Friday, February 26, 2021
That ancient Israel’s experience possessing Canaan, their eternal inheritance, is synonymous with post-Calvary believers inheriting our eternal possession at the end of this age, is beyond dispute. The former foreshadows the latter. And in keeping with Jesus’ teaching that few enter the narrow gate of life, but that many choose the wide gate of destruction, Matt. 7:13–14, and that “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matt. 7:22–23); so too, most of ancient Israel did not inherit their eternal possession, but perished outside! There was only one reason they perished – unbelief – as they dispossessed the Word of the LORD!
That’s a sad biblical truth. It’s astounding the millions of Israelites who not only saw God’s miraculous leadership as He led them out of captivity to ancient Egypt, yet at the edge of their own eternal inheritance, saw the giants in Canaan, and fell in unbelief and rebellion, only to be excluded from their reward! This is an image of Jesus’ parable of the five wise and five foolish virgins, Matt. 25:1–13. As Israel was offended when they saw the giants as insurmountable, so too, most Christians are taught to view the seven-year tribulation as hopelessly insurmountable. Thus, their tradition teaches them that if they see the tribulation, then they missed the rapture! Dispensationalism laid the seedbed of offense and sudden unbelief, rebellion and falling away.
Note, however, that of ancient Israel’s generation that came to the edge of Canaan, only two actually believed God, and after 40 years of that unbelieving nation perishing in the wilderness, Joshua and Caleb entered the Promised Land, their land of eternal inheritance! The Holy Spirit equated ancient Israel’s experience in the wilderness as being synonymous with the post-Calvary church. We observe that the first martyr, Stephen, revealed this in his testimony just before the religious leaders rejected and stoned him to death. As Stephen made his defense, he said…
“He [God] brought them out, after that he had shown wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years. This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet [Jesus] shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him [Jesus] ye shall hear. This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us” (Acts 7:36–38 KJV). [My emphasis added] Don’t miss that distinguishing truth!
The difference between Israel and Joshua and Caleb was that, while the nation believed God when things went well, but seeing the giants the nation fell into unbelief, took offense, desiring to return to Egypt, while Joshua and Caleb believed God! “But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: ‘The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the LORD delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land which flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the LORD, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the LORD is with us. Do not fear them’” (Num. 14:6–9). But then came “the church in the wilderness” congregation’s wicked response – “And all the congregation said to stone them with stones. [Exactly what they did to Stephen, the first Christian martyr] But the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the children of Israel” (Num. 14:10). Then God unleashed His wrath against “the church in the wilderness”, and said “But as for you, your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness” (Num. 14:32). Does God have believers’ attention?
Joshua and Caleb proved their love for God in the face of great adversity. But most of ancient Israel proved their faithlessness when circumstances appeared difficult. Many, then, loved God for His love and deliverance, but they could not then, nor can they today, conceive of a God that would lead them to a land of terrifying giants, or equally difficult tribulation to gain their eternal inheritance. And so, there was then, and there will be yet again, a great and sudden falling away from true faith in God and His Christ. The 21rst Century church could change that, but will it?
So, the real challenge to every person claiming to be believers and Christ-followers is, do we believe Him enough to believe that He will gather His elect “Immediately after the tribulation” (Matt. 24:29–31) and prepare accordingly in heart, mind, spirit and soul being like the five wise virgins, or will this latter-days church be fair-weather Christians and believe only as long as it’s convenient and our lives are not in jeopardy? The time to settle that issue is right now, not when the tribulation is upon us, because it will be upon us in the near future as elite globalists are now preparing to eradicate this world of true Jew Christians, conservatives, patriots, and nationalists.
Ancient Israel saw giants that made the men of Israel look like grasshoppers. We will see equally fearsome creatures the world calls aliens, but they are and will be demonic creatures, half breeds. As it was in the days of Noah, non-redeemable beings will persuade much of humanity that they are mankind’s creators, that they seeded the earth with humanity, and that they’ve now returned to show us the real meaning of religion. In fact, those malevolent spiritual beings are behind the machinations of the New World Order and heathen religions and will shortly reveal themselves. What will the organized church do then? No, I’m very serious! Dispensational churches are not teaching its people any of these end-time truths. Most are ignorantly and spiritually unprepared.
If a true Christian loves God, he or she will pursue God through His Word being led of the Holy Spirit who, will always and foremost affirm the written Word, and NEVER contradict it. Jesus commanded His followers, His true believers, to “make disciples of all nations…teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:19–20). But, listen, “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” INCLUDES teaching and preparing believers that He gathers His elect “Immediately after the tribulation”, and to prepare accordingly! This is not mediocrity, but spiritually mature truths requiring a serious introspection of every believer.
Fear creates unbelief, but real love for God, regardless of circumstances, believes God and the testimony of His Son. Yet, many reading this Letter attend a dispensational church that discards, ignores and makes little to nothing of the teachings of Jesus for the end-times. This ought not to be. The pre-tribulation rapture lie is a travesty of unprecedented unbelief that leads multitudes of unsuspecting Christians into Satan’s trap of offense, “For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth” (Luke 21:35). My earnest prayer to heaven, is that you and your loved ones, love God and His Christ with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, and will find the safety and provision of God, Rev. 12:6, 14, at the time of this world’s greatest crisis.
Marlin J. Yoder
PS – Speaking of eternal inheritance, today, at 4:19 AM, my precious mother, Elva B. Yoder, aged 96 years, went to her eternal inheritance and reward. The Lord God called her to Himself, for her time had come. She exampled the love and faithfulness of the Lord Jesus Christ to her five children, and to all who ever knew her. Now her faith has become sight. Now she no longer sees through a glass darkly. Now the things of this world have passed away. Now she rejoices in the presence of the King of kings and Lord of lords. Blessed be the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who alone is worthy of all praise, honor and glory! We will see you again Mom and Dad, at the resurrection of the just, at the last trumpet, at the last day when the Lord Himself will descend from heaven, with the trumpet of God, and with the voice of an archangel, and the dead in Christ will rise first, then we who are alive and remain shall be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and so shall we ever be with the Lord Jesus Christ! Amen!
