The Legacy of Jacob - Moriel Ministries
The Legacy of Jacob - Moriel Ministries
The Legacy of Jacob - Moriel Ministries
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"MORIEL"<br />
GOD IS MY TEACHER<br />
January/March 2012 Tevet/Sh’vat/Adar 1 5772<br />
No. 49<br />
March 2012 • <strong>Moriel</strong> Quarterly
Thank You from the Administrator<br />
"MORIEL"<br />
GOD IS MY TEACHER<br />
From the Office <strong>of</strong> the Administrator<br />
Dear Friends <strong>of</strong> <strong>Moriel</strong>,<br />
Important Correction - Not Even a Minyan<br />
Message: On page 5 under the heading FROM SOCIETY TO THE CHURCH, it states<br />
“that the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) is among the churches ordaining homosexuals.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> sentence should have read “that Presbyterian Church USA ( PC USA) is among<br />
the churches ordaining homosexuals.”<br />
Our apologies go out to the PCA who won’t even ordain women or allow women to be<br />
elders, let alone ordain homosexuals. <strong>The</strong>y broke from the Presbyterian church in the 1970s<br />
because <strong>of</strong> the liberalism.<br />
Next Year – 2012<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong> had a great visit to <strong>The</strong> Far East, visiting Thailand and Burma. While in Thailand<br />
<strong>Moriel</strong> obtained a printing press that is capable <strong>of</strong> printing Bibles; with that up and running<br />
a “railroad” is being established to carry Bibles to that corner <strong>of</strong> the world. Also, “spurs”<br />
for other people groups are being worked on and other editions are being put together. God<br />
is blessing!<br />
<strong>Moriel</strong> and <strong>Jacob</strong> have some exciting opportunities ahead <strong>of</strong> us. We hope to see everyone<br />
at the new Bible Prophecy Conference in Alberta Western Canada in late March<br />
(see <strong>Jacob</strong>’s itinerary on the website <strong>of</strong> here in the Quarterly. Also, we are excited about<br />
doing the annual Vision Calvary Chapel Prophecy Conference in Porterville California<br />
the weekend <strong>of</strong> March 13-15. Also, <strong>Jacob</strong> will be seeing his daughter get married the<br />
weekend after that in a small family ceremony. May the Lord bless the happy couple!<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong> is working on his yet untitled next book, which will deal with the rapture. He<br />
intends to finish it and have it published late, late next year. Pray he finds the time and is<br />
able to finish this book on time, plus pray not just for the time, but <strong>Jacob</strong> doesn’t speak when<br />
he gives up time to write and we have less time with him; but in the end the books are very<br />
helpful.<br />
No Tour to Israel!<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong> had planned to do a tour to Israel, but when we looked at the prices, they were<br />
through the ro<strong>of</strong>. Prices had risen to about $4900 (3700 pounds) from England alone. In this<br />
time when people are still recovering from the downturn in the economy <strong>Jacob</strong> thought it<br />
prudent not to do a tour at this time. We will continue to pray and that opportunity will open<br />
up in the near future.<br />
New Missions<br />
Not only has the Lord opened the door to missions among the children <strong>of</strong> the Olongopo<br />
dump children and the Hmong people, but He is giving <strong>Moriel</strong> a new mission in Thailand,<br />
with a missionary name Scott Noble. Please pray for these various missions and how we can<br />
be servants to them as they minister to God’s people in these foreign lands. So, tune into the<br />
website and the Quarterly for updates and prayer needs, but also “come and see” what <strong>The</strong><br />
Lord is doing. We have some new reports on these missions and we hope they will thrill<br />
you to see what the Lord is doing. We were able to send all the kids to school this year and<br />
expand the feeding program. But, sadly the 9 packages from one <strong>of</strong> our churches sent with<br />
gifts for the kids appears to have gone missing. So, sad! May the Lord help.<br />
<strong>Moriel</strong> Tax Receipt Time<br />
<strong>The</strong> Tax receipts were put in the mail in late January so we hope everyone got theirs, if<br />
not please call the <strong>Moriel</strong> <strong>of</strong>fice at 412-321-6154 and leave a message and we will get back<br />
to you ASAP. Also, if you don’t think your receipt is right, please call.<br />
More New Material<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong> is going to record some new teachings when he is in Pittsburgh in March, they<br />
will be preview messages and he will be working to improve them as he continues to study<br />
them and pray about them. Also, he likes to do messages a few times and listen as the Holy<br />
Spirit gives him new insight in order to feed the sheep. One is called <strong>The</strong> Boiling Pot, another<br />
untitled message is from Ezekiel. So, stay tuned, we will have these available in the<br />
next Quarterly and we will post these to the web as soon as they are ready.<br />
In Peace,<br />
David<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong>’s Itinerary<br />
– columbus, oh –<br />
Grace Polaris<br />
Friday and Saturday March 9-10, 2012<br />
8225 Worthington-Galena Rd<br />
Westerville, OH 43081<br />
614-888-7733<br />
– Pittsburgh, pa –<br />
Beth Hebron<br />
Friday thru Sunday<br />
March 16-18, 2012<br />
60 Belvidere Street<br />
Crafton, PA 15205<br />
Phone: 412-321-6154<br />
Friday - 7:00 PM, Saturday - 7:00 PM<br />
Sunday - 10:30 AM<br />
– Calgary, Alberta –<br />
Glenmore Inn<br />
Friday thru Sunday<br />
March 30 - April 1, 2012<br />
Israel & Bible Prophecy Conference<br />
Glenmore Inn<br />
2720 Glenmore Trail SE<br />
Calgary, AB T2C 2E6<br />
Details to follow<br />
– Marion, IA –<br />
Believers in Grace<br />
Wednesday thru Sunday<br />
April 4-8, 2012<br />
8600 C. Avenue, Marion, IA 52302<br />
Phone: 319-373-3087<br />
Wednesday - 4-7:00 PM,<br />
Thursday - 5-7:00 PM,<br />
Friday - 6-7:00 PM, Saturday - 6-7:00 PM<br />
Sunday services 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM<br />
– Porterville, CA –<br />
Vision Calvary Chapel<br />
Friday thru Sunday, April 13-15, 2012<br />
Porterville Veterans’ Building<br />
1900 W. Olive Ave.<br />
Porterville, CA 93257<br />
559-784-0782<br />
– Chino Hills, CA –<br />
Calvary Chapel Chino Hills<br />
Sunday April 29, 2012 - 7:30, 9:30* & 11:45<br />
4201 Eucalyptus Ave.<br />
Chino Hills, CA 91710<br />
909-393-7100<br />
* Signing for the Deaf<br />
* Spanish Simulcast<br />
<strong>Moriel</strong> Quarterly • March 2012
featured articles<br />
"MORIEL"<br />
GOD IS MY TEACHER<br />
4<br />
january–march<br />
Issue No. 49<br />
legacy <strong>of</strong> jacob . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4<br />
PUBLISHED BY<br />
MORIEL MINISTRIES<br />
INTERNATIONAL<br />
www.moriel.org<br />
<strong>Moriel</strong> International Director<br />
James <strong>Jacob</strong> Prasch<br />
ADMINISTRATOR<br />
david Lister<br />
Phone: 1•412•321•6154<br />
<strong>Moriel</strong> AUSTRALIA & SINGAPORE<br />
Marg Goodwin<br />
P.O. Box 112<br />
Trafalgar Vic 3824<br />
Phone: +613•5633•2300<br />
Fax: +613•5633•1578<br />
Email: moriel@vic.australia.com.au<br />
moriel New zealand<br />
Nigel Nicholson<br />
12 Konini Crescent Napler<br />
moriel South africa<br />
David Royle<br />
1 Trade Street<br />
Napier 7270<br />
West Cape, South Africa<br />
Phone/Fax: 0823739297<br />
moriel United Kingdom<br />
Allison Dodd<br />
P.O. Box 201<br />
Maldenhead Berks SL6 9FB<br />
England<br />
moriel United states <strong>of</strong> America<br />
David Lister<br />
P.O. Box 100223<br />
Pittsburgh, PA. 15233-0223<br />
Phone: 1•412•321•6154<br />
Email: morieldavid@yahoo.com<br />
One<br />
B a n g k o k<br />
insanity<br />
16<br />
is but a<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Other<br />
21<br />
moriel japan<br />
S k y l i n e<br />
R i c e f i e l d s C h i a n g M a i<br />
18<br />
24<br />
Introducing our New missionary to . . .<br />
thailand<br />
28<br />
AUSTRALIANnews<br />
one insanity is but a<br />
relection <strong>of</strong> the other . . . . . . . . . . . . .16<br />
MORIEL SOUTH AFRICA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18<br />
MORIEL JAPAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21<br />
YOUR LETTERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22<br />
MORIEL THAILAND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24<br />
AUSTRALIAN REPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28<br />
MORIEL ISRAEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29<br />
MORIEL PRAYER CLOSET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30<br />
MORIEL japan<br />
Ge<strong>of</strong>f Toole<br />
Email: morieljapan@yahoo.co.jp<br />
March 2012 • <strong>Moriel</strong> Quarterly
Feature Article<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong> Prasch<br />
Painting by: Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio) (Italian 1483-1520)<br />
Acts <strong>of</strong> Apostles – Paul spreads Christianity in the Eastern Medterranean 45-58 C.E.<br />
T<br />
Part 1 – the lesson for all belivers<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong> (Ya’aqob) is my father’s grandfather’s<br />
name. I <strong>of</strong>ten joke that Ya’aqob means<br />
“swindler,” but actually it does not. It could be<br />
translated “supplanter,” but it really has to do<br />
with “heel.” <strong>Jacob</strong> grabbed his brother’s heel.<br />
<strong>The</strong> story <strong>of</strong> <strong>Jacob</strong> has a dual format all the<br />
way through. <strong>The</strong>re is a personal story <strong>of</strong> <strong>Jacob</strong><br />
which teaches very important things for<br />
us as believers—how God perfects us. Something<br />
for every believer is taught in the story,<br />
life and experience <strong>of</strong> <strong>Jacob</strong>. On the other side<br />
we are going to look at how <strong>Jacob</strong> personifies<br />
Israel and the Jewish people.<br />
In Scriptures whenever it specifies “Israel”<br />
or “<strong>Jacob</strong>,” it does so for a reason. “Israel”<br />
has the language <strong>of</strong> incorporation; Gentiles<br />
could be grafted into Israel. “Israel” has already<br />
wrestled with God and is broken, “<strong>Jacob</strong>”<br />
has not. <strong>The</strong> Jewish people, because they<br />
are not broken, are personified by “<strong>Jacob</strong>.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> Great Tribulation is called “the time <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Jacob</strong>’s trouble” and has a meaning for Israel<br />
and the Jews. We will begin by looking at the<br />
first aspect <strong>of</strong> <strong>Jacob</strong>, how <strong>Jacob</strong> teaches about<br />
you, how <strong>Jacob</strong> teaches about me; how <strong>Jacob</strong><br />
behaves is the how we tend to behave, and<br />
the way God deals with <strong>Jacob</strong> to perfect him<br />
teaches an awful lot about the way God is going<br />
to perfect us.<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong> <strong>of</strong>ten did not have a very easy life,<br />
even up to the end <strong>of</strong> his life. Similar to Abraham,<br />
and certainly to a degree to Isaac, even<br />
to his very old age God was working out<br />
some very basic things in his life and in his<br />
character. Forget this idea, “I’m old, I’m retired,<br />
I’ve had it”—we have not “had it” until<br />
we go home. God is working out things in our<br />
life until we get there. My personal, favorite<br />
verse in the Bible is Philippians 1:6:<br />
For I am confident <strong>of</strong> this very thing, that<br />
He who began a good work in you will<br />
perfect it until the day <strong>of</strong> Christ Jesus.<br />
But the way He is going to do it is the way<br />
He did it with <strong>Jacob</strong>.<br />
“Fallen” vs. “Natural”<br />
<strong>The</strong> God <strong>of</strong> Abraham is very much the God<br />
<strong>of</strong> promise, the God <strong>of</strong> Isaac is the God who<br />
gives the son <strong>of</strong> promise, but the God <strong>of</strong> <strong>Jacob</strong><br />
is the God who perfects the son <strong>of</strong> promise.<br />
All those who are in the Messiah Yeshua are<br />
sons <strong>of</strong> promise. <strong>Jacob</strong> represents the natural<br />
man; not simply the fallen man, but the natural<br />
man—there is a difference.<br />
When Adam was created he had no imperfections,<br />
but he was not perfected. Imperfection<br />
comes because <strong>of</strong> the Fall. After we become<br />
born-again, God gets rid <strong>of</strong> the fallen man by<br />
faith. <strong>The</strong> fallen man or fallen woman is crucified<br />
by faith at the cross <strong>of</strong> Jesus and they<br />
are born-again—they become a new creation.<br />
However, God deals with the natural man<br />
after we are born-again. “Pick up your cross<br />
daily and follow Me” (Lk. 9:23). <strong>The</strong> fallen<br />
man is one thing, the natural man is another.<br />
It is so easy for us as Christians to be motivated<br />
by good intentions. I know people<br />
who have gone to mission fields with good<br />
intentions. <strong>The</strong>y saw pagan peoples perishing<br />
because they were without the Gospel, they<br />
saw people in sub-human poverty, and being<br />
teachers or medical doctors they wanted to<br />
introduce the Gospel to people who were suffering<br />
in the developing world. <strong>The</strong>ir motives<br />
were right. Praise God for good motives.<br />
Before they were saved they just wanted to<br />
build a career and make money just like anyone<br />
else, but then they put that on the altar<br />
and said they wanted to go to a mission field.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se are good motives. We, as believers,<br />
have a natural tendency to be motivated by<br />
good motives. However, in God’s economy<br />
new motives and good motives are simply the<br />
first step—we have to be motivated to missions<br />
by the Holy Spirit. <strong>Jacob</strong> was somebody<br />
who attempted to achieve the purposes and<br />
<strong>Moriel</strong> Quarterly • March 2012
lessings <strong>of</strong> God in his own sense. His motives<br />
were right, but he wound up with a “the<br />
ends justify the means” mentality.<br />
I have seen so many big missions organizations<br />
and church organizations that began<br />
with the right motives, but they eventually<br />
adopted “the ends justify the means” mentality,<br />
and the natural man took over. I have been<br />
at meetings where big Christian businessmen<br />
want to finance missions, I have been at<br />
meetings with missions boards, I have been at<br />
meetings with executives <strong>of</strong> denominations,<br />
all <strong>of</strong> which had two minutes <strong>of</strong> perfunctory<br />
prayer and then began negotiating the same<br />
as secular businessmen would in the world.<br />
<strong>The</strong>ir motives are right, but in their way <strong>of</strong><br />
thinking the end—the target, always justifies<br />
the way they act. That is the natural man; that<br />
is <strong>Jacob</strong>. <strong>Jacob</strong> is in them, <strong>Jacob</strong> is in me. It<br />
is easy for me to criticize these big wheels on<br />
missions boards, except that if I were a big<br />
wheel on a missions board, I might not be any<br />
better. It is so easy for the natural man to take<br />
over. When we are born-again, God deals<br />
with the fallen man or the fallen woman, but<br />
then He begins to deal with the natural man or<br />
the natural woman.<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong>’s Troubles<br />
Look at all the trouble <strong>Jacob</strong> had. Every<br />
trial he went through was designed by God<br />
to deal with his natural man. And the kinds<br />
<strong>of</strong> trials that we go through will be trials that<br />
God has designed to deal with our natural<br />
man or natural woman.<br />
What we like to say is, “This is a financial<br />
attack <strong>of</strong> the enemy.” <strong>The</strong>re are three kinds<br />
<strong>of</strong> trouble. <strong>The</strong>re is the kind <strong>of</strong> trouble that<br />
does come directly from the enemy. Paul<br />
says, “Satan hindered us” (1 Th. 2:18). <strong>The</strong>n<br />
there is the kind <strong>of</strong> trouble that God is prepared<br />
to save us from that we otherwise bring<br />
upon ourselves. We have enough trouble in<br />
this world, yet we stray from God’s will and<br />
we bring upon ourselves trouble God does not<br />
want us to have. But then there is the kind<br />
that God does want us to have. Even in Isaiah<br />
Satan is called God’s servant. But even<br />
though it may be an attack <strong>of</strong> the enemy,<br />
“All things work together for good” (Rom.<br />
8:28). Just think <strong>of</strong> persecution. Persecution<br />
cleans up lukewarmness and fear within the<br />
Church—it gets rid <strong>of</strong> nominal believers. It is<br />
a thing from the enemy—I do not pray to God<br />
for persecution.<br />
I have seen persecution in Israel and it is<br />
not nice. We lived in Israel in the 80’s when<br />
the Likud was in power with the religious<br />
party, and the religious party was doing terrible<br />
things. <strong>The</strong>re was burning <strong>of</strong> Messianic<br />
synagogues. I have seen what persecution is<br />
somewhat like, although it is not nearly as<br />
bad as what persecution in Muslim countries<br />
is like. Of course it is the enemy, but God<br />
has a purpose. God had a purpose in Israel.<br />
When I first immigrated to Israel in the 70s,<br />
believers were afraid to evangelize publicly.<br />
But after their meeting places began to get<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong> Prasch<br />
burned down in Jerusalem, Tiberias, Ashdod<br />
and elsewhere, they said, “What is the difference<br />
Why should we be afraid”<br />
<strong>The</strong> trials we have as believers are designed<br />
by God to deal with the natural man.<br />
A Life Replayed<br />
So much <strong>of</strong> <strong>Jacob</strong>’s life replays that <strong>of</strong> his<br />
father and his grandfather. <strong>Jacob</strong> came looking<br />
for a bride from among his own people,<br />
and he preferred Rachel. But only after he<br />
learned to love Leah as much as he loved Rachel<br />
did he get Rachel. In the beginning Leah<br />
has all the children, but in the end Rachel<br />
has all the children. All the great men <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Bible prefigure the Messiah in some way. In<br />
the beginning the Gentile Church is the most<br />
fruitful, but then in the end Rachel’s the most<br />
fruitful—the Jews. <strong>The</strong> Jewish people as a<br />
nation begin with <strong>Jacob</strong>: the twelve sons <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Jacob</strong>—the tribes and patriarchs <strong>of</strong> Israel. He<br />
replays the experiences, and even some <strong>of</strong> the<br />
trials, <strong>of</strong> his father and grandfather.<br />
When we go through trials in our lives as<br />
believers, we do not think about it, but other<br />
believers before us—in a spiritual sense, our<br />
fathers and grandfathers—have gone through<br />
those same kinds <strong>of</strong> trials. <strong>The</strong> Church itself<br />
has to learn the same lessons over and over.<br />
Just look at the history <strong>of</strong> the Church. It begins<br />
to compromise, it goes away from the<br />
Bible, it backslides, God raises something<br />
new, it is good for a time and it goes through<br />
the same process again. It is just like the kings<br />
in Chronicles. <strong>The</strong> history <strong>of</strong> the Church undergoes<br />
the same kind <strong>of</strong> phenomena as in<br />
Judges, Kings and Chronicles for Israel. <strong>The</strong><br />
history <strong>of</strong> the Church tells the same thing. <strong>Jacob</strong><br />
replays the experiences <strong>of</strong> his father and<br />
grandfather. <strong>Jacob</strong> represents the natural man.<br />
…and you have forgotten the exhortation<br />
which is addressed to you as sons,<br />
“MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY<br />
THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR<br />
FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED<br />
BY HIM; FOR THOSE WHOM THE<br />
LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND<br />
HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM<br />
HE RECEIVES.”<br />
(He obviously did not believe the lies <strong>of</strong><br />
prosperity theology.)<br />
It is for discipline that you endure; God<br />
deals with you as with sons; for what<br />
son is there whom his father does not<br />
discipline But if you are without discipline,<br />
<strong>of</strong> which all have become partakers,<br />
then you are illegitimate children<br />
and not sons. Furthermore, we had<br />
earthly fathers to discipline us, and we<br />
respected them; shall we not much rather<br />
be subject to the Father <strong>of</strong> spirits, and<br />
live For they disciplined us for a short<br />
time as seemed best to them, but He<br />
disciplines us for our good, so that we<br />
may share His holiness. All discipline<br />
for the moment seems not to be joyful,<br />
but sorrowful; yet to those who have<br />
Feature Article<br />
been trained by it, afterwards it yields<br />
the peaceful fruit <strong>of</strong> righteousness. (Hebrews<br />
12:5-11)<br />
When we go through trials it is pretty miserable,<br />
but in retrospect when we come out <strong>of</strong><br />
them we see that it was God’s hand. We might<br />
say we could not go through that again, but<br />
we are glad we went through it the first time,<br />
even though while we were going through it<br />
we did not want it. <strong>Jacob</strong> is a perfect illustration<br />
<strong>of</strong> that process. Isaac typifies the new<br />
creation the most—he is put on the altar; <strong>Jacob</strong><br />
is the son <strong>of</strong> the new creation, as it were.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Character <strong>of</strong> <strong>Jacob</strong> & Esau<br />
Let us look at what happens for this natural<br />
man, and what happens for this fallen man, as<br />
the story <strong>of</strong> <strong>Jacob</strong> continues.<br />
<strong>The</strong> LORD said to her,<br />
“Two nations are in your womb; And<br />
two peoples will be separated from your<br />
body; And one people shall be stronger<br />
than the other; And the older shall serve<br />
the younger.”<br />
When her days to be delivered were fulfilled,<br />
behold, there were twins in her<br />
womb. Now the first came forth red,<br />
all over like a hairy garment; and they<br />
named him Esau. Afterward his brother<br />
came forth with his hand holding on to Esau’s<br />
heel, so his name was called <strong>Jacob</strong>;<br />
and Isaac was sixty years old when she<br />
gave birth to them. (Genesis 25:23-26a)<br />
<strong>The</strong> character <strong>of</strong> the Jews as a nation and<br />
the character <strong>of</strong> the Arabs as a nation replay<br />
the characters <strong>of</strong> <strong>Jacob</strong> and Esau. Esau despised<br />
his birthright (Gen. 25:34). To this day,<br />
because <strong>of</strong> the rise <strong>of</strong> Islam, the Arab peoples<br />
despise their birthright. On the other hand<br />
there is no doubt that Arabs have been mistreated<br />
by Jews. It is not nearly as bad as what<br />
Arabs do to each other, but there have been<br />
injustices. <strong>The</strong> character <strong>of</strong> the Jewish people<br />
and the Arabs in these two brothers is personified<br />
in that <strong>of</strong> the patriarchs. Right from the<br />
beginning he is grabbing his brother’s heel.<br />
Let us look further at when it came time to<br />
give the blessing. Some people postulate that<br />
when the hands <strong>of</strong> Isaac were put on these sons<br />
they may have been 70 years old or so. In this<br />
story his mother puts him up to something.<br />
But his mother said to him, “Your curse<br />
be on me, my son; only obey my voice,<br />
and go, get them for me.” So he went<br />
and got them, and brought them to his<br />
mother; and his mother made savory<br />
food such as his father loved. <strong>The</strong>n Rebekah<br />
took the best garments <strong>of</strong> Esau<br />
her elder son, which were with her in<br />
the house, and put them on <strong>Jacob</strong> her<br />
younger son. And she put the skins <strong>of</strong><br />
the young goats on his hands and on<br />
the smooth part <strong>of</strong> his neck. She also<br />
gave the savory food and the bread,<br />
which she had made, to her son <strong>Jacob</strong>.<br />
<strong>The</strong>n he came to his father and said,<br />
March 2012 • <strong>Moriel</strong> Quarterly
Feature Article – Continued<br />
“My father.” And he said, “Here I am.<br />
Who are you, my son” <strong>Jacob</strong> said to his<br />
father, “I am Esau your firstborn; I have<br />
done as you told me. Get up, please, sit<br />
and eat <strong>of</strong> my game, that you may bless<br />
me.” Isaac said to his son, “How is it<br />
that you have it so quickly, my son”<br />
And he said, “Because the LORD your<br />
God caused it to happen to me.” <strong>The</strong>n<br />
Isaac said to <strong>Jacob</strong>, “Please come close,<br />
that I may feel you, my son, whether you<br />
are really my son Esau or not.” So <strong>Jacob</strong><br />
came close to Isaac his father, and<br />
he felt him and said, “<strong>The</strong> voice is the<br />
voice <strong>of</strong> <strong>Jacob</strong>, but the hands are the<br />
hands <strong>of</strong> Esau.” He did not recognize<br />
him, because his hands were hairy like<br />
his brother Esau’s hands; so he blessed<br />
him. (Genesis 27:13-23)<br />
On one hand Esau was getting what he<br />
deserved because he despised his birthright;<br />
on the other hand look at <strong>Jacob</strong>. <strong>The</strong> promise<br />
<strong>of</strong> God was there from the moment <strong>of</strong> conception<br />
that the younger shall be preeminent<br />
over the older—not “better” or not “greater,”<br />
but the salvific purposes <strong>of</strong> God would go<br />
through Abraham, Isaac and <strong>Jacob</strong>. (Islam,<br />
<strong>of</strong> course, teaches it goes through Ibrahim,<br />
Ishmael and Esau.) <strong>Jacob</strong> tries to achieve the<br />
purposes <strong>of</strong> God by his human conniving, and<br />
that is so much like the Jewish people. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
know, somehow, they have the Torah and the<br />
covenant purpose, but it is always in their<br />
way <strong>of</strong> thinking.<br />
Notice that it was his mother who put him<br />
up to this. We get our fallen nature from the<br />
womb, but we also get it from the environment<br />
which reinforces it. If parents have an anger<br />
problem it is going to be reflected in their children.<br />
We get our nature from conception, but<br />
it is reinforced by our childhood environment.<br />
So many times I see that as a parent I pass<br />
on my negative traits by my example; I tell<br />
my children one thing but I do another. We<br />
are all like that to a degree, some <strong>of</strong> us worse<br />
than others. A child gets it from his parents<br />
and it is reinforced in the home environment.<br />
When we get saved, God begins to deal with<br />
that stuff, and He deals with it along the same<br />
lines as He did in <strong>Jacob</strong>.<br />
Achieving God’s Purposes<br />
Again, I would point out that God blessed<br />
Esau as well. I do not suggest God loves Jews<br />
more than Arabs. I am just talking about the<br />
election <strong>of</strong> God as His instrument <strong>of</strong> salvation—that<br />
is all.<br />
“I can do nothing on My own initiative. As<br />
I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just,<br />
because I do not seek My own will, but<br />
the will <strong>of</strong> Him who sent Me. (John 5:30)<br />
Jesus said He did nothing on His own initiative.<br />
Jesus could have fed the five thousand<br />
because He was God, Jesus could have<br />
walked on the water because He was God,<br />
He could have healed people because He was<br />
God, and there are Christians who make the<br />
mistake <strong>of</strong> thinking He did those things because<br />
He was God, but He did not—He did<br />
them by the power <strong>of</strong> the Holy Spirit. He<br />
took up the form <strong>of</strong> a servant, not considering<br />
equality with God as something to be<br />
grasped (Philip. 2:6). He emptied Himself <strong>of</strong><br />
the privilege <strong>of</strong> His deity and never used His<br />
divine power. If Jesus used His divine power<br />
He would have acted in the flesh. His motives<br />
would have been right, but His actions would<br />
not have been initiated by the Holy Spirit. In<br />
Luke 5:17, “the power (dunamis) <strong>of</strong> the Lord<br />
was present for Him to perform healing.”<br />
Why is that if we pray for someone to get<br />
out <strong>of</strong> a wheelchair (if we have the gift <strong>of</strong><br />
healing), only some will while some will not<br />
We can always pray for sick people, anoint<br />
them with oil and ask God to heal them, but<br />
if we are going to say, “In the name <strong>of</strong> Jesus,<br />
get out <strong>of</strong> that wheelchair,” the same<br />
dunamis—“power” that was there for Jesus<br />
in Luke 5:17 had better be there for us. <strong>The</strong><br />
Father, by the power <strong>of</strong> the Spirit, must be<br />
initiating it; otherwise we are acting in the<br />
flesh. We can pray for the person, but when<br />
we command them to get up and get out <strong>of</strong> the<br />
wheelchair in that situation, we are acting in<br />
the flesh. We will invent all kinds <strong>of</strong> excuses<br />
to put condemnation on people: “You have no<br />
faith,” “You have sin in your life.” It may be<br />
true, but more <strong>of</strong>ten than not it is a Christian<br />
acting in the flesh and putting condemnation<br />
on people. Jesus did not use His divine power.<br />
He could have, but He did not. “I do nothing<br />
by My own initiative,” He said.<br />
Israel as a mission field is a good example.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are believers coming from all over the<br />
world who love Israel, love the Jewish people,<br />
and have a sense <strong>of</strong> romance and attraction to<br />
it because they like the idea <strong>of</strong> prophecy being<br />
fulfilled, so they go there with high expectations.<br />
But I would gather that the majority <strong>of</strong><br />
these people last six months to a year. Some<br />
<strong>of</strong> them go there Philo-Semites and come<br />
back Anti-Semites. That society will really<br />
test your love <strong>of</strong> the Jews. <strong>The</strong> arrogance <strong>of</strong><br />
the people can really get to you.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are reasons for that sociologically:<br />
the Israelis are not more arrogant than anyone<br />
else, they were born with socialist values<br />
which consider good manners to be bourgeois.<br />
Jews were always members <strong>of</strong> the diasporic<br />
upper-middle class and the pr<strong>of</strong>essional business<br />
classes, and they wanted to be the people<br />
<strong>of</strong> the land. So the Israelis who founded the<br />
kibbutzes and similar socialistic things tried<br />
to be the opposite <strong>of</strong> the Jews in the Diaspora.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y threw good manners out the window<br />
and helped form the social mold, and that accounts<br />
for why they are so arrogant (although<br />
when you get beneath that arrogance you can<br />
find a very warm people). If you hang out<br />
there for a few years then you will begin to<br />
see, but if you just go there for a year, what<br />
you see is going to revolt you. I do not mean<br />
just Gentiles, I mean even other Jews go there<br />
and can’t stand it.<br />
When we try to achieve the purposes <strong>of</strong><br />
God—even if it is His purpose, even if it is His<br />
calling—in our own human strength, it is not<br />
going to work. God gave us human strength,<br />
but as we will see, our human strength cannot<br />
come into play until God deals with something<br />
in our life called the “natural man.”<br />
“I am the vine, you are the branches; he<br />
who abides in Me and I in him, he bears<br />
much fruit, for apart from Me you can<br />
do nothing. (John 15:5)<br />
It is only by abiding in Jesus that we can<br />
achieve the true purposes <strong>of</strong> God, but the<br />
natural man is like <strong>Jacob</strong>: he always wants to<br />
achieve it on his own intellect, his own enthusiasm<br />
and his own ideas. Praise God for good<br />
motives, but that is not good enough. Only by<br />
abiding in Him can you do it. Not only that,<br />
but very <strong>of</strong>ten Christians cannot tell the difference<br />
between the natural man and what God<br />
is initiating. <strong>The</strong>y do not understand the difference<br />
between what the Holy Spirit is leading<br />
them to do, and what they think is good.<br />
Think <strong>of</strong> the times in the Book <strong>of</strong> Acts<br />
where it says they were out witnessing and<br />
evangelizing and the Spirit <strong>of</strong> Jesus forbade<br />
them to preach there (Acts 16:7). If someone<br />
tries to go to a mission field God did not send<br />
them to, they are not going to get anywhere,<br />
and Israel is a beautiful example. So many<br />
people come back.<br />
I know people who were missionaries to<br />
head hunters in New Guinea for 15-16 years,<br />
but who left Israel as broken people. I know a<br />
Jewish lady—a Holocaust survivor who survived<br />
with one little brother and sister, who<br />
gets saved in Switzerland and spends 20 or<br />
more years as a missionary to the Bantu tribe<br />
in Angola. She was probably the only person<br />
who ever spoke Yiddish and Swahili (or<br />
whatever they spoke there). She was a beautiful<br />
believer who said she would rather go<br />
back to the jungle to these bushmen in Africa<br />
than her own people in Israel because they<br />
were so hard.<br />
Praise God things are changing in Israel—God<br />
is plainly doing something. But if<br />
someone goes to a mission field to which God<br />
has not called them, no matter what it is, they<br />
will not survive. We have to abide in Him. We<br />
can much try, like <strong>Jacob</strong> did, to do it in our<br />
own strength.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Typology <strong>of</strong> Precious Stones<br />
and Metals<br />
Now if any man builds on the foundation<br />
with gold, silver, precious stones,<br />
wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will<br />
become evident; for the day will show it<br />
because it is to be revealed with fire, and<br />
the fire itself will test the quality <strong>of</strong> each<br />
man’s work. If any man’s work which he<br />
has built on it remains, he will receive a<br />
reward. If any man’s work is burned up,<br />
he will suffer loss; but he himself will be<br />
saved, yet so as through fire. (1 Corinthians<br />
3:12-15)<br />
We have organizations in Israel, as an<br />
<strong>Moriel</strong> Quarterly • March 2012
example, which have right motives, and in<br />
some way are even doing right things, but it<br />
is according to their ideas and not God’s. So<br />
they will sign an agreement with the Israeli<br />
government and say they will not evangelize<br />
Russian Jews, they will not give them New<br />
Testaments, they are just going to bring them<br />
to Israel. (<strong>The</strong>y did that and got into a big fight<br />
with Jews for Jesus and others.) One boat had<br />
ten Jews on it; another had none, so they began<br />
carrying tourists. Although they received<br />
millions in contributions to do this, God did<br />
not bless it because it was man’s idea. <strong>The</strong>se<br />
are good people who loved the Lord and had<br />
good intentions, but why did God not bless it<br />
<strong>The</strong>y were people trying to do things in the<br />
strength <strong>of</strong> their own ideas. Sooner or later it<br />
is going to be tested with fire (1 Co. 3:13), and<br />
only the things God has ordained will survive<br />
that fire. Many <strong>of</strong> the things we do in our lives<br />
as believers we do with the right motives, and<br />
maybe even to a degree God will use it, but<br />
He is not going to bless it and prosper it, nor<br />
will He reward us for it.<br />
It talks about these materials which will be<br />
burned up. Somehow the fall <strong>of</strong> man and the<br />
Gospel <strong>of</strong> Jesus are parenthetical. God foreknows<br />
what happens, but we are not born to<br />
be born-again; we are born to go to heaven to<br />
be God’s children—His friends. We are His<br />
creation to love Him, to serve Him, to worship<br />
Him, to share in His blessings. <strong>The</strong> Fall<br />
is somehow parenthetical. <strong>The</strong> premise <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Gospel is to restore, in a sense, the things lost<br />
because <strong>of</strong> the Fall.<br />
<strong>The</strong> gold <strong>of</strong> that land is good; the bdellium<br />
and the onyx stone are there.<br />
(Genesis 2:12)<br />
This is before the Fall—gold and precious<br />
stones.<br />
In 1 Corinthians 3:12 we have silver. Jesus<br />
was betrayed for silver; Joseph was betrayed<br />
for silver; “For iron I will give you silver” (Is.<br />
60:17). Silver always represents the price <strong>of</strong><br />
salvation in some way. In the typology <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Temple, the further one went from the Holy<br />
<strong>of</strong> Holies, the value <strong>of</strong> the minerals proportionately<br />
decreased. Silver was in the middle.<br />
It began with bronze, then silver, but in the<br />
Holy <strong>of</strong> Holies it was gold. <strong>The</strong> closer one approached<br />
God, the more valuable the minerals.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y did not have platinum in those days<br />
(they probably did not know about it—metallurgy<br />
did not even know how to produce it) so<br />
gold was the most precious thing they knew<br />
about in the times <strong>of</strong> the Bible.<br />
Look at what happens after salvation.<br />
<strong>The</strong> foundation stones <strong>of</strong> the city wall<br />
were adorned with every kind <strong>of</strong> precious<br />
stone. <strong>The</strong> first foundation stone<br />
was jasper; the second, sapphire; the<br />
third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald;<br />
the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the<br />
seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the<br />
ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the<br />
eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst.<br />
And the twelve gates were twelve pearls;<br />
each one <strong>of</strong> the gates was a single pearl.<br />
And the street <strong>of</strong> the city was pure gold,<br />
like transparent glass. (Revelation<br />
21:19-21)<br />
<strong>The</strong> streets <strong>of</strong> the city are pure gold.<br />
Before the Fall we have precious stones in<br />
settings <strong>of</strong> gold; after the redemption process<br />
is complete we have precious stones in settings<br />
<strong>of</strong> gold. <strong>The</strong>re is no silver, as silver is <strong>of</strong><br />
temporal value. Silver will oxidize, gold will<br />
not. But silver is at least <strong>of</strong> some temporal<br />
value; the wood and straw are <strong>of</strong> no value.<br />
In the High Priest’s garments there was the<br />
breastplate like righteousness and the shoulder<br />
pads with precious stones corresponding<br />
to the tribes <strong>of</strong> Israel, which in turn correspond<br />
to those precious stones in Revelation. <strong>The</strong><br />
High Priest had to carry the burden <strong>of</strong> Israel<br />
on his heart and shoulders. He could not take<br />
the ephod <strong>of</strong>f. When we pray for somebody<br />
we intercede for them—we carry the burden<br />
on our heart and shoulders. We do not take it<br />
<strong>of</strong>f. <strong>The</strong> High Priest, we are told in Hebrews,<br />
is the Lord Jesus who carries the burden for<br />
Israel on His heart and shoulders—He does<br />
not take it <strong>of</strong>f. But those are precious stones<br />
in a setting <strong>of</strong> gold.<br />
Peter says the same thing: “Your faith refined<br />
by fire” (1 Pe. 1:7).<br />
How are diamonds formed Pressure and<br />
fire. How is God going to make you and me<br />
something that is a precious stone in a setting<br />
<strong>of</strong> gold—godly Pressure and fire.<br />
Who wants pressure Who wants fire Not<br />
me! But once we get that beautiful diamond,<br />
we are sure glad we went through it. When<br />
we get to heaven we are not going to regret<br />
a single trial that God was in because we are<br />
going to be a precious stone in a setting <strong>of</strong><br />
gold; the other stuff will be burned up. Unsaved<br />
people, <strong>of</strong> course, do not even figure<br />
into the equation.<br />
<strong>The</strong> fruit <strong>of</strong> the Spirit in Galatians is God’s<br />
nature, and in the Greek it gives the idea that<br />
the fruit is first <strong>of</strong> all love. <strong>The</strong> fruit <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Spirit is first love—all the other fruits proceed<br />
from the love. We usually say the fruit <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Spirit is joy, peace, patience, kindness and<br />
all that other stuff (Gal. 5:22-23), but no, the<br />
fruit is love; the other things are a result <strong>of</strong> the<br />
love, perfecting the love <strong>of</strong> Christ in us.<br />
Not the Sin, but the Sinner<br />
<strong>The</strong> way God gets rid <strong>of</strong> sin is first by getting<br />
rid <strong>of</strong> the sinner. God does not take away<br />
your anger problem, or my anger problem, or<br />
your resentment problem, or my resentment<br />
problem, He takes away you; He takes away<br />
me. <strong>The</strong> Lord Jesus never said while on the<br />
cross, “I am dying for your sins,” full stop. He<br />
said, “I am dying for your sins so you better<br />
get up here with Me.” That is the way it is.<br />
God does not get rid <strong>of</strong> the sin; He gets rid <strong>of</strong><br />
the sinner.<br />
<strong>The</strong> problem is that the natural man is a<br />
sinner. <strong>The</strong> devil does not have to get us to<br />
lose our temper, or to lust after someone other<br />
than our wife or husband, or to get us to do<br />
whatever—all he has to do is to get us into<br />
Feature Article – Continued<br />
the natural man or the natural woman, then<br />
we are going to sin anyway. <strong>The</strong> rest is easy.<br />
Once he gets us to do that, we are a pushover.<br />
God has to get rid <strong>of</strong> the natural man.<br />
I have seen this. When Christians get into<br />
serving God in the natural man like <strong>Jacob</strong> did,<br />
what happens <strong>The</strong>y actually sin and lie. I can<br />
show you actual letters proving that leaders <strong>of</strong><br />
major Christian denominations in this country<br />
have lied about things they can be sued in<br />
court for. <strong>The</strong> natural man is, naturally, fallen.<br />
<strong>The</strong> devil is not out to get us to sin—that<br />
is not his target because we are going to sin<br />
anyway. He is going to get us to walk in the<br />
flesh instead <strong>of</strong> the Spirit, and the first way he<br />
will try to do that is to get us to be a Christian<br />
in our own sense.<br />
In the New Testament we have somebody<br />
very much like <strong>Jacob</strong>, and his name is Peter.<br />
When that guy came for Jesus, Peter pulled<br />
out his sword and chopped his ear <strong>of</strong>f! Peter<br />
pulled out his sword: “Where is He Let me<br />
at him!”—just like <strong>Jacob</strong>. But when the real<br />
test came “Before the cock crows twice, you<br />
will deny me thrice” (Mk. 14:29-31).<br />
It is a sure bet that a crisis God is going to<br />
allow is a crisis in which we face it as the natural<br />
man or the natural woman and we are going<br />
to fail miserably. Not until what God did<br />
in the life <strong>of</strong> Peter do we see Peter standing up<br />
in boldness at the day <strong>of</strong> Pentecost. Not long<br />
before that, just a few weeks earlier, it was,<br />
“I do not know the man” and following at a<br />
distance. But at Pentecost with the Holy Spirit,<br />
there he was, not afraid <strong>of</strong> those crowds.<br />
Something happened. It was the same person,<br />
the same natural ability, but the natural ability<br />
had gone to the cross. <strong>Jacob</strong> is like that.<br />
Natural Ability & God’s Calling<br />
It is a good thing to be a teacher; it is a good<br />
thing to be a medical doctor. <strong>The</strong>re are countries<br />
which will never allow in missionaries<br />
but will allow in teachers or medical doctors.<br />
That is how to get the Gospel into certain<br />
countries. It is good to be a musician, but it<br />
is one thing to be a good musician who plays<br />
“Christian music”—it is another thing to lead<br />
worship under the anointing <strong>of</strong> the Holy Spirit.<br />
It is one thing to be a good medical doctor,<br />
but it is another thing to be anointed by the<br />
Holy Spirit as a medical missionary. <strong>The</strong> natural<br />
man and the natural woman have to go<br />
to the cross—not just the sinner, not just the<br />
drug dealer, not just the fornicator, the whole<br />
person has to go to the cross, and then God in<br />
the power <strong>of</strong> the resurrection can use their human<br />
ability, their vocation, their background.<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong> had all these things. He was a<br />
shrewd, slick person. He was so shrewd and<br />
so slick that it kept backfiring on him, which<br />
is just what the Jews are like. Jewish people<br />
somehow know that they have been forced to<br />
be clever and shrewd; that is why they keep<br />
winding up in pogroms and inquisitions—it<br />
backfires on them, and it will backfire on us.<br />
When we rely on the natural person and think,<br />
“I’m a good businessman” or whatever abili-<br />
March 2012 • <strong>Moriel</strong> Quarterly
Feature Article – Continued<br />
ties we have (which God gave us), God is not<br />
going to use them until they have gone to the<br />
cross. <strong>The</strong> natural man has to go.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are four stages in <strong>Jacob</strong>’s life. Genesis<br />
25-27 is <strong>Jacob</strong> as he was. It is encouraging<br />
when we see the way he was and some <strong>of</strong> the<br />
things he did and yet God loved him and chose<br />
him anyway. It gives me a great deal <strong>of</strong> assurance<br />
and solace. Genesis 28-31 is the testing<br />
and breaking <strong>of</strong> <strong>Jacob</strong>, but then comes the real<br />
crisis point in Genesis 32-36, the “Jabbok Experience”—the<br />
dislocation <strong>of</strong> his natural life.<br />
And finally in Genesis 37-50 comes the peaceful<br />
fruit <strong>of</strong> righteousness. Yet even then at the<br />
end <strong>of</strong> his life and as an old man, <strong>Jacob</strong> said,<br />
“My life has been difficult” (Gen. 47:9). Not<br />
too many <strong>of</strong> the great men <strong>of</strong> the Bible died<br />
happy, but they were mostly all happy to die!<br />
When we have it too good in this world,<br />
we all must have a cross. Why If we do not,<br />
we begin to trust in this world and begin to<br />
get comfortable in it. <strong>The</strong> cross is for our own<br />
good to keep us out <strong>of</strong> trouble. We are very<br />
good at getting ourselves into trouble because<br />
we are new creations living in a natural man.<br />
Again, <strong>Jacob</strong> had the promise <strong>of</strong> God but was<br />
always trying to get it in his own strength.<br />
He was clever. He was good at scheming<br />
and out-manipulating other people who were<br />
themselves clever and good at scheming. <strong>The</strong><br />
blessings were provided to him in the promise<br />
<strong>of</strong> God, but he felt he had to get them in his<br />
own strength.<br />
It says in Timothy that there are good<br />
works He foreordained for us, and the calling<br />
is from eternity (2 Ti. 1:9). We are not simply<br />
born-again to go to heaven—that is ultimately<br />
true, but we are born-again to do something<br />
now. At some point in life God will show us<br />
what that is—our gifts, our ministry, etc. But<br />
the natural propensity <strong>of</strong> our human nature is<br />
going to be to get it according to our human<br />
abilities. “I’m a good businessman,” “I’m a<br />
good teacher,” “I’m a good speaker,” “I’m a<br />
good organizer,” “I’m a good musician”—the<br />
natural propensity is going to be to try to get<br />
it according to our own natural devices. That<br />
is what goes to the cross.<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong>’s Ladder<br />
What happened to <strong>Jacob</strong> at Bethel “Bethel”<br />
means “the house <strong>of</strong> God” and it is also<br />
where his father had a turning point experience<br />
in his walk with God (Gen. 12:8; 13:3-<br />
4). Turning point experiences in our walk with<br />
God will always happen at Bethel. If we are<br />
not in church in fellowship, at least a place <strong>of</strong><br />
Christians and meetings, we are not going to<br />
reach that turning point with God.<br />
We have a very big problem now. All over<br />
this country, because <strong>of</strong> the things like the<br />
“Toronto Experience” and the “Lakeland Fiasco,”<br />
because <strong>of</strong> financial manipulation and<br />
exploitation <strong>of</strong> Christians, because <strong>of</strong> false<br />
doctrines, there are Christians who have no<br />
church, so they are meeting at home. <strong>The</strong>se<br />
people in home groups are beginning to meet<br />
with other people in home groups in schools<br />
and things like that. <strong>The</strong> point is, the church<br />
may not impress us, the church may disappoint<br />
us. In fact the church will disappoint us<br />
because the church is made up <strong>of</strong> people just<br />
like us.<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong> was bored in church (at Bethel)—he<br />
fell asleep (Gen. 28:10-17). But what did<br />
he see<br />
He had a dream, and behold, a ladder<br />
was set on the earth with its top reaching<br />
to heaven; and behold, the angels <strong>of</strong><br />
God were ascending and descending on<br />
it. (Genesis 28:12)<br />
What do we see in the Gospel <strong>of</strong> John Jesus<br />
was talking to Nathaniel.<br />
And He said to him, “Truly, truly, I say<br />
to you, you will see the heavens opened<br />
and the angels <strong>of</strong> God ascending and descending<br />
on the Son <strong>of</strong> Man.” (John 1:51)<br />
This is describing “<strong>Jacob</strong>’s Ladder.” We<br />
may not think much <strong>of</strong> church, but when God<br />
lowers the ladder from heaven, that is where<br />
its base arrives: it comes to the Body <strong>of</strong> Christ.<br />
That is where the ladder comes to and He<br />
climbs down. When we find people who are<br />
out <strong>of</strong> fellowship when they have a viable option<br />
to be in fellowship, they have a problem.<br />
Today, in this country, we have a crisis. We<br />
have received many letters and messages from<br />
people being thrown out <strong>of</strong> their churches<br />
because <strong>of</strong> things like Toronto. We once had<br />
a man walk into our <strong>of</strong>fice from Lister Hill<br />
Baptist Church in Leeds who was very much<br />
into Toronto, very much into women leadership,<br />
very much into ecumenism, and he was<br />
thrown out because he objected to the following:<br />
a trans-sexual transvestite had himself<br />
castrated, wears women’s clothes and women’s<br />
hairstyles, comes to church and breaks<br />
the bread in holy communion at an Evangelical,<br />
charismatic, Toronto Blessing Baptist<br />
church. <strong>The</strong> people in this church accept<br />
“her” as a sister in faith, and her “ministry” is<br />
breaking the bread for holy communion even<br />
though the DNA in every cell <strong>of</strong> his body says<br />
he is not a “sister” in faith. He is a backslidden<br />
brother, if he was a believer to begin with,<br />
and he needs to repent. <strong>The</strong>y threw this guy<br />
out because he said this is an abomination.<br />
People say to me, “What is going to be<br />
worse than what took place in Toronto or<br />
Lakeland” Most <strong>of</strong> us have seen these videos<br />
<strong>of</strong> Rodney Howard-Browne, Kenneth Copeland,<br />
Todd Bentley and company, and are absolutely<br />
appalled. What is going to be worse<br />
It is going to come to immorality. What we<br />
see in Lister Hill Baptist is only a harbinger <strong>of</strong><br />
what is going to come. <strong>The</strong> Word <strong>of</strong> God gives<br />
us patterns, and these things are going to come<br />
to immorality. So we have people with nowhere<br />
to go. Every day we get requests from<br />
people, “Where can I go What can I do”<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong> does not realize it while he is there,<br />
so God shows it to him in a dream.<br />
So <strong>Jacob</strong> rose early in the morning, and<br />
took the stone that he had put under his<br />
head and set it up as a pillar and poured<br />
oil on its top.<br />
(It was an anointed place.)<br />
He called the name <strong>of</strong> that place Bethel…<br />
(“<strong>The</strong> house <strong>of</strong> God”)<br />
…however, previously the name <strong>of</strong> the<br />
city had been Luz. <strong>The</strong>n <strong>Jacob</strong> made a<br />
vow, saying, “If God will be with me and<br />
will keep me on this journey that I take,<br />
and will give me food to eat and garments<br />
to wear,<br />
(He was not asking for much, just his needs.)<br />
and I return to my father’s house in safety,<br />
then the LORD will be my God. “This<br />
stone, which I have set up as a pillar,<br />
will be God’s house, and <strong>of</strong> all that You<br />
give me I will surely give a tenth to You.”<br />
(Genesis 28:18-22)<br />
<strong>The</strong> church is an anointed place.<br />
One <strong>of</strong> the problems <strong>of</strong> the natural man is<br />
he thinks he does not need the fellowship <strong>of</strong><br />
other believers—that he does not have to come<br />
to the house <strong>of</strong> God. I was at a Full Gospel<br />
Businessman’s meeting and there were those<br />
standing up and saying, “God has shown me<br />
to get away from this” and “I’m fulfilled in<br />
the Lord so I don’t need this.” That is not<br />
God. It is an anointed place. If we want Jesus<br />
to come down from heaven and meet with us<br />
on that ladder, He is going to do it in the house<br />
<strong>of</strong> God; that is the place He has ordained.<br />
That was a turning point, a pivotal place for<br />
Abraham as well as <strong>Jacob</strong>, and it is going to<br />
be for us as well. But the natural man thinks<br />
he can stand alone. No, the Bible says, “Iron<br />
sharpens iron” (Pr. 27:17).<br />
God is sovereign. He did not come to save<br />
you, He came to save all <strong>of</strong> us. Jesus is not<br />
coming for you, He is coming for His Bride.<br />
You have to be part <strong>of</strong> it. <strong>The</strong> natural man<br />
thinks he can stand alone, but he cannot. He<br />
thinks He can meet with God on his own<br />
terms, but he cannot. It is in the house <strong>of</strong> God<br />
that the ladder is going to come down.<br />
Again, I feel very sorry for those people<br />
whose only choice seems to be between Kenneth<br />
Hagin’s church up the street or the ecumenical<br />
one around the corner or the Toronto<br />
one beneath the bed, but God has a solution<br />
for that problem. I do not know what it is yet,<br />
but Jesus still wants to come down that ladder<br />
and meet with us, and it is going to happen in<br />
the house <strong>of</strong> God.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Character <strong>of</strong> a “Shrewdy”<br />
God knew what <strong>Jacob</strong> was like. Look how<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong> “made a vow” (Gen. 28:20). “If you<br />
give me this, I’ll give you that.” Jews love<br />
to negotiate. How are we going to negotiate<br />
with God God lays down the terms <strong>of</strong> the<br />
covenant. God knew <strong>Jacob</strong> wanted to make a<br />
deal. God knew that <strong>Jacob</strong> was going to try to<br />
attain these blessings and purposes and callings<br />
<strong>of</strong> God in his own strength. Did God try<br />
to rebuke him and say, “<strong>Jacob</strong>, don’t do that”<br />
No. I could speak until I was blue in the face<br />
and try to tell you, “Don’t do that” because I<br />
<strong>Moriel</strong> Quarterly • March 2012
can stand in front <strong>of</strong> the mirror and tell myself<br />
until I am blue in the face, “Don’t do that.”<br />
But I am going to do it anyway and so are<br />
you. <strong>The</strong> only question is how long it is going<br />
to take for God to work out that breaking in<br />
our life <strong>The</strong>re is nothing we can do to get<br />
where God wants us to be any faster, but there<br />
is a whole lot we can do to slow it down.<br />
Remember the children <strong>of</strong> Israel going to<br />
the Promised Land out <strong>of</strong> Egypt This was a<br />
small distance. Even by foot one could make<br />
it in a couple <strong>of</strong> weeks and it took them forty<br />
years! <strong>The</strong> second generation entered the<br />
Promised Land, not the first. <strong>The</strong> old creation<br />
has to die in this world; only the new creation<br />
can go to heaven. <strong>The</strong>re is nothing we can do<br />
to make it faster, but there is a whole lot we<br />
can do to slow it down, and <strong>Jacob</strong> could sure<br />
slow it down. <strong>Jacob</strong> gets stuck with Laban for<br />
fourteen years.<br />
In Genesis 28:20 it is, “You do this and I’ll<br />
do that.” <strong>Jacob</strong> left his wealth to come to poverty<br />
for a period and, like Isaac, to Laban’s<br />
family. And this all gives the background to the<br />
woman at the well, <strong>of</strong> course, in Genesis 29.<br />
He said, “Behold, it is still high day…<br />
(When he comes to the woman at the well.)<br />
…it is not time for the livestock to be gathered.<br />
Water the sheep, and go, pasture<br />
them.” But they said, “We cannot, until<br />
all the flocks are gathered, and they roll<br />
the stone from the mouth <strong>of</strong> the well; then<br />
we water the sheep.” (Genesis 29:7-8)<br />
What kind <strong>of</strong> water is in the well Living<br />
water—“mayim hayim” (Jn. 4:10). According<br />
to John 7:39 what is living water <strong>The</strong> Holy<br />
Spirit. Rolling away the stone is a picture <strong>of</strong><br />
what Resurrection. <strong>The</strong> Holy Spirit cannot<br />
come until Jesus has been resurrected, then<br />
the sheep can be gathered. God is working<br />
out His purposes all along.<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong> is a “shrewdy”; he is clever. How<br />
does God deal with shrewd and clever people<br />
He teams them up with somebody who is<br />
more devious and ruthless than they are.<br />
Did God ever put you in a relationship<br />
with another believer who was more calculating<br />
than you are I am not going to make any<br />
jokes about my wife, but the person we marry<br />
is the person God is going to use to deal with<br />
our flesh. God does not have us in a church<br />
just to be a blessing and enjoy the good things<br />
<strong>of</strong> God, he has us in a church to have conflicts<br />
with other believers who are going to rub us<br />
the wrong way on purpose. Do you think you<br />
are shrewd Do you think you are slick I was<br />
so slick that, just like <strong>Jacob</strong>, I wound up with<br />
years lost to Laban.<br />
I travelled all around the world first class,<br />
I had friends at the top <strong>of</strong> the pop music industry,<br />
I had tons <strong>of</strong> money, and I wound up<br />
working in a pharmacy in Haifa, Israel in a<br />
stetl—an ultra-orthodox ghetto, for years.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re I was, on one side <strong>of</strong> the wall filling<br />
prescriptions, and on the other side <strong>of</strong> the<br />
wall were those belonging to the anti-mission<br />
organizations. I was spying on them for<br />
years. I thought that one <strong>of</strong> these days these<br />
guys are going to find me giving out tracts<br />
and that is going to be the end <strong>of</strong> my job, the<br />
end <strong>of</strong> everything. God always protected me;<br />
God always blinded them. When I saw them<br />
coming I would hit the road—just pack up my<br />
tracts and run. It was terrible to be counting<br />
pills. I hated it, it was boring, it was stupid.<br />
Not only that, but after I got saved I thought<br />
my days <strong>of</strong> selling drugs were over. Boy, did<br />
I have another think coming! God can redeem<br />
anything, but it went on for years. But if you<br />
use Hebrew every day you learn it a lot better<br />
than if you do not have to use it.<br />
When I used to eat in New York I was<br />
afraid <strong>of</strong> the Orthodox Jews. I would not run<br />
away but I would be nervous when I saw them<br />
coming. Working in their neighborhood, and<br />
living in their neighborhood, and dealing with<br />
them every day, I learned so much about their<br />
culture and about the way they are and the secret<br />
things in their life. <strong>The</strong>y do not believe<br />
in birth control, but their women take the pill.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y take a lot <strong>of</strong> valium because they are<br />
neurotic. I learned so much that God brought<br />
out <strong>of</strong> that terrible experience, but that was<br />
my place <strong>of</strong> God’s dealing with me. I do not<br />
know what your place is going to be, but God<br />
will put you together with a “Laban.”<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong> was a good con-man—he grabbed<br />
his brother’s heel. Laban conned him, gave<br />
him the wrong girl. <strong>The</strong>n <strong>Jacob</strong> conned Laban<br />
with the cattle. He is always striving in the<br />
flesh—“I’ll get him.”<br />
In this you greatly rejoice, even though<br />
now for a little while, if necessary, you<br />
have been distressed by various trials,<br />
so that the pro<strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong> your faith, being<br />
more precious than gold which<br />
is perishable, even though tested by<br />
fire, may be found to result in praise<br />
and glory and honor at the revelation<br />
<strong>of</strong> Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:6-7)<br />
What is more precious than gold <strong>The</strong> diamonds<br />
that are in it.<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong>’s wages kept changing, he got the<br />
wrong girl and he wound up being there something<br />
on the order <strong>of</strong> twenty years instead <strong>of</strong><br />
the initial seven to which he agreed. But then<br />
something else happens with <strong>Jacob</strong> at the climax,<br />
which is the second phase: God’s breaking.<br />
<strong>The</strong>n comes the dark night <strong>of</strong> the soul.<br />
Even the mystical Christians <strong>of</strong> the Middle<br />
Ages knew about it.<br />
Breaking Before Blessing<br />
After twenty years, <strong>Jacob</strong> did not learn as<br />
much as he should have. And after more than<br />
twenty years as a Christian, I have not learned<br />
as much as I should have. <strong>The</strong>re is a lot more<br />
<strong>of</strong> “<strong>Jacob</strong>” in some <strong>of</strong> us than others. But I<br />
will tell you that the more intelligent you are,<br />
the more educated you are, the more clever<br />
you are, the better your business abilities, the<br />
more you have going for you humanly speaking,<br />
the more difficult God’s breaking is going<br />
to be in your life.<br />
Feature Article – Continued<br />
Think <strong>of</strong> the little boy who brought Jesus<br />
his picnic lunch (Jn. 6:9). <strong>The</strong> little boy from<br />
Galilee takes his picnic lunch and gives it to<br />
Jesus, who takes it, blesses it, breaks it, then<br />
uses it to feed others. Do we want God to<br />
use our natural abilities—whatever we have<br />
“Lord, bless me!” He will bless you. “Lord,<br />
use me!” He will use you. But before He can<br />
use you, and after He blesses you, there is a<br />
hidden ingredient: God does not bless who<br />
He does not break, and He does not use who<br />
He does not break. This little kid did not have<br />
much; it was easy for him to have it broken.<br />
“Lord, I have a Ph.D.!” “I spent thirty years<br />
building this business!” We can see how hard<br />
that person is going to break. <strong>The</strong>y are going<br />
to be a “<strong>Jacob</strong>.” <strong>The</strong> more someone has going<br />
for them the harder God’s breaking is going<br />
to be in their life.<br />
God’s values are the opposite <strong>of</strong> the<br />
world’s. First <strong>of</strong> all, it is harder for humanlyadvantaged<br />
people to be saved than disadvantaged.<br />
<strong>The</strong> simpler one is, the poorer one is,<br />
the easier it is to be saved because there is<br />
less ground for pride. Secondly, after one gets<br />
saved, the less they have going for them the<br />
easier it is for God to mold them because the<br />
human person is not going to be as strong.<br />
Thirdly, the more one has going for them, the<br />
more accountable they are. God gave them<br />
more natural ability so He expects more out<br />
<strong>of</strong> them. He expects more out <strong>of</strong> them so they<br />
are going to go through worse trials than other<br />
people before He can use them. His values are<br />
always the opposite.<br />
<strong>The</strong> world says, “I want money, privilege,<br />
advantage,” but when God gives those things<br />
it is going to be harder to get saved—not by<br />
His choice, but according to our fallen nature.<br />
God’s breaking is going to be more difficult,<br />
but not only that, those He breaks are going<br />
to be more accountable. Look at Paul; he was<br />
educated, Peter was not. God used Paul more<br />
than He used Peter, but look at how the breaking<br />
in Paul’s life was worse than Peter’s. <strong>The</strong><br />
more someone has going for them, the more<br />
God’s breaking is going to be and the more<br />
He will hold them accountable. It is always<br />
the opposite <strong>of</strong> human values. <strong>The</strong>re is a lot<br />
more <strong>of</strong> “<strong>Jacob</strong>” in some <strong>of</strong> us than others.<br />
Yet, in spite <strong>of</strong> his transgressing and scheming,<br />
God loved him.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re were certain events in <strong>Jacob</strong>’s life<br />
that no matter what he did, he would see God<br />
revealing Himself in a personal way, saying,<br />
“<strong>Jacob</strong>, I love you, I chose you, I called you<br />
and I have brought you this far, I am going<br />
to take you the rest <strong>of</strong> the way.” <strong>The</strong> grace <strong>of</strong><br />
God is marvelous, is it not No matter how<br />
many times we blow it, no matter how many<br />
times we fall and go<strong>of</strong> up, there are going to<br />
be times in the life <strong>of</strong> believers when God is<br />
going to reveal Himself to them personally<br />
and say, “I love you anyway; I chose you anyway;<br />
I called you anyway—I have a place I<br />
am taking you and you are going to get there<br />
whether you like it or not.”<br />
For I am confident <strong>of</strong> this very thing,<br />
March 2012 • <strong>Moriel</strong> Quarterly
Feature Article – Continued<br />
that He who began a good work in you<br />
will perfect it until the day <strong>of</strong> Christ Jesus.<br />
(Philippians 1:6)<br />
Do not backslide; hang in there—He will<br />
get you there. But now we get to the dark<br />
night <strong>of</strong> the soul.<br />
Two Camps<br />
<strong>The</strong>re will come a point in our life as a bornagain<br />
Christian where if we continue with Jesus<br />
we are going to go through a kind <strong>of</strong> trial<br />
different than any other kind <strong>of</strong> trial we have<br />
gone through before or will go through after.<br />
We have two kinds <strong>of</strong> trials in the Bible:<br />
“valley” and “wilderness.” A “valley” is a<br />
single trial, a “wilderness” is a prolonged period<br />
<strong>of</strong> testing, frequently associated with the<br />
number forty in the Bible. This is a valley that<br />
is longer than other valleys and a wilderness<br />
that is more deadly than other wildernesses. It<br />
is a desert among deserts. To <strong>Jacob</strong> it happened<br />
at Peniel, the brook <strong>of</strong> Jabbok. And what <strong>Jacob</strong><br />
did is what we would expect <strong>Jacob</strong> to do.<br />
Early in the morning Laban arose, and<br />
kissed his sons and his daughters and<br />
blessed them. <strong>The</strong>n Laban departed and<br />
returned to his place. (Genesis 31:55)<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong> thinks that is the end <strong>of</strong> his trial. He<br />
goes through this for fourteen years. <strong>The</strong>re<br />
is the colloquialism, “It is darkest before the<br />
dawn.” That is true. <strong>The</strong> colloquialism that is<br />
false is, “<strong>The</strong>re is light at the end <strong>of</strong> the tunnel.”<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is no light at the end <strong>of</strong> the tunnel.<br />
At the end <strong>of</strong> the tunnel there is the worst<br />
darkness <strong>of</strong> all, then comes the light.<br />
After fourteen years <strong>of</strong> this stuff (seven <strong>of</strong><br />
them spent for the other girl)—years spent<br />
trying to out-manipulate each other, <strong>Jacob</strong><br />
thinks, “Finally, it’s over! Now I can revert to<br />
what God promised me at Bethel, what God<br />
promised by parents when I was born! I can<br />
go get that blessing now. God has worked<br />
these things out in my life after these years<br />
<strong>of</strong> putting up with Laban, <strong>of</strong> putting up with<br />
somebody else like me.”<br />
Notice that the people who revolt us the<br />
most humanly are the people who are the<br />
most like us. <strong>The</strong> people we see with our own<br />
negative traits and characteristics will be the<br />
people we have the most friction with. <strong>The</strong><br />
people who irk us the most are the people<br />
most like us, especially if they are even more<br />
like us than we are.<br />
Now as <strong>Jacob</strong> went on his way, the angels<br />
<strong>of</strong> God met him. <strong>Jacob</strong> said when he<br />
saw them, “This is God’s camp.” So he<br />
named that place Mahanaim.<br />
(Meaning “two camps”)<br />
<strong>The</strong>n <strong>Jacob</strong> sent messengers before him<br />
to his brother Esau in the land <strong>of</strong> Seir,<br />
the country <strong>of</strong> Edom. He also commanded<br />
them saying, “Thus you shall say to<br />
my lord Esau…<br />
He knew that this guy did not like him, and<br />
he knew why he did not like him, and he even<br />
knew he ruined this guy in some way.<br />
“Thus says your servant <strong>Jacob</strong>, ‘I have<br />
sojourned with Laban, and stayed until<br />
now; I have oxen and donkeys and flocks<br />
and male and female servants; and I<br />
have sent to tell my lord, that I may find<br />
favor in your sight.’” (Genesis 32:1-5)<br />
It is like saying, “I have a car dealership!<br />
Go over and pick one! You want an El Dorado<br />
You want a Mercedes I’ll give you the<br />
keys! My brother, I love you! Please take it<br />
and leave! Drive out <strong>of</strong> here!”<br />
Why is it called “Mahanaim”—“two<br />
camps” I grew up in New Jersey right across<br />
the river from New York City, and in our<br />
neighborhood was a close friend <strong>of</strong> my parents<br />
who owned a chain <strong>of</strong> liquor stores called<br />
“Harry’s” but his real name was Haime. People<br />
thought it was “Harry” but friends like<br />
my parents called him “Haime,” and he was<br />
what we called a “good” Jew because even<br />
Gentiles liked him. One <strong>of</strong> his sons was Arthur<br />
who managed this chain <strong>of</strong> liquor stores.<br />
What most people did not know is that Arthur<br />
was also a dentist. Everybody thought Arthur<br />
was a businessman like his father, which he<br />
was, but they did not know he was also a<br />
dentist. “<strong>The</strong>re might be a depression, there<br />
might be prohibition, but people always have<br />
toothaches.” He wanted a backup. He was<br />
clever that way. Jewish people are clever that<br />
way, having a survival mentality as a result <strong>of</strong><br />
their history, and they go through it that way.<br />
So <strong>Jacob</strong> puts it into two camps. “If my shoe<br />
store goes down the tubes, I can always sell<br />
roses.” He is always shrewd, always trying to<br />
figure out how to survive.<br />
My wife is like that. My wife’s parents<br />
were Holocaust survivors and then they were<br />
Refuseniks under Ceausescu. For my wife, in<br />
the way she was brought up, it was not so important<br />
to clean the house, cook, or sew—you<br />
could always get a shiksa to do that. With her<br />
it was different: How many languages do you<br />
speak How educated are you How clever<br />
are you in business Do you have a pr<strong>of</strong>ession<br />
that will always be needed if you have<br />
to run Everything was survival-oriented. If<br />
“this” fails you will still have everything; it is<br />
just the mentality.<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong> puts them into two camps; he is always<br />
scheming.<br />
I have oxen and donkeys and flocks and<br />
male and female servants; and I have<br />
sent to tell my lord, that I may find favor<br />
in your sight.”’”<br />
<strong>The</strong> messengers returned to <strong>Jacob</strong>, saying,<br />
“We came to your brother Esau, and<br />
furthermore he is coming to meet you,<br />
and four hundred men are with him.”<br />
<strong>The</strong>n <strong>Jacob</strong> was greatly afraid and distressed;<br />
and he divided the people who<br />
were with him, and the flocks and the<br />
herds and the camels, into two companies;<br />
for he said, “If Esau comes to the<br />
one company and attacks it, then the<br />
company which is left will escape.”<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong> said, “O God <strong>of</strong> my father Abraham<br />
and God <strong>of</strong> my father Isaac, O<br />
LORD, who said to me, ‘Return to your<br />
country and to your relatives, and I will<br />
prosper you,’ I am unworthy <strong>of</strong> all the<br />
lovingkindness…<br />
(“I know I’m no good—I repent! Please<br />
get me out <strong>of</strong> this!” When we are in trouble,<br />
boy, do we get religious.)<br />
…and <strong>of</strong> all the faithfulness which You<br />
have shown to Your servant; for with my<br />
staff only I crossed this Jordan, and now<br />
I have become two companies. Deliver<br />
me, I pray, from the hand <strong>of</strong> my brother,<br />
from the hand <strong>of</strong> Esau; for I fear him,<br />
that he will come and attack me and the<br />
mothers with the children.<br />
(He is afraid for his family now.)<br />
“For You said, ‘I will surely prosper<br />
you and make your descendants as the<br />
sand <strong>of</strong> the sea, which is too great to be<br />
numbered.’” (Genesis 32:1-12)<br />
He begins to doubt the promises <strong>of</strong> God so<br />
he has to remind God.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Dark Night <strong>of</strong> the Soul<br />
When we are in the dark night <strong>of</strong> the soul,<br />
we begin to doubt the promises God gave us<br />
and we begin scheming and praying and doing<br />
everything we can because now we know<br />
it is coming. And then what happens <strong>Jacob</strong><br />
schemes further after he prays.<br />
He commanded the one in front, saying,<br />
“When my brother Esau meets you and<br />
asks you, saying, ‘To whom do you belong,<br />
and where are you going, and to<br />
whom do these animals in front <strong>of</strong> you<br />
belong’ then you shall say, ‘<strong>The</strong>se belong<br />
to your servant <strong>Jacob</strong>; it is a present<br />
sent to my lord Esau. And behold, he<br />
also is behind us.’” (Genesis 32:17-18)<br />
He tries to buy him <strong>of</strong>f. “You got the cash,<br />
I’ve got the absolution!” (That is what they<br />
say in Ireland: “High money, High Mass; low<br />
money, Low Mass; no money, Purgatory.”)<br />
Now he arose that same night and took<br />
his two wives and his two maids and his<br />
eleven children, and crossed the ford <strong>of</strong><br />
the Jabbok. He took them and sent them<br />
across the stream. And he sent across<br />
whatever he had. <strong>The</strong>n <strong>Jacob</strong> was left<br />
alone, and a man wrestled with him until<br />
daybreak. When he saw that he had<br />
not prevailed against him, he touched<br />
the socket <strong>of</strong> his thigh; so the socket <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Jacob</strong>’s thigh was dislocated while he<br />
wrestled with him. <strong>The</strong>n he said, “Let<br />
me go, for the dawn is breaking.” But<br />
he said, “I will not let you go unless you<br />
bless me.” So he said to him, “What is<br />
your name” And he said, “<strong>Jacob</strong>.” He<br />
said, “Your name shall no longer be <strong>Jacob</strong>,<br />
but Israel; for you have striven with<br />
God and with men and have prevailed.”<br />
<strong>The</strong>n <strong>Jacob</strong> asked him and said, “Please<br />
tell me your name.” But he said, “Why<br />
is it that you ask my name” And he<br />
10 <strong>Moriel</strong> Quarterly • March 2012
lessed him there. So <strong>Jacob</strong> named the<br />
place Peniel, for he said, “I have seen<br />
God face to face, yet my life has been<br />
preserved.”<br />
(“No man can see God and live” (Ex.<br />
33:20). That is why, you see, Jesus had to become<br />
a man.)<br />
Now the sun rose upon him just as he<br />
crossed over Penuel, and he was limping<br />
on his thigh. <strong>The</strong>refore, to this day<br />
the sons <strong>of</strong> Israel do not eat the sinew<br />
<strong>of</strong> the hip which is on the socket <strong>of</strong> the<br />
thigh, because he touched the socket <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Jacob</strong>’s thigh in the sinew <strong>of</strong> the hip.<br />
(Genesis 32:22-32)<br />
We see how “<strong>Jacob</strong>” always has to do with<br />
the sons <strong>of</strong> Israel, specifically the Jews.<br />
He is blessed alone. When the dark night<br />
<strong>of</strong> the soul happens in our life we will be left<br />
alone. Other Christians will not be able to relate<br />
to our trial; not even our family can help<br />
us. It is a lonely experience. <strong>The</strong>re is nobody<br />
there but us and the Lord, and we think he is<br />
against us. We wrestle with God: “Why are You<br />
doing this Why did You bother to save me<br />
Why did You choose me Why did You give<br />
me these promises if You are not going to keep<br />
them and destroy me” All <strong>of</strong> his scheming<br />
would not work anymore—he was in trouble.<br />
This angel is called “the angel <strong>of</strong> the Lord”<br />
with a definite article in Hebrew. <strong>The</strong> Talmud<br />
calls Him in Greek the “Metatrone”—“the angel<br />
who dwells at the center <strong>of</strong> the throne.” It<br />
is a “Christophany,” an Old Testament manifestation<br />
<strong>of</strong> Jesus. He wrestles with Jesus to<br />
the end <strong>of</strong> the night, the dark night <strong>of</strong> his soul,<br />
and he prevails. How does he prevail By losing<br />
the fight.<br />
Winning by Losing<br />
This is the only way we are going to get<br />
God’s blessing and prevail. God’s values are<br />
always present within us and we think we<br />
have to pin them down and make them say,<br />
“Uncle!” God says, “No, you have to lose. I’ll<br />
make you say, ‘Uncle!’ and then you’ll win<br />
the fight.”<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong>’s femur—the thigh bone, is dislocated.<br />
<strong>The</strong> femur is the strongest bone in<br />
the human body. I am told that you can rest<br />
a Volkswagen on the femur <strong>of</strong> an adult male<br />
and it will not break.<br />
Before I was saved I was a coke dealer. I<br />
used to smuggle hash in Africa and dope in<br />
South America. I used to go to parties with<br />
rock stars. I knew how to manipulate them; I<br />
knew how the game was played. I knew how<br />
to make money. I used to embezzle money<br />
with a computer. I went through a dark night<br />
<strong>of</strong> the soul. For me it was two years and one<br />
month. It was terrible. It was not trials, it was<br />
not breaking, it was death <strong>of</strong> the natural man.<br />
After that, <strong>Jacob</strong> walked with a limp. After<br />
we have a dark night <strong>of</strong> the soul, we will walk<br />
with a limp. Remember, the femur is the place<br />
<strong>of</strong> greatest human strength. We walk with a<br />
limp. What will happen when we come to the<br />
Jabbok experience in our walk as a Christian<br />
God will touch your place <strong>of</strong> greatest human<br />
strength. Our personality, our intellect, our<br />
good looks—whatever it is, that is what He<br />
is going to hit: our place <strong>of</strong> greatest strength.<br />
We are going to walk with a limp and we will<br />
never be the same again.<br />
How long will it last Until the end <strong>of</strong><br />
the night.<br />
No one who is really serious about attaining<br />
the blessings and purposes <strong>of</strong> God for their<br />
lives will not go through this at some point.<br />
How long the night is, how bad that breaking<br />
will be is relative to the individual. After<br />
it happens they will never be the same, but<br />
after it happens, then God blesses us. After it<br />
happens, then God uses our human abilities.<br />
Why Because we do not rely on them anymore;<br />
we walk with a limp. We no longer trust<br />
our own sense, we do not trust the natural man,<br />
we have learned the hard way what happens<br />
when we do that. <strong>The</strong>n we get that blessing.<br />
A New Name<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong> prevails and he gets a new name.<br />
What does it say in Revelation “You have a<br />
new name” (Rev.2:17).<br />
It is interesting that after this, when <strong>Jacob</strong><br />
behaved in his old nature after Peniel, Genesis<br />
calls him “<strong>Jacob</strong>,” but when he behaves<br />
like the new creation it calls him “Israel.” It<br />
is the same with us. When we behave like the<br />
old natural man or woman, God calls us by<br />
our old name, but when we behave like the<br />
broken man or woman who prevailed and got<br />
the blessing—who behave as spiritual men<br />
and women—He calls us by the new name.<br />
I have two names, you have two names, we<br />
all have two names. We got one when we were<br />
born, but we got another when we were bornagain.<br />
But we have to have that name in the<br />
Book <strong>of</strong> Life, and we have to earn the right to<br />
be called by it. We have to wrestle, we have<br />
to prevail, we have to get the blessing. We are<br />
all “<strong>Jacob</strong>.” We all have to have that breaking,<br />
we all have to have that dark night <strong>of</strong> the soul,<br />
but when it is over we do not regret it.<br />
Part 2 – the lesson for israel<br />
<strong>The</strong> Question <strong>of</strong> the Tribes<br />
James, a bond-servant <strong>of</strong> God and <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes<br />
who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.<br />
(James 1:1)<br />
<strong>The</strong>re may be some intended spiritual<br />
meaning in James’ address to “the twelve<br />
tribes,” but as a genre, epistles do not use typology<br />
or figurative meaning without assuming<br />
the believers understand what it means.<br />
Epistles are to be taken literally.<br />
We know that in the Book <strong>of</strong> Luke, Anna<br />
was from the tribe <strong>of</strong> Asher (Lk. 2:36). Most<br />
Christians have the wrong idea that the ten<br />
northern tribes—all but Benjamin, Judah<br />
and the Levites—went into captivity. That<br />
Feature Article – Continued<br />
is wrong; the faithful people in Israel came<br />
south to Judah. (Faithful people will always<br />
leave unfaithful churches before the judgment<br />
<strong>of</strong> God comes on them.) <strong>The</strong>y kept their<br />
identities in the Second Temple period all the<br />
way to the time <strong>of</strong> Jesus.<br />
In the UK there is a something which dates<br />
back to at least the last century called “Anglo-<br />
Israelism.” My grandparents were from the<br />
north <strong>of</strong> England, except my one grandmother<br />
was from Glasgow, and I saw some people<br />
who were into Anglo-Israelism in Speaker’s<br />
Corner. <strong>The</strong>y had all this British stuff in Hebrew,<br />
one <strong>of</strong> them titled, A Covenant with<br />
Man. <strong>The</strong>y said things like, “<strong>The</strong> lion <strong>of</strong> Judah<br />
is the lion <strong>of</strong> Scotland,” and insisted that<br />
the Aran Islands were named after Aaron.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y had it all worked out. (When they found<br />
out my little daughter was born in Israel and<br />
her family was from Scotland and England,<br />
they thought she stepped out <strong>of</strong> a flying saucer.)<br />
This stuff has absolutely no biblical or<br />
anthropological basis whatsoever.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Celtic peoples, anthropologically, are<br />
not one nation, but many: there are the Cornish,<br />
the Scottish, the Welsh, the Irish. <strong>The</strong>se<br />
have certain things in common. But then the<br />
other inhabitants <strong>of</strong> the British Isles are Anglo-Saxons—Germanic<br />
people. <strong>The</strong>n come<br />
the Normans—Vikings who came to France<br />
and then to England. <strong>The</strong>re are several strata<br />
<strong>of</strong> people who invaded Great Britain and<br />
were integrated into the British identity over<br />
a period <strong>of</strong> many centuries. <strong>The</strong> British are<br />
not one, pure stock—they never have been.<br />
So how do people come up with something<br />
like Anglo-Israelism <strong>The</strong>re are no Semitic<br />
features. Just go to the people with Semitic<br />
features: Yemenites, Jews, Sephardic Jews,<br />
Arabs, pure-blooded Bedouins—do they look<br />
like people from England No, they do not. It<br />
is almost as ridiculous anthropologically as it<br />
is theologically.<br />
<strong>The</strong> twelve tribes are the basis. In Revelation<br />
4 we see the twenty-four elders, who<br />
would seem to be the twelve apostles and the<br />
twelve sons <strong>of</strong> <strong>Jacob</strong>. But there is all manner<br />
<strong>of</strong> spiritualizing away the literal basis <strong>of</strong> the<br />
twelve tribes.<br />
If we were to go to the Domitian Abbey<br />
(a Roman Catholic place) in Jerusalem, we<br />
would see three concentric circles cut up like<br />
a pie into twelve sections. <strong>The</strong> innermost section<br />
contains the twelve names <strong>of</strong> the sons <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Jacob</strong>, the twelve patriarchs <strong>of</strong> Israel, one for<br />
each tribe. <strong>The</strong> second circle, corresponding<br />
to the twelve sons <strong>of</strong> <strong>Jacob</strong>, represents the<br />
names <strong>of</strong> the twelve Apostles. Can you guess<br />
what is in the outermost circle <strong>The</strong> Zodiac.<br />
I get letters and email from people who<br />
think I have it all figured out. Believe me, I do<br />
not have it all figured out. I may know what<br />
people say about things like Revelation 7—I<br />
know the prevailing opinions, but I am not going<br />
to teach something unless I am sure that<br />
the Holy Spirit has shown me what it means.<br />
“What about the 144,000” they ask. “How<br />
will God know which tribes modern Jews be-<br />
March 2012 • <strong>Moriel</strong> Quarterly 11
Feature Article – Continued<br />
long to Do you think they are literal Jews”<br />
Obviously the sealing <strong>of</strong> the 144,000 Jews<br />
replays the story <strong>of</strong> Ezekiel going into the city<br />
and marking the anointed <strong>of</strong> the Lord before<br />
the judgment came (Eze. 9:48).<br />
<strong>The</strong> 144,000<br />
And I heard the number <strong>of</strong> those who<br />
were sealed, one hundred and forty-four<br />
thousand sealed from every tribe <strong>of</strong> the<br />
sons <strong>of</strong> Israel: From the tribe <strong>of</strong> Judah,<br />
twelve thousand were sealed, from the<br />
tribe <strong>of</strong> Reuben twelve thousand, from<br />
the tribe <strong>of</strong> Gad twelve thousand, from<br />
the tribe <strong>of</strong> Asher twelve thousand, from<br />
the tribe <strong>of</strong> Naphtali twelve thousand,<br />
from the tribe <strong>of</strong> Manasseh twelve thousand,<br />
from the tribe <strong>of</strong> Simeon twelve<br />
thousand, from the tribe <strong>of</strong> Levi twelve<br />
thousand, from the tribe <strong>of</strong> Issachar<br />
twelve thousand, from the tribe <strong>of</strong> Zebulun<br />
twelve thousand, from the tribe<br />
<strong>of</strong> Joseph twelve thousand, from the<br />
tribe <strong>of</strong> Benjamin, twelve thousand were<br />
sealed. (Revelation 7:4-8)<br />
Now let us look at Revelation 14:<br />
<strong>The</strong>n I looked, and behold, the Lamb was<br />
standing on Mount Zion, and with Him<br />
one hundred and forty-four thousand,<br />
having His name and the name <strong>of</strong> His<br />
Father written on their foreheads. And<br />
I heard a voice from heaven, like the<br />
sound <strong>of</strong> many waters and like the sound<br />
<strong>of</strong> loud thunder, and the voice which I<br />
heard was like the sound <strong>of</strong> harpists<br />
playing on their harps. And they sang a<br />
new song before the throne and before<br />
the four living creatures and the elders;<br />
and no one could learn the song except<br />
the one hundred and forty-four thousand<br />
who had been purchased from the earth.<br />
(Revelation 14:1-3)<br />
I am not going to try to figure out every<br />
detail here because I do not know. I can tell<br />
what other people say about it, but I will say<br />
this: the first steps toward figuring it out is<br />
not Revelation 7, it is not Revelation 14, it<br />
is the final prophecy <strong>of</strong> <strong>Jacob</strong> in Genesis 49.<br />
We cannot even be positive, and there is good<br />
reason to believe, that these two groups <strong>of</strong><br />
144,000 are not even the same. One group<br />
seems to be in heaven; the other seems to be<br />
on earth. <strong>The</strong> description <strong>of</strong> one group is not<br />
even the same as that <strong>of</strong> the other. One would<br />
seem to be physical Jews, the other does not<br />
necessarily seem to be.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Issue <strong>of</strong> Identity<br />
Anthropologically, who knows Arnold<br />
Fruchtenbaum is right: the main thing is the<br />
sign <strong>of</strong> the covenant in the giving <strong>of</strong> Jewish<br />
identity. Jews have intermarried for centuries.<br />
<strong>The</strong> entire Khazar Empire converted to Judaism.<br />
Arthur Koestler and others agree that<br />
the Ashkenazi Jewry came from the Khazar<br />
Empire converted to Judaism. <strong>The</strong>re were<br />
massive conversions to Judaism in Morocco.<br />
<strong>The</strong> whole Yemenite Empire converted. <strong>The</strong><br />
way that Constantine ostensibly converted<br />
to Christendom is the same thing that happened<br />
in the Jewish world. We would be hard<br />
pressed, anthropologically, to make a case.<br />
Jewish identity has to do with covenant.<br />
Yes, there is the issue <strong>of</strong> the sons <strong>of</strong> Abraham,<br />
Isaac and <strong>Jacob</strong>, but how does it define<br />
“sons” Some <strong>of</strong> those sons <strong>of</strong> the twelve<br />
tribes were born <strong>of</strong> servants. We cannot even<br />
directly trace the genetic line in that sense. It<br />
has to do with covenant.<br />
How do we determine what tribe somebody<br />
is from My wife’s family name is “Segal.”<br />
<strong>The</strong>y were a priestly family, assistants within<br />
the Levites. People with names like “Levine,”<br />
“Cohen” and such we can speculate go back<br />
to those priestly families, but who knows<br />
I do not know, and I am very skeptical <strong>of</strong><br />
people who say they have it all figured out.<br />
What I know is that in order to figure it out,<br />
it does not begin with Revelation; it begins<br />
with <strong>Jacob</strong>.<br />
We looked at what <strong>Jacob</strong> meant personally,<br />
now we are going to look at what he means<br />
for Israel and the Jews as a nation.<br />
Again, <strong>Jacob</strong> was someone always looking<br />
to attain the blessings and purposes <strong>of</strong> God<br />
according to his natural reason and ability.<br />
What have the Jewish people done <strong>The</strong>y<br />
have tried to attain the blessings and purposes<br />
<strong>of</strong> God according to their natural thinking.<br />
Talmudic Judaism, founded in Yavneh by<br />
Rabbi Johanan ben Zakkai is not the Judaism<br />
<strong>of</strong> Torah, it is another Judaism. It is a product<br />
<strong>of</strong> the natural minds <strong>of</strong> rabbis, developed in<br />
the centuries afterward by rabbis like Akiva<br />
and others, ultimately redefined as an Aristotelian<br />
religion by Rambam, and even more on<br />
top <strong>of</strong> that.<br />
Jews know they are different from other<br />
people, but they do not know why. It is amazing<br />
that Alan Ginsberg, the Jewish poet in<br />
America from the Beatnik era (I used to see<br />
him around New York), tells us that his religion<br />
is Buddhist. Jewish people do not believe<br />
in God and they go to the Wailing Wall<br />
in Jerusalem and begin crying even though<br />
they do not know why. <strong>The</strong>y know something,<br />
but they do not know what it is they<br />
know and they do not even know why they<br />
know it. Think <strong>of</strong> unsaved Jewish people as a<br />
kind <strong>of</strong> backslider. <strong>The</strong> new covenant in Jeremiah<br />
31:31 was not made with the Church,<br />
it was made with the house <strong>of</strong> Judah and the<br />
house <strong>of</strong> Israel. <strong>The</strong>y have broken that covenant.<br />
Jewish people are backslidden.<br />
When somebody is born-again and they fall<br />
away from Jesus and go back to the world,<br />
their life can never be normal or the same.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y can never fit in because they know that<br />
something is wrong and it is eating away at<br />
their soul all the time, but they can know<br />
what it is; Jewish people have something eating<br />
away at their soul but they do not know<br />
what it is. <strong>The</strong> rabbis think they know, but the<br />
rabbis disagree with each other as to what it<br />
is. I was talking in Hebrew for a couple hours<br />
to the president <strong>of</strong> the Orthodox rabbis in<br />
Leeds, witnessing to him. He is a wonderful<br />
man with plenty <strong>of</strong> knowledge but so little<br />
understanding.<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong> would always scheme to try to attain<br />
the purpose, the blessing, the heritage by his<br />
devices, and it always blew up in his face. <strong>The</strong><br />
Jews are the same way. No matter what the<br />
Jewish people try, it will blow up in their face.<br />
<strong>The</strong>ir Return to the Land<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is only one place the Jews will be<br />
a secure people, and it is not in the land <strong>of</strong><br />
Israel. <strong>The</strong> Jews were never secure in the land<br />
<strong>of</strong> Israel; it is a strategically vulnerable place.<br />
<strong>The</strong> biggest Jewish disasters before the Holocaust,<br />
undoubtedly, were the events <strong>of</strong> AD<br />
70, and Bar Kochba’s Rebellion in the second<br />
century which were the equivalent <strong>of</strong> the Holocaust.<br />
Proportionately it was the same kind<br />
<strong>of</strong> mass extermination, and yet it happened in<br />
their own land. <strong>The</strong> only place the Jews will be<br />
secure is in the palm <strong>of</strong> their Messiah, Yeshua.<br />
So much for these organizations claiming<br />
that the Jews can be blessed by bringing them<br />
back to Israel. <strong>The</strong> Jews are not going back to<br />
Israel for the blessing <strong>of</strong> God. <strong>The</strong>re is only<br />
one way God can bless the Jew and it is the<br />
same way He can bless anybody: through<br />
faith in the Messiah. Because the Gospel was<br />
available to them first, the consequences for<br />
rejecting it are on them first (Rom.9-11). Jeremiah<br />
30 talks about “the time <strong>of</strong> <strong>Jacob</strong>’s trouble”<br />
(Jer. 30:7). <strong>The</strong> Jewish people are back<br />
in Israel for “the time <strong>of</strong> <strong>Jacob</strong>’s trouble.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> metaphor or figure <strong>of</strong> the night in<br />
Scripture is a metaphor for the Great Tribulation.<br />
Jesus said He is coming like a thief in<br />
the night (Rev. 15:15). “Watchman, watchman<br />
how far is the night” (Is. 21:11). “Is<br />
he coming in the second watch <strong>of</strong> the night<br />
or the third” (Lk. 12:38). “Work while you<br />
have the light for night will come when no<br />
man can work” (Jn. 9:4). <strong>The</strong> wise virgins<br />
have oil in their lamps to see at night (Mt.<br />
25:1-13). When did <strong>Jacob</strong> get the blessing<br />
At the end <strong>of</strong> the night (Gen. 32:24-32). <strong>The</strong><br />
Jews are wrestling with God, and they will<br />
continue to wrestle until the end <strong>of</strong> the night.<br />
“<strong>Jacob</strong>” vs. “Israel”<br />
<strong>The</strong> Bible speaks <strong>of</strong> the difference between<br />
“Israel” and “<strong>Jacob</strong>.” Throughout Scripture<br />
we see “Israel” and “<strong>Jacob</strong>” used at various<br />
times. Why does God call them by both<br />
names “Israel” has been broken. Galatians<br />
speaks about the Israel <strong>of</strong> God—even Gentiles<br />
are grafted into Israel by faith in some<br />
sense, but “<strong>Jacob</strong>” as the Jewish people is<br />
an unbroken state—their name has not been<br />
changed yet. <strong>The</strong> blessing is for “Israel,” the<br />
promise is for “<strong>Jacob</strong>.”<br />
God cannot break His promises to the<br />
Jews, but they are never going to get it while<br />
they are still called “<strong>Jacob</strong>”; they are going<br />
to get it when they are called “Israel.” When<br />
12 <strong>Moriel</strong> Quarterly • March 2012
God looks at Israel, what does He see “Israel”<br />
No, He sees “<strong>Jacob</strong>.” When God looks<br />
at Jewish believers He sees “Israel.”<br />
“<strong>Jacob</strong>” personifies and typifies the Jewish<br />
people. His whole, long life, in a sense,<br />
was in preparation for this one factor. It was<br />
not Abraham who began Israel, it was not<br />
Isaac who began Israel, it was <strong>Jacob</strong>—the<br />
twelve tribes came from him. <strong>Jacob</strong> gives a<br />
prophecy in Genesis 49 for the Jewish people<br />
whose ratifications encompass the whole <strong>of</strong><br />
history and <strong>of</strong> God’s salvific plan for everybody,<br />
especially the Jews, extending all the<br />
way to Revelation. When we read through the<br />
Scriptures about the histories <strong>of</strong> the tribes <strong>of</strong><br />
Israel and what they did, what happened to<br />
them and what they experienced, it winds up<br />
with what <strong>Jacob</strong> predicts. His whole life is a<br />
preparation for what he is going to do at the<br />
end <strong>of</strong> it, and the entire history <strong>of</strong> Israel is a<br />
preparation for what they are going to do at<br />
the end <strong>of</strong> it. His whole life was in preparation<br />
for this prophecy. Everything is a preparation<br />
for this one climactic event. It probably<br />
took him minutes. Imagine God preparing<br />
someone for ten minutes <strong>of</strong> ministry But on<br />
that ten minutes <strong>of</strong> ministry hinges the entire<br />
future <strong>of</strong> prophetic history.<br />
For the Jewish people it will be the same<br />
thing. <strong>The</strong> promises are for “<strong>Jacob</strong>,” the<br />
blessings are for “Israel.” At the very end it<br />
is all going to make sense to the Church and<br />
to them and then they are going to know why.<br />
<strong>The</strong> first Christians were Jews, and no matter<br />
what we hear, the last Christians are going<br />
to be Jews. God is going to bless the Church<br />
through Jewish people before He comes; everything<br />
is preparing the world for that. This<br />
is the framework for looking at Revelation 7.<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong>’s Prophecy<br />
<strong>The</strong>n <strong>Jacob</strong> summoned his sons and<br />
said, “Assemble yourselves that I may<br />
tell you what will befall you in the days<br />
to come.<br />
“Gather together and hear, O sons <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Jacob</strong>; And listen to Israel your father.<br />
“Reuben, you are my firstborn; My<br />
might and the beginning <strong>of</strong> my strength,<br />
Preeminent in dignity and preeminent in<br />
power. Uncontrolled as water, you shall<br />
not have preeminence…<br />
(<strong>The</strong> first shall be last and the last shall be<br />
first.)<br />
Because you went up to your father’s<br />
bed; <strong>The</strong>n you defiled it—he went up to<br />
my couch.<br />
(<strong>The</strong> sins <strong>of</strong> the father are passed on to the<br />
sons; only the cross can break that.)<br />
“Simeon and Levi are brothers; <strong>The</strong>ir<br />
swords are implements <strong>of</strong> violence.<br />
(This is because <strong>of</strong> what they did when<br />
they slaughtered those people, even though<br />
their anger had a good basis for it.)<br />
“Let my soul not enter into their council<br />
Let not my glory be united with their<br />
assembly; Because in their anger they<br />
slew men, And in their self-will they<br />
lamed oxen.<br />
(If they were people who were simply motivated<br />
by righteous indignation, that would<br />
be one thing, but when it is someone with a<br />
bad temper just looking for an excuse to do<br />
something, that is something else. <strong>The</strong>y are<br />
just getting the excuse they need to go on the<br />
warpath. <strong>The</strong> great heroes <strong>of</strong> war are the people<br />
who prefer peace.)<br />
“Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; And<br />
their wrath, for it is cruel. I will disperse<br />
them in <strong>Jacob</strong>, And scatter them in Israel.<br />
(And, again, the history <strong>of</strong> the tribes is<br />
played out.)<br />
“Judah, your brothers shall praise you;<br />
Your hand shall be on the neck <strong>of</strong> your<br />
enemies; Your father’s sons shall bow<br />
down to you. Judah is a lion’s whelp;<br />
From the prey, my son, you have gone up.<br />
He couches, he lies down as a lion,And<br />
as a lion, who dares rouse him up<br />
(It talks here about the lion <strong>of</strong> Judah.)<br />
“<strong>The</strong> scepter shall not depart from Judah,<br />
Nor the ruler’s staff from between<br />
his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him<br />
shall be the obedience <strong>of</strong> the peoples. He<br />
ties his foal to the vine, And his donkey’s<br />
colt to the choice vine; He washes his<br />
garments in wine, And his robes in the<br />
blood <strong>of</strong> grapes. His eyes are dull from<br />
wine, And his teeth white from milk.<br />
“Zebulun will dwell at the seashore; And<br />
he shall be a haven for ships,<br />
(That is the land they received when the<br />
land was appropriated by Joshua.)<br />
And his flank shall be toward Sidon. “Issachar<br />
is a strong donkey, Lying down<br />
between the sheepfolds. When he saw<br />
that a resting place was good And that<br />
the land was pleasant, He bowed his<br />
shoulder to bear burdens, And became<br />
a slave at forced labor.<br />
“Dan shall judge his people, As one <strong>of</strong><br />
the tribes <strong>of</strong> Israel. Dan shall be a serpent<br />
in the way, A horned snake in the<br />
path, That bites the horse’s heels, So<br />
that his rider falls backward. For Your<br />
salvation I wait, O LORD.<br />
(It all points to Jesus.)<br />
“Issachar is a strong donkey, “As for<br />
Gad, raiders shall raid him, But he will<br />
raid at their heels.<br />
“As for Asher, his food shall be rich, And<br />
he will yield royal dainties.<br />
“Naphtali is a doe let loose, He gives<br />
beautiful words.<br />
“Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful<br />
bough by a spring; Its branches run over<br />
a wall. <strong>The</strong> archers bitterly attacked<br />
him, And shot at him and harassed him;<br />
But his bow remained firm, And his<br />
arms were agile, From the hands <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Mighty One <strong>of</strong> <strong>Jacob</strong> (From there is the<br />
Shepherd, the Stone <strong>of</strong> Israel), From the<br />
God <strong>of</strong> your father who helps you, And<br />
by the Almighty who blesses you With<br />
blessings <strong>of</strong> heaven above, Blessings <strong>of</strong><br />
the deep that lies beneath, Blessings <strong>of</strong><br />
the breasts and <strong>of</strong> the womb. <strong>The</strong> blessings<br />
<strong>of</strong> your father Have surpassed the<br />
blessings <strong>of</strong> my ancestors Up to the utmost<br />
bound <strong>of</strong> the everlasting hills; May<br />
they be on the head <strong>of</strong> Joseph,<br />
(He typifies the Messiah.)<br />
And on the crown <strong>of</strong> the head <strong>of</strong> the one<br />
distinguished among his brothers.<br />
(Again, he typifies the Lord.)<br />
Feature Article – Continued<br />
“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; In the<br />
morning he devours the prey, And in the<br />
evening he divides the spoil.”<br />
(<strong>The</strong> early Church somehow saw this as a<br />
prophecy about Paul, that in the morning he<br />
would be a ravenous wolf and devour the prey<br />
the way he first persecuted the Church, but in<br />
the end he would divide the spoil by bringing<br />
blessing and provision to God’s people after<br />
his conversion.)<br />
All these are the twelve tribes <strong>of</strong> Israel, and<br />
this is what their father said to them when<br />
he blessed them. He blessed them, every<br />
one with the blessing appropriate to him.<br />
(<strong>The</strong>y play out the history <strong>of</strong> what he said.)<br />
<strong>The</strong>n he charged them and said to them,<br />
“I am about to be gathered to my people;<br />
bury me with my fathers in the cave that<br />
is in the field <strong>of</strong> Ephron the Hittite, in the<br />
cave that is in the field <strong>of</strong> Machpelah,<br />
which is before Mamre, in the land <strong>of</strong><br />
Canaan, which Abraham bought along<br />
with the field from Ephron the Hittite for<br />
a burial site. <strong>The</strong>re they buried Abraham<br />
and his wife Sarah, there they buried<br />
Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and there<br />
I buried Leah— the field and the cave<br />
that is in it, purchased from the sons <strong>of</strong><br />
Heth.” When <strong>Jacob</strong> finished charging<br />
his sons, he drew his feet into the bed<br />
and breathed his last, and was gathered<br />
to his people. (Genesis 49:1-33)<br />
Right at the very end <strong>of</strong> his life is when he<br />
puts it all together. Everything he experienced<br />
clicks at the very end. So it will be with the<br />
Jewish people. <strong>The</strong> Holocaust, the inquisitions,<br />
the Old Testament, the New Testament,<br />
the early Church; Genesis 49 will have its ultimate<br />
fulfillment somehow in Revelation 7 and<br />
14. At the very end it comes together, but not<br />
until every prophecy is fulfilled in Genesis 49.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Importance <strong>of</strong> Judah<br />
<strong>The</strong> most important prophecy is Judah. Except<br />
for that situation with Tamar (Gen. 38),<br />
Judah was always unique and good. Judah led<br />
the tribes through the wilderness in the configuration<br />
around the Ark. It was Judah who<br />
asked the brothers to have mercy on Joseph<br />
March 2012 • <strong>Moriel</strong> Quarterly 13
Feature Article – Continued<br />
the way Jesus asks for mercy on the Jews<br />
(Gen. 37:26). <strong>The</strong>y said, “Let His blood be on<br />
us and our children” (Mt. 27:25), and Jesus<br />
says, “Father, forgive them” (Lk. 23:34).<br />
“<strong>The</strong> scepter shall not depart from Judah,<br />
Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,<br />
Until Shiloh comes, (Genesis 49:10a)<br />
Over and over the Talmudic literature tells<br />
us that “Shiloh” is the Messiah; Judaism understands<br />
it that way.<br />
“Thus says the LORD, ‘Write this man<br />
down childless, A man who will not<br />
prosper in his days; For no man <strong>of</strong> his<br />
descendants will prosper Sitting on the<br />
throne <strong>of</strong> David Or ruling again in Judah.’”<br />
(Jeremiah 22:30)<br />
King David was from which tribe Judah.<br />
In Samuel it is promised to David that he<br />
shall never lack somebody to be on the throne<br />
<strong>of</strong> David (2 Sam. 7:16). Judaism has a big<br />
problem explaining how God is keeping this<br />
promise today. (Anglo-Israelism actually tries<br />
to say the throne <strong>of</strong> David is the royal throne<br />
<strong>of</strong> Great Britain and the monarchy. This came<br />
about when there was a Jewish prime minister;<br />
that is when this whole thing got going in<br />
the last century.) <strong>The</strong>re was always some kind<br />
<strong>of</strong> Davidic line, even when it got interrupted<br />
during the Captivity. <strong>The</strong> Hasmoneans, who<br />
were the descendants <strong>of</strong> the Maccabees tried<br />
to make the High Priest John Hyricanus the<br />
king. But the king needed to be a descendant<br />
<strong>of</strong> David, priests the descendants <strong>of</strong> Aaron.<br />
<strong>The</strong> last person who by any claim could be<br />
a descendant <strong>of</strong> David had to end in the reign<br />
<strong>of</strong> Herod the Great. Herod’s mother was a<br />
Moabitess and he was some kind <strong>of</strong> convert<br />
to Judaism, but culturally he was basically a<br />
Roman rather than a Jew.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> scepter shall not depart from Judah…until<br />
Shiloh comes.” Well, the scepter<br />
did depart from Judah—Shiloh had to come.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Messiah had to come before the end <strong>of</strong><br />
the Davidic lineage.<br />
God promised David he would always<br />
have a descendant on the throne. Is there one<br />
No, unless in the heavenlies Jesus is reigning<br />
on the throne <strong>of</strong> David as the New Testament<br />
says (Heb. 8:12; 12:2). Either Shiloh—the<br />
Messiah—has come and is reigning on the<br />
throne <strong>of</strong> David spiritually (and He will reign<br />
again in the Millennium), or else the Bible<br />
is wrong and God has broken His promise.<br />
This is one <strong>of</strong> the passages where the Talmudic<br />
literature and the rabbinic commentaries<br />
go to great length to get around. <strong>The</strong>y have a<br />
big problem, but we know there is a Lion <strong>of</strong><br />
Judah, and He is on the throne <strong>of</strong> David right<br />
now, and the house <strong>of</strong> David will be restored<br />
to Jerusalem and Jesus will reign there.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Tribes<br />
Reuben, in Genesis 39:3-4 is the firstborn <strong>of</strong><br />
Leah, but he gets last preference; the favored<br />
place goes to Joseph, the priestly privilege to<br />
Levi, the kingly right to Judah. He is “uncontrollable<br />
as water” which undoubtedly relates<br />
to his sin with Bilhah (Gen. 35:22). This is<br />
exactly what happened. <strong>The</strong> firstborn did not<br />
get the kingship, the favor, or the priestly lineage.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> first shall be last” (Mt. 19:30).<br />
Simeon and Levi are the second and third<br />
sons <strong>of</strong> Leah. <strong>The</strong>y killed repentant men near<br />
Shechem (Gen. 34), so they got no inheritance.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Levites were given none and the Simeonites<br />
were swallowed up by Judah: “I will disperse<br />
them in <strong>Jacob</strong>” (Gen. 49:7). Historically,<br />
that is what happened. It was literally and actually<br />
fulfilled just as predicted. <strong>The</strong> problem<br />
was that they killed men after the men repented.<br />
(When we find Christians holding grudges<br />
and not forgiving people who have genuinely<br />
repented, that is going to hurt them more<br />
than it is the people they are not forgiving.)<br />
Judah is the fourth <strong>of</strong> Leah. Judah received<br />
praise and “Yehuda” has to do with that. He<br />
had birthrights and exceptional dignity, holding<br />
the kingship and the line <strong>of</strong> David before<br />
the scepter departed when Shiloh came. (This<br />
is referenced in Ezekiel 21:27.)<br />
<strong>The</strong>n there is Zebulon, the fifth by Leah,<br />
who “will dwell as the seashore” (Gen. 49:13).<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong> mentions the Sidonians, and in Judges<br />
5 we see this later being fulfilled in the Song<br />
<strong>of</strong> Deborah in the struggle against Sisera.<br />
Issachar is the sixth son <strong>of</strong> Leah and he is<br />
a “chamor”—a donkey: “a strong donkey”<br />
(Gen. 49:14). He is strong and stubborn, but<br />
submits to the yoke: “He bowed his shoulder<br />
to bear burdens” (Gen. 49:15). He is too lazy<br />
not to. He submitted to Canaanite invaders<br />
rather than fight; that was Issachar.<br />
<strong>The</strong>n there was Dan, the first son <strong>of</strong> Bilhah, a<br />
snake <strong>of</strong> poison causing terror (Gen. 49:16-18).<br />
<strong>The</strong>n there is Gad, the first son <strong>of</strong> Zilpah,<br />
Leah’s maid. Jewish lineage was not just<br />
Abraham, Isaac and <strong>Jacob</strong> through their wives<br />
Leah and Rachel. <strong>The</strong> idea was <strong>of</strong> one having<br />
Levirate marriage or surrogate motherhood.<br />
God was not simply interested in physical<br />
lineage; He was interested in faith for all<br />
descendants <strong>of</strong> Abraham. Gad is a troop or<br />
military company meaning a mighty military<br />
company that trusts in the Lord.<br />
Asher is the second son <strong>of</strong> Zilpah relating<br />
to wheat, wine and oil.<br />
Naphtali was the second son <strong>of</strong> Bilhah and<br />
“gives beautiful (or “godly”) words” (Gen.<br />
49:21), as we see in Judges 5:18 in the character<br />
<strong>of</strong> “those who love not their lives unto<br />
death” (Rev. 12:11).<br />
<strong>The</strong>n there is Joseph, the first son <strong>of</strong> Rachel,<br />
who is “a fruitful bough” (Gen. 49:22)<br />
and, like “Ephraim,” means “doubly fruitful.”<br />
“Joseph” means “God shall add or be added.”<br />
He has the characteristics <strong>of</strong> Jesus, a bubbling<br />
fountain that is a fountain <strong>of</strong> life. In verse 22<br />
He is the Living Water; in verse 23 His words<br />
are like arrows; in verse 24 he is the Shepherd;<br />
in verse 25 He is helped by the Father—“El<br />
Shaddai.” And other things associated with<br />
Jesus happen to him. <strong>The</strong> things that happen<br />
to Joseph are played out in Jesus.<br />
Again, the early church saw Benjamin as<br />
being fulfilled in Paul (Gen. 49:27). Reuben,<br />
Gad and the half-tribe <strong>of</strong> Manasseh, as it is<br />
hinted at, did not cross the Jordan. <strong>The</strong>y wanted<br />
God’s blessing here. <strong>The</strong> tribes existed even<br />
after the ten northern tribes went into captivity.<br />
Application <strong>of</strong> the Tribes’ Characteristics<br />
Believers come in the characteristics <strong>of</strong><br />
those tribes. <strong>The</strong>re are believers who come in<br />
the characteristics <strong>of</strong> Joseph. Some people are<br />
so much like Jesus they are models for the<br />
rest <strong>of</strong> us. When we see Christians like that,<br />
their brothers do not like them. One reason<br />
why godly people are not very popular in the<br />
Church is because they are seen as wimps,<br />
which they are not, but when I see someone<br />
more like Jesus than I am, I get convicted.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are believers like Benjamin: they do<br />
not begin well, but they end well.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are believers like the Reubenites, the<br />
Gadites and the half-tribe <strong>of</strong> Manasseh: they<br />
want a good, comfortable life here and now in<br />
this world; they do not want to cross the Jordan<br />
and go to war, not realizing they are going to<br />
have to cross the Jordan and go to war anyway,<br />
but losing the blessing that they could have<br />
had if they did not want an easy ticket. <strong>The</strong>re<br />
are so many believers who want an easy ticket.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se sons <strong>of</strong> <strong>Jacob</strong> teach about us. <strong>Jacob</strong><br />
knew his sons. He was able to predict what<br />
they would be like—not just the Jews, but the<br />
other twelve elders, those descended from the<br />
Apostles in Revelation 4.<br />
It is interesting what happens when we put<br />
together the names <strong>of</strong> these sons in Hebrew.<br />
Dan was left out because Dan worshiped the<br />
golden calf and acted in a judgment that was<br />
not <strong>of</strong> God, which is made up for because <strong>of</strong><br />
Joseph having two sons to make the same<br />
twelve.<br />
“Judge not, lest you be judged” (Mt. 7:1).<br />
“Judah”—“a confessor or praiser <strong>of</strong> God.”<br />
“Reuben”—“looking at the son.”<br />
“Gad”—“accompany.”<br />
“Asher”—“blessed.”<br />
“Naphtali”—“striving with or wrestling with.”<br />
“Manasseh”—“forgetfulness.”<br />
“Simeon”—“hearing or obeying.”<br />
“Levi”—“clinging to or joining to.”<br />
“Issachar”—“reward.”<br />
“Zebulun”—“the home <strong>of</strong> the growing place.”<br />
“Joseph”—“shall be added.”<br />
“Benjamin”—“the son <strong>of</strong> the right hand.”<br />
One <strong>of</strong> the differences between Hellenistic<br />
hermeneutics and Jewish hermeneutics is<br />
that Hellenistic hermeneutics has “a this or<br />
a that”; in biblical Jewish hermeneutics (not<br />
rabbinic), it can be both. Revelation 14 describes<br />
the character <strong>of</strong> these people. No matter<br />
what they are in terms <strong>of</strong> organization and<br />
anthropology, it describes the character and<br />
nature <strong>of</strong> these people: a company <strong>of</strong> praisers<br />
<strong>of</strong> God who are looking at the Son who<br />
are blessed by Him and striving with forgetfulness.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Jewish people have forgotten<br />
the covenant. <strong>The</strong>y are “hearing and obeying”<br />
in the character <strong>of</strong> Simeon, clinging to<br />
14 <strong>Moriel</strong> Quarterly • March 2012
the promised reward <strong>of</strong> an eternal home that<br />
shall be added to them by the Son <strong>of</strong> God’s<br />
own Right Hand. Somehow it describes the<br />
character <strong>of</strong> this 144,000. <strong>The</strong> Hebrew names<br />
describe their character as a corporate unit.<br />
<strong>The</strong> End from the Beginning<br />
All kinds <strong>of</strong> books will tell you “this,”<br />
“that” and “the other thing”; I am not telling<br />
anything beyond what I have told here: the<br />
key is in Genesis 49. “Seal these things up<br />
until the time <strong>of</strong> the end” (Dan. 12:4). At the<br />
appropriate time, the Holy Spirit will show<br />
exactly what these things mean, but so far I<br />
know what the Holy Spirit is saying. Look at<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong>, look at Genesis 49, forget about the<br />
Christian commentaries, go back to Genesis.<br />
What does it say in the Tanakh “God declares<br />
the end from the beginning” (Is. 46:10).<br />
Declaring the end from the beginning,<br />
And from ancient times things which<br />
have not been done,<br />
Notice it is “from ancient times” He declares<br />
things which are not yet. He declares<br />
the end from the beginning.<br />
Think <strong>of</strong> the Bible as a loaf <strong>of</strong> bread that<br />
has not been cut; it looks the same on both<br />
ends, does it not Genesis and Revelation go<br />
together. <strong>The</strong>re are the twelve sons <strong>of</strong> <strong>Jacob</strong>,<br />
the twelve signs in Genesis 49 and what do we<br />
have in Revelation 6 <strong>The</strong> blood <strong>of</strong> Abel calls<br />
out for justice. And the blood <strong>of</strong> the martyrs<br />
calls out for justice in Revelation 6:9-11. <strong>The</strong>re<br />
is the woman in the sky in Joseph’s vision in<br />
Genesis and what do we have in Revelation<br />
12 He declares the end from the beginning.<br />
<strong>The</strong> creation and the new creation mutually<br />
illuminate each other between John and<br />
Genesis; so does the creation and the re-creation<br />
in Revelation. Genesis is “creation,”<br />
John is “new creation,” but Revelation is “recreation.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> key is in Genesis. <strong>The</strong> whole<br />
Bible is in the Book <strong>of</strong> Genesis. <strong>The</strong> entire<br />
history <strong>of</strong> the Jews and the history <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Church is tied up in Genesis 49 in some way.<br />
“He declares the end from the beginning.” It<br />
all depends on this one guy, <strong>Jacob</strong>.<br />
Why Choose <strong>Jacob</strong><br />
Of all the great people in the world, <strong>of</strong> all<br />
the great men in the Bible, why does God<br />
take a schemer, a con-artist, a manipulator, a<br />
“shrewdy,” and hinge His entire plan <strong>of</strong> salvation<br />
and history for the world on this one<br />
guy Why, <strong>of</strong> all the fine people in this country,<br />
who were born in this country, who could<br />
be standing up here giving a much better performance<br />
than I can, does God pick up a drug<br />
addict from the streets <strong>of</strong> New York and bring<br />
him to England Who can answer those questions<br />
<strong>The</strong> only way I can even begin to understand<br />
it is that losers have nothing to brag<br />
about except God’s grace.<br />
And the Jews as a nation and a people are<br />
a nation <strong>of</strong> losers. <strong>The</strong>y have lost everything<br />
but one thing: the promise <strong>of</strong> God. That is the<br />
one thing they have not lost. <strong>The</strong>y lost their<br />
children and they have lost their hope. Go to<br />
Israel. Zionism was their dream. Today they<br />
get a visa to leave Israel to go to the United<br />
States or something. <strong>The</strong> Russians go there<br />
because they cannot get a visa to go to the<br />
United States or Canada. Everything the Jews<br />
try turns to garbage.<br />
<strong>The</strong> 19 th -century center <strong>of</strong> culture and science<br />
was Germany, but who was at its center<br />
German Jews. For better or worse, Karl<br />
Marx was a German Jew, Sigmund Freud was<br />
a German Jew, the scientist Steinmetz was a<br />
German Jew. <strong>The</strong>y thought they had it made,<br />
that they were the intellectuals and molders<br />
<strong>of</strong> modern science. Everybody was following<br />
their ideas, but it turned against them. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
lost everything. Hitler came along and actually<br />
said, “<strong>The</strong>re are only two kinds <strong>of</strong> superior<br />
races: Jews and Germans. We’re going to find<br />
out who is going to come out on top.” <strong>The</strong> Jews<br />
lost everything in the Holocaust, so they go to<br />
Israel, and now they are going to lose that.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y are losing the land, they have lost<br />
their hope, they have lost their idealism. <strong>The</strong><br />
Antichrist will enter that country and be proclaimed<br />
the Messiah and they will be misled<br />
and betrayed by their own rabbis. <strong>The</strong>y lose<br />
everything except the promise <strong>of</strong> God. God’s<br />
redemptive plan for the salvation <strong>of</strong> the world<br />
and the future <strong>of</strong> the Church is bound up with<br />
this prophetic and redemptive plan for the salvation<br />
<strong>of</strong> the nation <strong>of</strong> Israel.<br />
Why would He choose a nation like that,<br />
a little nation What do they have to brag<br />
about Maybe that is why. <strong>The</strong>re is so little.<br />
Even in the days <strong>of</strong> David and Solomon they<br />
were never a great power, they were only a regional<br />
power. <strong>The</strong>y were never a great world<br />
power like Rome or Babylon or Persia. (<strong>The</strong>y<br />
will be in the Millennium.) Intellectuals It<br />
was not the Jews but the Greeks who were<br />
the intellectuals <strong>of</strong> the ancient world. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
were nothing compared to the great powers.<br />
Yet God takes the insignificant things and that<br />
is what He uses.<br />
What happens to the Jews happens to us.<br />
Heads and tails are the Church and Israel. We<br />
can distinguish between heads and tails but<br />
we cannot separate them.<br />
For consider your calling, brethren, that<br />
there were not many wise according to<br />
the flesh, not many mighty, not many<br />
noble; (1 Corinthians 1:26)<br />
God did not choose the Jews because they<br />
were the greatest nation; He chose them because<br />
they were the least. And He did not<br />
choose us because we were the greatest <strong>of</strong><br />
people, He chose me because I was a drug<br />
addict in New York. I did not have anything.<br />
Most <strong>of</strong> my friends are dead from dope.<br />
It Will Be Fulfilled<br />
God’s whole working in <strong>Jacob</strong>’s life pointed<br />
to this one chapter, Genesis 49, and then<br />
He ends it. Genesis 49, Revelation 7—it is<br />
going to happen. That prophecy will be fulfilled.<br />
A time is going to come in some way<br />
when His purpose for the Jews to be lights to<br />
the nations is going to happen.<br />
Ben-Gurion said the Jews must be lights to<br />
the nations, that they must have a model <strong>of</strong><br />
socialism in their economy and government<br />
that the Gentiles will want to imitate. But a<br />
time will come when they are going to be<br />
lights to the nations, when they have the light<br />
<strong>of</strong> their Messiah. <strong>The</strong>y lost it all except the<br />
promise. If God can break His promise to <strong>Jacob</strong>,<br />
give me one good reason He has to keep<br />
His promise to the Church.<br />
Before Jesus comes, the sons <strong>of</strong> <strong>Jacob</strong> are<br />
going to proclaim Jesus to the nations. Before<br />
Jesus comes, the Church is going to be in very<br />
serious trouble. God is going to revive it, but<br />
do we know who is going to revive it<br />
For if their rejection is the reconciliation<br />
<strong>of</strong> the world, what will their acceptance<br />
be but life from the dead (Romans 11:15)<br />
For who For the Church.<br />
I do not know what to make out <strong>of</strong> it, but<br />
I am telling you, Genesis 49 has always been<br />
fulfilled, and Genesis 49 is going to be fulfilled.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Jews have lost everything, but they<br />
have not lost the promise <strong>of</strong> God.<br />
God bless,<br />
James <strong>Jacob</strong> Prasch †††<br />
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March 2012 • <strong>Moriel</strong> Quarterly 15
Guest Author<br />
Danny Isom<br />
One<br />
insanity<br />
is but a<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Other<br />
ut realize this, that in the<br />
last days difficult times will<br />
come. For men will be lovers<br />
<strong>of</strong> self, lovers <strong>of</strong> money,<br />
boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient<br />
to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving,<br />
irreconcilable, malicious gossips,<br />
without self-control, brutal, haters <strong>of</strong><br />
good, treacherous, reckless, conceited,<br />
lovers <strong>of</strong> pleasure rather than lovers<br />
<strong>of</strong> God, holding to a form <strong>of</strong> godliness,<br />
although they have denied its power;<br />
Avoid such men as these. For among<br />
them are those who enter into households<br />
and captivate weak women<br />
weighed down with sins, led on by<br />
various impulses, always learning and<br />
never able to come to the knowledge <strong>of</strong><br />
the truth. (2 Timothy3:1-7)<br />
This is one <strong>of</strong> the best biblical descriptions<br />
<strong>of</strong> what is taking place spiritually with the<br />
Occupy Wall Street and similar movements<br />
<strong>of</strong> unrest in the Western world. I cannot begin<br />
to number the editorials, news reports and articles<br />
in every form <strong>of</strong> media, both secular and<br />
Christian, that have crossed my path which<br />
espouse disbelief and incredulity at what is<br />
taking place. Repeatedly we receive reports<br />
that even when the protestors finally articulate<br />
some kind <strong>of</strong> demand, position or statement<br />
that can be understood, it is in direct contradiction<br />
to their actions and attitude. <strong>The</strong>ir<br />
hypocrisy puzzles just about everyone. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
claim to be holding to the finest traditions<br />
<strong>of</strong> America and the Civil Rights Movement,<br />
but their actions certainly do not prove it. By<br />
most third-party accounts the participants are<br />
insane, claiming things which directly conflict<br />
with their subsequent words and actions.<br />
This is supposed to be something new I’m<br />
supposed to be surprised at this For years<br />
prior to the Occupy movement anyone could<br />
have reported the exact same things about the<br />
Church and those calling themselves “Christian”:<br />
it is hard to know what they stand for,<br />
their actions almost always contradict their<br />
words, and they do not seem to bear any resemblance<br />
to the legacy and heritage they<br />
claim to come from. <strong>The</strong> hypocrisy and insanity<br />
in the world is merely a reflection <strong>of</strong><br />
the hypocrisy and insanity in Christendom.<br />
<strong>The</strong> description <strong>of</strong> unbiblical behaviors in<br />
the Last Days which Paul lists for Timothy<br />
first materialized in and permeated the institutional<br />
churches before joining together<br />
with identical patterns in the world. One is<br />
a reflection <strong>of</strong> the other. I am supposed to be<br />
surprised by statements by both the saved<br />
and unsaved alike that America is no longer a<br />
Christian country following the biblical principles<br />
on which it was founded Wake up and<br />
smell the c<strong>of</strong>fee in any one <strong>of</strong> the imitation<br />
Starbucks that have sprung up at churches<br />
across your city and state. If churches are<br />
no longer following the Bible, why should<br />
anyone else If people calling themselves<br />
“Christian” do not practice what they preach,<br />
why should the demonstrators be held to a<br />
higher standard America and Western countries<br />
once considered Christian are merely a<br />
reflection <strong>of</strong> the state <strong>of</strong> the church within<br />
them. Why should Occupy Wall Street protestors<br />
be held to a different standard than the<br />
hypocrites who claim a form <strong>of</strong> Christianity<br />
that has no resemblance to that practiced as<br />
recently as by their parents and grandparents<br />
It they have abandoned the Word, why<br />
should a political movement try to return to<br />
its influence<br />
“Do not think that I will accuse you before<br />
the Father; the one who accuses<br />
you is Moses, in whom you have set<br />
your hope. For if you believed Moses,<br />
you would believe Me, for he wrote<br />
about Me. But if you do not believe<br />
his writings, how will you believe My<br />
words” (John 5:45-47)<br />
Just as Jesus set the record straight for the<br />
so-called believers <strong>of</strong> His day, so I have come<br />
to believe it will be precisely the same thing<br />
for the believers <strong>of</strong> these Last Days. Can you<br />
imagine what our grandparents’ and their<br />
grandparents’ generations would say if they<br />
returned and visited their old churches today<br />
In this present generation, every denomination<br />
is going to be convicted by its founders because<br />
this last generation has vacated practically<br />
every written standard originally established,<br />
much less abandoned Scripture<br />
along the way toward the present decline. Do<br />
today’s Baptists practice and live up to the<br />
standards established by its founders Or the<br />
Methodists Or the Assemblies <strong>of</strong> God Can<br />
16 <strong>Moriel</strong> Quarterly • March 2012
you name a denomination which is fully following<br />
the standards originally established<br />
by their founders, much less the Bible they<br />
each allege to be foundational to their beliefs<br />
and ways<br />
As one example I am personally familiar<br />
with, I think it will be Phineas Bresee, the<br />
primary founder <strong>of</strong> the Church <strong>of</strong> the Nazarene<br />
who will be that denomination’s chief<br />
accuser. To the current generation I would<br />
paraphrase Jesus as saying, “Do not think<br />
that I will accuse you before the Father; the<br />
one who accuses you is Phineas Bresee, in<br />
whom you have set your hope. For if you believed<br />
Bresee, you would believe Me, for he<br />
wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his<br />
writings, how will you believe My words”<br />
How can I be upset with protestors who<br />
do not understand the true beliefs and attitudes<br />
<strong>of</strong> historical American figures and<br />
movements when so many claiming the label<br />
Christian do not know or believe the same<br />
as their own members <strong>of</strong> just one generation<br />
ago, much less the true counsel <strong>of</strong> God’s<br />
Word Both parties are openly redefining<br />
every term and every historical reference to<br />
conform to their own wishes and desires; one<br />
insanity is merely a reflection <strong>of</strong> the other.<br />
Like “the sons <strong>of</strong> Issachar, men who understood<br />
the times, with knowledge <strong>of</strong> what<br />
Israel should do” (1 Chr. 12:32), so should we<br />
likewise be. If we truly understood the bigger<br />
picture, we would not be operating “business<br />
as usual,” and neither would we be trying to<br />
rescue institutions to the neglect <strong>of</strong> souls.<br />
As <strong>Jacob</strong> details to a far greater degree in<br />
his book, Shadows <strong>of</strong> the Beast, Revelation<br />
13 speaks <strong>of</strong> two beasts, one “coming up out<br />
<strong>of</strong> the sea” (Rev. 13:1) and the other “coming<br />
up out <strong>of</strong> the earth” (Rev. 13:11). <strong>The</strong> world<br />
stage is being set for the arrival not just <strong>of</strong> the<br />
final person <strong>of</strong> the Antichrist, but the False<br />
Prophet as well. <strong>The</strong>y embody not just an attempt<br />
to consolidate the world politically, but<br />
to unify it religiously. <strong>The</strong>y are therefore not<br />
simply working to deceive the world, but to<br />
deceive the church or anyone with a religious<br />
predilection. <strong>The</strong> insanity in the institutional<br />
church which is finally being reflected in the<br />
insanity <strong>of</strong> the outbreaks <strong>of</strong> political unrest is<br />
the rise <strong>of</strong> the Antichrist, bubbling ever closer<br />
to the surface, soon to be in plain, open view<br />
<strong>of</strong> all. Both groups are ripe for the picking.<br />
It is easy to see how both the political and<br />
religious arenas are being prepared to accept<br />
a single, unifying leader. <strong>The</strong> rank and file<br />
members <strong>of</strong> the institutional churches have<br />
established the same agenda as their counterparts<br />
in these political movements, making<br />
it all about “me.” Both groups are seeking<br />
someone else to take care <strong>of</strong> them, someone<br />
else to provide the answers, someone else to<br />
make life easier. When that “someone” comes<br />
along with the ability to provide (at least<br />
temporarily) those solutions, they will follow<br />
him, quite literally, all the way to hell. It will<br />
not matter whether they started their journey<br />
in an absurd political movement or a church<br />
Danny Isom<br />
originally not compromised by the world.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are Christians who are putting all<br />
their efforts into saving America, toward<br />
reestablishing the Judeo-Christian ethic on<br />
which it was built. And there are Christians<br />
who are putting all their efforts into saving<br />
the denomination they grew up in, toward reestablishing<br />
the principles for which it once<br />
stood and upon which it was originally established.<br />
(In my previous example, just take a<br />
look at the website, http://www.concernednazarenes.org.<br />
Do you think there is really<br />
hope for a return)<br />
Unfortunately, the truth is that those institutions<br />
are gone forever and they are never<br />
coming back because they are being absorbed<br />
into the final Babylon to come described in<br />
Revelation. <strong>The</strong>y are not salvageable because,<br />
as the Lord said through Jeremiah:<br />
Suddenly Babylon has fallen and been<br />
broken; Wail over her! Bring balm for<br />
her pain; Perhaps she may be healed.<br />
We applied healing to Babylon, but she<br />
was not healed; Forsake her and let us<br />
each go to his own country, For her<br />
judgment has reached to heaven And<br />
towers up to the very skies. (Jeremiah<br />
51:8-9)<br />
It is a recurring theme in Scripture that<br />
Babylon is fallen and cannot be healed, (Is.<br />
21:9; Jer. 50:2; Rev. 14:8, 18:3) along with<br />
the repeated admonition by the Lord to come<br />
out <strong>of</strong> her (Is. 52:11; Jer. 50:8; 51:6, 9, 45;<br />
Rev. 18:4). We are not witnessing the fall<br />
<strong>of</strong> something so it can be rebuilt properly<br />
as much as we are being presented with the<br />
rise <strong>of</strong> something else in its place, something<br />
which seeks to replace not just the position <strong>of</strong><br />
religion in our life, but everything else to boot.<br />
Unfortunately, there is another great deception<br />
that is working in tandem with what<br />
we are seeing both in the secular and religious<br />
realms which is specifically targeting<br />
the faithful remnant. <strong>The</strong>re are a great many<br />
authentic Christians, even perhaps the majority<br />
at this very hour, who do not believe in the<br />
need to prepare for the rise <strong>of</strong> Babylon and its<br />
leaders the Antichrist and False Prophet because<br />
<strong>of</strong> their belief that the faithful Church<br />
will be raptured away before they make their<br />
appearance and rise to power. What is going<br />
to happen to the remnant when so many in it<br />
are unprepared to enter the Tribulation and<br />
endure the persecution to come before the<br />
Rapture does come Pre-Tribulationism can<br />
no longer be viewed as a “difference <strong>of</strong> opinion”<br />
among scholars and authors as to the<br />
timing <strong>of</strong> the Rapture and the mechanics <strong>of</strong><br />
the End Times—there are going to be severe<br />
consequences for ignoring the plain teaching<br />
<strong>of</strong> Scripture not only about what is to come,<br />
but what is currently taking place. I am not<br />
railing about the timing <strong>of</strong> the Rapture, but the<br />
false notion that it will exempt us from all the<br />
persecution and events heralding its arrival.<br />
Let no one in any way deceive you,<br />
for it [the Parousia, or coming <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Lord] will not come unless the apostasy<br />
comes first, and the man <strong>of</strong> lawlessness<br />
is revealed, the son <strong>of</strong> destruction.<br />
(2 <strong>The</strong>ssalonians 2:3)<br />
<strong>The</strong> Holy Spirit through Paul warns us not<br />
to allow anyone to deceive us that we will not<br />
first see the apostasy—the great falling away<br />
from the faith by many, and then witness the<br />
arrival <strong>of</strong> the Antichrist. Those espousing a<br />
position that the Rapture will come before<br />
we witness the arrival <strong>of</strong> the Antichrist play<br />
all sorts <strong>of</strong> monkey tricks with this verse, deceiving<br />
themselves and others into believing<br />
Paul is not plainly saying what he is saying.<br />
“Let no one in any way deceive you.” NO<br />
ONE. <strong>The</strong>re is no place for “friendly, scholarly<br />
debate” where the plain truth <strong>of</strong> God’s<br />
Word is so unambiguous. <strong>The</strong>se words are<br />
just as clear and plain as those <strong>of</strong> John 3:16.<br />
Do not allow anyone, regardless <strong>of</strong> how noble<br />
their intentions, sway you otherwise.<br />
If we truly understood the times in which<br />
we live and therefore fully appreciated how<br />
what is happening in the streets is but a reflection<br />
<strong>of</strong> what has been going on for a long<br />
while within the churches, we would not be<br />
directing our efforts to save a nation, a denomination,<br />
or way <strong>of</strong> life. We would take<br />
Jesus at His Word when He stated, “But the<br />
one who endures to the end, he will be saved”<br />
(Mt. 24:13); we would know that it will be<br />
exactly as Paul also described this time in<br />
history, “But realize this, that in the last days<br />
difficult times will come” (2 Ti. 3:1).<br />
Indeed, all who desire to live godly in<br />
Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But<br />
evil men and impostors will proceed<br />
from bad to worse, deceiving and being<br />
deceived. You, however, continue<br />
in the things you have learned and<br />
become convinced <strong>of</strong>, knowing from<br />
whom you have learned them, (2 Timothy<br />
3:12-14)<br />
<strong>The</strong> call for faithfulness during this time<br />
is not a call to go back and rescue an institution,<br />
but to continue the daily pursuit <strong>of</strong><br />
faithfulness in what we already know and believe<br />
from God’s Word. Neither do we need<br />
anything new, but to put into practice what<br />
we have already been given. <strong>The</strong>se are but<br />
the birth pangs, each one more violent and<br />
closer together than the last. What is about<br />
to give birth has severely opposite effects on<br />
those who are going the world’s way, be they<br />
churched or otherwise, versus those who will<br />
“continue in the things you have learned and<br />
become convinced <strong>of</strong>.”<br />
In Him,<br />
Danny Isom<br />
Guest Author<br />
March 2012 • <strong>Moriel</strong> Quarterly 17
<strong>Moriel</strong> South Africa<br />
David Royle<br />
MORIEL MISSIONS<br />
SOUTH AFRICA<br />
Dear friends and family<br />
Greetings in Jesus.<br />
First <strong>of</strong> all a happy New year to everyone.<br />
May the Lord give you His peace and supply<br />
for the coming year.<br />
We opened the <strong>of</strong>fice on the 9 th <strong>of</strong> January<br />
and Chris began the work <strong>of</strong> filling in back<br />
orders <strong>of</strong> books and DVDs, etc. We had a really<br />
nice peaceful time over the Christmas<br />
holidays. However the children got a little<br />
bored so we filled in the time with project<br />
work. It’s hard to believe but we have been<br />
in the Western Cape for one year already. <strong>The</strong><br />
time has gone very quickly and the kids have<br />
adapted well to their new environment, PTL.<br />
<strong>The</strong> health <strong>of</strong> the children has been fairly<br />
steady. S’phiwe though has had an ongoing<br />
low white blood cell count. On Friday the 20th<br />
we make a trip to Hermanus for another set<br />
<strong>of</strong> blood tests. Please pray that they turn out<br />
Okay as he has not put on any weight recently<br />
and has had opportune fungal infections.<br />
A new exercise regime started in the New<br />
Year. You will see the boys tramping around<br />
the hills at 5:45 every morning apart from<br />
weekends. It seems to be doing Carlos and<br />
Chris good as they have both lost weight.<br />
<strong>The</strong> rest <strong>of</strong> the children are in good health,<br />
thank the Lord. Although Lyn and I have a<br />
few issues we are still praising God.<br />
MORIEL MISSIONS SCHOOL<br />
Thanks to David Lister in the USA we have<br />
received some more Laodicea and Shadows<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Beast books. Give us a call or email if<br />
you want them. <strong>The</strong>y are R140 each plus P&P.<br />
Our New website for South Africa students<br />
is almost complete. For those studying<br />
there will be an e-campus and lots <strong>of</strong> downloads.<br />
It will be found at: www.morielmissionsschool.co.za/<br />
Meanwhile, for a teaching catalogue<br />
please contact us at the email above and we<br />
will send you one.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Persecuted Church<br />
Our intrepid leader has recently come<br />
back from the far east. Please read this carefully<br />
and commit it to prayer:<br />
Blessings from <strong>Jacob</strong> Prasch Thailand<br />
and Prayer Request for Persecuted Church<br />
in Vietnam<br />
After speaking at Mennonite, student,<br />
and Hmong churches we did an evangelism<br />
trip into Burma with our <strong>Moriel</strong> team<br />
from Northern Thailand. <strong>The</strong> government <strong>of</strong><br />
Myanmar (Burma) is just liberalizing very<br />
slightly. We were also able to distribute food<br />
parcels to the poor and homeless in that very<br />
desperate country, in addition to gospel tracts<br />
in Burmese and preaching the good news <strong>of</strong><br />
Jesus openly in the marketplace. We have<br />
an ex-Buddhist monk from Myanmar from<br />
a family <strong>of</strong> opium growers now following<br />
Jesus and helping us. We also visited Laos<br />
where two pastors were just released from<br />
communist prison. Thanks to the goodness<br />
<strong>of</strong> God working through the prayers and<br />
generosity <strong>of</strong> our readers and friends, we<br />
were able to set up a secret printing press in<br />
Vietnam and print thousands <strong>of</strong> illegal Bibles<br />
in the Hmong language last week. We met<br />
secretly with one <strong>of</strong> the Hmong leaders in<br />
Thailand outside <strong>of</strong> communist jurisdiction.<br />
Unfortunately today we received an “SOS”<br />
from the underground church we support<br />
and assist and whose pastor is an evangelist.<br />
We do training seminars among the Hmong<br />
mountain tribal people. <strong>The</strong> English in this<br />
transmission is very poor but you can understand<br />
the appeal for prayer. One evangelist<br />
we trained has been arrested and tortured<br />
by the communist authorities for preaching<br />
Jesus, and the situation appears desperate.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y released him temporarily after 18 days<br />
so others can see what they did to him as<br />
an apparent deterrent to preaching Christ,<br />
but he has apparently been rearrested. We<br />
cannot include certain details for security<br />
reasons. Please pray for his release from<br />
prison and for his protection. <strong>The</strong> believers<br />
in the Hagiang region are also experiencing<br />
extreme difficulty and poverty. Please<br />
stand with us in prayer for them.<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong> Prasch<br />
Prayer Matters<br />
• Give us today our daily bread<br />
• For the continued health <strong>of</strong> the children,<br />
especially S’phiwe<br />
• Our ongoing Guidance from the Lord<br />
• Aprils visit from DR Calvin Smith<br />
• For the fellowship prayer breakfast<br />
• Lyn and Dave’s trip to the UK and for the<br />
safe delivery <strong>of</strong> babies<br />
• <strong>The</strong> sale <strong>of</strong> our properties in Gauteng<br />
• <strong>The</strong> persecuted church in the Far East<br />
• <strong>The</strong> children in the Philippines to whom we<br />
minister<br />
• Our planned trip to Uganda in July<br />
• Dave’s Trip to the Philippines in April<br />
• Dave’s Trip to Australia in May<br />
18 <strong>Moriel</strong> Quarterly • March 2012
• All our administrators across the world<br />
TRUE FELLOWSHIP<br />
“And they continued steadfastly in the<br />
apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the<br />
breaking <strong>of</strong> bread and the prayers. And<br />
fear came upon every soul: and many<br />
wonders and signs were done through<br />
the apostles. And all that believed were<br />
together, and had all things common;<br />
and they sold their possessions and<br />
goods, and parted them to all, according<br />
as any man had need. And day by day,<br />
continuing steadfastly with one accord<br />
in the temple, and breaking bread at<br />
home, they took their food with gladness<br />
and singleness <strong>of</strong> heart, praising God,<br />
and having favor with all the people.<br />
And the Lord added to them day by day<br />
those that were saved.” Acts 2: 42 – 47<br />
I was speaking to someone a while ago,<br />
and they were reminiscing about a church<br />
many years back. <strong>The</strong>y said that at this particular<br />
church the fellowship was sweet like<br />
nothing they have experienced before or<br />
since. Over the last few years, I’ve spoken<br />
to quite a few people who have told me the<br />
same thing. In fact I, myself, as a youth leader<br />
in the late 70s, early 80s, have memories<br />
which are so sweet <strong>of</strong> fellowship with the<br />
crowd I was involved with then.<br />
So is fellowship consigned to the past<br />
Does it exist only in the nostalgic memories<br />
<strong>of</strong> a few Or is there a possibility that fellowship<br />
can be lived and experienced among<br />
believers today Despite what we see so<br />
<strong>of</strong>ten in our churches, despite the apparent<br />
shallowness <strong>of</strong> some <strong>of</strong> our relationships, I<br />
believe fellowship is a distinct possibility for<br />
you and me if we endeavor to do two things:<br />
Firstly – We fellowship to the depth and<br />
breadth which the New and Old Testaments<br />
indicate;<br />
Secondly – We see fellowship as what it<br />
really is: something which needs to be constantly<br />
worked at. I don’t know about you,<br />
but I carry baggage that hinders my fellowship—stuff<br />
that I need to let go <strong>of</strong> if I desire<br />
to grow in this area.<br />
<strong>The</strong> text for today is probably the text<br />
that most people would come up with when<br />
thinking about New Testament fellowship,<br />
and that’s why I chose it. For here we see a<br />
group <strong>of</strong> believers who shared everything together<br />
in those early days straight after Pentecost.<br />
But today I am not going to exegete<br />
that text fully because when one looks at the<br />
original Greek and Hebrew texts concerning<br />
the whole area <strong>of</strong> fellowship, we begin<br />
to see a lot deeper into what God desires for<br />
us. For example, the word ‘fellow’ in the Hebrew<br />
has four uses: It can just mean man or<br />
‘ish.’ ‘Isha’ is the feminine for woman. It’s<br />
a generic term. Another is ‘Reya,’ an associate,<br />
an acquaintance. Another is ‘Amiyth,’<br />
which means a comrade, a closer association<br />
David Royle<br />
than ‘Reya.’ And finally there is ‘Kawbare,’<br />
which literally means ‘to be knitted together’<br />
or intermeshed.<br />
When we look at the Greek we get an even<br />
more in-depth look, because it suggests what<br />
we must do or be with our fellows.<br />
In Ephesians 2: 19 it says we must be<br />
‘fellow citizens’ or ‘soompolytare.’ In other<br />
words, a native <strong>of</strong> the same town or faith.<br />
In John 11: 16 we are called ‘fellow disciples’<br />
or ‘soomathetes.’ A co-learner under<br />
the same master.<br />
In Ephesians 3: 6 Paul says we are ‘soongklayronomos’—‘fellow<br />
heirs’ in Christ; we<br />
participate in a common inheritance. We are<br />
also fellow members <strong>of</strong> the body, fellow partakers<br />
<strong>of</strong> the promise.<br />
In 1 <strong>The</strong>ssalonians 3: 2 we are called ‘fellow<br />
laborers,’ or ‘helpers.’ It’s the same Greek<br />
word ‘soonergos’, a companion in labor.<br />
In Romans 16: 7 we are called<br />
‘fellow prisoners’—‘soonaheekmalotos,’—<br />
a co-capture in Christ or for Christ.<br />
In Colossians 1: 7 we are to be found as<br />
fellow servants, ‘soondoulos,’—co ministers<br />
with the same master.<br />
<strong>The</strong>n in Philemon verse 2 the word suggests<br />
‘fellow soldier’—‘Soostiateotare’—a<br />
companion in battle.<br />
So when we look just at the depth in the<br />
way Scripture suggests how you and I are to<br />
interrelate in Christ, we see that even here,<br />
sometimes what we know as ‘church’ pales<br />
into insignificance. But there is one more<br />
‘fellow’ which even makes these fall short<br />
<strong>of</strong> what I believe God really desires, and that<br />
‘fellow’ is ‘fellow-ship.’ In the Hebrew we<br />
have several words;<br />
<strong>The</strong> first is, ‘tesoometh’ or to be pledged<br />
together.<br />
Secondly we have ‘yad’ which means an<br />
‘open hand’ quite literally, and can be used to<br />
both grasp and also smack if necessary.<br />
Thirdly is ‘kawbar,’ similar to ‘kawbare,’<br />
and it literally means to ‘be fascinated’ by<br />
one another.<br />
In the Greek it is just as fascinating.<br />
Firstly, ‘soongkoynoneho’—to share<br />
company with someone.<br />
Secondly, ‘Metoche’ which means ‘fellowship,’<br />
but not at a particularly deep level.<br />
But thirdly we have that word for fellowship,<br />
mentioned not just in Acts 2, but in<br />
many places. It is a word that lies at the heart<br />
<strong>of</strong> all relationships—‘Koinonia.’ Literally to<br />
have everything in common.<br />
So let’s look at three points in this word<br />
study, which we will cover over three sermons.<br />
Firstly What is koinonia How could it<br />
affect us That is this session.<br />
Secondly Who and what we have koinonia<br />
with and who we don’t. We will look at<br />
this in the next session.<br />
Thirdly Obstacles to koinonia, which will<br />
be our final session.<br />
Koinonia, according to Vine’s is “Communion,<br />
fellowship, sharing in common, that<br />
<strong>Moriel</strong> South Africa<br />
which is the outcome <strong>of</strong> fellowship, a contribution.”<br />
When we look at our picture <strong>of</strong><br />
the early Church in the book <strong>of</strong> Acts we do<br />
indeed see all these things occurring. Five<br />
in particular which to me stand out significantly<br />
in our text are: In verse 44 they were<br />
together! It is impossible to have fellowship<br />
unless we meet as an extended family and as<br />
Hebrews 10: 25 says, “all the more as you<br />
see the day approaching.” It upsets me terribly<br />
when I see the amount <strong>of</strong> Christians out<br />
there, keeping away from a local church because<br />
<strong>of</strong> heavy shepherding churches and the<br />
abuses <strong>of</strong> the word <strong>of</strong> faith movement and<br />
other heresies. I understand, I sympathize,<br />
even empathize. BUT someone once said,<br />
and I agree, ‘<strong>The</strong> answer to bad church is not<br />
no church, but good church.’ But these believers<br />
were together.<br />
Again in verse 44, they had all things in<br />
common. Now let me make a point here<br />
because this is where quite a few churches<br />
go wrong. When we look at other contemporary<br />
groups <strong>of</strong> the time, we see some living<br />
lifestyles in a similar way to communes.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Qumran documents show clearly that<br />
the Essenes and the Qumran sects lived in<br />
a similar fashion; being together and having<br />
all things in common. In Acts 4:32 – 5:11<br />
though, it clearly shows that the selling <strong>of</strong><br />
possessions was voluntary, and the fact that<br />
the Christians moved from house-to-house<br />
in verse 46 shows that the Christians were<br />
distinct from the communes from the time.<br />
In fact what it does mean is that to hold together<br />
and have things together does not<br />
mean you join a kibbutz or a commune;<br />
what it does mean is that even though we<br />
may own land, things, finances, a cricket bat,<br />
lawnmower—whatever—we can make them<br />
available to the community <strong>of</strong> believers if<br />
there is a need. In other words, if you have<br />
two coats, food, whatever, you should share<br />
with whoever has none. 600 years ago the<br />
welfare system <strong>of</strong> society was ‘the Church.’<br />
Justine the Apostate, enemy <strong>of</strong> the Church,<br />
said “<strong>The</strong>se followers <strong>of</strong> Christ, they not<br />
only look after their own poor, they look after<br />
ours as well.” When we look at some <strong>of</strong><br />
the great welfare movements <strong>of</strong> all time with<br />
people such as Shaftsbury, Muller, Barnado,<br />
etc., we see that it was always the Christian<br />
at the forefront. We see that the Church<br />
played a prominent role. In the UK after the<br />
1 st and 2 nd world wars, we see a paternal state<br />
taking the place <strong>of</strong> the Church. And now as<br />
these systems become so expensive to maintain<br />
and institutionalize, we see the failure <strong>of</strong><br />
the state, and people untouched and adrift in<br />
poverty. In our society, times are economically<br />
difficult, and I believe once again the<br />
fellowship <strong>of</strong> believers must fill the gap as<br />
we see brothers and sisters in terrible need,<br />
children orphaned, as we see an HIV pandemic<br />
shattering lives and families. We must<br />
respond in Christ’s love.<br />
Verse 46 says they had one mind, one ac-<br />
March 2012 • <strong>Moriel</strong> Quarterly 19
<strong>Moriel</strong> South Africa – Continued<br />
cord, in the temple. <strong>The</strong>ir act <strong>of</strong> worship was<br />
an act <strong>of</strong> unity, and this overflowed into their<br />
very houses because…<br />
It goes on to say they broke bread from<br />
house to house, even taking their meals together<br />
with gladness and sincerity <strong>of</strong> heart,<br />
praising God and having favor with all the<br />
people. So their ‘koinonia’ involved communion,<br />
fellowship, a sharing in common and,<br />
what an outcome their fellowship had with<br />
gladness, praise, joy and sincerity <strong>of</strong> heart!<br />
Let me ask, when was the last time you had<br />
fellowship <strong>of</strong> this quality Let me ask again,<br />
is our fellowship a present day reality Or<br />
is it confined to the limitations <strong>of</strong> nostalgia<br />
But like I said earlier, there are two things<br />
which we need to understand. A) That we<br />
must fellowship to the breadth and depth <strong>of</strong><br />
the biblical term. B) And also we must understand<br />
then, that if we claim to be in Christ<br />
Jesus then we are fellows together.<br />
We are fellow citizens in Christ, fellow<br />
disciples in Christ, fellow heirs in Christ,<br />
fellow laborers in Christ, fellow prisoners in<br />
Christ, fellow servants in Christ, fellow soldiers<br />
in Christ. And in Christ as we come to<br />
understand these terms, we must work at it.<br />
Koinonia does not happen overnight, but<br />
it begins to happen when we worship together,<br />
when we work together, when we eat together,<br />
when we have fun together, when we<br />
show hospitality to one another. <strong>The</strong>n, when<br />
we begin to trust, we begin to heal from our<br />
past mistrusts; we stop judging according to<br />
our misconceptions. <strong>The</strong>n we begin to have<br />
Koinonia.<br />
Let me ask,<br />
In Christ do you desire to work at koinonia<br />
Are you fed up <strong>of</strong> a pale imitation<br />
Do you long for the real thing<br />
Next time we will look at “Koinonia with<br />
Whom”<br />
David Royle<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong>’s Far East Tour<br />
• Singapore - June 18 through June 24<br />
• Australia - June 25 through July 15<br />
• New Zealand - July 17 through July 29<br />
• Contact your local <strong>Moriel</strong> <strong>of</strong>fice (Or<br />
Jeffrey or Esther in Singapore) for<br />
where <strong>Jacob</strong> will be speaking.<br />
<strong>Moriel</strong> Be Alert<br />
Follow <strong>Moriel</strong> Be Alert on Facebook<br />
Special Report - <strong>The</strong> Great Mormon Bailout<br />
Mormons Leaving the Mormon Church in large numbers<br />
Several articles and TV reports in Utah are confirming that Mormons are leaving the LDS<br />
religion in large numbers. Below are some <strong>of</strong> the links to these stories.<br />
This is very good news and according to full time Mormon missionary Rob Sivulka he has<br />
personally received a confirmation from LDS General Authority Marlin Jensen, who is also<br />
the Church Historian and Recorder, confirming that Mormons are “leaving in droves.”<br />
Rob writes “<strong>The</strong>re are several things to take away from this story: first, this should once<br />
and for all put to rest this silly faith-promoting mantra LDS give that their church is the fastest<br />
growing church.<br />
Second, this significant news also ought to mobilize the Christian Church to reap the harvest<br />
<strong>of</strong> these disaffected Mormons! Unfortunately, most <strong>of</strong> the people who leave Mormonism<br />
go into agnosticism or atheism. <strong>The</strong> tendency with these people is to throw the baby out with<br />
the bathwater.<br />
So, Christians…are you ready to give a positive case for your faith as 1 Peter 3:15 commands<br />
you to do We really have a great opportunity here!” Also, Rob further states “whether you are<br />
for or against Romney for president, his run continues to put his faith under the microscope.”<br />
Many <strong>of</strong> us in full time Mormon evangelism have known this for years. <strong>The</strong> Internet is<br />
a big problem for them. <strong>The</strong> hundreds <strong>of</strong> websites that factually show the many problems<br />
with Mormonism, with their history and even with the character <strong>of</strong> their founders being false<br />
teachers and false prophets are and have been making a negative impact on the Mormon<br />
religion and causing many to come out <strong>of</strong> this false religion.<br />
Here at <strong>Moriel</strong> we support some full time missionaries in Utah and they report their<br />
churches are growing with ex-Mormons. In addition, while this is good news the bad news is<br />
that Mormonism is growing in places like Malaysia and Africa. <strong>Moriel</strong> is supporting a missionary<br />
that is moving to Malaysia soon and was very influential in teaching me how to reach<br />
Mormons. May the Lord help Tim Oliver and his wife as they transition to Malaysia. Also,<br />
let us continue our support for the full time missionaries in Utah, as they will now be dealing<br />
with more and more people turning to the Truth.<br />
Mormons have always had ‘a zeal’ for God, but not according to <strong>The</strong> Truth. Let us keep<br />
pushing forward, and be ready for an answer for the Mormons who are searching.<br />
For those who are on the web, you can see this on the <strong>Moriel</strong> Be Alert Facebook page<br />
(write Scott Brisk at Be Alert to join) or here are some article titles you can google or follow<br />
the links to read further on this great news:<br />
• Mormons tackling tough questions in their history – Salt Lake Tribune<br />
http://m.sltrib.com/sltrib/mobile/53408134-78/church-lds-mormon-faith.html.csp<br />
• Number <strong>of</strong> faithful Mormons rapidly declining – KTVX-TV ABC Salt Lake City, Utah<br />
http://www.abc4.com/mediacenter/local.aspxvideoid=3234120<br />
• Special report -Mormonism besieged by the modern age – REUTERS [Thomson-Reuters]<br />
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/01/30/uk-mormonchurch-idUKTRE80T1CP20120130<br />
In Peace,<br />
David<br />
20 <strong>Moriel</strong> Quarterly • March 2012
moriel japan<br />
News from the<br />
Far East<br />
September Report<br />
2011<br />
K<br />
Konnichiwa,<br />
2012 is the year <strong>of</strong> the dragon here in Asia.<br />
2013 will be the year <strong>of</strong> the serpent. A sign<br />
<strong>of</strong> things to come But to us who believe, it<br />
is the year <strong>of</strong> our LORD. God is in control.<br />
We watched in the last few weeks the death<br />
<strong>of</strong> Kim Jong Il and the stage show <strong>of</strong> his<br />
“mourning.” <strong>The</strong>y celebrated the New Year<br />
with another missile over the Sea <strong>of</strong> Japan.<br />
For Christians just a few hours away from<br />
here by boat, death is the only way to practice<br />
and share their faith. Yet even there, God is<br />
in control. <strong>The</strong>y are going through their “10<br />
days” <strong>of</strong> persecution, and one day we will<br />
face ours. In the meantime let’s all be faithful<br />
in the situation in which God has placed us.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Ohm (Buddhist) cult who poisoned the<br />
people on the subways in Tokyo have most<br />
people in the country terrified <strong>of</strong> thinking<br />
about religion. Amazingly, one <strong>of</strong> them turned<br />
himself in to the police the other day, so it is all<br />
over the news again. I now understand why so<br />
many young people on the streets say, “That’s<br />
is scary!” when we <strong>of</strong>fer them a gospel tract<br />
or ask them a question related to the bible.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Japanese send each other New Year<br />
cards, usually with a picture <strong>of</strong> the zodiac<br />
animal <strong>of</strong> the year. Most had oriental looking<br />
dragons this year. We tried putting a very<br />
stegosaurus looking dragon from Angkor Wat<br />
on our New Year card. I <strong>of</strong>ten ask them why<br />
Ge<strong>of</strong>f Toole<br />
there should be 11 real animals in their zodiac<br />
and only one mythical one. I show them other<br />
evidences <strong>of</strong> dinosaurs in recorded history.<br />
Amazingly, more and more people try to say<br />
the dragon is just a sea horse. It opens up room<br />
for discussion though, and that is the point.<br />
We were happy to see a few more faces at<br />
our teaching sessions here and there last year.<br />
People are noticing the website and we are<br />
receiving encouraging reports. Last month in<br />
Kobe and Tokyo, Peter and Jeanette Danzey<br />
visited us. Peter preached on creation and<br />
prophecy. Japanese people tend not to clearly<br />
define what they believe, yet Peter’s message<br />
pulled the rug from under the atheists and the<br />
agnostics feet. It is not an easy job to reason<br />
with people who are not used to thinking<br />
deeply about their faith (or belief). Peter explained<br />
the various positions <strong>of</strong> the atheist, the<br />
materialist, the agnostic. <strong>The</strong>n using prophecy<br />
and creation he demonstrated the reasonableness<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Gospel message. It was a powerful<br />
message and one which we hope to expound<br />
on more, giving Christians more witnessing<br />
tools as they reason with their non-Christian<br />
friends. One Chinese scientist listened intently.<br />
Jenny, her Christian friend, bought her<br />
a Chinese bible after that. We pray that God<br />
would speak to her while her heart is open.<br />
Last week we had a great time <strong>of</strong> fellowship<br />
and teaching in Tokyo as we studied the<br />
midrash <strong>of</strong> Genesis Ch 1, the 70 weeks prophecy<br />
<strong>of</strong> Daniel and the two witnesses <strong>of</strong> Revelation.<br />
We have now completed our Basics<br />
<strong>of</strong> Prophecy series on Daniel, which is available<br />
on the internet for anyone to get a grip<br />
on Daniel’s visions which are so foundational<br />
to other prophecy. I was very encouraged by<br />
the active participation <strong>of</strong> the listeners (miraculous<br />
in Japan) and their eagerness to learn<br />
more. I was also encouraged to find a 24-hour<br />
Denny’s restaurant right near the hall we use.<br />
Tokyo may never sleep, but it doesn’t wake<br />
up early either. My bus always arrives at 6 in<br />
the morning and it is usually hard to find a<br />
place to kill 6 hours before the meetings begin.<br />
Praise the Lord for every blessing. A new<br />
baby was born on Dec 25th to Yuto and Akiko<br />
in our own fellowship, and Daisuke and Jean<br />
are expecting their first baby this year, too.<br />
Daisuke’s job contract is up now. Please pray<br />
with us that the Lord will provide a suitable<br />
job to support his growing family and ministry.<br />
A growing work in the Philippines<br />
In this Quarterly, I would<br />
like to introduce our friend<br />
from the Philippines, Hope<br />
Falculan.<br />
For the last two years, as<br />
well as pastoring his local<br />
church, Hope has worked hard<br />
to promote <strong>Moriel</strong>’s message<br />
in his part <strong>of</strong> the Philippines<br />
(Romblon, Mindoro and Palawan). Hope and<br />
his family live in a rural part <strong>of</strong> a small but<br />
beautiful island in the geographical center <strong>of</strong><br />
the Philippines. In the last two years he has<br />
made numerous tiring trips to many places,<br />
<strong>Moriel</strong> Japan<br />
looking for anyone who might be interested in<br />
learning more about midrash and biblical discernment.<br />
Hope introduces groups <strong>of</strong> pastors,<br />
churches or other Christians to the Hebrew<br />
way <strong>of</strong> reading the Bible. <strong>Moriel</strong> wishes to<br />
assist Hope more and more as he travels from<br />
place to place, arranging Bible studies, distributing<br />
books and newsletters and spreading<br />
the word. We need God’s wisdom as we<br />
consider how to expand the work and support<br />
there. Please pray for Hope, and the wellbeing<br />
<strong>of</strong> his wife Gina and their four children<br />
Nadine, Miqvey, Elpis and Espoire.<br />
Thanks to the grace <strong>of</strong> God and the tireless<br />
efforts <strong>of</strong> Hope and other other faithful<br />
ministers, the number <strong>of</strong> churches interested<br />
in <strong>Moriel</strong> teachings is growing and growing.<br />
Pastor Hope and his other companions<br />
are effectively introducing the ideas <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Hebraic background to the Bible, beginning<br />
with an introduction to midrash, and <strong>of</strong><br />
course, lots <strong>of</strong> biblical discernment. Wherever<br />
they go, believers are eager to read books and<br />
messages on these topics. Grain for the Famine<br />
and <strong>Jacob</strong>’s other early books have been<br />
greatly appreciated.<br />
Philippino people have an open heart to the<br />
message <strong>of</strong> the Word, but the conditions are<br />
hard for an itinerant ministry. Typhoons <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
see ferries canceled and you could easily be<br />
stranded on some island for days. Travel is<br />
hard on the windy mountain roads and transport<br />
is expensive on a local budget. Delivering<br />
the newsletters there is much more than a<br />
trip to the post <strong>of</strong>fice!<br />
We appreciate David Lister and Margret<br />
Godwin, and <strong>Moriel</strong> in Australia, who have<br />
actively helped to fund and support a “Filipino<br />
style” <strong>Moriel</strong> outreach. We are still praying<br />
about and considering how best to work<br />
there. Your prayers for wisdom, open doors<br />
and adequate distribution <strong>of</strong> newsletters and<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong>’s books are greatly appreciated.<br />
Lord willing, this coming April my family<br />
and I will visit the Philippines again. It<br />
will take about one month to make a round<br />
<strong>of</strong> the different churches. We hope to visit the<br />
Islands <strong>of</strong> Mindoro, Tablas, Sibuyan, Bohol<br />
and <strong>of</strong> course the main island <strong>of</strong> Luzon. For<br />
many people it will be the first time to have<br />
a <strong>Moriel</strong> teaching day. May the Lord keep us<br />
from every hindrance, sickness and trouble.<br />
Just one meeting has been canceled so far.<br />
(<strong>The</strong>y thought it was a “prosperity gospel”<br />
meeting!) Well, may the Lord prosper His<br />
work and His people! Amen. I am particularly<br />
excited to meet David Royale for the first time<br />
in Manila. We plan to visit Pastor Paul and the<br />
Olongapo family together.<br />
<strong>Moriel</strong> Japan runs a continual appeal to provide<br />
concordances for Filipino pastors. A concordance<br />
in Manila costs about 30 US dollars.<br />
God bless,<br />
Ge<strong>of</strong>f Toole<br />
March 2012 • <strong>Moriel</strong> Quarterly 21
Letters & Comments<br />
Your Letters and<br />
Comments<br />
AMERICAN LETTERS<br />
QUESTION:<br />
Dear <strong>Jacob</strong><br />
A question if you have time to consider it. I<br />
am faced with the question <strong>of</strong> translating Hosea<br />
13.14 into a certain foreign language. I have read<br />
a number <strong>of</strong> commentaries now and translations<br />
<strong>of</strong> this verse. I am fully persuaded <strong>of</strong> the “positive<br />
interpretation” <strong>of</strong> this verse. Kidner’s simple<br />
IVP commentary is not answered on this point<br />
by any <strong>of</strong> those who maintain here for this verse<br />
a tone <strong>of</strong> condemnation rather than (following<br />
the apostle Paul’s interpretation in 1 Cor.15.54-<br />
55) a note <strong>of</strong> total encouragement and victory.<br />
It isn’t about that I ask, rather the strange<br />
expression “compassion/comfort (nacham) will<br />
be hid from my eyes”, which has intrigued me<br />
for a long time. It is <strong>of</strong> course translated by the<br />
“negative” school as “My eyes will not show<br />
any compassion!” (NETB for example). Is it at<br />
all possible that this expression might mean ““in<br />
this I look not even at my own comfort” - see<br />
Hosea’s use <strong>of</strong> nachumim in 11:8 - and thus be a<br />
direct prophetic view <strong>of</strong> Calvary I did put this<br />
question in a letter some years back to Derek<br />
Kidner who was gracious enough to reply and<br />
say he thought the range <strong>of</strong> meanings in the<br />
words could not be taken that far. But still the<br />
question lingers in my mind.<br />
I append some <strong>of</strong> Kidner’s perspicacious remarks<br />
on this verse: - Kidner: “the Heb. <strong>of</strong> 14a<br />
does NOT use the interrogative prefix, but has<br />
the form <strong>of</strong> a plain statement”. (Hence the interpretation<br />
above “I longed to.. I would..”) He<br />
points out one <strong>of</strong> the strong features <strong>of</strong> Hosea<br />
is the sudden change <strong>of</strong> tone from the sternest<br />
<strong>of</strong> threats to the warmest <strong>of</strong> resolves “How can<br />
I give you up, o Ephraim....!” or in 1.9-10 “call<br />
his name “not-my-people”... Yet ... it shall be<br />
said to them, “Sons <strong>of</strong> the living God!” We are<br />
moving on “to the broad, sunlit uplands” <strong>of</strong> the<br />
final chapter. <strong>The</strong> “compassions” God withholds<br />
are not from the victims <strong>of</strong> death and Sheol, but<br />
from “death and sheol” themselves who will be<br />
thrown into the lake <strong>of</strong> fire”... Thus the NT completes<br />
the thought Hosea began”.<br />
Best wishes in Him<br />
Phil S<br />
REPLY:<br />
Only in the broad sense that the cross encompasses<br />
God’s redeeming compassion in its totality<br />
can ‘nachumim’ in Hosea 11:8 be seen as related<br />
to the cross <strong>of</strong> Calvary. In its context the passage<br />
obviously has salvific implication for Israel.<br />
Derek Kidner (with whose work I became familiar<br />
with in bible college) is correct in citing<br />
the absence <strong>of</strong> the interrogative prefix and he is<br />
additionally correct in highlighting the abrupt<br />
transitions in Hosea <strong>of</strong> God going from wrath<br />
to compassion.<br />
Paul’s treatment <strong>of</strong> ‘the sting <strong>of</strong> death’ in 1<br />
Cor. 15 would be consistent with this motif in<br />
Hosea. <strong>The</strong> absence <strong>of</strong> divine compassion expressed<br />
in death as the judgment for sin is turned<br />
against death itself as the final enemy that is to<br />
be mercilessly destroyed (1 Cor. 15:26, 54-56).<br />
In Christ,<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong> Prasch<br />
(<strong>Moriel</strong>)<br />
QUESTION:<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong> and David, glad you will be able to<br />
join us on Stand Up For the Truth in the coming<br />
months. May I please impose upon you to help<br />
me with a biblical translation<br />
We are preparing to do a show on the “Word<br />
faith” movement. I met with a Pastor who is a<br />
big proponent <strong>of</strong> this movement. He claims that<br />
in Isaiah 53:5, the word “healed” means physical<br />
healing as well as spiritual healing. Thus<br />
he claims if we have enough faith we should be<br />
healed <strong>of</strong> any physical problems we face.<br />
If you would be so kind as to help me with<br />
the correct Hebrew translation <strong>of</strong> that word I<br />
would be deeply appreciative.<br />
Thank you very much. Looking forward to<br />
having you on air again when you are in the U.S.<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong>.<br />
ML<br />
REPLY:<br />
NERPA LANU - ISAIAH 53: 4-5<br />
HEALING and THE ATONEMENT<br />
Your question is practical but not the kind I like<br />
to reply to from a linguistic perspective unless I<br />
am in dialogue with someone who knows Hebrew.<br />
I will touch on the linguistics because you<br />
asked me to but then I will endeavor to explain<br />
an easier way to refute that word-faith nonsense.<br />
A linguistic argument is in this case only part<br />
<strong>of</strong> the counter argument to word-faith preachers.<br />
If you do not know Hebrew grammar the<br />
elements <strong>of</strong> a “nifal” and “vav ha hepuk” would<br />
have no meaning to you let alone to the person<br />
you are debating so I won’t try to explain it in<br />
any depth. In Hebrew, future tense can refer to<br />
the past and past tense to the future where there<br />
is “vav ha hipuk”, and present and past tenses<br />
in the binyan “nifal” verb structure can be the<br />
same. But lets not go there. I only mention it<br />
in brief in specific reference to the way you<br />
phrased your question.<br />
<strong>The</strong> term can have both meanings in the context.<br />
In essence verse 4 <strong>of</strong> Isaiah 53 applies to<br />
physical illness and is past tense, while verse 5<br />
<strong>of</strong> Isaiah 53 is about spiritual and psychological<br />
healing and is present tense (it is again more<br />
complex than this but I can’t effectively explain<br />
nuances <strong>of</strong> ancient Hebrew grammar by email).<br />
<strong>The</strong> simpler way to address this garbage (which<br />
is doctrinally and theologically to something<br />
called “over realized eschatology”) is as follows.<br />
First - We interpret the Old Testament in light<br />
<strong>of</strong> the New Testament revelation <strong>of</strong> Jesus.<br />
Second - We interpret the Gospels in light<br />
<strong>of</strong> Apostolic commentary - that is the epistles.<br />
If we want to know what the Old Testament<br />
means, we interpret it in light <strong>of</strong> the New Testament.<br />
And if we want to know what the gospels<br />
and direct teachings <strong>of</strong> Jesus mean, we interpret<br />
the gospels in light <strong>of</strong> the writing <strong>of</strong> the apostles<br />
which explain it.<br />
Third - We always look at:<br />
* TEXT (the original meaning in the original<br />
languages)<br />
* CONTEXT ( what the passage is speaking<br />
about; not a verse in isolation; while ‘atomization’<br />
is sometimes used in scripture it is never<br />
used as the primary basis to establish doctrine)<br />
*CO-TEXT (what other passages speak <strong>of</strong> and<br />
explain the same subject being addressed; these<br />
co-textual passages mutually illuminate each<br />
other and are designed to be read in parallel).<br />
Full and present “Healing in the Atonement”<br />
advocates only look at text or at most text and<br />
context. <strong>The</strong>y cannot look at co-text or their<br />
foolish argument collapses.<br />
Let us consider the New Testament references<br />
to Isaiah 53: 4-5 in light <strong>of</strong> text, context,<br />
and co text;<br />
1) 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 24 cites Isaiah 53<br />
and refers to spiritual healing; this is clear. This<br />
corresponds to verse 5 <strong>of</strong> Isaiah 53.<br />
2) Matthew 8: 16-17 cites Isaiah 53 and<br />
refers to physical healing. This corresponds to<br />
verse 4 <strong>of</strong> Isaiah 53.<br />
Both meanings <strong>of</strong> physical and spiritual healing<br />
are in Isaiah 53 and both meanings are cited<br />
in the New Testament.<br />
3) Romans 4 25 cites Isaiah 53 and gives a comprehensive<br />
meaning uniting both the physical and<br />
spiritual aspects <strong>of</strong> the Old Testament passage<br />
referred to separately in Matthew 8 and 1 Peter 2.<br />
If we read Romans 4:25 in context starting in<br />
verse 19, we see it opens with physical degeneration<br />
(the illness that comes in this particular<br />
case with old age when Abraham had a geriatric<br />
testosterone deficiency before Viagra and Sarah<br />
was post-menopausal). As “father <strong>of</strong> all who<br />
believe” Abraham the patriarch and Sarah the<br />
matriarch are corporate solidarity figures; that is<br />
they are actual historical figures who are representations<br />
<strong>of</strong> us. Yet despite the maladies <strong>of</strong> old<br />
age and hormonal dysfunction, a Divine intervention<br />
related to faith in God and His promise<br />
supernaturally facilitated impregnation. Read in<br />
context this is the literary prelude to verse 25<br />
which relates infirmity to sin and culminates<br />
with the resurrection.<br />
In other words, Romans 4:19-25 teaches that<br />
fallen man exists in what theologians term a<br />
“hamaertosphere”; that is a sin infected environment<br />
that includes us as infected by sin and<br />
requiring both justification to redress the sin and<br />
resurrection to redress the consequences <strong>of</strong> sin<br />
which is death. <strong>The</strong> sin causes human infirmity<br />
to begin with and both the cross <strong>of</strong> Jesus followed<br />
by the resurrection are the cure. Thus ultimate<br />
healing both physical and spiritual begin<br />
with Christ’s justification <strong>of</strong> us on the cross and<br />
complete in the resurrection. Yes - healing is in<br />
the atonement, but it only becomes a total and<br />
full reality with the resurrection.<br />
Because the promised absolute physical healing<br />
is only fully guaranteed and realized in the<br />
resurrection/rapture and not in this present life<br />
in a fallen world, Paul writes “the old man is<br />
wasting away.” Otherwise we would not ever<br />
physically die as Word-Faith guru deceiver<br />
Kenneth Hagin or the other word-faith deceiver<br />
Oral Roberts did themselves. Before he died,<br />
Hagin stated on TV that because <strong>of</strong> his faith he<br />
hadn’t had a headache in forty years. Perhaps<br />
not, but he had four documented cardio-vascular<br />
failures. With a string <strong>of</strong> coronaries it is no wonder<br />
he never had a headache. He was too busy<br />
having heart attacks.<br />
22 <strong>Moriel</strong> Quarterly • March 2012
<strong>The</strong> term ‘nerapa lanu’ in Isaiah 53:5 is in<br />
the present active first person plural <strong>of</strong> the infinitive<br />
‘lerapa’ to heal from the root/ shoresh<br />
‘rafua’ (having ‘therapeou’ as its Greek equivalent<br />
in the New Testament and Septuagint) and<br />
in context this verse 5 applies to spiritual and<br />
psychological healing only. Total healing is in<br />
the atonement guaranteed to true believers to<br />
be fully received in the resurrection or rapture.<br />
Any Divine healings before that are only partial<br />
and temporary. If a guaranteed healing in this<br />
life were true for instance why did Paul leave<br />
Trophimus sick in Troas ( 2 Timothy 4:20) as<br />
one example, and why do Christians still give<br />
up the ghost<br />
A guaranteed fully realized healing in the<br />
atonement before the resurrection is a stupid<br />
doctrine believed only by ignorant people and<br />
taught by money preaching connivers who do<br />
not <strong>of</strong>ten really even believe it themselves. It is<br />
neither scriptural or logical.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is <strong>of</strong> course much more to the subject<br />
than this, such as healing when an illness is<br />
caused by a specific sin as we read in James’<br />
epistle (which in turn relates to Psalm 32 and<br />
John chapter 5 etc.) but this is too involved to<br />
exhaustively explain by e mail. Suffice it to say<br />
that when God uses illness as an instrument <strong>of</strong><br />
correction for sin in the life <strong>of</strong> a believer, there<br />
is a third aspect <strong>of</strong> ‘healing in the atonement’ in<br />
that once the sin is repented <strong>of</strong>. But this subject<br />
ventures beyond the parameters <strong>of</strong> your question<br />
and again would require a detailed exposition to<br />
explain properly. <strong>The</strong>re is a recorded teaching I<br />
did some years ago and is still available I think<br />
on an MP3 on healing.<br />
Whenever I address this subject I always try<br />
to include a caveat. I know Christians who died<br />
physically before their time because <strong>of</strong> false<br />
word-faith doctrines when they claimed healings<br />
God did not give them and ceased taking vital<br />
medication. As the Lord said, “MY PEOPLE<br />
PERISH FOR A LACK OF KNOWLEGE” and<br />
this can apply both physically and spiritually.<br />
Misunderstanding what scripture means by<br />
‘healing in the atonement’ can kill people. In the<br />
UK, the crown coroner, Sir Montague Levine,<br />
once appeared on national TV news and declared<br />
in an autopsy report that a young Pentecostal<br />
woman, on whose remains he had just<br />
completed a post mortem and submitted an affidavit<br />
for the coroners findings after she drowned<br />
in her bath when she stopped taking vital anti<br />
epilepsy medication, would be alive had she<br />
not gone to a Morris Cerullo crusade who was<br />
promoted in London by Kensington Temple and<br />
the Elim movement. This young woman did not<br />
lack faith - she threw away her pills. But she<br />
had faith in faith not in Jesus and she believed<br />
false doctrine and tragically went to a premature<br />
grave as a terrible result. Jesus can and does heal<br />
people, but when He does they don’t die from<br />
what He healed them from. <strong>The</strong> preachers who<br />
feed the sheep <strong>of</strong> Christ to these money preaching<br />
wolves are false shepherds and those who<br />
teach these false doctrines will be held accountable<br />
(James 3:1).<br />
In Jesus,<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong> Prasch<br />
QUESTION:<br />
On Tue, Jan 3, 2012 at 5:47 PM, Bill S wrote:<br />
Letters & Comments<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong> – I’m enjoying your book Shadows <strong>of</strong><br />
the Beast. I have a couple questions for you.<br />
Do you believe that Revelation 13 precedes<br />
Revelation 17 and 18 chronologically, or do you<br />
believe the order is Revelation 17, then Revelation<br />
13, and then Revelation 18<br />
Revelation 17 – 1. Do you believe this identifies<br />
a global religion that is based out <strong>of</strong> Rome,<br />
(the Vatican)<br />
* In the character <strong>of</strong> Pax Romana with the<br />
emporer holding the Pontifical title as bridge<br />
builder , Imperial Rome attempted to unite all<br />
religions under the ‘Ponticate’ where they would<br />
retain their identities and beliefs but simply see<br />
the Pontif as the coordinator <strong>of</strong> a united religiopolitical<br />
agenda. This foreshadows anti christ.<br />
2. What is taking place in the future in regard<br />
to what is being described in Rev 17: 16 to the<br />
harlot ( “ make her desolate and naked,eat her<br />
flesh and burn her with fire” ) Is this a total destruction,<br />
or more <strong>of</strong> a devastation or desolation<br />
* Once the false religious system <strong>of</strong> the world<br />
serves anti christ’s purpose to achieve power it<br />
will be done away with and repl;aced by the<br />
monotheistic worship <strong>of</strong> him (anti christ).<br />
3. Do you think the global religion is more<br />
<strong>of</strong> a ecumenical, all roads lead to god, religion,<br />
or an apostate Catholic dominated religious system<br />
that other world religions become subservient<br />
to<br />
* It will be in the character <strong>of</strong> the ‘religio<br />
licita’ model <strong>of</strong> Imperial Tome which we see the<br />
foreunner <strong>of</strong> already in the interfaith movement<br />
and Rick Warren’s global peace plan etc.<br />
On page 458 under the character <strong>of</strong> Jezebel<br />
section you seem to connect Jezebel in the letter<br />
to Thyatira with the Catholic Mary and ultimately<br />
the Jezebel sacrifices to idols with the<br />
Eucharist. Do you believe that this Catholic<br />
infatuation with Mary and the the Eucharist is<br />
what causes Catholicism to be cast into the sickbed<br />
<strong>of</strong> the great tribulation<br />
* Jesus uses the persona and image <strong>of</strong> Queen<br />
Jezebel to personify the spirit if false religion.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Roman Catholic Mary (not to be confused<br />
with the wscrtiptural one) is simply a manifestation<br />
<strong>of</strong> this just as Artemis, Minerva, Athena ,<br />
the Mother <strong>of</strong> Tammuz etc. were in the ancient<br />
world. In my book “THE DILEMMA OF LA-<br />
ODICEA” I explain the historical fulfillment <strong>of</strong><br />
Thyatira as the corrupted church <strong>of</strong> continuing<br />
sacrifice. <strong>The</strong> Bubonic plague killing nearly<br />
50% <strong>of</strong> Roman Cathjolic Europe was a partial<br />
fulfillment <strong>of</strong> this prophecy, yet it has future eschastological<br />
meaning.<br />
Revelation 18 – 1. Do you believe this chapter<br />
primarily addresses a second judgment dealing<br />
with commercial Babylon <strong>of</strong> the Antichrist’s<br />
or that it gives additional details to the destruction<br />
<strong>of</strong> the harlot in Rev. 17; Rev. 17:16 more<br />
specifically<br />
* Babylon <strong>The</strong> Great is the false religious<br />
system <strong>of</strong> the world in league with its corrupt<br />
political and economic system. Chapter 17 deals<br />
with an institutional judgment <strong>of</strong> Babylon (on<br />
the religious component) while Chapter 18 is<br />
the geographical judgment (on the political -<br />
economic component).<br />
2. Do you believe in a rebuilt Babylon, Iraq<br />
that plays a significant role in the end times<br />
* That the nations in biblical prophecy are<br />
at the center <strong>of</strong> world events is indeed <strong>of</strong> prophetic<br />
significance eschatologically and Iraq<br />
(Mesopotamia/ Babylon/ Ur <strong>of</strong> Chaldees) is no<br />
exception. <strong>The</strong> New Testament however identifies<br />
Babylon as Rome in Peter’s epistle. It is the<br />
institution that is most important , where the institution<br />
is located is also important but not what<br />
is most important. Eg. <strong>The</strong> NY Stock Exchange<br />
was originally on Wall Street. Now it is actually<br />
on Broad Street. But the NADAQ exists in<br />
cyber-world. It is an electronic exchange. Location<br />
is a factor but a subordinate factor to the<br />
institution itself. <strong>The</strong>re are many Wall Streets.<br />
You can buy shares <strong>of</strong> multi-national corporations<br />
internationally. <strong>The</strong> securities exchanges<br />
<strong>of</strong> New York, London, Hong Kong, Tokyo, etc.<br />
are integrating rapidly in a global economy with<br />
around the clock trading.<br />
False religion is the same. It came from<br />
Babylon. At varying tmes it has been located<br />
in Pergamum and Rome. Yet it is also Mecca<br />
(allah, the demon idol Nabatean moon god was<br />
originally a false deity from Babylon). <strong>The</strong>re are<br />
multiple Babylons. It does seem however there<br />
will be an ultimate one. Remember, Christ will<br />
rule from Jerusalem and Satan wants to counterfeit<br />
the Millenium so antichrist will come to<br />
Jerusalem which it can also be argued has 7 hills<br />
(if counted as they were in the first century). I<br />
cannot however at this point be dogmatic about<br />
the main geographical location <strong>of</strong> Babylon <strong>The</strong><br />
Great. That has yet to be clear to me, although I<br />
know all the opinions.<br />
3. If so, what is that role, is it the geo-political,<br />
commercial, religious headquarters <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Antichrist, or does the Antichrist like the harlot<br />
hail from Rome<br />
* Without doubt a resurrected Roman Empire<br />
will be central to the anti christ’s agenda, but not<br />
to the negation <strong>of</strong> the nations in the Middle East.<br />
We must understand the relationship between<br />
Herod <strong>The</strong> Great, Revelation 12, and Daniel’s 7<br />
heads & 10 horns as detailed in the book. Herod<br />
is the key. To the Romans he was Roman, to <strong>The</strong><br />
Jews he was a Jew. To the Arabs he was an Arab.<br />
Antichrist will likewise seek to unite christendim,<br />
Islam, and talmudic Judaism. He will seek<br />
to be all things to all people.<br />
Walid Shoebat, Joel Richardson etc are correct<br />
in what they say but mistaken in what they<br />
fail to say. Likewise those taking a traditional<br />
view <strong>of</strong> Rome as Babylon etc.<br />
Are also correct in what they say. <strong>The</strong>y too<br />
are wrong in what they fail to say. It is not Islam<br />
or Christendom, East or West it is rather<br />
Herodian; East & West, European and Middle<br />
Eastern. Both have a piece <strong>of</strong> the pie. Understanding<br />
Daniel 7 and Revelation 12 however<br />
in light <strong>of</strong> the Herod motif puts the pieces <strong>of</strong> the<br />
pie together.<br />
REPLY:<br />
<strong>The</strong>se are massive subjects. While I am familiar<br />
with all major views, I myself am only<br />
dogmatic about matters <strong>of</strong> which I am positive.<br />
But the over all picture gets clearer almost by<br />
the day.<br />
Off to Chiang Mai & Chiang Rai in a few<br />
hours. I tried to call you by telephone due to my<br />
pathetic lack <strong>of</strong> computer skills.<br />
Blessings in Jesus,<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong> Prasch (Philippians 1:9)<br />
March 2012 • <strong>Moriel</strong> Quarterly 23
<strong>Moriel</strong> Thailand<br />
Scott Noble<br />
B a n g k o k<br />
S k y l i n e<br />
R i c e f i e l d s C h i a n g M a i<br />
Introducing our New missionary to . . .<br />
thailand<br />
Introduction to Thailand ministries:<br />
We have Bible studies with students twice<br />
a week during the week and bring students<br />
to church on Sundays. Most <strong>of</strong> these students<br />
are either young Christians or non-<br />
Christians, and we actively try to invite<br />
new students to come. We also have camps<br />
with students about once a month, where<br />
the Bible is the focus. I have a Bible study<br />
with a young Shan Christian once a week,<br />
too. This man owns a small restaurant. He<br />
was a novice monk in the past, but now is a<br />
committed Christian. His Shan friend once<br />
asked him why he worships a God that he<br />
cannot see, instead <strong>of</strong> the Buddhist idols<br />
which can be seen, and Mana replied to him<br />
that those idols have eyes, but cannot see,<br />
and ears, but cannot hear, but he has a living<br />
God! Also I teach English and Bible at the<br />
women’s prison in Chiang Mai once a week.<br />
My wife Khae has been going home to visit<br />
her parents about once a month now, and just<br />
a few weeks ago her Dad decided to become<br />
a Christian. We gave him a big altar Bible<br />
with large print in Thai, and he’s been reading<br />
the Bible each day. Please pray for him,<br />
and Khae’s Mom and older brother who are<br />
not Christians yet, and also for the students<br />
that we work with, that God would give the<br />
increase. Thank you for your prayers for His<br />
kingdom and His glory.<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong>’s trip...<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong> was in Thailand from January 7th<br />
till the 16th. On Sunday the 8th he preached<br />
a message at an English Mennonite church<br />
24 <strong>Moriel</strong> Quarterly • March 2012<br />
here about the dangers <strong>of</strong> the New Age<br />
Movement- that just as many were not ready<br />
for Jesus’ first coming, so many Christians<br />
won’t be ready for his second coming. Thus,<br />
we should not go with the flow <strong>of</strong> modern<br />
ecumenical movements, but rather we<br />
should be faithful to God’s Word. Later in<br />
the week, we went to Thailand’s northern<br />
border, and crossed into Burma, where <strong>Jacob</strong>,<br />
myself, and one Thai student preached<br />
the gospel open air in a market place in Thai<br />
and in English. We also handed out many<br />
gospels <strong>of</strong> John in Burmese there. <strong>The</strong>re<br />
were many Muslim vendors there.<br />
On Saturday we took some university students<br />
for a Bible camp. <strong>Jacob</strong> taught them a<br />
very basic message on the difference between<br />
grace as opposed to trying to earn salvation<br />
by works (sewing fig leaves). Though it was<br />
a very basic message, it was also a very important<br />
message, and many students said they<br />
understood the concepts more clearly. On<br />
Sunday, <strong>Jacob</strong> preached at a Hmong church<br />
and I translated for him into Thai. <strong>The</strong>re was<br />
also good feedback from the students about<br />
this message, which was about Jesus’ trial,<br />
crucifixion and resurrection, and how each<br />
person in the Christian walk faces similar circumstances<br />
as did Barabas, the thief on the<br />
cross, Simon who carried Jesus’ cross, and<br />
Cleopas who walked and talked with Jesus,<br />
but who did not recognize Jesus at first, because<br />
he did not know his Bible well enough.<br />
We also visited a long-neck village and<br />
the Opium Museum,both very interesting.<br />
Part Two, continued from the December issue:<br />
Other Parallels<br />
While surfing the web, I came across two<br />
lists <strong>of</strong> parallels between Jesus and Buddha<br />
in a discussion forum, posted by the same<br />
individual. <strong>The</strong> first list has 27 parallels, and<br />
the second list has 13 parallels. On an Islamic<br />
sponsored website the first list mentioned<br />
above was given in a streamlined fashion,<br />
with 22 parallels. In these parallels, scripture<br />
references from the Bible are given for Jesus,<br />
but for Buddha, with the exception <strong>of</strong><br />
one Buddhist scripture reference, these were<br />
referenced by giving the name <strong>of</strong> a scholar.<br />
This has made it difficult to track down the<br />
scripture locations for these items about Buddha,<br />
especially since the Pali canon alone<br />
(not taking into account all <strong>of</strong> the scriptures<br />
<strong>of</strong> other schools) is approximately 15 times<br />
the size <strong>of</strong> the Bible. Fortunately though, I<br />
did find a good book which did this work<br />
for me. This is the third book which I mentioned:<br />
“<strong>The</strong> Life <strong>of</strong> Buddha as Legend and<br />
History” by Edward J. Thomas. In this book<br />
there are 16 parallels which Edwards considers<br />
noteworthy (these are based on van den<br />
Bergh’s work).<br />
Incidentally, the one Buddhist scripture<br />
mentioned in the list <strong>of</strong> 40 parallels, comes<br />
from the 11th century AD! That reference<br />
was from the Kathasaritsagara: “Although its<br />
dates have not been conclusively established,<br />
the Kathasaritsagara is said to have been compiled<br />
by a Kashmiri Saivite Brahmin called<br />
Somadeva in AD 1070. Legend has it that Somadeva<br />
composed the Kathasaritsagara for<br />
queen Suryavati, wife <strong>of</strong> King Anantadeva
Scott Noble<br />
who ruled Kashmir in the eleventh century.”<br />
Of the 40 parallels mentioned above, many<br />
can be dismissed just by making the same<br />
comparisons with people in general or religious<br />
leaders in particular. Items such as they<br />
both fasted for a long time, they were about<br />
the same age when they began public ministry<br />
(Jesus 30; Buddha 35- though Buddha’s age<br />
is debatable here), the multitudes required a<br />
sign from both, both taught compassion both<br />
were <strong>of</strong> royal descent (in the case <strong>of</strong> Buddha<br />
this is debatable), could be said <strong>of</strong> many<br />
people, especially a religious leader.<br />
Thomas (1927) summarizes the work <strong>of</strong><br />
several scholars in this area <strong>of</strong> study: Seydel’s<br />
fifty instances are reduced by van den<br />
Bergh to nine. In proportion to the investigator’s<br />
direct knowledge <strong>of</strong> the Buddhist<br />
sources the number seems to decrease. E.<br />
W. Hopkins discusses five ‘cogent parallels’,<br />
but does not consider any <strong>of</strong> them very probable.<br />
Garbe assumes direct borrowing in four<br />
cases, Simeon, the Temptation, Peter walking<br />
on the sea, and the Miracle <strong>of</strong> the loaves<br />
and fishes. Charpentier considers Simeon<br />
the only unobjectionable example. Other<br />
scholars reject all connexion. In any case the<br />
chief events <strong>of</strong> the life- birth, renunciation,<br />
enlightenment, and the death, the very items<br />
which might give strength to the comparison-<br />
disappear from the question. (247-248)<br />
Rather than going through all <strong>of</strong> these,<br />
I’ll just address some <strong>of</strong> the key ones. In the<br />
case <strong>of</strong> Simeon seeing Jesus at the temple,<br />
and Asita going to see the infant Gautama,<br />
regarding the Buddhist scripture (Nalakasutta<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Sutta-nipata), Thomas says, “It<br />
is clearly late, as is shown by the reference<br />
to the thirty-two marks; and as it is in general<br />
agreement with the Sanskrit accounts,<br />
there is nothing to prove that it is as early<br />
as the pre-Christian era” (39). <strong>The</strong> thirty-two<br />
marks refer to physical characteristics used to<br />
identify a potential Buddha. This is thought<br />
to be a later Mahayana development (K.R.<br />
Norman, 1983, Pali Literature: including the<br />
canonical literature in Prakrit and Sanskrit <strong>of</strong><br />
all the Hinayana schools <strong>of</strong> Buddhism, 42).<br />
James Kennedy (1917), in his article “<strong>The</strong><br />
Gospels <strong>of</strong> the Infancy, the Lalita Vistara and<br />
the Vishnu Purana”, addresses the walking<br />
on water parallel:<br />
<strong>The</strong> story occurs in the introduction to<br />
Jataka No. 190…in this case all we know<br />
is that the story <strong>of</strong> the monk, and the Jataka<br />
which follows it, were considered old<br />
enough to be included among 546 others,<br />
when the Jataka book was compiled in the<br />
fifth or sixth century A.D. (528)<br />
Regarding the multiplying <strong>of</strong> food parallel,<br />
Kennedy writes, “Like the story <strong>of</strong> the<br />
monk we have just discussed, it occurs in the<br />
introduction to a Jataka [No. 78], and is subject<br />
to the same comment” (529).<br />
Another parallel claim made regards the<br />
prodigal son stories <strong>of</strong> Buddha and Jesus. For<br />
an excellent description <strong>of</strong> the content differences<br />
in these stories, please see the following<br />
website: (www.comparativereligion.<br />
com/prodigal.html). This story in Buddhist<br />
scriptures is found in the Saddharmapundarika<br />
sutra. According to the following Buddhist<br />
website, the composition date <strong>of</strong> this<br />
volume is later than the composition <strong>of</strong> Luke<br />
(the gospel in which Jesus tells the story <strong>of</strong><br />
the prodigal son). Luke was Luke’s first volume,<br />
the second being the book <strong>of</strong> Acts (both<br />
<strong>of</strong> which are dated before 63 AD). Here’s the<br />
dating assigned to the Saddharmapundarika<br />
(also known as the “Lotus Sutra”): Contains<br />
elements <strong>of</strong> various eras. <strong>The</strong> final edition<br />
is believed to have taken place around 200<br />
CE, but a lot <strong>of</strong> later interpolations are found<br />
within it. <strong>The</strong> Buddha here is not a historical<br />
figure, but the manifestation <strong>of</strong> an eternal,<br />
abstract ‘Buddhahood’. Further, it contains<br />
the doctrines <strong>of</strong> ‘Expedient Means’ (upaya)<br />
and <strong>of</strong> the ‘One Vehicle’ (ekayana) www.akshin.net/literature/budlitsourcessanskrit.htm<br />
Shin Buddhism (a form <strong>of</strong> Pure Land<br />
Buddhism developed in Japan)<br />
This form <strong>of</strong> Buddhism has been thought<br />
<strong>of</strong> by many to be very similar to Christianity,<br />
because the end goal is a “pure land,” and<br />
achieving that goal is not based on self-effort,<br />
but through the merits <strong>of</strong> Amida Buddha.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are, however some serious differences<br />
between Christianity and Shin Buddhism.<br />
When seeking out a doctor, people want to be<br />
sure that the doctor’s training has taken place<br />
at a reputable school, that the doctor is basing<br />
the diagnosis on medical facts rather than just<br />
speculation, etc. When it comes to the soul,<br />
how much more important is it to establish<br />
the reliability <strong>of</strong> the source and the content<br />
<strong>of</strong> claims Looking at Shin Buddhism in this<br />
way, there are some serious insufficiencies:<br />
Dharmakara’s credibility: Dharmakara is<br />
said to have been a king who gave up his<br />
throne to become a monk and later became<br />
Amida Buddha. It is claimed he lived approximately<br />
65 billion years ago- using the<br />
time unit <strong>of</strong> a kalpa, which can also be interpreted<br />
as being “inconceivably long” (http://<br />
www.akshin.net/pureland/pl-purelandbuddhism-partone.<br />
htm). If this is the case, why<br />
did he wait until the 2nd century AD (some<br />
say the 2nd century B.C.) to reveal this plan<br />
<strong>of</strong> his pure land It seems rather suspect that<br />
this concept was not developed until after<br />
Siddhartha Gautama made his claims.<br />
Dharmakara’s limitations: Even if we are<br />
to believe this person existed, he was still just<br />
a man, who was preceded by another Buddha,<br />
and who spent approximately 22 billion<br />
years (apparently not as a man at this point),<br />
studying other Buddha lands, in order to<br />
develop his famed “Pure Land.” Already it’s<br />
apparent that he’s not on the same level as<br />
God Almighty as revealed in the Bible.<br />
No atonement: Shin Buddhists place their<br />
faith in Amida Buddha to secure salvation<br />
for them. Unfortunately, this is like trusting<br />
<strong>Moriel</strong> Thailand<br />
a homeless man to pay our million dollar bail<br />
to get out <strong>of</strong> jail. He barely has the means to<br />
sustain himself, let alone get us out <strong>of</strong> the jail<br />
caused by our sins. Anyone with their own<br />
sins to deal with (which is everyone, including<br />
Dharmakara if we are to suppose he existed),<br />
can only take the punishment for their<br />
own sins. Even then though, being imperfect,<br />
this bearing <strong>of</strong> sins can only fulfill justice.<br />
It can’t pay for salvation. Only Jesus, being<br />
God in the flesh, and sinless, could take the<br />
punishment for others.<br />
Shinran’s choice <strong>of</strong> patriarchs (focusing<br />
on the first patriarch): Shinran is the man<br />
who developed Shin Buddhism into what it<br />
is today. He lived in Japan from 1173- 1262<br />
AD. In an attempt to establish authority for<br />
his new interpretation <strong>of</strong> Pure Land, Shinran<br />
chose seven patriarchs: He acknowledged<br />
Sakyamuni Buddha as being the voice <strong>of</strong><br />
Amida Buddha, and then named the first patriarch-<br />
Nagarjuna, a man in India who lived<br />
from c. 150 AD- c. 250 AD . This wide gap<br />
from the time <strong>of</strong> Sakyamuni Buddha, to the<br />
time <strong>of</strong> the first patriarch (500 years, if not<br />
more) shows just how far removed from the<br />
original it is. Also, Nagarjuna is said to have<br />
had interactions with giant snakes, just as<br />
Sakyamuni encountered Mucalinda:<br />
Mahayana tradition explains the chronological<br />
discrepancy by contending that they<br />
were indeed taught by the Buddha to advanced<br />
disciples, but that he ordered that<br />
they be hidden in the underwater realm <strong>of</strong><br />
nagas (beings with snakelike bodies and human<br />
heads) until the time was right for their<br />
propagation. <strong>The</strong> legend further reports that<br />
the second-century philosopher Nagarjuna<br />
(fl. ca. 150 C.E.) was the person preordained<br />
by Buddha to recover and explicate the Perfection<br />
<strong>of</strong> Wisdom texts.<br />
After one <strong>of</strong> his lectures, some nagas approached<br />
him and told him <strong>of</strong> the texts hidden<br />
in their kingdom, and so Nagarjuna traveled<br />
there and returned with the sutras to India.<br />
This is a man who was taught by giant<br />
snakes! How can we entrust ourselves to such<br />
teachings What parents would leave their<br />
baby in the care <strong>of</strong> a cobra Half <strong>of</strong> Nagarjuna’s<br />
name is <strong>of</strong> Hindu origin, and the other half<br />
comes from his interactions with these nagas:<br />
When he preached the Dharma in the<br />
monastery park, the nagas performed acts <strong>of</strong><br />
reverence such as six <strong>of</strong> the serpents forming<br />
a parasol to shade him from the sun. Having<br />
thus become the Lord <strong>of</strong> the Nagas, the<br />
Acarya was named “<strong>The</strong> Naga”. Because his<br />
skill at spreading the Mahayana Dharma resembled<br />
the shooting speed and mastery <strong>of</strong><br />
the famed archer Arjuna, he became known<br />
as well as “<strong>The</strong> Arjuna”<br />
Shin Buddhism’s scriptures: Shin Buddhism<br />
is based on the writings <strong>of</strong> the seven<br />
patriarchs, as well as on the three primary<br />
texts: scriptures <strong>of</strong> this tradition [Pure Land<br />
in general] (which later became known as<br />
the Triple Sutras) appeared during the ini-<br />
March 2012 • <strong>Moriel</strong> Quarterly 25
<strong>Moriel</strong> Thailand– Continued<br />
tial period <strong>of</strong> the Mahayana movement. Two<br />
<strong>of</strong> them are <strong>of</strong> Indian origin and date from<br />
about the first century B.C. <strong>The</strong> third scripture,<br />
which dates from about the fourth century,<br />
exists only in a Chinese version.<br />
Apart from being late in and <strong>of</strong> themselves,<br />
Shinran, and other patriarchs made<br />
changes to the doctrines. Also, Amida Buddha<br />
is not even mentioned in the earlier Pali<br />
canon. <strong>The</strong> Pali canon itself is not exactly a<br />
history textbook, but it is closer to the time<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Sakyamuni Buddha.<br />
Pure Land’s change in status: One example<br />
<strong>of</strong> a changed doctrine is that originally<br />
the Pure Land was thought to be an intermediary<br />
place, ideally suited for obtaining<br />
nirvana. Later it was believed that the Pure<br />
Land is the end goal itself.<br />
In summary, trusting in Shin Buddhism is<br />
like playing soul roulette with every barrel<br />
loaded. <strong>The</strong> founder (Dharmakara) is probably<br />
entirely mythical. Even if we suppose<br />
he existed, he is so human that he could not<br />
have even saved himself. And, the record <strong>of</strong><br />
Shin Buddhism’s teachings speaks <strong>of</strong> relying<br />
on snakes and late, revised ideas.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Uniqueness <strong>of</strong> Jesus Christ as compared<br />
to Sakyamuni Buddha<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are over 300 prophesies about Jesus<br />
in the Old Testament (the most recent ones<br />
are 400 years B.C.; most are older than that).<br />
In Thomas’ book which gave a very detailed<br />
account, including perspectives from various<br />
schools, I found one prophecy at the time <strong>of</strong><br />
his birth, when it was said he would become<br />
a great king if he stayed in the palace, but<br />
would become a Buddha if he left. Also, the<br />
Buddhavamsa text contains prophecies by<br />
the previous 24 Buddhas. Although the Buddhavamsa<br />
is part <strong>of</strong> the Pali canon, Thomas<br />
refers to it as another example <strong>of</strong> “hagiographical<br />
industry” (xxi), and being in the<br />
Pali, it would have been composed after the<br />
death <strong>of</strong> Sakyamuni.<br />
Jesus had a forerunner to announce His arrival<br />
(John the Baptist - who was also prophesied<br />
in (http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Isaiah%2040.3,<br />
Isaiah 40:3)<br />
Jesus’ “mother” outlived Him (on earth,<br />
that is) [Buddha’s mother died seven days<br />
after he was born (Thomas, 33)]<br />
Jesus, being God in the flesh, created His<br />
“mother” and all people<br />
Jesus was born into a poor family (as<br />
opposed to Buddha’s royal upbringing- although<br />
it is in dispute as to whether Buddha<br />
was really <strong>of</strong> royalty)<br />
Jesus didn’t need teachers (whereas in<br />
the stories <strong>of</strong> the Buddha, he had several<br />
teachers, and words such as “searching” and<br />
“striving” are used)<br />
Jesus could “borrow” a tomb (He used it<br />
for less than three days)<br />
Jesus’ public ministry lasted for 3 years.<br />
Buddha’s lasted for 45 years<br />
Jesus died at age 33 (by crucifixion). Buddha<br />
died at age 80 (by unintentional food<br />
poisoning). This difference also has a bearing<br />
on recording the events <strong>of</strong> their lives. If<br />
two people died today at these ages (33 and<br />
80), in order to find eyewitnesses <strong>of</strong> these accounts<br />
for the person who was 33, we’d have<br />
to find people who were living around 1969<br />
to the present. For the person who was 80,<br />
we’d have to find people who were alive (and<br />
at least 10 years old, such that they would<br />
have a clear memory <strong>of</strong> the events) around<br />
1922. It becomes clear that there would have<br />
been far more eyewitnesses (both sympathetic<br />
and hostile- which meant the writers<br />
had to be accurate in their retelling <strong>of</strong> the<br />
events) for Jesus.<br />
Jesus is not one in a series <strong>of</strong> greats- rather<br />
He is completely unique- God in the flesh.<br />
Buddha, depending on which text is used<br />
was preceded by 6, 24, 54, or more than a<br />
hundred previous Buddhas (Thomas, 27).<br />
Jesus, though tempted, such that He could<br />
be understanding and compassionate, was<br />
completely sinless. Sakyamuni Buddha had<br />
many sins, as is evidenced by the many lives<br />
that are claimed for him (547 previous lives<br />
as recorded in the Jataka tales), in which he<br />
had to work <strong>of</strong>f his bad karma.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Pali Canon<br />
<strong>The</strong> Pali Canon is held to be the closest<br />
to the original teachings <strong>of</strong> Sakyamuni Buddha.<br />
Of course there are many other Buddhist<br />
scriptures besides the Pali Canon (such<br />
as Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Chinese scriptures).<br />
Earlier I mentioned that the Pali Canon is approximately<br />
15 times the size <strong>of</strong> the Bible.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Chinese Canon is approximately 120<br />
times the size <strong>of</strong> the Bible! (www.akshin.net/<br />
literature/budlitsourceschina.htm)<br />
Thomas in his biography <strong>of</strong> the Buddha,<br />
writes, “<strong>The</strong> earliest period at which we have<br />
evidence for the existence <strong>of</strong> a body <strong>of</strong> Scriptures<br />
approximating to the present Canon is<br />
at the third Council held B.C. 247…” (XlX).<br />
<strong>The</strong> reason he says “approximating” is because<br />
within the Pali canon some parts are<br />
considered to be much later than 247 B.C.<br />
Thomas goes on to say, “We have nothing,<br />
even in the Pali, at all like ‘the real facts <strong>of</strong><br />
the Gospel history’ to put in the place <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Sanskrit legend. We have merely other forms<br />
<strong>of</strong> the same legend, some earlier and some<br />
later” (XXlV).<br />
Amazing Grace<br />
Stephen H. Short was a Zen Buddhist<br />
for 13 years before turning to Christ. In an<br />
online article he retraces how he became involved<br />
in Zen and how he decided to leave.<br />
Here are some excerpts:<br />
I considered whether there might be truth<br />
beyond Zen that I would never find because<br />
through Zen I had lost all desire to look for<br />
it. Watching my desires and attachments appear<br />
and trying not to hold on to them, I also<br />
watched my attention becoming more and<br />
more focused on myself. Though we students<br />
bowed, chanted, meditated, ate, and slept together,<br />
we might just as well have been alone<br />
on a mountain top….<strong>The</strong> irony <strong>of</strong> becoming<br />
wrapped up in the self in order to lose the<br />
self was not lost on me. We were told that<br />
bringing our attachments to awareness was<br />
a prerequisite to letting them go. Might not<br />
increased awareness subtly lead to increased<br />
attachment Were we trading bondage to desire<br />
for bondage to self-absorption<br />
Jim Stephens was a Nichiren Shoshu<br />
Buddhist for 14 years. In his online account<br />
(www.equip.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.<br />
aspxc=muI1LaMNJrE&b=4127511&con<br />
tent_id=%7BAF924113-1C05-4D38-A299-<br />
D99331EA7FD2%7D¬oc=1) he gives<br />
the reasons for his departure from Buddhism<br />
and how he turned to Jesus Christ. Here are<br />
three excerpts:<br />
<strong>The</strong> accident report read, “Cause: Act <strong>of</strong><br />
God.” I was in a train station in Japan, making<br />
a pilgrimage to the head Buddhist temple<br />
Daisekiji at the foot <strong>of</strong> Mount Fuji, when a<br />
young man – in perfect English – warned:<br />
“Beware the winds <strong>of</strong> Himeiji!” Three and<br />
one-half hours later, I was leaning over to<br />
put some postcards into my travel bag and<br />
heard someone yell a warning in Japanese.<br />
<strong>The</strong> next thing I knew, a sign weighing<br />
nearly 200 pounds came crashing down on<br />
my back…I was painfully lost in a spiritual<br />
wasteland and was weighed down with sin. I<br />
realized that while Buddhism had benefited<br />
me in many ways, it ultimately led to a spiritual<br />
dead end. As a great wise man, King<br />
Solomon, once said: “<strong>The</strong>re is a way that<br />
seems right to a man, but in the end it leads<br />
to death” (http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/<br />
Prov.%2016.25, Prov. 16:25)…That night,<br />
my wife- a Nichiren Shoshu Buddhist for 16<br />
years- also believed. What grace!<br />
Lit-Sen Chang (1904- 1996) was a university<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essor at age 21, and his thoughts<br />
were influential among Chinese government<br />
leaders. In his Christian testimony he writes,<br />
“Though after my conversion I also wrote<br />
five million words as before my conversion,<br />
the fruits were different” (294). He goes on<br />
to say how feedback from his readers shows<br />
lives changed for the better. Some <strong>of</strong> his later<br />
books are “A Christian Critique <strong>of</strong> Humanism”,<br />
“<strong>The</strong> Spiritual Decline <strong>of</strong> the West”,<br />
“Transcendental Meditation”, “Comprehensive<br />
Christian Apologetics” (four volumes),<br />
and “Zen- Existentialism.” In his book<br />
“Asia’s Religions: Christianity’s momentous<br />
encounter with paganism,” he tells <strong>of</strong> how<br />
he became a Christian at age 50, after deep<br />
involvement with various Asian religions.<br />
Here’s an excerpt:<br />
I was intoxicated with Confucianism,<br />
Buddhism and Taoism as were many other<br />
Chinese scholars, and became the founding<br />
President <strong>of</strong> Kiang Nan University. <strong>The</strong><br />
Yung De-sheng family donated five thousand<br />
acres <strong>of</strong> land, beside the most beautiful<br />
lake T’ai Hu. This was to be the center <strong>of</strong> a<br />
26 <strong>Moriel</strong> Quarterly • March 2012
esurgence movement <strong>of</strong> Asian religions and<br />
culture. My purpose was to revive Asian religions<br />
and destroy Christianity. I was fortyfive<br />
years old. (290)<br />
Through a surprise change <strong>of</strong> plans he went<br />
to Indonesia instead <strong>of</strong> India, and was invited<br />
to the opening ceremony for a new church.<br />
This became the beginning <strong>of</strong> his life in Christ.<br />
Kaneki Masuda, <strong>of</strong> Omuta, Japan, became<br />
a Christian four and a half years ago. Here’s<br />
part <strong>of</strong> his story:<br />
I had been a Buddhist for 40 years. I did<br />
all <strong>of</strong> the many and varied ascetic practices<br />
<strong>of</strong> that religion, such as: standing under cold<br />
water falls, Zen practices, sitting in Zen meditation<br />
in the snow and ice, all-night meditations,<br />
fastings, etc. Furthermore, <strong>of</strong> the many<br />
sects <strong>of</strong> Buddhism, I chose to believe in the<br />
“Fudo”- the god <strong>of</strong> fire. In my own way, I<br />
endeavored to serve that sect. And, now, I<br />
suddenly realize I am 71 years <strong>of</strong> age.<br />
According to A Dictionary <strong>of</strong> Buddhist<br />
Terms and Concepts, “Fudo is a Buddhist<br />
deity who serves practitioners by defeating<br />
the obstacles and devils which hinder Buddhist<br />
practice…He is popularly depicted as<br />
an angry figure surrounded by flames, holding<br />
a rope and a sword.” Fudo is among the<br />
deities called myoo. <strong>The</strong> Kodansha Encyclopedia<br />
explains further:<br />
Myoo were originally non-Buddhist Hindu<br />
deities who were adopted into the pantheon<br />
<strong>of</strong> ESOTERIC BUDDHISM…<strong>The</strong> deities<br />
have been especially popular in Japan, chiefly<br />
since the introduction <strong>of</strong> esoteric Buddhist<br />
traditions in the 9th century…the most popular<br />
<strong>of</strong> the myoo is Fudo; the temple Shinshoji<br />
(Naritasan) in Chiba Prefecture is the center<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Fudo cult.<br />
When Mr. Masuda went to the hospital for<br />
an operation, he took with him a book (“From<br />
Buddhism to Christianity” by former Shin<br />
Buddhist priest Kamegai Ryoun) his<br />
daughter had given him. He explains:<br />
I was totally ignorant <strong>of</strong> Christ, but as I<br />
continued to read, I felt the depth <strong>of</strong> love and<br />
Christ’s sacrifice <strong>of</strong> Himself and his family<br />
to help others. I was half believing and half<br />
doubting, wondering if these things could<br />
possibly be true. Anyway, I couldn’t put the<br />
book down and read all night long. It was<br />
time for breakfast the next morning when I<br />
finished the book.<br />
<strong>The</strong> story goes on, and he was transformed<br />
by the amazing grace <strong>of</strong> Jesus Christ.<br />
Conclusion<br />
Jesus said, “He who is not with me is<br />
against me, and he who does not gather<br />
with me, scatters” (http://biblia.com/bible/<br />
nasb95/Luke%2011.23, Luke 11:23). Buddha<br />
is a false teacher. <strong>The</strong> teachings <strong>of</strong><br />
Buddha and Jesus cannot be mixed without<br />
causing a poisoning effect. To say that there<br />
are some good morals in Buddhism is not<br />
enough, when the spiritual effect is to poison<br />
the soul against God. If a glass <strong>of</strong> water is 99<br />
% pure water, and only 1% poison, it’s still<br />
fatal. Buddha is <strong>of</strong>ten thought <strong>of</strong> as a man<br />
who was a spiritual pioneer searching for answers.<br />
<strong>The</strong> picture is not quite as innocent as<br />
that though. He was also a man adrift on the<br />
fascination <strong>of</strong> his own status. In the Acchariyabbhutadhamma-sutta<br />
(<strong>of</strong> the Pali canon),<br />
Buddha and other bodhissattas are quoted as<br />
saying at their birth, “I am the chief in the<br />
world, I am the best in the world, I am the<br />
first in the world.” Also, in the Pali canon (in<br />
the Majjhima) he is quoted as saying, “Alone<br />
am I the All- enlightened.” This puts him<br />
beyond being a mere innocent seeker. And<br />
yet, in other places, Buddha takes more <strong>of</strong><br />
an agnostic view <strong>of</strong> things: “…the Buddha<br />
<strong>of</strong>ten declared that he was merely a ‘guide’<br />
(Dh 276), not an authority (D 2:100, 154),<br />
and that all propositions, including his own<br />
should be tested (A 1:188 f)” (New Light<br />
From An Old Lamp- 5 lectures by Tan Beng<br />
Sin, Piyasilo). He gave people mere speculations<br />
which in truth lead people farther from<br />
God and reality.<br />
Coming back to my opening remarks about<br />
the Buddha sitting on a giant cobra, this story<br />
is from the Udana <strong>of</strong> the Pali canon. Concerning<br />
the breaking <strong>of</strong> his bones for distribution,<br />
this story seems to be a legend developed later.<br />
Working out <strong>of</strong> the Mahaparinibbana <strong>of</strong><br />
the Pali, Thomas writes, “But the Mallas <strong>of</strong><br />
Kusinara in their assembly refused to make a<br />
division, as the Lord had attained Nirvana in<br />
their domain. <strong>The</strong>n the brahmin Dona counseled<br />
concord, and proposed to divide the relics<br />
into eight equal parts for each <strong>of</strong> the eight<br />
claimants” (155). <strong>The</strong>se relics are apparently<br />
his robe and bowl and such items, since the<br />
Buddha was said to have been cremated: “It<br />
burned without leaving behind any <strong>of</strong> the<br />
skin, flesh, sinews, or fluid <strong>of</strong> the joints, or<br />
any ash and soot” (155). <strong>The</strong>re are however<br />
two lists which mention five teeth as relics.<br />
By contrast, Jesus Christ is alive and well,<br />
and has the power to transform any repentant<br />
sinner. Our problem as humans is not that we<br />
have no SELF, as Buddhism asserts, but that<br />
our SELF is in rebellion against God. But God<br />
made us, and He knows what’s best for us.<br />
Our choice here boils down to the sure Word<br />
<strong>of</strong> God as revealed in the Bible, or the empty<br />
speculations <strong>of</strong> Buddhism. We are in fact<br />
commanded to make the right choice, and we<br />
are also shown demonstrable love in Jesus’<br />
crucifixion on our behalf, but we have the<br />
ten witnesses (the ten commandments) testifying<br />
to our guilt if we refuse. I want to ask<br />
you the reader, please make the right choice.<br />
Any questions or comments I can be<br />
contacted at: www.chukar@hotmail.com. If<br />
you’re writing for the first time, please send<br />
four e-mails <strong>of</strong> the same message, so I can<br />
easily spot it in my junk mail folder. After<br />
that I’ll add you to my safe-list.<br />
<strong>Moriel</strong> Thailand – Continued<br />
<strong>Jacob</strong> in thailand<br />
March 2012 • <strong>Moriel</strong> Quarterly 27
<strong>Moriel</strong> Australian<br />
Margret Godwin<br />
AUSTRALIANnews<br />
March, 2012<br />
Australian Report<br />
Greetings in the Name <strong>of</strong> Jesus. Well dear readers here we start<br />
another year – will this be the year that the Lord comes for us<br />
Oil in the Lamp!<br />
As I set this report it is only the third week <strong>of</strong> January but we<br />
need to have a decent lead time to allow for pro<strong>of</strong>ing, preparation<br />
& printing etc. I was thinking to myself why in this age <strong>of</strong> “instant<br />
everything” do we have to have what seems an excessive<br />
amount <strong>of</strong> preparatory time. Well <strong>of</strong> course the obvious reason<br />
being that as in all things for our Lord we want to give our best<br />
but you know me and my mind wandering and I put the Return<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Lord in place <strong>of</strong> preparatory times for this report. We want<br />
to do our best for the Lord and He even after giving His beloved<br />
Son to die for us, going on to leave His Holy Spirit to guide us<br />
still continues to give us opportunities to be in right standing with<br />
Him. Least He come and we are not ready – <strong>The</strong> Lamp is only<br />
quarter full <strong>of</strong> oil and the evening is early. BUT for how long<br />
Australia Day Celebrations<br />
Here in Australia we celebrate Australia Day on the 26th <strong>of</strong><br />
January. <strong>The</strong> stores are full <strong>of</strong> flags, flag aprons. flag paper plates,<br />
flag thongs (I cannot recall what you call them in the USA) and<br />
anything else they can sell with a flag imprinted on it. Like many<br />
other countries we celebrate (in our case) our freedom and good<br />
way <strong>of</strong> life, however, whilst the nation is celebrating we Christians<br />
are in mourning for the incredible country we used to inhabit<br />
– a land where our way <strong>of</strong> life, government, education &<br />
law was founded on Christian principles and here we are in 2012<br />
and Christ has been tossed aside – there is no reference to Him<br />
anymore. Now we are celebrating same sex marriages, abortion<br />
on demand, a divorce rate one <strong>of</strong> the highest in the world. Children<br />
having a parade <strong>of</strong> different mothers and fathers through<br />
their short little lives – where are the role models for these casualties<br />
– surely the time must be close!<br />
Quarterly Re-registrations<br />
Thank you to all those readers who returned their forms. Thank<br />
you also for your financial support, it is gratefully received and<br />
most importantly we thank you for your prayers for <strong>Jacob</strong> and<br />
the work <strong>of</strong> the Ministry.<br />
I must <strong>of</strong>fer an apology to our Australian readers who responded<br />
to the final reminder in the December issue – on the form it<br />
stated that all said forms must be returned by the 31st December<br />
2011 and what with the mail being closed for a week these flyers<br />
were not received until the first week in January 2012. I had<br />
some frantic mail with varying comments “sorry for the delay,<br />
please don’t remove us from the list, we just got this and so on”<br />
But the one I really love and I think it is the same one each year<br />
and it says “Are you mad, take me <strong>of</strong>f the list, that magazine is<br />
the only thing that keeps me going!”<br />
This one did make me laugh.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Public Secrets <strong>of</strong> How Life Really Works – Dr. Anthony<br />
Sasse<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are Four Laws that affect everyone.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Consequences <strong>of</strong> Unforgiven Sin.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Consequences <strong>of</strong> Living in a Fallen/Defective World.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Forces <strong>of</strong> Evil.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Law <strong>of</strong> Free Will.<br />
You can run, but you can’t hide from these.<br />
No Exemptions. Real laws, powerful.<br />
This article was published in the December issue (Australia)<br />
2011 and we had so much feed back I have asked the Quarterly<br />
Editor to run it in this International version.<br />
Overwhelmingly people were thrilled with the simple down<br />
to earth (easy to read) article. But even more than that, readers<br />
were thankful for the most timely warning – I certainly was personally.<br />
If this article is not published in this March issue please feel<br />
free to email me here at <strong>Moriel</strong> Australia and I will send you a<br />
copy, moriel@vic.australis.com.au<br />
I am including part <strong>of</strong> one <strong>of</strong> the letters received.<br />
Dear Dr Sasse,<br />
Thank you for that marvelous article you wrote for <strong>Moriel</strong>. It<br />
should be taught in all schools, just as it is. It covers everything<br />
so clearly & concisely, without any unnecessary rhetoric which<br />
pastors use to either pad out a sermon or show how learned they<br />
are. Often it results in one being lost in a dull haze <strong>of</strong> boredom,<br />
as one gets lost in the fluff.<br />
Everything anyone needs to know for basic Christian living<br />
according to God’s terms is laid out crisply and clearly. It really<br />
packs a punch, because it is so refreshingly uncomplicated. – no<br />
Churches, no Popes or Pastors – absolutely seriously no nonsense<br />
& it really does make sense. Congratulations!<br />
Please write some more wonderful articles like that for <strong>Moriel</strong>.<br />
You are a breath <strong>of</strong> fresh air.<br />
God bless you as you serve Him,<br />
Mrs A <strong>of</strong> Queensland<br />
Resource Catalogue – SPECIAL ADVICE TO AUSTRALIAN<br />
READERS<br />
In September we put out our first full print catalogue since<br />
2003 and have been overwhelmed by the response and the orders<br />
but to our Australian Readers I must explain that the “Resource<br />
Catalogue” that you get on the <strong>Moriel</strong> (www.moriel.org) site is<br />
only a small part <strong>of</strong> what we <strong>of</strong>fer. So to avoid any confusion<br />
please contact the <strong>of</strong>fice to get a copy emailed to you or a printed<br />
copy sent to your postal address.<br />
Contact: moriel@vic.australis.com.au or telephone 03 5633<br />
2300 – outside Australia, telephone: 61 3 5633 2300.<br />
Extra copies <strong>of</strong> the Quarterley<br />
Should you require extra copies on a regular basis please contact<br />
our <strong>of</strong>fice.<br />
Well dears it is time for me to close, to each <strong>of</strong> you my love.<br />
May the Lord hold you close to Himself.<br />
In His service<br />
Marg<br />
28 <strong>Moriel</strong> Quarterly • March 2012
Elon and Hadass Moreh<br />
<strong>Moriel</strong> Israel<br />
It’s Chilly Here . . .<br />
It’s winter here on the Mediterranean<br />
coast.UK readers will think we are somewhat<br />
“nesh” for feeling cold when its 15 Celsius<br />
at nights, especially when it’s about 24 degrees<br />
during the day, but we laugh in summer<br />
when we see the UK Weather Service<br />
calling 27 Celsius a “heat wave”. During<br />
the winter season here it’s too cold to have<br />
the mums and todds group on the terrace,<br />
and many <strong>of</strong> the children are now attending<br />
kindergarten After a certain age here kindergarten<br />
is compulsory because it is important<br />
for children to be speaking Hebrew, and that<br />
is subsidised. However, before that age fees<br />
can be expensive and can consume all the income<br />
<strong>of</strong> one wage earner in a family group.<br />
Some <strong>of</strong> our young couples need at the moment<br />
to have both husband and wife working,<br />
but cannot afford kindergarten to look after<br />
the children, so Hadass and I have agreed to<br />
take some children <strong>of</strong> families in the congregation<br />
in the afternoon to care for them<br />
so the mums can work. This is quite a commitment,<br />
but these young couples need help<br />
while they stabilise their financial situations<br />
and get established. Our first customer is a<br />
nice little chap but only speaks Portuguese<br />
at present. He is a good mimic though, and<br />
is rapidly picking up phrases in English like,<br />
“Oh Dear!” and “Gorgeous”. I can’t leave<br />
Hadass with all the care, all the time, so I<br />
have to sit with him sometimes. Consequently<br />
I can now recongise the Portuguese phrase<br />
for “Can I have a nappy change” (and notify<br />
Hadass that she is needed!) and the word for<br />
“mummy” (which he repeatedly cried out<br />
after falling over backwards and banging<br />
his head on the floor), and I am also developing<br />
a growing familiarity with “Thomas<br />
the Tank Engine” and “Bob the Builder.”<br />
I came across the national road accident<br />
statistics a few weeks ago. Way down the<br />
league Nahariya had only 500 with no fatalities.<br />
Unfortunately Hadass and I were involved<br />
in 0.5% <strong>of</strong> them. Careless motorists,<br />
either dreamboating, on mobile phones or<br />
driving too close, have rear ended us twice<br />
in 5 months when we stopped at pedestrian<br />
crossings, causing 16,000 Shekels worth <strong>of</strong><br />
damage. Thankfully it comes <strong>of</strong>f their insurance,<br />
not ours, but it does degrade the value<br />
<strong>of</strong> the car and even with a good repair does<br />
weaken it. It also makes you paranoid each<br />
time you pull up at a red light or crossing.<br />
Another two rear-enders and the insurance<br />
company will probably write the car <strong>of</strong>f,<br />
not something ideal, as the vehicle is only 4<br />
½ years old and new cars are hideously expensive<br />
here. Your prayers for protection on<br />
the roads would be appreciated as our van is<br />
somewhat indispensable.<br />
We are still carrying on serving in the believing<br />
community here. Praise the Lord, the<br />
number <strong>of</strong> people needing food assistance<br />
from the congregation has dwindled, so that<br />
has lessened our load in that area. However,<br />
now I am running a small Bible study group<br />
on a Wednesday and have agreed to teach<br />
someone else on another day as well. Please<br />
pray for these things.<br />
A Few Puzzling Phrases<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are some phrases in Scripture that<br />
at first glance seem puzzling. Sometimes<br />
it’s good to follow the rabbit trails <strong>of</strong> Scripture<br />
and search out things that interest us. I<br />
thought I would just share with you one rabbit<br />
trail I went down recently, and hope that<br />
it interests you, too.<br />
“Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our<br />
Lord, which was made <strong>of</strong> the seed <strong>of</strong><br />
David according to the flesh; And declared<br />
to be the Son <strong>of</strong> God with power,<br />
according to the spirit <strong>of</strong> holiness, by<br />
the resurrection from the dead:”<br />
“<strong>The</strong>refore let all the house <strong>of</strong> Israel<br />
know assuredly, that God hath made<br />
that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified,<br />
both Lord and Messiah.” (Acts 2:36)<br />
<strong>The</strong> first question that comes into our mind<br />
here might be: “Hasn’t Jesus always been the<br />
Son <strong>of</strong> God from eternity” And hasn’t He<br />
always been the Messiah from eternity too<br />
Why did He need to be made Messiah and<br />
declared Son <strong>of</strong> God” Yes, <strong>of</strong> course that is<br />
absolutely true. Jesus always has been God.<br />
One reason that we can have problems with<br />
a text is because sometimes we approach it<br />
thinking what it ought to say, without letting<br />
Scripture speak for itself. Not every Scripture<br />
about sonship or Messiahship is dealing<br />
with the same aspect <strong>of</strong> it and we also need<br />
to properly define the terms “Son” and “Messiah”<br />
before we rush to interpreting the text.<br />
I would say Peter is almost certainly referring<br />
here to Psalm 2. “<strong>The</strong> kings <strong>of</strong> the earth<br />
stand up and the rulers take council together<br />
against the LORD and against His Anointed<br />
(Messiah).” As for Paul, in Acts 13 is an example<br />
<strong>of</strong> one <strong>of</strong> Paul’s sermons, albeit in somewhat<br />
compressed form, and we actually see<br />
Psalm 2 again in connection to this very concept<br />
<strong>of</strong> resurrection, ascension and Sonship:<br />
“And when they had fulfilled all that was<br />
written <strong>of</strong> him, they took him down from<br />
the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre.<br />
But God raised him from the dead: And<br />
he was seen many days <strong>of</strong> them which<br />
came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem,<br />
who are his witnesses unto the<br />
people. And we declare unto you glad<br />
tidings, how that the promise which<br />
was made unto the fathers, God hath<br />
fulfilled the same unto us their children,<br />
in that he hath raised up Jesus again;<br />
as it is also written in the second psalm,<br />
Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten<br />
thee. And as concerning that he<br />
raised him up from the dead, now no<br />
more to return to corruption, he said on<br />
this wise, I will give you the sure mercies<br />
<strong>of</strong> David.”<br />
At first glance this passage seems a strange<br />
March 2012 • <strong>Moriel</strong> Quarterly 29
<strong>Moriel</strong> Israel– Continued<br />
one to teach <strong>of</strong> the resurrection <strong>of</strong> the Messiah<br />
from the dead, and this is a separate and very<br />
interesting question in itself. However on a<br />
merely human level, the term “son” is used<br />
<strong>of</strong> Israel’s king in some contexts in the Scriptures,<br />
just as Israel is termed the LORD’s son<br />
in some passages. This usage <strong>of</strong> the term in<br />
some contexts implies a covenantal rather<br />
than natural relationship. We can also see<br />
that some <strong>of</strong> Jesus’ contemporaries understood<br />
this passage as referring to kingship at<br />
least in a human sense (unfortunately they<br />
understood it only in this way). If we take<br />
a look at Jesus’ trial we see the following:<br />
“But Jesus held his peace. And the high<br />
priest answered and said unto him, I<br />
adjure thee by the living God, that thou<br />
tell us whether thou be the Messiah, the<br />
Son <strong>of</strong> God. Jesus saith unto him, “Thou<br />
hast said: nevertheless I say unto you,<br />
Hereafter shall ye see the Son <strong>of</strong> man<br />
sitting on the right hand <strong>of</strong> power, and<br />
coming in the clouds <strong>of</strong> heaven.” <strong>The</strong>n<br />
the high priest rent his clothes, saying,<br />
He hath spoken blasphemy; what further<br />
need have we <strong>of</strong> witnesses behold,<br />
now ye have heard his blasphemy. What<br />
Think ye <strong>The</strong>y answered and said, He<br />
is guilty <strong>of</strong> death.”<br />
Notice the words: “tell us whether thou<br />
be the Messiah the Son Of God”. <strong>The</strong> only<br />
place in the OT where the terms Messiah and<br />
Son appear closely together is in Psalm 2.<br />
Jesus was charged on oath to declare as to<br />
whether he was the promised Messiah King<br />
<strong>of</strong> Psalm 2 or not. <strong>The</strong> Sanhedrin clearly<br />
understood Psalm 2 and “Thou art my Son<br />
this day have I begotten <strong>The</strong>e”, in light <strong>of</strong> the<br />
previous verse “Yet have I set my king on my<br />
holy hill”. In other words they recognized it<br />
as referring to an appointment to kingship. It<br />
is probably because <strong>of</strong> this reason that Jesus<br />
avoided using the term “Son <strong>of</strong> God” in certain<br />
company, because it would have created<br />
unhelpful expectations in the people. <strong>The</strong><br />
problem with the Jewish authorities was that<br />
their understanding stopped there, they did<br />
not join up the dots with Psalm 2’s companion<br />
psalm.<br />
Jesus however did.<br />
Notice also how Jesus pulls in another<br />
term, “seated at the right hand <strong>of</strong> power”.<br />
This is a clear allusion to Psalm 110 long<br />
recognized even then as a Messianic psalm:<br />
“<strong>The</strong> LORD said unto my Lord, sit thou at<br />
my right hand until I make thine enemies<br />
the footstool <strong>of</strong> thy feet”. Jesus made it even<br />
more explicit as to what He meant by referring<br />
to Daniel 7’s “Son <strong>of</strong> Man” motif. <strong>The</strong><br />
Sanhedrin tried to “stitch up” Jesus before<br />
Pilate on the grounds that He claimed to be<br />
a king in opposition to Caesar, but this was<br />
not the grounds on which they themselves<br />
condemned Him. <strong>The</strong>y condemned Him for<br />
blasphemy when He claimed to be Messiah<br />
and Son <strong>of</strong> God, not just in the human sense<br />
<strong>of</strong> being king <strong>of</strong> Israel (as they understood it),<br />
but in the fullest sense <strong>of</strong> the word (see Hebrews<br />
1)—possessing divine nature and authority,<br />
the very Son <strong>of</strong> Man whose kingdom<br />
and dominion is everlasting, who comes on<br />
the clouds <strong>of</strong> heaven and who sits at the right<br />
hand <strong>of</strong> power, the One who is both David’s<br />
Lord and also priest for ever after the order<br />
<strong>of</strong> Melchizedek (Psalm 110:4).<br />
Jesus was the first to connect Psalm 2 and<br />
110 together to give a fuller understanding <strong>of</strong><br />
the nature <strong>of</strong> the Messiah, and thereafter we<br />
see them repeatedly referred and alluded to<br />
by the apostles.<br />
If we understand parts <strong>of</strong> both Psalm 2 and<br />
110 in terms <strong>of</strong> taking up <strong>of</strong> authority and<br />
<strong>of</strong>fice, it connects well with Daniel 7:12-13<br />
which Jesus referred to in His trial: “One like<br />
the Son <strong>of</strong> Man came with the clouds <strong>of</strong> heaven,<br />
and came to the Ancient <strong>of</strong> days, and they<br />
brought him near before him. And there was<br />
given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom,<br />
that all people, nations, and languages,<br />
should serve him” this also corresponds to<br />
what we find in Acts 2, which at first glance<br />
seemed a little strange because it says Jesus<br />
was “made” both Lord and Messiah and lo<br />
and behold, we see Psalm 110 also.<br />
“This Jesus hath God raised up, where<strong>of</strong><br />
we all are witnesses. <strong>The</strong>refore being<br />
by the right hand <strong>of</strong> God exalted,<br />
and having received <strong>of</strong> the Father the<br />
promise <strong>of</strong> the Holy Ghost, he hath<br />
shed forth this, which ye now see and<br />
hear. For David is not ascended into<br />
the heavens: but he saith himself, <strong>The</strong><br />
Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my<br />
right hand, Until I make thy foes thy<br />
footstool. <strong>The</strong>refore let all the house <strong>of</strong><br />
Israel know assuredly, that God hath<br />
made that same Jesus, whom ye have<br />
crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”<br />
(Acts 2:32-36)<br />
And we see also this appointment concept<br />
in Hebrews 5:5-6:<br />
“So also the Messiah glorified not himself<br />
to be made an high priest; but he<br />
that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to<br />
day have I begotten thee. As he saith<br />
also in another place, Thou art a priest<br />
for ever after the order <strong>of</strong> Melchisedec.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> author <strong>of</strong> Hebrews weaves the “thou<br />
art my Son etc.” Originally connected with<br />
kingship in Psalm 2, together with “a priest<br />
after the order <strong>of</strong> Melchisedec” in psalm 110,<br />
thus showing us that Jesus’ ascent to kingship<br />
and priesthood are linked, in the apostle’s<br />
thinking, and from Peter’s and Paul’s<br />
sermons and letters we see that this appointment<br />
was connected with Jesus’ resurrection<br />
and ascension. If we remember also Jesus’<br />
own words where He likened Himself to<br />
someone who went on a journey to receive a<br />
kingdom (Lk 19:12), then we can see that in<br />
one aspect Romans 1:4, “declared to be Son<br />
<strong>of</strong> God” could refer to his receiving <strong>of</strong> His<br />
kingdom and entering into His High Priestly<br />
ministry. <strong>The</strong> problem is that we are used to<br />
seeing Messiah as a title only, but it also describes<br />
a state <strong>of</strong> being, or <strong>of</strong>fice, so in many<br />
places it is translated “anointed”. Thus Saul<br />
was described by David as “His (that is the<br />
LORD’s) anointed (messiah)” using exactly<br />
the same construction in Hebrew as in Psalm<br />
2:6. If we remember that both kings and<br />
priests were “anointed” into <strong>of</strong>fice this adds<br />
the finishing piece to our puzzle as how Jesus<br />
was “made” Messiah and “declared” to<br />
be the Son <strong>of</strong> God.<br />
Finally, we would just ask your prayers<br />
for the up building <strong>of</strong> the believing community<br />
in our town, for the LORD’s blessing<br />
on the work here, and that there would be<br />
many opportunities to share the Gospel with<br />
our friends and neighbors and people we just<br />
meet. Also, that the new facility and even our<br />
homes would be places <strong>of</strong> blessing and filled<br />
with the LORD’s presence, and for growth<br />
both numerically and in godly character and<br />
faith <strong>of</strong> us all. May the LORD bless you all.<br />
Elon and Hadass<br />
moriel’s<br />
prayer<br />
closet<br />
A Small corner <strong>of</strong> rest from the chaos<br />
and tumult <strong>of</strong> the world around us....<br />
“But thou, when thou prayest, enter<br />
onto thy closet, and when thou<br />
hast shut thy door, pray to thy<br />
Father which is in Secret; and thy<br />
Father which seeth in Secret will<br />
reward thee openly.”<br />
– Matthew 6:6 –<br />
“If two <strong>of</strong> you shall agree in touching<br />
anything they shall ask, it shall<br />
be done <strong>of</strong> them by my father which<br />
is in heaven.”– Matthew 18:19<br />
• Prayer - Persecuted church in Viet Nam<br />
30 <strong>Moriel</strong> Quarterly • March 2012
- After speaking at Mennonite, student, and<br />
Hmong churches we did an evangelism trip<br />
into Burma with our <strong>Moriel</strong> team from Northern<br />
Thailand. <strong>The</strong> government <strong>of</strong> Myanamar<br />
(Burma) is just liberalizing very slightly. We<br />
were also able to distribute food parcels to<br />
the poor and homeless in that verydesperate<br />
country in addition to gospel tracts in Burmese<br />
and preaching the good news <strong>of</strong> Jesus<br />
openly in the marketplace. We have an ex<br />
Buddhist monk from Myanamar from a family<br />
<strong>of</strong> opium growers now following Jesus<br />
and helping us. We also visited Laos where<br />
two pastors were just released from communist<br />
prison. Thanks to the goodness <strong>of</strong> God<br />
working through the prayers and generosity<br />
<strong>of</strong> our readers and friends we were able to<br />
set up a secret printing press in Vietnam and<br />
print thousands <strong>of</strong> illegal bibles in the Hmong<br />
language last week. We met secretly with one<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Hmong leaders in Thailand outside <strong>of</strong><br />
communist jurisdiction.<br />
Unfortunately today we received an “SOS”<br />
from the underground church we support and<br />
assist and who pastors and evangelist we<br />
do training seminars for among the Hmong<br />
mountain tribal people. <strong>The</strong> English in this<br />
transmission is very poor but you can understand<br />
the appeal for prayer. One evangelist<br />
we trained has been arrested and tortured<br />
by the communist authorities for preaching<br />
Jesus and the situation appears desperate.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y released him temporarily after 18 days<br />
so others can see what they did to him as an<br />
apparent deterrent to preaching Christ but he<br />
has apparently been rearrested. We cannot<br />
include certain details for security reasons.<br />
Please pray for his release from prison and<br />
for his protection. <strong>The</strong> believers in the Hagiang<br />
region are also experiencing extreme<br />
difficulty and poverty. Please stand with us<br />
in prayer for them.<br />
• PrayER - <strong>Moriel</strong> & <strong>Jacob</strong> Prasch request<br />
prayer for S’phiwe <strong>of</strong> EBYOWN, he<br />
was 15 yesterday. He will be going for a few<br />
blood tests next week, white cells not as they<br />
should be, he’s not gaining weight and he has<br />
some opportunistic fungal stuff on his body.<br />
• PrayER - <strong>Moriel</strong> & <strong>Jacob</strong> Prasch request<br />
urgent prayer for Chuck Smith, founder <strong>of</strong><br />
Calvary Chapel. Chuck Smith announced on<br />
New Years Day he has been diagnosed with<br />
lung cancer requiring a biopsy this week followed<br />
by pulmonary surgery. Chuck , now in<br />
his mid eighties, is a friend <strong>of</strong> <strong>Jacob</strong> Prasch<br />
with whom he has shared conference platforms,<br />
and a friend <strong>of</strong> many people in <strong>Moriel</strong>.<br />
We request prayer for his health at this time<br />
and for <strong>The</strong> Lord’s wisdom and guidance for<br />
his physicians.<br />
• PrayER - <strong>Moriel</strong> & <strong>Jacob</strong> Prasch request<br />
prayer for Pastor Steve Mitchell, a friend <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Moriel</strong> in Virginia, who is battling Leukemia.<br />
Steve is a fairly young gentleman originally<br />
from Hawaii. He is undergoing a variety <strong>of</strong><br />
therapies including chemo and is in considerable<br />
discomfort. We pray that in His mercy<br />
<strong>The</strong> Lord will graciously intervene.<br />
March 2012 • <strong>Moriel</strong> Quarterly 31