Christians today agree with Jews who say that Jesus is not the
Messiah. The vast majority of Christians believe that Jesus will not
reign as Messiah until there is a second Christmas -- a second Advent,
or "second coming of Christ," which is really the first coming
of the Christ, since at His first Advent Jesus came only as
"savior?"
This is not a Biblically tenable position. There is almost no hint in
the Bible that a "savior" would do nothing to "save"
his people in this life, but only in the next.
A "savior" brings "salvation." Doesn't that make
sense? But what is "salvation?" See here.
It is not, Biblically speaking, going to heaven after you die, having
lived a life without being "saved" in the holistic Biblical
sense of that word.
Consider this verse:
Nehemiah 9:27
Therefore Thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies
that vexed them: yet in the time of their affliction, when they
cried unto Thee, Thou heardest them from the heaven, and through
Thy great mercies thou gavest them saviors,
who saved
them out of the hand of their adversaries.
These "saviors" were sometimes called
"judges." The various "kings" of Israel could
also serve as "saviors" because they would
"save" Israel from her oppressors (1
Samuel 9:16; 2
Samuel 3:18, etc.).
"Saviors" in the Old Testament served what we could
call primarily "messianic" functions. Biblically
speaking, "savior" is virtually a synonym for
"messiah."
But the Biblical definition of "salvation" is not just
a short-term relief on the battlefield, but long-term liberty from
archists. See the definition of the Hebrew word for
"salvation," yasha,
which can be found here.
John
4:42 Then they said to the woman, Now we believe, not because of
what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know
that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.
1
John 4:14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son asSavior of the world.
John
1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, Behold!
The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
John
3:17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn
the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
Isaiah
45:22 Look to Me, and be saved,
All you ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other.
1
Chronicles 16:23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth;
Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
Psalm
65:5 By awesome deeds in righteousness You will answer us, O
God of our salvation, You who are the confidence of
all the ends of the earth, And of the far-off seas;
Psalm
67:2 That Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation
among all nations.
Psalm
74:12 For God is my King from of old, Working salvation
in the midst of the earth.
Psalm
98:3 He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house
of Israel; All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation
of our God.
Isaiah
45:8 Rain down, you heavens, from above, And let the skies pour
down righteousness; Let the earth open, let them bring
forth salvation, And let righteousness spring up together.
I, the Lord, have created it.
Isaiah
49:6 Indeed He says, It is too small a thing that You should be
My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the
preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the
Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of
the earth.
Isaiah
49:8 Thus says the Lord: In an
acceptable time I have heard You, And in the day of salvation
I have helped You; I will preserve You and give You As a covenant
to the people, To restore the earth, To cause them to
inherit the desolate heritages;
Isaiah
51:6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, And look on the earth
beneath. For the heavens will vanish away like smoke, The earth
will grow old like a garment, And those who dwell in it will die
in like manner; But My salvation will be forever, And My
righteousness will not be abolished.
Isaiah
52:10 The Lord has made bare His
holy arm In the eyes of all the nations; And all the ends of the earth
shall see The salvation of our God.
Acts
13:47 For so the Lord has commanded us: I have set you as a light
to the Gentiles, That you should be for salvation to the
ends of the earth.
2
Corinthians 5:19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world
to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has
committed to us the word of reconciliation.
1
John 2:2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for
ours only but also for the wholeworld.
1
Timothy 4:10
For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust
in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of
those that believe.
1
Corinthians 15:45
And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul;
the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
Romans
5
17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one;
21 even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal
life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
John
6:33
33 For the bread of God is He which cometh down from heaven, and
giveth life unto the world.
When the Lord spoke to Isaiah and the prophets, that He would save
the whole world, was He announcing a doctrine of
"universalism," that every individual would go to heaven
when he died? Even universalists would say no -- provided they
understand the prophetic meaning of the concept of
"salvation." That is, even if eternal paradise after death
has been granted universally to all individuals, that's not what the
prophets were talking about when they foretold the
"salvation" of the entire world.
In the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, "salvation"
means what economist Murray N. Rothbard described as "anarcho-capitalism"
-- a vibrant global network of commerce liberated from the
"strife," "war," and coercive regulatory
"domination" of the City of Man. The economics of the New
Jerusalem rather than the Old Babylon.
Contrary to amillennialists like Michael
Horton, Christians best "serve" the world by helping
to "save" it. For "serve" see here.
For "save" see here.
"Save the world" does not mean "preserve the world in
a state of rebellion against the City of God." It means convert
the whole world into the City of God. "In earth as it
is in heaven" (Matthew
6:10).
This online celebration is sponsored by a non-profit, tax-exempt
501(c)(3) organization called "Vine
& Fig Tree." Our offices were destroyed by a
tornado a couple of years ago. We're requesting a $12 "cover
charge" for this party. Your donation is tax-deductible. No
donation is required to participate in the "The
12 Days of
Christmas."
If we get 100 people to donate $12, we'll be able to pay our bills
this month.
Or mail your check to
"Vine
& Fig Tree"
P.O. Box 179
Powersite, MO 65731
The Program 12 Days Bringing to Mind The Most Significant Event in Human History
Each day you'll receive an audio for your morning commute to
work, and another audio for your commute back home. The morning
audio will look at Micah's Vine &
Fig Tree prophecy, and in the evening we'll show how
that vision began to be fulfilled at Christmas two millennia ago.
Day 1 - Jesus is the culmination of thousands of years
of meticulous genealogical records preserved by "the Chosen
People," Israel.
Day 3 - Jesus will be given "the throne of his
father David."
Luke
1:5-25 - John the Baptist prepares the way for the Messiah,
as prophesied of Elijah.
Luke
1:26-38 - The Angel Gabriel announces the conception of the
Messiah: "And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for
ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." (Luke
1:33)
Luke
1:39-45 - the unborn John the Baptist leaps for joy when he
encounters the unborn Messiah. Planned Parenthood attempts to
sell them both for body parts. (That last part is "not in
the earliest manuscripts.")
Mary sings a song of praise composed of Old Testament
quotations, saying that the real meaning of Christmas is good
news for the poor and lowly,
and bad news for the rich and powerful:
50And
His mercy is on them that fear Him from generation to generation. 51He
hath shewed strength with His arm; He
hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52He
has put down
the mighty from theirthrones, and
exalted them of low degree. 53He
hath filled the hungry with good things; and the
rich he hath sent empty away.
71That
we should be saved
from our enemies,
and from the hand of all that hate us; 79To
give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of
death,
to guide our feet into the
way of peace.
Day 6 - Matthew
1:18-25 - the Incarnation is explained to Joseph
"Jesus" means "salvation"
"Immanuel" means "God with us"
The Prophet Micah predicted
that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Jesus' parents
lived in Nazereth. Therefore God predestined
Caesar to issue a decree (probably relating to taxes) that would
bring Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem before Jesus was born. Evil
empires serve God's purposes.
An army of angels announces the birth of the Messiah to lowly
shepherds, saying,
Glory to God in the highest,
And on
earth peace to those with whom He is pleased!
The most important family on earth could not afford the
top-level offering required by the law of Moses. They took
advantage of a provision for low-income families.
Day 10 -
Luke
2:25-35 - Simeon had been told
he would not die before he saw the Lord's Messiah. He says Jesus
is "The One."
Luke
2:36-38 - Anna the
Prophetess is another well-known Godly person who acknowledges
that Jesus is the Child promised by the prophets. (Christianity
offered a view of women which was quite unlike that of the
Empire that occupied Israel at the time.)
Day 11 - Wise men worship Jesus
Matthew
2:1-8 - "Wise men from the
East" (Babylon, perhaps) knew of Micah's prophecy that the
King of the Jews would be born in Bethlehem.
When Herod got word of the birth
of a rival king, he behaved in a perfectly logical way (for
someone who wants to protect his power): he massacred all
male babies the age of Jesus. Herod recognized that Jesus was a
threat to Herod's power.
Each day along the way, we will compare these historical accounts
of Christmas with Micah's Vine
& Fig Tree prophecy predicting:
The message of the angels to the shepherds on the first
Christmas:
And this is the sign unto
you:
Ye shall find a Babe
wrapped in swaddling clothes,
and lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly
host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, And peace on
earth
among men with whom He is well pleased. Luke
2:8-15
His lord said unto him, `Well
done, thou good and faithful servant. Thou hast been faithful
over a few things; I will make thee ruler over many things. Enter
thou into the joy of thy lord.' Matthew
25:21
The Vine & Fig
Tree Worldview
The phrase "Vine
& Fig Tree" comes from the Old Testament
Prophet Micah, the fourth chapter. You can find out more about the Vine
& Fig Tree Worldview on our home page:
During the next 12 days, you'll see the "real meaning" of
Christmas in the Bible like you've never seen them before.
Many Christians today believe Jesus came to get us a ticket to
heaven when we die. In the meantime, Satan rules the planet. Their
story of the Bible goes like this:
God created planet earth;
God put man on earth to be a good steward, and transform the
Garden of Eden into the City of God;
Satan tempted man;
Man rebelled against God, choosing to be his own god instead;
Satan now controls the world;
Jesus came to pay the penalty for this rebellion;
Things are going to get worse and worse;
Since Satan and man are not playing God's game by God's rules,
God is soon going to take his cosmic football and go home.
In other words, Satan wins.
Pretty dismal story, isn't it?
Sure, God sent His Son, who died on the cross, so that some of
the players can be forgiven for their rebellion and go home with
God, but God's original purposes for man and the creation were
thwarted by Satan, the ultimate victor.
Some of George Washington's favorite passages
of the Bible were those that spoke of every man dwelling safely
"under his own vine and fig tree."
Other
Founding Fathers also referred to this "Vine
& Fig Tree" ideal.
(George Washington would recommend that you enroll in The
12 Days of
Christmas
program. He read the Bible for an hour each morning, and another
hour in the evening.)
George Washington was motivated by the Vine
& Fig Tree vision revealed in the Bible.
Washington's Diaries are available
online at the Library of Congress. They are introduced with
these words:
No theme appears more frequently in
the writings of Washington than his love for his land. The
diaries are a monument to that concern. In his letters he
referred often, as an expression of this devotion and its
resulting contentment, to an Old Testament passage. After
the Revolution, when he had returned to Mount Vernon, he
wrote the Marquis de Lafayette on Feb. 1, 1784:
"At length my Dear Marquis I am become a private
citizen on the banks of the Potomac, & under the
shadow of my own Vine &
my own Fig-tree."
This phrase occurs at least 11 times in Washington's
letters.
"And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man
under his vine and under his fig
tree" (2 Kings 18:31).
Peter Lillback, author of a 1,000-page
study of Washington's life and thought,
has found more than 40 references to the Vine
and Fig Tree vision in Washington's Papers. "Vine & Fig Tree"
is the original "American Dream."
The phrase occurs a
number of times in Scripture. These references are visual
reminders of the Hebrew word for salvation,
which means
peace,
wholeness,
health,
welfare, and
private property free from pirates and princes.
When today's Americans hear the word "salvation,"
they usually think about going to heaven when they die. When the
writers of the Bible used the word "salvation,"
they wanted you to be thinking about dwelling safely under your
own Vine & Fig Tree
during this life -- much
more often than they wanted you to be thinking about what
you'll be doing in the afterlife.
Vine & Fig Tree is
also a phrase from the prophet Micah, the idea
of everyone owning property and enjoying the fruits of their labor
without fear of theft or political oppression, of sitting peacefully
under your "Vine & Fig Tree."
Hundreds of years before Christ, the
prophet Daniel spoke of the first Christmas, the birth of the
Messiah in the days of the Roman Empire. That barbaric, debauched
empire was destroyed, and the Kingdom of Christ began growing like a
mustard tree, like leaven, like a field (Matthew 13). The Emperor
Justinian began Christianizing the Eastern Roman Empire, and in the
West kings like Alfred and Ethelbert made the 10 Commandments the
basis of new legal systems. The "Common Law" began, with
a Christian foundation, and eventually found its way into the
Constitution of the United States, "a
Christian nation." From 12 dejected disciples, Christianity
has spread across the world, and billions of people claim to be
Christian. Though there have been ups and downs, the progress of
Christianity has been undeniable -- at least to those who have been
taught the facts of history.
Most Americans in the 21st century have not.
If you enroll in this Home Study Program, you will learn the
story of the "Vine & Fig Tree."
You will learn that the Bible says the purpose of the first
Christmas was that "the knowledge of the Lord should cover the
earth as the waters cover the sea." (Isaiah
11:9; Habakkuk
2:14). This has been going on for 2,000 years now. This is a
wonderful story that isn't being told.
And the story is really just beginning.
You're invited to celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas.
Join our online party and accomplish the following over the next
12 days:
read the historical accounts of the birth of Jesus Christ
discover "the real meaning of Christmas" by
comparing the Gospel accounts of Christmas with a neglected Old
Testament prophecy (Micah 4:1-7).
The "real meaning of Christmas" is:
Peace on Earth (Luke 2:14).
Everyone dwelling securely under his own Vine
& Fig Tree (Micah 4:1-7).
Jesus is the Christ
("Christ" means "messiah,"
or "anointed King").
What we've already witnessed:
The prophet Daniel predicted
that during the Roman Empire, a rock would crush the empire and
turn into a mountain
and fill the whole earth. Jesus is the Rock. He has been
reigning for 2,000 years, ever since He rose from the dead and
ascended to the right hand of the Father. His Kingdom is the
Mountain, it's filling the earth, and the planet is being
progressively Christianized.
Before He rose from the dead, He had 12 dejected and confused
disciples. Today over two billion people claim to be
followers of Christ.
The empire that executed Jesus soon collapsed under its own depravity.
Christians began Christianizing the world. Early kings like
Ethelbert made the Ten Commandments the foundation of the "common
law" legal system in Europe. At one time the United
States Supreme Court declared that America was "a
Christian nation." "Western civilization" is Christian
civilization. There have been ups and downs, but the
progress cannot be denied. The Mountain is filling the earth.
Controversy:
Christ's Kingdom advances peacefully through works
of service, not the
sword. A non-military, "pacifist"
Messiah was not the kind of Messiah expected by most Jews 2,000
years ago. (Nor by many Christians today.)
There are two groups that oppose this concept of Christmas:
"Premils"
"Pinkos"
"Premils" are "pre-millennialists" who
believe the "millennium" (described by Micah 4 and
other passages) cannot take place until after a Second Coming
of Christ, when Jesus returns and sets up a strong, military, "police-state"-style
centralized government, with armed believers dispatched from a
throne in Jerusalem to put down unbelievers. "Premils"
believe Christmas only secured for believers a ticket to heaven when
they die, or a ticket on "the
Rapture" if they live that long. Not global
transformation.
"Pinkos" are those who believe that Jesus is not
King enough to bring about the "millennium"; we need
strong centralized government for that. Pinkos
call us "anarchists."
During the next 12 days, we'll find out why the
Premils and the Pinkos are both wrong, and why you and I can and
should work to bring "Peace on Earth" so that everyone can
dwell prosperously and securely under their own Vine
& Fig Tree.
For more about the "Vine
& Fig Tree" vision, see our
home page.
,
has found more than 40 references to the Vine
and Fig Tree vision in Washington's Papers.