End Times

Q uestions about the relation between present and past have become increasingly urgent as we reach new levels of existential despair in the face of political impasse, neoliberal rationalization, and environmental catastrophe. There is an overriding sense-discernible across high theory and public discourse alike-that we are living in the present of no future. 1 How can strategic presentism help us with our sense of being out of time, no longer able to imagine a viable collective (or even reproductive) future and stymied by visions of the world without us?

In recent history, men from a variety of backgrounds have come to the same conclusion:  that the Bible is about Israel only.  For example:

In 1861, John Mason Neale translated an ancient twelfth century Latin hymn and its title was O Come, O Come Emmanuel.  Ever since 1861, Christians have sung that hymn at Christmas time, especially at Advent.  Do you know what the words really mean that you are singing? 

In 1878, Edward Hine wrote an article titled, Seven-Eighths of the Bible Misunderstood, wherein he explains that seven-eighths of the Bible is about national salvation, i.e. the national salvation of True Israel; whereas, only one-eighth of the Bible is about personal salvation.  Did you know that? 

In the 1960’s, Pastor Sheldon Emry wrote an article title, An Open Letter to Any Minister Who Teaches the Jews Are Israel, wherein he is of the opinion that the Israel that exists today since 1948 is not the True Israel of the Bible.

In 1998, Arnold E. Kennedy wrote a book titled, The Exclusiveness of Israel, wherein he legally proves using the King James Version of the Bible that the Bible in general is only about True Israel.

So, here we are in the Twenty-First Century, and the Gospel that is preached today is totally convoluted from that which was preached in the First Century A.D. by Yahshuah and His disciples, i.e. the Gospel of the Kingdom.  So, where did the so-called churches and pastors go wrong?  By the way, is there really a hierarchy in the Bible?

In order to find out what the truth really is, we have to look at the original languages in which the Bible was written and then translated.  For example, the Old Testament was written in Hebrew and Aramaic, then translated into Greek.  The New Testament was written in Hebrew and Greek.  Both Testaments were put together and translated into Latin, then German, and finally into English, from which the entire world received their own translation of the Bible.

So, what was the original meaning of the words used in the original languages, i.e. the etymology of the words.  Once that is determined, then we can go onto the next phase and discuss types in the Bible.  From there, what is the Law of First Mention?  How should Bible prophecy be Interpreted?  Who are the keys to Bible prophecy?  Where are we in the Bible prophecy timeline? 

During these discussions, we will find out who Yahweh chose of all the families of the earth to make His own.  The churches teach universalism.  The question then becomes, Who was Yahweh’s Law given to?  What are the Laws of Yahweh? And then the even bigger question becomes, Who was Yahshuah sent to?

All of these questions and more will be answered as you read this book…

Churches, evangelists and even politicians love to base their imperatives on the argument that we are living in the Last Days. Is that biblical? Must we really know that whether God is intending to inflict judgment or bestow grace, when we develop evangelistic strategies? No! On the contrary, we must continue to proclaim the Gospel as we have always done in order to prevent judgement! The Bible preaches no special eschatological ethics.

While ancient literature, the biblical writers employed many literary devices in their work. One such devices is the inclusio. The inclusio brackets particular material by using certain phrases or words at the beginning of material and them using the same words or phrases at the end. This device is seen throughout the biblical record. One of the most written about book of the Bible, the Apocalypse of John, also contains the inclusio. While the writer of the Apocalypse uses the inclusio throughout the book, like the author of the Gospel of Mark, he sets the entirety of the book inside of an inclusio starting in Chapter one to be repeated again in chapter 22. The Apocalypse has a message for people of all times, but the author’s use of the inclusio sets the main message, the events foreseen, squarely in the age of the original audience.

In this third of our Mary's Well Occasional Papers Azar Ajaj, who lectures in Biblical and Pastoral Studies at Nazareth Seminary, explains how the debate about eschatology is not merely academic in the context of evangelical Christianity in Israel. Included in this paper is a useful summary of the two positions--dispensationalism and Covenant Theology--as well as some personal reflections from his many years of experience in the Holy Land.