Will the Nation of
Israel become the center
00:00:07.47\00:00:12.04
of end-time Bible Prophecy?
00:00:12.07\00:00:14.58
Yes or no?
00:00:14.61\00:00:16.64
That's our topic
on His Voice Today.
00:00:16.68\00:00:19.88
Welcome to
another His Voice Today
00:00:22.62\00:00:24.82
with Steve Wohlberg.
00:00:24.85\00:00:26.49
"All Eyes on
Israel," that's our subject.
00:00:30.63\00:00:33.53
This is actually the
beginning of a four-part series
00:00:33.60\00:00:36.33
dealing with "Israel Issues... "
00:00:36.36\00:00:39.00
very controversial issues.
00:00:39.03\00:00:41.17
Let me just start
out with a Jewish joke.
00:00:41.20\00:00:43.71
What do you get
when you cross two Jews?
00:00:43.74\00:00:46.21
The answer is: 3 opinions
00:00:46.24\00:00:48.51
and I can tell that joke
00:00:48.54\00:00:50.75
because I'm
Jewish, Steve Wohlberg...
00:00:50.78\00:00:52.88
that's my last name, "Wohlberg"
I grew up in a Jewish home
00:00:52.91\00:00:55.05
in Los Angeles and I have
wrestled with Israel Issues
00:00:55.12\00:00:59.32
especially since
I became a Christian
00:00:59.39\00:01:01.52
and began
studying Bible prophecy.
00:01:01.56\00:01:03.66
It's no secret that
Christians around the world
00:01:03.73\00:01:07.66
their eyes are on Israel,
00:01:07.73\00:01:09.66
their eyes are
on the Jewish State.
00:01:09.70\00:01:11.23
They strongly
believe that Bible prophecy
00:01:11.27\00:01:14.60
was fulfilled in 1948,
00:01:14.64\00:01:16.17
that Israel is
now back in the land
00:01:16.20\00:01:18.61
that there will
be a Temple there
00:01:18.64\00:01:20.98
rebuilt on the Temple Mount and
that the Battle of Armageddon
00:01:21.01\00:01:24.58
will be a final, bloody,
military war against Jews
00:01:24.61\00:01:28.98
during the seven
years of tribulation.
00:01:29.02\00:01:31.02
These are dominant teachings
in the Christian world.
00:01:31.05\00:01:36.46
I looked with
interest, a number of years ago,
00:01:36.49\00:01:40.80
when an issue of
Newsweek came out,
00:01:40.83\00:01:42.86
I've got it in front of
me, Newsweek, November 1, 1999,
00:01:42.90\00:01:46.57
the front cover
said it was on Prophecy.
00:01:46.60\00:01:50.14
It said: "PROPHECY
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
00:01:50.21\00:01:53.68
ABOUT THE END OF THE
WORLD" was the sub-title
00:01:53.71\00:01:55.98
and on page 73 of
that particular issue,
00:01:56.01\00:01:58.88
and I quote, it said that
00:01:58.95\00:02:01.58
"The predominant
emphasis in Christian prophecy
00:02:01.65\00:02:04.65
is on the return of
the Jews to the Holy Land"
00:02:04.69\00:02:07.82
and the rebuilding
of the Jerusalem Temple.
00:02:07.86\00:02:10.93
Now, even though that
quote is over 10 years old,
00:02:10.96\00:02:13.50
it's definitely true today
when it comes to the predominant
00:02:13.53\00:02:17.20
emphasis in Bible prophecy.
00:02:17.27\00:02:18.87
If you go on
Amazon. com and do a search
00:02:18.90\00:02:21.20
you'll find lots of books
such as: John Hagee's book,
00:02:21.24\00:02:25.37
"Jerusalem Countdown
A Warning to the World"
00:02:25.41\00:02:28.18
there's another
book by Dave Hunt
00:02:28.21\00:02:30.45
"The Final Battle for Jerusalem
Israel Islam and Armageddon"
00:02:30.48\00:02:34.15
here's another one:
00:02:34.22\00:02:35.68
"The Latest Developments in
Bible Prophecy" by Randall Price
00:02:35.72\00:02:39.92
the book is called:
"The Coming Last Days Temple"
00:02:39.95\00:02:43.26
and the list goes on and on.
00:02:43.29\00:02:44.69
There are television programs,
movies, novels, books, websites,
00:02:44.73\00:02:49.43
radio shows, that are
zeroed in on the Middle East
00:02:49.46\00:02:53.97
they're looking
at events over there
00:02:54.04\00:02:56.30
and they've got
their eyes on the Bible,
00:02:56.34\00:02:58.57
they're looking at Revelation,
they're looking at Ezekiel,
00:02:58.61\00:03:01.44
they're looking at Zachariah,
00:03:01.48\00:03:02.91
and they're
looking at the newspapers,
00:03:02.94\00:03:04.78
they're looking at
what's happening in Israel,
00:03:04.81\00:03:06.58
with Iran and the nuclear threat
and they are firmly convinced
00:03:06.61\00:03:11.25
that end-time Bible
prophecy would swirl
00:03:11.32\00:03:15.69
around the Jewish Nation
00:03:15.72\00:03:18.13
and what we're
going to do in this series
00:03:18.16\00:03:25.57
in Part I: All Eyes on Israel,
00:03:25.60\00:03:27.64
and then Part 2,
Part 3 and Part 4,
00:03:27.67\00:03:30.74
is we are going
to take a close look
00:03:30.81\00:03:33.88
at these Israel issues,
00:03:33.91\00:03:35.81
I know that... again...
this is very controversial,
00:03:35.84\00:03:38.98
I'm well aware of this,
00:03:39.01\00:03:41.25
I've been wrestling with
these issues for a long time,
00:03:41.32\00:03:44.82
I've written numerous
books that reveal my findings,
00:03:44.85\00:03:49.69
based on the New Testament,
my study of the book of Daniel,
00:03:49.72\00:03:53.03
of the book of Revelation,
and so I'm just going to share
00:03:53.06\00:03:56.13
my thoughts with you and
I hope that you will grab
00:03:56.16\00:03:59.20
a Bible and that
you'll follow along with me,
00:03:59.23\00:04:01.60
and we will take a
look at some of these issues
00:04:01.64\00:04:03.94
and just try to
unravel the controversy
00:04:04.01\00:04:06.21
and find out very carefully,
what does the New Testament
00:04:06.24\00:04:10.75
and eventually, what
does the book of Revelation
00:04:10.85\00:04:14.52
have to say about
Israel and Bible prophecy.
00:04:14.55\00:04:17.82
The first text that
I'd like us to zero in on
00:04:17.85\00:04:21.06
is in the New Testament,
00:04:21.09\00:04:22.69
it's in 1st
Corinthians chapter 2 verse 14,
00:04:22.76\00:04:28.23
1st Corinthians 2:14,
let me put my glasses here
00:04:28.26\00:04:31.57
and make sure that
I'm quoting it correctly.
00:04:31.60\00:04:34.84
1st Corinthians 2 verse 14,
Paul is writing and he's laying
00:04:34.87\00:04:41.54
a foundation, he's
dealing with a principle
00:04:41.58\00:04:44.05
that is extremely important.
00:04:44.08\00:04:45.81
Paul wrote:
00:04:45.85\00:04:50.09
Now, in this text,
00:04:58.49\00:05:00.03
Paul is talking
about two groups of people
00:05:00.10\00:05:02.66
that the natural man
which basically represents
00:05:02.70\00:05:06.23
a large portion of humanity
and the predominant portion
00:05:06.30\00:05:11.01
of people that...
they're just natural...
00:05:11.04\00:05:13.78
and they don't understand
the things of the spirit of God.
00:05:13.81\00:05:17.15
Things that come
from the Holy Spirit
00:05:17.18\00:05:19.41
and that's just
typical to the way
00:05:19.45\00:05:21.68
people are generally these days.
00:05:21.72\00:05:23.92
In the next verse,
verse 15, Paul said,
00:05:23.99\00:05:26.76
So you've got "natural man"
who sees through natural eyes,
00:05:29.36\00:05:33.06
and then you've
got the "spiritual man"
00:05:33.09\00:05:35.06
who sees through the
eyes of the Holy Spirit.
00:05:35.10\00:05:39.07
I want to develop this
thought, as we go along.
00:05:39.10\00:05:42.97
Now, if you have a Bible,
follow me in the book of John.
00:05:43.00\00:05:47.41
John is an amazing book,
it's the fourth gospel book,
00:05:47.48\00:05:51.78
there's Matthew,
Mark, Luke and John,
00:05:51.81\00:05:53.52
John, certainly was
Jewish and in the book of John,
00:05:53.55\00:05:57.82
we find a conflict,
as in the other gospels
00:05:57.85\00:06:01.56
between Jesus Christ and...
00:06:01.59\00:06:03.46
and many of the Jewish leaders
not all of them but many of them
00:06:03.53\00:06:06.70
and there are some amazing
principles that are brought out
00:06:06.80\00:06:10.17
in the book of John concerning
the issue of natural man
00:06:10.20\00:06:13.54
and the spiritual man.
00:06:13.57\00:06:15.27
So, I'd like to look
up four texts with you.
00:06:15.34\00:06:18.37
John chapter 2
is the first section
00:06:18.44\00:06:23.35
in verses 18 to 21, we
find Jesus having a dialogue
00:06:23.38\00:06:27.25
with certain Jewish leaders,
and He told them in verse 19,
00:06:27.32\00:06:31.82
that if... He said,
00:06:31.85\00:06:33.22
That's what He said,
"Destroy this temple,"
00:06:37.43\00:06:40.50
Jesus told them in verse 20:
00:06:40.53\00:06:44.93
And then verse 21 says,
00:06:53.98\00:06:56.75
"But Jesus spoke of
the temple of His body. "
00:06:56.78\00:06:59.91
Now in this particular instance,
Jesus used the word "temple"
00:06:59.95\00:07:04.19
when he said,
"Destroy this temple
00:07:04.22\00:07:06.29
and I will rebuilt
it in three days... "
00:07:06.32\00:07:07.66
He used it in
reference to himself.
00:07:07.69\00:07:09.89
The Jewish people
that were listening to Him,
00:07:09.92\00:07:13.40
they were natural men,
00:07:13.43\00:07:15.13
they didn't
understand spiritual things
00:07:15.16\00:07:17.37
and when they
heard what Jesus said,
00:07:17.40\00:07:19.50
they immediately thought
about the physical temple
00:07:19.53\00:07:21.87
and they thought,
"How is this possible
00:07:21.90\00:07:24.01
that this man can
destroy the temple
00:07:24.11\00:07:26.14
and rebuild it in three days?"
00:07:26.17\00:07:27.51
So, they were
natural men who understood...
00:07:27.58\00:07:30.85
who only understood
00:07:30.88\00:07:32.95
and saw through natural
eyes but Jesus, of course,
00:07:32.98\00:07:35.72
is the ultimate spiritual man,
00:07:35.75\00:07:37.12
and He was talking
about a Spiritual Temple...
00:07:37.19\00:07:39.42
the temple of His body.
00:07:39.45\00:07:40.79
So that's example
number one, that's in John 2.
00:07:40.86\00:07:45.49
In John 3, Jesus talked to
a Jewish man named Nicodemus
00:07:45.53\00:07:49.13
Nicodemus came to Him at night
00:07:49.16\00:07:52.00
and he wanted to
ask him some questions
00:07:52.03\00:07:54.57
and Jesus responds in verse 3,
Jesus said to this Jewish man,
00:07:54.60\00:08:01.41
He said "Nicodemus,
you have to be born again,
00:08:01.44\00:08:04.41
and you're never
going to understand anything
00:08:04.45\00:08:07.12
that I have to say,
unless you are born again. "
00:08:07.15\00:08:10.29
Now, Nicodemus, at
this point was a natural man
00:08:10.32\00:08:13.39
and in verse 4 he
responded and said,
00:08:13.46\00:08:17.13
So, Nicodemus...
as a natural man,
00:08:24.90\00:08:27.14
heard the sayings of Christ,
00:08:27.17\00:08:28.97
and thought that when he
said "you must be born again"
00:08:29.00\00:08:31.87
He was talking
about physical birth.
00:08:31.94\00:08:33.51
Natural people tend to see
00:08:33.58\00:08:35.91
things only
literally on the surface
00:08:35.94\00:08:37.98
and they don't see the
underlying spiritual meaning.
00:08:38.01\00:08:40.42
And so, Nicodemus said,
00:08:40.45\00:08:41.88
"How can I go back
into my mother's body
00:08:41.92\00:08:43.89
and be born again?"
00:08:43.92\00:08:45.32
But that's not what
Jesus was talking about.
00:08:45.35\00:08:47.56
In verses 5 and
6, Jesus clarified...
00:08:47.59\00:08:50.66
in verse 6 he said,
00:08:50.73\00:08:52.63
Marvel not that I say to
you, you must be born again. "
00:08:58.03\00:09:00.87
So when Jesus
talked about a new birth,
00:09:00.94\00:09:02.94
He was talking
about a "Spiritual Birth"
00:09:02.97\00:09:04.97
through the Holy Spirit
00:09:05.01\00:09:07.28
and then Nicodemus, if
that had happened to him,
00:09:07.31\00:09:09.48
he would be able to
see through spiritual eyes.
00:09:09.51\00:09:11.71
So, that's example number two.
00:09:11.75\00:09:13.92
Example number 3 is in the next
chapter... in John chapter 4,
00:09:14.02\00:09:17.59
where Jesus had a
dialogue with a Samaritan Woman
00:09:17.62\00:09:20.66
at a well... and
Jesus told this woman
00:09:20.69\00:09:23.66
that if she knew the
gift of God and who He was,
00:09:23.73\00:09:27.10
she would have asked Him
00:09:27.13\00:09:28.56
and He would have
given her "living water. "
00:09:28.60\00:09:31.10
Jesus said, "I want to
give you living water. "
00:09:31.13\00:09:33.64
And in verse 11... John
4:11, "The woman said, to Him,
00:09:33.67\00:09:37.11
"Sir, You have
nothing to draw with,
00:09:37.14\00:09:38.54
Now, this woman
was a natural woman.
00:09:42.41\00:09:44.41
She didn't
understand when Jesus said,
00:09:44.45\00:09:46.38
"I want to give
you living water"
00:09:46.45\00:09:47.78
she looked down and she said,
00:09:47.82\00:09:49.15
"How are you
going to get down there
00:09:49.18\00:09:50.89
and where are you going
to get this living water?"
00:09:50.92\00:09:52.75
And so, she just saw
on the surface of things
00:09:52.79\00:09:56.29
but Jesus
didn't mean real water,
00:09:56.32\00:09:59.43
He meant the water of life
00:09:59.46\00:10:01.60
through the Holy
Spirit that He would give her
00:10:01.63\00:10:03.80
if she believed in
Him as the Messiah.
00:10:03.87\00:10:06.03
So, that's a third example.
00:10:06.07\00:10:08.07
In John chapter 6 we
find Jesus having a dialogue
00:10:08.10\00:10:11.94
with a group of Jewish people
and He told them in verse 54
00:10:11.97\00:10:16.51
that they needed to eat
His flesh and drink His blood
00:10:16.54\00:10:19.25
or they would
have no life in them.
00:10:19.28\00:10:21.82
In verse 52, John 6:52 says,
00:10:21.85\00:10:25.89
Now, these Jews
were natural Jews,
00:10:32.86\00:10:34.90
they only saw on
the surface of things,
00:10:34.93\00:10:37.73
they took
Christ's words literally
00:10:37.77\00:10:40.14
and they didn't see
the spiritual meaning
00:10:40.17\00:10:42.17
so when Jesus said,
00:10:42.20\00:10:43.54
"You have to eat my
flesh and drink my blood... "
00:10:43.61\00:10:45.31
they thought He was
talking about cannibalism.
00:10:45.34\00:10:47.58
They thought He was
talking about, you know,
00:10:47.61\00:10:49.88
putting a little salt on his arm
00:10:49.91\00:10:51.41
and saying, "Here, take a bite"
00:10:51.45\00:10:52.91
and they thought, "You
know, this is impossible...
00:10:52.95\00:10:54.92
how can we do this,
00:10:54.95\00:10:56.28
is this man
teaching cannibalism?"
00:10:56.32\00:10:57.65
But Jesus was not
teaching cannibalism,
00:10:57.69\00:11:00.19
in verse 63, He said,
"the words that I say to you-
00:11:00.26\00:11:03.83
they are Spirit
and they are life. "
00:11:03.86\00:11:05.39
And when Jesus said, "eat
my flesh and drink my blood"
00:11:05.46\00:11:07.90
He means, take His
Word into your life.
00:11:07.93\00:11:11.90
So, in John 2,
00:11:11.93\00:11:15.24
we find a group of Jewish people
00:11:15.27\00:11:17.34
misunderstanding what
Jesus meant about the Temple.
00:11:17.41\00:11:20.51
It wasn't a literal
temple... in that verse,
00:11:20.58\00:11:22.58
it was the temple of His body,
00:11:22.61\00:11:23.95
in John 3, Jesus
talked about the new birth
00:11:23.98\00:11:26.72
and Nicodemus thought
it was a literal birth
00:11:26.82\00:11:29.02
but no... it was
a spiritual birth...
00:11:29.05\00:11:31.05
being born again
by the Holy Spirit.
00:11:31.12\00:11:33.05
In John 4, we have a woman
who understood Christ's words
00:11:33.09\00:11:37.53
about living water to
mean water in the well...
00:11:37.56\00:11:40.20
but it was spiritual
water of the Holy Spirit
00:11:40.23\00:11:43.10
and in John 6, you have
a group of Jewish people
00:11:43.13\00:11:45.97
who understood Christ's words
00:11:46.00\00:11:47.44
about eating His flesh
and drinking His blood,
00:11:47.47\00:11:49.00
as applying to cannibalism
but it was actually "His Word"
00:11:49.04\00:11:54.38
that He wanted them to eat.
00:11:54.41\00:11:55.94
So, there are four
examples in the book of John
00:11:55.98\00:11:59.78
where natural people
understood Jesus Christ's words
00:11:59.81\00:12:07.36
in a surface... literal sense,
but Jesus did not mean that,
00:12:07.39\00:12:13.29
He was using these words
in a deeply spiritual sense
00:12:13.33\00:12:17.97
and they didn't
understand what He was saying.
00:12:18.00\00:12:21.50
Now, this is very important,
00:12:21.54\00:12:23.91
I've been studying
this for years so...
00:12:23.94\00:12:25.61
at least... hear me out.
00:12:25.64\00:12:27.41
Those four
examples of John chapter...
00:12:27.48\00:12:29.94
in John 2, 3, 4 and 6,
00:12:30.05\00:12:32.78
have lessons for us in
the book of Revelation.
00:12:32.85\00:12:38.62
The book of Revelation is
the last book of the Bible.
00:12:38.65\00:12:42.16
The book of Revelation
00:12:42.19\00:12:44.23
is the greatest book
on prophecy ever written.
00:12:44.26\00:12:47.76
The book of
Revelation, contains prophecies
00:12:47.83\00:12:51.43
about something
called "Mystery Babylon"
00:12:51.47\00:12:55.04
that deceives the whole world.
00:12:55.07\00:12:57.21
It also talks about
Israel and the tribes of Israel
00:12:57.31\00:13:01.98
in Revelation chapter 7
00:13:02.01\00:13:04.05
who are sealed
in their foreheads
00:13:04.08\00:13:06.41
and also talks about a
battle... a final battle
00:13:06.48\00:13:10.29
in Revelation
16:16 called Armageddon
00:13:10.32\00:13:13.89
and it's obvious that
the contestants in Revelation
00:13:13.96\00:13:17.86
are Babylon and Israel,
and we have an Armageddon
00:13:17.89\00:13:22.30
and we also have
prophecies about a beast
00:13:22.33\00:13:25.13
with seven heads and ten horns
00:13:25.17\00:13:27.37
and about a
woman who rides a beast
00:13:27.44\00:13:30.71
that has seven
heads and ten horns
00:13:30.74\00:13:33.98
so, here's a question.
00:13:34.01\00:13:35.34
Is it possible... well
first of all... let me ask
00:13:35.38\00:13:39.15
who wrote the
book of Revelation?
00:13:39.18\00:13:41.35
Now, it says in chapter
1, that Revelation is...
00:13:41.38\00:13:45.65
in verse 1... it is the
revelation of Jesus Christ.
00:13:45.69\00:13:49.92
So, obviously,
the book of Revelation
00:13:49.96\00:13:52.29
came from Jesus,
00:13:52.33\00:13:53.70
but who wrote it... who
was the physical writer?
00:13:53.73\00:13:56.03
The answer to that
is found in verse 4.
00:13:56.06\00:13:59.23
It says, "John, to the seven
churches which are in Asia:
00:13:59.27\00:14:03.64
Grace be to you and peace... "
00:14:03.71\00:14:06.54
John wrote the
book of Revelation
00:14:06.57\00:14:09.41
and John is the same one
that wrote the book of John.
00:14:09.44\00:14:14.55
In the book of John, we
find Jesus Christ dialoguing
00:14:14.58\00:14:19.22
with various people who
only understood His words
00:14:19.25\00:14:23.86
in a physical sense
and who really missed
00:14:23.93\00:14:26.70
what He was
really trying to say.
00:14:26.73\00:14:28.46
That's in the book of John...
00:14:28.50\00:14:30.07
the same John...
wrote the book of Revelation
00:14:30.10\00:14:33.57
and the book of Revelation
00:14:33.64\00:14:35.24
is the
revelation of Jesus Christ,
00:14:35.27\00:14:37.34
and the book of
Revelation talks about
00:14:37.41\00:14:39.34
things like the
Temple, it talks about Babylon,
00:14:39.37\00:14:41.88
it talks about Israel,
it talks about the beast,
00:14:41.91\00:14:44.35
it talks about Armageddon.
00:14:44.38\00:14:45.71
So the question is:
00:14:45.75\00:14:47.32
Does the same
issue that we looked at
00:14:47.35\00:14:52.15
in the book of John apply
to the book of Revelation?
00:14:52.19\00:14:54.62
In other words, is
there a natural way
00:14:54.66\00:14:58.13
that we could read
Revelation and see it simply,
00:14:58.16\00:15:03.13
literally on the surface
and really miss what Revelation
00:15:03.16\00:15:07.90
is really all about?
00:15:07.97\00:15:09.30
And then is
there a Spiritual way,
00:15:09.34\00:15:11.57
through the Holy
Spirit, to understand
00:15:11.61\00:15:14.11
the meaning of the book?
00:15:14.18\00:15:15.51
Now, I'm not talking
about being a liberal
00:15:15.54\00:15:17.65
because I'm not a liberal,
and I'm not talking about
00:15:17.68\00:15:20.75
rationalizing a
way or watering down
00:15:20.82\00:15:23.89
what the
prophecy is really saying.
00:15:23.92\00:15:26.86
What I'm saying is:
"How do we understand
00:15:26.96\00:15:31.23
what the
prophecy is really saying?
00:15:31.26\00:15:33.53
What is it really saying?
00:15:33.60\00:15:35.23
Is there going to be a literal,
seven-headed, ten-horned beast
00:15:35.26\00:15:40.57
that looks like a
lion, a leopard and a dragon
00:15:40.64\00:15:45.01
as described in
Revelation chapter 13
00:15:45.04\00:15:47.61
or does that term
apply to something else?
00:15:47.64\00:15:52.08
Is there going to be a
literal woman named Babylon,
00:15:52.11\00:15:55.88
Mystery Babylon that rises
up out of the Mediterranean
00:15:55.92\00:15:59.69
and goes around the world
00:15:59.72\00:16:01.09
riding a
seven-headed, ten-horned beast
00:16:01.16\00:16:03.09
and that this is covered
in the major news networks
00:16:03.12\00:16:06.33
by CNN and Fox News?
00:16:06.36\00:16:08.06
And when it talks about Israel
being the center of the storm,
00:16:08.10\00:16:12.93
and the battle of Armageddon
and Babylon and Israel
00:16:12.97\00:16:15.54
and Armageddon,
00:16:15.57\00:16:16.91
are these events that
apply to those literal places,
00:16:16.94\00:16:21.31
literal Babylon,
literal Euphrates,
00:16:21.34\00:16:24.25
literal Israel, a
literal woman, a literal beast,
00:16:24.28\00:16:28.85
or do we need to understand
00:16:28.88\00:16:32.59
Revelation... through
the eyes of the Holy Spirit?
00:16:32.62\00:16:37.53
It's interesting in the book of
00:16:37.56\00:16:40.10
Revelation chapter 1, verse 10,
00:16:40.13\00:16:42.63
John starts out by saying,
"I was in the Spirit... "
00:16:42.66\00:16:45.40
and then he got the book,
00:16:45.43\00:16:47.64
all throughout this book
John makes statements like that.
00:16:47.67\00:16:51.84
In Revelation chapter
17 when he talks about
00:16:51.87\00:16:56.54
Mystery Babylon, and this lady,
00:16:56.61\00:17:00.62
it says in verse 3 that he
carried me away in the Spirit
00:17:00.65\00:17:05.22
into the
wilderness and I saw a woman,
00:17:05.25\00:17:07.89
so it's obvious
when you read the text
00:17:07.92\00:17:10.53
that John was in the
Spirit when he got the book
00:17:10.56\00:17:14.63
and he revealed these
things through Jesus Christ,
00:17:14.66\00:17:18.70
Jesus Christ gave him
the book of Revelation,
00:17:18.73\00:17:20.74
and it's obvious that we
need spiritual understanding
00:17:20.77\00:17:24.11
just like the Jews
needed spiritual understanding
00:17:24.14\00:17:27.48
in the book of John, we
need spiritual understanding
00:17:27.51\00:17:30.85
in order to
understand this book correctly.
00:17:30.88\00:17:33.85
We need the Holy Spirit,
00:17:33.92\00:17:35.75
we can't afford
to be natural people
00:17:35.78\00:17:38.39
like Paul said,
"The natural man doesn't
00:17:38.42\00:17:40.96
understand the things
of the Spirit of God. "
00:17:40.99\00:17:44.66
Now, let me put
another thought into your head,
00:17:44.69\00:17:47.80
when you study the
New Testament carefully,
00:17:47.83\00:17:50.97
it's also clear
00:17:51.00\00:17:52.33
that just like there's a
natural man and a spiritual man,
00:17:52.37\00:17:54.84
so there are really two Israel's
00:17:54.87\00:17:57.31
in the New Testament.
00:17:57.34\00:17:59.14
In 1st Corinthians
chapter 10 verse 18,
00:17:59.17\00:18:03.98
Paul talked about... he said,
00:18:04.05\00:18:06.25
"Behold Israel after the flesh:"
00:18:06.28\00:18:08.45
there is an
Israel after the flesh...
00:18:08.48\00:18:10.79
in 1st Corinthians 10:18,
00:18:10.82\00:18:14.26
when you go to
the book of Romans,
00:18:14.29\00:18:15.79
especially chapters 9 to 11
00:18:15.82\00:18:19.16
that really deal with
these "Israel issues,"
00:18:19.19\00:18:21.53
in verse 3,
Romans 9:3, Paul wrote,
00:18:21.56\00:18:25.77
"I wish that I were accursed
from Christ for my brethren,
00:18:25.80\00:18:30.91
my kinsmen
according to the flesh:
00:18:30.94\00:18:33.17
who are Israelites;"
00:18:33.21\00:18:34.54
so Paul loved the
Jewish people so much
00:18:34.58\00:18:36.58
and he knew that many
of them were rejecting him,
00:18:36.61\00:18:38.31
rejecting Jesus,
00:18:38.38\00:18:39.95
and he even wished that he
could be separated from Christ
00:18:40.02\00:18:43.42
if they could be saved,
00:18:43.49\00:18:44.82
he was so
sacrificial in his love.
00:18:44.85\00:18:47.29
And in verse 4, again,
00:18:47.36\00:18:49.42
he talked about Israelites
according to the flesh.
00:18:49.49\00:18:51.89
So there are Israelites
according to the flesh.
00:18:51.93\00:18:54.33
Now, in verse 6,
Paul drops a bomb
00:18:54.36\00:18:58.63
and in verse 6 he says,
00:18:58.67\00:19:00.24
"... they are not all
Israel which are of Israel... "
00:19:00.27\00:19:02.70
they're not all
"the Israel of God"
00:19:02.74\00:19:05.24
who are of Israel of the
00:19:05.27\00:19:06.88
literal Jewish Nation,
00:19:06.91\00:19:08.44
so, he really says,
"there are two Israel's"
00:19:08.48\00:19:10.55
just like... I've got
two eyes and two ears,
00:19:10.58\00:19:12.55
two hands, Paul said in
verse 6 there are two Israel's.
00:19:12.58\00:19:16.69
And he said,
"they're not all Israel...
00:19:16.72\00:19:19.09
meaning... God's
Israel who are of Israel,
00:19:19.12\00:19:21.49
verse 7 says,
00:19:21.52\00:19:22.86
"neither, just because
they're the seed of Abraham,
00:19:22.89\00:19:24.33
are they all children:
00:19:24.36\00:19:25.69
but in Isaac your
seed will be called. "
00:19:25.73\00:19:28.20
Now in verse 8, Paul wrote,
00:19:28.23\00:19:29.86
"That is, they which are
the children of the flesh,"
00:19:29.90\00:19:33.64
those which are just
children of the flesh,
00:19:33.67\00:19:36.27
natural descendants of Abraham,
00:19:36.30\00:19:37.74
he said, "these are
not the children of God;
00:19:37.81\00:19:41.28
but the children of the promise
they are counted for the seed"
00:19:41.31\00:19:46.82
counted as the
seed of Abraham...
00:19:46.92\00:19:49.18
the children of the promise.
00:19:49.22\00:19:51.69
Now who are the
children of the promise
00:19:51.72\00:19:53.19
that are counted by
God as the seed of Abraham?
00:19:53.22\00:19:56.86
The answer to that is
in the book of Galatians
00:19:56.93\00:20:00.80
and I've done an
extensive study on Galatians.
00:20:00.83\00:20:04.63
In Galatians chapter 3
verse 14 Paul makes it clear
00:20:04.67\00:20:11.21
who he's talking about.
00:20:11.24\00:20:12.77
Paul said that,
00:20:12.81\00:20:16.11
So in Romans 9 verse 8, he said
00:20:24.29\00:20:26.65
the children of the
promise are counted as the seed
00:20:26.69\00:20:30.33
and in Galatians 3:14,
he talks about the Gentiles
00:20:30.36\00:20:33.90
and the Jews, together,
who believe in Jesus Christ,
00:20:33.93\00:20:37.47
who receive the
promise, there's the promise...
00:20:37.50\00:20:40.04
the children of the
promise are counted as the seed
00:20:40.07\00:20:42.50
and we receive the promise
of the spirit of the Holy Spirit
00:20:42.54\00:20:47.21
through faith.
00:20:47.28\00:20:48.61
So, gentiles can be part
of that promise through faith
00:20:48.64\00:20:53.72
in Jesus Christ.
00:20:53.75\00:20:55.08
In Galatians 3:29,
Paul drops another bomb
00:20:55.12\00:20:59.09
and he wrote, "If you... "
00:20:59.12\00:21:02.06
and Paul is writing to Gentiles,
00:21:02.09\00:21:04.33
and I'm assuming that
most of you who are watching
00:21:04.36\00:21:06.90
or listening to this
Program are Gentiles,
00:21:07.00\00:21:09.70
Paul wrote in verse
29, Galatians 3:29 that
00:21:09.73\00:21:12.43
You are an heir of the promises
of God that were given to Israel
00:21:22.01\00:21:26.08
to the seed of
Abraham, Paul says that,
00:21:26.11\00:21:29.25
"You can be an
heir to those promises,
00:21:29.28\00:21:32.12
and you can be part
of the seed of Abraham
00:21:32.15\00:21:34.96
through Jesus Christ. "
00:21:34.99\00:21:36.66
So, Paul is clear in Galatians,
that Jews who believe in Jesus
00:21:36.73\00:21:40.93
and Gentiles who
believe in Jesus,
00:21:41.00\00:21:42.83
are all counted as the seed,
00:21:42.86\00:21:45.23
they're all part of
the seed of Abraham.
00:21:45.27\00:21:48.57
Now, in chapter 6,
at the end of the book,
00:21:48.60\00:21:52.41
Paul wrote:
00:21:52.44\00:21:54.84
"In Christ Jesus" verse 15...
00:21:54.88\00:21:57.35
"circumcision
doesn't avail anything,"
00:21:57.38\00:21:59.38
and that applies to the Jews
00:21:59.41\00:22:00.75
"nor uncircumcision... "
that applies to the Gentiles.
00:22:00.82\00:22:03.39
But what really counts
is a new... a new creature.
00:22:03.42\00:22:06.05
And verse 16 says,
00:22:06.12\00:22:07.79
"As many as walk
according to this rule,
00:22:07.82\00:22:09.62
peace be on them and mercy,
00:22:09.66\00:22:11.43
and upon the Israel of God. "
00:22:11.46\00:22:13.43
The Israel of God...
00:22:13.50\00:22:15.56
so in 1st
Corinthians 10:18, Paul said,
00:22:15.60\00:22:18.87
"there's an Israel of the flesh"
00:22:18.90\00:22:20.44
and in Galatians 6:16, he
said, "there's an Israel of God"
00:22:20.47\00:22:24.81
in other words,
there's a "natural Israel"
00:22:24.84\00:22:27.08
and there is a
"spiritual Israel"
00:22:27.18\00:22:28.88
and the Israel of God is
an Israel that is composed
00:22:28.91\00:22:33.55
of Jews who believe in
Jesus, like Matthew, Mark...
00:22:33.62\00:22:38.19
not Luke...
because Luke was a Gentile,
00:22:38.22\00:22:40.49
but John... and
all the disciples,
00:22:40.56\00:22:42.72
Peter, James et cetera, who
accepted Christ as the Messiah,
00:22:42.76\00:22:47.60
and then Gentiles,
00:22:47.63\00:22:49.23
like you and
people around the world,
00:22:49.26\00:22:52.50
who believe in
Jesus, trust the promise,
00:22:52.57\00:22:55.77
they are also
counted as the seed,
00:22:55.80\00:22:58.21
so when you study
Galatians very carefully,
00:22:58.24\00:23:01.01
the Israel of God, in
Galatians is composed of Jews
00:23:01.04\00:23:05.81
and Gentiles together
who believe in the Lord
00:23:05.88\00:23:09.68
and who have the Holy Spirit,
00:23:09.75\00:23:11.55
that has changed their lives
and they've become children
00:23:11.59\00:23:15.42
of the promise
of the Holy Ghost.
00:23:15.46\00:23:18.33
That's what we read
in the book of Galatians.
00:23:18.36\00:23:22.46
Now, I'll just give you a
little background about myself.
00:23:22.50\00:23:27.17
As I mentioned
earlier, I'm Jewish...
00:23:27.24\00:23:29.67
Steve Wohlberg is a Jewish
name, my family is Jewish,
00:23:29.70\00:23:32.27
I grew up in the Hollywood
Hills in southern California,
00:23:32.31\00:23:34.84
I was born in 1959,
00:23:34.88\00:23:36.85
but my family was,
sad to say, very secular,
00:23:36.95\00:23:40.75
we didn't go to the synagogue,
00:23:40.82\00:23:43.05
we didn't read the
Bible, we didn't pray,
00:23:43.12\00:23:45.75
even Bar Mitzvah
wasn't urged upon us.
00:23:45.79\00:23:48.36
As a teenager, and I was Jewish,
00:23:48.39\00:23:50.99
but as Jewish teenager,
00:23:51.03\00:23:52.39
I just... I followed the
flesh, I was of the flesh,
00:23:52.43\00:23:55.00
I got involved in
the Hollywood scene
00:23:55.03\00:23:56.87
in the lifestyle... the
drugs, the entertainment,
00:23:56.90\00:23:59.43
the Rock 'n' Roll,
the Cocaine, the LSD,
00:23:59.47\00:24:02.47
the Marijuana, it's
not a pretty picture,
00:24:02.50\00:24:05.47
and that's all behind me now.
00:24:05.54\00:24:07.08
But I was Jewish,
but I was Jewish...
00:24:07.11\00:24:09.48
I was part of Israel
according to the flesh.
00:24:09.51\00:24:12.65
That's just the way I
lived. A fleshy way...
00:24:12.68\00:24:15.78
I was certainly a natural man.
00:24:15.82\00:24:17.42
When I was 20 years
old by the grace of God,
00:24:17.49\00:24:20.76
through the goodness
of my Lord and my Messiah,
00:24:20.79\00:24:24.03
I began to read the
Bible, I read the New Testament.
00:24:24.06\00:24:27.10
I discovered the
Garden of Gethsemane,
00:24:27.13\00:24:28.70
I discovered Jesus Christ
as my Messiah and as my Savior
00:24:28.73\00:24:31.87
and I was so moved by
Jesus suffering for me
00:24:31.90\00:24:34.97
in Gethsemane and the
Holy Spirit made a move on me
00:24:35.04\00:24:38.47
as a 20-year-old lost Jewish
person in LA, in Hollywood,
00:24:38.51\00:24:42.04
and I finally saw the
light, I saw Christ's goodness,
00:24:42.08\00:24:45.61
I saw His grace, I saw
that He was my Messiah,
00:24:45.65\00:24:48.25
and I accepted Him as my Savior,
00:24:48.28\00:24:50.59
and I can testify
without any question in my mind,
00:24:50.62\00:24:55.46
that when I
accepted Jesus as my Savior
00:24:55.49\00:24:58.03
the Holy Spirit came into
my life and I was born again.
00:24:58.06\00:25:01.33
I was changed
00:25:01.36\00:25:03.03
and I began to see everything
differently through new eyes,
00:25:03.06\00:25:05.30
prior to age 20, I
was a part of Israel
00:25:05.37\00:25:09.24
according to the flesh,
00:25:09.27\00:25:10.61
when I accepted
Jesus as my Messiah,
00:25:10.64\00:25:12.81
I became part of
the Israel of God
00:25:12.84\00:25:15.21
through the Holy
Spirit, who had changed my life
00:25:15.24\00:25:18.68
and that's the truth.
00:25:18.71\00:25:20.62
Now, in the next few Programs,
00:25:20.65\00:25:22.48
as we continue
on with this series,
00:25:22.52\00:25:24.59
eventually we're
going to go deeper
00:25:24.62\00:25:26.55
into the book of Revelation,
00:25:26.59\00:25:27.92
because the book of Revelation
talks about a final battle
00:25:27.96\00:25:30.43
between Babylon, God and Israel
00:25:30.46\00:25:33.60
and the beast and the
false prophet and the harlot.
00:25:33.63\00:25:38.40
Now the question is,
yes, Israel is in Revelation,
00:25:38.43\00:25:43.17
yes, Israel will be
part of Bible prophecy,
00:25:43.20\00:25:45.47
but here's the
question, the question is
00:25:45.54\00:25:47.71
"Which Israel is
the center of the end?"
00:25:47.74\00:25:49.91
Will it be Israel of the flesh,
00:25:49.94\00:25:51.41
just natural Jewish people
centered in the Middle East
00:25:51.45\00:25:54.45
or wherever may be...
00:25:54.48\00:25:55.82
or is it the Israel
of God in Jesus Christ
00:25:55.85\00:25:59.69
that is
composed of Jewish people
00:25:59.72\00:26:01.92
and non-Jews together
00:26:01.99\00:26:04.23
who have the Holy Spirit
and who believe in the Lord?
00:26:04.26\00:26:07.33
I will prove to
you, when we get there,
00:26:07.40\00:26:11.57
in the days ahead, that
the Book of Revelation's
00:26:11.60\00:26:14.94
focus, it's center,
00:26:14.97\00:26:16.94
is definitely Jesus
Christ and the Israel of God
00:26:17.01\00:26:21.91
that is centered in Him.
00:26:21.94\00:26:23.88
So, stay
tuned... more to come...
00:26:23.95\00:26:26.45
God bless you, and
we hope to see you then.
00:26:26.48\00:26:29.18
We hope you've
enjoyed this timely message
00:26:29.22\00:26:31.69
from Pastor Steve Wohlberg
00:26:31.72\00:26:33.19
and we want you to
know that White Horse Media
00:26:33.22\00:26:35.72
is deeply committed
00:26:35.76\00:26:37.13
to bringing you
many more simple messages
00:26:37.16\00:26:39.26
straight from the Bible
00:26:39.29\00:26:40.63
designed to educate
the mind, inspire the heart
00:26:40.70\00:26:43.06
and help bring our
Viewers and their families
00:26:43.10\00:26:45.63
closer to God.
00:26:45.67\00:26:47.04
To learn more
about White Horse Media,
00:26:47.07\00:26:48.97
or to watch more
of Pastor Steve's
00:26:49.00\00:26:51.07
television programs online,
00:26:51.14\00:26:52.61
including his powerful new
series of two-minute talks,
00:26:52.64\00:26:55.88
visit His Voice Today. com
00:26:55.91\00:26:58.28
Will Christians soon disappear,
00:26:58.35\00:27:00.25
raptured before
seven years of tribulation
00:27:00.32\00:27:02.48
when the antichrist
makes war against the Jews?
00:27:02.52\00:27:04.85
Jesus Christ gave a special
warning about the last days.
00:27:04.89\00:27:08.29
"Take heed that no one
deceives you!" Matthew 24:4.
00:27:08.32\00:27:11.56
Find out the truth about
these end-time prophecies
00:27:11.59\00:27:14.46
by ordering Steve's popular
book, "End Time Delusions"
00:27:14.50\00:27:17.37
for only $13.95.
00:27:17.40\00:27:18.87
To order call 1-800-78-BIBLE
00:27:18.90\00:27:21.50
or write to White Horse Media
P.O. Box 1139, Newport, WA 99156
00:27:21.54\00:27:27.58
If you've been
blessed by today's Program,
00:27:27.61\00:27:31.45
and would like to help
00:27:31.48\00:27:32.81
White Horse Media with
your financial support,
00:27:32.85\00:27:34.62
you can call our toll-free
number listed on the screen
00:27:34.65\00:27:37.72
or donate online at
whitehorsemedia. com
00:27:37.75\00:27:40.49
We solicit your
prayers for our ministry
00:27:40.56\00:27:43.76
and we thank you for
any gift large or small
00:27:43.83\00:27:46.59
to help us reach
people with the gospel.
00:27:46.63\00:27:49.36