Second Exodus

Charles Whitaker, focusing upon Deuteronomy 29:4, where God reveals that He had not given the ancient Israelites an understanding mind "until that very day," discusses His revelation in Deuteronomy 29 and 30. These chapters have four salient themes: 1.) Today, with its counterpart "tomorrow," the future generations of Israelites; 2.) The land—"this land," referring to the land of promise, and "that land," referring to the land of exile of future Israelites; 3.) The "Covenant," with its attendant blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience and 4.) the concept of "revelation," that God reveals hidden matters to the end that people may obey His law. Historically, when Israel obeyed God, she received blessings; when Israel disobeyed God, she was cursed. This axiomatic truth is so evident to the gentiles that they will marvel that the hapless descendants of Jacob could not understand the cause-effect relationships of obedience and disobedience. Sadly, we live in a time when Abraham's offspring have rebelled mightily, waxing just as evil and perverted as ancient Sodom and Gomorrah. If modern Israel (including the Israel of God) disobeys the terms of the covenant, the fact that God made a covenant with them will not deflect the full impact of God's judgment. As God's called-out ones, having additional revealed knowledge and the gift of God's Holly Spirit, we are instructed to choose life "right now, this very day," just as were our ancient forbears.

Biblical prophecy shows God scattering His people as a punishment for their sins against Him. During the end time, it appears He will scatter them into small fragments, perhaps even down to individuals alone. Charles Whitaker studies the primarily Hebrew words whose meanings suggest a coming, extensive fragmentation of end-time Israelites. The good news is that God will ultimately regather the humbled remnant one by one.

John Ritenbaugh, reflecting on an article in Christianity Today which suggests that American Christians are becoming increasingly confused about whether abortion is equivalent to murder, concludes that we live in a moral garbage dump, every bit as vile as Sodom and Gomorrah. America (and the other Israelitish nations), like mother-like daughter, disgustingly has eclipsed the sins of Sodom and Egypt and is the primary target of Ezekiel's prophecies, words which were written after the captivity of Judah and Israel. Ezekiel's prophecies are unfolding right now, before our eyes, describing contemporary news events—real end-time material. Sadly, the haughtiness with which modern Judah and Israel embraces immorality makes the people of Sodom appear moral in comparison.

David Grabbe, reminding us that a major focus of John the Baptist's ministry was a call to repentance and turning to righteousness, a focus that Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul reinforced and magnified. Curiously, in main-stream Protestantism, repentance has fallen out of favor and has been replaced by cheap 'grace.' The Law allegedly has been done away in the process. Actually repentance is mentioned far more in the New Testament than in the Old Testament, as the New Covenant stresses that Christians have, after they have rejected their sinful past, have been designed for works that are in alignment with God's law. Jesus, in the model prayer asks us to ask for forgiveness of our trespasses on a daily basis and counsels five of the seven churches in Revelation 2 to repent from their sinful ways, radically change course, and turn to God. Repentance transcends remorse, incorporating works of righteousness in sync with God's Law. If the Law were done away, there would be no need of a Savior.

Most Bible students are not familiar with the prophet Hananiah—or perhaps he should be called a false prophet. In his interactions with Jeremiah, a true prophet of God, Hananiah made a significant mistake: prophesying good when God had called for destruction. David Grabbe explains that, while God's will is to do good—eventually—the timing of matters makes all the difference.

Sometimes, in reading through various parts of the Bible, we come across phrases and ideas that do not make much sense to us—or on closer reading do not mean what we have always thought them to mean. Charles Whitaker looks at Revelation's sixth seal in more detail, particularly the reaction of certain people to the amazing heavenly signs they witness.

Most of the books of the Minor Prophets were written before the exile of the people of Judah to Babylon, but the final three—Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi—come from the years after their return to the land. Richard Ritenbaugh summarizes the final two books, showing how they create a bridge to the New Testament and the coming of the Son of Man.

The twelve books of the Minor Prophets are often overlooked, squeezed between the "important" books of the Major Prophets—Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel—and the "vital" four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Richard Ritenbaugh summarizes four more of these brief but intriguing and helpful books: Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, and Micah.

At some point in the near future, the modern descendants of Israel will learn of their true identity—and have to face the consequences of that knowledge. Using the prophecies of the Second Exodus, David Grabbe reveals that God will do what is necessary to bring Israel to the spiritual condition and the physical location that He has purposed for her.

The fact of a Second Exodus that will far eclipse the Exodus from Egypt is generally understood by Bible students. The timing of this great migration, however, is more elusive. David Grabbe points out the Scriptural markers that narrow the time frame to a specific, significant prophetic event.

The Bible tells us that the time is coming when God will regather His people Israel to the Land of Promise, a greater Exodus than that from the Land of Egypt. David Grabbe gathers the prophecies of this momentous future event, focusing on when it will occur.

For several centuries, the Philistines were a constant menace on Israel's southwestern flank. Richard Ritenbaugh summarizes what the Bible, history, and archeology have to say about this little-known yet biblically significant people.

In this in-depth examination of globalism, Charles Whitaker sees it as a force to bring about widespread dispersions of peoples before the end to bring about "the time of Jacob's trouble."

Richard Ritenbaugh affirms that in spiritual matters, as in athletics, those who have mastered the fundamental skills are the best. The fundamentals of the Feast of Tabernacles consists of a harvest image, depicting a massive number of people coming to the truth, while the journey or pilgrimage depicts a time of judgment. We are currently undergoing our period of judgment, preparing to reign with Christ as spiritual kings and priests during His millennial rule, bringing salvation and judgment releasing bands of suppression and bondage, bringing healing, and enabling the wastelands and deserts to reach an Edenic standard.

What is in store for the nations of Israel? Is their future promising or bleak—or both? This article concludes a three-part series on the people of Israel.

Have you ever considered what it will be like right after Christ returns? What will you do, as a king, to help and govern the people placed under you? Believe it or not, you are already developing those skills!

What does God see in Israel that so affronts Him that He has to swear "by His holiness"? Israel had every opportunity that the Gentiles did not have: His calling, His promises, His Word, His laws. He gave the Israelites these gifts to help them develop into His sons and daughters, but God sees them as diametrically opposite of Himself. Should not God expect to see some of His characteristics in His sons?

John Ritenbaugh, citing a rather sobering reflective article by Vaclav Havel, observes that although we enjoy the benefits of scientific progress, we understand ourselves less and less; everything is seemingly possible, but nothing is certain. Without the spirit of God, mankind becomes guided by another spirit leading to dreadful destructive sinister consequences- made increasingly more menacing by increased technological capabilities. A person having only the spirit of man is absolutely held in bondage to it. It is impossible for mankind, without God's Spirit (Deuteronomy 5:29) to responsibly use the powers and abilities God has given to him. By yielding to God and using the power of His spirit, we can experience a foretaste of the times of refreshing and restitution which will eventually be made available to the entire creation (Acts 3:19)