$1.99 – $10.99
| ISBN-13 | 9798890300560 |
|---|---|
| Publisher | MJ Tiry Publishing |
| Publication Date | September 5, 2023 |
| Pages | 168 |
| Library of Congress Control Number | 2023950886 |
A Study of the Book of the Revelation takes the reader into the realm of the prophetic program that deals with Israel and concerns our Lord Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah of that favored nation. God temporarily interrupted His program with Israel in the Book of Acts to start the Gentile Dispensation of Grace which is still running today, 2000+ years later. After the Dispensation of Grace ends with the rapture of the Church, the Body of Christ, God’s prophetic program with Israel will pick up again. The letters to the seven churches in the first three chapters of the Revelation will then give the nation the information that it needs to successfully get through the coming tribulation period. The Book of the Revelation is laid out in an intriguing way–being outlined in seven groupings of seven. As Bible students study through these successive groups of seven, they can see the unfolding of God’s divine plan to reclaim this earth which had been in the hands of a usurper back to Himself.
After His death, burial and resurrection and ascension to heaven, the Lord would sit at the Father’s right hand until the Father makes His enemies His footstool (Psa. 110:1; Matt. 22:44; and Heb. 1:13). One year later (one year after His ascension back to heaven), we come to the stoning of Stephen. Stephen is found prophetically in the parable in Luke 19:14. Stephen is the messenger in that the nation sends to tell the Lord that they will not have Christ to reign over them.
An understanding of the two parables (Acts 13 and 19) cited above are important in gaining a discernment of what is happening in the Book of Acts and to see the crisis point that Israel is at in her national history. To put them in perspective though, we go to Acts Chapter 7 and Stephen’s address to the nation.
In Acts 7: 41-47, he calls them to remember that the nation had gone so far into idolatry that God had to give them up and take them into captivity in Babylon. He further points to the fact that God drove out the Gentile nations who possessed the land before them that it might be their land. He calls them to remember the victories of the nation under David and the glory of Solomon’s reign.
Acts 7:48-53 “48 Howbeit the most High dwelleth[h] not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, 49 Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest? 50 Hath not my hand made all these things? 51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised[i] in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. 52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: 53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.”
He calls them here to think on the temple and to point out that they make much of the temple (which he was accused of blaspheming) but they do not truly worship the God of the temple. They were circumcised outwardly but uncircumcised in heart and ears. He points out that they (or their predecessors) had persecuted the prophets who spoke of the coming of Christ and now have actually been the murderers and betrayers of their Messiah. What an indictment! He goes further to point out their hypocrisy of having received the Law (which he is also accused of them as blaspheming) and had not kept it. The point that he is making is that the nation had a long history of disobedience to God and that they are leaders of the nation were continuing in the footsteps of their predecessors
Stephen refers to them as “Uncircumcised in heart and ears…” Paul the apostle talks about such Jews in Romans 2:29 saying “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.” The Jew who is circumcised in heart is one who listens to what God had to say and then follows it by faith that is put into action (James 2:22).
Acts 7:54-60 “54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart[j], and they gnashed on him with their teeth. 55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing[k] on the right hand of God, 56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. 57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, 58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul[l]. 59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”
He finally manages to bring the leaders of Israel to the point of conviction. Unfortunately, their conviction did not lead to repentance but rather it led them to such an angry rage that they stopped their ears so that can not hear any more and then proceeded to kill him.
In verse 55 Stephen sees the Lord standing at the right hand of God. This is a most significant posture for the Lord at this time. Remember that in Acts 2:34 Peter quotes the 110th Psalm about the Lord sitting at the right hand of God until it is time to make His enemies His footstool. The fact that the Lord is seen standing is an indication that the time had come for Him to do so – to make His enemies His foot stool. The seventy weeks of Daniel Chapter nine comes into memory here. We understand and can see from the narrative in Daniel 9 that there was a break in the prophetic action between the end of the 69th week and the beginning of the seventieth. In Luke 13:8 we see what the duration of the break actually was – “Let it alone this year also.” That year is now up (at this point in the Book of Acts) with the stoning of Stephen. It is time for the Lord to now return and bring the seventieth week – the tribulation period (Psalm 7:6; 9:19 & 20). Christ indeed does return. However, He does not return to bring the tribulation (the time of His wrath) but to save the leader of Israel’s rejection of Him – Saul of Tarsus. What a testimony of the love, the grace, mercy and peace of God.
Let’s consider the passage in Luke 13 in some detail as it bears on this event (the stoning of Stephen) heavily:
Luke 13:1-9 (KJV)
1 There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. 6 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. 7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? 8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.
The fig tree when used figuratively in scripture represents religious activity. Remember that it was fig leaves that Adam and Eve used to cover their nakedness when they knew they were naked. The vineyard represents Israel as a nation in scripture (Isa. 5:4 & 5; Mat. 21:40; etc.).The three years spent seeking fruit was the three years of the Lord’s public ministry to Israel. The religious system of Israel did not produce fruit – that fruit being their trust in Christ as Messiah. The Lord then would have cut it down but the vine dresser (the Holy Spirit) says he will dung it and hoe about it and give it another year. That one year is apparently the time interval between the crucifixion and the stoning of Stephen. With the stoning of Stephen, Israel is committing the unpardonable sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit (Mat. 12:31).
There is another parable that the Lord spoke to Israel that comes into play here. That is in Luke 19:12.
Luke 19:11-27 (KJV)
11 And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. 12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. 13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. 14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. 15 And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. 16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. 17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. 18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. 19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities. 20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: 21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. 22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: 23 Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury? 24 And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds. 25 (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.) 26 For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him. 27 But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.
The nobleman in this parable in Luke 19 is Christ. He goes to a far country (i.e. he returns to heaven) to receive the kingdom. His citizens (the leaders of Israel) hated Him and sent a messenger after Him saying “we will not have this man to rein over us.” Christ’s citizens were the citizens of Israel. The messenger that they sent was Stephen. The servants were the believing remnant of Israel. The number ten is significant in that it represents the Gentiles. Each servant was given a pound. Between the time that the Lord leaves to receive the kingdom (i.e. to return to heaven and then return to earth with the kingdom) the servants will be ministering the gospel of the kingdom to the Gentiles. This will be the activity of the believing remnant of Israel in the coming Tribulation period. There is an obvious purpose for this parable – that being to give Israel hope and understanding when the kingdom did not immediately appear.
So now with the stoning of Stephen we would expect the 70th week to come in by which the Lord would make His enemies His footstool. Instead though, something wonderful and totally un-prophesied happened. It was something that God that God had in mind from before the foundation of the world but which He had hid in Himself (Eph. 3:3-6). He revealed the mystery program in which He calls out from among the Gentiles (which now includes Israel as being just another nation among the nations) a body of believers that He would save by grace through faith apart from the Law, apart from human merit, and apart from Israel.
God stopped the prophetic clock and interrupted the prophetic program again in the saving of Saul of Tarsus. This is the second interruption in the seventy weeks — the gap between the 69th week and the 70th week with the year of Luke 13:8 being the first. The seventieth week is now postponed until a time in the future after the mystery program will have run its course (2Thess. 2:5-8). This will happen when the event that wee call the rapture closes the mystery program (the dispensation of the grace of God) and takes the church the body of Christ to its eternal home in heaven (2Cor. 5:1).
Michael J. Tiry came to know the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Savior at the age of twenty nine while in the midst of a career as an engineer. Michael served in the United States Civil Service as a professional engineer for 25 years. After 25 years with the civil service, Michael also started, owned and operated a private engineering company. While engaged in a career as an engineer, he also was involved with other men in the founding a local Bible believing church. His deep appreciation for having the assurance of eternal life, his passion for study, and his quest for truth compelled him to search deeply into the Bible with a desire to learn its truth that he might present the riches of God’s grace to others. Over the last forty five plus years Michael has been involved in itinerate preaching, a church planting ministry, and a teaching and preaching ministry at Berean Bible Church in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Michael also serves Berean Bible Church as director of the Timothy Institute – a Bible curriculum designed to prepare men for leadership in local churches. Additionally, Mike has been active over a span of twenty three years in a prison ministry. Michael and his wife of forty five years (Linda) have raised five daughters.
Michael has written over sixteen books which are used as study guides in the Timothy Institute. This book is one of the three that has been published. Others include You and Your Creator (2022), A Study in Genesis from Adam to Abraham (2023), and Super Abounding Grace (2023).” All are available through Barnes and Noble, Amazon and other book distributors.
