The Kingdom or the World

     Scriptures reveal that only a minority; a small part of mankind, or a remnant will be delivered from God’s righteous judgment. 

     There will be a remnant from the nation of Israel and a remnant from all nations, tongues, tribes and peoples from all ages of which the church is part.

     The term remnant means the smaller part remaining after the majority is dealt with.

     The Bible states the size of the remnant of God’s chosen nation, i.e. Israel will be one-third when Christ returns to end the great tribulation. 

     And in the New Testament Jesus said:

     “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”  Matthew 7:13-14

     At a later time Jesus was directly asked, “Lord, are there few who are saved?”

     Jesus confirmed His earlier teaching.

     “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.”  Luke 13:24

     It is difficult to determine the actual percent of Americans who are Christians.  The percent of professed Christians hovers around 75% but the Pew Research Center reported that in 2013 approximately only 37% of Americans attend church once a week or more. 

     Add to those statistics Reverend Billy Graham’s estimate that two of three church attendees are really not Christian it can be surmised that Christians are a minority remnant of America’s populace similar to Israelites.

     That being the case what is known about the majority?  What are their priorities during this present age?  What determines their values and actions?

     We’ll do a series differentiating the majority from the minority.  The minority will be referred to as citizens of the Kingdom and the majority will be referred to simply as the ‘world’.

     There are several definitions of the ‘world’ depending on the context.  In the present discussion the focus will be on organized mankind inhabiting the earth without God.  The Greek base for this definition is kosmos.

     The world is more concerned with the visible and tangible than the invisible and spiritual.  A further differentiation is that the world is more interested in transience while citizens of the Kingdom are more concerned with the eternal.

     Those of the world are indifferent or even hostile to citizens of the Kingdom.  In fact the differences between the world and the Kingdom are so pronounced that there is enmity or hatred between them.  Such enmity began ages ago in the garden resulting from the great deception.

     All descendants of Adam and Eve were/are born without the Spirit of God within them.  The worldly continue throughout their lives without the Spirit while the citizens of the Kingdom have been redeemed out of the world.  God has placed His Spirit within them.  Such is called being ‘born again’.

     Therefore, the wisdom of the worldly is totally at odds with Godly wisdom.

     The Apostle Paul had much to say about worldly wisdom and Godly wisdom.  Worldly wisdom is based on man’s logic while Godly wisdom is based on divine revelation provided freely to the redeemed.

     “Let no one deceive himself.  If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.  For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God…”  1 Corinthians 3:18-19a

     “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise…”  1 Corinthians 1:27a 

     Paul goes on to say that the minority remnant is mature, having Godly wisdom vs. wisdom of this age.  Rulers of this age who depend on worldly wisdom or on man’s reasoning and logic are on their way to destruction according to Scriptures.

     “However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.”  1 Corinthians 2:5

     Therefore, the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God have absolutely nothing in common.

     More differences between the world and the Kingdom to follow.

    

Sons of the East

     Cain, the firstborn of Adam and Eve, was described later in the Scriptures by John as ‘of the wicked one’.  Cain did not honor God’s instructions relative to his offering, was angry because God confronted him on his actions, killed his brother Abel in jealousy, and subsequently became a vagabond and fugitive. Cain ‘went out from the presence of the LORD and dwelt in the land…east of Eden.’

     The term ‘east’ when used in the Old Testament typically means that land from Palestine to the Euphrates River.  The specific context, however, may include Mesopotamia and Babylon, i.e. present day Iraq.  Joshua also referred to the land on the other side of the ‘river’ meaning that land east of the Euphrates River.  That definition could include present day Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

     Both the Bible and Islamic literature have much to say about that geographic area; historically, presently and in the future.  The major difference in the Biblical account vs. the Islamic viewpoint is the final destination of that area.

     Several millennia after the time of Cain, Abraham was called by God to leave the land of the east and travel to a new land that God would reveal to him.  That new land included present day Israel.

      Recall Abraham’s first two sons; the son of promise named Isaac, and the son of the flesh named Ishmael.  Ishmael and his mother subsequently departed from Abraham and settled in Arabia where he was the father of twelve tribes.

     Abraham had other sons by his subsequent wife Keturah and other concubines.

     “And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac.  But Abraham gave gifts to the sons of the concubines which Abraham had; and while he was still living he sent them eastward, away from Isaac his son, to the country of the east.”  Genesis 25:5-6

     God used the ‘sons of the east’ to chastise Israel when needed.

     “Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD.  So the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian… and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel…So it was, whenever Israel had sown, Midianites would come up; also Amalekites and the people of the East would come up against them.”  Judges 6:1, 3

     After the time of the Judges during the consolidated kingdom, Solomon was recognized by all to be the wisest man on earth.

     “Thus Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the East…”  1 Kings 4:30

     The Queen of Sheba, which is present day Yemen, openly declared Solomon’s wisdom and made prophetic utterance.

     “Blessed be the LORD your God, who delighted in you, setting you on the throne of Israel!  Because the LORD has loved Israel forever, therefore, He made you king, to do justice and righteousness.”  1 Kings 10:9

    Her words were true when spoken, and will prove to be fulfilled in the future.  In the present, however, it is difficult to imagine such a proclamation coming out of Yemen.

     Progressing several hundred years after Solomon’s reign the prophet Isaiah confirmed the Queen’s words.

     The context of the following describes the return of the conquering Christ as He re-gathers the children of Israel and destroys their enemies.

     “And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, who shall stand as a banner to the people…together they shall plunder the ‘sons of the East’…”  Isaiah 11:10, 14

     And then approximately 700 years after Isaiah’s prophecy the wise men from the East journeyed to Bethlehem to worship the new born King of Israel, i.e. the Root of Jesse.  God had miraculously provided a star in the East for a sign of the arrival of Christ.

     The Apostle John, in the final book in the Bible, provides the last prophecy regarding the sons of the East.

     “Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and the water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared.”  Revelation 16:12

     Therefore, the sons of the East are referenced throughout history, past, present, and future.

     By the way, is anything significant going on in the land of the East today?

    

    

      

The 'Enmity' Begins

     Recall the proclamation against Satan after he deceived Eve in the garden.

     “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed…”  Genesis 3:15

     Firstly it is noted that God said, “I will put...”  In other words the enmity between Satan and the woman, and his seed and her Seed, would be initiated by God to execute His plan devised from the foundation of the world.  Synonyms for ‘enmity’ include hostility, adversarial, hatred, i.e. to be foes.

     After Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden clothed in animal skins, they had two sons.

     “Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, ‘I have acquired a man from the LORD.’  Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel.  Now Abel was a keeper of sheep but Cain was a tiller of the ground.”  Genesis 4:1-2

     The two sons were very different.  Abel was obedient while Cain was independently headstrong.  Both knew God’s desire for animal sacrifices; however, Cain chose to offer what he thought would be more fitting.

     “And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD.  Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat.  And the LORD respected Abel and his offering but He did not respect Cain and his offering.  And Cain was very angry…”  Genesis 4:3-5

     The term ‘respect’ in the above means to inspect, consider, and then have compassion on.  In other words God was well pleased with Abel’s offering of a sacrificial animal, but was not pleased with Cain’s idea of an acceptable offering.  As a result Cain was very angry.  In Hebrew angry or wroth meant to be incensed or indignant.

     God asked Cain why he was angry.  He told Cain that if he had obeyed instructions, all would have been well.  He went on to say that sin desired to pounce on him but a blood sacrifice would protect and atone for, or expiate his sins.

     “If you do well, will you not be accepted?  And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door and its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”  Genesis 4:7

     To do well means to be pleasing.

     The ‘door’ in the above, in addition to meaning entrance or opening, also means to remove one’s protection.

     It might have been expected that Cain would have listened and heeded God’s instructions; however, such was not the case.  Cain in his jealousy took revenge on his brother.

     “…Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.”  Genesis 4:8b

     Cain was then cursed to be a vagabond and fugitive on the earth.  Vagabond and fugitive are synonyms meaning to be a wanderer and/or to flee.  He recognized that this curse was a punishment for his sin.  The Hebrew for punishment means the results of a depraved action, or perverseness.

     It is extremely important to note that Cain left God’s presence and wandered to the east.

     “Then Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden.”  Genesis 4:16

     ‘Nod’ means exile or vagrancy.  Much more will said about the ‘east’ later.

     The first two sons of Adam and Eve represent the enmity between Satan and the woman, and his seed and her Seed.  Cain is associated with evil while Abel is considered righteous.

     “In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother…we should love one another, not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him?  Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous.”  1 John 3:10-12

     The murder of righteous Abel by the seed of the ‘wicked one’ was Satan’s first attempt to destroy the lineage of the Seed of the woman.

     The righteous son was killed leaving the son of the devil.  The battle of good vs. evil had just begun.

One Sin Changed the World

     The consequence of the single sin of disobedience did in fact change the world.  While Eve was deceived into the sin, Adam consciously ate of the fruit which God had instructed him not to eat.

     When confronted with the sin of disobedience Eve offered the defense that the serpent had deceived her.  The original KJV uses the term ‘beguiled’.  In both cases the meaning is to be led astray, deluded, and/or seduced.  When the results are expressed as a noun synonyms include a lie or sham resulting in perjury.

     Paul in the New Testament revealed that the serpent’s methods of deceit in Genesis are alive and active in the present age.  He reminded the church at Corinth of false apostles.

     “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.  And no wonder!  For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light (enlightenment).  2 Corinthians 11:13-14

     The initial sin of disobedience in the garden was/is the cause of the curse that pervades the present age.  The curse was to affect the serpent and his offspring, the woman, the man, their offspring, and their ability to fulfill God’s plan of stewardship over the earth without great difficulty.

     The serpent was cursed above all other beasts of the field.  He would henceforth crawl on his belly in the dust. 

     The most significant part of the curse, however, affected the one who presented himself to Eve as an angel of light, i.e. Satan himself.  Recall his description in the final book of the Bible:

     “…that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world…”  Revelation 12:9

     The curse given to the devil introduced the response of the Creator to the devil’s actions.

     “And I (God) will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”  Genesis 3:15

     Notice the absolute sovereignty of God as He proclaims: “I will.”

     The Hebrew term for bruise means overwhelm or break.  ‘Head’ means foremost, supreme, or highest, while heel means basically a ‘protuberant’ or nonessential part.

     In other words, the Seed of the woman would one day at God’s precise timing totally destroy the enemy, the very one who deceived her.  Her offspring in the form of flesh and blood would destroy the most powerful enemy of God and man.

     The curse directed to the woman included pain in childbearing and conflict with her mate.  While she was originally made to be a partner to Adam, she would now be required to be submissive to his headship.  This newly defined role would cause tension between husband and wife as she would lose her heretofore independence.

     The curse directed to Adam included toil and effort in all his endeavors as well as death both physical and spiritual.

     “For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead.  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive…”  1 Corinthians 15:21-22

     The term ‘die’ in the above is from the Greek apollumi meaning eternal death.  And Christ is the Seed of the woman first mentioned in Genesis 3:15.

     And so it was Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden.  They lost access to the tree of life which was intended to benefit all mankind.  Life resulting from sin was not to be man’s final destiny.

     It must be noted, however, that God provided more suitable clothing for Adam and Eve.

     “Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin and clothed them.”  Genesis 3:21

     Once again, the absolute sovereignty of God is revealed.  ‘He made’ and ‘He clothed’ them.

     The fact that He clothed them introduces the doctrine of the ‘Righteousness Garment’ which would be revealed at a later time.

     And most significantly the fact that God clothed Adam and Eve with the skins of animals before expelling them from the garden signifies that innocent blood had been shed to cover their sin of disobedience.

     God’s immutable plan of redemption had begun!

     God had pronounced the curse and only God could remove it.

    

Israel and the Palestinian Challenge

     President Obama’s advice on how best for Israel to preserve their survival:

     “…it has consistently been my belief that you have to find a way to live side by side in peace with Palestinians…You have to recognize that they have legitimate claims, and this is their land and neighborhood as well.”

     To best analyze that statement, both the Bible and Islamic literature should be consulted.

     According to Islamic literature, Ishmael was the progenitor of the religion of Islam.  According to the Bible the land presently called Israel was promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob for an everlasting possession.  Therefore, the Palestinians have absolutely no right to occupy any part of that land.

     Add to that the claim of Islamic leaders that Israel should be totally wiped off the face of the earth, it is easy to see that the battle of the brothers rages on and will come to a head when the Seed of Isaac, i.e. Jesus Christ returns to establish His kingdom in Jerusalem.

     Therefore, according to both Islamic literature and the Bible, there are exciting times ahead.

     President Obama’s foreign policy vision is not only naïve, it is totally irrelevant.

     The president went on to say that with Prime Minister Netanyahu’s poll numbers being so high, it will be hard for him to make ‘some very difficult compromises…’

     The very thought of poll numbers being a determining factor in pre-written foreign policy is beyond laughable. 

     And then closing out the discussion on Israel, President Obama offered a challenge to both Israel and the Palestinians.

     “It’s going to require leadership among both the Palestinians and the Israelis to look beyond tomorrow…And that’s the hardest thing for politicians to do is to take the long view on things.”

     “And I will set your boundaries…from the desert to the River (Euphrates).  For I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you.  You shall make no covenant with them…”  Exodus 23:31-32

     The above verses confirm Israel’s future border to extend to the Euphrates River.  They were not to share the land with those whom God would deliver to them, and the Israelites were not to make any treaty or agreement with them.

     Our president is suggesting just the opposite.

     The Prophet Ezekiel provided great details about Israel’s permanent future in the land promised to them nearly 4,000 years ago.  The Prophet Isaiah also offered details about Israel’s relation with the nations surrounding them during the Kingdom following the great tribulation.

     “Arise, shine; for your light has come!  And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you…The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising…Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you…The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you.  The multitude of camels shall cover your land…”  Isaiah 60:1, 3-4a, 5b-6a

     Therefore, Mr. President, even though you think ‘the hardest thing for politicians to do is to take the long view on things,’ the long view has already been provided for you.  Poll numbers or political correctness needn’t even be consulted or considered.  Compromise is not an option.

     Isaiah also records the fate of the nations who choose not to honor Israel and her future King.

     “For the nation and kingdom which will not serve you shall perish, and these nations shall be utterly ruined.”  Isaiah 60:12

     The Bible couldn’t be much clearer; it provides succinct prophecy relative to Israel’s future as well as the future of those who will not submit to Israel.

     Recall that Israel wanted a king so they could be ‘like all the nations that are around.’

     Instructions for their king included:

     “And it shall be with him, and he shall read it (God’s law) all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law…that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left…”  Deuteronomy 17:19-20

     That is still good and relevant advice.