its former area. (Jeremiah 31:38-40; Ezekiel 48:30-35;
Zechariah 14:10). It will be accessible to all in that day (Isaiah 35:8-9) so that all

who seek the King will find audience within its walls. The city will endure forever
(Isaiah 9:7; 33:20-21; 60:15; Joel 3:19-21; Zechariah 8:4).
The thousand-year reign is the direct administration of divine government on
earth for one thousand years by our Lord and His church. Its earthly center will be
Jerusalem and the nation of Israel, though Christ and the overcomers of the church
age will rule in resurrected bodies and will take the place now occupied by the
kingdom of darkness.
The millennial reign of Christ will be the public earthly honoring by God the
Father of His Son Jesus Christ where men dishonored Him on this earth 2000 years
ago. It will be the execution of God’s promises to His Son and the prophecies
concerning the Lord Jesus.
The Messianic reign will be God’s answer to the prayer, “Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” The Lord Jesus Christ will finally
receive the kingdom that He was promised by the Father, which in turn allows the
Son to fulfill His promises to those who were faithful to Him while under the
persecution of the kingdom of darkness.
The Lord will share His kingly honors with the overcomers of the church age.
Revelation 2:26 “He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the
end, TO HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS; 27 AND
HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON, AS THE VESSELS OF
THE POTTER ARE BROKEN TO PIECES, as I also have received authority
from My Father; 28 and I will give him the morning star. 29 He who has an
ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (NASB95)
Revelation 3:21 “He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with
Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His
throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the
churches.” (NASB95)
David will be a regent in the millennium (Is. 55:3-4; Jer. 30:9; 33:15, 17, 20-21;
Ezek. 34:23-24; 37:24-25; Hos. 3:5; Amos 9:11).
Ezekiel 34:23 “Then I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David,
and he will feed them; he will feed them himself and be their shepherd. 24
And I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David will be prince
among them; I the LORD have spoken.” (NASB95)
He will be prince in Israel and offer sacrifices for himself in the millennial
temple (Ezek. 45:22). Nobles and governors will reign under David (Is. 32:1; Ezek.
45:8-9).
The parable in Luke 19:12-28 indicates there will be smaller subdivisions of
authority in the administration of the government. Israel will be responsible to
David and of course ultimately, they will be responsible to the Lord Jesus Christ.

The subjects in our Lord’s millennial kingdom will be the following: (1)
Regenerated Israel in resurrection bodies (Is. 9:6-7; 33:17; Jer. 23:5) (2)
Regenerated Gentiles in resurrection bodies (Is. 2:4; 11:12; 60:1-14; 61:8-9). (3)
Regenerated Jews without resurrection bodies (4) Regenerated Gentiles without
resurrection bodies (5) Unregenerate Jew and Gentiles.
Israel will become the subjects of the King’s reign (Isaiah 9:6-7; 33:17, 22;
44:6; Jeremiah 23:5; Micah 2:13; 4:7; Daniel 4:3; 7:14, 22, 27). In order to be the
subjects of the Lord Jesus Christ during His millennial reign, Israel will have been
converted and restored to the land (Ezek. 37). Israel will be reunited as a nation in
order to be the subjects of the Lord Jesus Christ during His millennial reign
(Jeremiah 3:18; 33:14; Ezekiel 20:40; 37:15-22; 39:25; Hosea 1:11). In order to be
the subjects of the Lord Jesus Christ during His millennial reign, Israel will be
exalted above the Gentiles (Isaiah 14:1-2; 49:22-23; 60:14-17; 61:6-7).
Israel will be made righteous in order to be the subjects of the Lord Jesus Christ
during His millennial reign (Isaiah 1:25; 2:4; 44:22-24; 45:17-25; 48:17; 55:7;
57:18-19; 63:16; Jeremiah 31:11; 33:8 50:20; 34; Ezekiel 36:25-26 Hosea 14:4;
Joel 3:21; Micah 7:18-19; Zechariah 13:9; Malachi 3:2-3).
The nation will become God’s witnesses during the millennium in order to be
the subjects of the Lord Jesus Christ during His millennial reign, (Isaiah 44:8, 21;
61:6; 66:21; Jeremiah 16:19-21; Micah 5:7; Zephaniah 3:20; Zechariah 4:1-7;
4:11-14; 8:23).
In order to be the subjects of the Lord Jesus Christ during His millennial reign,
Israel will be beautified to bring glory to Jehovah (Isaiah 62:3; Jeremiah 32:41;
Hosea 14:5-6; Zephaniah 3:16-17; Zechariah 9:16-17).
Worship of the Messiah During the Millennium
The millennial reign will be marked by the worship of the Lord Jesus Christ (Is.
12:1-6; 25:1-26:19; 56:7; 61:10-11; 66:23; Jer. 33:11, 18, 21-22; Ezek. 20:40-41;
40:1-46:24; Zech. 6:12-15; 8:20-23; 14:16-21).
Isaiah 66:23 “And it shall be from new moon to new moon and from
sabbath to sabbath, all mankind will come to bow down before Me,” says the
Lord.” (NASB95)
Worship is adoring contemplation of the Lord and is the act of paying honor
and reverence to Him and affection for Him and flows from love and where there
is little love, there is little worship. It is the loving ascription of praise to the Lord
in gratitude and appreciation for who and what He is, both in Himself and in His
ways and in His work on the Cross for us and is the bowing of the soul and spirit in
deep humility and reverence before the Lord.

Psalm 2:11 Worship the LORD with reverence and rejoice with trembling.
12 Do homage to the Son that He not become angry, and you perish in the
way, for His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge
in Him! (NASB95)
Psalm 29:2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the
LORD in holy array.
Psalm 95:6 Come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the
LORD our Maker. 7 For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture
and the sheep of His hand. (NASB95)
Worship of the Lord involves “reverence” for Him, which is an attitude of deep
respect and awe for Him. Worship of the Lord also involves “respect” for Him,
which is to esteem the excellence of His Person as manifested through His
Worship of the Lord involves “awe” of Him, which means we are to possess an
overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration for Him. Worship of the Lord also
involves “wonder” towards Him, which refers to being filled with admiration,
amazement and awe of Him and reaches right into our hearts and shakes us up and
enriches our lives and overwhelms us with an emotion that is a mixture of
gratitude, adoration, reverence, fear and love for Him.
Worshipping the Lord is adoring contemplation of Him as He has been revealed
by the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures and is also the loving ascription of praise to
Him for what He is, both in Himself, His Work on the Cross and in His ways and
is the bowing of the soul and spirit in deep humility and reverence before Him.
The believer is to worship the Father spiritually by means of truth, i.e. the Word
of God (John 4:23-24).
Zechariah 14:16-21 describes the millennial reign of Christ, which is typified
by the feast of booths or tabernacles.
Jerusalem will become the center of the worship of the millennial age (Jeremiah
30:16-21; 31:6, 23; Joel 3:17; Zechariah 8:8, 20-23).
Worship of the Messiah Through The Blood Animal Sacrifices
Worship of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ will manifest itself in the
millennial temple through animal sacrifices (Ezekiel 40-48). Jerusalem will
become the center of the worship of the millennial age (Jeremiah 30:16-21; 31:6,
23; Joel 3:17; Zechariah 8:8, 20-23). There will be a temple in Jerusalem, which
will be the center of this worship of Jesus Christ during His millennial reign
(Ezekiel 40-48).

During the millennial reign of Christ, the Levitical blood animal sacrifices will
be reinstituted and will be related to the worship of the Messiah (See Isaiah 56:7;
66:20-23; Jeremiah 33:18; Zechariah 14:16-21; Malachi 3:3-4; Ezekiel 45:18-25).
“The prince” is King David as indicated by Ezekiel 34:24; 37:24-25.
There are several reasons for the existence of these sacrifices. The first is that
the blood animal sacrifices will “memorialize” the work of Christ on the cross just
as the Lord’s Supper was designed to do so. Just as the Lord’s Supper today
memorializes the death of Christ without diminishing the complete sufficiency of
His death, so the animal sacrifices during the millennial reign of Christ will be
offered without diminishing the finished work of Christ on the cross.
There is yet another purpose for the blood animal sacrifices during the
millennial reign of Christ, which is that they are related to solving the problem of
ceremonial uncleanness (Ezekiel 43:20, 26; 45:15, 17, 20). To be “clean” meant
that one was qualified to worship the Lord while to be “unclean” implied the
opposite.
The blood animal sacrifices offered during the millennial reign of Christ like
the Levitical sacrifices offered by the citizens of Israel during the dispensation of
Israel will solve the problem of ceremonial uncleanness enabling a person when
they became impure to be restored to the presence of the Lord.
In Old Testament Israel, the Lord was in the presence of the Israelites in the
Tabernacle and the Temple. Now, an Israelite could become ceremonially unclean
or impure by eating unclean animals (Leviticus 11), childbirth (Leviticus 12),
swellings and eruptions (Leviticus 13-14), sexual misdeeds (Leviticus 18) or by
touching a corpse (Leviticus 21). The solution the Lord provided someone
ceremonially unclean or impure were the blood animal sacrifices offered by the
Levitical priests.
The offering of these sacrifices made the impure Israelite ceremonially clean
again and thus enabled him or her to continue to reside in the presence of the Lord.
This too will be the purpose for the blood animal sacrifices during the millennial
reign of Christ in that these sacrifices like the sacrifices in Old Testament Israel
will make an impure person clean so that they can continue to live in the presence
of the Lord Jesus Christ. So the blood animal sacrifices of the Old Testament and
in the millennial reign of Christ protect the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ who
is holy.
Those who are in resurrection bodies during the millennial reign of Christ such
as church age believers and Old Testament saints will not offer the blood animal
sacrifices to make them ceremonially clean since they already will be clean.
However, those individuals during the millennium who have not yet received their
resurrection bodies, namely those believers who survive the tribulation and are still

alive on the earth at the time of Christ’s Second Advent will have to offer these
animal sacrifices to be ceremonially clean and their offspring will have to as well.
Now we must remember that the purpose of the blood animal sacrifices in Old
Testament Israel and during the millennial reign of Christ was not to provide
eternal salvation since they can never cleanse the conscience of the sinner. Christ’s
sacrificial death on the cross is superior to these blood animal sacrifices in that our
Lord’s death cleanses the sinner’s conscience and provides eternal salvation for the
sinner whereas the blood animal sacrifices only dealt with ceremonial uncleanness
and could never provide eternal salvation.
Hebrews 10:1 For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to
come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which
they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. 2
Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers,
having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? 3
But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. 4 For it is
impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5 Therefore,
when He comes into the world, He says, ‘Sacrifice and offering You have not
desired, But a body You have prepared for Me; 6 In whole burnt offerings
and sacrifices for sin You have taken no pleasure. 7 Then I said, “Behold, I
have come (In the scroll of the book it is written of Me) To do Your will, O
God.” 8 After saying above, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt
offerings and sacrifices for sin You have not desired, nor have You taken
pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the Law). 9 Then He said,
“Behold, I have come to do Your will.” He takes away the first in order to
establish the second. 10 By this will we have been sanctified through the
offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 Every priest stands daily
ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never
take away sins. 12 But He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat
down at the right hand of God. 13 Waiting from that time onward until His
enemies be made a footstool for His feet. 14 For by one offering He has
perfected for all time those who are sanctified. 15 And the Holy Spirit also
testifies to us; for after saying, 16 ‘This is the covenant that I will make with
them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws upon their heart, and
on their mind I will write them,’ He then says, 17 ‘And their sins and their
lawless deeds I will remember no more.’ 18 Now where there is forgiveness of
these things, there is no longer any offering for sin. (NASB95)
Another purpose for the blood animal sacrifices during the millennium is that
they serve to point to Christ’s superior sacrifice on the cross and will serve as a
continual message to the unsaved during the millennium of their need for a Savior.

Lastly, the animal sacrifices during the millennium will offer the regenerate
person an opportunity to demonstrate outwardly his or her love for and obedience
to the Lord (Isaiah 56:6-7).
Ezekiel 46:1-18 records King David, who will be in a resurrection body, as
offering sacrifices during the millennium as part of his worship of the Lord. He
will not be offering sacrifices to become ceremonially clean since he will be in a
resurrection body, rather he will offer sacrifices to demonstrate outwardly his love
and obedience to the Lord.
The Millennium Will Be The Literal Fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles
The feast of Tabernacles typifies the millennial reign of Christ. The twenty-
third chapter of the book of Leviticus gives us an account of the seven great feasts
of the Lord. They were a prophecy and foreshadowing of future events, part of
which have been fulfilled, and part is yet to be. They are the “shadow of things to
come,” of which Christ is the “body” or substance (Col. 2:16-17).
The seven feasts may be divided into two sections of four and three.
The first section includes the following feasts: (1) Passover (2) Unleavened
Bread (3) First-Fruits (4) Pentecost.
Then there was an interval of four months followed by the second section
includes the following feasts: (1) Trumpets (2) Atonement (3) Tabernacles.
The three Great Festivals were the following: (1) Passover (2) Pentecost (3)
Tabernacles.
They extended from the fourteenth day of the first month (Nisan) to the twenty-
second day of the seventh month Tishri or Ethanim. These seven feasts were given
to only given to Israel to be observed and not the church. They do however
dispensational implications since they mark God’s timetable with reference to
human history. Each of these seven feasts was designed in eternity past to be
literally fulfilled by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. They speak of Lord Jesus
Christ’s intervention into human history.
The following feasts were literally fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ during the
dispensation of the hypostatic union: (1) Passover: His voluntary substitutionary
spiritual death on the cross in April of 32 A.D. (2) Unleavened Bread: His
impeccability as a Person. Pentecost was literally fulfilled when the Baptism of the
Spirit took place in June of 33 A.D., which marked the beginning of the Church
Age. (3) Firstfruits: Resurrection of Christ.
The following Feasts are eschatological in nature and thus have yet to be
literally fulfilled: (1) Trumpets: Rapture or resurrection of the church terminating
the church age. (2) Atonement: Second Advent of Christ ending the Tribulation
dispensation. (3) Tabernacles: Millennial reign of Christ on planet earth.
The Feast of Tabernacles is also called in the Scriptures the festival of Tents
(Hebrew: hag hassukkot, “Feast of Booths,” 2 Chron. 8:13; Ezra 3:4; Zech. 14:16,
18-19; Greek: skenopegia, John 7:2, “Feast of Booths”) was so called because the
Israelites were commanded to live in booths during its continuance (Lev. 23:43). It
was also called the feast of Ingathering (Hebrew: hag ha’asip, Ex. 23:16, “Feast
of the Harvest”; 34:22), because it was held after the ingathering of the harvest
and fruits.
The Feast of Tabernacles was also called the festival of Jehovah (Hebrew: hag
YHWH, Lev. 23:39, “feast of the Lord”) or simply the festival (1 Kings 8:2; 2
Chron. 5:3, “the feast”), because it was the most important or well known.
The principal documentation for this feast are as follows: (1) Exodus 23:16 (2)
Leviticus 23:34-36 (3) Leviticus 39:43 (4) Deuteronomy 16:13-15 (5)
Deuteronomy 31:10-13 (6) Nehemiah 8.
The Feast of Tabernacles was a celebration to be observed at the end of the
harvest and was continued seven days (Deut. 16:13). The people during the feast
were to dwell in booths made of the branches of palm trees and willows from the
brook, which would remind them of the palm trees of Elim, and the Willows of
Babylon (Ps. 137:1-9).
What the Sabbath is to the week, a day of rest; so the seventh month to the other
six months of the seventh month cycle, typifies a period of rest-the Sabbath rest of
the millennial dispensation in relation to the other six thousand years of the world’s
work day history.
Like the Lord’s Supper is to us here in the church age, a memorial looking back
to the Person and Work of Christ on the cross and forward to the Second Advent so
the feast of tabernacles will be a memorial to Israel looking back to Egypt and
forward to the millennium.
While the Feast of Tabernacles began on the Sabbath and continued seven days,
it was to be followed by a Sabbath (Lev. 23:39). This Sabbath on the eighth day
points to the eternal state that follows the millennium and the termination of human
history when the Lord will create a new heavens and a new earth.
Pre-Millennial, Post-Millennial and Amillennial Views
There are three major views describing the relationship between the Second
Advent of Christ and the millennium: (1) Premillennial (2) Postmillennial (3)
Amillennial. In this study, we will note which view is the correct view and which
ones are not and why. We will also note why it is important that the Christian
adhere to the correct view and reject the others.
The term “premillennialism” derives its meaning from the belief that the
Second Advent of Christ will be premillennial or in other words, that it will be
before the millennium. The English term is made up of the following Latin
elements: pre means “before,” mille means “thousand,” and annus means “years”
in relation to Christ’s Second Advent. Thus, “premillennialism” means that Christ
will return to the earth “before the thousand years.”
The corresponding Greek expression in Revelation 20:4-7, chilia ete, gives rise
to the term “chiliasm,” properly a synonym for “millennialism.” The term
“chiliasm” has been superseded by the designation “premillennialism.”
“Premillennialism” is a system of doctrine that is based upon a literal
interpretation of Scripture and prophecy. Dispensational “premillennialism”
contends that Christ will return to earth, literally and bodily, before the millennial
age begins and that, by His presence, He will establish His kingdom, over which,
He will reign. The kingdom will continue for a thousand years, after which the Son
will give the kingdom to the Father when it will merge with His eternal kingdom (1
Corinthians 15:25-28).
“Premillennialism” was the earliest of the three millennial systems to arise but
fell out of favor during the Middle Ages but was revived by the Puritans in the
seventeenth century and is the viewpoint of a majority of those who are
conservative in their approach to biblical interpretation. The “premillennial” view
is the biblical view and therefore, correct view since it is consistent with the
prophecies that the Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled literally during His First Advent and
reflects a normal, literal interpretation of the Scriptures.
The chronology of events recorded in Revelation 19:11-20:7 reveal quite
clearly that Christ’s Second Advent will take place before His millennial reign.
“Postmillennialism” teaches that Christ’s kingdom is now being extended
throughout the world through the preaching of the gospel and that a majority of
people will be converted to Christ resulting in a consequent Christianization of the
current world’s society. This flies in the face of what the Scripture teaches that
there will be a growing and increased animosity by the world to Christians and
Christ and the Bible just preceding Christ’s return at His Second Advent.
The “post-millennial view,” which is popular among covenant theologians of
the post-Reformation period, contends, that through the preaching of the Gospel
the entire world will be Christianized and brought to submission to the Gospel
before the return of Christ.
“Post-millennialism” contends that Christ will return after the millennium. This
view believes that the current age in which we live is the millennium and that
through spiritual means there will be a progressive growth of righteousness,
prosperity and development in every sphere of life as a growing majority of
Christians eventually subdue the world for Christ. Then after Christianity has
dominated for a long time, which they call the churches glorious reign of victory,

Christ will return. World War II brought about the demise of this system of
theology.
Those who hold this view believe in a literal Second Advent and millennium.
This view is based on the figurative interpretation of prophecy, which leads to
subjective rather than objective interpretations. Unlike the Scriptures, this view
does not make a distinction between Israel and the church and does not have God
fulfilling the promises contained in the four unconditional covenants to Israel but
rather ascribes these promises as being fulfilled through the church. This view is
incorrect since the chronology of prophetic events recorded Revelation 19:11-20:3
make clear that the Second Advent of Christ precedes the establishment of His
millennial kingdom.
The “amillennial” view holds that there will be no literal millennium on the
earth following the Second Advent of Christ and the church is fulfilling all the
prophecies concerning Israel and the kingdom. This view teaches that from the
ascension of Christ in the first century until His Second Advent (they don’t believe
in the rapture), both good and evil will increase in the world as God’s kingdom
parallels Satan’s kingdom. The destructiveness of this view is that it denies a literal
reign of Christ upon the earth and contends that Satan was bound at the First
Advent. This view contends that the present church age between the first and
second advents is the fulfillment of the millennium and of course, this does not fit
the facts of human history.
In our study of the millennium, we have noted that the Scriptures teach that the
millennium will be spiritual in character and that there will be perfect economic,
social and political conditions during the millennium. At no time in human history
in the past have we seen these conditions taken place nor at the present time in
human history have we seen them taking place.
Some who hold this view believe like Augustine that the millennium is being
fulfilled on the earth and others like Warfield say it is being fulfilled in heaven.
This view was not around during the first century and came about as a result of
opposition to premillennial literalism because Christ had yet to come back to the
earth to establish His reign.
“Amillennialism” is destructive in that it holds to a non-literal view of the
millennium and spiritualizes the kingdom prophecies. The implications of this
method of interpretation is that it rejects a future for the nation of Israel and of God
fulfilling the promises contained in the four unconditional covenants to Israel and
makes no distinction between Israel and the church. It is popular today because it is
an inclusive system including various types of theology such as liberal Protestant,
conservative Protestant and Roman Catholic. Liberal amillennialism denies the
doctrines of the resurrection, judgment, the Second Advent, eternal punishment
and Roman amillennialism evolved the system of purgatory, limbo whereas
conservative amillennialism still holds to literal doctrines of resurrection, judgment
and eternal punishment.
Revelation 20:7-10-The Gog And Magog Rebellion And The Execution Of Satan’s
Sentence To The Lake Of Fire
We come now to a study of the Gog-Magog rebellion of mankind, which will

be led by Satan and will take place at the conclusion of the millennial reign of
Christ and will constitute the final rebellion of men and angels against God and
will be put down by God Himself.
Revelation 20:7 When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be
released from his prison, 8 and will come out to deceive the nations which are
in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for
the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. 9 And they came
up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and
the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 And
the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone,
where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day
and night forever and ever. (NASB95)
Satan will be released from his prison in order to demonstrate for the final time
that the heart of man is desperately wicked.
Jeremiah 17:9 The human mind is more deceitful than anything else. It is
incurably bad. Who can understand it? (NET Bible)
As we noted in our study of the millennium, there will be perfect political,
economic, social and environmental conditions on the earth during the millennial
reign since Christ will be sovereign ruler of the nations and Satan will be
imprisoned along with the fallen angels.
The judgment of “Israel” will take place immediately after the Second Advent
and prior to the millennial reign and involves the removal of unregenerate Israel
from the earth leaving only regenerate Israel to enter into the millennial reign of
Christ (Ezekiel 20:37-38; Zechariah 13:8-9; Malachi 3:2-3, 5; Matthew 25:1-30).
The judgment of the “Gentiles” also takes place immediately after the Second
Advent of Christ and prior to His millennial reign and involves the removal of
unregenerate, anti-Semitic Gentiles from the earth leaving only regenerate Gentiles
to enter the millennial reign of Christ (Matthew 25:31-46).
These judgments are designed to produce perfect government and environment
on planet earth and to remove from the earth all those who reject Christ as Savior
from the earth. Therefore, every home in the millennium will start off with only
believers because of these judgments.

Those believers who survived the Tribulation who remain on the earth and have
yet to receive their resurrection bodies will repopulate the earth (Isaiah 65:18-25).
The offspring of these individuals will have sin natures and will thus need to get
saved through faith alone in Christ alone. They will experience the perfect
rulership of Christ accompanied by its perfect environmental, social, economic and
politic conditions. However, the majority of these individuals will fall for the
deception of Satan after he is released at the end of the thousand years and rebel
against Christ. This will demonstrate that perfect environment does not change the
heart of sinful mankind but only by God’s grace through faith in Christ can deliver
the human heart from sin. This final rebellion also demonstrates the incurable
wickedness of Satan and those angels who followed him in his rebellion against
God in eternity past. It will also serve to justify eternal punishment for those who
reject Jesus Christ as Savior.
J. Hampton Keathley III gives three reasons why God would release Satan after
the completion of the thousand year reign of Christ on the earth, he writes, “(1) To
show the frightfully and totally bankrupt condition of man and that what he needs
is not a great society with all evils removed (a perfect environment), but that any
effective and lasting change must come from within through God’s grace plan of
salvation which regenerates and gives new life and spiritual capacity. Nothing else
can permanently change man. (2) To further substantiate God’s case against Satan,
that Satan is the liar, the slanderer, and the deceiver, and a large degree the cause
of man’s misery. (3) To show that God is absolutely just in His sentence of Satan
to the lake of fire (vs. 10—his permanent, eternal prison); and that God is perfect
holiness and His actions are always consistent with His character. (Studies in
Revelation-Christ’s Victory Over The Forces Of Darkness, pages 284-285;
Walvoord quotes William Hoste in his book, The Visions of John the Divine:
“The golden age of the kingdom will last a thousand years, during which
righteousness will reign, and peace, prosperity, and the knowledge of God will be
universally enjoyed. But this will not entail universal conversion, and all
profession must be tested.…Will not a thousand years under the beneficent sway of
Christ and the manifested glory of God suffice to render men immune to his
[Satan’s] temptations, will they not have radically changed for the better, and
become by the altered conditions of life and the absence of Satanic temptations,
children of God and lovers of His will? Alas! It will be proved once more that man
whatever his advantages and environment, apart from the grace of God and the
new birth, remains at heart only evil and at enmity with God.” (John F. Walvoord,
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, Moody Press: Chicago, 1966, p. 316; William
Hoste, The Visions of John the Divine, pages 160-161)

Warren Wiersbe writes, “In one sense, the millennial kingdom will ‘sum up’ all
that God has said about the heart of man during the various periods of history. It
will be a reign of law, and yet law will not change man’s sinful heart. Man will still
revolt against God. The Millennium will be a period of peace and perfect
environment, a time when disobedience will be judged swiftly and with justice;
and yet in the end the subjects of the King will follow Satan and rebel against the
Lord. A perfect environment cannot produce a perfect heart. (Wiersbe, W. W.
(1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Re 20:7). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books)
Now, the Gog and Magog mentioned here in Ezekiel 38-39 are not the same
Gog and Magog of Revelation 20:7-9. This is indicated by the fact that Revelation
20:7-9 records a war that involves armies from all four corners of the globe and is
followed by the Great White Throne Judgment of unbelievers (Rev. 20:11-15). On
the other hand, as we noted the war recorded in Ezekiel 38-39 involves only a
select group of nations that will invade Israel. Ezekiel 38:1-6 reveals that Russia,
(Rosh, Meshech and Tubal from the land of Magog), Georgia, and Ukraine
(Gomer) and Turkey (Togarmah) will invade Israel from the north, Iran will come
from the east, Ethiopia and Sudan from the south while Libya (Put) from the west,
thus Israel will be surrounded. Further indicating that the Magog and Gog of
Revelation 20:7-10 and Ezekiel 38-39 are not the same is that there is nothing in
the context of the latter that is similar to the battle in the former since there is no
mention of Satan or of millennial conditions.
The statement “they (the devil, the Antichrist and false prophet) will be
tormented day and night forever and ever” supports the doctrine of eternal
punishment and refutes the false doctrine of annihilation since the beast and the
false prophet are still there a thousand years after they experienced their final
judgment (compare Revelation 19:20). Mark 9:43-48 along with Matthew
13:41-42; 8:12; 22:13; and 25:30 speak of weeping in the lake of fire refuting the
doctrine of annihilation. Furthermore, Matthew 25:46 states the punishment for
rejecting Jesus Christ as Savior is everlasting punishment and looks at what the
person suffers. In Matthew 10:28 the reference to the destruction of the soul does
not refer to its annihilation, but to the loss of its meaning and purpose of existence.
Revelation 20:10 records the execution of the sentence pronounced against
Satan in eternity past, which was mentioned by our Lord in Matthew 25:41.
This sentence has not been executed since the Scriptures state that Satan is the
“prince of the power of air” (Eph. 2:3), and the ruler and god of this world (2
Corinthians 4:4) and is the arch enemy of the church (Ephesians 6:12) and is at the
present time prowling around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (1
Peter 5:8).
We can infer that Satan appealed his sentence to the lake of fire and God
granted him this appeal. This appeal provides God an opportunity to demonstrate
His love for all His creatures, both men and angels and thus vindicate His perfect
character and integrity that was impugned by Satan (John 3:16; Romans 5:6-8).
Therefore, God convened a trial to consider the evidence and pronounce
judgment. God considered all the evidence and pronounced a guilty verdict and He
sentenced Satan and all the fallen angels to “eternal fire” (Matt. 25:41). The
elapse of time between the sentence and its execution indicates that human history
is part of this momentous trial, the appeal trial of Satan.
Further biblical evidence for the prehistoric trial of the fallen angels is found in
the words “devil” and “Satan,” which are not names but titles, both of which mean
“accuser” or “adversary” as an attorney accuses someone in court and are legal
terms. He is called the devil and Satan because he was the defense attorney who
represented himself and the fallen angels at the prehistoric trial and because he
continues to act as an attorney now that the trial has entered its appeal phase during
human history (Job 1:6-12; 2:1-5; Zech. 3:1-2).
Revelation 20:11-15-The Great White Throne Judgment Of All Unbelievers
The “Great White Throne Judgment” will take place immediately after God
puts down the Gog-Magog rebellion of mankind and is the judgment of all
unregenerate humanity in human history for their rejection of Jesus Christ as
Savior (Rev. 20:11-15).
Revelation 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it,
from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for
them. (NASB95)
The individual who sat upon the great white throne judgment is Jesus Christ
Himself since the Lord Himself declared to the Jews in John 5:22-29 that the
Father had given Him authority to judge the living and the dead.
Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing
before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened,
which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which
were written in the books, according to their deeds. (NASB95)
The ones judged are “the dead, great and small,” those who had no part in the
first resurrection (20:5-6), which of course refers to the unbelieving dead of the
second resurrection (John 5:29).
“The dead, great and small” emphasizes that no one is exempt; all who have
died without trusting in Jesus Christ as Savior, regardless of their status in human
history, religiously, politically, economically, or morally, must stand before this
throne to face the judgment of Jesus Christ.
“The book of life” is one thing in eternity past and one thing in time and
something different in eternity future. In eternity past, the names of every person
that will live in time are in the book of life since God desires all men to be saved
(John 3:16-18; 1 Timothy 2:4). Those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior in
time will have their name removed from the book of life at the moment of physical
death.
Only the names of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ will have their names
remain in the book of life in eternity future. The names of those who reject the
Lord Jesus Christ in time will not only have their names removed from the book of
life but will have them transferred to the book of works mentioned at the Great
White Throne Judgment in Revelation 20:12.
The unbelievers whose names have been transferred from the book of life to the
book of works will be judged by Christ according to their works or their own
merits which are nothing more than human righteousness and thus inferior to the
righteousness of Christ and His righteous act at the Cross.
The statement “the dead were judged from the things which were written in
the books, according to their deeds” makes clear that the unbeliever is
emphatically “not” judged according to their sins since Jesus Christ died for all
men, Jew and Gentile and for every sin that they have committed-past, present and
future. The unbeliever will be judged according to their self-righteous human good
works, which do not measure up to the perfect work of the impeccable Christ on
the Cross (Rev. 20:11-15).
The sins of the unbeliever are never brought up since Christ died for all their
sins and instead their self-righteous works that do not measure up to Christ’s
perfection will be used to condemn them to the eternal lake of fire. The unbeliever
goes to the lake of fire because of his rejection of Christ as his Savior since 1
Timothy 2:4 and John 3:16-17 clearly indicates that God desires all men to be
saved, thus, He has made provision for all men to be saved through the Person and
Work of Jesus Christ on the Cross.
Since the unbeliever has rejected the work of Christ on the cross, he must rely
solely upon his own merit for salvation. All the good works of the unbeliever add
up to man’s relative righteousness (Is. 64:6), which are infinitely inferior the
righteousness of Christ. The fact that the unbeliever depends upon his own merits
to obtain salvation and rejects the work of Christ is the basis for his condemnation
at the Great White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:11-15).
Revelation 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death
and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every
one of them according to their deeds. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown
into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's
name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of
fire. (NASB95)

“The second death” is the perpetuation of spiritual death into eternity or
eternal separation from God and it is the final judgment of the unbelievers in the
human race and fallen angels whereby they are cast in the Lake of Fire (Matt.
25:41; Heb. 9:27; Rev. 20:12-15).
Revelation 20:15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book
of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (NASB95)
At the Great White Throne Judgment, every unbeliever in human history will
experience the righteous indignation of God forever in the eternal Lake of Fire.
God’s righteous indignation is the legitimate anger towards evil and sin since both
are contrary to His holiness or perfect character and nature. It expresses His
holiness, which pertains to the absolute perfection of God’s character or the purity
of His character or moral perfection and excellence and means that God can have
nothing to do with sin or sinners. He is totally separate from sin and sinners unless
a way can be found to constitute them holy and that way has been provided based
upon the merits of the impeccable Person and Finished Work of the Lord Jesus
Christ on the Cross.
The presence of evil, sin and injustice is totally absent in the character of God,
thus God does not tolerate evil or sin because it is contrary to His character, i.e. His
inherent moral qualities, ethical standards and principles. Therefore, God’s wrath,
which is in reality, righteous indignation is an expression of His holiness.
God’s wrath is His settled opposition to and displeasure against sin meaning
that His holiness cannot and will not coexist with sin in any form whatsoever. It is
not the momentary, emotional, and often uncontrolled anger to which human
beings are prone and does not refer to an explosive outburst but rather it refers to
an inner, deep resentment that seethes and smolders, often unnoticed by others as
in the case of God’s wrath.
God hates sin so much and loves the sinner so much that He judged His Son
Jesus Christ for every sin in human history-past, present and future and provided
deliverance from sin through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.
If the sinner will not exercise faith in Jesus Christ as his or her Savior, then they
will face His righteous indignation at the Great White Throne Judgment. The only
way to avoid God’s righteous indignation is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 20:12 and 21:8 make clear that the lake of fire is not a place or state
of nothingness or unconscious existence, as is the Hindu Nirvana but is the place of
everlasting torment, the place of eternal spiritual death or separation from God.
The fact that unregenerate man will receive eternal condemnation in the lake of
fire forever and ever is a righteous judgment since as sinners they can never be
justified before a holy God and have rejected God’s only provision for sin, which
is the Person and Finished Work of Jesus Christ on the Cross.

God who is holy and cannot tolerate sin is justified in throwing His creatures
into the lake of fire for rebelling against Him but also God, who as to His nature, is
love, did everything He could to prevent any of His creatures from going to the
lake of fire forever and ever for their rebellion against Him.
The fact that God did not immediately deposit all mankind in the lake of fire for
their disobedience is incontrovertible evidence that God loves His creatures and
desires none of them to go to the lake of fire.
The fact that God the Father sent His Son into the world to become a human
being to satisfy His righteous demands that the sin of men be judged is also
incontrovertible evidence that God loves His creatures.

Chapter Nine: The Eternal State
The creation of the new heavens and new earth and new Jerusalem will take
place after the Great White Throne Judgment of every unbeliever in history
(Revelation 20:11-15). The Scriptures teach that the Lord will destroy the present
heavens and earth and a new heavens and a new earth will be created by Him (Isa.
65:17; 66:22; 2 Pet. 3:10-13; Rev. 21:1).
2 Peter 3:1 This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in
which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you
should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the
commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles. The Coming
Day of the Lord 3 Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will
come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, 4 and saying,
“Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all
continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” 5 For when they
maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens
existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, 6
through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water.
7 But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire,
kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. 8 But do not let
this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a
thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 9 The Lord is not slow
about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not
wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 10 But the day of
the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a
roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and
its works will be burned up. 11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in
this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12
looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the
heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense
heat! 13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a
new earth, in which righteousness dwells. (NASB95)
Isaiah 65:17 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the
former things will not be remembered or come to mind. 18 But be glad and
rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing
and her people for gladness. 19 I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in
My people; And there will no longer be heard in her the voice of weeping and
the sound of crying.” (NASB95)
Hebrews 1:10-11 quoting Psalm 102:25-27 states that the present heaven and
earth “will perish...will become old as a garment” and “as a mantle” the Lord
Jesus Christ “will roll them up...as a garment they (the present heavens and
earth) will be changed.”
The new heaven and new earth will be the real place of perfect happiness, peace
and righteousness because no form of evil and unrighteousness will be allowed
into it (2 Pet. 3:10-13; Rev. 21:1-8). The present heaven and earth have been
contaminated by sin and rebellion. Therefore, a new heaven and earth must be
created so that there will be no more remembrance of sin and rebellion and its
results. The new heavens and new earth will be created for the eternal state. The
new heavens and new earth will be a place of perfect integrity for there will be the
absence of evil in its midst (2 Pet. 3:13). Thus, the eternal state will be the
fulfillment of 1 Corinthians 15:24-28.
1 Corinthians 15:20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the
first fruits of those who are asleep. 21 For since by a man came death, by a
man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also
in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first
fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, 24 then comes the end,
when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has
abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign until He
has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be
abolished is death. 27 For He has put all things in subjection under His feet.
But when He says, ‘All things are put in subjection,’ it is evident that He is
excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. 28 When all things are
subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who
subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all. (NASB95)
There will be no suffering or death taking place in the New Jerusalem (Rev.
21:4). Satan and the fallen angels will have already been cast in the Lake of Fire
along with unregenerate human beings (Rev. 20:11-15). The New Jerusalem will
be suspended in the first heaven above the earth. It will be located in the new
heavens and the new earth. The New Jerusalem is city designed by God for the
eternal state. The apostle John describes the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21:11-
27.
Inhabitants of the city: (1) The Trinity (2) The Church (3) Regenerate Israel
from the theocentric and eschatological dispensations. (4) Regenerate Gentile
believers from the theocentric and eschatological dispensations. (5) Elect Angels.
Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first
heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.
(NASB95)
The new heaven and earth is not simply the old renovated but an act of new
creation (cf. Rev. 20:1f with 20:11 and 2 Pet. 3:10, which describes the dissolving
of the old heaven and earth). The word “new” here is kainos, which means fresh,
new in quality and character. Further, in the Greek text the words “heaven” and
“earth” are without the article stressing the aspect of quality rather than identity.
Literally, it is “heaven, new, and an earth, new” not “the new heaven…”
The use of the adjective kainos plus this anarthrous construction (absence of the
article) serves to further emphasize the qualitative difference even though we
aren’t told a great deal about this difference.
One striking statement is made, “there was no longer any sea.” “Sea” refers to
a lake, sea, or body of water. The sea occupies most of the earth’s surface today. In
fact, approximately ¾ of the total surface of the earth is water.
Most of the earth is now covered with water which is vital to man’s survival,
but apparently in the new earth there will be no bodies of water except for the one
river mentioned in 22:1-2. Water is often associated with judgment as was the case
with the Genesis Flood in the days of Noah.
Since Satan and the fallen angels will not be residing in the new heavens and
new earth but rather will be in the lake of fire for all of eternity and the fact that
there will be no oceans in the new earth we can conclude that the fallen angels are
incarcerated underneath the oceans. There are angels incarcerated in the Abyss
underneath the earth and under the Euphrates River according to Revelation 9.
Man in the eternal state and in his glorified body evidently will not need water
as he does today to sustain him physically. There will be water, but it will speak of
power, purity, and eternal life in the eternal city, which has its constant source of
life in God. Man will be able to eat and drink, but it will not be necessary for
survival as it is today, at least not in the same way. It also indicates a completely
different type of climate.
Revelation 21:2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out
of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I
heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is
among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and
God Himself will be among them, 4 and He will wipe away every tear from
their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any
mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” 5 And He
who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He
said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” 6 Then He said to me, “It
is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give
to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. 7 He
who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be
My son. 8 But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and
murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars,
their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the
second death.” 9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of
the seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will
show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the
Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God. Her
brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper. 12 It
had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels;
and names were written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of
the sons of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east and three gates on the
north and three gates on the south and three gates on the west. 14 And the
wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve
names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 15 The one who spoke with me had
a gold measuring rod to measure the city, and its gates and its wall. 16 The
city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width; and he
measured the city with the rod, fifteen hundred miles; its length and width
and height are equal. 17 And he measured its wall, seventy-two yards,
according to human measurements, which are also angelic measurements. 18
The material of the wall was jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear
glass. 19 The foundation stones of the city wall were adorned with every kind
of precious stone. The first foundation stone was jasper; the second, sapphire;
the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; 20 the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth,
sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth,
chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst. 21 And the twelve
gates were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was a single pearl. And the
street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. 22 I saw no temple in it,
for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 And the city
has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has
illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 The nations will walk by its light,
and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25 In the daytime (for
there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; 26 and they will
bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; 27 and nothing unclean,
and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but
only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. (NASB95)
From this passage we read that there will be in the New Jerusalem the
following: (1) Twelve gates and twelve angels (verse 12). (2) Twelve tribes of
Israel (verse 12). (3) Twelve foundations (verse 14). (4) twelve apostles (verse 14).
(5) Twelve pearls (verse 21). (6) Twelve kinds of fruit (22:2). (7) Wall 144 cubits-
twelve times 12 (21:17). (8) Height, width and length 12,000 stadia and about
1,400 miles (verse 16). (9) Walls north, south, east and west with three gates on
each side and with angel standing guard at each gate (verse 12).

Revelation 21:2-20 reveals that the structure of the new Jerusalem will be
composed of: (1) Great and High Wall (Rev. 21:12). (2) Twelve Gates with twelve
Angels on guard at each of the twelve gates with the names of the twelve tribes of
Israel on them (Rev. 21:12). (3) Three Gates will be located on the north, south,
east and west (Rev. 21:13). (4) Twelve Foundation Stones with the names of each
of the twelve apostles inscribed on them (Rev. 21:14). (5) The city will be laid out
like a square and measures 1500 miles in length on all four sides (Rev. 21:16). (6)
The length, width and height of the city are all equal in measure (Rev. 21:16). (7)
The wall measures 72 yards (Rev. 21:17). (8) The walls are made of jasper (Rev.
21:18a). (9) The city is made of pure gold like glass (Rev. 21:18). (10) The
foundation stones with the names of the twelve apostles on them will be adorned
with every precious stone.
Revelation 21:19-20 teaches that each of the twelve foundation stones will be
made of a precious stone: (1) Jasper: Probably the blue-white diamond, some
believe opal is meant here. (2) Sapphire: This is the ancient lapis lazuli, a deep blue
stone sprinkled with brilliant bits of iron pyrite (fool’s gold). It was prized in
ancient Assyria and Egypt. (3) Chalcedony: General term for a group of precious
stones including carnelian, sardius, chrysoprase, agate, and onyx. Others identify it
with a green copper silicate that was found near Chalcedon on the Bosphorus not
far from the modern city of Istanbul. (4) Emerald: Bright, light green, transparent
precious stone. It was actually a variety of beryl, but colored by chromium instead
of iron. It was found in Egypt, Cyprus and Ethiopia. (5) Sardonyx: Variety of
agate, or it may have been a layered stone of red sard and white onyx. The
ancient’s prized it for making cameos. (6) Sardius: The carnelian or sard, a reddish
to blood-red precious stone. It was often used for engraving. (7) Chrysolite:
Yellow topaz. Others think it was a golden jasper or a yellow topaz. It may have
been a magnesium-iron silicate. (8) Beryl: Sea-green precious stone. (9) Topaz:
The golden topaz, sometimes greenish gold. (10) Chrysoprase: A translucent, apple
green, fine-grained hornstone (a variety of quartz). Others identify it as an apple
green, chromium colored variety of chalcedony. (11) Jacinth: Also called hyacinth,
was possibly a variety of zircon. Some were bluish, some bluish-purple like the
modern sapphire, others orangish in color. (12) Amethyst: Clear purple or blue-
violet, glassy quartz.
Revelation also teaches us that the twelve gates are twelve pearls and each one
of the gates was a single pearl (Rev. 21:21). There was no temple in the city
because “the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb are its temple” (Rev.
21:22). The city will have no need of the sun or the moon for “the glory of God”
will illuminate it and its lamp is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the Lamb (Rev.
21:23; 22:5). The nations of the new earth will walk by its light since it will be
permanently suspended above the new earth (Rev. 21:24). There will be no day or
nighttime and its gates will never be closed because there will no longer be any
war (Rev. 21:25). The glory and honor of the nations shall be brought into it (Rev.
21:26). The only individuals who will be allowed into the city will be the elect
angels and regenerate humanity (Rev. 21:27). Those who rejected Christ as Savior
will be suffering in the Lake of Fire forever and ever and will therefore not be
found in this city or trying to enter its gates (Rev. 20:11-15).
As we can see from Revelation 21, the number twelve is prominent in the New
Jerusalem since it is a perfect number signifying perfection of government or of
governmental perfection. While the number seven is composed of three added to
four, twelve is three multiplied by four, and hence denotes that which can scarcely
be explained in words, but which the spiritual perception can at once appreciate.
Notice the contrast between the time we are now living in and the eternal state.
Everything about the eternal state is a total and absolute contrast to what we now
know today on this earth. There will be nothing hidden (everything will be
transparent), no shadows, no sin, no sorrows, no pain, no sickness, and no
disappointments.
Now, this passage does not say that there will be no sun or moon, only that
there will be no need of the sun and moon because the glory of God will illuminate
the city. The sun and moon in comparison with the light of the glory of God will be
like turning on an outdoor light in the broad light of the sun in our world today.
The eternal state will be always illumined by the unveiled radiance of the glory of
God’s personal presence.
Hebrews 1:3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact
representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.
When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the
Majesty on high. (NASB95)
God’s manifested glory will be the source of light in eternal state. That God
Himself would be the Light of the city is entirely fitting with the rest of Scripture
(John 1:7-9; 3:19; 8:12; 12:35; 1 John 1:5; Rom. 13:12; Heb. 1:3). This refers to
both physical and spiritual light.
Remember that in the earthly tabernacle and temple there was artificial lighting
in the holy place, the seven-branched lampstand that spoke of Christ as the Light of
the world. Yet, even in the Holy of Holies, there was no such lighting because the
Shekinah glory of God gave it its light, the light of God’s own presence. In the
eternal city, the entire city of the New Jerusalem will be the temple, the dwelling
place of God with the radiance of God’s glory radiating throughout the city in all
its transparent beauty.
Scripture repeatedly makes application of this contrast, and it is important that
we remember this. Today is a time of darkness, a time of night because of the
presence of sin, Satan, sorrow, death and man’s viewpoint.
Color today is described as dissected light. If you pass a ray of light through a
prism, it is broken up into three primary colors: (1) red (2) blue (3) yellow. From
these three primary colors come all colors and shades of colors. Light is a
requirement for color. Where there is no light, there is no color. Objects of color
reveal color to the eye because of their ability to absorb or to reject light rays.
A red stone absorbs all the color rays except red. It rejects or throws back to the
eye the red ray, which gives it the color of red. The New Jerusalem is a city of light

and color. God is light and He is there. The city is described as a jasper stone as
clear as crystal. All of this color will be coming out and flooding God’s universe.
The Lord has built a city for His heavenly people (John 14:1-3; Heb. 11:16).
The Lord is the architect and builder of this city (Heb. 11:10). This city is called
the New Jerusalem, the city of the living God (Heb. 12:22). It is a literal city and
the Word of God describes it in detail. The believer is to diligently seek or desire
for the time when he will live in the New Jerusalem (Heb. 13:14).
Church age believers who are winners in time will have their names recorded in
its permanent historical record section and will have their names permanently
inscribed upon the pillars of the New Jerusalem (Rev. 3:12a).
The New Jerusalem will come down out of heaven from God (Rev. 3:12b; 21:2,
10). It is called the “holy city” because no unrighteousness or evil will be allowed
in it for all eternity (Rev. 21:2a, 8, 27). It will be a city of integrity and virtue.
Revelation 22:1 Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as
crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, 2 in the middle of its
street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of
fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the
healing of the nations. 3 There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of
God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; 4
they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. 5 And there
will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp
nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they
will reign forever and ever. 6 And he said to me, “These words are faithful
and true’; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel
to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place. 7 And
behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the
prophecy of this book.” 8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things.
And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who
showed me these things. 9 But he said to me, ‘Do not do that. I am a fellow
servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the
words of this book. Worship God.” (NASB95)
Revelation 22:1-9 teaches that there will be a river in the middle of its only
street called the “water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God
and of the Lamb” (Rev. 22:1-2). The tree of life will be on either side of the river
bearing twelve kinds of different fruit which it will yield every month (Rev. 22:2).
Regenerate humanity and elect angels will serve the Lord in this city throughout
the eternal state and there will no longer be any curse (Rev. 22:3). We shall see the
Lord’s face and His title shall be on our foreheads (Rev. 22:4).
Revelation 21-22 teaches that life in the new Jerusalem will be characterized by
the following: (1) Fellowship with the Lord (John 14:3; 1 Cor. 13:12; 1 John 3:2;
Rev. 22:4). (2) Rest (Rev. 14:13). (3) Knowledge (1 Cor. 13:12). (4) Integrity
(absence of sin) (Rev. 21:27). (5) Joy (Rev. 21:4). (6) Service (Rev. 22:3). (7)
Prosperity (Rev. 21:6). (8) Glory (2 Cor. 4:17; Col. 3:4). (9) Worship (Rev. 7:9-12;
19:1). (10) Peace (Rev. 21:24-26).

Chapter Ten: Jesus Christ Controls History
The twentieth century has been called by many historians the “American
Century,” but will this be the case in the twenty-first century. American influence
has been challenged in the Far East where China is flexing her military might
desiring to impose her increasing power and influence in the world. Africa rocked
by the AIDS epidemic, starvation and cruel military dictatorships continues to
spiral out of control.
Then there is the Middle East where the Arab world continues to promote
terrorism against Israel. Israel the only true ally of America in the Middle East is
surrounded by nations who wish to have her wiped off the face of the earth. Many
are desperately seeking for a peaceful resolution to a conflict which originates
3000 years ago with Ishmael and the son of promise, Isaac.
In the West, the attacks of 911 on the Great Superpower of the United States
have struck fear in the hearts in the land of the free and the home of the brave. The
rise of irrational Islamic Fundamentalism and its proliferation of terrorism
throughout the world against Israel and the United States and her interests have led
many to wonder if democracy and Western Civilization will survive.
The Cold War has given way to insidious new war. The collapse of the Soviet
Union and the dismantling of much of its military industrial complex have created
an even greater problem for the West and her allies. Weapons of mass destruction
are now no longer in the hands of a certain few nations but rather they are now
available or will soon be available to nations whom President Bush accurately
describes as the Axis of Evil.
We, the Church, members of the body of Christ and the future bride of Christ
must stand firm in the midst of this chaos since we know that our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ sits on the throne seated at the right of the Father waiting for His
enemies to be made a footstool for His feet! The fact that Jesus Christ controls
history should serve as anchor for the soul of the Christian as storms of life come
crashing all around us. The King of kings and Lord of lords, the Lord Jesus Christ,
the God-Man is sovereign ruler of the cosmos. He is the Master of Circumstances.
The events taking place in human history are the divine outworking of the Divine
Decree, the object being the final manifestation of God’s glory.
One of the purposes of human history is to provide Satan and his legions of
angels an opportunity to demonstrate their innocence of any wrongdoing when the
rebelled against God in eternity past and sought to live independently of His
sovereign will. War, famine, hunger, murder, adultery, lying, cheating, stealing,
child abuse, are all the result of an attitude which originates from the greatest
creature ever to come from the hand of God, Satan. God is not to blame for the
state of the world but rather He in His infinite wisdom which is based on upon His
omniscient knowledge of all the facts has permitted evil which is independence
from God to run its course in the world in order to demonstrate before all the
angels and mankind that no creature of God can live independently from Him and
prosper. Satan disobediently sought to rule independently of God. Arrogance is
independence from and disobedience to the sovereign will of God. Satan believes
his arrogance is not arrogance but a viable alternative to the sovereign will of God.
The events of human history, past, present and future demonstrate that the
rulership of Satan has failed, is failing and will fail in the future and will ultimately
end in destruction for him and his followers. The Son of God became a human
being in order to demonstrate that humility expressed by dependence upon God
and obedience to His sovereign will is the only path to peace in the world. God
demotes those who promote themselves and are disobedient and live independently
from Him whereas God promotes those who are obedient to Him and are
dependent upon Him. The Son of God became a human being in order to
demonstrate this principle. Jesus Christ now sits at the right hand of the Father as
victor over Satan in the angelic conflict as a result of His humble obedience to the
sovereign will of the Father which was manifested at the Cross of Calvary.
In the Garden of Eden, Adam lost his rulership over creation by disobeying the
Lord’s command in the Garden of Eden to not eat from the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil. Satan usurped the authority of Adam in the Garden of Eden when
he deceived the woman to eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil and who in turn got her husband Adam to eat it as well. Satan now rules this
world as a result of Adam’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden. This fact is
illustrated in Matthew 4:8-9 when Satan offered the kingdoms of this world to the
humanity of Christ if He would worship him.
However, the Last Adam, Jesus of Nazareth, regained the rulership of the world
from Satan by means of His obedience at the Cross; therefore, the humanity of
Christ now sits at the right hand of the Father ruling history and not His deity for
deity does not sit. Satan usurped the authority of the restored earth from Adam in
the Garden of Eden but the Last Adam; the Lord Jesus Christ gained the rulership
of the earth back from Satan with His death, resurrection, ascension and session.
The humanity of Christ’s humble dependence upon the Father’s provision of the
Word and the Spirit and His humble obedience to the Father’s will which was
demonstrated by His voluntary substitutionary spiritual and physical deaths on the
Cross rebuked the pride and arrogance of Satan who chose independence from God
and disobedience to the will of God.
Genesis 1:26-30, Psalm 8 and Hebrews 2:7-8 teach that mankind was designed
to rule over the works of God’s creation.
Genesis 1:26 Next, God decreed “let Us model man in Our image,
according to Our likeness. Consequently, they will rule over the fish in the
various bodies of water and over the birds in the earth’s atmosphere and over
the animal kingdom and over the entire earth and over each and every
creeper-crawler, those which crawl upon the earth.” (Author’s translation)
So Adam was created and designed in the image and likeness of God in order
that he might exercise sovereign authority over all creation.
Psalm 8 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth,
Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens! From the mouth of
infants and nursing babes You have established strength Because of Your
adversaries, to make the enemy and the revengeful cease. When I consider
Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You
have ordained; What is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man
that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, and
You crown him with glory and majesty! You make him to rule over the works
of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and
also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes through the paths of the seas. O LORD, our Lord, How
majestic is Your name in all the earth! (NASB95)
The rulership of the creation was lost by Adam and the Woman in the Garden
of Eden when they disobeyed the Lord’s prohibition to not eat from the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3). Satan usurped the rulership of the first
Adam over the earth when he deceived the woman into disobeying the Lord’s
prohibition to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and getting
Adam to do so as well. However, the Last Adam, the God-Man, the Lord Jesus
Christ has regained that rulership over the earth with His obedience to the Father’s
will in going to the Cross in order to die a substitutionary spiritual death in the
place of all of sinful humanity (Hebrews 2:6-9).
Hebrews 2:5 For He did not subject to angels the world to come,
concerning which we are speaking. 6 But one has testified somewhere, saying,
“What is man, that You remember him? Or the son of man, that You are
concerned about him? 7 You have made him for a little while lower than the
angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, and have appointed him
over the works of Your hands; 8 You have put all things in subjection under
his feet.” For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject
to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him. 9 But we do see
Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus,
because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the
grace of God He might taste death for everyone. (NASB95)
That Satan has temporary authority over the earth is indicated in that 2
Corinthians 4:4 says that he is the “god of this world.” The Lord Jesus Christ’s

death on the Cross gained the rulership of the earth back for mankind according to
Philippians 2:5-11 and Hebrews 2:9.
In Hebrews 2:6-8a, we have the record of God’s purpose for mankind decreed
whereas in Hebrews 2:8, we have this purpose delayed due to the Fall. In Hebrews
2:9, 14 and 17 we have this purpose accomplished through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, this scene in heaven recorded in Revelation chapter five is the
presentation of the title deed to planet earth to the Lord Jesus Christ.
The humanity of Christ in hypostatic union has been promoted by God the
Father as sovereign ruler of history as a result of His victory over Satan at the
Cross which was accomplished when in His humanity, Jesus Christ was obedient
to the Father’s will by voluntarily dying a substitutionary spiritual and physical
death on the Cross for the entire world.
God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, the three persons of the
Trinity desire to rule their creation through humanity and not angels. God the Son,
the second member of the Trinity became a human being in order that He might
fulfill this desire of the Trinity to have humanity to rule over creation. The Trinity
is inherently sovereign meaning that sovereignty is an attribute of their divine
nature, but they have chosen to rule their creation by means of humanity in time.
Jesus Christ, the God-Man has fulfilled this desire of the Trinity. A human being,
namely Jesus Christ now sits at the right hand of the Father as sovereign ruler of
history (Hebrews 1:1-2:18).
The church age believer has been placed in union with the Lord Jesus Christ at
the moment of conversion through the baptism of the Spirit, which places the
believer positionally higher than the angels (Ephesians 2:4-10).
The church as the body of Christ and the future bride of Christ has been
sovereignly chosen by the Father to rule with Christ over creation.
There will come a time at the completion of history that Jesus Christ in His
humanity will subject Himself to the Father and will hand over the Kingdom to
Him.
1 Corinthians 15:24 Then comes the end, when He (Lord Jesus Christ)
delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when He (Lord Jesus Christ)
has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He (Lord Jesus
Christ) must reign until He (God the Father) has put all His (Lord Jesus
Christ) enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished will
be death (physical). 27 For He (God the Father) has put all things in
subjection under His (Lord Jesus Christ) feet. But when He says, “All things
are put in subjection,” it is evident that He (God the Father) is excepted Who
put all things in subjection to Him (Lord Jesus Christ). 28 When all things are
subjected to Him (Lord Jesus Christ), then the Son Himself also will be

subjected to the One (God the Father) who subjected all things to Him (Lord
Jesus Christ), that God may be all in all. (NASB95)
God wants us to have confidence and assurance that history is not a haphazard
set of events but that through His Son Jesus Christ He has everything under control
and is working out His eternal purpose that will ultimately glorify Him.
Psalm 103:19 The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, and
His sovereignty rules over all. 20 Bless the LORD, you His angels, mighty in
strength, who perform His word, obeying the voice of His word! Bless the
LORD, all you His hosts, you who serve Him, doing His will. Bless the LORD,
all you works of His, in all places of His dominion; 21 Bless the LORD, O my
soul! (NASB95)
Isaiah 66:1 “Thus says the LORD, ‘Heaven is My throne and the earth is
My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a
place that I may rest? 2 For My hand made all these things, thus all these
things came into being,’ declares the LORD. But to this one I will look, to him
who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.”
(NASB95)
Paul teaches us in Philippians 2:9-11 that the cosmic dimensions of the
sovereign rulership of Christ are three-fold: (1) Celestials (a) Elect angels
functioning in the first, second and third heavens. (b) Fallen angels functioning in
the first, second and third heavens. (c) OT saints located in the third heaven. (d)
The Church (Dead in Christ) located in the third heaven. (2) Terrestrials (a) The
Church (Regenerate human beings) functioning on planet earth. (b) Unregenerate
human beings functioning on planet earth. (3) Sub terrestrials (a) Fallen angels
imprisoned in Tartarus and in the Abyss. (b) Unregenerate humanity in the second
compartment of Hades called Torments.
within yourselves, which was also in (the mind of) Christ Jesus 6 who
So we must always be aware of the fact that because Jesus Christ controls
history nothing in life takes place unless He permits it. The Lord as sovereign ruler
of the cosmos is in control of circumstances permitting certain events to take place
in our lives in order to either discipline us to get us back in fellowship with Him, or
draw us closer to Him in fellowship and intimacy by giving us an opportunity to
apply His Word resulting in us acquiring the blessings of confidence and assurance
in life that we can handle any situation, whether adversity or prosperity.
The providence of God is the divine outworking of the Divine Decree, the
object being the final manifestation of God’s glory. The doctrine of providence
expresses the fact that the world and our lives are not ruled by chance or fate but
by God Who reveals the purpose of providence through the work of Christ on the
Cross. Providence is extended to God’s forethought, omniscience, and the
functional care over His creatures, both good and evil, but especially those
creatures who have believed in Christ for the forgiveness of sins. The providence
of God must be linked with the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ at the Cross. The
providence of God states that the Lord Jesus Christ controls human history and
therefore all of the circumstances surrounding our lives.

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Doctrine of Dispensations

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Distinctions Between Israel and the Church

Dispensationalism recognizes distinctions in God’s program in history. The

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Gentiles Israel Hypostatic Church Tribulation Millennium

Ascension Baptism of the

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Satan’s Fallen Great

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Classical Usage of Aion

Aion is an abstract noun, which by their very nature focus on a quality.

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Septuagint Usage of Aion

New Testament Usage of Aion

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As we noted in the classification of the dispensations, the first theocentric

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The Abrahamic covenant ceremony is recorded in Genesis 15:17-21.

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Lord Promises Abraham That Sarah Will Give Birth

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The Lord Tests Abraham By Commanding Him To Sacrifice Isaac

The Seventh and Final Test in Abraham’s Life

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The Lord Intervenes

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The Lord Will Provide

The Lord Rewards Abraham’s Obedience

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Jacob and the Birth of the Nation of Israel