So the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him. He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock” (Deuteronomy 32:9, 12–13).
There is no great mystery about sucking honey out of the rock because, in the Middle East where large hollow trees are scarce, bees often make their hives in rock cliffs. However, sucking oil out of flinty rock is another matter. If olive oil is meant here, then it could come only by a miracle of God. That God could perform such a miracle is beyond question. However, since honey is literally found in the rocks, then within the same context we must look for oil in flinty rocks. As geologists will confirm, crude oil from which petroleum and other fossil fuels are made is found in flinty rocks or shale..
The Oil of Sodom Before the destruction of Sodom, Gomorrah, and the nearby towns, the Dead Sea area was a small portion of the earth left over from the pre-flood age: “And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar” (Genesis 13:10). The below-sea-level condition with abundant fresh water created a protected hothouse environment. This must have indeed been a beautiful place, but there was one problem—slime pits, bitumen surface pools, or seeping oil (Genesis 14:10). These oil bogs evidently figured into the route of the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, and Edom by the kings of the north led by Amraphel, also known as Hammurabi of Babylon. A few years later, and after Abraham had defeated the kings of the north and saved Lot, God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone in a catastrophic explosion which created the Dead Sea. It has been claimed by many that the mineral and chemical wealth of the Dead Sea is more than the rest of all the world. I have personally always accepted this claim as exaggeration, although the net worth of the Dead Sea chemicals indeed must be great, but the wealth of the Dead Sea is not due to sedimentary evaporation. Water that comes into the Dead Sea from the Jordan River is good for drinking and irrigation, accounting for 90 percent of Israel’s fresh water supply. Under the Dead Sea are salt and chemical deposits hundreds and possibly thousands of feet deep.
That there was a Sodom and Gomorrah that was destroyed in a terrible conflagration is beyond question. Josephus wrote in The Wars of the Jews that in his time (A.D. 70) the charred remains of the fruit from the trees was still in evidence on the cliffs of the Asphaltic Sea. The Dead Sea was in Josephus’ time called the Asphaltic Sea because it was covered with thick oil which was used to pitch ships. What happened to stop the oil from seeping into the Dead Sea is not known. There was a giant earthquake in the eighth century along the African-Syrian rift that leveled Philadelphia (Amman), Beth Shan, Jerash, and other cities. It is possible that the shifting of the fault line sealed off the oil flow. In any event, as the Bible indicates, the oil is still there.
The Spoil of Oil We read the Word of prophecy in Ezekiel 38–39, that a huge national power to the north of Israel, Gog, will come down against Israel to take a “great spoil.” Most prophetic scholars believe Gog to be modern Russia. Aligned with Gog will be armies from Turkey (Togarmah), Iran (Persia), and Libya. We read in Ezekiel that Gog will come down for cattle and goods. I have been to Russia on missions, and the economic situation there continues to worsen. Russia today is starving, and Israel is overflowing with cattle and foods of all kinds. Ezekiel said also that God and his allies would come to take a “great spoil.”
The Spoil of Israeli Oil...Noah Hutchings...September 20, 2022 Editor’s Note: As Europe scrambles to wean itself off Russian oil and gas and tries to confront Russia for its use of energy to blackmail European countries, the European Union signed in Cairo on June 15, 2022, a Memorandum of Understanding with Israel and Egypt, aimed at using the energy potential of the Eastern Mediterranean to cover the shortfall in energy supplies to Europe. This, of course, angered Russian officials. So, Vladimir Putin went to Tehran, Iran where he met with President Ebrahim Raisi and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to solidify his alliance with Iran and Turkey. Will these events trigger the prophesied Gog/Magog war? Could the oil and natural gas in Israel be the spoil spoken of in Ezekiel 38:12? With Israeli oil back in the news, we thought it would be appropriate to reprint portions of an article which Noah Hutchings wrote in February of 1998.
The first place oil is found in the Bible is Genesis 11:3, where the Scripture reveals that the builders of the Tower of Babel used slime as mortar to hold bricks in construction together. Slime (as interpreted by almost any credible Bible dictionary) in biblical usage was bitumen, or asphalt, a semisolid oil residue that seeps to the surface. The Tower of Babel was constructed on the plain of Shinar, or southern Iraq, where today there are vast oil fields.
Crude oil which is pumped out of the ground is a fossil fuel, meaning that it is the decayed residue of animal and plant life. It is evident from the location of the Garden of Eden given in Genesis 2:10–15 that it was in the general area of what is now Kuwait. There is more oil under the ground of Kuwait than any other place in the Persian Gulf basin and, therefore, this area must have in the distant past been a veritable jungle of both animal and plant life, substantiating the biblical account of the Garden of Eden. Aside from Kuwait, the entire Middle East is a vast reservoir of oil. Much of the oil has been discovered and fields developed, but much of the oil in the Middle East, including Israel, has not been discovered or developed.
The Oil of Asher The old land of Asher that extended from what is now the Haifa region northward to Lebanon along the Mediterranean Sea was in the shape of a foot attached to the part of the leg just below the knee. The foot was in the Haifa area, and it is here where oil and natural gas are being pumped. We read in Deuteronomy, “And of Asher he said, Let Asher be blessed with children; let him be acceptable to his brethren, and let him dip his foot in oil. Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be” (Deuteronomy 33:24–25).
In taking our concordance and tracing all the references to feet in the Bible, we can readily understand just how important this part of the body was to the individual. A person just did not hop in his car or catch a bus or a plane to get from one place to another. The general public did not even own a camel, horse, or donkey. The most common and acceptable method of travel was on foot, and it is evident from Scripture that the feet were washed and anointed quite frequently. It appears that Judas objected to Mary, the sister of Lazarus, using costly ointment to anoint the feet of Jesus rather than using the less expensive olive oil.
To have good feet in excellent physical condition was indeed a blessing in Bible times, but this blessing upon Asher could have a double meaning, as many scriptures do, and especially could this be so considering all the encompassing blessings on Jacob, his children, and their descendants recorded in the previous chapter: “For the Lord’s portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance …
And because the leaders are already perverted personally, they make immoral and unwise decisions regarding the nation’s direction and conditions grow worse.
2nd tim.3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
The founding fathers of this nation would turn over in their graves if they only knew what’s going on here now, at one time we were ONE NATION UNDER GOD but that no longer is true, Obama himself said that America is no longer a Christian only nation.
we must get rid of this corrupt administration and pray that God will send revival to our land, now I realize that God puts up kings and takes down kings in order to carry out His last day plans, I only hope and pray that He will allow us to try and straighten out our nation, we have become the arm pit of the world, nations used to look to the United States as a leading and up right nation but it’s swiftly headed in the other direction, who would have ever thought that our nation would end up being the biggest debtor nation in the world?, our politicians through under handed dealings and for filthy lucre has sent our jobs over seas, hardly nothing is made here any longer, name me a few, I’M from South Carolina and this part of the country was at one time called the Textile Center of the world, now most of out textile plants are closed down, the owners could not compete with cheap imported cloth, thanks to our out standing politicians, this nation has made China the rich country that it is today, China, India and other countries are now making our cloth, I’m not belittling any of these countries they did what was right for their country.
And I also think that because of our allowing any and all foreign religions to come into our country and build their Mosque’s and all the other religions that are not of God has caused most of our problems, all this is an insulate too the True and Living Jehovah, and remember that He said that He is a jealous God.
Exodus 34:14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:--I realize He said that to His chosen people Israel, but we are also Gods children today if we’re saved.
Prov.1:29-31 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: 30They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. 31Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
I have a heavy heart because of all this ungodliness we have on ever hand, most of our leaders don’t realize what’s going on it has come so subtly, that’s the way the devil works, just sit tight all is well is his message, we must expose his lies and the agents he has working for him knowingly and unknowingly.
Psalm 9:17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.
• What has God said already about such as this, do you think He has changed His mind?
Leviticus 18:22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
Leviticus 20:13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
Paul includes lesbianism in the condemnation:
Romans 1:26 For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature--
Jude 7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire
When a nation descends into perversions like homosexuality, its decline accelerates, its fibers weaken and it becomes ripe for disaster, either natural or political/militarily.
In his book Real Change, Newt Gengrich shares-that with in three counties in Florida, AIDS victims hit Medicare for over $480 million in just six months. Evidence indicates that AIDS victims are bankrupting Medicare and robbing senior citizens of this insurance for which they have paid through salary deductions.
• The president continues in the next section of his homosexual proclamation: I am proud to be the first president to appoint LGBT candidates to Senate-confirmed positions in the first 100 days of an administration. These individuals embody the best qualities we seek in public service.
The fact is that the Senate complained that Obama was appointing "czars" without confirmation. The record also indicates that he has appointed over 150 homosexuals to high government offices with administrative responsibilities. It is difficult to name anyone in the new administration who is not a homosexual
• As to future plans for the homosexual segment of the population, the president continued: My administration has partnered with the LGBT community to advance a wide range of initiatives. At the international level, I have joined efforts at the United Nations to decriminalize homosexuality around the world . .. These measures include supporting civil unions . . . ensuring adoption rights, and ending existing "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" policies in a way that strengthens the armed forces and national security.”
Mr. Obama admits, or professes, that he is not just a member of the Democratic Party, but he is also a member of the LGBT Party and that he will work to accomplish all homosexual goals while in office.
There’s more but I think that’s enough for all to see that wants to see that our country is in big trouble with God.
LGBT [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender] Americans have made and continue to make great and lasting contri-butions that continue to strengthen the fabric of American society; LGBT Americans have mobilized the nation to respond to the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic, and played a vital role in broadening the country’s response in the HIV epidemic.
This opening statement regarding the actual role homosexuals have played in U.S. history and the president’s appraisal of their alerting other citizens to the need of solving the AIDS curse on humanity is beyond rational comprehension.
Obama’s narcissistic mindset aims to change the truth into a lie and a lie into the truth. It is a known fact that AIDS was first recognized as a new disease in 1981, when a number of young gay men in New York and Los Angles were diagnosed with symptoms not usually seen in individuals with healthy immune systems. Originally named GRIDS for GAY RELATED IMMUNE DEFICIENCY SYNDROM, AIDS is mainly transmitted through s*xual activity and has already caused the death of hundreds of millions of people world wide.
Luke 17:-26-30 # 7 Prophcey Contributed by William D. Brown on Aug 4, 2011
Denomination: Baptist
Summary: Here in our text the Lord Jesus gives details about what the conditions in the world would be like just before He returns. It will be as it was in the days of Noah and Lot. And let me say that we don’t have to have some kind of masters degree in
Likewise also {same as} as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 29But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. 30Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
• The Lord highlights two major signs of the end here in our text: He will come suddenly when people do not expect Him to return. Most people will be going about their normal activities, unaware of the times, -- when He returns, society will be degenerate and wicked just as it was before the Flood and before God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.
Homosexuals now feel greatly empowered with an openly supportive President in the White House.
It seems obvious to me that God is with drawing His hand of blessings from this nation, and not only do we have the homosexuals openly revealing their sins but we have an administration in power now that has given a cold shoulder to Israel, what can any society expect God to do? He told Abraham in Gen.12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee,--
Listen I want to read to you a news letter that I’ve recently received from “THE PROPHETIC OBSERVER” from Brother Noah Hutchins of SouthWest Radio Church out of Oklahoma, this is to do with Obama and his homosexual agenda, and let me say before I begin reading that I’m reading you this to show all of us what hour we’re in on God’s prophet calendar, I think you’ll have to say that we are certainly close to the rapture of the church.
“One of the first official acts of Barack Obama upon becoming president of the united states was to issue a proclamation designating June, the traditional month of brides, as LGBT (or homosexual) Month. According to Obama this was done to honor this minority segment of the U.S. population 1.7 percent) as this nation’s most important citizens.
The full text of the proclamation was carried in June 27, 2009, edition of “Sanfrancisco Pride”
• The reason for dedicating a month to honor homosexuals was-stated in the opening sentence:
Pastor Hutchings: So, and there are many other things that we are doing there, in this country even, that I think that God will not tolerate.
Dr. Reagan: For example our toleration and even promotion of homosexuality, and same-sex marriage.
Pastor Hutchings: That is certainly true.
Dr. Reagan: And that is one of the signs that Paul gives in the book of Romans of a nation that is about to collapse as a nation that tolerates that sort of stuff.
Pastor Hutchings: And over and over in the Scriptures, Sodom was given as an example, you don’t do this.
Dr. Reagan: Yes, yes.
Pastor Hutchings: Or what happened to Sodom will happen to you. In Romans 1 Paul says, “That in a nation that does this is worthy of death.”
Dr. Reagan: Ok, so we have the secular signs. We’ve got the signs of Israel. And then we’ve got the four signs that you call terminal apostasies that really beg for the judgment of God to come upon a nation.
Pastor Hutchings: And regretfully, we are involved in all four here in this country.
Dr. Reagan: Well you know that reminds me of a sign that you mentioned in there and that is the sign of Noah. You’re Noah, sign of Noah, that in the end times society will become as immoral and as violent as it was in the days of Noah.
Pastor Hutchings: Yes, you know our newspapers, TV and radio are full of everyone, everyday being killed and all that’s happening.
Dr. Reagan: Violence and immorality in movies and TV. Last night I flipped on the TV and I saw advertisements of programs to come, new programs this year. I couldn’t believe my eyes. One of them was called, Scandal, and it was all about who is sleeping with whom, and all this sort of thing. Another one was called, Revenge, the whole program is about somebody each week getting revenge. The third program, so help me, was called Californication, a play on the word of California, Californication is the name of the new program. We are just wallowing in a cesspool in this country right now. And we export that all over the world.
Pastor Hutchings: That is absolutely true, our radio programs, our TV program here. And a lot of other countries have always looked to this nation as an example. And what kind of example are we setting now?
Dr. Reagan: Not a very good one. I’ve often said we the United States of America that claims to be a Christian nation we are the moral polluter of planet earth.
Pastor Hutchings: Right and we might wonder, “How long will God allow this?”
Dr. Reagan: Right.
Part 4
Dr. Reagan: Well, folks, that’s our program for this week. I hope it’s been a blessing to you. In just a moment our announcer will tell you how you can obtain a copy of Mr. Hutchings’ great book, 40 Irrefutable Signs of the Last Generation.
Nathan Jones: Pastor Hutchings which of those signs did you enjoy writing about the most?
Pastor Hutchings: I think possibly the sign that Israel would be scattered into all the world. And at the end of the age before the Lord comes back they would return from all nations and Israel would again blossom until the whole world was through.
Dr. Reagan: Well I’ll tell you what we are going to invite you to come back next week, and we are going to talk about that some more, ok?
Pastor Hutchings: Amen.
Dr. Reagan: Alright. Well folks, that is our program, I hope you will be back with us next week the Lord willing. This is Dave Reagan speaking for myself and Nathan Jones saying, “Look up, be watchful, for our redemption is drawing near.”
Pastor Hutchings: There would not be automobiles. There would not be airplanes. There would not be atomic weapons. So that is one of the most important prophecies in the Bible. In the 12th chapter of Daniel, “That in the end of the age knowledge would increase. And many would run to and fro.”
Dr. Reagan: Nathan has been doing a lot of work on that recently, haven’t you Nathan?
Nathan Jones: Signs of the times, yes I will be talking about it at our conference this year in June that the signs of technology are proving that we are in the last days because the technology we have today, make like you said earlier those judgments during the Tribulation possible.
Dr. Reagan: What would be another one of those secular signs?
Pastor Hutchings: Of course in national signs of course Israel has been in all the world and back in their land. And there are wars and rumors of wars. Jesus said there would be pestilences in the last days. You say well don’t we have all these medical advances for flu, and pneumonia, and all these other disease that we get. Well that is true. But still we have the greatest plague the world has ever known, AIDS. I think that something like 40 million people have already died of AIDS. Now if that had been small pox or some other disease it would be something terrible. But they cover it because it is a protected disease. And I think that is one of the signs in the last days.
Dr. Reagan: Well you also, part 2 of your book your focus on 12 signs that relate to Israel. You must believe that Israel is a very, very important thing to have a whole section just devoted to it.
Pastor Hutchings: Oh, yes, actually I wrote a book about 25 Messianic signs in Israel.
Nathan Jones: There is a number theme going on.
Pastor Hutchings: But I deal with 12 of them, the major signs in this book.
Dr. Reagan: Yes.
Pastor Hutchings: There are so many of them; that they would be scattered into all the world, come back from all nations. The land would blossom and bud and fill the whole world with fruit. That is literally happening.
Dr. Reagan: And their language being revived.
Pastor Hutchings: Their language being revived, they are speaking Hebrew again. And they sure haven’t come to the knowledge of the truth yet that they might be saved.
Dr. Reagan: Yeah.
Pastor Hutchings: And there are at least 25 major signs I deal with 12 of the major ones in this book.
Dr. Reagan: Wow, and then your third section has to do with terminal apostasies, now what in the world is that all about?
Pastor Hutchings: Well you know you read in Scriptures in certain places where a nation or a people has gone so far, it says God gave them up to a reprobate mind, or turned His face from them; like He did Israel. I think a nation or people can go so far, that God turns His face from them and brings judgment. And in that section I deal with things that we are doing here in the United States. For example we are teaching children in school that the earth has evolved, and everything evolved and that disputes the Scriptures that God is the Creator.
Dr. Reagan: And we’re not even allowed to give an alternative viewpoint.
Pastor Hutchings: Yeah, and Jesus said if you do this to one of these little children, if you harm one of these little children that is the worst thing that you can do. And we are doing the same thing. And you have abortion. I was reading in the paper this last week a special report that there is one organization; I won’t mention it has counted for 333,000 abortions this last year.
Dr. Reagan: Well I will mention it, Planned Parenthood.
Nathan Jones: And they are very proud of it too.
Dr. Reagan: Yeah, they were bragging about the fact they performed more abortions than ever before.
Pastor Hutchings: I think it should be called Planned Non-Parenthood.
Pastor Hutchings: That is absolutely true. One of the chapters in my book will be on the judicial system, the judge, Supreme Court, and the Federal judge system. Decision after decision is anti-Christian.
Dr. Reagan: Ok, let’s take a pause. We’ll come back and talk about your great book.
Part 3
Nathan Jones: Welcome back to Christ in Prophecy and our interview with Noah Hutchings about the signs of the times that point to the soon return of Jesus.
Dr. Reagan: Noah you have just written a fabulous book. It’s called, it’s this book here called, 40 Irrefutable Signs of the Last Generation. And I mean it is great. I just love it. It’s to the point. It has beautiful illustrations all the way through it. I compliment you on it, it’s a great job. Why did you name it that title? How did you come up with that title?
Pastor Hutchings: Well one reason I wrote on that subject with that title you know people still don’t relate to the Bible and prophecy, many Christians don’t. And Peter wrote I believe in the 2nd epistle that in the last days there will come scoffers saying, “Where is promise of His coming?” In spite of all the signs in the world the end is near, the last generation, they would still say, “Where’s the promise of His coming?” So I thought I’m going to write some signs that no one can dispute, irrefutable signs of the Second Coming. And then I said well how many am I going to deal with? And I thought 40 would be a good number because 40 is the number of probationary judgments.
Dr. Reagan: That’s right.
Pastor Hutchings: 40 days and Nineveh is going to be destroyed. And you trace that there are multiples of four you know?
Dr. Reagan: Well you know I think that one of the reasons when I saw this book advertised that I wanted to get it immediately because several years ago I spoke at a Steeling the Mind Conference and they asked me to speak on the topic “50 Reasons Why we are Living in the End Times.” And we put out a video by that name, 50 Reasons Why we are Living in the End Times. So when I saw this 40 Irrefutable Signs, I thought I’ve got to get that and compare it to mine and see how it all came out. But you’re so right when you talk about 2 Peter being fulfilled in our day and time with people scoffing. But you see the thing that breaks my heart is that when I used to read that I thought, “Well that means unbelievers.” But the Church today is full of people scoffing. Pastors who say, ah you know that is a bunch of nonsense, I’m not going to talk about Bible prophecy. And here we are with Jesus at the very gates of Heaven ready to return.
Pastor Hutchings: Brother Reagan, you raised an important point there. I don’t think there is one church in a hundred now that ever mentions the subject of prophecy, or the times that we are living in, or that Jesus could come back in our lifetime.
Dr. Reagan: Oh, boy, oh, boy.
Pastor Hutchings: But it’s a subject that’s neglected.
Dr. Reagan: It certainly is. Well you know you’re book is divided into three parts. Part one talks about 24 signs in the secular world. The second part talks about 12 signs related to Israel. And the third part is entitled, terminal apostasies. Now let’s talk about the first part first. You talk about 24 signs in the secular world. What would be some of those? Now you don’t have to name all 24 but just give us an example of a few.
Pastor Hutchings: Well of course there is the increase of knowledge.
Dr. Reagan: Exponential
Nathan Jones: Daniel 12:4.
Pastor Hutchings: Daniel said that in the last days that many would run to and fro and knowledge would be increased. Without the increase of knowledge there wouldn’t be a television set. You and I would not be sitting here. There wouldn’t be a radio.
Pastor Hutchings: Well the Tribulation of course as we have already mentioned comes after the Church is gone. And according to the Scriptures there you go 42 months, and then another 42 months and you have, so we know from the Scripture context there that the Tribulation period will be 7 years. And Jesus said it would be a time such as the world has never seen, or never would see. And we can’t begin to imagine what it is going to be like. Of course that will be when the Antichrist is ruling, and all nations and people are commanded to worship the Antichrist. And we read about those that will not have food, those that will be killed. So it is going to be a time of the most awful period, as Jesus said it would. And of course as we mentioned before there is no reason for the Church to have to go through this period, which we don’t believe it will. But we know that there will be a one-world government, all nations will be under the authority of one person, the Antichrist and his kingdom. And everyone will be commanded to worship this person on the threat of death. And everyone will have to take his mark and number or be killed or they can’t buy or sell. And already we see there is a big controversy now about computer chips. I think it is down in Texas one girl refused to wear a computer chip on her person. The kids wear it, and she said, “Well I don’t believe I should take that because the Bible says I shouldn’t take it.” So it’s going to be a terrible period. We read about the hunger, the wars, the people who will die. We can’t begin to imagine.
Dr. Reagan: What’s the purpose of it?
Pastor Hutchings: The purpose of course I believe one is that Israel will be brought to an understanding that Jesus Christ is the Messiah.
Dr. Reagan: They are going to be brought to the end of themselves and finally turn to God.
Pastor Hutchings: We read, “Behold He comes with the clouds and every eye shall see Him, and also they which pierced Him.”
Dr. Reagan: Yes.
Pastor Hutchings: “And they shall mourn for Him as one mourns for an only son.”
Dr. Reagan: Yes.
Pastor Hutchings: That is not happening today.
Dr. Reagan: What is the purpose for the Gentile nations during the Tribulation? What purpose does God have?
Pastor Hutchings: The Gentile nations of course right now are all separate worshipping different gods. It’s not a world that God intended it to be. It’s a world where Satan is rampant and the world will be prepared through the Tribulation period, the entire world for the coming of Christ. The nations won’t be nations anymore as such. The Lord Jesus Christ will come back and reign for a 1,000 years according to Revelation 20.
Dr. Reagan: Nathan I think you’ve got a really tough question you wanted to ask him about the Tribulation.
Nathan Jones: Well I mean we talk about 21 judgments from God. We talk about most of the earth environmentally being decimated. Most of the human population being decimated in just the seven year time span. If God is a God of love and mercy and justice, why would He do that?
Pastor Hutchings: Well God as you mentioned is not only a God of love, He is a God of justice. And it’s not a matter of God doing this, but man bringing judgment upon himself.
Dr. Reagan: God storing up His judgment.
Pastor Hutchings: Yes. And when this period is over it will be ready for the coming of Christ. The world right now would not want Jesus Christ to come.
Dr. Reagan: One of the things that has always really touched my heart about my study of the Tribulation is that the Bible clearly teaches that even when God pours out His wrath His ultimate purpose is not to punish. His ultimate purpose is to bring people to repentance so that they might be saved. And a lot of people are going to be saved during the Tribulation period because again they are going to be brought to the end of themselves and repent and turn to God.
Pastor Hutchings: That is absolutely true. And I think if you study the Pauline Epistles and the messages through the churches I can’t find anywhere in there that Christians are admonished that they have to be careful about not worshipping the mark of the Beast, or about a Tribulation period.
Dr. Reagan: And never are we told to look for the Antichrist; we are told to look for Jesus Christ.
Pastor Hutchings: Look for Jesus Christ, that’s true.
Dr. Reagan: What about you Nathan. What are you feelings about the Pre-Trib Rapture?
Nathan Jones: Well I think the Pre-Trib Rapture makes sense. I mean we are talking about the bride of Christ, the Church, and God loves the bride. Jesus is to marry the bride. Well you don’t bring…I heard Don McGee say this recently, I thought this was great, he says, “You know He’s got most of the bride with Him right now in Heaven, but part of the bride, that’s us, is still on earth. Well you don’t beat up part of your wife for seven years under your own judgments and expect afterwards she’s going to say, ‘Yeah, I’m going to marry you.'” It just doesn’t happen. God wants all of His bride to be with Him during, up in Heaven and protected from His wrath.
Dr. Reagan: Well that raises a good point because you now the idea that the Church, some people say, “Well the Church has to go through the Tribulation to be purified.”
Nathan Jones: Jesus’ blood.
Dr. Reagan: Well if we’re not purified by the blood of Christ.
Nathan Jones: Amen.
Dr. Reagan: We certainly don’t need the Tribulation.
Pastor Hutchings: There is no reason for the Church to go through the Tribulation.
Dr. Reagan: I know, I know.
Pastor Hutchings: Why should we go through the Tribulation?
Nathan Jones: Well I hear people all the time say that the Church needs to be there because otherwise the people won’t hear the Gospel. But there’s many ways that people hear the Gospel during the Tribulation right?
Dr. Reagan: Hey, there is going to be Bibles around all over the place.
Nathan Jones: Yeah, yeah.
Dr. Reagan: Plus we’ve got two witnesses in Jerusalem who will be proclaiming the Gospel.
Nathan Jones: Or the Gospel Angel that to me that is the big one, and angel that actually goes to everybody in the Tribulation and shares the Gospel so that no person by the end of the Tribulation is without excuse.
Pastor Hutchings: Israel will go through the Tribulation.
Nathan Jones: Yeah, unfortunately.
Pastor Hutchings: Because of course they today, as I mentioned I’ve been to Israel many, many times. And Israel today less than 1/3 of 1% believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah. They still are rejecting. They are taught in school in Israel the schools the children are taught, that would the Messiah have destroyed the Temple? Would the Messiah have collaborated with the Romans to destroy Jerusalem? They say of course not. So Jesus is not the Messiah. And they are looking for the Messiah to come.
Dr. Reagan: As you know as well as I do, as many times you have been to Israel that there are thousands of guides there who have their heads full of Scripture, they have to in order to be qualified as guides. And one day something is going to happen that is going to move that from here, to here.
Part 2
Dr. Reagan: Welcome back to Christ in Prophecy and our interview with Noah Hutchings the Director of Southwest Radio Ministries in Oklahoma City. Noah I want to shift now to another end time event. We have been talking about a very joyful one called the Rapture where Jesus is going to appear and take His Church out of this world both the living and the dead. Let’s talk about one that is not so joyful and that is an event that is called the Tribulation. What in the world is the Tribulation? And how long do you think it will last? What is its purpose? Just talk about the Tribulation for a few minutes.
Transcript Dr. Reagan: Are we living in the season of the Lord’s return, and if so, how can we know for sure? Stay tuned for an interview with the Dean of American Bible prophecy experts.
Read More Part 1
Dr. Reagan: Greetings in the name of Jesus, our Blessed Hope, and welcome to Christ in Prophecy! We have an exciting interview for you this week. Our special guest is the person I refer to as “the Dean of American Bible prophecy experts.” His name is Noah Hutchings, and he is the director of a Bible prophecy ministry in Oklahoma City that is called Southwest Radio Ministries. Noah, welcome to Christ in Prophecy.
Pastor Hutchings: Thank you sir, it’s my pleasure.
Dr. Reagan: Well we are really glad to have you with us. It’s a joy and an honor to have a man of your stature on our program. You know folks, we have each week on this program my colleague Nathan Jones. Nathan is our Web Minister here at Lamb & Lion. And in that capacity, he not only maintains our website, but he ministers to people daily all over the world as they access us through our website to ask questions about Christianity, Bible prophecy, or challenge you about Islam or Hinduism or whatever. Nathan how about you getting this interview kicked off by asking the first question, ok?
Nathan Jones: Alright, we’d like to welcome you to our show Pastor Hutchings. I have a question for you: Do you believe we are living in the last days, and if so why?
Pastor Hutchings: Well certainly I do believe that these are the end times, that the Lord could come any day. And of course Jesus said that this Gospel would be preached in all the world and then the end would come. For the first time in history the Gospel is being preached in all the world through missionaries, through radio, through television. So I think there is a really no excuse for anyone in all the world not knowing that Jesus Christ came.
Dr. Reagan: You know in that regard several years ago, probably 20 years ago I bought a short wave radio. I had never had one. And I turned that thing on and I was just astounded as I turned that dial I heard the name of Jesus in every language of the world. The atmosphere of this planet is saturated with the name of Jesus.
Pastor Hutchings: Yes. One other item is that we are told in Scripture and Jesus Himself said that the Jews would be scattered into all of the world. And then at the end of the age, the last days, they would come back. I’ve been to Israel 54 times. Lead tours to Israel 54 times you will find Jews there who have returned from every nation in the world.
Dr. Reagan: Well those are certainly two major signs that we are living in the season of the Lord’s return. You know people are always criticizing Bible prophecy teachers because they say they’re sensationalists and all they do is set dates. And then the dates come and pass and it is hurtful to Christianity. But you’re not a date setter are you?
Pastor Hutchings: I’ve never set a special date, no.
Dr. Reagan: It’s one thing to say we’re in the season of the Lord’s return, another to set a date, right?
Pastor Hutchings: Yes. I don’t agree with date setting, and I think all who have are sorry they did.
Dr. Reagan: Yes.
Nathan Jones: Yeah.
Dr. Reagan: Yes, they are. And it brings a lot of reproach upon the name of Christ when people do those sort of things. And you know it is amazing the Bible says that no one knows the day except the Lord Himself. And yet people always seem to think they know the day.
Pastor Hutchings: Yes, Jesus said that no one knows. He didn’t even know, only the Father knows.
Dr. Reagan: Yes. So when you say that we are in the season of the Lord’s return you’re not setting a date you are just saying that all the signs point to the fact that we are living in the general season when the Lord will return.
Dr. Reagan: Ok, and I hope they will do that and get on your mailing list. Noah I want to thank you again both Nathan and I thank you for being on our program. You’ve been a great blessing to us, and my prayer for you is this: that the Lord will allow you to live right up to the very day of the Rapture of the Church. Well folks that’s our program for this week. I hope it’s been a blessing to you and I hope you will be back with us again next week. Until then the Lord willing this is Dave Reagan together with Nathan Jones saying, “Look up, be watchful, for our redemption is drawing near.”
End of Program.
Dear reader's those of you who have followed Pastor Thompson about the Revelations can see that both these opinions are the very same..............jenny
Dr. Reagan: Yes, yes. Well you know most churches today, in fact the majority of Protestant churches, plus the Catholic Church teach what’s called Amillennialism which is the belief that we are in the Millennium and we have been in it since the cross and it will continue indefinitely, and that the 1,000 years is just a symbolic term. You know Noah if you take the Bible for what it says, both Old Testament and New Testament just take it for what it says there is no doubt that it teaches that Jesus is coming back to reign for a 1,000 years. But those folks say, “Oh, none of that means what it says. It all has to be spiritualized.” Now talk a little bit about how is the best way to interpret Bible prophecy. Should it be spiritualized, or should we take it for its plain sense meaning?
Pastor Hutchings: Well of course there is a spiritual teaching throughout the Bible and everything that is written. But there is also a literal fulfillment that we have to accept. The prophecies in Isaiah 53 about Jesus, they literally come to pass. And the Jew has been scattered in all the world that literally come to pass. They would return, that is literal. Therefore we have to accept that what the other prophecies in the Bible have a literal fulfillment concerning this coming kingdom that Jesus is to return and establish here on earth at the end of the Tribulation period.
Dr. Reagan: Right. Well I grew up in a church that taught that the Bible means exactly what it says from beginning to end unless it’s talking about the Second Coming of Jesus and it never means what it says.
Pastor Hutchings: Now, a lot of churches as you mentioned believe that the Church inherited all the promises made to Israel. And the Church is modern Israel, and there is no Second Coming because the Church has fulfilled or is fulfilling all the promises.
Nathan Jones: Yet Israel is back in the land again. That means something, it is important.
Pastor Hutchings: That’s an important sign.
Dr. Reagan: Well I tell you. I had a fellow one time put it to me this way and I never forgot this. He said, “If Bible prophecy does not mean what it says, then how can you ever know when it is fulfilled?”
Pastor Hutchings: Yes.
Dr. Reagan: I mean you can’t, I mean if it doesn’t mean what it says you’ll never know whether or not it has been fulfilled. And so people for example the Bible says in the end times there are going to be two witnesses of God who are going to be in Jerusalem in the Tribulation proclaiming the Gospel. Now does that mean what it says? Well Amillennialists say, “Oh, no, no that doesn’t mean what it says that refers to something that happened in 70 AD.” “Well who were those two witnesses?” “Well we don’t know for sure but they might have been this, or they might have been that.”
Pastor Hutchings: And before you know they said, “Well the Scripture says that all nations, races and tongues will see their dead bodies in the streets of Jerusalem.” Before they said, “How could this be possible? You are going to bring several billion people to Israel and show them?” But now then through television that is possible.
Dr. Reagan: Absolutely, we are seeing prophecies that can be fulfilled today that we could never have seen fulfilled naturally in the past because of modern technology. You keep on going back to modern technology. So does Nathan and it really does help us to understand Bible prophecy as we have never understood it before.
Part 4
Dr. Reagan: Welcome back to our interview of Noah Hutchings the Director of Southwest Radio Ministries in Oklahoma City. Noah tell our viewers how they can get in touch with you and your ministry.
Pastor Hutchings: The easiest way is simply go to the internet at swrc.com.
Nathan Jones: I’m a little down after talking about the Tribulation, maybe we can have a bit of a pick me up here. Let’s talk about another controversial topic and that’s the Millennial Kingdom. Can you tell me a little about what we know about it in the Bible? How long is it going to last? And what is its purpose?
Pastor Hutchings: Well of course we read in Revelation 20 you know, that after Christ comes He will reign upon the throne of David for a 1,000 years. That’s a 1,000 years is a millennium. The Millennium is something that Israel looked forward to in the Old Testament, that the King of David or a lineage of David would come and sit upon the throne of David and there would be peace on the earth for a 1,000 years, a millennium. And the wolf and the animals wouldn’t eat each other. And it would be a peaceful world.
Nathan Jones: I got that on Isaiah 11:6. “The wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the goat. The calf, the young lion and the fatling will be together and a child will lead them,” at a time of peace.
Dr. Reagan: Amen.
Nathan Jones: So that to me tells me that we’re not living in the Millennial Kingdom now, right?
Pastor Hutchings: Yes, there are many reasons why we are not living in the Kingdom age.
Nathan Jones: Well share some of those reasons because my kids I wouldn’t send them out to you know stick their hands in the viper nest, or hang out with lions.
Pastor Hutchings: And Jesus is not reigning from Jerusalem.
Nathan Jones: Now some would say He is reigning spiritually. Why do you say He’s not doing that now?
Pastor Hutchings: Well He is to reign literally, upon the throne of David.
Nathan Jones: Ok.
Pastor Hutchings: You read in Matthew and Luke His lineage going all the way back to David that is the reason for that. So He offered that to Israel at His first coming, but Israel said, “We will not have this man reign over us.” And they took Him and crucified Him. So He has to come again to fulfill the Old Testament prophecy that a king from the lineage of David will reign on David’s throne and there will be peace in the world for 1,000 years. And there will be, it will be a wonderful world.
Dr. Reagan: Well I’m glad you mentioned the Old Testament prophecies because many, many people believe the only place in the Bible there is any mention of Jesus reigning is in the book of Revelation. And the Old Testament is full of prophecies about the Messiah reigning over all the world.
Pastor Hutchings: That is true.
Dr. Reagan: Only new information in Revelation 20 is how long the reign is going to be, a 1,000 years.
Pastor Hutchings: Yes, and you read in the book of Hosea about I think a prophecy about Jesus being crucified, and His coming again.
Dr. Reagan: Yes.
Pastor Hutchings: So, it’s throughout the Old Testament the prophets, and you read in Jeremiah and Ezekiel their mission was to make Israel acceptable so this great King the Lord Jesus would reign.
Nathan Jones: Does that mean the Millennial Kingdom then is only for the Jew? Who lives in the Millennial Kingdom?
Pastor Hutchings: Well we read that all nations will come to Jerusalem to worship the King. So it not only be for Israel it will be for all nations.
Dr. Reagan: They are going to be brought to the end of themselves and finally turn to God.
Pastor Hutchings: We read, “Behold He comes with the clouds and every eye shall see Him, and also they which pierced Him.”
Dr. Reagan: Yes.
Pastor Hutchings: “And they shall mourn for Him as one mourns for an only son.”
Dr. Reagan: Yes.
Pastor Hutchings: That is not happening today.
Dr. Reagan: What is the purpose for the Gentile nations during the Tribulation? What purpose does God have?
Pastor Hutchings: The Gentile nations of course right now are all separate worshipping different gods. It’s not a world that God intended it to be. It’s a world where Satan is rampant and the world will be prepared through the Tribulation period, the entire world for the coming of Christ. The nations won’t be nations anymore as such. The Lord Jesus Christ will come back and reign for a 1,000 years according to Revelation 20.
Dr. Reagan: Nathan I think you’ve got a really tough question you wanted to ask him about the Tribulation.
Nathan Jones: Well I mean we talk about 21 judgments from God. We talk about most of the earth environmentally being decimated. Most of the human population being decimated in just the seven year time span. If God is a God of love and mercy and justice, why would He do that?
Pastor Hutchings: Well God as you mentioned is not only a God of love, He is a God of justice. And it’s not a matter of God doing this, but man bringing judgment upon himself.
Dr. Reagan: God storing up His judgment.
Pastor Hutchings: Yes. And when this period is over it will be ready for the coming of Christ. The world right now would not want Jesus Christ to come.
Dr. Reagan: One of the things that has always really touched my heart about my study of the Tribulation is that the Bible clearly teaches that even when God pours out His wrath His ultimate purpose is not to punish. His ultimate purpose is to bring people to repentance so that they might be saved. And a lot of people are going to be saved during the Tribulation period because again they are going to be brought to the end of themselves and repent and turn to God.
Pastor Hutchings: That is certainly true. And we read about the 144,000 Jews you know who evidently will be saved and believe and go into all the world as witnesses for Christ. You don’t see that happening today, but it will happen in the Tribulation period.
Dr. Reagan: That’s right. Well it’s just amazing to think that even when God pours out His wrath that’s His purpose, His fundamental purpose is to bring people to repentance.
Nathan Jones: It’s a shame that it takes that much to bring people to finally accept God though.
Dr. Reagan: Well it is but that’s the nature of man that is just the nature of man. Is that sometimes God has to hit you over the head with a 2×4 to get your attention.
Pastor Hutchings: As you can look over the world today here in the United States, 24 hours a day there is Gospel teaching on the radio, on television. The churches are still open. But you know according to the latest statistics church membership and attendance is declining.
Dr. Reagan: Yes.
Pastor Hutchings: Not only in this country but in other countries. And Christians as Dr. Franklin Graham recently brought out are coming under attack, and what we believe all over the world.
Dr. Reagan: You know every time I think of the Tribulation I think of this verse in Isaiah 26:9, “When the earth experiences the judgments of God the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.”
Pastor Hutchings: Yes.
Part 3
Dr. Reagan: Welcome back to Christ in Prophecy and our interview with Noah Hutchings about end time events.
Pastor Hutchings: Why should we go through the Tribulation?
Nathan Jones: Well I hear people all the time say that the Church needs to be there because otherwise the people won’t hear the Gospel. But there’s many ways that people hear the Gospel during the Tribulation right?
Dr. Reagan: Hey, there is going to be Bibles around all over the place.
Nathan Jones: Yeah, yeah.
Dr. Reagan: Plus we’ve got two witnesses in Jerusalem who will be proclaiming the Gospel.
Nathan Jones: Or the Gospel Angel that to me that is the big one, and angel that actually goes to everybody in the Tribulation and shares the Gospel so that no person by the end of the Tribulation is without excuse.
Pastor Hutchings: Israel will go through the Tribulation.
Nathan Jones: Yeah, unfortunately.
Pastor Hutchings: Because of course they today, as I mentioned I’ve been to Israel many, many times. And Israel today less than 1/3 of 1% believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah. They still are rejecting. They are taught in school in Israel the schools the children are taught, that would the Messiah have destroyed the Temple? Would the Messiah have collaborated with the Romans to destroy Jerusalem? They say of course not. So Jesus is not the Messiah. And they are looking for the Messiah to come.
Dr. Reagan: As you know as well as I do, as many times you have been to Israel that there are thousands of guides there who have their heads full of Scripture, they have to in order to be qualified as guides. And one day something is going to happen that is going to move that from here, to here.
Part 2
Dr. Reagan: Welcome back to Christ in Prophecy and our interview with Noah Hutchings the Director of Southwest Radio Ministries in Oklahoma City. Noah I want to shift now to another end time event. We have been talking about a very joyful one called the Rapture where Jesus is going to appear and take His Church out of this world both the living and the dead. Let’s talk about one that is not so joyful and that is an event that is called the Tribulation. What in the world is the Tribulation? And how long do you think it will last? What is its purpose? Just talk about the Tribulation for a few minutes.
Pastor Hutchings: Well the Tribulation of course as we have already mentioned comes after the Church is gone. And according to the Scriptures there you go 42 months, and then another 42 months and you have, so we know from the Scripture context there that the Tribulation period will be 7 years. And Jesus said it would be a time such as the world has never seen, or never would see. And we can’t begin to imagine what it is going to be like. Of course that will be when the Antichrist is ruling, and all nations and people are commanded to worship the Antichrist. And we read about those that will not have food, those that will be killed. So it is going to be a time of the most awful period, as Jesus said it would. And of course as we mentioned before there is no reason for the Church to have to go through this period, which we don’t believe it will. But we know that there will be a one-world government, all nations will be under the authority of one person, the Antichrist and his kingdom. And everyone will be commanded to worship this person on the threat of death. And everyone will have to take his mark and number or be killed or they can’t buy or sell. And already we see there is a big controversy now about computer chips. I think it is down in Texas one girl refused to wear a computer chip on her person. The kids wear it, and she said, “Well I don’t believe I should take that because the Bible says I shouldn’t take it.” So it’s going to be a terrible period. We read about the hunger, the wars, the people who will die. We can’t begin to imagine.
Dr. Reagan: What’s the purpose of it?
Pastor Hutchings: The purpose of course I believe one is that Israel will be brought to an understanding that Jesus Christ is the Messiah.
Dr. Reagan: Well as you well know the Bible does not say specifically when the Rapture will occur and that is why there is so much difference of opinion. People can honestly disagree about the timing. So I agree with you, I think that the best inference of the Bible is that the Rapture will occur before the Tribulation begins. But what would you say from your viewpoint is the most powerful argument in behalf of a Pre-Tribulation Rapture?
Pastor Hutchings: Well you look at the book of Revelation for example the first three chapters concern the Church. I think it is a prophetic history of the Church Age. And then you go into Revelation 4 which is the beginning of the Tribulation period. You go through chapter 19 for the Tribulation period to end. Between chapters 4 and chapters 19 the Church is not mentioned one time. The Christian is not mentioned one time.
Dr. Reagan: There are references to Saints.
Pastor Hutchings: Well there are references to Saints, of course a Saint, we’re all saints. We are all set apart.
Dr. Reagan: Well those would be people saved during the Tribulation.
Pastor Hutchings: Well they will but they will be saved for refusing to take the mark of the Beast, or worship his image.
Dr. Reagan: Yeah.
Pastor Hutchings: But that is not a commandment now.
Dr. Reagan: Yeah.
Pastor Hutchings: So, the Church is not mentioned in the Tribulation setting.
Dr. Reagan: But he mentions it again after the Tribulation.
Pastor Hutchings: After the Tribulation. Sure we read about the 144,000 Israelites will be saved and set apart. There will be Saints in the Tribulation, mean there will be some saved, that is simply what the means. You’re a Saint because you have been sanctified and set apart.
Dr. Reagan: Well I’ve always felt like that one of the major arguments in behalf of a Pre-Tribulational Rapture is imminence. The Bible says that Jesus can come any moment, any moment. But if you don’t believe in a Pre-Tribulational Rapture He cannot come any moment because there are a whole lot of things that have to happen. Like there has to be a temple built in Israel. There has to be the Antichrist. There has to be the Tribulation. The only way that Jesus can come any moment is for you to believe in a Rapture before the Tribulation.
Pastor Hutchings: That is absolutely true. And I think if you study the Pauline Epistles and the messages through the churches I can’t find anywhere in there that Christians are admonished that they have to be careful about not worshipping the mark of the Beast, or about a Tribulation period.
Dr. Reagan: And never are we told to look for the Antichrist; we are told to look for Jesus Christ.
Pastor Hutchings: Look for Jesus Christ, that’s true.
Dr. Reagan: What about you Nathan. What are you feelings about the Pre-Trib Rapture?
Nathan Jones: Well I think the Pre-Trib Rapture makes sense. I mean we are talking about the bride of Christ, the Church, and God loves the bride. Jesus is to marry the bride. Well you don’t bring…I heard Don McGee say this recently, I thought this was great, he says, “You know He’s got most of the bride with Him right now in Heaven, but part of the bride, that’s us, is still on earth. Well you don’t beat up part of your wife for seven years under your own judgments and expect afterwards she’s going to say, ‘Yeah, I’m going to marry you.'” It just doesn’t happen. God wants all of His bride to be with Him during, up in Heaven and protected from His wrath.
Dr. Reagan: Well that raises a good point because you now the idea that the Church, some people say, “Well the Church has to go through the Tribulation to be purified.”
Nathan Jones: Jesus’ blood.
Dr. Reagan: Well if we’re not purified by the blood of Christ.
Nathan Jones: Amen.
Dr. Reagan: We certainly don’t need the Tribulation.
Pastor Hutchings: There is no reason for the Church to go through the Tribulation.
The end times; Transcript Dr. Reagan: What are the key events in the end times that the Bible tells us will occur? Are any of them happening today? And if so does that mean we are near the time of the Lord’s return? Stay tuned for an interview with one of America’s foremost Bible prophecy experts.
Read More Part 1
Dr. Reagan: Greetings in the name of Jesus our Blessed Hope and welcome to Christ in Prophecy. We have in store for you what I know is going to be an interesting interview. Our special guest for a second time is the person who I refer to as the Dean of American Bible Prophecy Experts. His name is Noah Hutchings and he is the director of a Bible prophecy ministry in Oklahoma City that is called Southwest Radio Ministries. Noah, welcome back to Christ in Prophecy for a second week.
Pastor Hutchings: Thank you, Brother Reagan.
Dr. Reagan: We really enjoyed talking with last week about your wonderful book, 40 Irrefutable Signs of the Last Generation. But this week we want to shift gears, we don’t want to talk about signs of the times, we want to talk instead about the end time events that the Bible talks about. I am also glad to have with me Nathan Jones who is our Web Minister here at Lamb and Lion. And in that capacity he not only maintains our website but he is on that website everyday ministering to people all around the world, answering their questions and debating with them. He has an interesting, I tell people send him the most difficult questions you possible have, be sure to send them to Nathan. And you get them don’t you Nathan?
Nathan Jones: Yes, sir, quite a lot.
Dr. Reagan: Ok, well Nathan how about you kicking off this interview?
Nathan Jones: Alright sir good to have you back on the program. We are talking about end time events and one of the most controversial end time event seems to be the Rapture of the church. Could you tell us a little about the meaning of the Rapture and why it is controversial?
Pastor Hutchings: Well of course the theories or opinions or teachings about the Rapture, the Rapture as referred to by you and me of course is the, at the end of this dispensation the dead in Christ shall rise and we will go up to meet the Lord. That is the–
Dr. Reagan: He will come for His Church.
Pastor Hutchings: Yes, He comes for His Church. There are several views about that, I’m sure some of them are rather controversial. You know you get into a discussion with those who believe in a Post-Trib you know you can get into some rather interesting dialogue.
Dr. Reagan: Well basically what you are saying is that there is a lot of controversy as to the timing of the Rapture.
Pastor Hutchings: That is true.
Dr. Reagan: Some would say it is going to be before the Tribulation. Some in the middle of the Tribulation. Some near the end of the Tribulation, and some say it’s just all going to be one thing with the Second Coming at the end of the Tribulation. What is your view point?
Pastor Hutchings: We are Pre-Trib, meaning that we hold to the Pre-Trib position that when the Church Age has come to an end the Rapture will occur, the translation of the Church to Heaven. Paul wrote to the Christians in Thessalonica they were under great persecution and he told them the hope that would be, the final hope is the Rapture of the Church. The dead in Christ will rise first, and that we will rise to meet the Lord in the air, so shall we ever be with the Lord. If the Church was going through the Tribulation, as some believe, the Post-Trib position, why would Paul try to give them comfort by referring to the coming of Christ?
Dr. Reagan: Yes, yes.
Pastor Hutchings: Because they still have to go through the Tribulation the Church has. So I know there’s a lot of different opinions. But we believe that the Church Age will end, the Christian era will end before the Tribulation begins.
We arrived in Canada in May of '58. My husband was a finishing carpenteer and through us asking a question of the man who watched our luggage he brought us in contact with a couple who took us in, and got my husband a job as carpenter the very next day. No, I have never forgotten the kindness of strangers and may I never forget it.............
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8). To be pure in heart is to have a single-minded devotion to seek God and yield to His ways. To expand on this thought, Jesus later reiterated the first and greatest Old Testament command to His followers, “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). Because no one can boast of a sin-free heart, God sent His Son to redeem us. When we cling to Him, He purifies our hearts and makes us whole.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9). The Hebrew word for peace, Shalom, means much more than just absence from strife. It means completeness or wholeness. Apart from Christ, it’s impossible to live at peace with others because He is our Shalom. “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace” (Ephesians 2:14-16).
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus followed this last beatitude with several verses that expand on the idea of persecution to include insults, lies and enduring all kinds of evil for His namesake (Matthew 5:10-12).
Persecution was a familiar concept to Jesus’s disciples in that day. Through Christ’s strength, they daily bore the burden of horrific oppression and torture for the sake of the Gospel. While rare in the U.S., it might surprise you to know that in other parts of the world Christian persecution is considered one of the largest human rights issues of our era.
According to Open Doors, a ministry dedicated to the radical idea that every Christian belongs to one Church and one Family, within the last year “4,761 Christians were killed for their faith, 4,488 churches and other Christian buildings were attacked, 4,277 believers were detained without trial, arrested, sentenced or imprisoned.” As the Body of Christ, if one of us is persecuted so are we all.
We have the responsibility to support our brothers and sisters in Christ who suffer persecution (Hebrews 13:3). We should do this with the awareness that “while evil men and imposters go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived,” there may be a day coming when we are the ones standing in the need of prayer. For “If you live a godly life, you will be persecuted. You can count on this. It is not a matter of if; it is a matter of when and how much. (2 Timothy 3:12),” Greg Laurie reminds us in The Promise of Persecution?
Why Did Jesus Preach on These? As Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount, starting with the beatitudes, He was not offering His listeners a new set dos and don’ts for Godly living.
On the contrary, the whole purpose of Jesus’s message was to offer a new way—revealed truth—and everlasting life. The character traits defined in the beatitudes were every bit as unattainable as Moses’s commands had been. But they all pointed to the One who could change that.
Jesus was offering the seekers in the audience a glimpse of the power His Spirit could work through them. The Kingdom of Heaven was within their grasp. Jesus showed them what it looked like so they would hunger for the freedom His salvation would bring.
Through Christ’s indwelling Spirit those who were once bound to the deeds of the flesh, and perishing under the burden of the law, would be set free to live in Jesus’s righteousness, as God’s own children (Romans 8:11-15).
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). Jesus’s listeners were no strangers to mourning. They had suffered great tragedy and hardships as a people, and as individuals. They knew what it meant to mourn and even practiced ceremonial mourning. But when Jesus spoke these words that day, no doubt the power of the Holy Spirit touched each listener in that hollow place of the heart where ultimate mourning exists. Separation from God because of sin causes mourning in our soul that is too deep for words.
That separation causes such emptiness and pain, that those who experience it will often attempt to self-medicate through distraction, vain pursuits of pleasure, or even drugs. But only when we acknowledge and embrace the mournful state of our sinful hearts, can we find the comfort of our Redeemer. Our Godly sorrow leads us to repentance (2 Corinthians 7:9-11).
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). Jesus spoke these words to a group who would have found this statement perplexing. Theirs was a world where Caesars ruled by force and armies killed to claim land. Today’s lost world would find the declaration equally odd. In a culture where rights are everything and pride is a virtue, the brand of meekness seems like an insult that suggests weakness.
But the meekness Jesus spoke of—and lived out—was far from weak. He chose to surrender His rights and submit to the Father’s will, He poured Himself out for those He came to save, He became a servant even unto death so that the power of God could be displayed through Him. Through His meekness, He literally saved the world (Philippians 2:6-11). Only through the surrender of our will to the Father’s can we experience the power of meekness.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6). The words translated as “hunger” and “thirst” here are related to words that describe someone dying of starvation and one in danger of death through dehydration. This likens to David’s outcry in Psalm 42, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?”
Many today, like those on the hill listening to Jesus’s message, desire to tap into Jesus’s power for personal needs like healing, prosperity, or wisdom. But Jesus knew that the only thing that would truly satisfy their souls, and ours, is the righteousness of God.
Jesus is God’s righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30). He came to earth as the bread that gives life to the world, and those who partake in His living water never thirst again. When we seek God’s Kingdom and righteousness first, He promises to take care of all our other needs (Matthew 6:33).
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Matthew 5:7). The pagan Roman world of Jesus’s time despised pity, likewise the Pharisees doled out mercy with extreme prejudice because they saw the suffering of others as a consequence of sin (Matthew 23:23). But Jesus prescribed a new way of dealing with people. This kind of mercy—the unmerited kind—would have been a foreign concept, yet it opened the door for Jesus’s ultimate example of mercy to be revealed in the form of His saving grace.
“While God’s work of creation demonstrated His mighty power, God’s work of redemption revealed His marvelous love, shown through His mercy and grace. This very love of God is indispensable for the existence of life and the salvation of humanity,” says Philip Wijiaya in What Is the Difference Between Grace and Mercy?
What Did Jesus Hope to Convey through the Beatitudes? The word beatitude comes from the Latin word beatitudo, meaning blessedness. Eight times during the opening lines of Jesus’s revolutionary Sermon, He repeats the phrase “blessed are”. The message He means to convey through these proclamations of blessing—or beatitudes—is a simple one, but it flies in the face of everything the spiritual leaders were teaching at the time.
With each conditional promise of provision came an instruction in true righteousness, illustrated by one small character trait.
Up to that point, the Jewish people had been raised on long lists of strict rules and regulations taught by the Scribes and Pharisees through the law of Moses. But no one had ever been able to fulfill all the requirements of the law and obtain righteousness. No. Not one. Yet, Jesus was taking these impossible laws, boiling them down to their truest essence, then baiting the proclamation with promises of provision from God, rather than judgment. He spoke to His audience as if these collective traits were not only attainable but theirs for the taking.
The unregenerate listeners were mesmerized. They could hear the revelatory truth in Jesus’s words—feel it. They’d already witnessed His miracles and knew Jesus possessed God’s power. They instinctively believed in the promises He preached and longed for them. But how could they possibly live this countercultural lifestyle and become these perfect people Jesus described? To do so their righteousness would have to exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 5:20).
Meanwhile, Jesus’s disciples basked in the news of all they’d inherited through Christ. They realized on that day that the promises Jesus spoke of were a byproduct of the true blessing—the ability, through Christ’s power, to live a life of righteousness.
What Are the Beatitudes? Jesus had just begun His ministry. After numerous healings, demon extractions, miracles, and teachings, the Son of Man had gained an enormous following. A crowd of people from all over Judea, Jerusalem, Tyre, and Sidon flocked around him in hopes to be touched by Jesus’s healing power—which literally flowed from Him (Luke 6:17-19).
When Jesus saw the crowds, He went to a nearby mountainside and prayed all day and night. When morning came, He called his disciples to him and designated twelve of them as apostles (Luke 6:13). The hordes of followers still clamored for Jesus’s attention, so He gathered His disciples, sat them down on the mountainside, and began teaching them within the hearing of the masses (Matthew 5:1,2).
Jesus began His teaching with eight statements of correlating blessing, instruction, and promise, which have come to be known as the beatitudes. Here’s a brief summary of each of Jesus’s powerful declarations:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). Jesus began His sermon with this statement because it’s the key to all the others. For centuries the Jewish people had relied on their own spiritual integrity to fulfill the laws of Moses. The problem is after sin entered the world that feat became impossible.
The laws were given by God through Moses to bring mankind to the understanding that humans possess no inherent goodness of their own, and they have no ability to draw close to a Holy God apart from perfection (Romans 7).
Jesus gives His listeners the keys to the Kingdom with this first statement, by prescribing the only means by which the spirit of man can be revived. To be “poor in spirit” one must admit their own utter spiritual destitution. They must be broken and contrite over the realization that they possess absolutely nothing to commend themselves to the Father and have no right to His Kingdom.
These are like laser-guided bombs in the culture that Jesus was preaching to. I mean, these quips, these statements, these things that we've come to recite in the flannel board of our youth are devastating statements that turn Jesus' culture on its ear completely. It is not what they expected to hear it. It takes aim at all of these prized dispositions and virtues and their worldview. They didn't expect this to come out of Jesus' mouth and wherever Jesus went, He preached these. These aren't platitudinal. I mean, these are detonated on the culture.
I'll give you an example. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God. That's not what they expected to come before theirs is the kingdom of God. What they expected to hear was, "You're Abraham, therefore yours is the kingdom of God." What Jesus said was, "Blessed are the poor in spirit." Well, they believed in self-righteousness because of who they were. Jesus says, "No, it's actually the broken people, those who recognize their need for God, the poor in spirit, people who are spiritual beggars inherit the kingdom." He didn't say, Abraham, He didn't say the descendants of Abraham, and He didn't say Jews, and He didn't say Pharisees. He didn't say good people. He didn't say moral people, He said broken people. Those are the ones that inherit the kingdom of God.
So Jesus' audience is sitting there having learned what they've learned from their tradition, and Jesus drops this grenade and it touches every nerve in the audience because every single one of them underneath the facade of their life realizes they actually are poor in spirit. And so He turns the thing upside down.
They realize, as the Bible will go on to explain, that they need righteousness which is much greater than their own, which is exactly what Jesus says in Matthew chapter five unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and the Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. Basically what He said was, "You're not getting in in your own righteousness."
And so the Beatitudes go through and they just throw off all of these misunderstandings about what constitutes a devotion to God and what man truly needs. It is the Beatitudes, which ultimately get Jesus killed as He explains them in every possible way that He can as they flow. That is their principle and core meeting through all of His teaching and put Him on the cross, and save those by His death who are poor in spirit.
What Is the Meaning of the Beatitudes? During His ministry on earth, Jesus preached powerful sermons that exposed error and breathed revelation. In His Sermon on the Mount, our Lord revealed eight mysterious promises that accompany Kingdom living. In awe and wonder the disciples marveled at Jesus’s explanation of the beatitudes, knowing that the blessings were already theirs—while masses of mountainside seekers hung on Jesus’s words of hope.
“Never before had His audience heard such marvelous truths presented in such an interesting and meaningful manner. They longed to have those promises incarnate in their lives. And so do we,” says Chuck Swindoll in The Beatitudes: Three Observations.
Beatitudes, statements of characteristics and blessing, are part of the Sermon on the Mount that Jesus spoke and is recorded in Matthew. Each beatitude looks at different circumstances of life and how all Christians are blessed through their faith. Through these 8 Beatitudes, Jesus teaches of virtues and values in life that will result in blessings and rewards. These beatitudes are not singled out for specific people - they are blessings applicable to all Christians.
These Scriptures will encourage you and give you hope as you face each day knowing that you are called blessed! No matter your age, job, or family role, if you apply the beatitudes to your life you will experience a joyful, fulfilled life! You can read the full Bible passage below where the words of Jesus are recorded, however, here is a short summary of the beatitudes.
The 8 Beatitudes and Their Meaning 1. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven The poor in spirit are those who feel a deep sense of spiritual destitution and comprehend their nothingness before God. The kingdom of heaven is theirs, because they seek it, and therefore find and abide in it. To this virtue is opposed the pride of the Pharisee, which caused him to thank God that he was not as other men, and to despise and reject the kingdom of heaven. There must be emptiness before there can be fullness, and so poverty of spirit precedes riches and grace in the kingdom of God.
2. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. The blessing is not upon all that mourn but upon those who mourn in reference to sin. They shall be comforted by the discovery and appropriation of God's pardon. But all mourning is traced directly or indirectly to sin. We may take it, therefore, that in its widest sense the beatitude covers all those who are led by mourning to a discerning of sin, and who so deplore its effects and consequences in the world as to yearn for and seek the deliverance which is in Christ.
3. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth The humble would receive far greater than the arrogant and prideful. Not only do the meek enjoy more of life on earth because of their ability to be content, but they will possess and enjoy the earth after Jesus' return and triumphal entry.
4. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Because of Christ, we can cling to the promise of everlasting righteousness in heaven. While we are called to live like Christ, we also have forgiveness of sin.
5. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Mercy is an active virtue that Christians can show to each other because we have been given mercy ourselves. Since God has forgiven our offenses, we should forgive others and show mercy.
6. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. The pure in heart are those who are free from evil desires and purposes. They can see and experience God's presence because they are free from self-righteousness and arrogance.
7. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God. The term includes all who make peace between men, whether as individuals or as communities. It includes even those who worthily endeavor to make peace, though they fail of success. They shall be called God's children because he is the God of peace who sent His own Son as the Prince of Peace.
8. Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Those who suffer because of their loyalty to the kingdom of heaven are blessed by being bound more closely to that kingdom for which they suffer.
Most of us approached the Beatitudes as if there's some sort of platitude [inaudible 00:00:18] phraseology and principles on how to live life. I mean that's usually how they're approached, but that is very far removed from what they actually are.
Never was asked for money just to help find them a job. Canada needs migrant workers, trying to find how to go about it was the difficulty here as I was assured they had tried themselves with no result. I know that I would not be today where I am if so many people did not help me.
Matthew 5:3–12 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
“I served … as a military intelligence officer and Russian and German linguist in the U.S. Army. Through the experience of war, I now value more than ever the words of Jesus Christ: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’ (Matthew 5:9). We are all God’s children, all brothers and sisters.” —Richard, economic developer
The Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount The Beatitudes help us better understand the blessings God has in store for us and what it means to be a follower of Jesus.
The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12) This section of the “Beatitudes” is one of the most loved portions of the Gospel. It forms the beginning of what has come to be known as the “Sermon on the Mount” which is recorded in Matthew 5-7. The preaching of this sermon may have come a little later in the chronology of the life of Christ; but Matthew placed it here at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry because it forms such a grand proclamation of the kingdom. It is the first of the five major discourses that Matthew includes.
We first need to fill in what Matthew has included between this passage and the last one we studied. Matthew followed the account of the temptation of Jesus with a brief note that Jesus began to preach a message of repentance because the kingdom of heaven was near (4:12-17). In order to reach a wider audience, He moved from Nazareth to the city of Capernaum, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, but more importantly, on the main highway through the land. His declaration of beatitudes would come, but not until He called for repentance.
Matthew then reported the calling of the first disciples, Simon Peter and his brother Andrew, who were fishing (4:18-20). Jesus promised to make them fishers of men, for He was beginning to build His kingdom. He then called James and John, also fishermen, who were mending nets in their boat (4:21-22). The authority of the king to call people to follow Him is clearly portrayed by these events.
Then Matthew reports the popular success of the beginning of Jesus’ ministry (4:23-25). He went throughout the region proclaiming the message of the kingdom, and authenticating His claims by healing people. Throngs of people responded to His ministry from as far away as Jerusalem.
So that brings us to the present lesson, from the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus saw the crowds coming to Him, so He went up on a mountainside and sat down, the well-known posture of the teacher. The traditional location of this “mount” is the low hills behind the region of Capernaum and the other fishing villages on the shore. His disciples came to Him, and so Jesus began to teach them. And what follows is the material of Jesus’ teaching.1_ftn1
This is the first and longest message of Jesus that we have in the gospel. Jesus had been announcing that the kingdom of heaven was at hand, and He had been calling for people to repent. Now, in what has been described as the manifesto of His kingdom, Jesus unveils the foundations and character of life in that kingdom. Here He teaches the ethical guidelines for life in His kingdom; and the guidelines point to the quality of righteousness that characterizes life in the kingdom, now in part, but fully in the future.2_ftn2
The discourse was intended for the nation of Israel, the crowds who had been flocking to Jesus. But it was delivered immediately to the disciples. Jesus here considered His disciples the “true Israel” (the spiritual Israel) which is already present and beginning life in the kingdom; and He considered the crowds the “Israel” of the future, the Israel that is hoped for, who should repent and follow the king. Or to put it another way, Jesus spoke to all the people of the true will of God, the righteousness that they must all exhibit if they repent and enter His kingdom, but which the disciples had already begun to perform. So the entire sermon is directed to all. And its theme is the righteousness that is the standard of his kingdom.
So in some ways this sermon will tell people just how righteous they must be to enter the kingdom, and what that righteous life should look like for citizens of the kingdom. But it does not include the details of how this righteousness may be attained.
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What Makes Jesus Unique? No one else made the claims that He did, He is alive...............
So the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him. He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock” (Deuteronomy 32:9, 12–13).There is no great mystery about sucking honey out of the rock because, in the Middle East where large hollow trees are scarce, bees often make their hives in rock cliffs. However, sucking oil out of flinty rock is another matter. If olive oil is meant here, then it could come only by a miracle of God. That God could perform such a miracle is beyond question. However, since honey is literally found in the rocks, then within the same context we must look for oil in flinty rocks. As geologists will confirm, crude oil from which petroleum and other fossil fuels are made is found in flinty rocks or shale..
The Oil of Sodom
Before the destruction of Sodom, Gomorrah, and the nearby towns, the Dead Sea area was a small portion of the earth left over from the pre-flood age: “And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar” (Genesis 13:10). The below-sea-level condition with abundant fresh water created a protected hothouse environment. This must have indeed been a beautiful place, but there was one problem—slime pits, bitumen surface pools, or seeping oil (Genesis 14:10). These oil bogs evidently figured into the route of the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, and Edom by the kings of the north led by Amraphel, also known as Hammurabi of Babylon. A few years later, and after Abraham had defeated the kings of the north and saved Lot, God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone in a catastrophic explosion which created the Dead Sea. It has been claimed by many that the mineral and chemical wealth of the Dead Sea is more than the rest of all the world. I have personally always accepted this claim as exaggeration, although the net worth of the Dead Sea chemicals indeed must be great, but the wealth of the Dead Sea is not due to sedimentary evaporation. Water that comes into the Dead Sea from the Jordan River is good for drinking and irrigation, accounting for 90 percent of Israel’s fresh water supply. Under the Dead Sea are salt and chemical deposits hundreds and possibly thousands of feet deep.
That there was a Sodom and Gomorrah that was destroyed in a terrible conflagration is beyond question. Josephus wrote in The Wars of the Jews that in his time (A.D. 70) the charred remains of the fruit from the trees was still in evidence on the cliffs of the Asphaltic Sea. The Dead Sea was in Josephus’ time called the Asphaltic Sea because it was covered with thick oil which was used to pitch ships. What happened to stop the oil from seeping into the Dead Sea is not known. There was a giant earthquake in the eighth century along the African-Syrian rift that leveled Philadelphia (Amman), Beth Shan, Jerash, and other cities. It is possible that the shifting of the fault line sealed off the oil flow. In any event, as the Bible indicates, the oil is still there.
The Spoil of Oil
We read the Word of prophecy in Ezekiel 38–39, that a huge national power to the north of Israel, Gog, will come down against Israel to take a “great spoil.” Most prophetic scholars believe Gog to be modern Russia. Aligned with Gog will be armies from Turkey (Togarmah), Iran (Persia), and Libya. We read in Ezekiel that Gog will come down for cattle and goods. I have been to Russia on missions, and the economic situation there continues to worsen. Russia today is starving, and Israel is overflowing with cattle and foods of all kinds. Ezekiel said also that God and his allies would come to take a “great spoil.”