Destiny of Nations

THE CAMBRIAN PESHER

THE VOICE OF THE DESPOSYNI TO THE AMERICAN DISPERSION

February 18, 2006

The Destiny of Nations

And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and they will be taken captive to every country; and Jerusalem will be trodden under the feet of the Gentiles until the time of the Gentiles comes to an end.

- Luke 21:24 (Lamsa)

Brethren:

The above prophecy of Jesus has rolled off the tongues of many fundamentalist preachers since the founding of the State of Israel in 1948. It is the proof text in their claim that the "fig tree" has blossomed and that the dispensation of the Gospel is about to come to a close. "God is now turning back to the Jews," they tell us, "and His prophetic time clock has resumed ticking."

The validity of this claim also depends upon whether the notion of "self-fulfilled" prophecy has any merit. At the behest of British Israelites, General Allenby "liberated" Jerusalem from the Turks in 1917. Jerusalem was of no strategic importance to the outcome of the First World War. The conquest was simply a manifestation of the British desire to pursue an agenda which was inspired by a certain interpretation of the Bible. The revolt of Palestinian Jews against the British in 1948 - which led to the modern Israeli state - was also based on an interpretation of the Bible, albeit a much different one.

The conflict over Jerusalem today reflects an on-going religious debate. Of course, the Muslims lay claim to the city based upon the teachings of the Koran. American Fundamentalists support Israel based upon their theological persuasion which says the Jews are "God's chosen people." "Chosen for what?" is not always a useful question because Fundamentalists embrace this theology for emotional reasons, not rational ones. With dreamy eyes toward the sky and a much hoped for "rapture of the church," the idea of persuading these people that they will die like the rest of us is probably a hopeless exercise.

But for the rest of us, there might be hope. Jesus plainly said that Jerusalem's role as a center of worship is now gone:

Woman, believe me, the time is coming, when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will they worship the Father. . . But the time is coming, and it is here, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father also desires worshippers such as these.

- John 4:21, 23 (Lamsa)

Perhaps as a place of memorial, Jerusalem might be of value. Jesus was determined to suffer there in memory of the prophets before Him. And He promised to return (Luke 13:33-34). However, He clearly told His disciples to disperse throughout the world, preaching the Gospel (Acts 1:8). As a center of operations, it ceased in the 1st Century and was eventually replaced by Rome, a different mountain top. The Father still waits to be worshiped "in spirit and in truth."

If our day be not the end of the "time of the Gentiles," then when will it end and how will we know? Those are appropriate questions.

Sometimes, we miss the forest for the trees. Read carefully the words of Jesus from our opening text in Luke. Most commentators think the "time of the Gentiles" ceases when Jerusalem is no longer "trodden under foot," meaning "under Gentile control." But that isn't what Jesus said. He said Jerusalem would no longer be "trodden under foot" when the "time of the Gentiles" came to an end. That may seem to be a subtle change of emphasis, but it is very important.

There is another event which signals the end of the time of the Gentiles. What is it? Before that question can be addressed, look again at what Jesus said:

"until the time of the Gentiles comes to an end."

Do you see it? Of course, you can't. You are looking through the lens of previous religious indoctrination.

I will help you. Jesus was saying that when the time comes that Gentiles cease to be Gentiles, then the restoration of the Jews will occur and not before then.

Do you see the difference? In the previous and most popular model - a view I call "the apocalyptic model" - we must have war and bloodshed and pestilence and catastrophe. In that model we must have Armageddon and genocide.

In the latter model - a view I call "the soteriological model" - we must have redemption and a rebirth in human nature. In this model we must have moral law and a change in social organization.

Which do you think represents the spirit of the Gospel? The first one creates division in mankind; the latter creates unity. When one considers the words of James in Acts 15:14-17 and the entire of ministry of Paul who worked to break down the division between Jew and Gentile (Galatians 3:28), there can be no other way of looking at it.

The Desposyni: the Instrument of World Unity

For you shall expand on the right hand and on the left; and your descendants shall inherit the Gentiles and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.

- Isaiah 54:3

If you have read my textbook edition of Hierogamy and the Married Messiah, you know this passage is referring to the descendants of the Messiah. The text follows the Suffering Servant passage of Isaiah 53 that says of Christ, "He shall see his seed" and shall "divide the inheritance among the strong." The descendants of Jesus Christ are destined to "inherit the Gentiles" and in so doing shall make them no longer Gentiles.

If this scenario is true, then the present occupation of Palestine is presumption. It has occurred without certain necessary conditions being met first. If the whole earth were first to be discipled by the Desposyni, then the restoration of the Jews to Jerusalem would not be a cause of violence. Instead, a world war faces us on every turn.

Is it too late? Must we expect Palestinian Jews to simply pack-up and move? I don't think so. I offer a suggestion.

Middle Eastern Jews have lived peacefully under Muslim control for many centuries. The Middle Eastern countries of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Israel could unite into one state organized like the current Swiss canton system. Before Lebanon was invaded by Syria, Lebanon was a living testimony to the possibility that Christians, Muslims, and Jews could live peacefully under one government. In joining all of these arbitrarily-created modern states into one nation, it would diffuse the military crisis, as none of them would any longer have independent armies.

Jerusalem would be made into an international city under U.N. control. This idea is nothing new. Conspiracy theorists think it indicates a plot for world government. Unless they have a better idea to put on the table, they should hold their peace. The present situation is not working.

The real roadblock is the Zionist desire to rebuild the Temple. They must have total control of the military and political situation to make it happen. But I challenge Zionists with this point to consider: If King David was forbidden to build the Temple because he was a man of bloodshed, how can Israeli Jews expect any new Temple to be blessed by God in the light of the slaughter which must inevitably occur to make this dream a reality? In the light of this Divine standard, the Temple cannot and must not be built in our generation.

If Zionists can be cured of this fever, then it would provide the world an opportunity to consider the message of the Desposyni. The Desposyni must be allowed the opportunity to complete the Great Commission before these other scenarios unfold. Otherwise, God will simply let the consequences of our error work itself out and erase centuries of advancement by the human race. He made the Israelites march around Mount Sinai for forty years. What makes us think we are any different?

For a complete on-going study of the prophetic role of the Desposyni, I invite you to read The Westward March of Christianity & the Destiny of Nations which will be published serially during the coming weeks.

A Servant of Jesus,

James

Collect for the Day:

Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart, that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

[1] That is why the Grail Church promotes the excavation of the Temple Mount of all structures so that worship may be performed in the open air by the followers of all religions (see Church Policy § 16 - The Peace of Jerusalem).

Archives

menu