Volume 29, Issue 4

July – August 2023

Who Shall Give Us Flesh to Eat?

Numbers 11:31-34: A reader enquires: How could God bring judgment on the people for eating the quail that He provided? As always, the context and detail of the record, including the events leading up to it, help us to understand. Let’s review the circumstances.

Towards the Promised Land – Israel leaves Sinai

It was on the first day of the first month of the second year after Israel left Egypt that to the great excitement of men and women of faith, “the tabernacle was reared up” (Exod 40:2,17). It was a singular day, there at Sinai, when divine worship could be formally carried out in the place where Yahweh would dwell among His people as He had declared: “Let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them” (Exod 25:8).

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The Story of Israel & the Coming of Elijah

Book Review | by | Volume 29, Issue 4 | July – August 2023

On 14 May 2023, Israel celebrated its 75th Anniversary. As part of that occasion, we are pleased to announce the release of Brother Stephen Whitehouse’s new book, The Story of Israel & the Coming of Elijah. This must-read account explores Israel’s significance in God’s plan and examines how this fulfils the Scriptures.

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Seek Ye First (24)

Contemporary Issues | by | Volume 29, Issue 4 | July – August 2023

He who does not work, does not eat

While we look to God to be our Provider, it does not mean we sit back and do nothing, waiting for Him to send us manna from heaven today. He will provide, but the principle is that we must also put effort in for Him to bless. The Apostle Paul was an excellent example of this:

“For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you: Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.” (2 Thess 3:7-9)

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An Artificial Divinity

A unique feature of all the prophecies that deal with the last days is the concentration of global power. Daniel 2 speaks of Nebuchadnezzar’s image rising to its feet with elements of all the past empires being represented in the world today. Daniel 7 speaks of a Beast that becomes more powerful and ferocious with a little horn that seeks to change times, laws and seasons. Ezekiel 38 speaks of a massive coalition of nations, which encompasses much of the Eurasian continent. Revelation speaks of an alignment of political, religious, economic and military powers which climaxes in Armageddon.

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The Caesars in the Apocalypse (2)

The first seal

“Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, ‘Come!’ And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.” (Rev 6:1-2 ESV)

The white horse

Brethren Barker and Boulton[1] wrote: “The horse is intended to indicate that the events represented by the symbols were to take place within the Roman Empire. Roman coins bearing the figure of a horse and the word ‘Roma’ are referred to as supporting this view…[So] the horses of the first four seals cannot represent Rome, but certain forces which were to be in active operation against…the Roman Empire, ‘the earth’. The colours of the horses representing the character of the events rather than the state of the Empire”.

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Hitler, Turkey and the British Mandate for Palestine

Jewish History | by | Volume 29, Issue 4 | July – August 2023

This year, 2023, marks the centenary of three events, which directly affected the Jews and changed the course of history. All three events facilitated the return of the Jews to their ancient homeland.

Hitler, the Beer Hall Putsch 8 November 1923[1]

In 1923, on 8 November, Adolph Hitler proclaimed a Nazi revolution at a Munich beer hall, which became known to history as the “Beer Hall Putsch” (revolution). The next day he tried to take over the Bavarian government by marching on the administration with the support of his private army of over 2000 Storm Troopers. The attempt failed. Police opened fire, killing sixteen of his followers, while Hitler was arrested and sentenced to five years in prison for treason.

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Anything Worth Doing

Minute Meditations | by | Volume 29, Issue 4 | July – August 2023

FREE

Here is a new twist on an old saying: “Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly—until you can learn to do it well”. 

Far too many of us will not try to do the difficult until we feel that we can do it well, and we will never do it well until we first start by doing it poorly. Imagine telling a swimming instructor that we refuse to get into the pool until we can swim properly. Unless we jump in and splash around and put our head under the water and try to swim, poorly, we cannot ever swim well.

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The Fulness of Christ (3) – “Christ in You, the Hope of Glory”

Exposition | by | Volume 29, Issue 4 | July – August 2023

“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Cor. 4:6)

In the previous article we reflected on the wondrous concept of being “in Christ”: members of his body, branches in the true vine, sheep led by the true shepherd, stones in a holy temple. These are lofty thoughts for finite minds, but the notion of “Christ in us” is even loftier.

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Caleb (6) – “He Had Another Spirit”

Exposition | by | Volume 29, Issue 4 | July – August 2023

In Joshua 21 we are informed about the casting of lots for certain portions of the land for the Levites. In verses 10-11 we learn that God was going to decide which Levitical family would inherit the cities in the tribe of Judah, and Hebron in particular. We also learn that these children of Aaron were to be apportioned 13 cities amongst the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin.

It is significant that the first city mentioned was Hebron (v11,13). Why is Hebron being emphasised by position and repetition? One reason is because Caleb had given it up as his inheritance—we have seen evidence for that in previous articles. A second reason is that while the many children of Aaron would be divided amongst the 13 cities, the direct high priestly line probably lived in Hebron.

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Some Encouraging Thoughts from the Epistle to Philippi (4)

Exposition | by | Volume 29, Issue 4 | July – August 2023

“That I may win Christ…that I may know him”

We have seen how Paul made it abundantly clear that to know Jesus and his faithfulness to his Father is a vital motivating force in our spiritual transformation.

In Philippians 3:10, Paul encourages us to “know Jesus” intimately, something he has had to learn himself, and by this means understand the righteousness of God in him. He states that there is a need:

to know the power of his resurrection,

to know the fellowship of his sufferings,

to know what it means to be made conformable to his death.

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