Reflections on Life from God’s Poetry Books

Posted on May 25, 2012 by

Recently I was reading through some of my notes from the inspired Hebrew poetry found  in the Books of Job, Psalms, Proverbs & Ecclesiastes.
I hope you enjoy these little nuggets of food…Ingest them, meditate upon them, let them bless your soul!

The Book of Job is more about faith than about suffering.  Faith is eternal, suffering is temporal.

The Book of Job shows that God prefers honest disagreement over dishonest submission.  He takes humans seriously, includes us in His plans, He actually listens to us!

In the question of suffering, God is more interested that we get “to what end” over the “why.”  Suffering may be due to sin (Jonah swallowed by the whale or the reap what you sow concept) or it may not be at all as seen in the Book of Job.  We don’t have all the facts.  From Job we see that a cosmic challenge was in play that Job did not understand.  Indeed, life has a parallel spiritual side of which we often are not aware.  Stuff happens behind the scenes but ultimately God is in total control and on that day when we see the big picture, like Job did at the end of the book, we to will say “righteous & true are thy judgments O Lord.”
Lastly, suffering can be redeemed to help others.  When people see you and me suffer and yet stand by the power of the Lord, it brings glory to Him and will bring eternal reward to you & me!

Some of the Psalms of David are pretty harsh on the surface.  They are called the “cursing psalms” as David several times is seen praying to God to deal with his enemies in his day of despair.  These cursing psalms suggest that it is okay to be “real” with God.  God can take it!  In fact, it is much preferred by God that we talk to Him about our hatred than to other people (e.g. our spouses), and by far it is better to talk to Him than to act our hatred out!

The Book of Ecclesiastes is seen in modern day existentialism.  ”Life is meaningless without God.”

The Proverbs followed by Ecclesiastes is an “integrity rebuttal.”  That is, Proverbs says “follow the rules and you will prosper” where Ecclesiastes explores the idea that “it doesn’t really matter what you do!”  We see both sides of life.  Life with God & life without Him.

“The just shall live by faith.”  Not pleasure, knowledge & works as offered by Solomon.  The New Testament expands this theme very plainly, it is faith in Jesus Christ as Lord & redeemer that justifies a soul. Faith is the 6th sense, much more important than the other five.

In considering joy & pleasure, love & virtue, where do they come from?  These abstract sides of life are the philosophical equivalent for the atheist that the “problem of pain” is to the Christian.

Ecclesiastes shows us that God has set “eternity in our hearts.”  But it teaches that we also “have the burden of the gods!”  That is, we intuitively know that there is more to life than what we see and yet we cannot handle it without God!

Ecclesiastes demonstrates that the wholesale devotion to pleasure will lead to utter despair.  In it we are called to accept our status as enlightened creatures under the dominion of a Creator.  Else we end up pathetic & bewildered!

“The burden of the gods,” what separates us from other animals, is that we know that we are miserable!  This is what happened when we all ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil.  The antidote to “the burden of the gods” is to eat of the Tree of Life.  Have eternity in your heart, know that there is more.  Keep the hope of heaven, claim the promises of God, call upon the name of Jesus.  Yes, the just shall live by faith!

God Bless you as we “look up” together, knowing that there is so so much more.  As He said, “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man those things which I have prepared for you.”

For more from Dr Dan, including information on his books A Woman’s Silent Testimony and Birth Pangs go to http://drdantomlinson.com/dans-books/

Posted in Bible, Old Testament, Proverbs, Wisdom | 2 Comments

Like the Days of Noah, Like the Days of Lot

Posted on April 29, 2012 by

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness.”  These famous words penned by Charles Dickens from his work entitled A Tale of Two Cities which told of the days of the French Revolution still ring true in our day today.  Never before has the world seen such opulence and prosperity.  We live in a time which has seen wisdom blossom and a time where humanistic achievement is celebrated.  Meanwhile, people are busy in the pursuit of happiness, with their golf games, bridge clubs and weekends at the lake.  Yet poverty & homelessness is all around.  Wars, pestilences & famines still mar the planet.  Earthquakes and the raging oceans still rake our cities.  Yes, our day today can also be described as the best of times & the worst of times!

Jesus said that it would be so.  On more than one occasion the greatest prophet said that in the future there would again be days that would resemble the best and the worst of times.  He said that when those days arrive, to look up, for His return would be near.  He said those best & worst days would be like the days of  Noah & like the days of Lot.

But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.  For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.  Matthew 24:37-39

Jesus had just revealed to Peter, James & Andrew the parable of the Fig Tree and concluded that truth with the statement that the exact day and hour of the End is known only by the Father.  But this next statement mentioned a truth concerning the times of the End of this Age.  The Revealer of Secrets proclaimed that the days prior to his return would resemble the days of Noah!

We need to turn back to Genesis chapter 6 to understand just how the days of Noah appeared.  I must warn you though.  Even though this account was over 4,000 years ago, it will sound disturbingly like today!

Four things will jump out of the narrative which are present today and which have not been present since those days of Noah.  Those days prior to God’s first judgment of the world, otherwise known as the Flood!

First, there was a population explosion.

And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth.  Genesis 6:1a

Genesis chapter 5 speaks of the generations of Adam.  We are told of the long lives of the people and in doing the math over the next ten generations leading to Noah, literally many millions of people certainly populated the planet.  After the Flood the population has been much less.  That is of course until the last century.  We have been part of a skyrocketing population explosion that even has dwarfed the multiplication of people that occurred leading up to Noah’s day.  Indeed in our day, men are again multiplying on the face of the earth.

Secondly, in Noah’s Day there was sexual confusion.

There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in after the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.                                                                                                                                               Genesis 6:4

This difficult verse needs a translator into modern English.
I’ll give it my best shot, but I’m sure there are nuances to it that I don’t understand.

The “giants” in the earth in those days is better translated “fallen ones.”  This chapter is talking about evil and rebellion, about judgment and salvation and the “giants” of Noah’s Day are better understood as fallen ones in wickedness!

Scholars are divided on the term “sons of God.”  Some have said that this is Seth’s line or Seth’s descendants.  Along with that, they say that “the daughters of men” are the evil progeny of Cain.  Thus we have good and evil uniting in an unholy matrimony much like what happened with the historic church of Pergamos spoken of in Revelation 3.  Believers and unbelievers being unequally yoked in marriage.  We understand that God hates this type of union.  No, the unbeliever doesn’t often get lifted up, but the believer is nearly always taken down in this type of unholy marriage!

The second scholastic view is that the “sons of God” are devils and the “daughters of men” are human beings.  Thus, in this interpretation of the verse, we have devils joining sexually with humans in a sort of Hollywood science fiction horror scenario creating a new race of “mighty men.”  These mighty men of renown are further translated to be mighty men of wickedness.  In this interpretation, it is said that God clearly needed to destroy mankind as the mixing of unredeemable devils with redeemable mankind was unacceptable to the Creator.

Jude sheds some light to this second view as in verse 6 of his epistle he makes an illusion to these sons of God or fallen ones.

And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.    Jude 6

Angels leaving their first estate seems to correlate with the theory of devils joining with women sexually.  The resultant judgment from God was severe.  Mankind was wiped out in the Flood and the devils involved in that fornication were and are kept in a dark and cramped place awaiting the judgment of the Last Day.  It is taught that these extremely evil devils which were involved in this sexual aberration are not allowed to roam the Earth as do other devils.  It is further taught that in the Tribulation time period these angels, under the command of one called Apollyon (Destroyer in English), will be released for a short time from the bottomless pit to cover & devour the Earth much like a swarm of locusts! (Revelation 9:1-11).

So, back to the Days of Noah.  We can begin to see that in his day some sort of bizarre sexual activity occurred which had not been witnessed before.  A new race may have been germinating which did not come from the union of man & woman.

Certainly, it doesn’t take much imagination to understand that a sexual deviation of unprecedented scale is present again today.  This calls our generation in similitude to Noah’s day.  But also we now have a “new thing” in the modern picture.  It’s called cloning!  Could it be that the cloning of humans is the thing that makes our generation compare to the Days of Noah.  A new and different line of men which resemble the mighty men of old!  I don’t know, but it could be!

After a population explosion and a time of sexual depravity we come to the third similarity between our day and Noah’s.

And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.                                                                                                                         Genesis 6:5

Wow!  That sounds terrible.  Every imagination and thought was toward evil continually! As bad as that sounds, we see this again today.  Many have become so dark and depraved that all their waking time is spent considering evil.  Whether due to the influence of drugs or of the occult or due to the love of money or power, men and women have given themselves over to every evil imagination in our day too!  Just like the Days of Noah!

The last similitude is the scope of violence upon the face of the Earth.

And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold; I will destroy them with the earth.         Genesis 6:13

In Noah’s Day they didn’t just have pockets of violence here and there but the Bible declares that the Earth was filled with violence.  It overflowed with violence.  Of course, this is again the case.  At no time before has the struggle of man against man, tribe against tribe, nation against nation been so pronounced.  The violence present in our day also suggests that these days are like the Days of Noah!

Thus, Jesus’ words should be clear.  Just as judgment came in the Day’s of Noah, so too will judgment come upon this generation.

Next, we come to the Days of Lot.  Unfortunately our day resembles his day also.  And once again we will recall that judgment from our Maker was quickly sent forth as a result of the sins of the Days of Lot.  For just as the Flood of Noah pictures the Tribulation, so does the judgment of Sodom & Gomorrah!

And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said…Behold, the kingdom of God is within you.  And he said unto his disciples, The days will come when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man and ye shall not see it.  …And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.  They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.  Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.  Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.  Luke 17:20a, 21b-22, 26-30

The setting of these famous words of our Lord is different than the location of his words given previously.  Above, when the Prophet spoke of the days of Noah he was only speaking to Peter, James, John & Andrew from the Mount of Olives after leaving the temple during the week of his Passion (Mark 13:38).  Here, he is on his way to Jerusalem as the first part of chapter 17 notes, and he was challenged to speak of the End Times by some Pharisees who were traveling along with the entourage going up to that fateful Passover feast.  In this discourse, not only did Jesus compare the time leading up to the End to the days of Noah, but he also likened the pre-Tribulation period to the days of Lot.

You may remember, Lot was the nephew of Abraham.  He, along with Abraham and Abraham’s father Terah, left the land of the Chaldees (modern-day Iraq) and traveled to the Promised Land (Genesis 11:31-32; 12:4-5).  There, both Abraham & Lot prospered to the point where they needed to separate.  It seemed that their flocks were unable to coexist together.  The Bible tells us that Abraham allowed his nephew to pick between the land of Canaan (Israel) and the land of the plain of Jordan. (The land on the east side and adjacent to the Dead Sea.)  We learn that Lot chose the latter as he saw that it was a beautiful land which was lush and well watered (Genesis 13:5-13).  We are told that in the time before God destroyed the area that it was as the garden of the Lord.  It was like Eden!  Certainly, since the destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah the area around the Dead

The Dead Sea area today!

Sea can no longer be called lush and green.  Such is the result of losing God’s blessing and protection.  Beauty to ashes, abundance to poverty, as the result of sin!

So Lot pitched his tent toward Sodom and soon we find that he was sitting in the gate of Sodom.  For when the angels came to destroy the cities, as described in Genesis 19, they found Lot at the gate.  This means that Lot became a leader in the community.  Lot was on the city council of Sodom!

Unfortunately for Lot, after stating that the plain of Jordan was beautiful the Bible has nothing good to say about Sodom.

But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly.         Genesis 13:13

It got so bad that after God told Abraham that he intended to destroy Lot’s home of Sodom, Abraham challenged the Creator of the Universe to spare the city if only ten righteous could be found.  God said he would if there were but ten in the city.  Of course, we learned as chapter 18 concluded that there were not even ten righteous souls in the doomed city.

So we come to Genesis 19 were the infamous sin of Sodom is demonstrated.
After Lot met the two angels at the gate of the city he constrained them to lodge with him for the night as was the custom in that day.

But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:  And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night?  Bring them out unto us, that we may know them.  Genesis 19:4-5

The Bible is not stating that all the men, both young and old wanted to meet the visitors.  What this means is that they wanted to have sexual intercourse with these two new men from out of town!  Men having sex with men.  Men raping men!  This is how sickening the city had become!
But no, it gets even worse.

And Lot went out at the door unto them…And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.  Behold now I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes:  Only unto these men do nothing, for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.         Genesis 19:6a, 7-8

Lot was willing to sacrifice his two virgin daughters to appease the lust of the men of Sodom.  How terrible was that!  But in that day the protection of a guest was considered of greater importance than the protection of one’s own family.

We read in the next verse that the sexually enraged men would not accept the sacrifice of Lot’s daughters but only wanted to satisfy their lust in having sex with the men visiting Lot.  It was at this point that Lot would have been injured and the men (angels) raped had not they used their heavenly power to pull Lot back into the home and smite the attackers with blindness.

So we understand that the men of Sodom, and by extension the men of Gomorrah, had come to the point that sex with other men was the preferred outlet for their sexual tension.  The term for this act, sodomy, of course is derived from this Biblical account.

Thus, in considering the sin of Sodom, that of homosexuality, why does the Lord single it out as such a major indicator of his soon return?  After all, homosexuality has always been with us!  The Bible is full of references to sodomy in the Old Testament as are ancient secular historical accounts.  So what’s so different about today?

Well in the past, except for this account of perversion from Sodom that we’ve just reviewed, sodomy was something that generally was done behind closed doors.  It was an embarrassment at the least and completely taboo at the most.  No man or woman wanted others to know of their lifestyle.  All cultures inherently understood that sodomy was wrong.  Often, homosexuals suffered terrible inner strife as the lust of their flesh continued to take them to that awful place.

Not so today!  In our day, the term sodomy, which of course is associated with evil, is the embarrassment and is taboo, not the act!  We call it an alternate lifestyle or a non-heterosexual relationship.  It’s not so bad!  It’s sanitized!  It’s tolerated, it’s accepted and in most large cities it’s even embraced!

That’s why our day is like the days of Lot.  Not because we have rampant homosexuality everywhere…that’s always been the case.  But because we embrace the gay lifestyle as being equal to heterosexuality, just as they did in Sodom.

And just as God was quick to judge Sodom & Gomorrah, he will be quick to judge this world.  For we understand that the days of the Son of Man include the Great Tribulation.  That time when God pours out his wrath on a Christ-rejecting, sinful world in an attempt to have many wake up and call upon Jesus as their Lord.

But there is more to this analogy than just the sin of sodomy.  For Jesus stated that in the days of Lot, the people were eating and drinking, they were buying and selling, they were planting and building.
This also resembles our day, doesn’t it!

At no time in history have humans enjoyed so much abundance.  Truly we are gluttons in eating and drunkards from drink.  At no time in the world’s history has the economy been so huge!  More wealth is exchanged on the stock markets of the planet in a single day now than even existed one hundred years ago.  Indeed, we are buying and selling to a degree that is remarkable!

And planting and building.  Well, the earth has never brought forth so abundantly.  Science has taken agriculture to a new level that is only matched by the incredible building boom that is occurring on every inhabitable continent on Earth.
Yes, Jesus’ words, which on the surface seem so benign, actually are pregnant with meaning!

But Ezekiel reveals another set of problems which Sodom had which should be considered when we compare that day to today.

Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister, Sodom, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.  And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me:  Therefore I took them away as I saw good.  Ezekiel 16:49-50

The inhabitants of Sodom were haughty, had no want for food, were lazy and had no compassion.

Spiritualizing this idea of fullness of bread, I remember that the Word was made flesh, that our Lord is the bread of life.  When I am full with the food of the world I am not hungry for Jesus and his Word.  Sodom had lost all desire for spiritual food.

God told Adam that the ground would be cursed for his own sake (Genesis 3:17).  That due to man’s sin nature, working would keep his mind from evil imaginations.  From taking the road to depravity.  Here in Sodom, it would appear that the land was like the garden of the Lord.  It brought forth abundantly and the men became idle.  This of course, contributed to their demise spiritually.

Also, the people of Sodom did not strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.  It is said that if you walk a mile in my shoes you will better understand my plight.  There is a fellowship among sufferers.  When I come to that place of gluttonous abundance, I can lose my empathy and compassion for those less fortunate.  Truly, in the flesh, the place that the men of Sodom found themselves in was a very dangerous place!

As I look at Europe and America though, I see the same set of variables present.  In the West, our haughtiness and pride overflows.  We are the “me” generation.  It’s rule by the individual as individual’s rights take precedence over the will of the majority.  We truly are so full of bread that it’s coming out of our noses!  Idleness is the goal now.  We have four-day weekends and airport gridlock as we all indulge in our abundant free time.  And unfortunately, those less fortunate have become invisible.  Swept aside and out of our conscience as we continue to eat, drink & be merry!  It’s just as Jesus said:  They did eat, they drank, and they married right until the time Noah entered the ark.

And that’s really the point of our Lord’s comments to his listeners on that road to Jerusalem.  Just as in the days of Noah and Lot, many will be unaware of the upcoming judgment.  Millions of lost souls today have no idea that we are living in the Last Days!  My heart cries out as I consider their upcoming demise as our world enters the labor pains that will invariably come before the delivery of the baby!

Lastly, the Teacher clearly makes the association in both of these stories that on the very day that Noah entered the ark and the very day that Lot was pulled out of Sodom judgment came down.  So too, I believe that on the very day that we are called home, that day of the Rapture of the Church, the Tribulation time frame will begin.  Can I be dogmatic?  Of course not!  But it would seem when looking at these two pictures of the Tribulation that as soon as the righteous were delivered out of harms way, rains of water and fire came down.

So how should I respond to this news?
Well I certainly want to look up  for my redemption draws near.  But I also want to pray.  I want to pray for the lost & I also want to witness the good news that Jesus the Christ has died for my sins and has given me the hope of eternal life.  I can do this with my words and also by how I live my life!

For much more, pick up my book Birth Pangs:  How Pregnancy Reveals God’s Plan for the Ages.  To purchase Birth Pangs from Amazon.com click here 

Posted in Bible, Books by Daniel A. Tomlinson, Daniel A. Tomlinson, Dr Dan Tomlinson, End Times, Jesus Christ, Old Testament, Prophecy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The Epidural: Saved From the Wrath to Come!

Posted on March 30, 2012 by

I was on call last night & my delightful patient Sarah came into the hospital in early labor.  The contractions were painful but she was handling them well.  Sarah told me she wanted an epidural before the pain became extreme & unbearable.  Sarah understood that the false labor she had been having for weeks and the early labor she was then experiencing would be nothing compared to the trial & travail of the active labor she was soon to encounter.

We're all about to jump off!

So it is with the world today.  We are late in the 3rd trimester of a figurative pregnancy.  Labor will soon ensue.  The question is, when the labor does occur, how will it effect you!  Will you be in agony as a woman in travail or will you be saved from the wrath to come, much like Sarah was due to her epidural.

You see, the Bible clearly teaches that the End-Times, the Tribulation time frame, the Apocalypse, will be as a woman in labor.  Look with me at three references supporting this analogy.

And these are the words that the Lord spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah.  For thus saith the Lord; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace.  Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? Wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?  Alas!  For that day is great, so that none is like it:  It is even the time of Jacob’s trouble.  Jeremiah 30:4-7a

Howl ye; for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.  Therefore shall all hands be faint. And every man’s heart shall melt:  And they shall be afraid:  Pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth:  Isaiah 13:6-8a

But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.  For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.  For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child:  I Thessalonians 5:1-3a

Indeed, the seven year Tribulation will be laborious!
The Word of God also teaches that this time will be called a day of wrath.  It will be the day of God’s wrath upon a Christ-rejecting sinful world (Revelation 6:16-17).  It will be a time of unparalleled difficulty & hardship that God will use to call the multitudes who aforetime did not feel the need to accept the Son’s life giving sacrifice.

But the New Testament teaches that believers in Christ Jesus will be saved from this time, will be saved from the wrath to come, will be saved from the pain of the delivery!

And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which

Saved from Wrath: Like this!

delivered us from the wrath to come.  I Thessalonians 1:10

For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.  I Thessalonians 5:9

So with this in mind, let’s look at what the wonderful epidural pictures.  Let’s look at the glorious  time that the believer in Christ will spend with Him while the world undergoes the wrath of its time of labor & delivery.  The account is found in the Book of Revelation, specifically chapters 4 & 5.
(To follow is an excerpt from the book Birth Pangs:  How Pregnancy Reveals God’s Plan for the Ages)

The Apostle John, after hearing the voice of a trumpet saying “Come up hither,” reveals the “things which must be hereafter.”  And it starts with an incomprehensibly wonderful heavenly scene.

And immediately I was in the spirit:  And, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.   Revelation 4:2

“Immediately I was in the spirit.”
We saw this before when we looked at 1st Corinthians 15, didn’t we?

In the twinkling of an eye this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal shall put on immortality.  There will be no further fleshly tendencies to deal with any more.  We will immediately be in the spirit!  Praise God!

And understand what the first thing we look upon will be.  Understand what will dominate our first impression of heaven…It’s the Father sitting upon the throne!  God the Father, God Almighty, El Shaddai…he’s the first One we will see!

And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone:   Revelation 4:3a

Not quite Heaven, but pointing that way!

We call a jasper stone a diamond.  The sardine stone we call a ruby.  Yes, God is white like a diamond.  He is light.  And God is red like a ruby.  He is love.

It’s interesting that we have seen these two stones before in the Bible.  The High Priest in the Old Testament wore a breastplate with twelve stones upon his chest representing the twelve tribes of Jacob.  The first stone remembering the firstborn son, Reuben, was jasper, and the last stone representing the youngest son, Benjamin, was a sardine.  The significance becomes clear when we consider the meaning of the two boy’s names.  Reuben is translated “Behold My Son” and Benjamin means “Son of My Right Hand.”  Of course, both of the names refer to titles given to the Second Person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ.  Thus we see that Jesus, the First & the Last, the Alpha & Omega, is intimately tied together with the Father in this first impression of heaven which we will see.

And there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.                                                                                                              Revelation 4:3b

In the Bible, the rainbow is a picture of God’s covenant of grace towards man.  After the Flood of Noah, God gave the rainbow as a reminder that he would not again judge the world by a flood.  That promise is truly by his grace as nothing done by mankind since the Flood would merit our release from such judgment!

Yes, the throne of God is covered in grace.  Consider the words found in the Book of Hebrews, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

How wonderful it is that by faith we can today come before the same heavenly throne of grace which we will one day see for the reality that it is!

And round about the throne were four and twenty seats:  And upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.  Revelation 4:4

John witnesses twenty four elders who were clothed in white and wore golden crowns. Can we know who these elders are?
Well, God does give us some clues in his Word such that we can make an educated guess!

First of all the number twenty four is germane.  We remember that twelve is the number of Israel, thus a multiple of twelve will pertain to Israel in some way.  In this case the doubling of twelve represents heavenly or spiritual Israel.  We understand that God promised Abraham that his children would be as numerous as the stars in the sky and as numerous as the sand on the seashore.  God also told him that he would be the father of many nations.  Thus, twenty four is the number of heavenly Israel, those children of Abraham from all nations, both Jew & Gentile.  That is, the twenty four elders picture the Church of Christ!

We can know this because we are told that they are wearing white raiment and crowns of gold.  We understand that in the New Testament, Paul told us that we too would wear white because of the Blood of the Lamb and that we will receive everlasting crowns of gold because of our walk with the Lord in this life.  Also, earlier in the Revelation, Jesus promised the overcomers in Smyrna that they were to receive a glorious crown of life and he revealed to the church in Sardis that their overcomers would wear white raiment (Revelation 2:10; 3:5a).  Thus, the twenty four elders seem to be the heavenly way of speaking of the Church of Christ.

So, thus far in this picture of heaven which John is given and he is sharing with us, we have the Father sitting upon the throne of grace, radiating light & love and surrounded by those who have called upon His Son as their Savior!
Let’s see more!

And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices:                                                                                                                        Revelation 4:5a

Lightnings & thunderings typify God’s judgment.  For we know that just as our God is full of grace & mercy, full of light & love…He is also a just God.  He is a consuming fire!

And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.  Revelation 4:5b

Once again we read of the perfect number, the number seven.  This time it’s in speaking of the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity.

But you may be thinking, three persons in one is hard enough to comprehend, now you’re telling me that the Holy Spirit is actually seven Spirits!
Well, not exactly.  This likely is an illusion to the seven-fold nature of the Spirit of God.  Let’s look in Isaiah for some illumination of this idea.

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:  And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.  Isaiah 11:1-2

Jesus told us that just as a father would not withhold a piece of bread or a fish from a child who asked, so too would not God the Father withhold the Holy Spirit from one who asked (Luke 11:11-13).

Look at what he gives the one who asks for the Spirit!  It’s the Spirit of the Lord.  It’s wisdom & understanding.  It’s counsel & might.  It’s knowledge & the fear of the Lord!
It’s a good deal!

Now look at the way the Spirit operates practically in the next verse from Isaiah’s revelation to us.

…and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:  But in righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth:  Isaiah 11:3b

You see the Spirit of God is not like the spirit of man.  We judge and reprove by what we see & hear.  Not so with the Spirit of God.  His wisdom, understanding, counsel & might come not by the five senses but revelation from God.  That’s why in this first scene of Heaven the Spirit is before the throne.  Yes, the Holy Spirit also is prominent in this holy place.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that this seven-fold nature of the Spirit is seen as seven lamps of fire.
Do you remember the first time the Holy Spirit was given to the believers in the Book of Acts on that first Pentecost after Jesus’ ascension?  It came as tongues of fire!  The picture is perfect isn’t it!

And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal:  Revelation 4:6a

Wow, that’s going to be beautiful!
In the Old Testament, Moses and the elders of Israel also recalled this impression of Heaven which they were given.  “And they saw the God of Israel:  And there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness” (Exodus 24:10).

And in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.  Revelation 4:6b

The revelation continues by telling us that each of the beasts has a different face.  One like a lion, another like a calf, the third appears with the face of a man and the fourth resembles an eagle.  They have six wings and it is repeated that they are full of eyes!  They don’t need any rest and proclaim before God’s throne of his holiness.  In fact they sound out that heavenly prayer which many of us by faith have also joined in with at one time or another.

They say (sing), “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come” (Revelation 4:7-8).

They sing of God’s wholeness!  He’s everything we need!  They sing of his power & might.  He is the Almighty!  They sing of his eternalness.  He was before time began and is after time ends.  He is the God who was, and is, and is to come!

The prophet Ezekiel also spoke of these beasts in chapters 1 & 10 of his prophecy.  He too was given a glimpse of heaven which he has shared.  In his revelation these beasts are none other than living creatures.  He also calls them cherubims.  They are angels!
As I read his vision, he too saw the One sitting upon the throne with the glassy sea of sapphire before him and the rainbow over the throne.

So continuing with John’s revelation, these four cherubims are full of eyes.  In the Bible, eyes typify wisdom.  It is with their great wisdom that they realize that God is so holy!

Next, after John speaks of how Heaven will appear we learn of the heavenly drama for the ages in chapter 5 of the Book of Revelation.

And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.  Revelation 5:1

John saw God holding a book, better translated a scroll, with writing on both sides.  It also had seven seals holding it closed.

In our day this imagery is difficult to understand, but not to the reader in John’s time.  A scroll with writing on both sides was the title deed to a piece of property.  If it was sealed, it meant that the property was about to be foreclosed!  It needed to be redeemed or it would be lost to the family.

So here we see God holding the title deed for a piece of property about to be bought at a bargain price from him.
Where is this property?
Why it’s the third rock from the Sun.  It’s planet Earth and it’s about to be taken in foreclosure by the god of this world, Satan!

And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?  Revelation 5:2

Note the angel doesn’t ask who is willing, as many from Nimrod to Hitler have been willing to be the potentate, he asks who is worthy!

And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.  And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.  Revelation 5:3-4

The Bible clearly states that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).  No man by his works, wisdom, good deeds and intelligence is worthy to save the planet from foreclosure to Satan and this made John weep.

But one of the twenty four elders has good news for John,

Weep not:  Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.  Revelation 5:5b

A mere few days after being formally rejected by the leaders of the nation, the Lion of the

His Tomb is Empty!

tribe of Judah, Jesus from the house of Judah, prevailed.  He went to the Cross and died for the sins of mankind.  God then raised him from the dead taking back the title deed of the planet.  He is the Root of David, for he was before David.  He is the Lion which became a Lamb!

And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.                                                                                                           Revelation 5:6

Now we see the second Person of the Trinity at the throne.  He is Jesus the Christ.  He is the Lamb who was slain.  He has seven horns and seven eyes representing his immense spiritual power and insight and we again see that he is filled with the seven-fold nature of the Holy Spirit as Isaiah has prophesied.  Beautifully, he has sent the seven Spirits of God forth into all the earth.  After he died for us he sent the Spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit, which has spoken of him, glorified him, guided us into all truth and spoken of things to come (John 16:13-14).

And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.  Revelation 5:7

This is the best news I can think of!  He, Jesus, came and took the scroll.  We were about to be the permanent the property of Satan, yet Jesus was willing to pay the price.  He was worthy certainly, but he was also willing to go to the Cross on Mount Moriah and redeem you and me back to the Father.

The Bible says that for the joy set before him, he willingly endured the Cross (Hebrews 12:2).  We are that joy.  He died for his bride!

And thus this beautiful chapter ends with the angels and the saints singing a new song.  They (we) sing with a loud voice,

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.  Revelation 5:12b

Seven praises.  Just what you would expect from a heavenly song.  It’s perfect!

Thus we come to the end of this heavenly drama which we will live to be a part of if we believe in Jesus.  If you were to read ahead into the next chapter of the Revelation you will learn that the Lord will open the seals of this property deed and the Tribulation will begin.  For in opening these seals, the Lord will call to him those who will come in a most dramatic way!

But now back to Sarah…as we opened this essay considering this dramatic time from an obstetrical point of view, so I feel we should close it.  For we said that this time of pain relief for the believer is typified by an epidural for the laboring woman.  Indeed, I have witnessed thousands of women get incredible relief from the otherwise intense and seemingly unremitting pain of labor and delivery.  But in every case, the woman asks for the epidural.  I don’t insist that she must have this pain relief.  So it is with the Lord.  He doesn’t force himself upon us.  He doesn’t insist that we call out to him for salvation from the upcoming labor.  He has given us free will to chose, just as all my patients have the free will to choose to receive an epidural or to go through tribulation.  It’s their choice!

But an important point I want to make, and the application to this analogy, is that just as I would almost never withhold an epidural from a woman asking for one I do not want to withhold the Good News of Jesus Christ from a man or a woman wanting to know him.  Not telling people who are seeking God about the Good News of Jesus Christ, how he died for my sins, gave me a new life and will some day take me to be with him in heaven is like withholding an epidural from a woman asking for it in labor!  It should not be done.
Lord, help us to share the Good News!
By His Grace Alone,
DT

To purchase Birth Pangs from Amazon.com click here.

Sunrise over the Sea of Galilee

Posted in Bible Typology, Book of Revelation, Books by Daniel A. Tomlinson, Dr Dan Tomlinson, End Times, Jesus Christ, Labor & delivery, New Testament, Pregnancy, Prophecy, The Tribulation | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Jesus Christ is the Red Heifer of the Old Testament

Posted on March 4, 2012 by

I was thinking about Jesus this morning.  What a wonderful Savior He is!  Also I was reflecting on so many of the pictures painted in the Old Testament of Him.  One of the most dramatic is the type seen in Israel’s Red Heifer.  
I hope you enjoy this excerpt from the book I am writing entitled On the Road to Emmaus:  Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament

The Red Heifer:  The Purification for Sin

On the Road to Emmaus, Jesus certainly must have mentioned the typology associated with the Israel’s Red Heifer.  The similarities of this sacrifice screams out crying, “this is Jesus, look, this is what we did to him!”

This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord hath commanded, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke.  Numbers 19:2

A red heifer was rare.  An unusual recessive gene is what scientifically allowed a cow to be completely red.  Likewise, Jesus, as the only begotten of the Father, is unique.  He is one of a kind just as the red heifer would be at any given time in Israel.  Also the sacrifice was to be without spot and blemish.  In Jesus we see his beauty, perfection and sinlessness illustrated, don’t we?  Lastly, no yoke was to have come upon that animal.  Jesus, of course in his walk was never under any human control or authority.

And ye shall bring her unto…the priest (the high priest), that he may bring her forth without the camp, and one (another) shall slay her before his face.  Numbers 19:3

This verse makes me cry as I consider that the Jews do not see this!  This is exactly what happened to the rabbi called Yeshua!  On the night of his passion the cohort of men brought Jesus to the high priest, Caiaphas.  He arranged for Jesus to be taken outside of the camp (Calvary) where another (the Romans) slew Jesus before his (Caiaphas’) face!

Of note, this was the only sacrifice that the priests did not actually slay themselves.  All others, the bulls, goats, lambs & birds were sacrificed directly by the priests to reveal to the people the seriousness of their sins.  Once again, the uniqueness of this sacrifice points to our Lord’s matchless offering!

And…the (high) priest shall take of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle of her blood directly before the tabernacle of the congregation seven times.  Numbers 19:4

Seven is that perfect number speaking of completeness.  In this case, the blood of the heifer completely purifies just as does the blood of the Redeemer.  We also remember that our Savior was pierced in seven places to which I think this verse also speaks.  His hands, feet, back, head & side were all bloodied to cleanse us from our sin.

And one shall burn the heifer in his sight; her skin, and her flesh, and her blood, with her dung, shall he burn.  Numbers 19:5

This sacrifice was completely consumed by fire.  It was dramatic, it was disturbing, it was fierce.  In like manner, the consuming fire of the Father’s wrath toward sin came down upon the One of whom the heifer speaks.

And the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer.  Numbers 19:6

These three items come up time and time again as pictures found portraying the crucifixion story.  The cedar wood of his cross, the hyssop wood likely used to deliver his blows when he was scourged and the scarlet blood that he shed.

Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water…and the priest shall be unclean…  Numbers 19:7

This offering is particularly singled out as defiling the high priest.  Likewise, Caiaphas and the Jews also despoiled themselves in condemning the One pictured in this sacrifice.  And in their refusal to cleanse thereafter they permanently cursed themselves.

And a man that is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up without the camp in a clean place.  Numbers 19:9a

This of course prophesizes of how Joseph of Arimathea, a clean man not involved in the brutal activities of that day, gathered up our Lord’s fleshly carcass and placed him in a new tomb wherein no man had been laid.

And it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel…it is a purification for sin.  Numbers 19:9b

For the children of Israel, this is the purpose of the sacrifice of the Red Heifer.  It was the purification for sin.  It was the payment for sin.  Likewise, in considering the meaning of the word “Israel” for those who are governed by God, those believers who have submitted to God, our Lord’s sacrifice is the purification for sin!

What a picture indeed!  As I said, the sacrifice of the red heifer can only be sounding one call, only one song, only one name…Jesus!

Now before we leave this sacrifice there one more interesting and unusual detail to consider.  That is, this offering was particularly singled out to be female.  No other sacrifice was required to be of Eve’s gender.  It didn’t matter for goats, lambs and birds.  Of course the sacrifice of bulls by definition needs to be male.  But here we have the only female sacrifice.  How does that relate to Jesus?  The answer lies in one of the names of God.  He is God Almighty, in Hebrew that is El Shaddai.  He is “El” meaning manly, masculine, powerful.  But he is “Shaddai” meaning the breasted one, the compassionate one, the feminine one.  You see, Jesus is complete.  He is the One who upholds everything by the word of his power (Hebrews 1:3) yet he also is the One who seeks out the one lost sheep, tells the children to come to him and like a mother tells us he will never leave or forsake us.  Unlike Adam who needed to marry Eve to be completed (Genesis 2:24), Jesus is whole in himself.  He is both masculine and feminine.  He is the sacrificed bull & he is the Red Heifer.  He is the one & only, El Shaddai!

Posted in Bible Typology, Books by Daniel A. Tomlinson, Christian Speaker, Daniel A. Tomlinson, Dr Dan Tomlinson, Jesus Christ, Jesus' Passion, Old Testament, Prophecy | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Glorious End!

Posted on February 25, 2012 by

For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.  For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.  Jeremiah 29:10-11

God promised this to His people during a time of chastisment and hardship.  They were losing everything as the nation of Babylon was imposing its will upon them.  It was bad, it was brutal, it was dark!  Yet the everloving Father stated that He had thoughts toward them that were of peace & of glory!

This also applies to you & me today.  We too are His children and just like in that day, many are living today in a time of hardship and problems.  Financial worries, health problems, national calamities, you name it, things are pretty much the same as when the Lord first spoke these words via the mouth of Jeremiah the prophet.  But we also can rest on this promise.  God will never let go of you & me.  We have a glorious future and hope that all will be made right!  No, it may not be perfect today, the children of Israel were in Babylon for seventy years.  But He will bring us to an expected end , to a glorious end!

Have a good day today!

It's going to be great!

Posted in Bible, Christian Speaker, Daniel A. Tomlinson, Old Testament, The Millennium | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Thoughts and Insights from the Book of Joshua

Posted on January 22, 2012 by

Over the last month I have been studying Joshua in my morning devotions.  What a rich book it is!  Writing down what I’m learning has always been a big part of my spiritual life.  Here are some musings.

The Book of Joshua begins with the children of Israel crossing the Jordan River into the Promised Land.  This is a picture of the Baptism into the Holy Spirit for you & me.  Just like the children crossed the Red Sea pictured the Baptism of repentance, now we see this second baptism which occurs in spiritual life.  The Promised Land is not a picture of heaven as some have said for there were many battles to fight as the Book of Joshua so clearly documents.  No, entering the Promised Land for the Jews pictures us entering into the Spirit-filled life.  A life where we are strong & very courageous, a life that with the greater than Joshua’s help, Jesus Christ, we too are victorious!

The defining characteristic of the Spirit-filled life, which the Book of Joshua pictures, is LOVE.  In Joshua 4 we see that when the Children of Israel passed over the Jordan they erected a monument of twelve stones as a witness.  The stones fit together in forming the

Jesus said even the rocks will cry out in witness!

monument.  In the New Testament, Jesus amplified on this when He said that all men will know you are my disciples by your love one for another.  That is, you will fit together!  Also Paul picks up on this idea in 1st Corinthians.  Chapters 12 & 14 describe the Spirit-filled life of the believer.  What is sandwiched in between?  Why it’s 1st Corinthians 13.  Probably the most famous section of scripture in all of the Bible.  It’s the Love chapter!

The walls of Jericho fell down in chapter 6.  This story is all about the Jesus!  The priests, the rams horns blowing, the arc of the Covenant and seventh day (the Sabbath) all are biblical pictures of Jesus.  If I want to see walls fall in my life I need to remember that it’s Jesus.  The question is not HOW, but WHO!  As Paul so eloquently asked at the end of chapter 7 of Romans, Who (not how) shall save me from this body of death!

At the end of chapter 6, Joshua stated that whosoever rebuilt Jericho would do so by sacrificing his first-born & his youngest sons in the process.  Indeed, when I rebuild walls in my life that the have previously fallen down, I too will pay a high price.

Joshua met with the Captain of the Lord’s Host in chapter 5 in preparation of taking Jericho.  Prior to seeing the walls fall down Joshua did three things which I too must do if I want to see walls fall down in my life.  1. Joshua submitted to the Captain (the Lord).  2. He waited on the Lord:  They marched quietly around Jericho for seven days.  3. He believed what the Lord said would actually come to pass.

In the Spirit-filled life I can quench the Spirit when I fail to pray about life’s decisions and matters and instead just rely on my own ingenuity and abilities in tackling a problem.  In chapter 7, Israel was defeated initially at Ai because Joshua forgot to inquire of the Lord before sending a small contingent of men up to Ai after Achan had cursed Israel by taking a spoil from Jericho that God had forbade.  Had Joshua done so he would have learned that there was sin in the camp and saved Israel the heartbreak of that defeat.

After Israel was defeated at Ai, Joshua, in his pain and bewilderment, passionately went before the Lord.  In the Spirit-filled life pain produces passion, and passion brings intimacy with the Lord.  Unfortunately in this fallen world, for the most part, we are most intimate with the Lord when we have problems and setbacks, when we have suffering and pain!  It would be well for all of us to look at our problems in this light!

From the Book of Joshua, Caleb is a powerful picture of the Holy Spirit.  He was General Joshua’s right-hand man just as the Spirit is the One who promotes the greater than Joshua, Jesus Christ.  In chapter 15, Caleb  gave his daughter Achsah to the man who would take the city of Kirjath-sepher.  Othneil  (a near picture of Jesus who comes up again in the Book of Judges) was that man and Achsah, who pictures the Bride of Christ, asked Caleb for the two springs of the land to be her inheritance.  This of course typifies you and me when we ask the greater than Caleb, the Holy Spirit, to give us the water of the first and second baptism.  The baptism of repentance and the baptism of the Spirit!

Joshua gave important final instructions to the elders of the nation found in chapter 23.  There were three points which are keys for you and me as we move in the Spirit-filled life.  1. Stay obedient to the Word.  2. Stay separate from the world.  3. Stay affectionate to the Lord.

Later in chapter 23 Joshua remembered that it was the Lord who expelled the enemy and then it was the people who went in and possessed the Land.  That is, Without Him, I can’t:  Without me, He won’t!  He’ll do His part and I must do my part to obtain the victory!

At the end of Joshua’s life the Bible states that he was old and stricken in age.  He was 110!  Yet Joshua was still going strong.  How does that happen?  What is the cure for the

"Eagles fly here"

fatigue of the soul that occurs as we age?  The answer is seen in the life of Joshua.  He waited upon the Lord.  Isaiah 40:31 states “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.  They shall mount up with wings as eagles.  They shall run and not be weary.  They shall walk and not faint.”

Lastly, besides picturing the Spirit-filled life, the Book of Joshua prefigures the Book of Revelation and specifically the end-times events that will absolutely come down as the Lord takes back the world from the clutches of Satan during the time the Bible calls the Great Tribulation.  At the beginning of the book, two spies are sent into Jericho as sort of an advance invasion party.  These spies picture the two witness of Revelation.  The spies called Rahab and her family just as the two witnesses will call many of the Jews to believe in the greater than Joshua, Jesus Christ.

Jericho, means city of the Moon god.  In our day, the city of the moon god is pictured by that powerful walled city known as the religion of the Crescent Moon, that is, Islam.  Islam can be seen as Jericho and it will fall early in the Tribulation time frame as the false religion of the New Age swallows it up.

In chapter 9, a group of people known as the Gibeonities made a peace treaty with Joshua.  These people picture the many new believers who will come to the saving knowledge of  Jesus Christ during the Tribulation time frame.

In chapter 10 of Joshua, a powerful Canaanite king named Adoni-zedek led a coalition of kings against Gibeon after that city had sided with Joshua.  Adoni-zedek’s name means lord of righteousness and he was the king of Jerusalem.  Of course this king typifies the Antichrist.  He desires to be the Christ and with his lofty title as the potentiate of the world, Antichrist will war against the Tribulation saints just as Adoni-zedek did in Joshua’s day.
We see though that Joshua came to Gibeon’s rescue just as Jesus will come to the rescue in that future day.  The Kings hid in the cave at Makkedah just as those future kings will hide in the dens and the clefts of the rocks hiding from the wrath of the one Joshua portrays.
While hiding, rocks fell upon the Canaanites just as great stones will fall from heaven during the tribulation time frame.
Joshua called for the sun & the moon to stand still on that day of battle just as during the Tribulation campaign the Bible tells that there will be signs in the sun & the moon before that great day of the Lord almighty!

Lastly, at the end of the book the land was at rest.  This pictures the Millennial Kingdom.  Importantly, Joshua gave a very important command.  He said, “choose you this day whom ye

Me & My House

will serve…but as for me & my house, we will serve the Lord.”  At the end of the Millennium, the people born during that thousand year time of peace and prosperity will once again have a choice to make.  As Satan is released, he will fool many into following him.  We see at the end of the Revelation that they will be utterly destroyed.
Indeed, for you and me it is true…we must choose this day whom we will serve!

Posted in Bible Typology, Book of Revelation, Books by Daniel A. Tomlinson, Daniel A. Tomlinson, Dr Dan Tomlinson, End Times, Israel in prophecy, Jesus Christ, Prophecy, The Book of Joshua, The Tribulation | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Happy New Year: Feasts & Resolutions

Posted on December 30, 2011 by

2011 is almost over.  I can see the New Year.  This is a time we reflect upon the past even as we look forward to the future.  This is a time to commemorate & to anticipate!

In that spirit I put forth for your consideration the Seven Feasts of Israel.  For they are God-ordained feasts which from His perspective look back while at the same time see forward.  After that I will give you my New Year’s resolutions.  I pray you will be inspired to follow me as I follow Jesus.

In the writings of Moses, the Torah, we find the Seven Feasts of the Lord given to Israel.  They picture God’s plan.  God gave the seven feasts to both commemorate the past and to reveal the future.  They celebrated what God had done for Israel as well as prophetically telling what he would do in the future.  In Hebrew, the word “feast” actually means “appointed times” and also “times that point to.”

Four of the feasts are in the Spring and three in the Autumn.  In our picture of prophetic implications, the first four typify Christ’s First Coming and the last three portray truths concerning the Second Coming.

Let me put it together for you now.

  1. Passover:  This occurred on the 14th day of Nisan (March or April in our calendar) and speaks of the blood of the lamb.  Israel was delivered from the angel of death by the blood on the doorpost and prophetically would be delivered from everlasting death by the blood of the One John the Baptist called the Lamb of God.
  2. The Feast of Unleavened Bread:  This was the seven-day feast which started on the 15th of Nisan, the day after Passover.  It commemorated the rapid departure from Egypt without taking leaven and it remembered the manna which God gave to sustain his children in the Wilderness.  The unleavened bread is stripped and pierced and pictures Jesus’ sacrifice prophetically in that way.  Also of incredible interest to me is the practice of the modern day sadir by the Jewish family.  It occurs over the Feast of Unleavened Bread and is a powerful picture of Christ and the Trinity.  At a sadir, three loaves of unleavened bread are taken.  The middle one is broken, wrapped in a white linen called the afekommen and hidden for three days.
    Remarkably, afekommen means “I came!”  Yes, along with Passover which speaks of Christ’s death, the Feast of Unleavened Bread speaks of Christ’s burial.
  3. The Feast of Firstfruits:  This celebration occurred on the morrow after the Sabbath during the week-long Feast of the Unleavened Bread.  Thus it was always on a Sunday.  It celebrated the barley harvest which came to fruition in the Spring.  Of course we remember that Paul in 1st Corinthians 15 told us that Jesus is the firstfruits of the resurrection.  Jesus’ resurrection on the Sunday after Passover is beautifully portrayed in the Feast of Firstfruits!
  4. Feast of Weeks:  This celebration occurred seven weeks after the Feast of Firstfruits.  It commemorated the giving of the Law and looked with anticipation to the upcoming wheat harvest at the end of the year.  Prophetically, Pentecost occurred on the Feast of Weeks.  That of course was the day that the Holy Spirit was given to the church.  In the Bible, believers are pictured as wheat and with the Holy Spirit in their hearts look forward to the harvest at the End of the Age.
  5. The Feast of Trumpets:  This is the first of three Autumn feasts telling of the Second Advent of our Lord.  The Feast of Trumpets is the Jewish New Year.  It was the day they proclaimed God’s sovereignty over all by the blowing of trumpets.  The Jews celebrated the soon to be realized Fall wheat harvest at the time of this feast. Prophetically we see the promise of the Rapture of God’s wheat, the day according to Paul the apostle when we hear the shout, the voice of the archangel & the trump of God calling us to be with him as the prophetic fulfillment of The Feast of Trumpets! Interestingly, God used the blowing of trumpets for three important reasons.  To proclaim a celebration, to convocate together and to mobilize for battle.  All three

    The Valley of Armageddon today.

    reasons to blow the trumpet have ties to our departure on that special day. We believers will convocate and celebrate together in Heaven with our Lord and we will also mobilize for that soon to follow battle which will occur at the culmination of the seven year time from we know as the Tribulation.

  6. The Day of Atonement:  Directly on the heels of the Feast of Trumpets, on the 10th day of the first month is Yon Kippur.  This is the day of repentance.  It is the day when the Jews afflict their soul.  They are reminded and reflect upon their sins of the year.  Clearly, this day prophetically depicts the time of Jacob’s Trouble.  Yes, the Day of Atonement typifies the Tribulation and will be a time shortly after the Rapture of the believers.  Indeed, on that day Israel will be afflicted of soul, she will repent of her past sins & she will finally recognize the One who said “I received these wounds in the house of my friends!”

7.  The Feast of Tabernacles:  Also known as the Feast of Booths.  This seven day feast beginning upon the 15th day of Nisan recalled the time of Israel’s wanderings in the Wilderness and specifically the day that God caused water to gush forth out of the rock.  It celebrated the final wheat harvest which by that time of the year was now complete.  During that celebration a giant menorah was lit on a high hill in Jerusalem and Josephus tells us that the light from it could be seen from over sixty miles away during the nights of this feast.  This day has prophetic ties to both the First and Second Coming of our Lord.  Of course, Jesus as quoted in John 7, proclaimed on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles in his day that those who came to him would have torrents of living water gush forth.  He also said on the next day, found in John 8 after the menorah had been extinguished marking the end for the feast, that he was the light of the world.  Lastly, as the final in-gathering of the wheat harvest this wonderful feast pictures the Second Coming of Christ!  The day when the wheat harvest will be complete and the day that according to Jesus’ parable of the wheat and the tares that the two groups, the children of the Kingdom and the children of the devil, will be gathered up and separated.  One group to everlasting life and the other to everlasting  destruction.

Thus, in the spirit of thankfulness for the past let us look forward to what God will do in the future!
With His Spirit’s help, here are my intentions for 2012…

I’m going to pray more!  Especially in the morning to get direction for the day.

I want to read good stuff this year.  God has gifted so many men & women with words from Him!

I’m going to write down what I learn.  Then I purpose to read over my journalling from time to time as my puny brain often forgets what I used to know!

I want to stop complaining & making excuses!  I really need His help for this one! But God’s word tells me to do all things without murmurings & disputations (Philippians 2), so I know this is possible!

I want to esteem others as better than myself.  Everyone does something better than me, I need to recognize that.

I want to care for the needs of others.  Everyone has hurts that I don’t know about.  I need to consider that before judging people when they fail to meet my expectations of them!

I want to exercise in the morning…While I’m doing that I’ll sing to the Lord psalms & hymns & spiritual songs.

I’m going to take walks with my wife…the dogs can come too!

I’m going to try to only eat one helping of food with supper.  Going back for seconds is my downfall!

Vitamin D, glucosamine & fish oil will be good for me.  I think I’ll take in some of those supplements.

I’m want to give some of my stuff away!  God loves a cheerful giver & He blesses me when I give!

I want to slow down!  I miss life as I scurry around.  I’m not really that important that I have to be everywhere at once anyway!

I want to pay attention to distractions…they often are wonderful opportunites to minister God’s love to others!

I’m going to consider that Jesus lives in the present tense.  When I worry about the future I go there without Him!

I’m going to stop asking why these things are happening to me and start asking what is it I can learn from those same difficulties.  Not why, but what!

Along that same line, I’m don’t what to ask how will this problem get resolved but I want to remember it’s Jesus who is always with me.  Not How but Who!

Of course, I want to remember that Jesus could come back at any time.  2012 could be that time! Lord help me to tell people about you by the words I speak and by the life I live!

Happy New Year!

Posted in Bible, Books by Daniel A. Tomlinson, Christian Speaker, Daniel A. Tomlinson, Dr Dan Tomlinson, End Times, Israel in prophecy, Jesus Christ, Prophecy, The Feasts of israel, The Rapture, The Second Coming, The Tribulation | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Day Christ Was Born

Posted on December 11, 2011 by

It’s the Christmas season and I thought it would be fun to post an excerpt from my book Birth Pangs:  How Pregnancy Reveals God’s Plan for the Ages.  This section deals with Jesus’ birthday.  Enjoy!

The Day Christ Was Born

And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:  And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.  Revelation 12:1-2

Scholars have debated over the years as to the meaning of these and the other upcoming verses which speak of both a celestial and earthly battle.  Very interesting conclusions have been put forth and as such I won’t say that I have the final answer to the question.  But I will give you my understanding of these descriptive words and I will suggest to you that God, in his immense command of poetry and prose, can assign more than one meaning to this section.  For indeed, that is what I believe he has done.  Like peeling an onion, layer by layer, God has placed in code more than one truth for the student of Scripture to peel off and understand.

The most common interpretation, and the one that is most important towards studying the flow of this Revelation, is that the woman is the nation of Israel and of course the child is the coming Messiah which Israel births.  In several places, most notably in Isaiah, Israel is called the wife of Jehovah. “For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name” (Isaiah 54:5a).

Also, we read in the story of Joseph found in the book of Genesis concerning the sun, the moon, and the twelve stars, that in Joseph’s dream, Jacob, who typifies Israel, was pictured as the Sun while his wives typified the Moon and his sons were analogous to the stars (Genesis 37:9-10).  Lastly, we  remember that twelve is the number that God has attached to the nation of Israel.  Thus it’s easy to conclude, after comparing Scripture with Scripture, that the woman in this imagery is Israel. We will be told concerning the child in a couple of verses that he is the one who will rule all nations.  Thus it’s not too hard to get the identity of the child as Jesus the Christ.

But a second meaning is much more deeply imbedded in the onion.  For we see a labor and delivery occurring in this heavenly scene and as an obstetrician I must ask myself, could this be an actual delivery?  Could this be talking about the actual, literal delivery of the Christ?

Let’s consider that possibility!

All would agree that Jesus was not born on December 25th.  It’s been understood for centuries that the day of his birth was not really known.  Thus the early Christians accepted the incorporation of Christ’s birthday into the Roman winter celebration of Saturnalia after the Empire was Christianized by Constantine.  But could this second meaning of these verses actually give us the day of Jesus’ birth?  With a little help from modern calculus and physics, I think it can!

You see others have stated that this heavenly woman is the Virgin Mary and she is laboring to bring forth the Messiah.  And indeed, that can be part of this understanding, for that interpretation also directs us to the birth of the child who will rule all nations.  But there is another woman in heaven who has on her head a crown of twelve stars.  That woman…Her name is Virgo!

Scholars have taught us that God has revealed his plan in the stars.  E.W. Bullinger’s book, The Witness of the Stars, is the classic text describing how God’s plan for salvation is revealed night after night in the sky above.  Ancient people understood some of this revelation and yet the devil, also having some understanding of these things, directed the corruption of these truths into the occultic “science” of astrology.

Nonetheless, as David declared,

The heavens declare the glory of God:  And the firmament showeth his handiwork.  Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge.  There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.                                                                                                             Psalms 19:1-3

Truly, God has written his Word in the firmament above. This is the clue we need to grasp in order to see this woman spoken of here in our text as the Queen of the Zodiac, known as Virgo.

The zodiac, of course, is that line in the night sky made up of twelve constellations which are coursed by the Sun during each of the twelve months of the year.  Virgo has historically been designated as the head of the twelve constellations and our text here in Revelation would tend to confirm that as we see her wearing the crown of twelve stars.

But it’s the celestial association with the Sun and the Moon which may give us the day of Christ’s birth.

You see, Virgo is viewed during the night in the springtime.  But she is clothed with the Sun in September.  Thus, in working through this possible interpretation of our text we can conclude that the month of Jesus’ birth was the month that Virgo was clothed with the Sun, i.e. September.

This would make much more sense when we consider the birth of our Lord.  Everyone agrees that shepherds would not have been grazing their sheep outside of Bethlehem on December 25th.  It was far too cold at that time of the year in Israel, but in September it would not have been.  September is also important biblically.  For in it we have the Jewish New Year called the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles.  Certainly, God who loves to have things work out, might have his Son arrive on the planet at this time as it would add further meaning to his Word and his plan. So September looks good.  What about the actual day?

That’s where we need to have some help from mathematics.  You see, scientists today can calculate what the sky looked like on any day in past history because they can calculate the stars motion mathematically.  The paths of the stars are predictable into the future and can be retraced back into the past.  Mathematicians can tells us when and where the next eclipse of the sun will be as well as calculate when the next pass of Halley’s Comet will come.  So it is with the night sky in the year of Jesus’ birth.  Astronomy has suggested to us that 3 B.C. was the actual year of our Lord’s birth because in that year a conjunction between Jupiter, known as the king planet, and Regulus, the most prominent star in the constellation of Leo the Lion, occurred several times.  It was understood that the constellation of the Lion represented the people of Jacob, and a few biblical scholars believe that it was this very unique celestial event, occurring on numerous occasions that revealed to the Magi that a King had been born in Israel.  This would explain why so few other people were cognizant of the Christ star.  It’s because it wasn’t necessarily so bright and beautiful but because it had such meaning only to those who understood the language of the stars.

So back to 3 B.C., the year of the Messiah’s birth.  In that year, Virgo was clothed with the Sun from August 27th to September 15th.  Those were the days the Sun appeared to track through the constellation of Virgo.  But our text also tells us that the Moon was under her feet.  Now that’s more like it for now we have just one day to pick from.  Remember, the Moon orbits the Earth on a twenty eight day course.  One week the Moon will seem full and then we note it waxing and waning.  Also for one week out of the month the Moon is not seen well because it is on the same side of our planet as the Sun.  This type of moon is called a new moon and it is only seen just before daybreak or just after sunset.  But just because we can’t see it doesn’t mean it isn’t there.  That’s how the Sun and the Moon were aligned on the day of Jesus’ birth.  The woman wearing the twelve stars, Virgo, as head of the twelve constellations, was clothed with the Sun and the Moon was under her feet.  The Moon was just below the constellation as we would look at it.  That alignment can only occur on one day per year and in 3BC that day was September 11th!

So there you have it!  September 11th 3 B.C. was the day I believe that Jesus Christ was born.  Can I be dogmatic?  Of course not!  But it is interesting to consider.

Also, two other pieces to the puzzle.  What was the first thing you thought of when I mentioned September 11th?  Why, the World Trade Center attacks, of course.  What an irony if our Lord’s true birthday occurred on the anniversary of the day that will live in infamy in our national conscience!  But the second piece to the puzzle is just something God would love to ordain.  September 11th 3 B.C. was Tishiri 1st on the Jewish calendar.

Now that’s incredible!  Remember that’s the Jewish New Year, that’s the Feast of Trumpets.  That’s the day that the trumpets were blown from sunrise to sunset to celebrate Jehovah’s reign over the entire world.  How symbolic it is that his Son would be born on the Feast of Trumpets!

Okay, that’s the hidden meaning which many of you skeptics may not believe.  I accept that.  It’s okay.  I realize that it’s a little far out there also.  But it’s important to remember that we don’t know all of God’s ways and we don’t understand all of his revelation.  So it seems very likely to me that there are some things on the edge of our comprehension, like this, that will come to light in the ages to come.  On that day when we see and understand things more clearly!

Next, it’s time to dig into the more accepted interpretation of these interesting verses.  The spiritual cause for the battle which has affected our planet for eons will be explained.  In other words, we will learn of the spiritual reason for birth pangs!

Merry Christmas Brothers & Sisters…If you want to learn how these verses explain the “Battle of the Ages” in the next chapter you’ll have to get the book!

Posted in Bible, Book of Revelation, Books by Daniel A. Tomlinson, Christian Speaker, Christmas, Daniel A. Tomlinson, Dr Dan Tomlinson, Jesus Christ, Jesus' Birthday, Labor & delivery, New Testament, Pregnancy, Prophecy, Religion, The Feasts of israel | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Christianity or Evolution: Two Religions…One is Rational, One is Not!

Posted on November 24, 2011 by

For the average person belief either in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ or belief in the Evolution of the Universe can be consider religions.  I say that as it sometimes seems that both world-views are somewhat mystical and far off.  Most people have not really had the time, or interest in seriously researching these two dominant schools of thought and thus they have taken by faith that either Christianity or Evolution is true.  (In some cases people have taken by faith that both are true!)

As a medical scientist and as one who has spent much time learning of both of the physical & of the spiritual, I have come to the considered opinion that only one of the two schools of thought is a true religion while the other has become a false religion which continues to be propagated in order to confuse & confound people from believing its antonym.  That is, pseudo-scientists and non-scientific intellectuals continue to promote the world-view that given enough time & space that anything is possible including the creation of life itself.  That is, since the Universe is fifteen billion years old and the millions of light years across the odds of the chance appearance of life is rational. Intelligent design without a designer, life without a Life-giver in other words!

This is abjectly false!  Scientists & mathematicians irrespective of their religious views have discredited this fanciful teaching.  Even though the Universe is vast and even though the beginning of time as we know it seems unfathomly long ago the odds of the formation of life from nothing is logarithmically less likely that the Theory of Evolution allows.  That is, the chasm between the most complicated non living structure e.g. a snowflake or a crystal, and a living cell in nearly infinite!

I would like to submit to you just three proofs (from thousands of others) that cannot be rationally explained by the religion of Evolution.  The eye, the human brain and DNA itself.  The eye in concert with the posterior brain is far to irreducibly complex to evolve in a step wise fashion as evolution demands and teaches.  A moment of your vision and its immediate interpretation is in the order of computing power that has been estimated to take the most powerful computer that is present today hours to solve.  Additionally, your brain in it’s mysterious complexity is able to solve non-linear equations as it interprets sight, hearing, touch & smell as well as compartmentalizing memory, thought & emotion. This type of computing power mathematically is not able to appear by chance alone.

Lastly, the precision & complexity of the DNA molecule in it’s coding for RNA and ultimately for proteins necessary for life scream of a Master Genius.  The order of  probability & chance alone in the development of these complex systems dwarfs the time-space-chance theory of our origins.  DNA itself is the nail to the coffin of Evolution.  That double-helix molecule which is trillions of base pairs long is the blueprint identified in the 1950′s which distinguishes life as we know it from non-living systems.  DNA holds the code for genes and genes encode protein.  It is protein that makes up all living systems.  Evolutionists teach that proteins formed spontaneously in the pre-historic mixture of carbon and other gases and liquids which were present on a primordial earth.  Energy from lighting and / or meteorite deposition of life-bearing molecules from other worlds allowed proteins to first develop. Somehow though, without the DNA code these proteins were able to coalesce into living systems and to persist!  This idea is so far-fetched and ridiculous that faith in this premise cannot really occur if one seriously studies it!  Life occurs because DNA codes the process.  An embryo starting out with the union of two cells is not the same as the the beginning of life on earth as some has fancifully stated.  That is because the embryo has the code!  The forty six chromosomes of the new life has

This doggie has a code!

the blueprint for the proteins needed to produce & differentiate into a living being.  All this occurs because an intelligent design is in play while the evolution of life from nothing only hopes for randomness as its ally!

In the words of others:
Scientific American in 1979 refuting Nobel laureate George Wald’s 1954 argument of the time-chance theory of our origins…”Can we really form a biological cell by waiting for chance combinations of organic compounds?  Harold Morowitz, (a non-christian) in his book Energy Flow & Biology computed that merely to create a bacterium would require more time than the Universe might ever see if chance combinations of its molecules were the only driving force.
Marcel P. Sxhutzenberger of the Univ. of Paris, in calculating the probability of evolution based on mutation and natural selection, concluded that “there is no chance (<10 to 1000th power) to see this mechanism appear spontaneously and if it did, even less for it to remain.”
Physicists Fred Hoyle and Chandra Wickramasinghe calculated the odds that all the functional proteins necessary for life might form in one place by random events as one chance in 10 to the 40,000th power.  They concluded that this was “an outrageously small probability that could not be faced even if the whole universe consisted of organic soup.”

No, the theory of Evolution is only an outdated 19th Century religious point of view propagated now only by non-scientists and non-critical thinkers in order to refute their inability to believe in something which seems to be outside of their human experience.

So lets look at Christianity and see what is all of the fuss about…

One doesn’t have to look far as the problem is with the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Resurrection  is  something that many cannot accept as it is outside of their life’s paradigm.  The difficulty though for the non-believer in Jesus’ resurrection is that the resurrection is provable while their random chance beliefs are not as we have already noted.  Let me explain…

Jesus’ resurrection is an historical fact which would be accepted in any court of law.  That’s because it’s legitimacy has both circumstantial and direct evidence pointing to its truth.  First, no credible explanation has been put forth that can prove that the suffering and crucifixion of Christ did not indeed lead to his death (discrediting the swoon theory that the non-believing Jews initially put forth).  Second, non-believers have no explanation for the Empty Tomb!  All other dead spiritual leaders have tombs!  Thirdly,

The Empty Tomb

detractors of Jesus’ resurrection cannot refute the hundreds of eyewitnesses which saw the risen Lord and were alive for decades after the fact  No historical footnote of an eyewitness retraction of the legitimacy of the Resurrection is available as it doesn’t exist! Lastly, critical thinking unbelievers cannot explain away the transformation the once fearful disciples underwent after they saw and were emboldened by the resurrected Jesus.  It was this transformation that led these men to die for their absolute knowledge of its truth.  And it is this truth which has subsequently turned the world upside down!

Yes, two religions…one is wonderfully true while the other pathetically false!

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  Romans 10:9

Posted in A Woman's Silent Testimony, Bible, Books by Daniel A. Tomlinson, Christian Speaker, Daniel A. Tomlinson, Dr Dan Tomlinson, Evolution, Jesus Christ, Jesus' Passion, New Testament, Religion, Resurrection, The New Birth | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Are Todays Events in Libya & Syria Part of the End-Times Scenario?

Posted on October 30, 2011 by

The Bible is clear when it states that God is in control of the affairs of men.  He raises up kings and He puts them down.  With that in mind, the recent uprisings in Libya, Syria, Iran and other Middle Eastern states, as well as the continued misbehavior of mighty Russia, most certainly is under the permissive control of the Almighty.  Could it be that the reorganization of theses several states into theocratic governments under the apparent control of  muslim clerics will be another piece of the puzzle leading to events prophesied concerning the last days?  I don’t know but it does intrigue me to consider this possibility.

I offer you an excerpt from my book Birth Pangs:  How Pregnancy Reveals God’s Plan for the Ages as we consider these times in which we live.

The Latter Day Prophecy Against the Land of Magog

I certainly believe that the Lord could come at any time.  For indeed, I see dimly and do not pretend to have God’s timetable concerning the countdown to the rapture completely understood.  But it may be that two other birth pangs still need to occur before the seven year Tribulation time frame occurs.  That being the destruction of Damascus and the defeat of Russia on the mountains of Samaria, known as the West Bank.  Of course, it also could be that these two events will occur nearly simultaneously with the onset of that wonderful day.  Thus, I’m not going to stop looking up!  Let’s look at the upcoming events as the prophet Ezekiel tells the story.

In chapter 36 of Ezekiel’s prophecy God proclaimed that he would bring the Jews back to their homeland and that the people and the land would once again bear fruit.  This has partially come to pass as we see literal fruit growing forth on the many irrigated fields of the nation; yet, the spiritual fruit in the hearts of the people has yet to mature.

Next in chapter 37 of that wonderful book, the prophet is told of the dry bones of Israel coming back together as a body and then later receiving the breath of life.  Of course, we need to remember that breath and spirit are synonymous in God’s verbiage and understand that Israel will have a body before they are revived spiritually.  This is the place where we are now in history.  Israel has a body, they are a together and bearing literal food in abundance; however, they have not spiritually awakened to the plan of God for their lives.

Next, chapters 38 and 39 deal with the spiritual awakening of Israel.  That revival will come as they see and understand the mighty deliverance by their God from the hands of a powerful invader in the very near future.  It is important to note that in God’s eyes these four chapters from Ezekiel are all simultaneous end times prophecies.  Uniquely for us in our day today, we just find ourselves smack dab in the middle of the events as they unfold!

And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophecy against him, And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:  Ezekiel 38:1-3

The first thing God revealed to Ezekiel concerning this upcoming battle is the villain of our story.  That nation, like Egypt before them whom God will use to show forth his power, is the land of Magog.  We read that this Gog is the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.  What does this mean?

Well, Bible scholars have long understood this to mean the land of modern-day Russia.  The word “Gog” simply means “the leader” or “the chief” and “Magog” is known to mean “the land of the far north,” that of Russia.  Meshech is the ancient name for Moscow and Tubal was the name for Moscow’s little sister city of Tubolsk which is now called Tula.

Thus we have the major antagonist in this upcoming saga being Russia!

And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armor, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:  Ezekiel 38:4

It’s interesting to consider an ancient prophet trying to describe scenes of future events with words that didn’t exist in his day.  Words like tanks and rockets, AK-47’s and gas masks did not exist.  Thus we read of great horses and horsemen, bucklers and shields.

We learn that God will somehow put a hook in the jaw of the Russian leadership, Gog, and bring them forth to perform his will.  It’s interesting that in Old Testament days, when a nation would defeat another people, they would lead off the captives by stringing them in a line with hooks in their jaws to keep them from escaping.  Truly the imagery is powerful as God will orchestrate this seemingly ruthless attack to show forth his glory and power as we will soon see.

Just what is this “hook” that God will use to mobilize Russia to attack the pleasant land?  Many scholars feel the hook is oil!  The people from the land of the north will seek to obtain that much needed black nectar and will conspire against Israel in order to have the enemies of the Jews, who control the oil, give that precious commodity to her!

Let’s see who co-stars in this villainous plot.

Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:  Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands:  And many people with thee.  Ezekiel 38:5-6

It’s not surprising to see Persia listed.  This of course is modern day Iran and Iraq.  These two countries which otherwise have been enemies recently are united in their hatred for the Jews!

Ethiopia, as it is referred to in this verse, is not the poverty stricken little country in the horn of Africa, but the land south of Egypt in east-central Africa, known in our day as Sudan.  In Sudan, we have another outspoken enemy of present day Israel.

Will it be that the new Islamic nation of Libya, will gladly join with Russia to destroy the children of Israel.  It would seem that God’s Word confirms that possibility!

Now Gomer surprises me, but maybe it shouldn’t.  Gomer is Germany!  What are they doing on the side of evil?  Are they not in NATO?  Aren’t they an ally of Israel?  Apparently not!  In the days ahead we will see Europe, led by Germany, distance itself from Israel.  Why will that be?  Oil, of course!  The last player mentioned is Togarmah.  This speaks of modern-day Turkey.  In Turkey we see another nation moving towards an Islamic theocracy and pulling away from their prior alliance with the West.

When will this story unfold?

After many days thou shalt be visited:  In the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have always been a waste:  But is brought forth out of the nations, and they dwell safely all of them (emphasis is mine).  Ezekiel 38:8

Could it be any clearer?  It’s in the last days when this will occur.  It will be in that day which we have spoken of.  The time after the people have been gathered out of the nations and the land is no longer a waste.  Dear reader, if these are the last days, then it’s in our day today that this is going to happen! In case we missed it, God repeated himself in verse 16 as he proclaimed:

And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against the land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes (emphasis mine). Ezekiel 38:16

Apparently, this battle will open the eyes of many unbelievers after they witness the deliverance of God towards his children. Ezekiel continues with more detail.

Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land. Ezekiel 38:9a

My mind pictures the locusts as they descended upon Egypt during the plagues in the days of Moses.

It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:  And thou shall say, I will go up to the land of unwalled

An Unwalled Village on the Mountains of Samaria

villages…To take a spoil, and to take a prey…  Ezekiel 38:10b-11a, 12a

Is it a coincidence that in the dominant language of the end times that the word “spoil” rhymes with “oil?”  I think not!

Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil?                                                                              Ezekiel 38:13a

These countries mentioned will protest this action by Russia and her allies.  But that’s all they will do.  No help will be provided to Israel in this day of her calamity.  No help that is, other than from the Lord!

Who are these impotent bystanders?

Linguists tell us that Sheba and Dedan are the nations of the Arabian Peninsula, specifically Kuwait and Saudi Arabia on today’s map of the world.

Tarshish is believed to mean the isles to the far north and west, that of Great Britain.  And by extension, the young lions thereof, the young lions of Tarshish, are likely an ancient Biblical reference to then unknown lion-like nation of the United States of America.  A nation who we understood came forth from Tarshish. Yes, Israel’s allies of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Great Britain and America will disapprove of this military endeavor, but apparently that’s all the assistance they will provide.  (As an aside, as America is pulling out of Iraq and most desirous of getting out of Afghanistan it is easy to understand that she would not want to enter into another fray!)

Now that we have all the actors in this drama, isn’t there one more major player on the world stage who is glaringly missing?  That nation is Israel’s modern-day enemy of Syria, known biblically as Damascus.  Why is Syria not mentioned as joining with this  confederacy? Could it be that because at the time of this invasion they no longer are relevant?  Let’s consider that possibility, for in Isaiah we read, “The burden of Damascus.  Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap” (Isaiah 17:1).

This prediction, from the prophet who has hit the mark on so many other future events can also be trusted.  Damascus, which brags to the nations that it is the world’s oldest continuously inhabited city, will indeed become a ruinous heap.  God told Isaiah to reveal this future event and thus we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this will come to pass.  Damascus will be destroyed.

It is very likely that somehow Syria will fade in prominence before the day of Russia’s invasion of Israel.  Thus, they are not included in the list of players in this end-times scenario.

Another theory as to what the “hook” is that God will use to bring in this Russian confederacy may be the destruction of Damascus at the hands of Israel.  Could it be that Israel will somehow be forced to take out their ancient enemy?  Could it be that the prophesied destruction of Damascus, as yet to be fulfilled from Isaiah’s words, will be the hook that brings down the Russian coalition?  I don’t know but the tumult in Syria in our day today may be part of that scenario!  We’ll just have to wait and see!

And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord God, that my fury shall come up in my face.  Ezekiel 38:18

I would never want to see God’s fury come up in his face!

For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel…and I will plead [judge] against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone…and I will turn thee back, and will leave but the sixth part of thee…and I will smite the bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.  Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee.  Ezekiel 38:19, 22; 39:2a, 3-4a

When Russia and her minions cover the land like a storm, the Lord God reveals that there will be a terrible shaking in the land and that nearly 85% of the attacking army will fall in Israel as an overflowing rain of fire and brimstone overtakes that attacking army.

That Future Battlefield as it is Today!

Is this talking about a nuclear retaliation by Israel or is this describing an earthquake and heavenly judgment towards Russia in a vein similar to the fire and brimstone which Sodom and Gomorrah received?  I don’t know.  But whatever scenario, Russia and her allies will be utterly defeated in a most dramatic manner!

It will be a demonstration of power which will also have two very positive effects.

First, it will cause the nations to acknowledge the Lord, and secondly the house of Israel will have the Holy Spirit poured upon them.

Let’s look at the first of God’s words.

Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the Lord.  Ezekiel 38:23

God will sanctify himself.  That means he will set himself apart from other so-called gods with his rescue of Israel.  Those gods on the scene today are nothing when compared to the God of the universe.  Those gods being the god of the crescent moon, Allah, and the god of prosperity, Wall Street!

The Lord stated that the nations will know that he is God.  That he is the One who is in control of the fate of men and of nations.

This verse reminds me of the day that God’s prophet to the backsliding nation of Israel in the Old Testament, Elijah, called down fire from heaven to consume the water-soaked sacrifice.  What did the people do and say?  “And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces:  And they said, The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God” (I Kings 18:39).

Secondly, along with God receiving the glory in the eyes of the Gentiles, this foretold event will be the time that God will pour his Spirit upon Israel.  It will mark the time that the dry bones which we discussed earlier will receive breath.

Then shall they know that I am the Lord their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen:  But I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there.  Neither will I hide my face any more from them:  For I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord God (emphasis is mine).  Ezekiel 39:28-29

In that day the entire nation will receive spiritual eyes.  They will finally see with eyes which comprehend God’s plan for their nation and their lives.

It will resemble the day when Elisha’s servant had his eyes opened.  That day when the Syrians were surrounding Dothan, the village where Elisha abode, and that servant feared how things would occur.  Elisha prayed and asked God to open his eyes to see spiritually.  And what happened? Instead of seeing the city compassed about only by Syrian horses and chariots, he saw that the mountain surrounding the Syrians was full of heavenly horses and chariots of fire (II Kings 6:8-17).

Yes, just as that servant pictures the nation, Israel will receive spiritual understanding of God’s plan for them, his love for them, and his promised protection for them.

No, it’s still not at this time that they understand Yeshua as their Messiah, that will come a few years later during the Tribulation time frame, but at this time they will understand that Jehovah’s covenant with them cannot be broken!

So what does this say to me and to you when we find ourselves in a backslidden state? Look at Israel. They too were God’s love.  But they fell away and seemed to have been swallowed up by the world around them.  They were seemingly without God in their lives.  They were despondent and pathetic.  Persecuted and beaten down.  And then God intervened and rescued them.  That’s what he promises to you and me also.  When you are that wondering little lamb that left the other ninety-nine, our Lord said that he, as the Good Shepherd, will seek you out.  He will find you and bring you home!

Taken from Birth Pangs:  How Pregnancy Reveals God’s Plan for the Ages  http://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=978-1-60604-886-3

_____

These indeed are interesting days!  Most importantly, the man & woman of God needs to remember that the Lord is in control.  All things are working out.  He has promised us a future and a hope which is glorious.  He will never forsake us or leave us.  When things look bad, when the  days appear dark and gloomy we need to recall that God is on the throne!  Nothing slips by Him!  He doesn’t say “Oh, I missed that one!”  It’s all working out, it’s all coming together, it’s all playing out! Importantly, we who have been instructed in God’s Word get the awesome responsibility of telling folks what is coming down, of where all this is going.  We don’t want to shrink back and keep this “good news” to ourselves.  I pray that I, that you, with God’s Spirit leading us will have the courage to tell our friends, family, co-workers and those we come in contact with, that today is day to get right with God, today is the day of salvation, for tomorrow may be too late!

Posted in Beginning of Sorrows, Bible, Books by Daniel A. Tomlinson, Christian Speaker, Daniel A. Tomlinson, Dr Dan Tomlinson, End Times, Israel in prophecy, Jesus Christ, Old Testament, Prophecy | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment