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The International Prophetic Voice for the Endtimes

DECEMBER 2010$4.75

ObedienceIsBetterthan Sacrifice

Pg.30

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

TheophosticGospelJacobSupplanterOldTestament SalvationPg. 40

SecondThessalonians 2andthe Rapture Part IIIPg. 10

DanielsSeventyWeeksofYears PartIII

Pg. 17

TheCallingoftheTwelveDisciples BartholomewPg. 27

MuchMorethanThis

Pg.20

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2009Midnight CallMagazineYearbook

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The incredible doctrine of thereturn of Christ commandsus to investigate The GreatMystery of the Rapture.

Jesus promised:I will come again and receive you untomyself, that where I am, there ye may be also(John 14:3).

And angels told the disciples,this same Jesus, which istaken up from you into heaven,shall so come in likemanner as ye have seen him go into heaven(Acts 1:11).

There is no doubt about it: Jesus must and will comeagain.

When the last one from among the Gentiles is addedto the Church,then something remarkable is going to

transpire: Jesus will come for His own:For the Lordhimself shall descend from heaven with a shout,with thevoice of the archangel, and with the trump of God:andthe dead in Christ shall rise first:Then we which are aliveand remain shall be caught up together with them in theclouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we everbe with the Lord(1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). Thats ourfuture,thats our hope,and thats why I wrote the book,The GreatMystery of theRapture. It is a book you need toread. It is a message of great comfort,the comfort weneed in these days.

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C O N T E N T S

6Roman ChristmasBy Norbert Lieth

The wordsRoman Christmascould remind us of the

Vatican City and the traditions connectedwith itor

the Romans at the time of Jesus.We are not

concerned with these things here,however, but

rather the Christmas discoveriesof Paul in his

letter to the Romans.

10 Second Thessalonians 2 and the Rapture Part IIIBy Dr. Ron J. Bigalke

In SecondThessalonians2,Paul articulated reasons why the Day of the Lord hadnotbegun,because he was concerned that their error in this regard would compromise their hope toexperience thegathering togetherhe had described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. It is because2 Thessalonians 2 is such a pivotal chapter in teaching eschatological doctrines that this third and

final part will reviewthe primary teachings of this chapter.

17 Daniels Seventy Weeks ofYears Part IIIBy Norbert Lieth

20 Much More thanThisBy Ernst Kraft

27 The Calling of the Twelve Disciples BartholomewBy Marcel Malgo

30 Obedience Is Better than SacrificeBy Samuel Rindlisbacher

MidnightCallD E CE M BE R 2 0 1 0

COVER STORY

DEPARTMENTS

4 Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ByPeterMalgo

40 Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ByArno Froese

THEOPHOSTIC GOSPEL...JACOBSUPPLANTER...OLD TESTAMENT SALVATION

34 S W I T Z E R L A N D

Scientists Claim Existence

of Parallel Universe

35 E U

Parliament Urges 20-Week Maternity

Leave

36 U K

Armed Forces to Be

Drastically Reduced

37

R U S S I A

Planned

Mosque

Sparks Controversy in

Moscow

38 U S A

Derivative

BubbleCould

Destroy the Entire World

Financial System

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4 M I D N I G H T C A L L

Thine eyes shall see the kingin his beauty.

E D I T O R S N O T E

B y P e t e r M a l g o

These words from Isaiah 33:17

show the prophetic significance

of Christmas. When Jesus was

born in the stable of Bethlehem, how-

ever, He in no way resembled a king.

He came into the world in lowliness andpoverty. Nothing of beauty could be seen.

Isaiah impressively describes how Jesus

grew up: For he shall grow up before him

as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry

ground; he hath no form nor comeliness;

and when we shall see him, there is no

beauty that we should desire him (Isaiah

53:2). Just as most people today only see

the child in the manger in what happened

at Christmas, and as only a few truly recog-

nize the deep meaning of Christmas, so itwas only a small group then as well which

recognized this Jesus as the future King

and prized Him as the sovereign Lord and

Savior above all else. These were, first, the

wise men from the east who recognized by

the star in the firmament that a King had

been born and set out to seek and adore

Him. The shepherds in the field also came

to Jesus because an angel had informed

them of the birth of the Savior. After they

had seen Him, they praised and adored

God for it. Then there was old Simeon,

who came into the temple pursuant to the

suggestion of the Holy Spirit, met the child

Jesus, and praised God for this. And finally,

there was the aged prophetess Anna, whosaw Jesus, praised Him, and then told

everyone of Him. These various meetings

with Jesus came to pass only because God

had given completely clear signs and indi-

cations.

This was Christmas then. Now, as we

stand at the end of this age, if we are al-

lowed to celebrate Christmas once more,

its significance for today should become

known to us in a deep way. Today, God

gives us other signs which show us that ameeting with Jesus Christ lies immediately

ahead of us. We have also a more sure

word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well

that ye take heed, as unto a light that

shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn,

and the day star arise in your hearts (2 Pe-

ter 1:19). In Psalm 45, the children of Ko-

rah sing prophetically of this future

glorious king: I speak of the things which

I have made touching the kingThou art

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DECEMBER 2010 5

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STATEMENT OF FAITHWE BELIEVEin the divine inspiration of the whole Bible and there-with the infallibility of the Holy Scripture, which is Gods Word, andin the eternal Triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

WE BELIEVEJesus Christ, the Son of God, was conceived of theHoly Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, and shed Hisblood to save mankind. He died and arose bodily the third day andlater ascended into heaven.

WE BELIEVEthat the Lord Jesus Christ died in the place of eachindividual sinner and that all who believe in Him as their personalSavior are justified through His shed blood and have becomechildren of God.

WE BELIEVEthat Israel is Gods chosen people, and that therestoration of the Jews to their own land is the fulfillment of theWord of God.

WE BELIEVEin the pretribulational appearance of Jesus Christ forthe Rapture of His Church (all born again believers).

WE BELIEVEin the immortality of our souls and the resurrection ofour bodies, and in the resurrection of the just and the unjust, theeverlasting blessedness of the saved and the everlasting punishment ofthe lost.

The Prophetic Voice for the Endtimes PRINTED IN 12 LANGUAGES

ISSN 10948600

fairer than the children of men (Psalm 45:1-2). Thy throne, O God, is for

ever and everThou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness (Psalm

45:6-7).

The imminent meeting with our Lord should be our highest aim. Whenwe will once stand before the Lord seated on the throne, it will be revealed

which reward we receive. In this connection, Paul speaks of a victory

prize, of a jewel, and compares us to runners in a race.

At the last Olympic winter games, the Dutch ice sprinter Sven Kramer

was already sure of his gold medal. He was on the track of success and had

a huge lead over his competitors. Then his trainer made a disastrous deci-

sion: he led the sprinter onto a wrong track. Sven Kramer already had the

victory prize almost in his hands, but then he was disqualified due to the

wrong decision of his trainer.

Let us examine ourselves: are we on the right track? Are we moving to-

ward the prize of victory? Or are we perhaps led astray because we allow

ourselves to be led by wrong directions? God gives us clear instructions

through His Word and through the voice of the Holy Spirit, which speaks

to our conscience. But at every crossroads, someone else stands as well,

who wants to lead us astray by the words, Yea, hath God said? as he

did in his time in paradise (Genesis 3:1). If we listen to his seductive voice

and choose a wrong track, we will lose what is best.

May Christmas cause us to have the meeting with our Lord before our

eyes in fresh newness, and may we resolutely press on to reach it!

Note:Wilfred Hahn has taken another break this month from his column, due to a busytraveling schedule.

E D I T O R S N O T E

To start or renew yourNews From Israelmagazine subscription,please use the order form on pages46-47, or call 800-845-2420 and haveyour credit card ready.

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The wordsRoman Christmas could remind us of the Vatican City and the traditionsconnected with itor the Romans at the time of Jesus. We are not concerned withthese things here, however, but rather the Christmas discoveries of Paul in his letter tothe Romans

N O R B E R T L I E T H

6 M I D N I G H T C A L L

In the letter to the Romans, we are presented

with a few gifts that we have received through

the incarnation of Jesus Christgifts which

amaze us. I was once sent a Christmas card on

which it said, Christmas is also a time for presents.In stores everywhere we can buy the most beautiful

things to give others pleasure. But the greatest and

most unique present was given us by God Himself,

in that He gave us Himself in His Son, Jesus Christ.

This gift never loses its value or validity. Particu-

larly the last sentence moved me deeply. In Jesus we

have something that, in contrast to things belong-

ing to our daily lives, does not lose its value or va-

lidity; on the contrary, we can say that the best is

yet to come. As far as heaven is concerned, we are

still living in the time preceding Christmas. C. H.

Spurgeon once spoke of a personal experience he

had: Some time ago a young lady wanted to speak

to me who had embraced the doctrine of the Mor-

mons. She said she had come to convert me. Ap-parently she had chosen the wrong man. I listened

to her words, and after she had finished I said,

Good. You have shown me your way to heaven.

Now let me describe mine. When I began to speak

to her, she was very surprised. Do you believe, she

said, that all your sins are forgiven? Certainly, I be-

lieve that, I replied. But, she said, do you also be-

lieve that you can never perish? Certainly,

I replied again. Are you sure that you will ulti-

mately stand before the throne of God, thenin

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DECEMBER 2010 7

C O V E R S T O R Y

Christmas is also a time for presents.In stores everywhere we can buy the most beautiful things to give others

pleasure.But the greatest and most unique present was given us by God Himself, in that He gave us Himself in His

Son, Jesus Christ.This gift never loses its value or validity.

spite of everything that could happen? Then, youmust be a happy man. I am, I replied, I am in truth

a happy man. Then there is no more that I can say to

you, she said, You already have more than I can

offer you! Certainly in Christ we have what

no other can offer us.

1. Abundant grace and righteous-ness.For if by one mans offencedeath reigned by one; much

more they which receive

abundance of grace and of

the gift of righteousness

shall reign in life by one, Je-

sus Christ (Romans 5:17).

To reign in life by one,

Jesus Christ means that we do

not manage to live our lives through

our own power and efforts, but through Jesus.

Sometimes, there are two things in a gift package

that belong together. That is how it is here: 1. Abun-

dant grace and 2. righteousness. Abundant grace. When something is full of a

good thing, that is good. When it is full to the brim,

that is better; but when something is so full that it

overflows, that cannot be surpassed. In Jesus Christ

we have received an abundance of grace, an over-

flowing fullness of grace. Each one of us can live

out of the fullness of the grace of God, and God al-

ways gives above measure. What does the Psalmist

say? My cup runneth over (Psalm 23:5).

Righteousness. How would you like a new suit or

dress for Christmas? Made out of a material thatdoes not exist on this earth and is incomparable to

any other. A material that puts the creations of Karl

Lagerfeld, Hugo Boss or Giorgio Armani in the

shade. I am speaking of the robe of righteousness,

made of the material of the abundant grace of God,

which was shown to us through the redemptive

work of Jesus, and whose designer and tailor is the

Creator Himself.

Once an elderly lady called me on the phone,

who had made a wrong choice in her youth. Al-

though she had been a Christian for a long time, thequestion kept coming back of whether this sin had

really been forgiven. Whoever has received the

righteousness of Jesus, however, is com-

pletely newly attired in Him. Paul testi-

fied to this in Galatians 3:27, For as

many of you as have been baptized into

Christ have put on Christ. Baptism was

put on a par with conversion at the time

of the apostle, because people were

baptized immediately after their con-

version (Acts 2:38 & 41, 8:12 & 36-

38, 9:18 and 10:47-48).

What does it say in our text?

They which receive abundance of

grace and of the gift of righteous-

ness. We can only receive abundance

of grace as a gift. It is Gods gift to us. God

would like to give this to all people: salvation in Je-

sus Christ is for everyone. But only those who re-

ceive it really benefit from it.

Therefore as by the offence of one judgmentcame upon all men to condemnation; even so by

the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all

men unto justification of life (Romans 5:18). As

truly as sin and condemnation came to all people

through Adam, just as truly the gift of righteous-

ness is for all people, not just for a few elect. It can-

not be that the one thing applies to all men and the

other not. Yet ultimately, only those who claim the

gift of Jesus Christ for themselves will be justified

and made righteous. I would like to give you an ex-

ample of this:A soap manufacturer once had a conversation

with a pastor. The manufacturer criticized Chris-

tianity with the words, I respect your commit-

ment, but be honest: what has the church achieved

in the 2,000 years of its existence? The world has

not become a better place through the Christian

faith. Evil still has the upper hand and we are sur-

rounded by wicked men. The pastor pointed to a

young boy on the sidewalk and said, Look at that

dirty little boy. You have been producing soap for

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8 M I D N I G H T C A L L

years in your firm, and yet there is still dirt anddirty children in the world. The manufacturer

laughed and said, Soap is only of use if it is used!

You see, said the pastor, Faith too!

2. A document of pardon. There is thereforenow no condemnation to them which are in Christ

Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the

Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus

hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak

through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the

likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin

in the flesh (Romans 8:1-3).

God gives to us the document of pardon. The

flesh cannot fulfill the law. Through the weakness

of our lives and bodies, we are not capable of living

in a way that will make us righteous before God.

We are condemned by our nature and are heading

toward our judgment.

Every person has an inborn fear of having to

stand before God one day and be condemned. Forthis reason, some would prefer to do away with

Him, and others want to forget Him, not be re-

minded of Him, something which has not been

achieved and never will be.

There is a better way. We can receive a pardon

here and now and have the guarantee not to have to

appear before the judgment seat of God. Our advo-

cate, the Lord Jesus Christ, will take care of this. He

will come into your prison and hand over to you

the document of complete amnesty.

We fail on account of our bodies of sin to keepthe law of God, but sin failed over the body of Jesus

Christ (Romans 6:6 and 1 Peter 2:24). Because sin

was condemned in His holy and righteous body, the

sinner who believes on Jesus Christ will not be con-

demned and judged.

3. The gift of adoption.For now ye have not re-ceived the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye

have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we

cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness

with our spirit, that we are the children of God: andif children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs

with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that

we may be also glorified together (Romans 8:15-

17).

It is wonderful not to have God as judge, but to

have Him as a father surpasses all! We often read

that celebrities adopt children from the third world.

Many of them do it out of love, because they have

the finances needed, but some of them also to keep

their names in the news or to improve their image.

God does it because He really wants you!

It is almost incomprehensible but true: saved sin-

ners, as Gods children and heirs, are nearer to God

than the angels. The angels even desire to look into

salvation, into the Gospel of the salvation of the

children of God (1 Peter 1:12). The angels are min-

istering spirits to the children of God (Hebrews

1:14).

4. The gift of glory. For I reckon that the suffer-

ings of this present time are not worthy to be com-pared with the glory which shall be revealed in us

(Romans 8:18). Paul is referring to our momentary

situation, of sorrow, sickness, loss, worry and care.

Psalm 112:4 says, Unto the upright there ariseth

light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of

compassion, and righteous. The NIV translates

this verse as follows, Even in darkness light dawns

for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate

and righteous man, and there is a footnote refer-

ring to this verse that says, Or for the Lord is gra-

cious and compassionate and righteous. This isthe great difference; the child of God may well sit in

darkness, but in the midst of his darkness the

bright light from eternity shines. If a person is not a

child of God, he likewise sits in darkness, but with-

out this wonderful light.

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear

heard, neither have entered into the heart of man,

the things which God hath prepared for them that

love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by

his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the

There is a better way.We can receive a pardon here and now and have the guarantee not to have to appear

before the judgment seat of God.Our advocate, the Lord Jesus Christ,will take care of this.He will come into your

prison and hand over to you the document of complete amnesty.

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C O V E R S T O R Y

deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things

of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Evenso the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of

God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world,

but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the

things that are freely given to us of God (1 Corinthi-

ans 2:9-12). God has prepared a glory for His own

which is hidden from the people of this age. It is only

given to those who have received His Spirit.

So just as a person only knows through his own

spirit what is taking place in his thoughts, feelings and

will, he lacks the glimpse into the thought world of

the other, unless he has that persons spirit. In the

same way, only the Spirit of God knows of Gods inten-

tion to save. But because God gives His Spirit to those

who believe in Jesus, they can now recognize what

God has given them. They become participants of the

knowledge of God. They have part in the thoughts of

God. The spirit of this world can never grasp this.

We must practice this vision of glory. The more we

appropriate this, the less things can move us. For

which cause we faint not; but though our outward

man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.For our light affliction, which is but for a moment,

worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal

weight of glory; while we look not at the things which

are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the

things which are seen are temporal; but the things

which are not seen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:16-

18).

5. Accompanying gifts. And we know that allthings work together for good to them that love God,

to them who are the called according to his purpose(Romans 8:28).

Often, in addition to the main gift, there are little

accompanying gifts, such as candy or chocolate. These

things usually are less appreciated than the main gift.

Besides the great gift of salvation in heaven, there are

other accompanying gifts, namely, innumerable things

which already now work together for good. One day

we will be amazed at how many things worked to-

gether for good which we did not even notice, or com-

plained about.

6. The all-inclusive gift.What shall we then say tothese things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up

for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us

all things? (Romans 8:31-32).

What person can give us everything? Nobody!

Some can give a lotKing Herod was prepared to give

half his kingdom to Herodias daughterbut nobody

can give us everything because it does not belong to

him. Only God, to whom all things belong, can give usall things, and He does. He has the power to give each

individual one of His children everything, and He is

none the poorer for it. Paul wrote to the Corinthians,

Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world,

or life, or death, or things present, or things to come;

all are yours; and ye are Christs; and Christ is Gods

(1 Corinthians 3:22-23).

William MacDonald writes, If God has already

given us the greatest gift, is there any lesser gift that He

would withhold? If He has already paid the greatest

price, will He refuse to pay a smaller price? If He hasgone to so much trouble to redeem us, will He ever let

go of us again? How shall he not with him also freely

give us all things? The language of unbelief, Mack-

intosh writes, says, How shall he? The language of

faith says, How shall he not?1

Let Him give you everything for Christmas!

(MR1209/409)

ENDNOTES

1 Commentaryon theNewTestament

DECEMBER 2010 9

For which cause we faint not;but though our outward man perish,yet the inward man is renewed day by day.For

our light affliction,which is but for a moment,worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

C O V E R S T O R Y

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10 M I D N I G H T C A L L10 M I D N I G H T C A L L

SECONDTHESSALONIANS2ANDTHE

RAPTUREBy Dr. Ron J. Bigalke

SecondThessalonians 2 corrected the thinking of the church with regard to the Day of the Lord, which someone had

taught them was already occurring. Paul articulated reasons why the Day of the Lord had not begun, because he was

concerned that their error in this regard would compromise their hope to experience the gathering together he had

described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. It is because 2 Thessalonians 2 is such a pivotal chapter in teaching

eschatological doctrines that this third and final part will review the primary teachings of this chapter.

PART III

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DECEMBER 2010 11

THE COMINGOFCHRISTANDTHE GATH-

ERINGTOGETHER

The coming of the Lord Jesus Christ

and gathering together to Him is refer-

enced in verse 1. The Greek word for

coming is parousia, which is a very

common word. Some think it has a

technical meaning, which would mean

that anytime the word is used, it only

refers to the second coming, but such a

notion is incorrect. However, context

always determines whether the refer-

ence is with regard to either the rapture

or second coming. The gathering to-

gether to Him is parallel to the promise

of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, with regard to the Lord

coming, descending in the clouds and gathering His

church from this world. Of course, the 1 Thessalo-

nians passage is where the language is derived for

the rapture, because the Greek was translatedrapier(i.e. rapture) in the Latin Vulgate. The Western

church uses the Latin term for the doctrine of the

rapture, but the teaching is certainly taught in

Scripture. The reference in 2 Thessalonians 2 with

regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and

our gathering together to Him, is to the rapture.

According to verse 2, some were concerned

with regard to teaching that the Day of the Lord

had come. Only a pretribulational understanding

of the text would make sense, because if Paul had

taught the Thessalonians that they had to experi-ence the tribulation, they would just be looking

at the calendar and counting how much persecu-

tion they would have to endure until they would

be delivered at the second coming. The perspec-

tive in 2 Thessalonians, however, is that they

were in that period and some people were telling

them that the Day of the Lord had occurred. The

Day of the Lord is a prophesied time of intense

judgment that God brings upon the wicked, and

also against Israel, to bring them to salvation, to

judge them for their sins, to prepare them for the

receiving of Messiah, and for the establishment of

His Kingdom.

There are certainly some Christians who favor

an idealist interpretation of this passage, whichmeans that the text is simply addressing general

troubles and difficulties that the church experi-

ences. Therefore, the text is non-literal and spiri-

tualized, and simply instructing the church with

regard to the ultimate victory in Jesus Christ. In

other words, the text is not chronological in any

manner because the chapter must bear a direct re-

lationship to the present day and age. In response

to such assertions, it would be wise to consider the

Old Testament prophecies of Messiah, and the

kingdom. The generations that received thoseprophecies were thousands of years removed from

fulfillment. Was it any less important or relevant

to them? Certainly not! Simply because events

may be future, it does not mean there is not an ap-

plication or relevancy to the church in the present

age. There are some that think conversely, and

they attempt to spiritualize these things, or seek to

find some first century fulfillment, which would

mean we are reading historical fulfillment about

these things.

The perspective in 2 Thessalonians, however, is that they were in that period and

some people were telling them that the Day of the Lord had occurred. The Day of

the Lord is a prophesied time of intense judgment that God brings upon the

wicked, and also against Israel, to bring them to salvation, to judge them for their

sins, to prepare them for the receiving of Messiah, and for the establishment of

His Kingdom.

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12 M I D N I G H T C A L L

The problem is that when you read individualsthat embraced these different views, such as preter-

ists, idealists, and historicists, they all contradict

one another regarding the fulfillment. They just

cannot be unified regarding whether the events of

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 have already passed, or if

the events are being fulfilled in the present age.

Those who interpret the text literally have amazing

agreement with each other, and generally only have

minor points of disagreement.

There may be many possible interpretations with

regard to the best sense of the biblical text, but read-

ers must always seek the best meaning of the text,

which would be pretribulationism. Some had taught

that the Day of the Lord had come and the church

was experiencing this persecution, leading them to

think they had missed the rapture, that is, the com-

ing prior to that period. Therefore, Paul said not to

be deceived, for it will not come unless the apos-

tasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is re-

vealed, the son of destruction. He said two things

have to occur: apostasy, and the man of lawlessnessbeing revealed. Contextual examination of the

Greek word that is translated apostasy would be

better understood as a physical departure. If one

were to examine the meaning of the word in Greek

lexicons and grammars, it would seem that a physi-

cal departure is based upon the context of what

Paul had written previously. The church was already

experiencing lawlessness, which would hardly qual-

ify as a sign. Lawlessness has been a continual force

against the church since its inception. The spirit of

Antichrist is ever with the church; therefore, a reli-gious departure from the faith would hardly be a

sign that one was not entering the Day of the Lord.

Even today, church members discuss the apostasy

of the church and how it is increasing progressively.

It is amazing what people thought was sinful ten or

twenty years ago, now looking at what is being

taught and embraced as truth. The point is that

apostasy can always get worse. During the time of

the Protestant Reformation, it was a time when it

did not seem that things could worsen, and then

God appointed individuals to proclaim the truth ofScripture, such as justification by faith alone, and

tremendous revival occurred, of which all Chris-

tians are recipients. Apostasy or religious departure

is not truly a sign, but is something that is always

present with the church. The history of Israel and

the church is one of frequent apostasies, even

among themselves, and would not be a noteworthy

sign.

Pauls exhortation not to be deceived would re-

late best to Daniel 9, where it prophesies with re-

gard to the prince who will come and make a

covenant with the Jewish nation and promise them

peace for a seven-year period of time. Second Thes-

salonians 2 prophesies apostasy, and then the man

of lawlessness is revealed, the person who makes

the covenant with the Jewish nation. Verse 4 gives

further explanation with regard to the man of law-

lessness, the one who opposes and exalts himself

above every so-called god or object of worship, so

that he takes his seat in the temple of God, display-

ing himself as being God. Approximately AD 40,the Roman emperor Caligula entered the Holy of

Holies and established an image of himself, and de-

clared himself as God. Paul did not say that was ful-

fillment; rather, he said that the event was still

future when writing Thessalonians (probably in the

early 50s of the first century). Even the First Epistle

of John prophesies that there will be a future An-

tichrist.

Second Thessalonians 2 is prophesying with re-

gard to events that have not yet occurred, and pre-

dicting a man of lawlessness who will proclaimhimself as God in the Temple. The Romans de-

stroyed the Jewish Temple in AD 70, and there is

also mention of a Temple in the Book of Revelation,

which was written in AD 95. If those things were

fulfilled in the first century, then Paul could have

cited the case of Caligula, or John, in the Book of

Revelation, which was written twenty-five years af-

ter the destruction of the Temple, could have re-

ferred to that event as fulfillment. The correct

understanding is that the prophecies are with regard

Apostasy or reli gious departure is not truly a sign, but something that is al-

ways present with the church. The histor y of Israel and the church is one

of frequent apostasies, even among themselves, and would not be a notewor-

thy sign.

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DECEMBER 2010 13

to a third Temple, a rebuilt Temple, which is not

there today.It is certainly easy to understandgiven situa-

tions currently in the Middle Eastthat if an indi-

vidual can promise peace, and find a way that the

Muslims can worship Allah and the Jews can re-

build their Temple, that the world would hail this

individual as a great leader. We have already seen

here in Americawithout addressing the merits or

demerits of the current presidencyhow someone

can achieve a celebrity status as president, and how

amazingly that peoplethrough use of media

could proclaim an individual to have a Messiah-likecharacter. Combine that with the actual sense of ac-

complishments, achieving peace in the Middle East,

and then it is easy to understand how all the world

will worship an individual as a great leader. There-

fore, verse 5 reads, Do you not remember that

while I was still with you, I was telling you these

things? Paul was reminding the church that he had

been with them a few weeks, and he had taught

them all these things. The Apostle taught them all

manner of chronological events with regard to the

coming of the Lord, the rapture, the

man of sin, a Temple, etc., which

demonstrates that he considered

these things to be important. Verse 5

is instructive to believers not to ne-

glect the teaching of any aspect of

Gods Word. Paul was obviously say-

ing that it was important for the

Thessalonians to understand these

things, and it is important for the

church also, to understand prophetic

truth. Such teaching is essential to

victorious Christian living.

PRIORTOTHEDAYOFTHE LORD

In verses 6-12, Paul continued his in-

struction regarding events that must

occur before the beginning of the Day

of the Lord, and he did that by placing emphasis

upon the lawlessness of that period. In these verses,Paul explained more clearly to the church why the

rapture had not occurred and why they had not

missed it; therefore, they were not experiencing the

Day of the Lord, the time of Gods judgment and the

time of Gods wrath.

Verse 7 mentions he who now restrains, and in

the Greek, the word is in the masculine tense. The

church is never referenced in that manner; the

Greek New Testament always uses a feminine gen-

der for the church. Therefore, the question is with

regard to the masculine gender in verse 7. The ref-erence is to the Holy Spirit, which is why it uses the

masculine gender, to give emphasis upon the Holy

Spirit. The Holy Spirit is removed only as He in-

dwells the church. The Holy Spirit is not taken from

the earth because He is God, and therefore om-

nipresent. The removal must involve the indwelling

presence of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit in-

dwells every Christian at the moment of baptism

into the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:13). The in-

dwelling of the Holy Spirit is unique for the church;

SECOND THESSALONIANS 2 AND THE RAPTURE PART III

The Holy Spirit is removed only as He indwells the church. The Holy Spirit is

not taken from the earth because He is God, and therefore omnipresent. The

removal must involve the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit

indwells every Christian at the moment of baptism into the body of Christ

(1 Cor 12:13). The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is unique for the church; a

permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit never occurred in the Old Testament.

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14 M I D N I G H T C A L L

a permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit never oc-curred in the Old Testament.

Revelation does not mention any kind of in-

dwelling of the Holy Spirit either. It mentions an in-

dwelling, but it is the indwelling of the man of sin

by Satan. The restraining influence in 2 Thessaloni-

ans 2 is the Holy Spirit as He indwells the church.

The restraining influence is the church, which will

be removed from the earth at the rapture, which is

the removal of the restrainer. The rapture and the

restrainer being removed are equal in meaning. Sub-

sequent to the removal of the restrainer, the man of

lawlessness is revealed by what he does according to

Daniel 9, and then that would be the beginning of

the Day of the Lord.

In 2 Thessalonians 2:8, there is good indication

of the wrath of God being mentioned when it ad-

dresses the Lord coming and slaying with the breath

of His mouth this man of lawlessness. Such teach-

ing very much correlates with Revelation 19; it is

the same picture of Christ descending from heaven,

King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and by the words fromHis mouth, His destroying the wicked. The very

next chapter in Revelation prophesies concerning

the millennial kingdom, which seems to be sequen-

tial. The judgment associated with the second com-

ing of Christ to earth, and then the establishing of

the kingdom, is paralleled. Consequently, the judg-

ment mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:8 is parallel

to the teaching of Revelation 19, and the fact that

Christ himself will destroy the man of sin, the law-

less one. The only indication of a future wrath in

the two epistles to the Thessalonians is 1 Thessalo-nians 1:10, where it notes that the church was to

wait for [Gods] Son from heaven, whom He raised

from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues [the

church] from the wrath to come.

The wrath mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 1:10 is

in reference to a coming of Jesus and how this com-

ing is going to prevent the church from experienc-

ing a future period of wrath. The scenario is of a

coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, which provides de-

liverance from future wrath. One could certainly

think that this deliverance is from the wrath of thetribulation, and it is referencing the second com-

ing. Such a notion, however, would be incorrect

because at the second coming, the wrath is com-

pleted and it will be time for establishing the king-

dom, so it could not be the second coming

mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 1:10, nor in 2 Thes-

salonians 2. The coming has to be a delivering, a

coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that coming

results in one being delivered and not experienc-

ing a future period of wrath, which would be the

tribulation. Such statements are indications of a

rapture, a gathering of the church, prior to the be-

ginning of the seven years of tribulation.

Expounding upon verse 3, where it referenced

the apostasy, Paul addressed all these texts with re-

gard to what restrains the man of lawlessness. Part

II of this article series indicated that the best man-

ner to understand the restrainer is that this is deal-

ing with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit within the

church, and that when the church is removed from

this earth in the rapture, that restraining influenceis taken so that then the man of lawlessness is re-

vealed. The church is the pillar and the support of

the truth (1 Tim 3:15); therefore, it is necessary to

remove the pillar and support of the truth, and then

the man of lawlessness can be revealed. It is impos-

sible currently for such an event to occur because

the church is still present on this earth. As bad as

things may be or seem, it is comforting to know that

the church has a restraining influence. Anytime so-

ciety goes bad, the church should always look at self

first and ask what is the church doing or not doingthat is contributing to the fall. Sometimes religious

individuals may persecute the church; sometimes

difficulties are the righteous judgment of God; and

sometimes the responsibility lies with those who

should be more obedient.

Second Thessalonians 2 is saying that the re-

straining influence has to be removed before the

man of lawlessness can be revealed. It is stated in

verse 7 that this mystery of lawlessness is already at

work. It was already at work in the first century,

The judgment associated with the second coming of Christ to earth, and then the

establishing of the kingdom, is paralleled. Consequently, the judgment men-

tioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:8 is parallel to the teaching of Revelation 19, and the

fact that Christ himself will destroy the man of sin, the lawless one.

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16 M I D N I G H T C A L L

think regarding the demands of the gospel of Jesus

Christ. They would rather pretend that God doesnot exist, or that the gospel is unclear or untruth-

ful, which is the same as what is expressed in

2 Thessalonians 2:10-12. God sears the conscience

and gives the unbeliever a deluding influence,

which leads to eternal punishment. There is a

somber application to this text for when the church

proclaims the gospel. It is to say that if the lost hear

the gospel and reject it, there cannot be any confi-

dence that God will not send a deluding influence

so that there is not opportunity to trust again. For

those who do not love the truth and reject it, God

will give a deluding influence and help them to

believe what is false.

The text clearly demonstrates that God not

only is glorified in the salvation of the righteous,

but He is also glorified in His judgment of the

wicked. It is a humbling teaching that God is glo-

rified in the judgment of the wicked, which is

something that all humanity deserves. God would

be tremendously glorified if there were no saved

people, not a soulif Adam and Eve, and all theirchildren after them, if none of them ever entered

heaven, God would be glorified, God would be

praised for all of eternity by the angels. The

thought is sobering. Why are any saved? It is be-

cause God is gracious and merciful. He is glorified

in the salvation of the righteous; He is also glori-

fied in demonstrating His justice against those

who persist in wickedness, which according to

Romans 3 and Ephesians 2 included all humanity.

The only difference in believers as the church is

that God in His grace drew them to Christ, and Heis to be praised for His grace and mercy. But the

individuals in 2 Thessalonians 2 are those with

whom He does not demonstrate His grace and

mercy, and He is glorified for His actions.

GRACE ANDMERCY FROMGOD

In the closing verses of 2 Thessalonians 2, the em-

phasis is upon Gods calling. Paul gave thanks for

his readers salvation, praise for their persever-

ance, and hoped that they appreciated the secure

position they had in holding to apostolic teaching.

In contrast to the wicked unbelievers that werereferenced in verse 12, Paul expressed his grati-

tude for his readers, those who are part of the

church. The reason for his joy, he said in verse 13,

is the result of Gods choice of them for salvation

before He created the world. Consistently

throughout the New Testament, from the begin-

ning indicates a time prior to the world being

created, before the foundation of the world, before

creation itself; the emphasis is upon Gods choice

of individuals for salvation. The initiative for sal-

vation comes from God; it is His choosing; it does

not come from man; rather, God accomplishes His

salvation through the work of the Holy Spirit,

which is the reason for Pauls joy (i.e. the fact of

God choosing for salvation). Paul gave thanks for

those that have received Gods salvation.

In verse 14, Paul gave thanks that God called

the Thessalonians so they could share splendor

with the Lord: that you may gain the glory of our

Lord Jesus Christ. The experience of being made

holy (sanctification) occurs in three differentrealms. Positional sanctification is equivalent to

justification. Experiential sanctification is the be-

liever becoming being more and more Christ-like.

Ultimate sanctification is the glorification of the

body when believers are confirmed in holiness.

Paul was addressing the latter when he referenced

believers receiving splendor and honor, the ulti-

mate glorification of the body.

Praise God for His revelation regarding the pre-

sent times and what the future entails for believ-

ers. God is gracious in calling sinners untosalvation. What longing there should be for the

day when believers will be with God and experi-

ence all the splendor and honor of their relation-

ship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Scripture gives a

hope unlike any other. Praise God for His grace

and salvation. The grace of the Lord will continue

to enable His people to stand firm, to hold to the

traditions that are taught in Scripture, and do all

things as to His glory and by His grace.

(411)

Praise God for His grace and salvation. The grace of the Lord will continue to en-

able His people to stand firm, to hold to the traditions that are taught in Scrip-

ture, and do all things as to His glory and by His grace.

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SEPTEMBER 2010 17

Daniel 9:25 says, From the going forth of thecommandment to restore and to build

Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall

be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks.

In Part 2, we explained in detail that this command-

ment of the Persian king, Artaxerxes, to rebuild and

restore Jerusalem in the month of Nisan, must have

taken place in the year 445 B.C. After the first 7

weeks (49 years) and the 62 weeks (434 years),

which together make 69 weeks (483 years), the

Messiah will return as Prince. With this we come to

the time of 32 A.D., once again in the month ofNisan, that is, March/April. Holy Week occurs dur-

ing this time!

Various educated men have reckoned that be-

tween March/April 445 B.C. and March/April 32

A.D. lie exactly 173,880 days, taking all the leap

years into consideration and the shift to the solar

year, and the fact that between the year 1 B.C. and

1 A.D. only one year is calculated, as there is no

year 0. It was also taken into consideration that a

prophetic year has only 360 days, because in the

Bible every month is reckoned as having 30 days.Three examples that confirm this are: In the book

of Revelation, the three and a half years are called

1260 days (3 years x 360 days = 1260 days). The

three and a half years are also called 42 months. 42

x 30 days = 1260 days (Revelation 11:2-3, 12:14

and 13:5). The Bible names the 17th day of the sec-

ond month as the beginning of the flood (Genesis

7:11), and the 17th day of the seventh month as the

day on which the ark landed on Mount Ararat

(Genesis 8:3-4). This proves 5 months = 150 days.

To return to Daniels weeks of years, 69 x 7 weeksof years x 360 days = 173,880 days. If we count

from the 1st of Nisan in 445 B.C. 173,880 days, we

come to the 10th of Nisan 32 A.D., the Holy Week

(Palm Sunday).

How do we know that Jesus died in 32 A.D.?The Lord began His public ministry in the 15th year

of the government of Tiberius Caesar (Luke 3:1-

23). Tiberius ruled from 14 to 37 A.D.; 14 + 15 = 29

A.D. According to Luke 3:23, Jesus was approxi-

The revelation of the 70 weeks of years belongs to the soundest proofs for the credibility of theBible. Here is Part 3.

B Y N O R B E R T L I E T H

Daniels SeventyWeeksofYears PartIII

DECEMBER 2010 17

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mately 30 years old when He appeared on the scene

and began to teach.

Jesus worked for three years openly as Messiah.

The Gospel of John reports of three Feasts of the

Passover that Jesus participated in after His baptism

(John 2:13, 6:4 and 11:55, compare also Luke 13:7).

29 + 3 = 32.

In this time from Nisan in 445 B.C. to Nisan in 32

A.D., the 173,880 days fit exactly.

For the fulfillment of the 69 weeks of years,

173,880 days after the commandment of Nehemiah

2, the Lord openly rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sun-

day as Prince (King) and was even greeted as such,And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were

come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then

sent Jesus two disciples, saying unto them, Go into

the village over against you, and straightway ye shall

find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and

bring them unto me. And if any man say ought unto

you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and

straightway he will send them. All this was done,

that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the

prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold,

thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting uponan ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. And the disciples

went, and did as Jesus commanded them, and

brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their

clothes, and they set him thereon. And a very great

multitude spread their garments in the way; others

cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them

in the way. And the multitudes that went before, and

that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of

David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the

Lord; Hosanna in the highest (Matthew 21:1-9).

Why does it say, The Lord hath need of them?

Jesus had never said or done this on previous Feasts

of the Passover. But now the prophecy of Zechariah

was to be fulfilled, Rejoice greatly, O daughter of

Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy

King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salva-

tion; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt

the foal of an ass (Zechariah 9:9). Now the time of

the 62nd week of years had come, of which Daniel

had prophesied that the Anointed One would appear

as Prince and then be exterminated, And after three-

score and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not

for himself: and the people of the prince that shallcome shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and

the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the

end of the war desolations are determined (Daniel

9:26).

The death of the Messiah after 7 + 62 = 69weeks of years. After threescore and two weeksshall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself

(Daniel 9:26). The NIV translates this, the

Anointed One will be cut off and will have noth-

ing. Five days after Palm Sunday (the 15th ofNisan), the Lord Jesus was nailed to the cross. He

was forsaken by all. He possessed nothing.

The living God pointed in a wonderful way to Je-

sus, the Messiah, and His path of suffering through

the Passover lambs in the Old Testament. The

Passover lambs were selected on the 10th day of

Nisan and kept till the 14th to prove whether they

were fit, for they had to be without blemish, This

month shall be unto you the beginning of months:

it shall be the first month of the year to you. Speak

And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem,and were come to Bethphage, unto the mountof Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, say-

ing unto them, Go into the village over againstyou, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied,and a colt with her: loose them, and bring themunto me. And if any man say ought unto you, yeshall say, The Lord hath need of them...

18 M I D N I G H T C A L L

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ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In thetenth day of this month they shall take to them

every man a lamb, according to the house of their

fathers, a lamb for an houseyour lamb shall be

without blemishand ye shall keep it up until the

fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole

assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in

the evening (Exodus 12:2-3 & 5-6). Let us note:

Jesus is the Lamb of God (John 1:29).

Jesus came to Bethany six days before the

Passover, according to John 12:1, and on the fol-

lowing day, the 10th of Nisan (five days before the

Passover!), He entered into Jerusalem (John 12:12).

In the following four days, until the 14th of

Nisan, Jesus was watched suspiciously by the Phar-

isees, Sadducees and scribes, And they watched

him, and sent forth spies, which should feignthemselves just men, that they might take hold of

his words, that so they might deliver him unto the

power and authority of the governorAnd they

could not take hold of his words before the people:

and they marvelled at his answer, and held their

peaceThen certain of the scribes answering said,

Master, thou hast well said. And after that they

durst not ask him any question at all (Luke 20:20,

26, 39-40). They found no fault in Him.

On the evening of the 14th of Nisan, Jesus cele-

brated the Passover with His disciples, and on the

15th of Nisan, at 9:00 in the morning (Mark

15:25), He was nailed to the cross as the Lamb of

God.

(MR0410/391)

Daniels SeventyWeeks of YearsPart III

On the evening of the 14th of Nisan, Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples, and on the15th of Nisan, at 9:00 in the morning (Mark 15:25), He was nailed to the cross as the Lamb of God.

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Have you reached a point in your life when

you are almost breaking down beneath your

troubles and problems? No matter how diffi-

cult and impossible your situation may be, you will

never hear the Lord Jesus say, Your problem is too

difficult for Me.

The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods

have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up theirwaves. The Lord on high is mightier than the noise

of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the

sea (Psalm 93:3-4). However mighty the waves are

in your life, the Lord is mightier. When Nathanael

met Jesus for the first time and was astonished by

what He said to him, the Lord said to him, Thou

shalt see greater things than these (John 1:50). Je-

sus is much greater, more glorious, loving and com-

passionate than we have experienced Him. One day

we will exclaim in heaven, Behold, the half was not

told me (1 Kings 10:7), as the Queen of Sheba

once said to Solomon.

When we pray and bring Him our troubles, our

problems often seem unsolvable, the mountain too

high or the way too dark. However your way may

look now, however, Ephesians 3:20 testifies that He is

able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we

ask or think. The enemy may attack you and wantto destroy you, but Jesus is much mightier. One day

He will consume the coming Antichrist with the

breath of His mouth (2 Thessalonians 2:8) and begin

His reign (Revelation 19). Where Jesus is, the power

of darkness is broken. Just think of the demon-pos-

sessed man in Mark 5:1-20.

And yet, we can come to a point where we do not

know which way to turn and have no hope. This is

what happened to the servant of the prophet Elisha,

And when the servant of the man of God was risen

Much MorethanThisB Y E R N S T K R A F T

20 M I D N I G H T C A L L

And the man of God answered, The Lord is able to give thee much more thanthis (2 Chronicles 25:9).

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DECEMBER 2010 21

early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the

city both with horses and chariots. And his servant

said unto him, Alas, my master! How shall we do?

(2 Kings 6:15). But Elisha was able to say, Fear not:

for they that be with us are more than they that be

with them (verse 16). Jesus is still greater! Psalm

145:3 says of the Lord, Great is the Lord, and greatly

to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.

To what conclusion should this truth lead us?Paul shows us this in Philippians 3:7, But what

things were gain to me, those I counted loss for

Christ. He loved Jesus above all else. In verse 3, herejoices that he belongs to Christ and no longer relies

on his flesh. God has given us everything in Jesus

(Romans 8:32). Where He is concerned, the truth re-

mains, a greater than Solomon is here (Matthew

12:42), more than the Queen of Sheba saw of glory

and wisdom in King Solomon. She had to admit, Be-

hold, the half was not told me (1 Kings 10:7). But

Jesus is much more glorious. This is why Paul

wanted to gain Christ (Philippians 3:8). Only our

Lord Jesus Christ Himself leads us to true and lasting

satisfaction.How poor the lives of such Christians as those in

the Church at Laodicea, who say, I am rich, and in-

creased with goods, and have need of nothing (Rev-

elation 3:17). Yet Jesus wants us to increase in Him

more and more. We should not remain as we are.

More should take place in us than what has already

occurred. The Lord is able to give thee much more

than this (2 Chronicles 25:9).

It is normal that a person grows: from a baby to a

child, from a child to an adolescent, from an adoles-

cent to a man or woman, and from a man or woman

to a father or mother, perhaps. We are never at the

end of this process, and those who think they are

become poor and stunted.

This is the trouble: we should have grown much

more in Christ. And yet we are still like little chil-

dren where our faith is concerned, although we

should long since have become teachers. For when

for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need

that one teach you again which be the first princi-

ples of the oracles of God; and are become such as

have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For

every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word ofrighteousness: for he is a babe (Hebrews 5:12-13).

How often are there childish problems in the

Church! A child always needs attention, or else it

gets it by behaving badly. If one member is not

greeted by another by some oversight, he or she al-

ready feels snubbed. We should have the mind of

Christ. Have you maybe problems because you are

still a child, although you should long since have

become a teacher?

We should always be increasing in zeal for the

Lords business so that Jesus can say, I know thyworks, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy

patience, and thy works; and the last to be more

than the first (Revelation 2:19). Of Samuel it says

in 1 Samuel 2:26, And the child Samuel grew on,

and was in favour both with the Lord, and also with

men.

This increase in the spiritual sphere is oftenlacking in us,because it costs us something. Johnthe Baptist said, He must increase, but I must de-

When we pray and bring Him our troubles, our problems oftenseem unsolvable, the mountain too high or the way too dark.However your way may look now, however, Ephesians 3:20

testifies that He is able to do exceeding abundantly above allthat we ask or think. The enemy may attack you and want todestroy you, but Jesus is much mightier...Where Jesus is, thepower of darkness is broken.

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22 M I D N I G H T C A L L

Much More than This

Perhaps you do not understand why you have to endure so manytroubles and go through so much humiliation. Jesus gives you

the answer in John 15:2, Every branch in me that bearethnot fruit he taketh away: and every branch thatbeareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth

more fruit.

crease (John 3:30). A great hindrance for many

who do not grow and increase spiritually is that

they do not want to decrease in themselves and be-

come smaller. They say things like, I have experi-

ence. I already know that. What does so-and-so

have to say to me? But this is not the way. Only

when our ego decreases can we grow spiritually.

Our natural pride hinders our spiritual growth, and

also the blessing. If we were humbler and more pre-

pared to be at Jesus disposal, God would give us

more and more grace and blessing. He could work

mightily in our lives, but we hinder this working

through our pride.

This is why many Christians are spirituallystunted. In one way we may have increased; for in-

stance, in our heads. We have gained much knowl-

edge, but hardly put any of it into practice. Our

knowledge does not lead to spiritual growth; it re-

mains theory. This is why Ephesians 4:15 says, But

speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in

all things, which is the head, even Christ. We must

strive to grow in every sphere, so that Christ is

formed in us (Galatians 4:19).

James said, Ye have not, because ye ask not in

James 4:2. Before Jesus healed a blind man, Heasked him, What wilt thou that I should do unto

thee? (Mark 10:51). What do you want to receive

from Jesus?

God Himself is working in our lives to blessus more and more. Perhaps you do not under-stand why you have to endure so many troubles and

go through so much humiliation. Jesus gives you

the answer in John 15:2, Every branch in me that

beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch

that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring

forth more fruit. Much more than this. This is

why you are coming under more pressure. After-

wards, you will bring forth more fruit and more

blessing can flow to you. God is cleansing you so

that He can bless you more.

Say yes, therefore, to the trials that you en-

counter to make you smaller and able to experience

Gods blessing more and more. If you decrease and are

nothing in yourself, the blessing will begin to flow.

And you may expect that the blessing in your life in-

creases, because God has much more to give to you.

Are you prepared to be purged in Gods school so

that you can bring forth more fruit and greaterthings can happen than before? God is able to

make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always

having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to

every good work (2 Corinthians 9:8).

Are you expecting more? God can do over and

above all that we ask or think. Those who ask for

little will receive little. Those who ask for much and

expect much, will receive much. The prophet Elisha

once came to the king of Israel and said to him,

Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and

stayed. And the man of God was wroth with him,and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six

times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst

consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria

but thrice (2 Kings 13:18-19).

Do not stand still, but grow and expect the Lord

to give you much more! My desire is that you grow

in Jesus Christ and experience the words of Psalm

115:14 in your life, The Lord shall increase you

more and more, you and your children.

(MR1109/365)

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1829May2011*

On the 18th of May 2011,we will embark on a 12-daytour of Israel.This once-in-a-lifetime tour carries thelow price tag of only $1995 plus airfare.To secure yourseat, please send a $400 deposit for each person.We will be limited

to one bus; this means only 45 people will be able to participate, so

be sure to reserve your seat early.

Your host will be the director of Mid-

night Call Ministries and noted Bible

prophecy teacher, Arno Froese. He willhighlight the Scriptural significance of

sites along the way and regarding the

people and land of Israel in general.

Your tour guide will be Ariel Winkler, the

son of the Swiss and Dutch directors of Beth

Shalom: Fredi and Beate Winkler.Beate is

the daughter of Midnight Call founder,

Wim Malgo.Fredi is also the international

editor ofNewsFrom Israel.Ariel was born

and raised in Israel;he grew up in Haifa and, like his father, is a gov-

ernment licensed tour guide with an impressive understanding of

the history and geography of every corner of Israel,along with a

deep knowledge of the Bible. He is fluent in Hebrew, Dutch, Ger-

man, and English.Along with the bus driver and Mr.Froese, he will

determine the most efficient and effective routes that will allow

you to see as many of the important sites in Israel as possible dur-

ing these exciting days.

The price listed includes accommodations, breakfast and dinner

each day,and all entrance fees to sights and parks covered in the

itinerary.Prices are based on double occupancy; if you are coming

alone and have not specified a roommate, you will be assigned a

roommate of the same gender. Alternatively,you may pay an addi-

tional $525 for a single-room.

You will need to make round-trip airline reservations to Tel Aviv

separately.We recommend that you use the services of Travel Con-

cepts (Toll Free: 1-800-366-4124), but you are free to use whatever

agency or online booking service you like.

* Notice: Although this is considered a 12-day tour, depending on your airlinereservations, you may not be back in the USA until Monday, 30 May 2011.

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Day 1 Wednesday, 18 May 2011DeparttheUSA on an overnight flight toTelAvivs BenGurion Inter-nationalAirport.

Day 2 Thursday, 19 May 2011Wearrive in Israel,where Beth Shalom staff is awaitingus.After cus-toms, weboardourbusandtravel toHaifa.Dinnerandaccommo-dations at ourvery own HotelBeth-Shalom.

Day 3 Friday, 20 May 2011After breakfastatBeth Shalom,we board ourbustotravel toCae-sarea,1 theRomanfortresswheretheApostlePaul wasimprisoned.Then on toMuhraka(Mt.Carmel),2 where Elijah challenged thepriests ofBaal.From here wewill also have a panoramicview of Har-maggedontheValley of Armageddon.Wenow turn tothenorthtovisit theancient city of Akko (Acre).Alexander theGreat con-queredthiscity inthe 4th centuryBC.Akko isa UNESCOworldher-itage site.Manyremnantsremain fromtheCrusaderperiod.Thisbeautiful cityon theMediterranean3 willleave a lastingimpression.Finally,we return toHaifa and end the day witha tour ofthisbeauti-fulharbor city.We return toBeth Shalomfor dinner.

1 Acts 8:40, 23:23

2 1 Kings 18:19

3 Numbers 34:6-7; Joshua 1:4, 15:47

Day 4 Saturday, 21 May 2011Weleave after breakfastforMegiddo.1 Wewill seethe archaeologi-calexcavation andascendtothetop of thistell(artificial hill) tooverviewtheJezreelValley,connectedto theBattleof Armaged-don.2Then toNazareth,3 thecitywhereJesus grew up fulfilling theBiblicalprophecy:Andhe came anddweltin a city called Nazareth:that itmight be fulfilledwhichwasspokenbytheprophets,He shallbe calleda Nazarene(Matthew 2:23).Next,its on toBeit She'an,oneof thegreatest archaeological exhibitions in Israel.Wewillalsoas-cendMountGilboa4 beforereturningto BethShalom fordinner.

1 1 Kings 4:12; 2 Kings 23:29-302 Revelation 16:16; Zechariah 12:11

3 Matthew 21:11; Luke 1:26, 4:34; John 1:46

4 1 Samuel 31:1

Day 5 Sunday, 22 May 2011After breakfast,wewill pack up andmove totheGalilee.First,we willvisit Karmiel,a moderncity in northern Israelfoundedin 1964,anditssurroundings.Then,pastSafed into theupper Jordan Valley,totheBanias waterfalland thesource oftheJordan:the springs atCae-

sarea Philippi.1 Wewill continuethrough theGolanHeights,andhave a chanceto peer over theborder into Syria at theQuneitracrossing.As wetravelthrough theterritory of theGolanHeights,wewill bewitnessestothefulfillment ofBibleprophecy,as weseetheland being made fertile:This land that wasdesolate is becomelikethegarden of Eden(Ezekiel 36:35).Wewill have dinnerandretire atour hotel on the shoresofthe Sea ofGalilee.

1 Matthew 16:13-16

Day 6 Monday, 23 May 2011After breakfast,we will circle theSea of Galilee,1 visitingthree places:theMountof Beatitudes,Tabgha,2 theplaceof themultiplicationoftheloaves and fishes,and of course,Capernaum,3 homeofthe apos-tles Peter,Andrew,JamesandJohn.Forlunch,wellstopat a specialkibbutz restaurant,En Gev,for a traditional meal of St.Peters fish.Af-ter lunch,ourgroup will board a replica ofa first century sailing shipandhead outonto theSea of Galilee.Besides sightseeing,wewillhave time for a special fellowship on these historically andbiblicallyimportant waters called Gennesaret or Kinneret.4 Wewillhave somefreetime inthe evening tostrollnextto orswiminthe Sea,andpos-siblyvisit theYardenitBaptismal site at theJordan River.5 Wewillhave dinnerand spend ourfinalovernight in theGalilee.

1 Isaiah 9:1; Matthew 4:18-19

2 Mark 6:41-423 Matthew 4:13-15; Luke 4:31

4 Mark 6:53

5 Mark 1:5

Day 7 Tuesday, 24 May 2011Wemake an earlydeparture after breakfast,because wellhavea bigdayahead ofus,culminating in Jerusalem!Wewill traveldown theJordan Valley,pastGilgal1 and Jericho,2 all the way down tothe DeadSea.Herewewill seewherethe Dead SeaScrolls werediscovered atthe ancient ruins ofQumran.Afterthat,we willtakea cable car uptoMasada,wherethe Romanscrushed thefinalremnantof theJewishresistance.Then wewill visit theshores of theDead Seaand have asalad buffetlunch at theHotel Lot.Here youwill be able swim(well,float)in this,thelowest andsaltiestplacein theworld.Thelunch andaccesstobeach & changingrooms areincludedin thepriceof this tour.Finally,we will travelup theJericho road toJerusalem,check into ourfinal hotelandhave dinner.

1 Joshua 4:19

2 Joshua 6:1-27

Day 8 Wednesday, 25 May 2011Forour first day inJerusalem,wewilldoa lot ofwalking,soa healthybreakfastis in order.First,we will ascendtheTempleMount,1 thecenter of thegreat globalcontroversy.Thento thePoolof Bethesda,2

following theVia Dolorosa.Walkingthrough theancientnarrowstreetsof Jerusalemwillbe an unforgettable experience.Wewillsee

theChurch ofThe Holy Sepulchre,and then thefamous Wailing(orWestern)Wall,and finally,theOphelPark (Davidson Center)excava-tions just outside thecitywall.Then,backtothehotel for dinner.

1 2 Chronicles 3:1-2

2 John 5:1-18

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Day 9 Thursday, 26 May 2011This daywewill have only onegoal after breakfast:Bethlehem.1

Sincethis town whereJesus wasborn is nowunderPalestinian con-trol, wehave toallow extra timetogetthere and return,but itis wellworth it;we will seemanysites,including theChurch of theNativity.Upon returning toJerusalem,you will havefree time tospend asyou wishbefore dinner.

1 1 Samuel 16:1; Matthew 2; Luke 2; John 7:42

Day 10 Friday, 27 May 2011Aftera good nights rest,we arereadyfor another excitingday in thecity ofJerusalem.First,we will visit theCityof David.1Then on toYadVashem,the museumthat commemorates themurder of over 6 mil-lion Jews byNazi Germany.Wellvisit theplacewherePeter deniedtheLord.2Then on toMountZion,3 where our tourwill leadustotheUpperRoom,4 theplacewhereour Lord servedtheLast Supper.Back toourhotel fordinner andovernight.

1 2 Samuel 5:9

2 John 18:16-17

3 Psalm 48:2, 11-12

4 Luke 22:12-13

Day 11 Saturday, 28 May 2011This will be a dayofdiscovering thebiblicalhistorical treasuresof thecityof Jerusalem.Westartwith a placethat hasbecomethefavorite of many Christians:the GardenTomb andGolgotha.1 We thenascend(by bus) toMount Scopusfor auniqueoverview of Jerusalemto thewestandtheJudeanwilderness2 totheeast.Thenon toa most significantplace,theMountof Olives,3 fromwhichJesusascendedintoheaven and towhich Heisgoing tore-turn.Wellwalk down themountainto theChapel ofTears,4 thento the GardenofGeth-semane.5 Finally,we will visit theIsrael mu-seumand see the amazing Model oftheTempleand theexhibition of theShrine of the

Book (the Dead SeaScrolls).We will fellowshipandreminisceat ourfinaldinnerin ourhotelin Jerusalem.

1 Matthew 27:33, Mark 15:22,

John 19:17

2 Matthew 3:1

3 2 Samuel 15:30; Acts 1:12

4 Luke 22:44

5 Matthew 26:36

Day 12 Sunday, 29 May 2011Afteryour final Israeli breakfast,you will likely have free time inJerusalemon Sunday morning beforeheading back down totheBenGurion airportfor your flightback home.You may be able toat-tend a local churchandworship with believingJews and/orArabs;askthetourguide for suggestions.

Day 13 Monday, 30 May 2011Dependingon your airline reservations,youmay stillbe en routefrom Israelto theUSA on Mondaymorning.

Note:Itinerary is subjectto change

Nazareth is the capital and largest cityin the northern district of Israel.

Fishing boats on thebanks of theSea of Galilee, Israel

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OliveTours/Midnight Call Ministries PO Box280008 Columbia SC 29228

1-800-845-2420 Fax:803-755-6002 kathy@midnightcall.com

Latest information: http://www.midnightcall.com/israel_tours.html

Yes, I wish to join the Promised Land Prophecy Tour. Please reserve _______seat(s) for me(us).

I enclose $400 deposit for each person.Just send me a complete information package at this time.

Please reserve a single room for me ($525 extra).

Name:_______________________________________

Address:______________________________________

City:________________________________________

State/Province:__________________________________

Zip/Postal Code:_________________________________

Check Visa/Master/Discover/Amex

Card#

Expires:

Phone:

E-mail:_______________________________________

Midnight Call MinistriesP.O. BOX 280008Columbia, SC 29228

MC1210

We will need additional information for each participant. If possible, please use the detailed registration form found on our website:http://www.midnightcall.com/israel_tours.html in lieu of this coupon.

Accommodations19May 22 May

Hotel Beth-Shalom

http://www.beth-shalom.co.il

22May 24 May

Kibbutz GuestHouseMaagan HolidayVillagehttp://www.maagan.com/english

24May 29 May

Ramada (Royal Wing)Jerusalem

Cancellation PolicyFor participant-initiated cancellations,a full refund of the land-only portion of the tour ($1995 per person,plus optional $525single room supplement) will be made up to 45 days before de-parture (4/4/2011), and at a sliding scale down to zero for no-shows on 19 May 2011. If we need to cancel the tour for anyreason, you will receive an immediate and automatic refund ofeverything you have paid Midnight Call for the 2011 tour; this re-fund will release Midnight Call from any further obligations.Since you will be making air travel arrangements separately,theairlines cancellation/refund policy applies. If you feel it neces-sary, purchase travel interruption insuranceeither from ourtravel agent or another source.

Limitation of LiabilityMidnight Call Inc.(Olive Tours) and its agents assume no respon-sibility nor liability in connection with the service of any vessel,carriage,aircraft or other conveyance,which is used, eitherwholly or in part, in the performance of its duty to the passen-gers. Midnight Call Inc. will not be held responsible for an act,er-ror, or omission, or for any injury, loss,accident,delay, orirregularity which may be occasioned by reason of any defect inany vehicle,or through neglect or default of any company orperson engaged in carrying out the purpose of this tour.In theevent it becomes necessary or advisable, or for any reason what-soever, we reserve the right to alter the itinerary or arrange-ments as needed. Significant additional expenses,if any, shall beborne by the passengers;conversely, a refund will be made tothe passengers if any significant savings result from a change.

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T

he New Testament does not

say much about the disciple

called Bartholomew. In the

lists of the apostles, he is alwaysmentioned together with Philip

(cf. Matthew 10:3, Mark 3:18 and

Luke 6:14). In the Gospel of John,

his name is not mentioned at all;

on the other hand, the name

Nathanael is mentioned a couple

of times, always together with

Philip, in John 1:45, for instance,

Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We

have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and

the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the sonof Joseph. As Nathanael is not mentioned any-

where else, it is assumed that he is identical with

Bartholomew.

After Philip was called to discipleship by the

Lord, we learn how he invited Bartholomew, i.e.

Nathanael, to follow Jesus, and what conse-

quences this had, Philip findeth Nathanael, and

saith unto him, We have found him, of whom

Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Je-

sus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael

said unto him, Can there any good

thing come out of Nazareth? Philip

saith unto him, Come and see. Jesus

saw Nathanael coming to him, andsaith of him, Behold an Israelite in-

deed, in whom is no guile!

Nathanael saith unto him, Whence

knowest thou me? Jesus answered

and said unto him, Before that Philip

called thee, when thou wast under

the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael an-

swered and saith unto him, Rabbi,

thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Is-

rael. Jesus answered and said unto him, Because

I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, be-lievest thou? Thou shalt see greater things than

these. And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say

unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and

the angels of God ascending and descending upon

the Son of man (John 1:45-51).

Nathanael must have been a man beyond re-proach, or the Lord would not have said of him,an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile (John

1:47). Jesus said this before Nathanaels mighty

The Calling of the Twelve Disciples

BartholomewB Y M A R C E L M A L G O

DECEMBER 2010 27

And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits,

to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. Now the names of the

twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son

of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; Jamesthe son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite, and Judas

Iscariot, who also betrayed him (Matthew 10:1-4).

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28 M I D N I G H T C A L L

testimony, Rabbi, thou art the

Son of God; thou art the King of

Israel (John 1:49). This was, in a

manner of speaking, the conver-

sion of Nathanael, and yet the

Lord testified before this that he

was a man without guile. In the

Old Testament, many people be-

lieved with all their hearts on the

God of