Timeline of Israel
Key Passage: Genesis 12:1-3
Date: June 7, 2024
Turning your Bibles, if you would, to Genesis chapter number 12. Genesis chapter number 12. And it’s already been good to be in the house of the Lord.
I enjoyed it. I think Brother Glenn, Brother Ted enjoyed playing along with that too, you know. That’s great.
Genesis chapter number 12. And if you have the little hand down, it’s on the back table if you want to get it. It’ll tell you what we’re doing in this series. We’re calling it “End Times Unraveled.” And, of course, next Sunday is Easter. We’ll focus on that. But then after that, we have… “The Great Reset.” That’ll be an interesting one. I hope you’re here for that. And then “Life During the Millennium” and then “Road Signs of Nearing the End” and “The End of Time.” So that’s kind of the way it’s going to go as far as this end-time thing. But today we’re talking about Israel. Israel, the epicenter. It’s really the center of this end-time thing.
Anyone not get this chart here? If you did not get that chart, just raise your hand for ushers to get it. Thank you, Usher, for working at that. We want everyone to have it. We’ll have it on the screen, but it’ll be helpful for you to have it in hand also. And I’m going to go ahead and turn those off. And Genesis chapter number 12, and when you get that chart, if you don’t have it, we’re going to start at the very beginning. This is the beginning of Israel. It’ll be the top left-hand corner of your chart.
You might want to write and don’t show on there or whatnot, but not to each other. All right. Now, write notes about the message here on it. But we’re starting at the very beginning. This is when Israel started. The nation Israel today, it started right here in Genesis chapter number 12 of the Word of God.
Would you please stand if you’re able to, just to show the Word of God respect? And we’d like to give respect to God’s word. It deserves it, for sure.
And Genesis chapter number 12 and verse number one right there, Genesis 12 and verse number one. And the Bible there says, “Now the Lord had said into Abram”—and by the way, later on became Abraham—“Get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred and from thy father’s house unto a land that I will show thee.”
Brother Marlin, it’s good. It just seems like my voice is projected about a mile away. I like it when we’re just talking face-to-face. I don’t know if you can do anything to help that or not. I’d appreciate that. Help with it a little bit there.
Verse number two, verse number two, and “I will make of the a great nation.” That’s Israel today. “And I will bless thee,” I’m talking to Abraham, “and make thy name great.” By the way, it’s amazing, Israel, in all the countries around, the Muslim countries around, they all like to be associated back with Abraham. I’ve witnessed to you a lot of Muslims, and they all like to be associated with Abraham. And that’s what the Bible is talking about. He says, “I’m going to make your name great.” Everybody likes to kind of be associated with Abraham in the Middle East, and meaning American. “And I’ll make thy name great, and thou should be a blessing.”
Now, let me just say a word. Well, we’ll go. That should be a blessing. This is important for American countries to understand here. Verse number three: “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee.” Now, this is interesting. The word of God is just every word is so important. Notice, and he says, “And curse him.”
When our president was President Obama, I did not like some things he did when he kind of shunned Israel. Supposed to meet with him. He didn’t show up for the meeting and decided, “I’m going to go eat,” while we’re supposed to be meeting with him. I wasn’t happy about that at all. And it was encouraging to me when I realized someone pointed it out to me. He says, “And curse him that curseth thee.” That was encouragement to me. God singles that out. “And in these shall all the families of the earth be blessed.”
Now, what should be about all the families of the earth be blessed? Because through Abraham and his descendants, David, eventually here, Jesus was born through Mary. See? And, of course, we have the Bible through the Jewish race also. Romans tells us that. But through the nation of Israel, he said, “Look, you’re going to get the Savior.” By the way, that’s why Satan hates Israel, one of the reasons. That’s why all this semantic hatred of Israel goes on. That’s very demon involved in that. Hitler and so many that has oppressed and killed them millions over the years. Satan’s behind all that because through that, through the Jewish race came our Savior Jesus. We got the Bible through that, and it’s a blessed nation. That’s what we’re talking about there. But we’re just going to try to do a little bit of history at the beginning. We’re going to use your chart a lot. Then we’re going to get into more in the end times a bit. So hang on through that if you would, please.
Let’s pray. We’ll get going here. Lord, would you help this? Father, it is a little bit of a study. I think it’s what you want. But, Lord, help me not to focus so much on the study. We’re not really making it real and personal to your people. Father, would you make the message personal and special parts? Lord, would you make it real to each individual here this morning? Lord, would you bless it? Forgive me if I want to act like I’m a good preacher and all that. Lord, I know I’m not. I just, I yield to you. They don’t need me; they need you, Lord. And they need your word and your Spirit flowing through your word. So, Lord, would you do that? Lord, help me just kind of get out of your way and you work, and let them see and feel in no youth of the message this morning. And Father, we’ll thank you and brag on you and praise you for what you do. Lord, we’re asking for this based on the merit of Jesus, Father, so I’m asking in faith for that. And it’s Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Thank you so much for standing. You may be seated.
If you number, I’ve got it numbered on my little chart here. That one on the top left there is the beginning of Israel, what we just read, the Abrahamic Covenant. It’s repeated and enhanced a little bit later on. We’ve got a date there: 2100 BC. Some would argue about that. I wouldn’t get caught up too much in the details there. Now we’re just going quick.
Now the next thing on the timeline of Israel is really before it was even formed into a nation. I remember Joseph got sold, and they were over there in Egypt altogether for 430 years, but 400 years of bondage. All right. And we’re in Wednesday night, we’re talking about right now with the 10 plagues in Moses, and God delivered them out. And they did eventually get over to the promised land, the land of Canaan, and they were over there for hundreds of years. That’s the number three right there. And the book of Joshua—I love the first part of Joshua—it just covers victory after victory after victory, and they’re taking that promised land. And for Ohio, they had a rule by God, if you will, the bureaucracy. Then they had the judges, 13 different judges. And then they wanted the king to be like all the other countries, right? Problem when God’s people want to be like the world, and they wanted to have a king, and God warned him that’s going to be trouble. And Saul was the first king; it didn’t go so good. David, of course, a great king, but Solomon, and then split kingdom and all that. That’s that’s covered here.
And then along in here—and this isn’t drawn to scale—but right along in here, there’s a lot of prophets: Isaiah and many others before the captivity. Prophets said, “Hey, Israel, get right, or else judgment’s coming.” They did not listen. And so they did. Judgment came, 586 BC. Captivity started. And just Babylon came in and just wiped out Jerusalem and Israel just beat them, and took several different times. They deported, or they took many of the Jewish people back over to Babylon. Daniel was over in Babylon when God used him to pen the book of Daniel, Ezekiel, and some of these other books, the exiled prophets, if you will: Jeremiah, Lamentations, a part of that. And then after that, they started coming back. Remember Cyrus? He said, “Hey, you’re allowed to go back,” and even blessed that. That was kind of the beginning of it. They came back. And Ezra, Nehemiah is part of that section there. But they came back and they rebuilt the Second Temple. First Temple was built way over here under Solomon, and it was wiped out here. But then they built the Second Temple, and the Jewish people were coming back to the land of Israel.
Y’all with me? Just a little bit of history here. Y’all with me here? I hope a chart kind of helps you get it in your mind as you’re reading the Bible, maybe to help you kind of follow it a little bit better. I hope we’re not getting too detailed and redundant, if you will. I’m trying to seek the Lord how much to cover it all that, how much is to preach, if you will—you know, what does God want? But the Second Temple, they built that.
Then over here in 63 BC—now, of course, before Christ, all right, and closer to get to Christ, the numbers go down—so a little bit before Christ’s time, Rome comes in, and they just wipe out, if you will, or conquer Israel. And they really just come in. That’s why during the time of Jesus, Rome was in rule. Well, that had happened in 63 BC. And Herod was one of those leaders. And Herod really, he helped build—the temple’s already built—but then he just really massive expansion of it. That’s why often the Second Temple is called Herod’s Temple. Okay? That was the temple that was around there in Jesus and the Apostles’ time. That was that temple.
63 BC. Then up here, number 7, if we’re following numbered wise, is the time of Christ here on earth. It doesn’t exactly match with the calendar, probably about 4 BC somewhere on there when Christ was born. And, of course, we got Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the Gospels that cover Jesus’ life here on earth.
You remember that Jesus was there and his apostles, and they came out of the temple there, and they were saying, “Boy, Jesus, look at this massive temple here, this temple.” And Jesus said, “Fellas, look, one day there’s not going to be one stone upon another.” Remember Jesus said that? And then he kind of changed his subject. He wasn’t too impressed with all that. And that’s when he gave the Olivet Discourse, and it kind of gave some instructions about all that. And, oh, that was when today would be Palm Sunday, if you will. That’s when Jesus, he rode into Jerusalem on the donkey, a young donkey. Of course, Zechariah 9 had prophesied about that. And they had the palm branches out there. And usually we call it, we call it Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. And can I be honest with that? That’s not really accurate. It wasn’t triumphant. Now, it was Jesus’ formal presentation of himself as the king to the nation of Israel. But the sad thing is, they rejected him. And it was a very significant—today would be significant, if you will—all those years ago. I mean, he was coming in, and it was very significant. The Jewish people at that time, they understood what was going on. He came in on a donkey, and there was a little history with that, Maccabees and whatnot, but we won’t get in all that. But they knew he was coming in, presenting himself, and as a whole, as the Bible said, “He came into his own, and his own received him not.” Very significant moment leading up to him going to the cross. He’s coming in presenting himself as Jewish, the king. They rejected it as a whole, though many there that day. Remember the Pharisees? They weren’t happy about it. “Don’t you hear what they’re calling you?” Jesus said, “Yeah, I understand fully.” The Pharisees knew what was going on. And they’re saying, “You’re the Messiah. If you’re the Messiah, you’re God.” Jesus was like, “Yeah, I understand. If they stopped saying it, the rocks would cry out.” That was all going on on Palm Sunday. It was very significant. As a nation, they were rejecting Jesus. And it was a very turning point there. At the time of Christ, of course, you know, a couple days later, they crucify our Savior. Praise the Lord, three days later, he rises again. Amen.
And a little bit after that, you remember, though, Acts chapter 10, the focus of the gospel changed. It doesn’t mean a Jewish person can’t get saved, but the focus of the gospel changed from Jewish people to the Gentiles. Remember Cornelius and Peter and all that? And Acts chapter 10, it’s a very big shift of everything. All right? It’s because Jesus came to his own, but his own received him not. See, and there’s a change. All right. So that’s here.
And this next thing right along here is very significant also. It’s AD 70, so a little while after Christ’s death, burial, resurrection. And Rome, remember, they were oppressing Israel. And there had been a little bit of a victory on some of the Jewish people, and they had… They had took Jerusalem. The Jewish people had. And that was kind of their stronghold. Israel said, “Hey, the rally point was in Jerusalem. We’ve got the control.” Many Jewish people came to Jerusalem, kind of like we’re defeating Rome right here. But that infuriated Rome, okay? And so this Roman general Titus, he came in and he besieged the city. And they think there was about 100,000 Jewish people that really were inside. They were just kind of shoulder to shoulder almost, but that was their strong point. But when this Roman, he brought in military, and he was ready to go at it, you know, and he besieged, he surrounded the city. And if anybody slipped out of Jerusalem, tried to get away, they were killed. Some say they’re crucified. And they cut down so many trees; they were killing so many to crucify, and they just looked like there was no trees left. Josephus talks about that a little bit. Anyway, so eventually Titus, they take the city of Jerusalem. And Josephus, this historian, writes about it. He talks about the blood. They began to—the Jewish people, a lot of factions there—were killing each other even before he marched in. He said the blood was running down the steps of the temple. And they set fire—there’s fire in Jerusalem—and there’s so much gold and silver in the temple there, and the fire was there that they say the gold and silver was melted, and when it melted, it flowed down between the cracks of the stones of the temple. So when Rome came in and they fully captured, really the temple there—not the wall, the Western Wall you see today, but the temple there—and they said, “Man, that gold got down in there.” They literally took every stone and they lifted. They moved it. And that’s what Jesus had said: “Hey, there won’t be one stone left upon another here in the temple.” And that was fulfilled in AD 70. Because there was Roman military, they said, “We’ve got to get all the gold out.” So they took all the stones off. You understand? And it was fulfilled. Of course, everything Jesus says happens.
And then after this, after this, really they’re getting spanked because they didn’t recognize their Messiah. So destruction and judgment is coming. And after that, the Jewish people get dispersed really around the world. And Israel, somewhat as far as a nation of land, is just not there anymore. It’s gone. All right.
Look over in Luke chapter number 21 for just a minute here. We’re going to try to slow down somewhere along here. But look at Luke 21. And I want you to see this verse number 20, I think. The Gospel of Luke is really talking more about AD 70. There’s further fulfillment going to happen, but Luke is getting in here AD 70, of course, before it happened. But look in Luke 21. Look in verse number 20 here. And it wants to look at Luke 21:20. “And when ye shall see Jerusalem come past with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.” Now, it is talking about future, even after AD 70, but I think Luke really gets AD 70 a lot. Now look verse number 24, Luke 21:24: “And they shall fall by the edge of the sword and shall be led away captive into all nations.” Notice that, all nations. That’s what happened in AD 70. They were dispersed. They were taken all over the world. By the way, it wasn’t just Hitler that killed Jewish people; they’ve been killed by so many, slaughtered over the years. They were taken away captive into all nations, “and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.”
Now God’s saying, when the time of the Gentiles—what’s that? We often call that the Church Age. The gospel is focused on us, for the most part. People that are getting saved in our day and time are Gentiles. We’re the church; we’re the bride of Christ. And he said, “Look, when this Gentile bride gets full and you’re getting to the last, there’s going to be one day the last one’s saved.” He’s saying Jerusalem’s not going to be trodden down anymore. And by the way, today it’s not trodden down. There’s still a controversy going on, especially the Temple Mount. We’ll talk about that. But you understand the Bible’s been fulfilled, and Christ could come back any time, even when it comes, talking about the nation of Israel. So we’ve got this here: the destruction of the temple, the Jewish people are scattered all around the world, all right?
And now we’re coming down here more into modern day Israel, the bottom of your chart—forget your chart there—the first one on the left and the bottom there: “Regathering of Israel.” All right? God told us that he’s going to regather them. Let me just read it. I want you to stay in Luke 21 if you would. Let me read for you Isaiah 43, verse number five. He says, “Fear not, for I am with thee. I will bring thy seed from the east and gather thee from the west. I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Keep not back. Bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth.” There’s talking about the regathering. There’s plenty of others. There’s talking about the regathering of the Jewish people back to the homeland of Israel. All right. That’s what God said. That’s going to happen. All right.
Now, we had already mentioned so much of the killing of the Jewish people. Of course, World War II is the big thing: Hitler and the Holocaust. How many Jewish people did Hitler kill in the Holocaust? What was it? Six million, right? They just slaughtered. There’s people in this building this morning that have been over to Germany and been in some of those showers they call it, and they would just send Jewish people in there, and they’re going to give them a shower, and they would turn the gas on, and they’re just gassing them. They’re just dead bodies, millions of them. And people here this morning have visited those places and seen where those just sad things in World War II. And of course, praise the Lord, the right side won World War II, and that really a little bit just began to come to light all that had happened. All this tragedy and the killing and the murder is becoming—the world began to find out more and more what happened in the Holocaust. And that incited a little bit of sympathy for the Jewish people. And many Jewish people were allowed and helped to come back to the nation or the Middle East where Israel is today. And they gathered about 650,000—some people say a little different—but about 650,000 Jewish people were coming back to the Middle East where Israel is today. And really a miracle, a total miracle, that the Jewish people—I mean, can you imagine for over 1,850 years, Jewish people were scattered all around the world? Typically, when that happens, it doesn’t take too many generations; they’re just gone. They’re just melted in with everybody else. But the Jewish people, that didn’t happen. Way over 1,800 years later, Jewish people began to come back by the thousands, and they gather back in their homeland of Israel. And then in 1948, they muster up enough military strength—just amazing that they could come back to their land, that they stayed together as a people. They came back, and they became a nation again in 1948.
Would you show that? I think it’s image number one, just when Israel becomes a nation again. Here it is: May 1948. And by the way, praise the Lord for our president at the time. He said, “Hey, I’ve been to Sunday school enough to know we better—we better be good to Israel.” Eleven minutes after they said, “We’re a nation,” our president said, “Yet we’re honoring it. We’re the first nation of the world. We’re going to honor that.” By the last, we just read it, Genesis 12. Let’s show image number two, if you would, please. This is still the regathering of the Jewish people. This is April 1st, 2023, so just very, very recent. 31% increase in Jewish immigration to Israel so far this year. Wow. And that’s just another sign of the time. I mean, they’re a nation now, not all of that, but the regathering. God said, “I’ll bring them from the east and west and south and north,” and they’re coming. Look at image number three, if you would, please. I think it just a little bit shows the same thing. Image number three, image number three. Here it is: Four reasons why so many Jews moved to Israel in 2021 in one concern. 2021, a lot of them moved back. I was just like, whoa. I mean, so I’m just kind of showing you how the Bible has been fulfilled and still is being fulfilled in the regathering of the Jewish people to the nation of Israel. So 1948, they became a nation, they’re still regathering, and then 1967. Help me out, what happened in '67? Six Days. It’s amazing. Six-Day War. Can you believe it? Would you show me the next image there, Brother Marlin? I think it would be image number four, if you would. Six Days, 1967 War, six days that changed the Middle East. Here’s an amazing thing. Would you show me that next one? I think it’s one of these here coming up. Image number five. All these nations around: Egypt was here and here, very large. Israel just very small at the time. Jordan, this nation here, Syria—they were the three big ones and others involved—but they all came against Israel. And I thought, “Man, Israel’s going to be wiped out.” Wow, all these nations around there. But in six days, Israel just total defeating these other nations. The world was like, “Wow, how did this happen?” God just really blessed Israel in an amazing way. So many stories about the Six-Day War. There’s a story where Israel had fake tanks, like balloon blow-up tanks, and yet they fell for it. Well, they got a bunch of them. We’re not going to go there. They weren’t even real. I mean, just amazing times how God really blessed the nation of Israel. That’s how it happened: six days. And the nation was like, “All right, oh, wow, we can’t believe this,” you know. Everybody expected to be the total opposite of that. But six days. Now, here’s the thing that’s significant about the sixth day. Well, would you go back? You’re already in Luke 21. And when you look in verse number 24…
Because really in 1948, when Israel became a nation, but they did not have Jerusalem. I think it was Jordan had control of Jerusalem. Then on the Six-Day War, Israel took Jerusalem right here. I think maybe the next slide. Would you go to the next one, Brother Marlin? Would you please, sir? Yes. So here’s before the war, you see Jerusalem here. But after the war, Israel kept—they took and they kept Jerusalem right there. Now, some of this they gave back to Egypt. They gave some land up. They gave back, and some of this kind of partial Palestinian portion Israel controls up here in the Golan Heights and whatnot, and the West Bank also. But they kept—Israel kept Jerusalem. You see, that’s significant because Luke 21:24 said, “Hey, Jerusalem in time of the Gentiles of the Church Age, Jerusalem will not be trodden down.” And it’s not. Israel has control of Jerusalem. Say that’s very significant in the Six-Day War. And I hope I’m not losing you. A lot of history, a little different for a Sunday morning message. But I want you to see how the Bible has been fulfilled about the nation of Israel. Okay. So we really have covered history up to this point, all right? But now we’re about to step into the future.
Can we go back to the chart, Brother Marlin? Back to Israel’s timeline there? And we’re right here, we’re right here somewhere along here. Everything’s been fulfilled, and it’s the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled: the rapture of the church, the trump of God will sound, “the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which remain shall be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air.” The rapture is about to happen is what I’m trying to say. By the way, the future here after this, all the problems and tribulation period, we won’t be there for that. We’re delivered from the wrath to come. Amen. I had to worry about all that. So we don’t know the day or the hour, but the rapture is about to take place. We’re about to be out of here. The song we sang this morning, I can’t remember what it was, but the people left you on the second row, getting ready to leave. Yeah, we’re about—that’s what that song’s all about right here, about getting ready to go up to heaven right there, the rapture. All right? We don’t know, but I’m just trying to show you what all history’s happened, it’s ready, fulfilled. By the way, we’ll see things that are getting formed about to happen, so that shows us kind of—Brother Kyle and Miss Tina, they came up from Alabama this morning, this morning, last night, this morning they did, they drove up. And as they were coming up, 65, they would see this mile marker and it would say Nashville or Tennessee, you know, 30 miles or 40, 50 miles, and they know they’re getting closer. So we’ll see a lot of signs. It’s not going to be fulfilled until after we’re raptured out, but we’ll see we’re getting close to that. And we’ll know 20 miles before the Lord comes back. You understand? So that’s a little about what we’re doing right now. So I want you to see that. But the rapture is the next big thing.
After the rapture, the next big thing on the prophetic calendar right along here is the Antichrist confirms or signs a seven-year peace treaty with Israel. We’re not going to read it this morning. We’ve read it already, but it’s Daniel 9:27, talks about that. Now, a lot of people are like, “Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, how in the world can a man come on the scene and get there to be peace in the Middle East? Can that really happen?” Well, he’s Satan-empowered, for one thing. And then can I just show you a couple things that are happening and have happened in our day and time?
Can we go to image number—oh, what would it be? It would be image number seven, if you would please. Image number seven. This is our president at the time, Jimmy Carter, and this is Egypt’s prime minister/president, this is Israel’s prime minister right there. And this is what was called the Camp David Accords in 1978. And people thought, “Well, that’s never going to happen,” but actually Egypt and Israel and America is sitting down together. There’s several days it took. It happened here in America and the negotiated peace. By the way, that peace, for the most part, it’s held. Remember last week we talked about Ezekiel 38? Y’all still out there? I hope. I’m sorry. These messages are tough for me. I don’t know how much to kind of just preach. I’m going to teach all of it, trying to get it right. But if you remember, we said all these nations are going to gather against Israel, but the Bible did not list Egypt over there because they had peace. Well, that started here, all right, and it’s held true, probably part of the Antichrist confirming. Notice, I put on there—it’s my fault I put on there on the chart you got in front of you there—I put in there “signs,” but actually the Bible says “confirms.” It’s kind of like it was already going happening. He confirmed it. I tend to think it started with the Camp David Accords, all right? Now that happened in 1978, several years ago. What’s going on now?
Well, would you look at image number eight? Brother Warner, can you get this? Image number eight right there. And right here, this is the Abraham Accords that was signed in September 15, 2020. Actually, Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, negotiated it. And there’s a lot there about that. But you got President Trump, you got Netanyahu, Israel, you got the United Arab Emirates, and you got Bahrain—I’m trying to say it right—Bahrain, and very small. But that’s where Trump negotiated peace with these, and Jared Kushner. And it’s holding. Can we go back to that map that’s on there, Brother Marlin? We’ve got a map on there. And just the map of the Middle East we used last week. We’ll see if we can get it there. And I want you just see—here we go, here we go. So we got Israel. You see how small Israel is, all these nations around. The Six-Day War, we’re trying to wipe them out: Egypt, Jordan, Syria—complete victory of Israel. But now we got these, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain. Iran is right along here, and Trump got them to sign a peace contract with Israel. We’ve already got peace with Egypt. So just kind of showing you how these things are developing. And now Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel—he wasn’t in power for a while, right? Like the last day of last year, he came back in power. And one of the big moves he’s trying to do is what you show us, image number 10, Brother Marlin. Image number 10. Netanyahu—that’s Israel—bringing Saudi Arabia into the Abraham Accords would be a quantum leap. Now, I understand just recently there’s been a little shift there, and China has tried to negotiate Iran and Saudi Arabia getting together, and somewhat that’s happening. I think it would be a temporary thing, but that’s going on in the news a little bit right now, so I understand that. But Netanyahu has made it very clear that he wants to bring Saudi Arabia into these Abraham Accords, and he says if he does that, that’s going to bring peace to the Middle East. Can we look at the next image there, Brother Marlin? Image number 11. “Establishing ties with Saudi Arabia will end Israel-Arab conflict,” Netanyahu says. Now, you understand, right after the right after the right—so what’s going to happen? The Antichrist confirms a seven-year peace contract with Israel. I’m just trying to show you how all these things are getting formed, ready to go. They’re happening. I don’t know when the Lord’s going to come back, but I’m simply saying all the props are in position and the lights are about to come on. And we’re getting ready for the Lord to come back.
Not only that, on your little chart here, we’re on the Antichrist. Let’s go back to the chart with you, Brother Marlin. Go back to that chart. Thank you, Brother Marlin. You’re doing a great job with all these changes. But we got this peace contract. Then over here, the Third Temple is built and sacrifices reestablished. The Temple Mount. Daniel 9:27 talks about that. Now, so the Third Temple being rebuilt. How many ever heard of the Third Temple? What do they mean when they talk about the Third Temple? It will be rebuilt because Daniel 9:27 tells us that the Antichrist will let the Jewish people start to sacrifice again in the temple. All right? Well, here’s the problem. Here’s the problem with this. Would you go back to—would you go to image number 12, Brother Marlin? Image number 12. Here’s a problem on the Temple Mount: there’s the Dome of the Rock, Muslim—this nation of Israel here. There’s three major religions of the world that really fight over that, if you will: there’s Judaism, Christianity, because you see that’s where Abraham took his son, Isaac, his only son, and wanted to offer him up on Mount Moriah, that’s it. And I said, “No, no, no, no, no, there’s a ram. Don’t kill him.” Remember that? That happened there. Solomon built his first temple there; the Second Temple was there. So, of course, Israel, Christianity would say we want the Third Temple there. But the Muslims, they have the Dome of the Rock there. And the Muslims say that’s where Muhammad—he had a little—not always the same story, but they’ll say what Muhammad, some will say, was transferred from Mecca over to right there, the Dome of the Rock, and then he went up and he met with God, had an encounter with God there, so it’s one of their holy sites. So that’s how you had this conflict, this fighting there on the Temple Mount. Jerusalem, Israel has control of it, but Israel had signs, and they let the Muslims come in there. It is controlled by the IDF, the Israel Defense Forces, the Israel’s military, but they’re allowing them. So that’s a battle over. That’s a problem. All right?
Look over Revelation 11 real quickly. Revelation 11 real quickly here. And I think this may be some of the answer to the problem: How can we have build the Third Temple there when the Dome of the Rock and so much fighting is going on there? The Bible’s got everything. It nails everything 100% correct. The Bible does. It’s always right. Now I want you to see what the Bible says about it. Revelation 11, look at verse number one. Revelation 11, verse number one.
And he says right there, “And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.” Watch this: “But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles.” The Dome of the Rock, if you will. “And the holy city shall they tread underfoot forty and two months”—three and a half years, half of the tribulation period. So I want you to just kind of understand, it’s not quite as hard as many say, “Well, they can never build the temple there on the Temple Mount.” Yeah, because the court’s not part of it. Just the temple, see. Let’s go to the next image, if you would, please, there. The next image, just a little bit more of that. There it is right there, so you can see there is much room for just the temple to be built beside. By the way, you realize Jesus prophesied, “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.” Everything in the Bible is there for a reason. “All nations,” Jesus said. He’s quoting from the Old Testament. All that will be fulfilled. So the Third Temple—is anything going on with the Third Temple? Let’s look at image number 14 if you would. Image number 14. Many, many sites on the internet like this: “Third Temple Home,” “Guided toward the Temple Mount.” “Join for free to build the Third Temple in Jerusalem.” “Why join the construction of the Third Temple?” And so on. And they’ve taken money. Many temple institutes and so many other things going on right now about the Third Temple. Let’s look at image number 15, if you would please. Image number 15: “The Temple Institute.” They’re getting everything ready for the Third Temple. Image number 16, if you would, please. Image number 16. We’re going to go quick for just a second here. “The temple vessels are ready for the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s third level.” They’ve got all the instruments ready. They’ve been working on this for years, years and years. Look at the next one. I think the next one, what is it? 17, Brother Marlin. “Israel’s priests prepared for the Third Temple.” Man, their priests, they’ve got them prepared, trained. They understand how to offer the sacrifices. They’re working on this stuff for a long time. They’re ready for the Third Temple. Image number 18, if you would, please. “From Texas to Israel.” Brother Anthony, you say amen right there. Amen. Texas, you know. “From Texas to Israel, red heifers needed for temple arrive.” You say, “What’s the deal about these red cows or heifers? What’s that?” Well, the Bible tells us over in Numbers when they are going to start offering sacrifices in the temple, they kind of sanctify it; they cleanse it with a special sacrifice, a red heifer. It has to be spotless, without blemish, and so on. They did not have red heifers for years and years and years and years, years, but now they have them, and they’re shipping them to Israel. I mean, this is one of the rabbis expecting it and trying to find out if it doesn’t have a blemish, would it measure up? I’m telling you, friend, everything’s ready to go. Red heifers are there. They have all the instruments. They’re already building many things for the Third Temple. And so things are just moving right along for Jesus to come back.
Y’all still with me out there? I feel like I was monotone just trying to get down the railroad tracks to some point. I hope you stuck with me through all that.
But, friend, I hope you see the reality of the Bible. And I’m not manipulating the Bible. We’ve been showing it for weeks. Everything’s ready for Jesus to come back. It’s all fulfilled. You look at it from Ezekiel 38—we did last week. You look at it about Israel today. You look at every angle, and it’s just primed and ready. Spring is about here. How many of you have cut the grass in your yard already? Wow, I’m shocked. A lot of you have already. Man, spring, summer is coming. That’s kind of where we’re at with Jesus coming back. The Bible says we’re not children of darkness; we don’t know the day or the hour, but we ought to know this season. And you can see the blooms, the buds, the sun’s coming up, the grass is turning green, everybody’s getting their lawnmowers out. That’s the way it is with Jesus coming back. Now, very briefly, we’re out of time, but let me just ask you: Are you ready? When Jesus comes back, let me talk for just a minute here. When Jesus comes back, are you going to go up, or are you going to be left here? Friend, it’s reality; it’s coming. You read the Bible, you read the papers, they line up. There’s just no way. No other race has ever been dispersed for thousands of years and came back like Israel, but Israel did. They’re a nation, and they got Jerusalem. It’s all there. No history can show me in other people exactly—there’s just no way. But God told us these things what happened, and they have happened. You see fruit.
Let me ask you this: Jesus said, “Ye must be born again” for you going to see the kingdom of God. My mom, you know, carried me for about nine months. But boom, there was a moment when I was born. And you too. Do you have a moment when you were truly born again? Well, I went to church for a while. I turned over and left for a while. I’m for all those things, but that’s not what I’m talking about. Was there a moment? You need a moment when you went to Jesus and you were truly born again, you were saved. I’m not saying you need to know the date. I don’t know the date that I got saved, but I have a day and a time in my mind when I know I went to Jesus Christ and I was saved. And, friend, you need a day and a time when you were saved. It’s not a matter of “I made a change in my life. I’m a pretty good person. I’m kind of people. I go to church.” It’s not a matter of all that. You must be born again. There needs to be a time when you are truly born again. You were saved. That’s what Jesus said. If I’m going to be ready, there must be that time when I was born again. I’m in some moment. I’m changed. John 5:24: I’ll change from death unto life, the Bible says. Born again. Are you ready? Do you have a time, a place? Could you tell me where it was at? You might not remember everything about it, but can you tell me, can you—I don’t know if I was—I was around eight years old, maybe seven, eight—but I know I can take it to the place. It wasn’t at church. Do you have something like that? Revelation says they overcame him, the devil, they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. You need a word of your testimony. It says when I went to Jesus, I was born again right here.
Number one: Do you have a time and a place? Number two: Salvation is a decision. There may be a lot of emotions. There may not be a lot of emotions. It’s different for everybody. Some are more emotional, some are not. That’s not the thing, but it’s a decision when you take all of your faith—Ms. Barb, can I borrow that for just a second here? You take all your faith as far as getting into heaven, and you say, “I can’t save myself. I’m going to put all of my faith in Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone.” And you place all your trust, all your faith in Jesus to get you to heaven. That’s when you get saved. It can’t be one ounce of what you do and how good you are and your baptism, your church membership. It can’t be anything. You take every bit of your faith and you say, “Jesus, you’re my only hope to get to heaven. I’m calling on you,” and you place it on. That’s how you get saved. I’m not trying to be mean, but if you didn’t do that, if you thought it was all this other, friend, you’re not saved. It’s when you take every bit of your faith and you put it on Jesus to save. That’s how you get saved. Many, many times, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” That’s not just John 3:16. Some of our enemies say, “Well, you’re just John 3:16.” Sixty-seven times in the book of John, it says, “Believe.” It’s all over the Bible for it. The faith Romans use, Old Testament uses “trust” 152 times. Hey friend, it’s when you put all your faith in Jesus. That’s when you get saved. So do you have a day and a time? Did you truly make a decision? “Jesus, you’re my only hope. I’m putting my faith in you.”
Then let me ask you this, and I’m going to be done. If you’re saved, if you’re truly born again, God Almighty is living inside of you. Didn’t mean to do that. And the Bible says, “His Spirit that lives inside of us bears witness with our spirit that we are the sons of God.” And I ought to be able to get along somewhere with God and kind of get the air clear of God and say, “Lord, am I saved or not?” And the Holy Spirit—the Bible says His Spirit—it bears witness to my spirit. “Hey, I’ve messed up a lot, but I remember that day, that time, I put all my belief on Jesus.” And He bears witness to your spirit: “I’m a child of God.” I ought to have that.
Years ago, I worked at North Florida Shipyard in Jacksonville, Florida. We were making these smoke houses, they called them, for these super oil tankers. And the oil tankers were in Newport News, Virginia. Brother Kyle, the shipyard you used to work at, you know, big old huge ships, super oil tankers. And the top part, the smoke or stack houses, whatever, was all the pipes you see coming in, coming out of the ship. That’s what we’re making. It’s kind of like cone shape. They would put them on huge barges; they would ship them up there and put them on top of these oil tankers. We were making that, and they’re tall. I don’t know from maybe here to the middle point of this—I’m not sure. I think that’s about 14 feet or something like that. 14, 50 feet there was maybe—maybe about I want to say around 70 feet tall. And this boy is a chicken when it comes to heights. I mean, you just go up. I don’t like heights, you know. And we were kind of cleaning it up. We were done with it. And the thing is, the pipe fitters were coming in behind us to run the pipe. And they had been pushing us for days: “You’ve got to get done so we can run the pipes because we got to get this thing shipped out.” And so the thing was, me and another man was kind of going up through the inside and fixing all of our stuff on it, getting to make sure it was right and done. And then below us was the pipe fitters. They were just moving as fast as they can. They were coming up. And so we already knew ahead of time, “You’re not going to be able to come back down once you come back up.” Well, that’s a problem. You’re 70 feet there, and I don’t like heights. And they had these things called high reaches. You don’t talk about? These like a bucket. And it’s on four wheels, and they’ve got this bucket. And somebody, you know, brought this bucket up, and they extended it. It was a pretty big bucket truck. And they extended that thing all the way up to where we were because we were on the top now, the very top, 70 feet up, you know, and it’s just got a rail around it. You got to do it for safety. And we couldn’t go back down inside. And they brought this bucket truck up to me. Well, friend, I’m scared to death. I don’t even want to stand outside, look at this. This is too high. And they expect me to step off of this metal thing onto this bouncing—you know those high reaches, they bounce—so you’re tired, they’re bouncing. This thing’s bouncing. I’m like, “Uh-uh, man, I don’t want to be up there bouncing. I’m way up in the middle of the air.” That’s just this just ain’t cool for me, you know. But they said something like this: “Well, that’s the only way back down to the ground.” Well, they got my attention because I want these two feet to be back on the ground. Man, I’m scared to death. You know, I’m sick of standing up here and shaking, you know. I’ve got to get off this crazy thing. And so there was a point that I decided to step off the smoke stack and on that high reach.
And honestly, I didn’t even have the controls; another fellow ran the controls. All I did is just kind of put my faith in the high reach. It began to slowly lower me down, and I got to safety. And there must be a moment in your life when you let go of what you could do to get you to heaven, and you step out onto Jesus. “I’m resting totally on you, Jesus, to save me.” And when you put all of your faith fully in Jesus Christ, He takes care of the rest.
Would you bow your heads and close your eyes? Our heads bowed, our eyes are closed.
You hear this morning and you say, “Preacher, I have made that decision. I know I made that decision. There’s a time and a place in my mind and my heart. I knew I was making the decision to put it fully in Jesus to save me. Preacher, I have been saved. I know that. I know I’m a born-again Christian going to heaven.” If that’s you this morning, preacher, I know I’m saying, would you please just lift your hand up, lift it up very high? Preacher, I know I made that decision. I remember the time, whether we’re at church or somewhere else. God bless you, many, many, many hands, many hands, many hands. Thank you. Thank you so very, very much. Thank you so very much. You can put your hands down.
Maybe you’re here this morning and you say, “Preacher, I could not. I could not raise my hand.” First of all, thank you for being honest with me. I’m not trying to play games or anything like that. This is such a—this is the eternal destiny. And I appreciate you being honest about it with me. But if you’re there in your seat, you say, “Preacher, I don’t know that I’m saved. I don’t know that. I don’t have a day, a time in my life. I can’t remember a time when I made the decision. I stepped out on Jesus,” if you will. I don’t have a time when I did that, but I want to do that. I know I’m a sinner. I know the penalty on my sin is death and hell. I believe Jesus died on the cross and three days later rose again. I believe that. Right now, I’m going to ask you, would you simply trust Him then? Would you simply step out and put your faith on Him? I’m going to answer right there where you said, if you never have, would you make today that day? You can look back and say, “It was that day, April 2nd, 2023. There are an invitation time.” That’s when I went to Jesus, and I know what I was doing. I wasn’t playing games, and I took all my faith and I put it in Jesus. “Jesus, if you—if you don’t save me, it’s my fault because I’m putting all my faith in you.” And you call them right now. I’m asking you, would you be willing to do that right now? Right there where you said you’re not sure, would you do that right now? It doesn’t have to be these exact words. Prayer doesn’t save you; it’s a belief in your heart. Right there where you said you go to Jesus, say, “Jesus, I’m a sinner. I understand there’s a penalty, death and hell. But Jesus, right now, I’m taking all my faith to get me to heaven and I’m placing it in your hands. Would you come into my heart? Would you save me? Jesus, I’m trusting you and you alone. I’m stepping out on faith on you, Jesus, to be my Savior.”
Our heads bowed, eyes are closed. You say, “Preacher, I just prayed that, and I meant that. I wasn’t playing games. I wasn’t just kind of repeating, but I meant it in my heart.” Preacher, I just asked Jesus to be my Savior. If that’s you this morning, you just lift your head up. Preacher, I just asked Jesus to be my Savior. Anybody like this? Just slip it up. Anybody like that? Just slip it up. Just call on Jesus to be my Savior.
I don’t see any hands. Friend, if you’ve trusted in Jesus Christ, He’s assured you of a home in heaven. He just assures all these promises we’ve been studying about this morning are true. That promise of salvation is true. It’s good as gold. Now, let me ask you this. I don’t know how much time we have left. Would you spend your life living for the Lord? However much time you have, would you just spend it living for the Lord? “Preacher, I want to spend the rest of my life, however much time I have left, I want to spend it living for the Lord.” That’s you, just live here and preach. “I want to live for the Lord. I want to spend my life living for the Lord.” God bless you. God bless you. Many, many hands. God bless you. That’s the best life to live.
Would you please stand? We’re going to have a word of prayer. And we’re going to sing invitations on. We won’t be alone this morning. We’re late as it is. But let’s spend a few minutes just saying, “All of Jesus. I surrender all to Him. I freely give.” Would you do that?
Jesus, thank you. You shed your blood for us. Thank you. Because of that, we can be assured of heaven. Lord, I do pray if anyone here’s not sure when they leave, they’d talk to me or someone, be sure of it before they leave. Thank you for the assurance of your word. Bless these few minutes. Lord, thank you for Israel. And pray you a blessing. And Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. As we sing, would you come? Spend a little time, say, “Lord, I want to surrender all. I give Him all to you.” Would you let Him know that? “All to Him I freely do. There’s light for…”
Maybe here this morning you still have doubt in your mind about salvation. I’m burdened about that. Would you let me or may Brother John or the lady of our church, would you let somebody know if you’re not sure you’re going to heaven? Just let somebody help. Help is available through God’s word, through God’s people. We want to be helping that. We want to be assured of that. You’re a born-again Christian. Let’s spend our life living for the Lord Jesus Christ. Would you do that? We’ll sing one more verse and nobody comes us to bid.
“His words shall not fail you. His salvation to death. Turn eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow dim in the light of his glory.”
Of the altar, take your time. Some being dealt with. Praise the Lord for that. But I appreciate you being here. It’s a different Sunday morning message, and come back next Sunday. We’ll be celebrating our Savior’s resurrection, but I hope you got something out of just studying about Israel. It’s amazing how God has fulfilled everything He said, and His word is always true. Glad you in church this morning. Looking forward to being back tonight, six o’clock. Choir practice at five, and see what the Lord will do in our hearts and in our lives tonight. Glad you here today. That’s great.
And praise the Lord full. Brother Mike, one of our newest members, would you dismiss us? End of word of prayer, please, Brother Mike Cook.
Original File: Pastor Paul Chisgar - Timeline of Israel - Sunday AM 422022