Whenever we think of parables in the Bible, we often only think of the parables spoken by Jesus and recorded in the New Testament.  However, to the surprise of some, there are also several parables in the Old Testament including Jotham’s parable in Judges 9 that sheds considerable light on past and future events in both testaments.

His name means “my father is king.”  And his father certainly lived like a king, but he refused to establish any form of dynasty in Israel for himself or his sons.  It is obvious that Abimelech thought his warrior hero father had made a mistake.  He was the son of Gideon by a concubine who lived with her father’s family in Shechem, and he undoubtedly was shunned by his half-brothers.  His father was an Israelite, but his mother was a Shechemite.

The story of Gideon’s success as a great warrior is riveting and a great testimony unto the Lord.  However, his epitaph is shadowed with disappointment.  He had missed a great opportunity to bring reform and revival to the land of Israel.  Instead of using the moment of his heroism to bring glory to God, he chose instead to profit himself.  It is thus recorded, “And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baal-Berith their god.” (Judges 8:33)

Our story now unfolds.  It is interesting that in Judges 9-10, Gideon is always called Jerubbaal, never Gideon.

“And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother’s brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying, Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.” (Judges 9:1-2)

His mother’s brothers pledged allegiance to Abimelech, and they gave him 70 pieces of silver from the house of Baal-Berith to finance a crusade against his 70 half-brothers.  In this act he made the public announcement that he had renounced the God of Israel for Baal.  With hired men he went to the house of Ophrah and slew all of Gideon’s sons except the youngest Jotham who hid himself in the slaughter. (verses 3-5)

“And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem.” (verse 6)

It is here that in his godlessness and selfish acts Abimelech defiled a place sacred in Jewish history.

Beth Millo translates “house of the fortress” and is the section of the upper classes.  The word “plain” is ‘elown’ or a “great tree or oak” and is undoubtedly the well-known sacred tree of Moreh (Genesis 12:6; 24:1-5; 35:4; Deut. 11:26-32; Josh 8:30-35; 24:25-26)

“And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you.” (verse 7)

Mount Gerizim was a place for blessings to be read (Deut. 27:12, 28), but Jotham’s speech was anything but a blessing.  He continues:

The Parable of the Trees

“The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us.  But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?

And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us.  But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?

Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us.  And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?

(In each case, the trees refused the honor.  Each would have to sacrifice something in order to reign and they weren’t prepared to make that sacrifice.)

Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us. And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.”  (verses 8-14)

(A bramble, or thornbush, was a useless nuisance, the most worthless plant in the Middle East.  It produces no fruit, and is too low to the ground to produce any shade.  Its wood cannot be used for any kind of construction because it splits too easily.  It is good only as fuel for the fire.  And this was, of course, the symbol of Abimelech.)

It is known as the principle of “expositional constancy” whereby the Holy Spirit tends to use the same symbols consistently throughout Scripture.  As an example, remember that both Ezekiel 31 and Daniel 4 use trees to symbolize leaders or nations.  Last week’s blog cited the “parable of the fig tree.”   The Bible clearly uses all four of the trees to reference Israel.  How so?

The Parable of the Trees
Olive Tree	represents the Lineage or Genealogy of Israel
-produces valuable oil
Fig Tree	represents Political Israel
-produces sweet fruit
Vine	represents Spiritual Israel
-produces wine
Bramble	represents Satan’s empire/kingdom of darkness
-no fruit
-only good as fuel for the fire

Jotham had clearly made his point.  If you read chapters 9-10 Abimelech, the “bramble king” would be unable to protect the people and would cause judgment to come that would destroy those who trust in him.   After three conditional clauses, this was a prophecy and a curse.   In its fulfillment, both Abimelech and his followers would destroy one another (literally in verse 57) and leading to his ignominious death.

Jotham’s parable looks all the way back to Genesis where we are first introduced to thorns being a symbol of the “curse.”  In speaking to Adam after the Fall, God says, “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life.  It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.” (Genesis 3:17b-18)

Thorns are a symbol of the “curse” and impending judgement.  Throughout the Middle East it is the Acacia bush which is known as “the thorn bush of the desert.”  And it is highly likely that this was the type of bush or bramble that Moses encountered at Mount Horeb.

“And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.” (Exodus 3:2)

It was a burning bush that is not consumed.  It is a symbol of grace.  Why?

Acacia= “thorn bush of the desert”

Thorns= symbol of the curse

Fire= symbol of judgement

Even the writer of Hebrews reveals that thorns were viewed negatively in the ancient cultured and considered a curse.  “For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.” (Hebrews 6:7-8)

After being mocked, beaten and spat upon by the Roman soldiers, Jesus was crowned with thorns and this highlighted that His suffering and death were a curse. “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.” (Hebrews 3:13)  When our Lord was crowned with a crown of thorns, His torturers unknowingly punished Him with a symbol fitting of the suffering Messiah.

Fortunately for us, Jesus rose from the dead and is gloriously revealed as the King and Savior of this world.  Thus, for all who believe, we are not bramble dedicated for destruction.  In fact, as Christians we are branches “grafted in” to the Olive Tree and bearing fruit for our Lord.  (Romans 11:17-24; Ephesians 2:11-13; 2:19; 3:6)

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It is the only instance in the Bible where our Lord Jesus Christ used His miraculous power to destroy something in nature.  Many who do not understand the Scriptures are eager to find fault or a negative connotation in this event.  But what they do not understand is that Jesus intended for this event to be taken as a parable and it sets the stage for its sequel to be unfolded in his Olivet Discourse.

John the Baptist spoke directly to the skepticism of the Pharisees and Sadducees, “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.  And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.  Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees.  Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Matthew 3:8-10)

The principle that a tree should bring forth good fruit was taught by Jesus on several occasions.  In the parable of the barren fig tree, Jesus used a fig tree (symbol of Israel) that had not yet produced fruit for three years to represent the nation of Israel.  The fig tree in the parable had not produced any good fruit (ripe figs) during the three years of Christ’s ministry to the Jewish people.  Jesus was telling Israel that His ministry with them was drawing to a close within the next year, and their opportunity to repent and accept Jesus as their Messiah would soon pass.

“And he told this parable: A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none.  And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none.  Cut it down.  Why should it use up the ground? And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure.  Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.” (Luke 13:6-9)  Since Israel did not produce good fruit (ripe figs) at Jesus’ first coming, the nation was cut down, as a tree, in 70 A.D. by the Roman army and the Jerusalem Temple was destroyed.  So, is God done with Israel?  As Paul wrote, “Certainly not!” (Romans 11:1)

Just as Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom was cut down like a tree and then restored, likewise the nation of Israel, represented by a fig tree, was cut down for failing to recognize Jesus as their Messiah and not recognizing “the time of thy visitation.” (Luke 19:44)  The Kingdom of God was taken from Israel but will be restored after the Lord refines them “as silver is refined” and tests them “as gold is tested” at the end of the age.  (Matthew 21:42-44; Zechariah 13:7-9; 14:1-16; Jeremiah 30; 31; 23:3-8; Romans 11:25-26; Hosea 6:1-3; Hebrews 8:10; Ezekiel 11:17-20; 36:22-29)

JESUS CURSES THE FIG TREE

Upon His triumphal entry into Jerusalem and final week, Jesus performs and speaks the parable.  “And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple.  And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.  On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry.  And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it.  When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.”  And his disciples heard it….And when evening came they went out of the city.  As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots.  And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look!  The fig tree that you cursed has withered.”  And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God.” (Mark 11:11-22)

Why do you say that the parable was “intended?”  The fig tree usually produces leaves in March-April and then starts to bear fruit in June, with another crop in August, sometimes a third in December.  Our Lord was not displaying unnecessary annoyance, Jesus knew the tree would not be in season, hence “a fig tree in leaf.”  He seized this moment to state the parable, making lesson on failure to be fruitful.  The day before Jesus had chased out the moneychangers from the temple as well.  The condemning of the tree and the cleansing of the Temple were both symbolic acts that illustrated the sad spiritual condition of Israel: fruitless and corrupt.

THE PARABLE OF THE FIG TREE

Hours later on the Mount of Olives, Jesus is then asked by his disciples, “what will be the sign of your coming (return)?”  After sharing the general conditions that will accompany His return, Jesus then speaks a second parable of the fig tree. “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and put out its leaves, you know that summer is near.  So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates.  Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” (Matthew 24:32-34)

Practically speaking, that when you see a fig tree with branches full of sap (becoming tender) and producing new leaves, these signs mean summer is near and its full harvest.  Spiritually speaking, that when the fig tree (Israel) comes back to life, we are to know that Christ’s return is near. The generation that sees Israel come back to life will not die off until all the events involved with the Second Coming of Jesus Christ takes place.  All current and future generations were to watch for this event.  This parable could not be properly understood until Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 A.D. and the Jewish people later dispersed all over the world.

LUKE’S VERSION OF THE PARABLE OF THE FIG TREE

Not a contradiction, but Luke’s version of this parable gives additional insight as to what we are to watch for “the sign of your coming.”  “And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near.  So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.  Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place.” (Luke 21:29-32)

What are we to watch for?  “Watch the fig tree and all the trees.” (verse 29)  In other words, we are to watch the fig tree (Israel) and all the trees (Gentile nations).  When the fig tree (Israel) and all the trees (Gentile nations) come to life, this parable denotes the generation that will see the countdown to the return of Christ begin.  So how long is a “generation?” (Psalm 90:10)

For most of us, the fig tree (Israel) is identified when it came back to life officially on May 14, 1948 with the rebirth of the state of Israel and it has flourished ever since.  Ours is the generation that has witnessed the miracle of the rebirth of Israel.  But what about “all the trees?”

Just as noteworthy is the proliferation of nations during the 20^th century.  The growth of nations is a long, evolutionary process where dates of a country’s “formation” cannot always be objectively determined.  Independence dates prior to 1919 are treated with caution, for centuries there was no international body to recognize statehood.  Since the formation, expansion, division, dissolving and reorganizing of nations is subject to wars, internal conflicts and changes in leadership the number of independent sovereign states in the world has been subject to change.

But the role of the League of Nations in 1919 and which the United Nations took over in 1947 has changed all of that.  In 1899 there were just 44 countries that had achieved statehood.  The 20^th century saw 147 new sovereign states added, with many splitting off from the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Portugal and the Soviet Union.  In the first half (1900-1950) 38 new states were created while the second half (1950-2000) experienced an explosion of 109 new sovereign states!  Since 2000, only five new states have been added.  Depending on your sources, today there are 195-197 recognized nations in the world.

The Pharisees and Sadducees were spiritually blind to the signs of Christ’s first coming.  He acknowledged them for their ability to interpret the weather based on the appearance of the sky but chastised their failure to grasp “the signs of the times.”

In accordance with the words of Christ, do we recognize the “season” we live?  Have “all the trees” flourished as well?

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“When I was a boy I somehow got the impression that the river Jordan was four thousand miles long and thirty-five miles wide.  It is only 90 miles long, and so crooked that a man does not know which side of it he is on half the time.  In going ninety miles it does not get over more that fifty miles of ground.”  (Mark Twain, 1867)

Writing of himself, the famous author said he was known for “things which he stretched, but mainly he told the truth.” In actuality, the Jordan River flows southward from Mount Hermon at its source about 156 miles into the Sea of Galilee, then into the Dead Sea, divided into an upper and lower course. An important source in Israel for watering dry land, yet it runs through the Bible with an even greater spiritual status.

Eighteen miles east of Jerusalem there is a remarkable piece of geography concentrated over a few square miles of the Jordan River in which God has demonstrated His power time and again.  For some it is referred to as the “Jordan River Intersect.”  Right above the mouth of the Dead Sea and just nine miles to the east is Mt. Nebo where it is believed that Moses was buried.  It was from here that God showed Moses the “Promised Land” from Gilead to Dan, (Deuteronomy 34:1) but he would not live to go there.  The walls of Jericho were in clear view directly across the river in the Jordan Valley.

After Moses died and was buried by the Lord at Mt. Nebo, Joshua and the whole nation of Israel prepared to cross over the Jordan River having wandered the Wilderness for forty years. “And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” (Joshua 3:5) The Ark of the Covenant was with them, borne on the shoulders of the priests marching down into the river; stopping the flow of water according to the Lord’s command, so the whole Israelite nation could cross over into the Land of Canaan. (Joshua 3:1-4:24)

Shortly thereafter, the walls of Jericho would come tumbling down as Joshua’s army encircled it for seven days (Joshua 6:1-27) by the Lord’s command, and this would have been clearly visible within the “Jordan River Intersect.”

More than five centuries later, it is here that Elijah crossed the Jordan with his companion Elisha, right before he was taken up. “The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the LORD will take away your master from over you?”…Then Elijah said to him, “Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan” But he said, “As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you”….Fifty men of the sons of the prophets also went and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan.  Then Elijah took his cloak and rolled it up and struck the water; and the water was parted to the one side and to the other, till the two of them could go over on dry ground.” (2^nd Kings 2:5-8)

In the “Jordan River Intersect” just one mile east of the Israelite’s “Crossing” is a site known as “Elijah’s Hill” where the prophet was taken up or raptured in a “flaming chariot.”  Before his very eyes Elisha watched as Elijah was taken up to heaven.  Just moments before Elisha had asked the prophet for “a double portion of your spirit on me.” (verse 9)  When Elijah was taken up in the “whirlwind” his cloak had dropped to the ground and Elisha retrieved it.  “And he took up the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.  Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the water, saying, “Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” And when he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over.” (verses 13-14)

This same “Crossing” site separated by one mile from “Elijah’s Hill” is also known as “Qasr El Yahud.”  It is the location believed to be where Jesus Christ was baptized by John the Baptist.  According to all four Gospels the ministry of John the Baptist drew thousands of Jews from surrounding areas to hear his fiery message of repentance and many were baptized here in the Jordan River.  The day Jesus came to the river to commence His own 3.5 year ministry, John was there baptizing, precisely at this small location, the “Jordan River Intersect.”

Just five miles to the southwest is Qumran, where the Essenes sect lived separate and apart from the Pharisees and Sadducees whom they had sharp disagreement.  They interpreted prophecy according to the interpretation of the patriarchs handed down over the ages rather than through rabbinical commentaries.  The Essenes departed for the “wilderness” around 160 B.C. because they were anticipating the coming of Messiah based on Isaiah 40:3. “A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” The English phrase “the desert” in Hebrew is translated as “Ba’Arbabah” which means “Jordan Valley.”

At Qumran the Essenes buried over 1,000 documents that have only been discovered and restored in recent decades.  Today they are known as the “Dead Sea Scrolls.”  After the Resurrection, the Essenes virtually disappeared because the vast majority became early Christians.  Incredibly, their recovered writings and understanding of Messiah as the “Son of God” closely mirror the beliefs of the early Church.  It is believed by many that John the Baptist was an Essene.  (see blog post dated Oct. 24, 2018)

Over the years I have heard many personal testimonies.  Often, I hear about lives that were broken or had suffered, before becoming the quintessential and beautiful testimony of God’s redemption.  Others, like my personal testimony, reveal an area of their lives that they kept or reserved to themselves to “lord over” only to watch it become the focal point of pressure or stress that the Lord used to draw us into His light. I am reminded that I received Christ as Savior around 2am in January next to a cold running creek in Northern Virginia.  It is a specific time and place in our lives that we seek God’s mercy, healing, power and/or salvation.  It becomes our Jordan River moment…and He delivers us.

Maybe there is an area of your life that is begging for God’s attention.  It may be an area of struggle or challenge, it could be an area of pain or suffering, it could be something that is lost or believed to be beyond recovery.  Naaman was healed of his leprosy in the Jordan River.  A cherished and needed ax head that was lost…floated and was recovered in the Jordan.  Possibly this is an area of our life that you need God’s powerful intervention.  Are you running away from a matter that might be described as your Jordan Valley or Jordan River?

I encourage you to turn around and go back to your “Ba’Arabah” or Jordan River.  Maybe you have a friend or family member in mind that you can escort there.  Go down to the valley and to the water’s edge.   Humble yourself, confess your sins, and sanctify yourself as Joshua commanded the Israelites.  God is known to part the waters and bring walls of resistance down!  Call on the Lord and seek His mercy and He will meet you in your Jordan River.

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched.  Nor will the flame burn you.  For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”  (Isaiah 43:1-3a)

A riddle is a statement or a question with a hidden meaning that forms a puzzle to be solved. Example: “Larry’s father has five sons who are named Ten, Twenty, Thirty, Forty, and ? What is the name of his fifth son?” Exploring riddles can be fun, it allows you to be a solving detective.  For others, riddles can be downright exasperating.  Solutions often hide behind the assumptions people make when the answer is in plain view.  Such was the case in Jerusalem as recorded in Acts 15.  Oh, the answer.  The fifth son’s name was Larry…as in “Larry’s father.”

When Peter stood up at what is now called the “Council of Jerusalem” he used an inversion in making this statement: “And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.  Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?  But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.” (Acts 15:8-11)

The subject was Gentile Christianity and some of the elders present wrongfully concluded that Gentiles must be circumcised like all Jews.  In plain view, it was obvious that male circumcision was a non-factor in those Gentile conversions and Peter was very provocative now in his use of an inversion.  In effect, he was saying, “We couldn’t live up to the Law, why should we place it on them (Gentiles)?  We should believe, just as they do!  In other words, if we play our cards right, we will be saved just like them.” 

Verse 12 describes how Barnabas and Paul then stood up and bore witness to the “miracles and wonders” God had wrought through the Gentiles that they had shared the gospel of Jesus Christ.  It says that the entire multitude went silent during their report.

There were two huge questions overhanging this important meeting, one was spoken, the other was unspoken.  First, are the Gentile believers under the Law (i.e. male circumcision)?  The Council of Jerusalem deals with this question profoundly and negates this presumption.  The second but unspoken question was this: if Gentile believers only have to believe by faith, what about the promised Messianic Kingdom?  What then will become of Israel?

After hearing the testimonies of Peter, Barnabas and Paul, it is here that James, the half-brother of Jesus, addresses this unspoken question, and makes possibly one of the most important declarations of the Dispensation of Grace anywhere in the Bible.

Filled with the Holy Spirit and recognized as the leader of the Jerusalem church, James addresses the audience by speaking the prophetic words of a “minor prophet” otherwise known as the “shepherd of Tekoa.”  Who was this shepherd? And who were the “minor prophets?”

In the Bible there are twelve minor prophets and they wrote some of the most amazing prophecies for Israel and the world.  They were not called “minor” because they were not important, but because each message was short. Their messages are not “allegorical” but play a major role in God’s great plan of the ages. Portions of their prophecies have been fulfilled but many others are in full development today

It is important to recall that the office of prophet was an exalted position directly related to a Divine calling. It is noteworthy that the first “minor” prophet in our Bible is Hosea whose name translates “Salvation of Jehovah.”  In fact, his name is the root word from which we get the name Joshua in the Old Testament and Jesus in the New Testament.  In Hebrew his name is pronounced “Yoshua.”  Written 800 years before the birth of Christ, his name is a prophecy that reveals the very name of the Messiah-the Holy One of Israel.

But here, James quotes Amos, the “shepherd of Tekoa” and the third minor prophet.  “Men and brethren, hearken unto me:  Simeon (Peter) hath declared how God at first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.  And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return, and build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down, and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.” (Acts 15: 13b-17)

If you review the quote from Amos 9:11-12, James begins by saying “After this, I will return.”  Who left and Who will return?  Obviously, it is the risen Lord Jesus Christ who has now ascended to heaven and who has promised to return.   Most importantly then, “after this” refers to the calling out of the Gentiles.

In addressing the unspoken question, James is quoting Amos and tying it to the future of Israel in terms of the eventual fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant.  Paul writes further in Ephesians 3:1-6 that the postponement of the Messianic Kingdom and the calling out of the Church is a “mystery” itself.

He amplifies this “calling out of the Gentiles” all the more in Romans 11 when he writes that a “blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.” (verse 25)  The “fullness of the Gentiles” denotes the end of the Church Age and the Rapture.

If we interpret the Bible literally, there are several stages that are clearly identified in a sequence:

1) “After this”, the “fullness of the Gentiles” having come in, results with

2) “blindness of Israel” being relieved, and

3) the return or Second Coming of Jesus Christ will follow commencing the Millennial Kingdom.

Why this may be important today is that in recent years there has been a growing excitement and anticipation among Orthodox Jews in Israel for the coming of their Messiah, and this is now accelerating.  Many today are unaware the Sanhedrin was reconstituted in 2004 and its revival is another step in the rebuilding of a Jewish Temple.  In fact, they have recently begun reenacting grain offerings and wine libations in accordance with the Aaronic priesthood practices and have obtained government permits required for the slaughter of animals to one day be reinstated in the Temple.

Over the past 20 years a variety of Orthodox Jewish groups have simultaneously emerged in Israel that are focused on the rebuilding of the Temple. One devotes its efforts to the architectural plans, another to the training of priests, a third to the development of incenses, and yet another to the breeding of a perfect red heifer.  Much preparation has gone into plans to rebuild a Third Temple in the last 24 months and large sections of the Temple have been prefabbed or manufactured in advance.  One high ranking official of the Temple Mount Faithful estimated that the new Jerusalem Temple could be rebuilt in just one year.

The recent relocation of the American Embassy to Jerusalem and its recognition by the United States and other countries as the “eternal capital of Israel” has accentuated this fervor.   In addition, the recent deciphering of the Copper Scroll among the Dead Sea Scrolls has illumined a map or outline of many hidden Temple treasures that are secretly and currently being explored in Israel.  Several high officials in Israel have stated that the location of the tabernacle of David is now known. You can research all of these news events online.

Without any speculation as to when the rebuilding of the Third Temple occurs or its consequences, is not the thrust of this article.  We are heavily reminded that in our day we see Romans 1:18-32 and 2^nd Timothy 3:1-9 being fulfilled, and literally, sadly even in recent hours.

The fact is, that if the construction of the Third Temple is so close that it is prepped and ready to go and the tabernacle of David is possibly about to be discovered, these passages should tell us how close we may be to the day that the “fullness of the Gentiles” has come in.

Regardless, if ever there is a day that the Church should be “full throttle” and not “business as usual” it is today, showing, demonstrating and sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ…and there is no riddle involved.

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In order to address some recent inquiries regarding Carpenter Ministries,

I am no longer part of the Sons of Thunder Ministries organization as Donor Relations Manager in a fundraising capacity. As CEO Jerry Beall and I both agreed two months ago, I have been called to a ministry of the Word instead and which he encourages.  However, considered still part of the “ministering family” at SOT, we remain in close contact and Jerry has invited me to visit Sons of Thunder in Zambia continually in support of the ministry there.  However, I do not receive any compensation from SOT.

Thus, we have formed Carpenter Ministries, Inc. as a full-time ministry and inviting your prayerful and financial support as we embark on this mission that is better stated in the “About” page of the blog.  You can make donations to Carpenter Ministries by hovering your cursor over “Contribute” and by selecting Carpenter Ministries you can elect one of three ways to fund the ministry.  Your contributions will not only sustain this ministry but enable future mission trips to Africa and elsewhere.  All donations are fully tax deductible as we are an approved 501(c)3 organization operating in Virginia.

By desire, I will continue to support Sons of Thunder in future articles and will continue to allow others to donate to Sons of Thunder directly through this blog.