The Good News Colour Revolution

Imagine living in Asia Minor, the province of Galatia, in the region of Pisidia, about 100 miles north of the Mediterranean. You live a pleasant life with a bountiful flock of sheep as well as an orchard of apricot and fig trees in an agricultural valley with fertile soil, plenty of clear water flowing from the neighboring mountains, and a relatively mild climate. Your land lies about 26 stadia outside the town of Antioch, or Antiochia Caesareia, as you know it in the mid-first century. Town is a prosperous and lively place with a population of nearly 35,000, including the Roman garrison stationed there, while the outlying area includes another 65,000 or so. It is a vital city in the Roman Empire due to its location, though not as illustrious as Antioch of Syria, the empire’s third city behind Rome and Alexandria.

Every Sabbath day you are present in the local synagogue. Then, one Sabbath, after the triennial reading from the Law and Prophets, life as you know it is about change forever in a stunning way when a stranger stands up in the synagogue and begins telling you about the new world order. "And in the days of these kings [the first century, Roman Empire] the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed ... and it shall stand forever." [See Dan. 2:44]. This is what we call the Christian age leading up to the return of Christ. [Rev. 11:15-19].

In the 21st century, knowledge of Christianity is commonplace, almost to the point of being platitudinous. We know the story. But do we? If we believe that Jesus came to save the gentiles of the world, and if we come to Jesus, our sins will be forgiven, and when we die we go to Heaven, then truth be told, we don't have a clue about the gospel delivered by Christ. We have swallowed a non-Biblical myth, hook, line, and sinker. The false flag of all false flags. [See the Feature articles, Paul Was An Apostle To The House Of Israel, Not The Gentiles, And, It's Still A Mystery].

Modern day Christians have no idea of the scope and power in the plan of God established before the world began, i.e., the beginning of time. [2 Tim. 1:9, Greek, time, chronos, eternal aiōnios, before this world and the ages, from eternity, see 1 Cor. 2:7; Rev. 5:10]. It pales into insignificance the deceitful childish fairy tales that passes for our current day beliefs. To correct our errant wayward path to perdition, we need to earnestly seek out the truth of the word of God. "Christians" today would be thunderstruck as much as, if not more than, our first century ancestors when fully understanding the account of what Paul said in the Antioch synagogue that Sabbath day about 2000 years ago. Our ancestors were filled with joy upon hearing the truth of the word of God delivered by Paul. Foolishly today, most of us could care less.

The reason for this is that we live at the other end of the Christian era, or more correctly, error. I say error because we have lost knowledge of the message of our first century Christian colour revolution, the new world order, delivered by Christ and the apostles as written of by the prophets. [Again see, Rev. 11:15-19]. False prophets have been busy the past 2000 years. You will see, however, that what happened in the synagogue that morning, and the message Paul delivered during his first missionary journey, is a far cry from what is preached in mainstream Christian churches today. For the reasons why, see the Feature article, Moving Forward.

So let’s go back in time to listen to what Paul said to our ancestors in the mid-first century. It encapsulates the origin of our Christian history, one or more facets of which you'll be very surprised to discover. You may be wondering, what was Paul and our Christian ancestors doing in a Jewish synagogue on the Sabbath day back then? Well, that’s where our story for discovering the plan of God in the Christian age begins.


Acts 13:13-52   Antioch in Pisidia

13 Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.

Paul and his companions loosed, that is, they sailed from Paphos, a maritime city on the west coast of Cyprus, heading NNW to Perga about 290k/180 miles away. The coastal region, in which Perga was located, was called Pamphylia, in what is now the south coast of Turkey. Perga itself was located on the Cestius River about eleven kilometers, or about 60 stadia in Roman times, upstream from where it flowed into the Mediterranean.

The apostle John either would have sailed SE to the Levantine coast, and continued by sea or taken the land route from there on his way back to Jerusalem. Remember, the first century church was headquartered in Jerusalem. It never was in Rome. [See the Sneakers article, Nope To Pope].

14 But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and sat down.

To get to Antioch from Perga, Paul and the others would have traveled overland along the Roman roads about 145km/90 miles through the western side of the Taurus mountain range, whose highest peaks reach upwards of 3700m/12,000 feet.

Who knows, as you entered the synagogue unawares that morning, you may have sat down next to Paul, Barnabas, Luke and the others. Up to this point, it had been a rather normal Sabbath day. No sign of a colour revolution anywhere.

15 And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, You men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.

The Law and the Prophets are two of the three major sections of the Old Testament. The other books that make up the Old Testament are called the Writings. [See, Appendix One, p. 277-278, in The Hijacked Elephant, now a complimentary PDF on our Home page. The book reviews the prophetic relevancy of the holy days for Christianity today, along with our ancestral identity].

The triennial readings are selected verses from the Law and the Prophets that are read each Sabbath day over a three-year period when the cycle recommences on the first Sabbath of the first month, Nisan. Specific verses and key passages coincide with the annual high holy Sabbath days over the three-year period. The reading from the scrolls was done to help keep the people of Israel in remembrance of their past, and the promises of those events yet to come. Also, this had the additional effect of helping those of the House of Israel keep in touch with their ancestry during the intervening centuries after their divorce from God, which proved key for the rapid development of the first century church. [For details see, Triennial Torah Cycle; also Triennial PDF Detail].
 
Unlike most Christian churches today, the synagogues were interactive places, everyone had the opportunity to speak up. We have an example of this with Christ when he was twelve years old in the temple in Jerusalem following the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread. “And it came to pass, that after three days they [Mary and Joseph] found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and his answers.” [Luke 2:46, 47].

During his ministry, when the high priest asked Jesus about his disciples and doctrine, Christ said, “I spoke openly of the world [Greek, kosmos, the plan of God]; at all times I taught in the synagogue, and in the temple where the Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. Why do you ask me? Ask them who heard me what I have said.” [John 18:19-21; also Mat. 4:23-25]. Indeed, there was nothing to be said in secret as all that pertained to Christ was written, in the Law, the Prophets and the Writings, to which the high priest had easy access. 

The early first century church was this way too. The first century ekklesia, the church, Acts 2:47, people, not a building, met in the homes of the believers. And each could speak up concerning what they had learned and understood, being guided by the Spirit of God. [See 1 John 2:27].

It is a misnomer that our ancestors of the early church were “Jewish” Christians. They were not of the House of Judah, but rather of the divorced House of Israel. Biblically, they are referred to as Israel or the House of Israel after the death of King Solomon upon which the kingdom of Israel split into two separate houses, Judah and Israel. And because many of those descended from the nations of the House of Israel attended Sabbath in the synagogues, at least until they heard the gospel preached, and because they held to the traditions of their ancestors of Israel, they have been mislabeled by the Roman church and others as Jewish.

16 Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and you that fear God, give audience.

Sitting there in the synagogue that morning, you probably would have looked a bit surprised at this stranger now standing next to you, wondering, what does he have to say? You would have had no clue that what he was about to say was going to change your life in a significant way from this point forward.

Isn’t it a bit strange, however, that the first words out of the mouth of the alleged “apostle to the gentiles,” i.e., the whole world, on his first missionary journey were “Men of Israel” rather than “Gentile men of Antioch” or even men of Judah? And if Paul, who wasn't a Jew, but a descendant of Benjamin, was the apostle to the gentiles, what was he doing in a Jewish synagogue on the Sabbath, of all things, rather than preaching in Antioch's gentile pagan temple, the Augusteum?¹

Please note, the current day Zionist nation-state of Israel is not the Israel of the Bible. Israel of the Bible today, the last days, is made up of ten nations from twelve sons of Jacob. [See Gen. 49]. Conflating the two only leads to misunderstanding of what the Biblical record tells us. The Zionist state is led by those of Edom, not those of Israel. This distinction lies at the core of the last days prophecies. [See chapter six, p. 185 in The Blind Man's Elephant, The Genesis Birthright for details. Also, Jewish Rabbi Says Zionists Should Return All Land Back To The Palestinians].

The above questions are valid if Paul was the apostle to the gentiles of the world. But he wasn’t. This lack of understanding of our heritage and related fundamental scripture verses stems from the mistranslation of the Greek word ethnos as gentiles, rather than nations on the part of the Roman church false prophet, Jerome, in the fifth century with his Latin Vulgate Bible, and later with the King James Version [KJV] translators. [Again, see the Feature article, Moving Forward]. The nations are those of the lost sheep of the House of Israel [see Gen. 49 for the list; also the Feature article, Ten Horns, Ten Nations], who were divorced from God beginning in 732 BCE.

Remember, the Biblical record is one book written to the same people from Genesis to Revelation. As Paul said, “For I speak to you nations, inasmuch as I am an apostle of the nations, I magnify my office.” [Rom. 11:3]. Paul was a descendant of one of the nations of the House of Israel, Benjamin. Paul making this statement is in perfect harmony with Mat. 15:24 and Mat. 10:5, 6, which fits with the entire context of the Biblical record, from before the beginning of time as we'll see.

However, the key point here is that none of the men of Israel attending synagogue that morning, yourself included, had the faintest idea of what Paul was about to say, neither those of Judah, the Jews, nor of the House of Israel. So when Paul stood up to begin speaking, he was about to give you and the others a brief history lesson of Israel leading up to the transition from the works of the Law Covenant to the liberty of the Abrahamic Covenant, which is by faith. The dawn of the new Christian age was about to be revealed to you by Paul. [See the Sneakers article, Does Romans 13 Mean We Have To Be Subject To The Evil Authority Of Men?].

Also keep in mind Paul had studied with Gamaliel, the chief Judaic scholar at the time in Jerusalem, as a descendant of the House of Israel, not of the House of Judah. Therefore, he would have been considered a Jew only by religion, not birth. [See Acts 22:3]. So Paul had scriptural training that was equal to or perhaps surpassed the local rabbis concerning the Law and the Prophets. No doubt, Paul would have been rather eloquent in his speaking, showing that this stranger in the synagogue that morning was a learned man who spoke with authority.

17 The God of this people Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelled as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with a high arm he brought them out of it.

The choosing of our fathers refers to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob/Israel. Of course, Israel's son Joseph was exalted to be second only to Pharaoh in the land of Egypt. [See Gen. 47:26, 27]. Then Paul jumps right to those of Israel being taken from their Egyptian captivity by our LORD. [See the Feature article, Three Times In God’s Plan].

18 And about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness.

This would have been relating to the time of Moses, and the receiving of the Law Covenant, from which you and the others in the synagogue heard the rabbi recite only minutes before. Suffered their manners means God had to put up with their moanings and groanings. [See Exd. 16:1-36; Psa. 95:7-11]. We read in Acts, “ … as it is written in the book of the prophets, O you House of Israel, have you offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness?” [Amos 5:25; Acts 7:42]. No they didn't. But who took care of them all those years? And neither could you or anyone else of the House of Israel offer sacrifices, sin offerings, now, having been divorced from God. The point is, we can't even save ourselves. Our LORD is our Savior and Redeemer. But we are blessed through the Spirit of God to serve others in Godly love.

19 And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan [see Gen. 9:20-27], he divided their land to them by lot.

Incredibly, the KJV translators translated the Greek word, ethnos, as nations here, when in context it refers to the gentiles of Canaan! Yet when Paul refers to the nations of the House of Israel [see v.22 below], the KJV guys translated ethnos as gentiles, exactly opposite of how it should be in both places thanks to Jerome's deliberate mistranslation.

Paul is referring to the time when Joshua led the nations of Israel across the Jordan River into the land promised to Abraham. Joshua was a descendant of Israel's son Joseph, the kingly line of the House of Israel.

20 And after that he gave to them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.

Paul is giving everyone in attendance in the synagogue a very quick historical review. Most would be aware of these things, but you would have no idea where Paul was going with it. In hindsight, we see that each of the events Paul mentions was a major turning point in Israel's history, seven in all. Samuel the prophet was the last of the judges before Israel was given kings by our LORD.

21 And afterward they desired a king: and God gave to them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years.

Benjamin was a tribe or one of the nations of the House of Israel, a brother to Judah and to Joseph. [See Gen. 49:27]. As noted, Paul, too, was a descendant of Benjamin. [Rom. 11:1]. After forty years, the same time as Israel wandering in the desert, Saul was removed as king over Israel.

22 And when he had removed him, he raised up to them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will.

Paul is quoting here from the Latter Major Prophets, namely Isaiah, “And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles nations of Israel seek: and his rest shall be glorious.” [Isa. 11:10].

Paul also makes reference to this in Romans, “And again, Isaiah says, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he shall reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.” [Rom. 15:12].

This is a rather amazing mistranslation in the KJV, and in most other translations for that matter even though the next verse in Acts makes it clear that Christ was the Savior of Israel, not the gentiles. Although, the YLT, Young's Literal Translation, and the Darby Translation, both in the public domain, are correct, using the word nations. The KJV translators got the nations of Israel wrong in two different languages, Hebrew, gowy, in context referring to the nations of Israel; and Greek, ethnos, despite Christ saying, “I am only sent to the lost sheep of the House of Israel” in Matthew. [See the Feature articles, Mirror, Mirror On The Wall and Galilee Of The Gentiles].

And from what we read in Ezekiel, it is clear that, “ … the House of Israel are my people, says the Lord GOD.” [Eze. 34:30]. The word GOD in Hebrew here is Yehovah, as is the name Jesus in Greek, meaning Yehovah is salvation. So, it could read " ... the House of Israel are my people, says the Lord JESUS" as well. And we should not forget what Luke said, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he has visited and redeemed his people,” not the gentiles of the world. [Luke 1:68]. We just don’t get it. But our ancestors sitting in the synagogue that morning in the first century, they got it.

The King James translators appeared to be too close to the gentile trees to see the nations of Israel forest. In Luke 1, when he is writing of John the Baptist, who prepared the way for Jesus, Yehovah, who was sent to save "the gentiles of the world" according to the KJV translators, he writes, John was “ … in the deserts till the day of his showing to … Israel.” [Luke 1:80]. Again, no gentiles of the world. Indeed, we do live in the end days of the Christian error.

Those of Israel held King David in the highest regard. The gentiles were David's enemies. [1 Sam. 20:15]. Paul is acknowledging this. But Paul is about to drop the revolutionary bombshell on you and all the other men of Israel in the synagogue. As he said, there is one greater than David in Israel. To you and those assembled in the synagogue, it was like saying in a Christian church, “There is one greater than Christ in Christianity.” However, this claim will occur soon enough as we read in Dan. 11:37 with Babylon the Great in Jerusalem. [See the Feature article, Why Do We Believe The Lies?].

23 Of this man's [David] seed has God, according to his promise, raised up for Israel, a Savior, Jesus:

Kaboom! Pay close attention to what Paul is saying here. According to the promise of the word of God, the apostle Paul is telling us, God raised up for Israel, not for the gentiles of the world, a savior from David’s seed, Jesus Christ. [See Mat. 1:1]. Jesus Christ is the savior of Israel! This includes all 12 nations of Israel, not only the Jews. Read Genesis 49, and coupled with Matthew 15:24, this is about as plain and direct as it can be stated. Yet, nearing the end of the Christian era, the last days, we still don't get it. [See the Sneaker's article, His Treasured Possession].

As we read in the book of the prophet Micah, “But you Bethlehem Ephratah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, out of you shall he come forth to me that is to be the ruler of Israel; whose goings forth have been from old, from everlasting.” [Micah 5:2; Psa. 90:2]. As the apostle John wrote, “Has not the scripture said, That Christ comes of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem where David was?” [John 7:42]. And Luke, too, mentions this. “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give to him the throne of his father David.” [Luke 1:32]. David's throne was that of the king of ... all Israel.

In the space of a minute or so, Paul took your attention and those in the synagogue with you from Abraham, Isaac and Israel to David’s seed and Israel’s savior, Jesus Christ. Of all the changes Israel experienced in it's history, Christ fulfilling the prophecies as Israel's savior was the biggest ... it was a revolution. All that was written in the Law, and the Prophets concerning the first coming of Israel's savior had been fulfilled. Keep in mind, Paul would have been speaking to you and the others in the language of Israel and the Old Testament, Hebrew, rather than the gentile Greek, Latin or Aramaic.

While this may not seem like a big deal to us today, those in attendance in the synagogue with you would have heard for the first time about Israel’s savior, Jesus, the Redeemer who fulfilled the prophecies [see Mat. 5:17] of Isaiah, Micah and others that pertained to our ancestors. And Jesus was of the seed of David, King of all Israel, not king of the all the gentiles in the world. Through the triennial reading of the Law and Prophets in the synagogue, the knowledge of the Savior coming from Israel, to be the ruler of Israel, was common among the men of Israel in the first century. That's why Paul was speaking in the synagogue, and not in the Augusteum. And now, he's delivering the revolutionary message that those prophecies had come to pass. Jesus Christ fulfilled them for you.

The implication of what Paul said would not have been lost on you, nor on the rulers sitting there in the synagogue. When the twelve nations of Israel crossed into the land promised to Abraham, according to the promise of his covenant, and not that of the covenant made with the children of Israel and Moses, Israel was led by Joshua. In Hebrew, the name Jesus is Joshua. Joshua, or Yehowshuwa, means Yehovah is salvation. Jesus, the Greek form, also means Yehovah is salvation. The name Jesus Christ means the Anointed One, Yehovah, is salvation. [See Heb. 9:28; and the Feature article, Can A Christian Sin?].

And as Joshua brought Israel, after their captivity, into the land of “milk and honey” as promised to Abraham, the prophetic analogy would be clear that Jesus/Joshua/Yehovah would save Israel from the bondage, the captivity of the Law Covenant by taking them to the liberty in the covenant promised to Abraham by faith, the conviction of the truth, attained by grace, not by works of the law. Modern Protestant Christianity gets the grace part of the equation, but doesn't connect the dots to the other side of the equal sign. Both covenants were part of the Torah, the five books of the Law in the Old Testament made only with the nations of Israel. Why do we think that any of this is for the gentiles of the world, and not for all Israel? Because we've accepted the myth in place of the truth of the word of God.

As it happens, Joshua was a descendant of Ephraim, son of Joseph, son of Israel, the kingly line of ... the House of Israel ... the descendants of whom were sitting right there in the synagogue with you, along with the Jews of Judah, as Paul spoke. It is at this point that the proverbial thunderbolt would have struck you and the other men of the House of Israel. It's a good thing you were sitting down rather than standing up that Sabbath morning. No doubt your eyes widened, and your mouth fell open at what you heard.

This was earthshaking news in the late 40’s CE ... a 9.2 theological earthquake that knocked down centuries of tradition. Paul had told you and all the men of Israel and Judah that the Law Covenant of Moses was kaput. Finished. What had been in effect for 1500 years or so was gone. The age of the Law Covenant had ended. There was a new covenant in place for you. A physical priesthood was no longer required. Jesus Christ was your high priest. [Heb. 3:1]. A physical temple was no longer required. We are the temple of God when the Spirit of God dwells in us. [1 Cor. 3:16]. The sacrifice of bulls and goats were no longer required. Christ was sacrificed once for all time to cover our sins that were now washed away by his blood. [Eph. 5:2]. “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He didn’t say ‘seeds,’ as of many, but as one. And to your Seed, which is Christ.” [Gal. 3:16]. The Abrahamic Covenant was now in force for the descendants of Israel through Jesus Christ, the Seed of Abraham, the son of David.

Following this major theological earthquake, a tsunami of implications and thoughts would have overwhelmed and stunned you. No longer divorced, the prophecies you had heard recited on the Sabbaths throughout the years had been fulfilled. You had a new covenant relationship with God. And it was in effect, right now, as you sat there in the synagogue. You walked into the synagogue that morning on death row [Rom. 6:23], a prisoner of the law of sin and death, now you would walk out free in the liberty of Christ. Your life had changed ... for good.

What is earthshaking for modern day Christianity, however, is to come to the realization that Christ was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel, not to the gentiles of the world. Understanding this changes our entire concept of Christianity and our perspective on centuries of history. You may have thought of yourself as a gentile Christian when you began reading this. Now, you can continue reading with the knowledge you are of the chosen House of Israel, Christ's own people. This is a huge difference in perspective. It is our 21st century good news colour revolution. [See our Sneakers article, What About Everyone Else?].

24 When John had first preached before his [Christ's] coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

If Christ was sent to save the gentiles of the world, then John the Baptist would have preached the baptism of repentance to all the gentiles of the world, rather than to all the people of Israel. He paved the way for Christ, who was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel in this age. This is what the word of God tells us. This is a vital piece of understanding that is lost on "Christianity" today. Hence, we have no idea who we are in this world, except some white folks who are the target of our adversary who seeks to destroy us. But there is a reason for it in these end-times. We are the children of the promise, of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. 

25 And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think you that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there comes one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose.

26 Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you fears God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.

Paul is making the point salvation is sent to the stock, Greek, genos, the descendants of Abraham, his family, kin, and, out of those descendants, to those who fear God. As we'll see, not everyone of the stock of Abraham that day believed Paul for good reason. Paul had just told them that the transition from the covenant of Moses to the covenant of Abraham has happened. It is in effect now. Remember, the rabbis and rulers of the synagogue, who are descendants of Judah and Abraham, are listening to this too. It’s like some stranger showing up and telling your pastor or priest that they are redundant. Their job, all those years of study and training are out of date. Sorry old chap. This is the same message Stephen delivered to the high priest in Jerusalem before he was martyred by stoning. One of those present who heard Stephen deliver this message to the high priest and rulers, and who consented to his stoning was Saul, aka the same Paul who was now speaking to you. [Read Acts 7]. Here he was delivering the same message. We can only guess at what thoughts and images were going through Paul’s mind then.

For those hearing Paul that morning, they now had a dilemma. Hmm, do I stick with OS1 or go with the new, improved more powerful OS2? Also, considering Paul's comment in verse 27, it was a mocking remark aimed at those Jews who would not accept this message of salvation, meaning they did not fear God and have the love of the truth, but preferred their institutional ways of tradition, even though they were children of the stock of Abraham. Deja vu, Churchianity.

27 For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath day [as had been the case here shortly before], they have fulfilled them [the prophecies] in condemning him.

28 And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain.

29 And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre.

Paul here is echoing that which Stephen said, though with less strident words. Stephen said, “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you do always resist the Holy Spirit, as your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted and have slain them which before showed the coming of the Just One; of whom now you have been the betrayers and murderers.” [Acts 7:51, 52]. Calling the high priest a murderer to his face, in front of others, well, that was strong stuff. And, of course, the high priest, an Edomite, no longer a Levite [Heb. 7:5] by the middle of the first century, had Stephen murdered for it.

30 But God raised him [Christ] from the dead:

31 And he was seen many days of them, which came up with him from Galilee² [see Mat. 4:18-25] to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses to the people.

We read in Luke’s gospel account, “It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things to the apostles. And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not. Then arose Peter, and ran to the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.” Remember, none of them, except Peter, James and John, knew the scripture at this point that Christ would be resurrected from the dead. [See Mark 9:2-10, John 20:9].

“Behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs [about 12km/7 or 8 miles]. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. It came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were shut that they should not know him. And he said to them, What manner of communications are these that you have one to another, as you walk, and are sad? The one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said to him, Are you only a stranger in Jerusalem, and have not known the things that are come to pass there in these days? And he said to them, What things?

“They said to him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been he, which should have redeemed Israel [not redeemed gentiles of the world]: and beside all this, today [Greek, σήμερον, sēmeron, on this day just passed, in our modern English usage, yesterday] is the third day since these things were done. [This refers to late Saturday afternoon, the time of Christ’s resurrection, see the Feature article, Easter, Babylon And The Antichrist].

“Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; and when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. And certain of them, which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so, as the women had said: but him they saw not.

“Then he [Christ] said to them, O you who are not understanding [Greek, anoetos], and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: ought not the Anointed One to have suffered these things, and entered into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.³

“And they drew near to the village where they were going: and he made as though he would have gone further. But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.
 
“And they said one to another, Did not our hearts burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, [Cleopas] saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon [Peter].

“And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread. And as they spoke, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, Peace be to you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said to them, Why are you troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?” [Luke 24:10-38].

Continuing in Luke, we read, “And he [Christ] said to them, These are the words which I spoke to you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms [the Writings], concerning me. Then he opened their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, saying to them, Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations [of Israel], beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things." [Luke 24:44-48]. Keep in mind, as we read below, what is written makes it necessary to do. We'll find out why further down.

32 And we declare to you glad tidings, how that the promise, which was made to the fathers,

33 God has fulfilled the same to us, their children [again children of the promise, not of the gentiles], in that he has raised up Jesus⁴; as it is also written in the second psalm, You are my Son, this day have I begotten you. [See Psa. 2:7].

Paul is making a strong, but veiled point here in the synagogue, which would not be lost on the rabbis and elders. We are giving you the good news, the gospel. The promise that was made to our fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Israel, is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, our Lord God.

The point of the second psalm is you can’t resist the will of God. "In a most animated and highly poetical style, the writer, in ‘four stanzas of three verses each,’ sets forth the inveterate and furious, though futile, hostility of men to God and His anointed, God's determination to carry out His purpose, that purpose as stated more fully by His Son, the establishment of the Mediatorial kingdom, and the imminent danger of all who resist, as well as the blessing of all who welcome this mighty and triumphant king." [A.R. Fausset, JFB Commentary, Psalm 2].

The point Paul would be making, as the scriptures themselves instruct us, is that it is futile to fight against that which is written, what God has established. The new world order revolution had arrived exactly as written in the Book of Daniel. The old covenant of Moses is null and void. God has established a savior for Israel according to his promise, which culimnates with the implementation of the kingodm of God on Earth at Christ's return.

Remember, sitting in the synagogue that morning, your ancestors of the House of Israel had been divorced from God seven centuries earlier. Though men of Israel, you had no covenant standing with God, you were without hope … until now as Paul is telling you. And it’s a better one than the one offered by the rabbis. As Paul wrote, “ … he [Christ] is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.” [Heb. 8:6; also see the Feature article, The Tie That Binds].

It’s also a comment referring to the fact that the brotherhood between those of the House of Judah and the House of Israel was broken. [See Zec. 11:10-14]. As would be expected, this message did not sit well with the rabbinical establishment of the day. As we’ll see below, the effects of the broken brotherhood manifested itself within a week.

34 And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.

35 Wherefore he said also in another psalm, You shall not suffer your Holy One to see corruption.

The psalm Paul is referring to is, Psalm 16:10 “For you will not leave my soul in hell; neither will you permit your Holy One to see corruption.” The Hebrew word hell, sheowl, means the grave, a burial in the ground. Corruption, shachath, refers to the decay of the body in a grave.

36 For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid to his fathers, and saw corruption:

37 But he, whom God raised, saw no corruption.

Paul told the assembly that Christ’s body didn’t decay as the scriptures foretold. Again, one greater than David has brought redemption to the House of Israel. Who is it of Jacob/Israel, then, that refuses to accept Jesus Christ as Israel's savior to this day? The House of Judah.

38 Be it known to you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins:

39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.

This is Paul showing up with OS2. OS1 couldn’t justify you, but OS2 can. Please remember that when Paul stood up in the synagogue to say these things, the Law Covenant of Moses had been replaced by the Abrahamic Covenant. [Zec. 11]. The theological principle of justification is based on the conviction of the truth of the word of God. “Therefore, being justified by faith [Greek, pisitis, the conviction of the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth], we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." [Rom. 5:1]. “There is no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” [Rom 8:1, 2].

And as we read in the epistle of John, “Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knows us not, because it knew him not. Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin, for his seed remains in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” [1 John 3:1, 9; see the Sneakers article, One, Two, Three More Or Less; for more details about justification and reconciliation; again see the Feature article, Can A Christian Sin? also Romans, chapters 5-8].

40 Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets;

41 Behold, you people [the nation, gowy, of Judah], look and be astounded: for I work a work in your days, a work which you shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it to you.

Paul is quoting here from Habakkuk 1:5, circa 630 BCE, which was a warning to the House of Judah of the coming destruction of Jerusalem and captivity by the Babylonians [aka Chaldeans] in 586 BCE. Both Habakkuk and Zephaniah were contemporary Babylonian period prophets. But the warning declared by them was ignored to Judah's great and terrible detriment. We are in the same situation today with the prophecies concerning us in the last days. [See the Feature articles, Revelation 17: Big Brother, The Beast Of Babylon, The 21st Century Antichrist and the updated Damascus A Heap Of Ruins].

Remember, prophecies have more than one fulfillment or application. [See the Sneakers article, The Context Of Prophecy]. What Paul is alluding to here is that the Jews of the first century would ignore Christ, and justification even though they were there listening to Paul declare it to them. Paul's message did not sit well with the rabbis and elders of Judah in Antioch. Those of Judah will remain captive to some semblance of the law of Moses until Christ’s second coming, though the Law Covenant is no longer in force. Yet, those who feared God, the believers of the House of Israel sitting in the synagogue that day eagerly accepted the good news.

In this verse, the KJV Old Testament guys in the early 1600s mistranslated the Hebrew word gowy in Habakkuk as heathen, rather than nation, in a prophetic historical reference to the House of Judah, the Jews, long after it had been fulfilled! Then, the KJV New Testament guy's quote from Habakkuk in Acts, they translated it as despisers, rather than nation. It is a reference to the House of Judah in both places because of Judah playing the harlot and not returning to God. [See Jer. 3:8-10].

42 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath.

The key to understanding this verse is messed up by the KJV translators taking the Greek word ethnos and writing it down as Gentiles once again. They appeared not to have any scholastic connection with the history of Israel, much less the House of Israel, even though all the verses through verse 41 here in Acts 13, spoken in a synagogue on the Sabbath no less, are all about Israel, the history of Abraham, Isaac, Israel, Joseph, Samuel, David, John the Baptist, Christ the Savior of Israel, etc. Completely out of context, missing the big picture, the KJV guys popped the word Gentiles into verse 42, and those that follow, sending the entire message from Paul off in the wrong direction. Mistranslating this verse turns the entire meaning of the New Testament upside down. [See the Sneakers article, Our History In Context].

So let’s put it back on track. From here to the end of chapter 13, the Greek word ethnos will be translated correctly as nations, which reference the nations of the House of Israel to whom Christ said he only was sent. [Mat. 15:24]. And when he sent out the apostles to preach, he told them, in no uncertain words, do NOT go to the gentiles, but only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. [Mat. 10:5, 6]. Christ's directive, and the context here, was completely lost on the KJV translators. And we have followed in their footsteps heading off in the wrong direction ever since. 

Gentiles, by definition in the Biblical record, are those not of Abraham's and Israel's ancestry. They would go to the Augusteum, located on the highest point in Antioch. It was the focal point of the city, easily seen from the valley, being its largest structure where gods of the Roman Empire and others were worshiped. [See the Sneakers article, Birthdays Of The Gods]. It's where the gentiles would be found. It’s the same today. While there are the odd exceptions, would we expect to find devout Roman Catholics or Sunni Muslims attending synagogue services in Jerusalem or New York? It would be like standing up in an orthodox synagogue in New York city and addressing those present by stating, "Gentiles of New York ...." Good luck with that. But we would expect to find Catholics in St. Patrick's cathedral or Muslims in the al-Aqsa mosque.

Thus it makes sense, that when the Jews of the House of Judah in the synagogue were gone out, that you joined the other devout men of the divorced House of Israel, kinsmen who were aware of your ancestry, and history as Paul had delineated, and to whom Christ was only sent, and sought after Paul to ask him to come back the following Sabbath and preach to you the message of redemption, justification, reconciliation and salvation, from the bill of divorce our LORD gave to the House of Israel. [Jer. 3:8]. Redeem means to buy back that which was lost. The men and women of the House of Israel are the lost sheep.

Paul’s message would mean nothing to those of Babylon, Cuthah, Ava, Hamath or Sepharvaim, those gentile people who inhabited the land of the House of Israel after their divorce from God. [See 2 Kng. 17:24; again see the Feature article, Damascus A Heap Of Ruins]. But it struck a resounding chord with you and the men of the House of Israel.

43 Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.

This is different from verse 42 in that this refers to those of Judah and those who had taken up Judaism, who also spoke to Paul and Barnabas, but for different reasons. The men of the House of Israel sought out Paul in the synagogue after the Jews had cleared out. While men of the House of Israel were accepted in the synagogue, as Israelites divorced from the Law Covenant, they were second-class citizens in the Jewish synagogue. But now, the message delivered by Paul changed all that. The bonds of brotherhood between Judah and Israel, not Jews and the gentiles [Zec. 11:14], were broken on the day of Christ's crucifixion. Once the good news was preached to the men of Israel, the differences between the old and new created a schism. This theological division gave rise to Christianity. [See Luke 12:51].

Once Paul and Barnabas left the synagogue and were walking away after talking with the men of the House of Israel, then many of the Jews spoke to them, encouraging them "to continue in the grace of God." But, they didn’t ask them to preach the gospel again.

So, while on the surface this may appear as a good will gesture, what Paul said in the synagogue about Jesus Christ as the son of David, the savior of Israel, who can forgive sins, which is not possible with the law of Moses, was not lost on those of Judah. Paul had told these Jews that what they were preaching, and to that which the proselytes were converting, putting it bluntly, was worthless now for Israel. OS1 was no longer supported. OS2 had replaced OS1.

And given what took place the following Sabbath day and after that, one gets the clear impression that Paul and Barnabas were given the old iron fist in the velvet glove warning by these heavily invested Law Covenant Jews, to continue in the grace of God, but not in the Antioch synagogue.

44 And the next Sabbath day almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.

Historians estimate that city of Antioch had about 35,000 inhabitants at this time excluding the outlying areas. Whatever the exact number, it must have been a very big crowd made up mostly of those from the House of Israel.

Remember what Paul said in the synagogue the previous Sabbath was revolutionary. Therefore, it was a threat to the establishment, the Jews. Literally, redemption of the House of Israel, the message of justification by faith, the conviction of the truth, free from the law and sin was unheard of. So, news about what Paul said, and its implications for those of the House of Israel probably spread like wildfire during the week between Sabbaths. It's likely that you and other believers of the House of Israel would have provided Paul and his companions with food and lodging during the intervening week.

45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spoke against those things, which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.

This was what Paul indicated by quoting Habakkuk, and was symptomatic of the beginning of the transition for Jacob, both those of the House of Judah, the Jews and those of the lost sheep of the House of Israel. The new covenant emerged out of that which was written in the Law and the Prophets through Christ as Paul pointed out. Recall, the covenant of Abraham also is written in the book of the Law [see Gen. 17], and preceded the Law Covenant. [See Gal. 3:17, 18]. Revolutionary change of this magnitude is traumatic for the old order, but it is exciting for the new order. Christianity was parting ways with Judaism in terms of the Abrahamic Covenant. This distinction today is old hat, but back then, those of you living it had a completely different experience, as Paul personally could attest.

Needless to say, the popular new thing in town spawned jealousy that provoked the establishment, the powers that be. As Paul would later write to the ekklesia in Galatia, the province in which Antioch was located, “Standfast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage,” which is the Law Covenant. [Gal. 5:1; also see the Feature articles, The Tale Of Two Covenants and What Days Must Christians Observe?].

46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary [Greek, anagkaios] that the word of God should first have been spoken to you [Jews]: but seeing you put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the nations [of the divorced House of Israel].

Paul and Barnabas's presence in the synagogue that Sabbath was a bit of a slap in the face to those Jews who told them to remain in the grace of God ... someplace else. After all, here they were a week later with almost the whole city coming to the synagogue to hear them. And the envious Jews were furious, contradicting and blaspheming like crazy. So paraphrasing Paul, he said, injecting a wee bit of sarcasm, "As you Jews of Antioch rejected the word of God, and have determined that you are not worthy of eternal life, then we turn to the divorced nations of the House of Israel, who are worthy, and judging by the multitudes here today, are eager to hear the truth of the word of God."

It must have been a raucous scene in the synagogue that day. However, given Paul’s education with the top rabbis in Jerusalem, and now the prophetic word of God delivered with the Spirit of God, theologically, and numerically, the local rabbis and rulers were outgunned. [See Gal. 1:11-18].

The salvation of Christ is for all Israel and those that believe. And all Israel will be saved, as Paul wrote in Rom. 11:25, 26, but the House of Judah only at Christ's return. [See the Feature article, Why Was Jesus Jewish, But Not Moses?]. Concerning the good news, “ … it is the power of God to salvation, to everyone that believes: to the Jew first ….” [Rom. 1:16; see verse 48 below]. As Paul told the ekkelsia in Corinth years later, “But we preached Christ crucified, which to the Jews was a stumblingblock, and to the Greeks [with their gods, Apollo, Aphrodite, Zeus, etc.], it was foolishness.”⁵ [1 Cor. 1:23].

The primary dozen or so Roman gods in the first century were the same gods of the Greeks, but with Latin names. What Paul is saying, then, is that preaching Christ crucified, only for the redemption of his kinsmen, the lost sheep of the House of Israel, was foolishness to the gentiles. Still is. [See the Sneakers article, What About Everyone Else?].

Remember, Christ went into the temple and synagogues, teaching during his ministry. “Now in the middle of the feast, Jesus went up to the temple [in Jerusalem] and taught." [John 7:14; 18:20]. He was born of Judah. The Law Covenant was still in force. The House of Israel had no legal covenant standing. So the good news of redemption and salvation was preached to the Jews first. But it was not accepted of the Jews. They rejected it as Paul pointed out as had the ancestors of Judah rejected the warning concerning Babylon, “ … for I work a work in your days, a work which you shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it to you.”

Both Paul and Barnabas “waxed bold,” or as we might say today, spoke truth to power without hesitation. Paul had given them the warning about rejecting Christ and the new covenant, which replaces the old covenant, the previous Sabbath. The Jews didn’t like this implication one bit, hence the angry reaction, contradicting and the blaspheming. But there was a good reason for this reaction on the part of the Jews. While Judah was not divorced as had been the House of Israel [Jer. 3:6-8], Christ broke the Law Covenant and the brotherhood between Judah and Israel on the Passover day of his crucifixion as the Jews had rejected the word of God during his ministry. “And I took my staff, Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might break my covenant that I made with all the people. And it was broken in that day." [Zec. 11:10, 11]. The covenant made with all the people was the Law Covenant. The new covenant in force was the covenant made with Abraham and his Seed, Christ. [See the Feature article, We’re Abraham’s Seed And Heirs, Not Gentiles].

“Then I cut asunder my other staff, Bands, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.” [Zec. 11: 14]. This is the same point Paul makes in his letter to the ekklesia in Rome, chapter 11. This rupture between the now broken old covenant and the new covenant, between Judah and Israel had nothing to do with the gentiles of the world, who were not party to the Law Covenant. [See the Feature article, The Tale Of Two Covenants].

47 For so has the Lord commanded us [inclusive of all the apostles], saying, I have set you to be a light of the nations that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.

As Christ made it very clear in the first century, he was “ … sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.” [Mat. 15:24; 10:5, 6; Rom. 1:1]. Paul’s commission was not to the gentiles of the world, but to the nations of the House of Israel, wherever they might be found, as with the other apostles.

48 And when the nations heard this, they rejoiced, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

This is a fundamental and critical inspired theological principle that runs contrary to the mistaken popular notion that you must "come to Jesus" in this life in order to go to Heaven, or you are doomed to Hell for eternity. Not everyone of the nations of Israel who heard Paul in Antioch believed. And Luke, who is considered the author of the Book of Acts, is telling us here that there is a very good reason for this.

As A.R. Fausset noted in his astute commentary, “A very remarkable statement which cannot, without force, be interpreted as anything lower than this, that a divine ordination to eternal life is the cause, not the effect, of any man’s believing.” [A.R. Fausset, Book of Acts, JFB Commentary, 1871, emphasis added].

Those individuals who are ordained to eternal life were chosen before the beginning of time, before the foundation of God’s plan being put in place, before the Earth was formed. “Then the King [Christ] will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom [Greek, basileia, power and authority of a king, not a place, Rev. 1:6] prepared for you from the foundation of the world ...." [Mat. 25:34]. Note, it is the power and authority of God that is prepared for us. Think of it as taking on a new duty, say as a CEO of a major company, with the power and authority to execute that office. We will change from mortal to immortal, being kings and priests with the authority that goes with it. He has "made us kings and priests unto God and his Father." [Rev. 1:6]. This is why we are believers in this life. This is the plan of God. It is not, "and as many as believed were ordained to eternal life." Modern Christianity has it the wrong way around. The nations, everyone of Israel, will receive their promised divine inheritance, just not in the Christian age. Salvation was promised to Israel before the beginning of time.

This goes to the same point Paul made to the Ephesian ekklesia, namely, “According as he [Christ] has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world [Greek, kosmos, the orderly arrangement of God’s plan] that we should be holy and without blame [justified by the conviction of the truth] before him in love: having predestined [Greek, proorizō, predetermined, preordained, appoint beforehand] us to the adoption by Jesus Christ to himself [Rom. 8:14, 1 John 3:2] according to the good pleasure of his will.

"… In whom, also, we have obtained an inheritance [Greek, klēroō, to allot a heritage] being predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his own will: that we should be to the praise [Greek, epainos, the good example] of his glory [Greek, doxa, the majesty of his saving grace], who first trusted in Christ. [See 1 Cor. 15:23].

"In whom you also, after you heard the word of truth, the good news of your salvation: in whom also after that you believed, you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest [Greek, arrabōn, good faith payment] of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, [Christ's return and the first resurrection] to the praise of his glory." [See Eph. 1:3-14, Psa. 82; also see the Sneakers article, Seven Prophecies, Seven Churches].

It is in this life that 1: being ordained to eternal life, and after we hear the word of the truth, 2: we are "activated" as believers, because we were ordained to it before the foundation of God's plan, and 3: receive the Spirit of God, which is the good faith payment by promise from God. [See Mat. 24:14]. Remember, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Truth, was not available to men until our Father sent it to us after Christ's resurrection by the fulfillment of the annual holy Sabbath of Pentecost. [See Acts 2:36-38]. This marked the beginning of the Christian age. [See John 15:26]. We are walking the path in this life that was chosen for us by Christ before this Earthly stage was made. Hearing the truth of the word of God triggers our belief, and joy. We are the chosen first fruits in this age. For others, their salvation lies in the ages to come. The Roman church's 'going to Heaven' fraud is nowhere in the picture. [See the Feature article, The Relevance Of The Holy Days In The Plan Of God In The Last Days.].

There is a reason why Abraham, Isaac, Israel, Moses, David, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Ezra, Micah and others didn’t live their lives in the Christian age. God’s plan is an orderly arrangement, the kosmos. Each age has its generations and its purpose, as does the Christian age, and the ages yet to come. This is contrary to the Roman church doctrine that "Heaven is the ultimate end." [See the Feature article, Heaven Can Wait II, The New Jerusalem]. There is much more to God's plan that lies in the endless ages ahead. Christ's return marks the gathering of the first fruits, not the ultimate end.

We only know what is in the Biblical record up to the coming of the new Heaven and new Earth. God's plan continues from there. "To Him be the glory (that is, the whole glory of the gracious dispensation of salvation just spoken of) in the Church (as the theater for the manifestation of the glory, Eph 3:10) in Christ Jesus (as in Him all the glory centers, (Zec 6:13) to all the generations of eternal ages," literally, "of the age of the ages." Eternity is conceived as consisting of "ages" (these again consisting of "generations") endlessly succeeding one another." [Eph. 3:21, A.R. Fausset, JFB Commentary, 1871].

We do not know what this entails, except we were chosen, appointed before this life, to be where we are today for the purpose of his plan. We will be proof, the first fruits of Christ, as priests and kings [Rev. 1:6], the good example of the majestic promise of his word in the ages and generations to come. [See Col. 1:26, 1 Pet. 1:9-12, Eph. 2:7; also the Feature articles, And It's Still A Mystery, Three Temple Ages Make A Plan and The Final Prophecy: It Is Done].

“ … and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.” The Greek word translated ordained here is tasso. It means to place in a certain order, to arrange. The word world, the Greek kosmos as used in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son ….” means an orderly arrangement, a plan, similar to tasso or ordained. Again, God's plan was all arranged and set in order in advance before the foundation of our temporary universe. This is the principle Christ explained to Cleopas and Peter on the road to Emmaus in verse 31 above. “ … ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and entered into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself … Thus it is written [the script (ures) as it were], and thus it was necessary for Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations [of Israel], beginning at Jerusalem.” Though as we read, the Jewish descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Israel rejected it.

We find evidence of this aspect of God's predetermined plan in Rev 13:8. “And all shall dwell on the Earth shall worship him [the Beast] whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world [Greek, kosmos].” Christ’s death and resurrection were all part of the plan before the beginning in Genesis 1:1. It was arranged as part of the plan before time existed for a future purpose in the ages to come.

We read in Paul's letter to Titus, "Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith [pistis, conviction of the truth] of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; in expectation of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before time [Greek noun, chronos], without beginning or end." [Titus 1:1, 2]. As time had a beginning, so too, it will have an end. [See Rev. 21:22-25; also Isa. 65:17].

As noted above, "a divine ordination to eternal life is the cause of any man’s believing.” This is a distinct and different narrative than that which has been accepted by modern day Christianity of "coming to Jesus and then going to Heaven for eternity." [See the Feature article, Heaven Can Wait]. Each believer was chosen in advance for a purpose in God's plan. Think of it this way. Before a sound stage is built [the foundation of the world], before the actors step in front of the cameras to shoot a movie, they were chosen for their roles. The words they speak were determined before and written down in the script. Once the cameras roll, these are the words spoken. And as soon as those ordained to eternal life took our first breath in the flesh, the cameras started rolling. We need to realize our Christian life here on planet Earth is not improv theater. Each of us has been called to fulfill our role as predetermined before Gen. 1:1 according to his will for the future ages in his plan.

We all have our parts to play in this age, be they great or small, roles that were determined before we were born, before the foundation of the world for God's purpose. Perhaps most to the point, David wrote of our LORD, " ... and in your book, even the days of my life that were yet to be created, were written, when there were no days." [Psa. 139:16]. Before "the evening and the morning were the first day" [Gen. 1], all the days of David's life, including those as the king of Israel, had been ordained. [See v. 36 above; also the Feature article, Life In The 'hood].

So those born in the flesh of Israel, all the nations of Israel, were chosen as a special people to God. This is why it is so important for us to know our true Biblical identity, our Godly heritage, rather than believing we are a bunch of theologically orphaned gentiles running around without any purpose in life other than avoiding going to Hell after we die. It is those of Israel, those called and chosen, ordained to eternal life, who are believers in this age.

What then of free moral agency, the freedom to choose? While we are unaware of our lives prior to and outside of our 4-D [3 of space, 1 of time] world we inhabit, the choices, "those who first trusted in Christ," were made prior to our physical life on Earth as David made clear. And as hard as it may be to wrap our heads around, this experience we call life is about living out choices made before Genesis 1:1.⁶ The ability to experience our preordained lives only occurs in the dimension of time we call the present.

Therefore, while those ordained of the nations of Israel are now in this world [Greek, oikoumenē, the inhabited Earth], we are not of this world. In a sense, to borrow a phrase from a popular television series, we are "ancient aliens." The apostle Paul wrote, "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of, and embraced them, and confessed [Greek, homologeō, all agree, say the same thing] that they were strangers [Greek, ξένος xénos, adjective, a primary word, foreign, literally, alien] and pilgrims [παρεπίδημος, parepidēmos, adjective, properly, one who comes from a foreign place into a land to reside there by the side of the natives] on the Earth" i.e., terrestrial. [Heb. 11:13]. Or put another way, " ... they were, [and we are], aliens and foreigners on the Earth," which is the definition of extra-terrestrial. But it's not the common sci-fi understanding found in this world.

As Paul wrote to the ekklesia in Corinth, "Yet when I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the princes of this world, who are soon forgotten. No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God — his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. But the princes of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard,and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” [1 Cor. 2:6-9].

"But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not this world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. For, “Who can know the LORD’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ." [1 Cor. 2:10-16, NLT*; see the updated Feature article, And It's Still A Mystery].

This is what was written of the nations of Israel, those called and chosen, before the foundation of the world. “For you are a holy people to the LORD [Jesus, Yehovah] your God: the LORD Your God has chosen you to be a special people to himself, above all the people that are on the face of the Earth.” [Deu. 7:6]. Think about this for a moment. Israel, the House of Israel, was chosen, before the foundation of this world to be a special people, above all others. Yet, where is this knowledge among us today? We should be strong and mightily increased in the truth of the word of God, leading the world by our Lord and Savior's inspired example given the scope of the blessings that were bestowed upon us through the birthright. Rather, we have deserted this God-given heritage to become plodding minions following every evil deceit that comes down the pipe, duped into believing we are gentiles.

Now, by the hand of God set against us, we are increasingly trodden underfoot by our enemies, both domestic and foreign. The birthright has been ripped from our hands as our daily headlines show us. Our enemies control our birthright wealth and use it against us. We have been foolish, like the wicked and lazy servant in the parable of the talents. [Mat. 25:14-30]. In ignorance, we have chosen to throw our talent in with the evil godless elites of this Earth. We are duped into believing we are just another people in the "diversity" of this world. [See 1 Pet. 5:8]. We are attacked for our "whiteness," which in reality is our House of Israelness, "a special people ... above all the people that are on the face of the Earth," though we are oblivious to this fact. [See Zionist Led White Genocide; also the updated Sneakers article, Critical Reasoning And Thinking, What CRT Use To Be].

Fallen, we run after deceits showered on us by false prophets, given sham comforters, our adopted heathen gods, Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny who have taken the place of the Spirit of truth, the Comforter given us by our Father. [John 15:26]. We have been the most stupid and foolish people on Earth, according to what Christ tells us. [Jer. 10:8; see the Feature article, Our Corrupted Compass]. Our pastors of modern day Churchianity are ignorant as hell. They have led us away from the truth of our heritage. [See Eze. 13]. And we are told, we will suffer the worst time in the history of the world, since there was a nation, because of it. [See the Feature article, The Princes Of A Plundered House].

So, we act as a choosing religion, rather than nations of God who were chosen to a higher calling, the promise of eternal life in the Spirit. All that remains are the few, the ekklesia of God who were predestined in the end of the Christian age as believers of the truth of the word of God, not true believers of the lies. “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name." [Rev. 3:9].

In Rev. 20:12 we read, “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works.” This is referencing the second, or great resurrection. [See Rev. 21:1, Luke 21:33]. “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” [Rev. 20:15]. This is the second death.

The difference between Israel, chosen to be a special people to God, is that while "As it is written, all Israel shall be saved" [Rom. 11:25] by Christ's death and resurrection, all the other people of the Earth, gentiles, will judged according to their works. [Again, see the Sneakers article, What About Everyone Else?]. This doesn't preclude the hand of God put sternly against us in the first death as the prophecies tell us in great detail. 

So, while our mortal bodies live and die in this illusion, our ultimate lives are eternal having been predestined before the foundation of the world because of God's merciful promise that all Israel shall be saved from the second death. [See the Feature article, Brown Paint: Quantum Potentialities]. However, this life is vanity, nothing more than a vapor. [Ecc. 1:2]. Our spirit returns to God when we exit from our mortal vehicles in this life. This is what sets us apart from creatures. [See Ecc. 3:19-21].

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men [of Israel], teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world [Greek, aion, age]; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us [the House of Israel in this age], that he might redeem us from all iniquity [see Isa. 48:17], and purify to himself a peculiar [Greek, periousios, that which is one's own] people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise you." [Titus 2:11-15]. Of course, as we read above in Ezekiel 34, the House of Israel are Jesus, Yehovah's own people. It's time for us to wake up, to get back on track with our heritage and calling. Now the time is near, the end of this age, for the return of Christ, and the fulfilling of the prophecies written to and for us. [Rom. 13:11-14].

Luke wrote down a divinely inspired point, "a remarkable statement," concerning the very nature of Christianity and life on this planet as we know it. It opens the door to understanding what it means to be a true Christian in this age. It is so radically different from what is the common opinion, as to be revolutionary to our 21st century understanding. There is a greater purpose and scope to life. Paul made it known to our first century ancestors of the House of Israel. It is now known by you.

49 And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.

Those that were ordained to eternal life, the believers spread the good news of the revolution. They were free from sin and the penalty of death. They were given a new covenant established on better promises from before the foundation of the world. Word of mouth spread the good news among those of the nations of the House of Israel.

50 But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.

It is not surprising the old guard didn’t like the new order being established. While they couldn’t refute Paul’s teachings, nor curb the enthusiasm of the multitudes of the nations of the House of Israel, they did what they felt was the next best thing. They got the sheriff to kick them out of town. Or as it says here the women leaders of society, the influential men of the city, likely gentile Roman citizens, were stirred up by the Jews to expel Paul and Barnabas from Antioch and its environs.

51 But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came to Iconium.

The shaking of dust off their feet against them was a command by Christ to the apostles when he sent them out to preach the gospel, the good news. “And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when you depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet." [Mat. 10:14].

The city of Iconium was down the road from Antioch to the southeast about 45 miles/72km. It was established at the base of Mount Taurus.

52 And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Spirit.

The Good News Colour Revolution was underway with the believers filled with joy and with the Spirit of God, the good faith down payment of all the promises of God. But it was not without hardship for Paul. As we read in the next chapter, 14, “And there came certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and having stoned Paul, dragged him out of the city, supposing he was dead. However, as the disciples stood around him, he rose up, and went into the city. And the next day, he departed with Barnabas to Derbe." Those Jews were determined to keep stirring the pot. But imagine the chagrin of those would be terminator Jews from Antioch and Iconium when they found out Paul wasn't dead. It must have made for some interesting speculative discussions. [See Gal. 6:14-18].

In chapter 14 of Acts, Luke writes, “And when they had preached the good news to that city, and taught many, they returned again to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, establishing the lives of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith [the conviction of the truth], and that we must through many tribulations enter into the kingdom [Greek, basileia, the royal power and authority] of God.” As it is at the beginning of any revolutionary change, one must expect some resistance and challenge. And Paul was a living example of his words.

“And when they had ordained [Greek, cheirotoneo, not tasso] them elders in every church [ekklesia, assembly of believers], and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord on whom they believed.” [Acts 14:21-23].

The Good News Colour Revolution of the first century saw the apostles deliver the message of our Lord to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. The first century ekklesia grew out of the synagogues, and temples. Like a butterfly leaving its cocoon, it left behind the Law Covenant and polytheistic gods.

In our 21st century, we face another challenge. We have evolved into the mainstream belief we are a bunch of gentiles who think we die and go to Heaven. [Again, see the Feature article, Moving Forward]. We have taken up false gods, more suited for the Augusteum than in our lives, as well as the lies and deceits of Babylon all the while thinking we are following the teachings of Christ.

The House of Israel rejoiced, filled with joy, the love of the truth, and the Spirit of God in the first century. Are we filled with joy to learn that we are of the House of Israel and not a gaggle of gentiles? Or have we judged ourselves unworthy of the truth and promises of the word of God like those first century Jews in the synagogues? Are with filled with the love of the truth of the words of Jesus Christ, our Lord GOD that we will return, with joy in our hearts, to our first century roots?

If so, we need to forsake the heathen customs that have become part of our nation's rituals. We need to stand with the truth of the word of God, rejoicing in our hearts, that we should "not allow wickedness to dwell in our tents." This starts with each one of us as individuals. Otherwise, the alternative for our nations is not good. [See the Feature article, And Now, A Word From Our Sponsor].

The prophetic words of Habakkuk apply to us today, as well as they did in the first century synagogue in Antioch, when we put the word of God from us. “ … for I work a work in your days, a work which you shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it to you.” Let us pray that we are wiser in this regard than our ancestors of Israel.


¹ Because in Antioch, those of the lost sheep of the House of Israel were to be found in the synagogue. In other places, such as Ephesus, Paul went to the synagogue for a period of three months. He spoke out against the "Great Diana of the Ephesians," but not without a bit of an uproar. [See Acts 19].

Bear in mind, today, the House of Israel is comprised of the US, UK, Canada, Australia, NZ and The Christian nations of western Europe. And it is quite evident from the events of the past two years that the hand of God is against us exactly as the last days prophecies tell us. We've forsaken the love of the truth of the word of God delivered to our ancestors in the first century. We've taken up the ways of pagans, and as a people have embraced the lies. And now we're beginning to feel the effects of our apostasy. The worst is yet to come unless we change our ways.

As the last days prophet Ezekiel wrote to us, "Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O House of Israel?" [Eze. 18:31; Mat. 15:24].

² " ... came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem." The Greek word here is synanabainō. It means to ascend at the same time or to come up to a higher place together. As Galilee, the Sea of Galilee, is north of Jerusalem, we would say "go down with him to Jerusalem." But, topographically, the Sea of Galilee is about 700 feet/212m below sea level while Jerusalem is 2474 feet/754m above sea level. So, the apostles from Galilee literally went up to Jerusalem from Galilee. Of course, theologically, Galilee was the place where the nations of the House of Israel were first taken captive by the Assyrians, divorced from God. And it was there that Christ began his ministry. Christ was crucified and resurrected in Jerusalem, where the House of Israel was redeemed, and brought back into the covenant relationship with God, a higher place indeed.

³  “ … we trusted that it had been he, which should have redeemed Israel.” An important lesson for all of us, regarding our lack of faith, is made here. [See the Sneakers article, We Don’t Believe You]. They said they trusted that it was Jesus who should have, but didn’t, redeem Israel. “Yeah we trusted him, but he let us down,” when it was the exact opposite. The problem is that they trusted their own feelings, and what they thought should happen. Instead, they should have listened to what the prophecies in the scriptures, the word of God, the truth said about the matter.

⁴ In the KJV, it says, “ … raised up Jesus again.” The English raised up is the Greek word, anistemi, which means resurrection, to raise up. The word again in Greek is palin. But the Greek Nestle manuscript, the 21st edition of the Novum Testamentum Graece, does not include the word palin, nor a second anistemi, so the correct reading is, “ … raised up Jesus.” The same applies to verse 37.

⁵ "1. Christ crucified is a stumbling-block to the Jews. They could not get over it. They had a conceit that their expected Messiah was to be a great temporal prince, and therefore would never own one who made so mean an appearance in life, and died so accursed a death, for their deliverer and king. They despised him, and looked upon him as execrable, because he was hanged on a tree, and because he did not gratify them with a sign to their mind, though his divine power shone out in innumerable miracles. The Jews require a sign, v. 22. See Mt. 12:38." Keep in mind, there is no mention of an afterlife, olam ha ba, in the Old Testament. It may be that the Jews were expecting a savior who was a combination of Moses and David in the flesh. This would be somewhat ironic in that Christ is both our High Priest [Heb. 3:1], and King of Kings [Rev. 19:11-16], including king David. [Eze. 37:24. 25].

"2. He was to the Greeks foolishness. They laughed at the story of a crucified Saviour, and despised the apostles' way of telling it. They sought for wisdom. They were men of wit and reading, men that had cultivated arts and sciences, and had, for some ages, been in a manner the very mint of knowledge and learning. There was nothing in the plain doctrine of the cross to suit their taste, nor humour their vanity, nor gratify a curious and wrangling temper: they entertained it therefore with scorn and contempt. What, hope to be saved by one that could not save himself! And trust in one who was condemned and crucified as a malefactor, a man of mean birth and poor condition in life, and cut off by so vile and opprobrious a death! This was what the pride of human reason and learning could not relish. The Greeks thought it little better than stupidity to receive such a doctrine, and pay this high regard to such a person: and thus were they justly left to perish in their pride and obstinacy. Note, It is just with God to leave those to themselves who pour such proud contempt on divine wisdom and grace." [Matthew Henry Commentary, 1706].

⁶ Einstein was prescient in noting that “Reality is merely an illusion ….” In attempting to describe this “reallusion” he said, “In our endeavor to understand reality we are somewhat like a man trying to understand a mechanism of a closed watch. He sees the face and the moving hands, even hears the ticking, but he has no way of opening the case. If he is ingenious, he may form some picture of a mechanism, which could be responsible for all the things he observes, but he may never be quite sure his picture is the only one which could explain his observations. He will never be able to compare his picture with the real mechanism and he cannot even imagine the possibility of the meaning of such a comparison.” [Einstein and Infeld, The Evolution of Physics, 1931].

Perhaps a more modern version of this would be somewhat like a digital avatar in a game box, assuming it had self-awareness, trying to figure out what lies outside its pixelated world.

We can see those things in this life that lie in the past, but not in the future, like watching a movie for the first time. It is the same point made in Ecclesiastes 3:15. The past, present and future are all one at the quantum level, but in this world we can’t remember the future. [See the Feature article, Brown Paint: Quantum Potentialities; also chapter four, Creation In Six Days, But Who’s Counting?, The Blind Man’s Elephant, now a complimentary PDF on our Home page.].


Italics, underline, bold and [ ] are the author’s.

NLT* Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

© copyrighted material 2007-2024. www.redshoe.com All rights reserved.

Notice to readers. All redshoe generated articles may be hyperlinked or copied to PDF format for use as long as no editing or alteration of content is made. See Menu banner for other terms of use.


"Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you."