Bible Prophecy

When Jesus walked this earth, there was a group of people who followed Him. From that group He chose twelve men to walk closely with Him and learn the lessons He had to teach. These men were Jewish and knew what the Law required of them, but weren’t scholars who knew the Law inside and out. As they followed Jesus, they saw Him heal the sick, raise the dead, and miraculously feed thousands of hungry people with a small amount of food. Every year they went to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. This was a very important feast, and a man was required to celebrate in Jerusalem if at all possible.

On one such occasion in approximately 32 A.D., they had finished their meal, and Jesus led them to Gethsemane where He would pray.

“And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy; and saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death; tarry ye here, and watch” (Mark 14:33-34).

Prophecy would be fulfilled that night, and Jesus was about to face the most horrendous torture imaginable. His request was that His friends stay there and give Him support. He would soon become the Sacrificial Lamb and shed His blood on the cross. He would die for our salvation.

His disciples were unaware of the importance of what was happening. They had shared an enjoyable meal, but were troubled by Jesus’ words as they ate. One of the twelve would betray Him that night.

“The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man if he had never been born” (Mark 14:21).

Judas would betray Him for 30 pieces of silver just as Zechariah prophesied. Jesus had spoken of His own death, and Peter had assured Him that no matter what, he would never deny Jesus. Brave words from the man who would deny knowing Jesus three times that night. Prophecy was being fulfilled all around them, but these men were unaware. When Jesus asked Peter, James, and John to stay there and watch, they didn’t understand how important it was to Jesus that they were there. Whether they slept or were awake, prophecy would be fulfilled, but Jesus wanted them to be awake.

“And He said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour?” (Mark 14:36-37).

His closest friends fell asleep when they should have been alert. Prophecy was being fulfilled, and His followers slept.

Passover was established by God many centuries before the days when Jesus walked the shores of Galilee. Famine had struck the land, and Jacob and his family moved to Egypt where they found food. When the famine was over, they stayed in Egypt; over time the small group of people had grown in number, and Pharaoh enslaved them. Still, the Israelites flourished. The slavery was cruel, and the time came when God stepped in to free them.

He called Moses to go to the Pharaoh to demand that Israel be set free. After turning the Nile River to blood, sending a plague of frogs, and many other plagues, there was one more plague to come. Death of the firstborn of every household. It wouldn’t matter if the household was Jewish or if it was Egyptian, death would come. God never leaves anyone without hope, and He had a plan to protect all who would obey.

“Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house” (Exodus 12:3).

The month they were to do this was Nissan. The lamb they chose had to be without blemish. It was chosen on the tenth of Nissan, and they were to keep it until the fourteenth. On that day, the chosen lamb of each household would be killed.

“And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it” (Exodus 12:7).

The blood of the lamb was their protection from certain death.

They were then directed to make a quick meal and eat the lamb, but they were to be ready to leave in a hurry. “And thus shall ye eat it with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD’S passover” (Exodus 12:11).

God knew that Pharaoh wouldn’t have the blood of the lamb on his door, and his firstborn would die.

“For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. and the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you when I smite the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:12-13).

It happened just as the Lord said. Death came to the house of anyone who didn’t have the blood of the lamb, including Pharaoh’s. This final plague caused him to give the Israelites their freedom. The Lord directed that they were to remember that day.

“And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever” (Exodus 12:14).

Little did those people know that the lamb they sacrificed was a foreshadowing of the perfect Lamb of God whose blood would take away sin and death when applied to the heart of a believer.

After the Israelites were set free, they left quickly. When they came to Mount Sinai, Moses went up on the mountain and God gave him the Law.

“In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD’S passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread” (Leviticus 23:5-6).

God established these feasts, and others, and they all foreshadowed Christ. Those who took part in the first Passover didn’t know it was a “picture” of the future Messiah, nor did the people who followed Jesus. They went to Jerusalem each year to celebrate the Spring feasts, but didn’t recognize that these feasts would be fulfilled by Jesus Christ. Peter, James, John, and the others were living at a time in history when prophecy was being fulfilled, but were unaware of what was happening.

Many prophecies were on record regarding the birth of the Messiah which Jesus had fulfilled. The Messiah would be born of a virgin in the town of Bethlehem, and so He was.

A prophecy by Daniel told the exact day that Jesus would enter Jerusalem and be hailed as Messiah by the people. Had the disciples paid attention, they would have known that the prophecy in Zechariah was fulfilled when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a colt and the people lined the streets shouting “Hosanna”!

Zechariah also prophesied that He would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver. Had they paid attention, they would have known that Judas had fulfilled this prophecy when he left the dinner party to betray Jesus.

Had the disciples understood Isaiah chapter 53 they would have known what was about to happen. They didn’t believe prophecy was being fulfilled, and so they slept.

Just as prophecy had said, Jesus was arrested, beaten beyond recognition, and crucified. He fulfilled Passover on the dates established by God when the Israelites were set free and confirmed in the Law given to Moses. Then He fulfilled another Jewish Law:

“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: and he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it” (Leviticus 23:10-11).

Firstfruits takes place on the first day of the week after Passover. That’s the day Christ arose from the dead.

“And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun” (Mark 16:1-2).

They came prepared to tend to the body of Jesus, but what they found was an empty tomb. Jesus Christ had risen from the dead! Hallelujah, Christ arose!

“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead” (1 Corinthians 15:20-21).

Prophecy given by God is always fulfilled exactly as He says. Jesus is our Passover Lamb who shed His own blood to take away our sin. That sacrifice must be accepted by each person individually. By placing your faith in His death, burial, and resurrection you have applied His blood to the doorpost of your heart, and you have gained eternal life.

The prophecies that Jesus fulfilled at His first coming are statistically impossible for one man to fulfill by coincidence. When that man is God incarnate, then the impossible is possible. Even though His disciples should have been aware of the prophecies that were being fulfilled before their very eyes, they slept. Sadly, many of His followers today are sleeping.

End-time prophecy is being fulfilled today; and for those who are awake, we know that the end of time is approaching quickly.

“The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap” (Isaiah 17:1).

Have you seen pictures of Damascus lately?

“Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it” (Zechariah 12:2-3).

If you can’t see this happening today, then you’re asleep. God’s wrath is coming, and it’s all been written in prophecy. Christians have the assurance that we will not see God’s wrath but will be taken in the Rapture prior to that final week of earth’s history, which Daniel prophesied. Only the blood of Jesus will give you protection from God’s judgment.

Are you sleeping? Are you like the disciples and sleeping when you should be alert? The fact that we are nearing the end of time should wake up every Christian with the urgency to share the Gospel before it’s too late. If you’re sleeping, it’s time to wake up.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

www.straitandnarrowministry.com

ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Ron and Nathele Graham’s previous commentaries archived at https://www.raptureready.com/featured/graham/graham.html

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God breathed.

If you’d like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.

“But exhort one another daily…lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:13). 

Should we correct fellow Christians when we see them following the wrong path? There’s a fine line between judging and correcting, but Scripture tells us we need to help each other follow the straight and narrow path.

We live in a time when it seems there’s no shame in sin, but Scripture defines sin and says there is shame in embracing it. I’ve heard it said that B.I.B.L.E. stands for Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth, but many Christians don’t even know what Scripture teaches. The words found on the pages of the Bible are God’s guidelines for the way a Christian should live, and we need to search Scripture diligently and apply it to our daily life.

We shouldn’t “act” like a Christian in the same way an actor pretends to be someone he isn’t in order to play a role. Our faith in Christ should lead us to crucify the lusts of the flesh and honestly live a life that’s set apart from the sin of the world and honors our Lord. Christians need to exhort each other to stand firm in our faith.

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25).

Exhort means to encourage each other. The writer of Hebrews says not to forsake assembling together with fellow Christians in order to encourage each other to resist the sin around us. This isn’t just a Sunday morning assembly, but Christians need to be friends with fellow Christians and get together with each other on a daily basis. If your friends are secular and worldly, they won’t exhort you to live for Christ. On the other hand, if your friends are Christians, you’ll encourage each other to put worldly ways behind you and keep your eyes on Christ.

One of the favorite sayings of someone who loves their sin is, “The Bible says not to judge.” That’s true, but that’s taken out of context. First of all, we aren’t to judge to condemn, but rather discern to encourage repentance. None of us are perfect, so we must first judge our own actions. Use Scripture to see the sin in your own life and prayerfully ask for God’s strength to move away from it. You’re living a double standard if you judge and condemn a fellow Christian for their sin but excuse and accept your own.

A good example of discerning sin and exhorting repentance is found in the Old Testament. King David was an extraordinary man. He loved the Lord, but was as human as anybody. He lusted after Bathsheba, impregnated her, and made sure her husband died. Surprisingly, David was blind to his sin. Anybody who has a basic understanding of the Ten Commandments can see the sins he committed, but somehow David didn’t see anything wrong with what he had done. Using Scripture for discernment isn’t wrong, and Nathan the Prophet confronted David. Nathan was brave to bring this to David’s attention, but by doing so, David understood his sin and was broken over it. He went before the Lord and earnestly repented.

“Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest” (Psalm 51:2-4). 

Nathan exhorted David and brought the sin to his attention. I’m sure that Nathan had his own sins he was dealing with, but cared enough about David to point out the sin he had fallen into.

The New Testament writers wrote letters to various congregations exhorting the people to turn from sin. Were they judging?

“Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; having your conversation honest among the Gentiles that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:11-12).

Non-Christians judge all the time. They look at Christians and see our imperfections and judge our Lord and Saviour by our actions. If we embrace sin, then what are we showing the unsaved world about Jesus? His death on the cross was ugly and violent. He took your sin and my sin upon Himself and shed His blood to purchase our redemption. Does that mean anything to you? When we continue to embrace and justify “fleshly lusts,” we mock Him. The unsaved people around us only see that Christians sin and judge Jesus by our actions. If we exhort each other to move away from sin, we honor Jesus who gave His life so we may live. We also become a living testimony to friends and family as to the power of God.

Paul wrote many letters of encouragement exhorting Christians to live God-fearing lives. He wasn’t judging people, just their actions. Corinth was a city full of sin and idolatry, and the congregation there was influenced by the pagan culture around them. Paul pointed out the fact that such practices had to stop. Using Scripture, he could easily discern that God wasn’t being respected in Corinth. In fact, one man was living a very sinful life and the whole congregation was proud that they weren’t judging him. Paul took them to task.

“It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife. And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you” (1 Corinthians 5:1-2).

Paul discerned the sin and exhorted the congregation not to accept it. Today, we see that sexual sin is rampant among Christians. Whether that sin is fornication, adultery, or homosexuality, it cannot be tolerated within a congregation. It’s Scriptural to use discernment to exhort those embracing such things to change their way of life or remove them from the congregation.

Sin is sneaky. If “tolerant” Christians embrace one person’s sin, then sin gets a toehold, and soon all manner of sin is accepted. Instead of being set apart from the world, whose god is Satan, the congregation becomes exactly like the world instead of becoming more like Jesus.

In Corinth, the man was removed from the congregation. We learn later that because of discernment and holding Scripture as a guide, the man repented and changed his life. At that point, he was welcomed back into fellowship. We must exhort each other to live a Christian life.

The word “exhort” comes from the Greek word parakaleo, which Vines Expository Dictionary defines as “to admonish, exhort, to urge” some course of conduct. While we are to encourage all Christians to live morally according to Scripture, Peter especially exhorted the leaders of congregations to “feed the flock” they lead. Peter understood this because he was exhorted directly by Jesus to feed the flock. Peter learned the lesson and knew how important it is for leaders to feed their own flock.

“The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:1-3). 

This is something that’s lacking today. In this day and age of tickling ears and caving in to political correctness, God’s word is diluted and the elders are to blame. If the pastor of a congregation won’t feed meat to the congregation, but instead will let them go un-nourished by just feeding them milk, then there will be no exhortation to live by the Scriptures. That happened in Corinth and it’s happening today.

Scripture not only gives us the guidelines for living and tells us to encourage others to follow those guidelines, it tells us how to go about it. Do we embarrass others by calling them out? Do we point fingers and make accusations? We can look to Scripture to see how to exhort others.

“Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ…” (2 Corinthians 10:1a).

Like Paul, we need to be meek and gentle. The word “beseech” is translated from the same Greek word for “exhort.” Paul used Jesus as an example, and so should we. Jesus was gentle towards sinners, but never left them in sin. We always need to be aware of the feelings of others when exhorting them, but there can be no compromise of Scripture.

“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:1-3).

Encourage each other with patience and love. It’s important to study Scripture and know what’s morally acceptable to God. Then we need to examine our own lives and remove the sin that is within us.

“And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?” (Matthew 7:3).

If you point a finger of accusation at someone else, remember there are three fingers pointing back at you. It’s important to develop friendships with fellow Christians so that we can encourage each other to overcome sin. Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven. That forgiveness came at a great cost to God and isn’t a license to continue to sin.

Encouraging each other to move away from sin isn’t the only reason to exhort each other. We also need to help each other to do good works in the name of Jesus.

“But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” (James 2:20).

Salvation isn’t based on works, but works should be a natural outcome of our faith. We are often unaware of a need in someone’s life, but as Christians we should exhort each other to see the needs of others and do what we can to help.

“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works” (Hebrews 10:24). 

Non-Christians will see our kindness and know that the works are done for Christ. Christians need each other for encouragement to live for Christ and to do good works in His name.

As we draw near to the end of days, we see that wickedness in the world is growing strong. Christians have to turn away from the wickedness found in the world and walk in the way of Jesus. We need to search Scripture daily and recognize the sin in our own life and change it.

“But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:13). 

Using Scripture as a guide, we need to exhort each other to take up our cross and follow Christ.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

www.straitandnarrowministry.com

ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Ron and Nathele Graham’s previous commentaries archived at https://www.raptureready.com/featured/graham/graham.html

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God breathed.

If you’d like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.