One crucial things about prophecy, though often ignored, is the consequence of the "falling away." On my part, understanding the consequence gave me a better picture of what is to come.
I believe that the falling away is total, and the lost of the word of God amongst the people is total. This is the reason why Christ warned:
The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it. And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them.(Luke 17:22-23)
I believe that it was this lost of the vision of Christ that Christ himself said, "And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not:" (Mark 13:21) Such blindness is total that we ought not believe "any" man.
The prophesy in Amos 8:11-12 is surely related to it, saying:
11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: 12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD,and shall not find it.
From this issue of blindness that would come, it give sense why Christ spoke of calling "other fold" that is not part to the apostles and disciples (John 10:16). There was a cut off of the believers's knowledge of Christ. The first fold had been part of the blindness. While, on the other hand, Isaiah prophesied, "The Lord GOD which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him (Isa 56:8). Isaiah gives us a good reason why Jesus spoke of other fold: God will gather others besides those that are gathered unto Christ.
But who are these whom God will gather?
Paul was clearly spoke about how God will make Israel jealous with a gentile nation (Romans 10:19-21) Obviously, this prophesy has yet to be fulfilled before their time; for, as Paul was saying, salvation only comes to the Jews when the Jews had fallen(Rom 11:11).
Even Christ himself was clear on this, saying to the Jews, "The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof" (Matt 21:43).
And this is what James said at the council at Jerusalem:
Acts 15:14-17
14 Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. 15 And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, 16 After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: 17 That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.
James is quite clear about God calling gentile people in the future. It is quite noting that he was not speaking about Jews here. The reason is, as Paul noted in Isaiah 65:1-2, that when the Gentiles accepted God, yet God was still stretching his hand unto the rebellious Israel, (israel was then still rebellious). On the other hand, not(e) also that the tabernacle of David was fallen, and seem to imply that these gentile people will be from whom God will raise the tabernacle of David. Isaiah also prophesied of this:
Isa 60:10
10 And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee.
Obviously, the above prophesy speaks of a time after Israel had fallen away!
I believe that the falling away is total, and the lost of the word of God amongst the people is total. This is the reason why Christ warned:
The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it. And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them.(Luke 17:22-23)
I believe that it was this lost of the vision of Christ that Christ himself said, "And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not:" (Mark 13:21) Such blindness is total that we ought not believe "any" man.
The prophesy in Amos 8:11-12 is surely related to it, saying:
11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: 12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD,and shall not find it.
From this issue of blindness that would come, it give sense why Christ spoke of calling "other fold" that is not part to the apostles and disciples (John 10:16). There was a cut off of the believers's knowledge of Christ. The first fold had been part of the blindness. While, on the other hand, Isaiah prophesied, "The Lord GOD which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him (Isa 56:8). Isaiah gives us a good reason why Jesus spoke of other fold: God will gather others besides those that are gathered unto Christ.
But who are these whom God will gather?
Paul was clearly spoke about how God will make Israel jealous with a gentile nation (Romans 10:19-21) Obviously, this prophesy has yet to be fulfilled before their time; for, as Paul was saying, salvation only comes to the Jews when the Jews had fallen(Rom 11:11).
Even Christ himself was clear on this, saying to the Jews, "The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof" (Matt 21:43).
And this is what James said at the council at Jerusalem:
Acts 15:14-17
14 Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. 15 And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, 16 After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: 17 That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.
James is quite clear about God calling gentile people in the future. It is quite noting that he was not speaking about Jews here. The reason is, as Paul noted in Isaiah 65:1-2, that when the Gentiles accepted God, yet God was still stretching his hand unto the rebellious Israel, (israel was then still rebellious). On the other hand, not(e) also that the tabernacle of David was fallen, and seem to imply that these gentile people will be from whom God will raise the tabernacle of David. Isaiah also prophesied of this:
Isa 60:10
10 And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee.
Obviously, the above prophesy speaks of a time after Israel had fallen away!
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