Signs

The Pharisees asked YESHUA when the Kingdom of GOD would come. “The Kingdom of GOD,” He answered, “does not come with visible signs; nor will people be able to say, ‘Look! Here it is!’ or, ‘Over there!’ Because, you see, the Kingdom of GOD is among you.” (Luke 17:20-21)


To the Pharisees, the Kingdom of GOD is expected to come with a lot of pomp and Messiah would come in glory with His holy angels and smite the enemies of Israel once for all. Today, rabbinical teachings expound that the Messiah need not be sinless but would come to unite all Israel and the world in one government.

He will rebuild the Temple on the mount in all its glory and lead Israel’s army to conquer its enemies.
The Messiah will restore the temple sacrifices and the Aaronic priesthood and would strictly enforce the Torah.


But is that what the Scriptures teach? The rabbinical teachings was first popularized by Rambam Maimonides and widely accepted by Orthodox Jews. However, it runs counter to the teachings of the prophets and YESHUA himself.


The prophets teach that the Messiah will be born of a virgin and is sinless and must first suffer and be rejected by His own people and die for sinners; then the Messiah will conquer death. The Messiah will
bring people out of bondage and free the prisoners and the oppressed. The prophecies depict the Messiah as GOD on earth, performing wonders and expressing GOD’s wisdom. They also prophesied that the Messiah will come again in glory with His holy angels to rule the world with an iron scepter. He will cover Jerusalem with shalom like a river. The Scriptures also prophesy that the Messiah will judge all unbelievers and throw them into the Lake of Fire; but for the faithful, He will give them their just reward. There will be new heavens and a new earth and ADONAI will rule in the new Jerusalem forever and ever!(see Mic 4:14, 5:1; Ps 2:7-8, 16:10, 22:16-17; Ps 72:10,11; Ps 118:22; Prov 30:4; Is 7:14; Is 9:5-6;
Is 11:2, 61:1,2; 35:4-6; 42:18; Is 53; Is 50:6, 66:15-22; Jer 23:5-6; Dan 9:24-26; Zech 9:9, 11:12-13, 12:10, 13:7; Mal 3:1; Jude 14,15(quoting Enoch)).


Daniel prophesied that there will be a Kingdom, not of this world; a Kingdom, whose origin is ADONAI and it will conquer all the kingdoms of the world and would last forever (Dan 2:44-45). ‘The time is coming when I will gather together all nations and languages. They will come
and see My glory, and I will give them a sign. I will send some of their survivors to the nations of Tarshish, Pul, Lud, Tuval, Greece and more distant coasts, where they have neither heard of My
fame nor seen My glory. They will proclaim My glory in these nations, and they will bring all your kinsmen out of all the nations as an offering to ADONAI…to My holy mountain, Jerusalem,” says
ADONAI (Is 66:18-20).


The Kingdom of GOD starts from within as man believes and confesses with his mouth that YESHUA is both LORD and Savior. At that point, the FATHER seals the man with the HOLY SPIRIT as a guarantee of his eternal destiny. The Kingdom begins a radical change from the inside out until the person thinks, sees, speaks and acts like YESHUA. He can’t help but affect all the people around him. This is how the Kingdom grows, one person at a time. The believer’s extreme experience with the LORD changes him and his world. To him, there is no middle ground. A fire burns eternally within him to speak and to act for YESHUA.


Are you this person? Have you been radically changed?


There are no lukewarm people in the Kingdom. To walk with YESHUA is an extreme experience!



מלאך

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