Tag Archives: Resurrection

Ezekiel 37, Matthew 24, Revelation 6–7: Putting Pieces of the Prophetic Puzzle Together

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Ezekiel 37 Explained: On Bones, Earthquakes, Wind, Angels, Revival and the Second Coming

Ezekiel 37, The Reunification of Israel and The Return of the Messiah. Before we start studying this passage, let’s identify and define the key players who are mentioned in Ezekiel 37. They are:

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  • Judah: This name refers to both the tribe of Judah and to the southern kingdom. Scriptural context will determine which is meant.
  • Children of Israel: This term is found 603 times in the Scriptures and is used 472 times from Genesis through Second Samuel in obvious reference to the united kingdom (prior to the split of the northern ten tribes from the southern two tribes [in addition to the Levites]). There are times, however, when, after the division of the kingdom, this term refers specifically to either the kingdom of Israel (i.e., the northern kingdom) or the kingdom of Judah (i.e., the southern kingdom), but not to both (e.g. in reference to the southern kingdom only see 1 Kgs 18:20; 19:10, 14; 20:15,  27,  29; and in reference to the northern kingdom only see 2 Kgs 17:7,  8,  9,  22,  24).
  • Joseph: He was the eleventh son of Jacob and the father of Ephraim and Manasseh, who fathered two tribes of their own (i.e., the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh). These two tribes took the place of what might otherwise have been known as the “tribe of Joseph.”
  • Ephraim: This name is used 180 times in the Tanakh (Old Testament) and is referring to this specific Israelite tribe or as a metaphor for the northern kingdom of which the tribe of Ephraim was the leading and largest tribe (Isa 7:9, 17; 9:9; 11:13; Ezek 37:19; Hos 4:17; 5:12,  13,  14; 6:4; 7:1; 10:11: Zech 9:13). When blessing the two sons of Joseph, Jacob placed his right hand of power and strength upon the head of Ephraim signifying the position of primogeniture for him and his descendants (Gen 48:17).
  • House of Israel: This term is used 146 times in the Scriptures. Prior to the division of the united kingdom after the death of Solomon, this phrase referred to all twelve tribes of Israel. Afterwards (during the time of the prophets) it was used in contradistinction to the phrase “house of Judah” in reference to the northern kingdom. In the Testimony of Yeshua (the NT), Yeshua makes reference to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt 10:6; 15:54). In some references in the Testimony of Yeshua, this term refers to all twelve tribes of Israel (Acts 2:36; 7:42; Heb 8:10), while in some biblical passages it refers to just the northern kingdom (Heb 8:8). The context of the passage of the scriptures surrounding this phrase determines its meaning.
  • Mountains of Israel: This is a poetic metaphor referring to the twelve tribes of Israel (Ezek 34:13, 14; 36:1,  4,  8; 37).

Ezekiel 37:1–14, The vision of the valley of dry bones. Ezekiel 37 continues where chapter 36 left off by giving us two prophetic visions focusing on the (spiritual) rebirth and reunification of the nation of Israel. The first part of the chapter recounts Ezekiel’s vision of the Valley of Dry Bones, while the second half of the chapter is his vision of two sticks or trees being reunited and becoming one tree.

Both prophetic visions concern the same people: the whole house of Israel comprised of Continue reading →

 

When did the early church begin celebrating Easter?

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Matthew 28:1, When did the early Christians first celebrate a day commemorating the resurrection of Yeshua?

Although the resurrection of Yeshua the Messiah is a biblical and historical fact, it’s celebration (known as Easter), is neither commanded in the Scriptures, nor was it celebrated by the original disciples of Yeshua. It is purely an invention of the church, and that eventually replaced Passover! Here are the facts:

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In A History of Christianity (vol. 1), Kenneth Scott Latourette states that notice of Easter as a festival occurs in the middle of the second century, but that festivals commemorating the resurrection of Messiah were presumably observed by at least some Christians from much earlier times (p. 137). Philip Schaff also attributes the beginning of the Easter festival to the middle of the second century (History of the Christian Church, vol. 2, p. 207). He states that the Christian Passover naturally grew out of the Jewish Passover, as the Lord’s Day (Sunday) grew out of the Sabbath. “It is based on the view that Christ crucified and risen is the centre of faith. The Jewish Christians would very naturally from the beginning continue to celebrate the legal Passover, but in the light of its fulfillment by the sacrifice of Christ, and would dwell chiefly on the aspect of the crucifixion. The Gentile Christians, for whom Continue reading →

 

New Video: The Resurrection of the Dead to Immortality

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Nearly all humans long to fear death and long to live forever. The question persists deep in the heart of all people, is this physical life all there is, or is there life after death? How can one conquer death and the grave and acheive immortality? Is there something beyond this physical life that’s better? This video, based on the truth of the Bible, answers these question.

 

When Is the Rapture or the First Resurrection and Who Will Be In It?

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1 Thessalonians 4:17, Be caught up. Do I believe in the rapture? Yes, but not as many in the Christian church teach it. For them, the resurrection of the righteous dead occurs before the great tribulation — called the pre-trib rapture.

As you probably know, the word “rapture” is from a Latin word for being “caught up” (or resurrected) as found in 1 Thess 4:17 — “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air …” Therefore, a better question to ask would be, do I believe in the resurrection of the dead? Most emphatically I do. The only question is when do I believe the resurrection will occur? As far as I can tell, there are only three obvious answers to that question: before the great tribulation (as much of the Christian church teaches), after the great tribulation, but before the wrath of Elohim is poured out on the earth (what I believe) or after the great tribulation and the wrath (which is what some believe, including some Messianics), which is called the “post trib” position.

The word “caught up” is the Greek word harpazo (Strong’s 726/TDNT 1:472) which is used 13 times in the NT (Matt 11:12; 13:19; John 6:15; 10:12,28,29; Acts 8:39; 23:10; 2 Cor 12:2,4; 1 Thess 4:15; Jude 23; Rev 12:5) and means “to seize, carry off by force, to snatch out or away.” It is found in the NT 13 times and is translated in the KJV as “catch up, take by force, catch away, pluck, catch, pull.”

Of the 13 places this word is found in the NT here are the places where its usage is analogous to that of 1 Thess 4:17—

  • Acts 8:39, The Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip…
  • 2 Cor 12:2,4 Paul is caught up to the third heaven/paradise in a vision …
  • Rev 12:5, The child (Yeshua) is caught up unto God … This is speaking about Yeshua’s bodily resurrection after his death.

So yes, I believe in the “rapture” or more accurately, being caught up to heaven, or resurrected. The only question is the timing of the resurrection. That’s what I explain in my teaching entitled, “The Tribulation, the Great Tribulation and the Wrath of Elohim,” which you have.

The Resurrection of the Dead — A Fundamental Doctrine of the Gospel

The concept of the resurrection of the dead is a fundamental biblical concept and one of the main doctrines underlying the gospel message as the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews states:

Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Messiah, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward Elohim, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. (Heb 6:1–2)

What Is the Rapture?

The concept of the rapture has bandied about in the church quite a lot in recent years. Continue reading →

 

Part 2 — Revelation, the Fall Feasts and the Second Coming

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This video correlates Matthew 24, the Book of Revelation and the fall biblical feasts as they relate to the seocnd coming of Yeshua the Messiah, the resurrection of the saints, the tribulation, great tribulation and wrath of Elohim in the end times.

 

New Video: The Book of Revelation, the Fall Feasts and the Second Coming (pt 1)

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This video correlates Matthew 24, the Book of Revelation and the fall biblical feasts as they relate to the seocnd coming of Yeshua the Messiah, the resurrection of the saints, the tribulation, great tribulation and wrath of Elohim in the end times.

 

Three Thousand Years in Three Verses

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Hosea 5:15–6:3, I will go and return to my place. This passage is a clear prophecy concerning the resurrection of the righteous dead of which Messiah Yeshua is the first to raise.

Verse two contains a Hebrew parallelism, which is a Hebraic literary device where the same thought is expressed differently back-to-back. The word revive is the Hebrew word chayah and is the basic Hebrew root verb meaning “to live or to have life.” The word raise up is the Hebrew word quwm meaning “to rise, arise, stand, stand up.” According to The TWOT, the basic meaning of this word “denotes rising up from a prostrate position (e.g. Josh 3:16).” YHVH is speaking here in the broader context of this passage concerning his Messianic role as the lion of Judah (Rev 5:5). After presenting himself as such to both houses of Israel (Ephraim [i.e., the Christians] and Judah [i.e., the Jews]) at his first coming, verse 14 states that Messiah would “go away … and none shall rescue him.”

Then in verse 15 we read that, “I [Messiah speaking] will go and return to my place till they [Ephraim and Judah] acknowledge their offense and seek my face ….” (This refers to Yeshua’s absence from the earth between his first and second comings.) What is their offense? Isaiah 8:14 states that that which offends both houses of Israel is “the stone of stumbling and … rock of offence.” Who is this Rock of offense? Verses 8 and 10b identifies it as Immanuel (El with us), which is one of the titles of the Messiah. The Christians have stumbled over Yeshua, the Written Torah-Word of Elohim made flesh, saying that the Torah-law has been done away with, while the Jews have stumbled over the Yeshua, the Living Torah, declaring that he can’t be the Messiah.

However, after two days (i.e., 2000 years) YHVH will revive us or resurrect the righteous dead of Ephraim and Judah or those who have been grafted into the olive tree (a metaphor for Israel, see Jer 11:16; Hos 14:6) or into the commonwealth of Israel through Messiah Yeshua (see Rom 11:16–26; Eph 2:11–19) the end of the age. This occurs on the third day, or in the third millennia from the time of Messiah’s first coming (or approximately in the year 6000 from the beginning of creation) when he will raise up (or resurrect) the righteous redeemed of Ephraim and Judah at his second coming.

As Messiah Yeshua raised from the dead on the third day becoming the first of the first fruits to raise from the dead (1 Cor 15:20, 23), even so, he will resurrect his saints at his second coming on the third day (or the third millennia after his “going away” after his first coming).  After that, he shall “go forth” and “shall come unto us” (i.e., the second coming) very much alive to lead his people during the Messianic Age (Millennium).