SHOOTS OF JERUSALEM

SHOOTS OF JERUSALEM

By

SUNDARA RAO TSAPPIDI

PHILIPS PUBLICATIONS

D.No. 47-2-7, Lourdunagar, Gunadala,

VIJAYAWADA - 520004. A.P., India.

Phone 0866-2451783

Shoots of Jerusalem

Sundara Rao Ts.

First Edition - January 2016

(C) The author

Price : Rs.75/-

Published by :

PHILIPS PUBLICATIONS

D.No. 47-2-7, Lourdunagar, Gunadala, Vijayawada - 520 004. A.P., India. Phone : 0866 - 2451783. Printed at :

Arunodaya Notebook Mfrs. Pvt. Ltd.,

# 35-5-9, Papaiah Street, Seetharampuram, VIJAYAWADA - 520 002. A.P., India. Phone : 0866 - 2431422.

FOREWORD

“I will praise the lord who counsels me.” psalm 16:7

Majority of aged Indians who stay with their children in the USA find it difficult to spend their time for not having work to do. Therefore, majority of them lead idle life. But incase of Rev. Dr. Ts. Sundara Rao, he utilises time in reading books on the Bible and is writing articles on them. Rev. Dr. Ts. Sundara Rao is not a clergyman. He is a retired Professor, but not a writer. At the age of 70 God bestowed upon him the skill of writing and he started bringing out books based on the historical facts about the Bible. Now he is 80 and is able to produce 8 books with beautiful essays providing so much information about the incidents, events and persons in the Bible starting from Genesis. All the essays are thought provoking. The information, the essays provided, is unknown to many, even to the scholars of the Bible. The present book “SHOOTS OF JERUSALEM,” is another masterpiece.

What are the shoots? When some trees like olive or neem are cut off to the ground, only the stump remains. In course time some shoots would come out from the stump as well as from the roots. It is because of the survival of the tree and the life in it. Similarly Jerusalem is destroyed many times by the enemy rulers who are around it. But it is not totally extinguished. It survives like the above said trees as God protects it and it is the chosen place of God and it is given to the children of Abraham. God has great concern for the Jews and for Jerusalem, the city of David. Hope all these essays of the, “SHOOTS OF JERUSALEM,” would be useful for the Bible readers as each essay brings out hidden truth.

I pray to God to provide good health to Rev. Dr. Ts. Sundara Rao and his wife Mrs. Grace Vijaya, who is an inspiration for him. I also congratulate their children Mrs. Dr. Beaula and Dr. Samuel and their families. May this book be a blessing for many Bible readers and everything is for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

With best wishes and compliments

D.S. Sundara Rao

Evangelist,

Associate Professor of English (Rtd)

CONTENTS

2.IN THE DAYS OF NOAH-10

3.THE REJOINING OF ISRAEL-17

4.PROPHET HAGGAI-30

5.DATES AND EVENTS OF PERSONS IN THE BIBLE-34

6.CHRIST AND HIS CRUCIFICATION-43

7.WHO ARE ANGELS, ARE THEY REAL ?-54

8.THE GLORY OF GOD-65

9.THE LOVE STORY OF RUTH-75

10.AN EXTRAORDINARY PRAYER OF PROPHET DANIEL-88

11.THE STORY OF THE CALENDAR-99

12.FINAL VISION OF DANIEL-107

13.HEATHEN KINGDOMS THAT RULED ISRAEL-117

14.PROPHET JONAH-127

15.WOMEN OF THE SAME MIND WITH THE LORD-132

16.TESTING OF FAITH WITH FIRE-143

17.WHAT HAPPENS TO US AFTER WE DIE-150

18.SOME BIBLE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS-162

(cid:2) (cid:2)

SHOOTS OF JERUSALEM CHAPTER -1

The Seed of the Woman

As true believers with the knowledge of the Bible, we can understand how the battle began between God and evil Satan in the Garden of Eden. The battle is in connection with Adam and Eve our first parents. Satan seduced them with his cunning words to commit sin by eating the fruit of the forbidden tree in the garden. God told them clearly that they might eat all the fruits in that garden except the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. But Satan trapped Eve somehow and made both of them to eat that fruit. As a result, sin came into existence death came and man is separated from God.

The actual name of Satan was “Lucifer” and he was an arch angel in Heaven. It is said he was more intelligent and a good administrator. So God called him most intelligent. Yet he had evil plans in his mind. He took the advantage of his position before God and proclaimed equality with God and rebelled against Him. God could not tolerate his foolish behavior and finally threw him into the earth. He could not take revenge against God in heaven but he started his revengeful activities on earth, and his first victim happened to be our first parents Adam and Eve. Lucifer had different names like Dragon, serpent, devil and Satan, with those four names put together, Satan was called “deceiver” (Revelation 12:9)

And also his activities are by nature evil. So, the battle has been going on between God and Satan since the beginning and we have some examples in the Bible also. This battle would be intensified in course of time, especially at the end of the age. It will secure a prominent place in the human history. The battle that is going to take place is very important according to the Biblical history because God Himself will be involved. In that battle all the Muslim nations apart from others as one go against God and Satan will be the commander of them. And God will fight in support of Israel, which means “God prevails”.

I can take it for granted, that at least the believers can understand the implications of this remarkable battle of the Satan and all the nations of the world on one side and God with Israel on the other. The real intention of God through this battle is that He wanted to implement His redemption plan to all believers after the battle. Let us know more about Satan. He is real, alive, and exceedingly active in his crocked plans against the believers of God. To say more accurately along with the arch - angle Michael, this Lucifer (Prior to his fall from heaven was called the highest in wisdom and purpose).

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It is said due to his pride and arrogance Lucifer was expelled from Heaven and after coming down to the earth his name was changed. He posed as more than God in heaven, So, in his pride, he said, I will and in earth existence he exalted himself, above God. And at the fifth time he said I will, I will be like the most high,” (Isaiah 14:14) Generally, only one can be the highest but never two persons. We call the God as the most high and there is no place for Satan to call him self most high. So God expelled Satan from heaven for his wickedness and from his expulsion his plan was changed from ruling the Heaven to rule the earth and receive the worship of man. To achieve that end, (to rule) as a venomous serpent he became responsible to Adam and Eve to disobey God and bring sin into the world.

As if it is a regular work, Satan used to go as an angel of light and tells people to enjoy the pleasures of sin to their at most satisfaction but he does not tell people that those pleasures are purely temporary and the people do not understand the severity of the punishment they are going to face for their sinful way of life. Satan is also always moving about as a roaring lion to catch hold of someone to make him commit sin and irritate God.

It is said God created one hundred crore angels and all remain in heaven attending various works of God. They are divided into 10 cadres and arch angels is the first one. It is also said that one third of the angle population followed Satan when he was expelled from heaven. So, he can use of the services of the angels as messengers whenever any emergency occurs.

The Apostle Peter also described the activities of Satan in this way. Be sober, be vigilant because your adversary the devil (Satan) as a roaring lion walketh about seeing whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). The greatest influence Satan has over mankind is to influence he possessed over the nations. As we see in the Bible, the main purpose of the building of the tower of Babel was to make a platform from which the people wanted to worship the sun, the Moon and the stars. So, the origin of idol worship and false religion were started at the time of building of the tower of Babel by King Nimrod, the mighty man and warrior at that time.

This false religion and idol worship spread like wildfire into many places and Babylon became the headquarters for spreading and encouraging them. So, in the Word of God it is said “Mystery Babylon, The great the Mother of Harlots, and the abomination of the earth” (Revelation 17:5)

God saw what man was doing regarding the Tower of Babel. He came down from heaven to confuse the language the people spoke and scattered

SHOOTS OF JERUSALEM their virtues, and their false religion and also the idol worship went along with them to their new) places. They practised all this at their new places.

According to historical background the nations from the earliest times had been plagued by idolatry and false religions. In this connection Apostle John wrote, and we know that we (believers are of God and the whole world leith in wildness) (1 peter 5:19) All nations after the incident of the Tower of Babel were under the strong influence of Satan. It we look into the historical books carefully all the nations for centuries remained in idol worship and false religion. Among such nations, the most notorious for idol worship were Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome. They were also famous as persecutors of the Jews, when they ruled that country. All these heathen nations not only led people away from the true and living God, the God of Israel, but also undiscriminately persecuted them. But what exactly happened to the people of Israel which was a small nation. Even the secular historical books did not reveal. For all this mishap the person behind is Satan.

Satan is out and out the dead enemy of God and adversary of man. As we know before his rebellion against God in heaven he was called “Lucifer” and that name was translated in King James Version as Son of the morning” (Isaiah 14:12) After his rebellion against God he was given four designations. Which clearly indicate his wicked intentions. And he (a strong angel) laid hold on the “Dragon” that old “serpent” which is the “Devil” and “Satan” and burned him for a thousand years. (Revelation 20:2) This Satan will be utterly defeated and eternally dammed by Jesus Christ at the end of the age after the battle that will take place at Armageddon. The battle, we studied already between all heathen nations and majority of them will be Muslims under the leadership of Caliphate or Antichrist or Satan. Their battle is against Israelites and their leader is Jesus Christ.

As mentioned in the Bible, it was the first prophecy and it will be fulfilled. It is said in that prophecy the seed of the woman (Christ), who will be the descendant of Abraham and King David has to crush the head of that serpent. God cursed the serpent like this when he deceived innocent Adam and Even in the Garden of Eden. God cursed Adam and Eve also along with the serpent. The curse God gave to the Satan was most terrible. He had to crawl on the earth and live by eating dust for his survival. So, in the first of Genesis 3:15 it is clearly said that the seed of the woman Christ will crush the head of the serpent (Satan) in that battle, and the survivals of the battle will be redeemed. We are advised to wait until that precious time and to be careful about the tactics of Satan as revealed in the four designations mentioned below.

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The meaning of “Dragon” said here as “crafty”

The meaning of “Serpent” is “Subtle”

The meaning of “Devil” is “Accuser”

The meaning of “Satan” is “Adversary”

with all these names clubbed together Satan is called “deceiver’ All his activities are the embodiment of evil. Satan became very successful as a deceiver through centuries. But some people think about this Satan as a myth and ignore about him. As a matter of fact, it is a grave mistake on the part of those people who under stood Satan in a different way. Actually our impression will increase more and more as we are approaching the seventieth week of prophet Daniel and what he spoke in it in his book 9:27 and the “great Tribulation period” (Matthew 24:21) if man gives scope to Satan to flourish then he become helpless, hopeless, and becomes stranger to God. As a result, man loses chance to have reconciliation with his down creator (God) against whom he has sinned. But God in His infinite grace and compassion would not leave man his own creation in his own useless conditions for centuries.

So, God went to the city of ‘ur’ in the land of Chaldeans, which was a well noted place, for adultery. It was located along the Euphrates river in the nation of Babylon. from that city ‘ur’ God chose a man by name Abraham who later became father of a new nation. His descendants were called Hebrews, Assyrians, Jews, and Muslims. The nation has descendants formed was Israel and their capital was Jerusalem. The people and the nation which was occupied by the descendants of Abraham would be instruments in the hand of God to oppose and even to destroy and defeat Satan and to give to the gentile world chance to turn themselves from idolatry and false religions to the son of God. Jesus Christ has the experience of forgiveness, of sin, and gained eternal life and those who do not like the way of life of Jesus, God has to deal about them. But God gave to humanity through the Jewish nation history those most valuable gifts.

Unfortunately, those gifts were not appreciated by the people. They were not liked by the people because of the relentless attack of the Satan against the Jewish people for the last 4000 years. This attack has been continued even in the present days, and this is called anti – Semitism. According to Biblical history Abraham came from Semitic tribe. The origin of this Semitic tribe was Sham. The first son of Noah. Eventually, Abraham was from this tribe and he became great grandson of Noah. Another surprising was that Melchizedek and King Nimrod were the descendants of Ham brother of Sham. They were the contemporaries of Abraham.

SHOOTS OF JERUSALEM

But a tragic thing here which is beyond belief is some Christians with their perverted theology joined program of The Satan at anti - Semitism. It is also the explanation behind Gods declaration to Abraham that those who blessed the descendants of Abraham, God would bless them and those who cursed the descendants of Abraham, God would curse them. This was really very important and straightforward promise of God to Abraham. We have to remember that it is a promise from God to the patriarch Abraham.

The first of the gifts God gave to humanity through Israel was Monotheism when the whole world was steeped in “Polytheism” which means belief in a multitude of Gods. And polytheism was initiated and championed by this very Satan. God taught Israel through Moses that He was the only true God and there is no other God to them to have faith. God gave the Ten Commandments written with His own hand on a blue stone and about one God is one of them. He said “thou shelt have no other god before me, they shall not make unto thee any graven image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth, beneath or that is in the water under the earth” (Exodus: 3:4)

Added to that, Moses the spokesman of God and the servant of God wrote “Hear O Israel the Lord is our God is our Lord.” The parents used to be very particular about this. They taught this to their school going children to get by heart. This belief saying can be found in the book of Deuteronomy 6:4. We must believe up to this very day of biblical history of the Jews that no one believed in any God other than their one God Jehovah. This verse impressed and emphasized more the oneness of God. And it is called “Schema” means (Hear) and it was taken from the first word of the verse and it is at the heart and soul of the Jewish people.

A small parchment of paper concerning that “Schema” is literally placed in a “Mezazah” case mounted on the right of the front door of the Jewish home as a reminder, whenever anyone exits and enters into their dwelling.

The second gift God gave to the humanity through the Jewish people is the “word of God”. That gift is so important, so precious and so vital, because when the people open the book to read the Word of God their fingers will shiver due to fear of God, because every word is blended with truth. We must realize that our eternal God from everlasting to everlasting spoke the word for its existence. Then He shapped man from the dust of the earth. He breathed into man the breath of life and he became a living soul. God made this miracle regarding the creation of man.

SHOOTS OF JERUSALEM

The last book of the Bible is called “Revelation”, The title comes from the world, Revelation, and this appear in the first verse of the book and it is a translation of two Greek words. These two worlds were combined together to man away from veiling or we might say an unveiling or “revelation” Some scholars called this book of Revelation as the fifth Gospel, and also the book at seven. So the last book of the Bible is the unveiling making known or Revelation of Christ during the last years of history. The entire Bible is composed of 66 books, 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. All these books were written in about 1500 years by about 40 writers who were inspired by God. The Bible declares to us, where we came from and where we are going and how we are supported to live in order to please God and many more things we find in that ‘Holy Bible’. A scholar commented that the Bible in the greatest of all love letters and from this book came the Judeo - Christian culture.

As a matter of fact we will not imagine how different and how terrible human history would have been, if we did not have the word of God before us. The people of any country who know the word of God and turn down from the Holy scripture will always go rapidly downhill. The world of God from the first book Genesis, the last book Revelation were penned by about 40 luminary personalities. Among such persons, the lawgiver to the Israelites was prophet Moses. Then prophet Isaiah an evangelist and weeping prophet Jeremiah who shed tears and he looked at the Pathetic condition of Jerusalem. After them was King David, a sweet psalmist, then the next one was Daniel a premier prophet who gave to the believers the backbone of prophecy.

And coming to the New Testament, Apostle Peter was considered the intimate companion to Jesus Christ and the solid Rock, James was called half brother of the Lord Jesus Christ, John the beloved apostle and a member of Christ’s inner circle. Apostle Paul was considered the most brilliant theologian and faithful missionary and courageous martyr. All these men mentioned above are the descendants of patriarch Abraham, then Jacob as mentioned in the Bible The Lord used those people under difficult circumstances to get the word of God to us.

The third gift God gave to the world through the Jewish people is Messianic expectation. It is the belief in the coming Messiah that He is an anointed one by the father God. The main purpose of His coming is to defeat the Satan, to be the savior and King of the world. From the Holy Bible the books from Genesis to Malachi give us the account of the nation of Israel, travelling to give birth to the Messiah. As a matter of fact, this statement is only not an exaggeration from the reality. After the fall of Adam and Eve in

SHOOTS OF JERUSALEM the Garden of Eden, God proclaimed the seed of the woman (a man) would. Crush the serpents (Satan) head. (Genesis 3:15). The promise of the seed of the woman, “ who would defeat the Satan was the beginning trail of the coming Messiah the redeemer”.

Since man was created to be the King of the earth, only a man should recapture mans destiny, To get back what is lost, the man should be “deity the God man” Cain the sinful descendant of Adam and Eve was influenced by Satan to kill Abel. The righteous descendant of Adam and Eve the heinous act of this one day the righteous seed of the woman would not be able to crush his head (Genesis 4:8). God counter attacked Satan and the righteous lineage continued with the birth Seth, the son of Adam. Then Satan continued to attach God more by corrupting humanity, bloodline by mixing the sons of God with the daughters of men. (Genesis 6:1-4). Unfortunately, it remainded as unchallenged for some time, because there was no seed of the woman to crush the head of Satan.

The bloodline of humanity remained silent for some time, and Satan took the advantage of this and thought he would certainly win the battle and all humanity would die in their sins. They have to be separated from God and live forever. Anyway, God inspite of His love, compassion, grace, mercy, and power over His own creation was compelled by the circumstances to take actions against His people because of their sin. So, God killed all humanity except the family of Noah with universal flood on the earth. As a result of the flood, perhaps hundreds of thousands being inflected with genes that came about as a result of the union between the sons of God (fallen angels) and daughter of men (human women) were miserably killed. But believers or people would be born with the blessing of God on this side of flood and there would be no disturbance for the continuation of the bloodline and the seed of the woman to crush the head of the serpent is still awaiting.

Satan is in continuation of his evil doings. This time we cannot hold of the grandson of Noah King Nimrod for his purpose. The meaning of his name is “revolt” He could infect humanity with a belief in many God’s called polytheism. We all know that God called Abraham after some years contrary to the attempt of Nimrod to come from Ur, the land of Chaldeans to Canaan the Promised Land to established a nation with one God. The seed of the woman would come through miraculously born son Isaac but not Ishmael, who was the son of the flesh. (Genesis 23-25) one of Esau who sold his birth right. Jacob had twelve sons and they became twelve tribes of Israel. The seed which of will defeat Satan comes from the tribe of Judah the Fourth son of Israel.

SHOOTS OF JERUSALEM TIME FOR THE SEEDS OF THE WOMAN TO COME: The first verse from the first chapter of the first book of the New Testament begins with the following words. The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham (Mathew 1:1). In loud voice Matthew proclaimed these words Hear He is the Messiah, who was a perfect human and undiminished deity. He was the seed of the woman. The trail in identifying the coming Messiah further reveals that the redeemer and victor over Satan would be a descendant of King David (2 Samuel 7:12-16) Satan has been trying to keep the seed away from coming. He used all kinds of dirty wicked and evil means to avoid his coming but now the time has come for the fulfillment of all his plans.

As the scriptures foretold, he was born at the most appropriate time as a redeemer after 4000 years. For seed of the woman, who was going to crush the head of the serpent is dwelling with men. The Messiah who was longed for, who was hoped for, and who was prayed for, was now among His people. Herod the great agent of Satan and usurper of the throne of Israel heard that the descendant of David. the real king of Jews was born and the throne of Herod was threatened Immediately king Herod sent his solders, to kill all the male children in Bethlehem and around. It is said, the soldiers killed about two hundred boys and there is a room among three rooms near the birth place of Jesus Christ.

But Joseph was warmed of this danger by an angel and he took both Jesus and Mary immediately to Egypt for their safety. (Matt 2:13-14) eventually thirty years later the Lord Jesus began his pubic ministry. In his daily routine work he helped the needy, healed the sick people, and preached the Gospel about the eternal kingdom. He called his people to repent for their sin, while preaching so, when He came to His own creation and His own people received Him not (John 1:11) then the Jewish leaders also along with the prophet turned against Jesus and the Roman governor Pontius Pilot politically found him worthy of crucifixion. He was finally crucified and with his death and all the disciples went into hiding. Then what the Satan and the army of fallen angels did.

Satan and his followers must have extremely felt happy over the death of the King of Jews. For centuries the Satan must have tempted the human on many occasions who was going to crush his head from coming into this world. Satan was wrong on two points. The first point is that Satan was not the controlling authority and responsible for the death of Jesus as he thought. Jesus said no man taketh it (my life) from Me but I lay it down of Myself (by my choice) I have the power to lay it down and I have the power to take it

SHOOTS OF JERUSALEM (again)” (John 10:18). Again He said, for even the son of man cannot to be ministered unto but to minister and to give his life as ransom for many (mark 10:45) Jesus is our great high priest, and as our high priest, He has to offer to His father a sacrifice for our sin. So He could do both the high priest and the sacrifice.

The second point is Satan posed himself premature with the shouts of “Checkmate” again and again. It is an Arabic word which originated in the Middle East. and the meaning of the word is your king is dead. The seed of Abraham who was going to give blessing to the world had not been checkmated. He had one more merit most wonderful thing that is on the third day Christ came out of His grave and conquered death as He promised with this incident Satan was defeated but not executed after His resurrection He spent forty days on the earth and then went to His father to sit at the right-hand side of the thrown. He would come again to destroy Satan completely.

The time has been passing after this event and Satan will be trying to rule the world again with the support of his progeny the Anti-Christ. This will happen during the seven years period called Tribulation. The major attack will be launched against Israel during the great Tribulation period. (Matthew 24:18) also referred to as the time of Jacob Troubles” (Jeremiah 30:7) and a time of troubles such as never was (Daniel 12:11). At that time Satan and the Anti - Christ are on the threshold of victory but only one thing will hinder them. It would be the time called the day of the Lord. Jesus will return to the earth with the power of Omnipotent and indefinite glory. Then the world will be purged of its sin. The Anti - Christ and the prophets will be cast into the Lake of fire (Revelation 19:20)

Then what is the punishment Christ will give to the Satan? He will be cast into a bottomless pit during 1000 years. It is also called the Millennial kingdom of Christ. During that 1000 years Satan will not be allowed to deceive the nations. After 1000 years Satan will be loosed for a short period, and then cast into the lake of fire, to be tormented forever day and night (Revelation 20:10) The final punishment of Satan will be the fulfillment of the prophecy which explains the seed of the woman will crush the serpents head. (Genesis 3:15)

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CHAPTER -2In the Days of Noah

The first coming of the son of God is based on the virgin birth. He led sinless life. He became victorious in everything and subsequently ascended to heaven to sit on the throne of His father at the right side of Him. Then from there He will serve as our advocate and guide “High Priest.” He actually came to this world to pay our debt that we made through our sin. During His first coming as the son of God, He accomplished every work that was entrusted to Him by His father. And also Jesus with His grace and through His faith made it possible to all sinners to become saints and eternal sons and daughters of God ourFather. This wonderful transaction cannot be seen but only experienced and this change has been given a good member of designations. Apostle John called it “born again”(John 3.7). Luke called it “saved” (Acts 2:21). Titus then Apostle Paul’s faithful helper called it “regeneration” which means “rebirth” (Titus 3.5), Apostle Paul, who was called according to history of the Bible, the greatest theologian missionary and perhaps the greatest scholar of all times called this “quickend,”which means “made alive”(Ephesians 2.1). The stars from the universe will not be sufficient to broadcast our creator and Lord our gratitude for His so great salvation (Hebrews 2.3). Inspite of our Lords ministry on our behalf, His father’s plan is not yet completed. It is very important, but not correctly understood what we are as believers,today, and it is the only “earnest” of our salvation. The earnest is its down payment and there is no much more by ours at the second coming of Christ until that time we are saved but still.

1)We have the Adamie nature.

3)We are warned to put on the whole armor of God so that we may stand

against the cunning devices of the devil.

4)We die and return to the dust.

5)We live upon the sin cursed earth which has hurricanes, earthquakes,

famines, plagues, marching armies, carnivorous animals, corrupt

governments, wicked dictators and so on.

The above mentioned points should not give the impression that Jesus had not done anything for our redemption during His first coming.According to His plan those things are supposed to be done during His second coming.Until that time, we have to honor the Gospel because it is the word of God with power. “Unto salvation.” Yet in Christ, we are safe and secureButstill, like our patriarch Abraham, we have to look for a city which will save good and strong foundations. In addition to that the maker and builder must be our Lord, we have before us a new heaven and new earth, which will be free from Adamic curse and perfect in everything. The new

SHOOTS OF JERUSALEM heaven and the new earth have to be brought out, but that can be only done by Jesus Christ, when He comes for the second time.

As a matter of fact, the first coming of Christ is perfect, but incomplete without His second coming.And the second coming of Christ becomes powerless without the first coming. The first coming of Christ is actually focused more on the gracious and gentle fame who came not to be ministered unto but to minister and to give His life as ransom for many” (Mark

10.45).Inspite of all memorable things,He did for the people with false allegations He was put on the cross at Calvary and died for the holiness of His father God. Every believer is curiously awaiting the second coming of Jesus Christ. It is believed that, His second coming will make Him to come to limelight and it beings Him a total and unconditional victory to Him as the Lion of Judah. Then He will purify the earth, all its evil and in a millennial kingdom.

The fact is that the two comings of Jesus into this world will certainly compliment at each other. The prophetic scriptures that speak about the return of Jesus and the end of the age, are not described in such away simply to satisfy our curiosity about the last days, but the main purpose is to share with us the glorious consummation of our salvation and the historical final battleJesus Christ is going to fight.As the king of Lion of Judah, He will fight against the Satan. He will win the battle completely and unconditionally on our behalf because of His eternal love.

The Lord Jesus Christ spoke about His second coming and end of the age “as the days of Noah were so shall also the coming of the son of man be” (Matthew 24.37). How it was the life of humanity before the universal Noahic flood, the condition of the humanity will be the same, before the second coming of Jesus.The above said sentence is very important and let us try to understand the hidden meaning. It is as the humanity was wicked and sinful before the flood, of Noah, the humanity will remain sinful before the second coming of Jesus the Messiah. Actually, the world has been with sin since the time of our first parents Adam and Eve, Now a days, we hear some indications that we are going toward the end of the age and return of Christ.

So, in the mindof the Lord, we may be the generation, when He said, “this generation” will not pass away until all be satisfied. Then what is that generation will be like, and to know about that generation has become most important to all believers. Then what must have prompted to speak about Noah’s flood at this stage, His second coming and the end of the age. WHY MESSIAH WAS REJECTED: It is frequently said that the Gospel of Matthew is like a bridge between the old and New Testaments. Sometimes it is pointed out by some commentators that the Gospel of Matthew points out

SHOOTS OF JERUSALEM also pointed out as the gospel of Matthew explained that Jesus is the promised Messiah the seed of the woman who is going to crush the head of the serpent. All the three points are correct.

The main purpose of all those statements of Matthew was he wanted to see repentance among Israelites. So, repentance is the central point in the Gospel of Matthew. Johnthe Baptist, the herald and fore runner of Christ forcibly preached to Israel “Repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 3.2). The Lord Jesus Christ also preached the same for the repentance of Israel. The twelve disciples were asked by Jesus to go over different parts of Israel, and preach same message to the people, that they must repent as the Kingdom of heaven is at hand. This call was mainly for Israel to repent for its sin.

As time went on, the Israel nation itself bluntly rejected Jesus and it was intensified. He so called leaders from the Jews deliberately misled the common people into the wrong direction against Christ. Finally, the religious and political leaders (pharisees and Herodians) joined together and asked the son of God some silly questions in the public. King intention was not to get the answers for the questions they put, only but to trap and discredit Him before the common people. Jesus understood the wicked nature of those leaders. As a little boy Jesus, who was meek and mild attacked them with most powerful and direct words; and with the voice of the king “woe unto scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites and after each woe,” He illustrated how they were hypocrites.

The word “Hypocrate” means a fake head. It is said, those Seribesand Pharisees were a group of “grade A” hypocrates. They had the authority to try to trap and discredit the religious son of God. Their exterior was something and their interior was opposite to it. Jesus as the King of Israel, felt much as the Israelites did not repent for their sin. So, Jesus from the depth of His heart and with the anguish of His soul made even the angels weep and proclaim the following words.

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thore that killest the prophets and stonest them, which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children to gather even as a hen gatherethher chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold your house is left unto you,ye shall not see me since forth till ye shall say blessedis he that cometh in the name of the Lord” (Matthew 23.37-

39).

This disciples were stunned when Jesus proclaimed His departure from them. In the beginning they left everything of them in their houses and simply followed Jesus when He called them and remained with Him for three years. As true followers, they listened to His teachings. They witnessed His life and

SHOOTS OF JERUSALEM the miracles Hedid. They were under the impression that Jesus would rule Israel, and His disciples would get some positions and power and prestige. When they were in such high hopes His announcement regarding His departure was like a bombshell. They became desperated and wanted to ask Him something more. They asked Him the sign of His coming again and the end of the age. They asked Him two questions. The first one is about “time” they wanted to know when the temple and the building would be destroyed.

It is said, there is no proper answer for this question, except reminding us the statement of Christ, He said, the presence of God would not dwell in the temple, unless the Israelites repent for their sin at least by the time Jesus comes for the second time. The second question of the disciples was regarding the identification the disciples desired to know about the sign of His second coming and the end of the age. According to prophetic saying there is only one sign of the coming of our Lord. The events concerning the last days can cast shadows and those shadows are getting larger and clearer. As a results many bible teachers basing on the present situation, in both Israel nation and the Middle East, it is one way conformed that we are really going toward the coming of Christ and the end of the age.

God provided the “signs” which were like miracles to authority to substantiate the significant truth. And also signs are different from prophetic shadows. If we observe carefully, there are more than hundred signs in the Old Testament itself. There is sufficient reason when apostle Paul said “For the Jews require a sign and the greeks seek after wisdom” (1 Corinthians 1:22). At the time of Israelites wilderness, wanderings for the purpose of liberating them, Moses happened to enter the court of Pharaoh and Aaron threw down his rod, which became a serpent. The rod of Arondevoured the rods of the servants of Pharaoh. The main purpose of this reference was to be a sign or proof to pharaohthat the God of Moses was the real Godand Moses was the obedient messenger of God. Some hundreds of years before Christ was born. God told prophet Isaiah to give the house of Israel a sign, so that they would recognize the Messiah as and when He would come. In addition to that He would be virgin born.(Isaiah 7:14)

About seven hundred years later the angels appeared to shepherds who were tending their stock of sheep in a field of Bethlehem. The angles delivered the news to them. They further told them that the savior was born, and that would be a sign of miracle to substantiate that He was the real “Macoy” and He was born of a virgin. Then during the early ministry of Jesus, the Pharisees came and attracted Him for a sign of His authority for doing revolutionary teaching and the power of His wonderful miracles. Jesus told them they were an adulterous generation which is looking for a sign. They have been faithful to the writings of Moses, and the prophets, and along

SHOOTS OF JERUSALEM with them they would have known who Jesus was as the scripture spoke about Him. In their final request for a sign Jesus chose to give them one sign. He said “kill me and on the thirdday I will raise from the died.” Hear the sign or the miracle the Lord indicated would be enough for his teaching and miracles would be His resurrection.

The Bible teachers called the Christ Olivet Discourse, because it was a discourse given on the mount of Olivet, Jesus began to answer the questions of His disciples in connection with His second coming and the end of the age, what telling.So, He moved directly and logically to the last seven years of history, which was also called “Tribulation” and more accurately called “seventieth week” of the prophet (Daniel 24-27). The two high ranking archangels Gabriel and Michael would give this kind of salient facts to prophets like Daniel concerning his people Israelites.

The first seventy seven weeks or 490 years are determined upon the people of Daniel (Israelites) by God to bring them to a victorious and religious completion at the end of human history. Secondly, after accurately revealed the starting point of 445 BC the commandment to restore and rebuild Jerusalem-and following the completion of sixty nine weeks of years (483 years) which would reach to 30 AD the messiah would be cut off (Killed). The crucifictionof Christ had taken place exactly just three days after His Olivet Discourse.” The third point is that the seventieth week, the final seven year period is not a grieving with the first sixty nine weeks following the crucifiction of Christ. The church which Apostle Paul taught was a mystery, not revealed in other generation had its origin with the beginning of the church, age Israel was stopped.Those which functionagain, unknowingly make a covenant with the Anti-Christ. This covenant is repeatedly referred to (Daniel 9:27) here as a covenant with death. It was the Jewish people who were called the repent.It wasthe Jewish religious leaders who tried to discredit Him. It was the Jewish Temple on the Mount Moriah that could be divide of the divine presence and be destroyed. It was Jewish people who manhandled Jesus to some extent and finally killed Him. It was the Jewish people who killed the prophets and stoned the Messengers of God and rejected Christ. It was Jewish Apostles, who asked their leader for the sign of His second coming and the end of the age.

In the book of Matthew, Chapter 24 verses 4 through 43, the Lord describes the events that will occur during the seventieth week of Daniel which is still in future. But in the “Olivet Discourse” the Lord clearly answered the question the disciples asked Him regarding the sign of His coming and the end of the age. The “Olivet Discourse” of the Lord actually deals with the final seven years period. In it the Lord decided at last concerning Israelites. He speaks about the church, which is the indication of the wrath of God,

SHOOTS OF JERUSALEM about to commence. This is the sixth seal, but before the seventh seal is to be opened and the scroll is also to be opened for the diving wrath comes out of it and 1,44,000 Jews will be sealed by God, and be able to serve God’s wrath during the day of the Lord. And then a great multitude from every nation, that they will be so great in number that is uncountable. This uncountable multitude is the resurrected, raptured and glorified ones. The church now is in Heaven with the Lord. It is a pre-wrath rapture. It is said in the Bible after this I held and a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations and kindred’s, and people and tongues stood before the throne and before the Lamb clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands and cried with a loud voice saying salvation to our God which sitteth uponthe throne, and unto the lamb and one of the elders answered saying unto me, what are those, which are arranged in white robes? and whence came they? and i said unto him, sir thou knowest, And he said to me, these are they which came out of “great Tribulation” and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of Lamb “(Revelation 7:9-13).

The church is raptured during time because Jesus is coming to begin His wrath upon the earth and church, is not going to be a victim to the wrath of God. Yet, it is not exempted from the persecution of the Anti-Christ The sign of the coming of Jesus will be the happiest news for the entire Christendom. The presence of his intrinsic eternal perfection, will dispel the world wide darkness, which has been caused by the cosmic (disturbances) that shut off the light of the Sun, the Moon and the stars. Immediately after the Tribulation of those days, the power of the scroll is much that the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give her light and the stars shall fall down from heaven and finally all the powers of the heaven shall be shaken totally.

After all these things happen, we can have the appearance of the sign of the son of man in heaven and then, all the tribes of the earth will mourn and they shall see the son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels, with great sound of a trumpet and they gather together his elect from the four (winds) from one end of heaven to the other. Any way Jesus Christ answered the question of His disciples regarding the sign of His coming and also end of the age. He said, “Now learn a parable of a feg tree.” The word parable comes from two Greek words (para and bullo) when these two words, put together or to throw orto each alongside the popular definition is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. The earthly part of the parable is that the Lord is using the fig tree when a branch of it is tender and put forth leaves, which indicate (spiritual) meaning of its parable. So, likewise ye (in the same manner) when ye shall see all these things (the things leading up to His coming and just shared) know that it (His coming and the end of the age) is near even at the

SHOOTS OF JERUSALEM doors” (Matthew 24.33). Then the Lord continued His speech. “Verily I say unto you. This generation (this is a reference to a generation living during first seven years of history) shall not pass till all those things be fulfilled (Matthew 24:34). Jesus with absolute authority concerning what all He said, about His second coming and end of the age, declared that heaven and earth shall pass away but the words of my coming shall not pass away. So to say it is hundred percent guaranty of His coming and nothing on the planet can stop it. He will come and accomplish everything according to His plan, and that should be correctly understood by the believers. The Lord reminds the believers the impact of (Noah’s) flood, and its severity. The Lord will make a powerful statement first and then proclaims. But as the days “woe” were so shall also the coming of the son of man be” (Matthew 24.37).

If the people pay deaf ear to the words of the Lord, they shall automatically reap the consequences. Every believer knows perfectly that the days before the flood were sinful. Here the Lord gives the Bible the wonderful description of the life of the people before the flood. They were eating and drinking, they were marrying and giving their children in marriage to others. Those things had been going on until Noah entered the Ark. In Genesis chapter 6, it is described how the life before the flood. The words used in 12 verses for the people of the Noahic generation were wickedness, destroy, corrupt, and violence. And more pathetic about them was that those ugly things were repeated again and again against them so God had a very bad impression about them. The Lord particularly pointed out in their character as they were eating, drinking, marrying and giving in marriages. There was no wrong in doing all those things because they were part and parcel of the society. But they paid more attention to those things only, and did not care what was going on around them. Noah the builder and the prophet while entering the Ark with his family cried unto them painfully to come and enter the ark, they simply laughed at him and went on their way. This point showed their arrogance finally reaped the consequences. It is said Noah and his family members had taken about 120 years to build the Ark. The Lord finally says, those who were unsaved and refused to listen to the word of God and come to the cross will have to face, and due punishment like consummation before a holy righteous just and all knowing judge. The warning is clearly mentioned in the scriptures it is said, “Be not desired; God is not mocked,” forwhatsover a man soweth that shall he also reap” (Galatians

6.7). Our life is very short in this world and we will have to face the wicked days very soon as the days of Noah. God is calling all of us whole heartedly to go to Him and repent with faith in Christ let us question ourselves humbly, whether we should hear the call of our God almighty and walk on His foot

SHOOTS OF JERUSALEM CHAPTER -3

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