Post on 04-Jun-2018
8/13/2019 04 Apr 2011
1/48
The International Prophetic Voice for the Endtimes
APRIL 2011$4.75
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Old CovenantRegenerationCharismatic/Pentecostal
EldersPg. 42
Didthe Early ChurchAffirm Preterism? PART IIPg.30
World Conspiracy
inLightoftheBiblePg. 34
Hope andResponsibility
inView of the RapturePg. 19
Jubileum PartI:Gods Prophetic
Outlinefor ProsperityPg.14
8/13/2019 04 Apr 2011
2/48
In 2011, Midnight Call Ministry will begin to send out FREE of charge, via email,
the latest updated news items relating to Bibleprophecy to all Swift-Word Members.Without charge and with no obligation on your part, youwill receive as a Swift-Word Memberone selected news item with commen-tary six times each week. Read it, pass it on to family and friends or make use of it as you see fit.
What is the Reason for Swift-WordMembership?We base Swift-Word Membership on Psalm 147:15, Hesendeth forth hiscommandmentupon earth:hisword runnethvery swiftly. That is an up-to-date statement. Today, more thanany other time in history, we are able to send His Word veryswiftly, almost instantaneouslyto any part of the world by emailand Internet.
We are commanded to be His witnesses to send forthHis Word,or as Ecclesiastes 11:1 says, Cast thy bread upon the waters:forthou shalt find it after many days. Sharing the preciousWord of God will reap fruit foreternity.
The distribution of the Word of God is the key to salvation.This
is evidenced in Acts 6:7, And the word of God increased; andthe number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; anda great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.
Other BenefitsWhen you become a Swift-Word Member, youwill be eligible forspecial,Swift-Word Membership benefits to be determined andimplemented in the future. And, you will be notifiedof specialdiscounted resources from timeto time.
NoticeTo qualify formembership, we must have your full name andemail address. We will not accept emailaddresses sent in byfriends. YourSwift-Word Membership maybe canceledat anytime forany reason. Just clickunsubscribe on any issue.Signup page at www.midnightcall.com/swiftword
THEDELIVERERCD ALBUM
ITEM #5250 300 minutes
$30.00 Author: Arno Froese
Combines the CD messages of Arno Froese's
The Delivererseries (Items 3225 through 3229
a total of five CDs) into one handsome album. The series is
a commentary on the book of Hosea.
1 Unfaithful Israel (Chapters 1-3) 3225
2 Prophetic Promises and Judgments (Chapters 4-6) 3226
3 Israels Separation from the Promised Land (Chapters 7-9) 3227
4 Gods Love Declaration Rejected (Chapters 10-11) 3228
5 Irreversible Judgment Leads to Salvation (Chapters 12-14) 3229
SALE
ONLY$25
Signup page at www.midnightcall.com/swiftword
8/13/2019 04 Apr 2011
3/48
C O N T E N T S
6An Incredible StoryBy Thomas Lieth
Calvary, the death of Jesus on the cross,the darkness at
midday, the earthquake, the burial in the tomb,the
resurrection,the opening of the graves, the appearing
of the Lord Jesus up to His ascensiontruly an
incredible story! But even if such a story seems
incredible, this does not mean that it is not true!
14 Money: Ends and TrendsJubileum Part I:Gods Prophetic Outline forProsperityBy Wilfred Hahn
Just what does the Bible say about the rich the poor about wealth distribution how things
will be when Jesus Christ restores all things (Acts 3:21)? Quite a bit.In fact, as much as 40% of the Bible
is said to deal with these and related topics.
19 Hope and Responsibility in View of the RaptureBy Norbert Lieth
The Rapture is the next great event which awaits the Church of Jesus Christ.What hope is connected
with this,and what is the Churchs responsibility in view of Jesusreturn?
26 The Calling oftheTwelve Disciples James,theSon of AlphaeusBy Marcel Malgo
30 Did the Early Church Affirm Preterism? Part IIBy Dr. Ron J. Bigalke
34 World Conspiracyin Lightof the BibleBy Johannes Pflaum
MidnightCallAPRIL 2011
COVER STORY
DEPARTMENTS
4 Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ByPeterMalgo
42 Letters to theEditor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ByArno FroeseOLD COVENANT REGENERATION...CHARISMATIC/PENTECOSTAL...ELDERS
$
37 USA
Earths Magnetic PoleShift Unleashing Poison
into the Air?
39 FRANCE
A New Global Finance
System in the Making?
40 RUSSIA
Crew
Trained to
Walk on
Mars on Simulated
Mission
41 ECUADOR
Chevron Fined $8.6bn for
Pollution
41 IRAN
Iran Has No Nuke
Capability
8/13/2019 04 Apr 2011
4/48
4 M I D N I G H T C A L L
Now all these things happened untothem for examples: and they arewritten for our admonition,upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore lethim that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall(1 Corinthians 10:11-12).
E D I T O R S N O T E
The intensity of natural catastro-
phes is steadily increasing all
over the world. While the pastyear already ended as the year with the
most catastrophes in history, hardly a
week passes this year in which reports
of fearful events do not reach us again.
Australia was hit with special force. Since
records were kept a hundred years ago, the
highest rainfall ever recorded took place
there a few months ago. This led to the
heaviest floods. The flooded area was as
large as Germany and France combined. A
little later the monster cyclone Yasirushed towards Australia. Even while the
subsequent floods taxed the strength of the
rescue teams, bush fires in Western Aus-
tralia were raging beyond control. At the
same time, unimaginable catastrophes took
place elsewhere in the world: after heavy
storms, an entire mountain slope slid
down and mud avalanches buried hun-
dreds of people. A resident of that place
was barely able to save his children but had
to watch helplessly as his wife was torn
away with the masses of mud. I could
have lost everything, but not my wife, hesobbed.
The list of these disasters could be end-
lessly enlargedfloods in China, volcanic
eruptions in Japan, earthquakes in Haiti,
fire on Mount Carmel in Israel, blizzards in
the USA, a tsunami in Indonesia. Numer-
ous people lost their lives in them. It was
most tragic, however, that many people
could have been saved if they had paid at-
tention to the warnings of the security
forces and obeyed their instructions. In-stead, some preferred to remain in their
homes, unaware that soon a hot lava
stream would rush in or a flood wave
would overflow them in the next few min-
utes, or a fire would deny them all possibil-
ity of flight. In January, parts of South
Germany were also deeply submerged by
water. A newspaper report described how
people in traffic who wanted to drive on a
flooded street simply removed the barriers
B y P e t e r M a l g o
8/13/2019 04 Apr 2011
5/48
A P R I L 2 0 1 1 5
Published 12 times a year by
MIDNIGHT CALL, INC.PO Box 280008
Columbia, SC 29228
Physical Location:
4694 Platt Springs Road
West Columbia, SC 29170
Founder Dr. Wim Malgo (192292)
Editor Peter Malgo
Executive Director Arno Froese
Contributing Authors Norbert Lieth,Marcel Malgo, Wilfred Hahn,Dr. Ron J. Bigalke, ReinholdFederolf, Samuel Rindlisbacher,Ernst Kraft and Thomas Lieth
Layout Designers:Michelle Kim and Lisa Dixon Text Typist:
Lynn Jeffcoat Copy Editor: Kimberly Farmer Customer Service:
Kathy Roland and Debbie Hale Production Manager:Simon Froese
Pressroom:Wade Haygood, Dwight Mims and Chad Vining Post
Press: Dana Hale, Teresa Vining, Melissa Martin, Andrea Hamilton
and Brian Corbett Special Order:Ruth Froese German-English
Translators:Ann Fankhauser and Ellen Myers
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION RATES
USA, $28.95 Canada, $34.50 All other countries, $38
CHANGE OF ADDRESSOR SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRYPlease send your new address and the name and address exactly asit appears on this magazine or envelope for best service. Pleasesend all changes and inquiries directly to our US address.
MAILING ADDRESSESUSA and Canada:PO Box 280008Columbia, SC 29228, USA
Australia:Major Rintje Taekema3 Cleveland Drive, Hoppers Crossing, Victoria 3029AUSTRALIAe-mail: taekema@optusnet.com.au
New Zealand:142 Cambridge Ave., Ashurst
South Africa:
P.O. Box 3105, 1729 Witbeck TVL.
INTERNATIONAL EDITIONSMitternachtsruf (German) Ringwiesenstrasse 12a, 8600Dubendorf, Switzerland; Middernachtsroep (Dutch) Postbus193, 3940 AD Doorn, Netherlands; LAppel de Minuit (French)Ringwiesenstrasse 12a, 8600 Dubendorf, Switzerland; Chamada deMeia Noite (Portuguese) Obra Missionaria Chamada de MeiaNoite, Caixa Postal 1688, 90001970 Porto Alegre RS, Brazil;Llamada de Medianoche (Spanish) Apdo. Postal 1400, 01901Guatemala; CDM Italia (Italian) Via Monte Rosa 88 D, IT 10155Torino TO; Ejfeli Kialtas (Hungarian) H-1135 Budapest, Peloc u. 2(no longer available in Russian)
OUR TASKMidnight Call Ministries is a nonprofit missionary organization,dedicated to proclaiming the entire Bible as the unfailing and eternalwritten Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and the unerringguide for the Christian faith.
The object of Midnight Call is to call people everywhere to Christ,to proclaim the Second Coming of Christ, to prepare Christians forHis coming, and to uphold the faith and warn of false doctrines.Midnight Callmagazine is available in twelve languages. All workdone through radio, literature and missionaries is supported entirelyby the gifts and free will offerings of Gods people.
STATEMENT OF FAITH
WE BELIEVEin the divine inspiration of the whole Bible and there-with the infallibility of the Holy Scripture, which is Gods Word, andin the eternal Triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
WE BELIEVEJesus Christ, the Son of God, was conceived of theHoly Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, and shed Hisblood to save mankind. He died and arose bodily the third day andlater ascended into heaven.
WE BELIEVEthat the Lord Jesus Christ died in the place of eachindividual sinner and that all who believe in Him as their personalSavior are justified through His shed blood and have becomechildren of God.
WE BELIEVEthat Israel is Gods chosen people, and that therestoration of the Jews to their own land is the fulfillment of theWord of God.
WE BELIEVEin the pretribulational appearance of Jesus Christ forthe Rapture of His Church (all born again believers).
WE BELIEVEin the immortality of our souls and the resurrection ofour bodies, and in the resurrection of the just and the unjust, theeverlasting blessedness of the saved and the everlasting punishment ofthe lost.
The Prophetic Voice for the Endtimes PRINTED IN 12 LANGUAGES
ISSN 10948600within the reach of a mudslide. The police spokesman stated: The drivers
are evidently unaware that they risk great danger because the slope threat-
ens to slide down.
Besides these natural catastrophes threatening our physical lives, we
Christians also risk finding ourselves in areas where our spiritual lives areunder attack. The Bible throws light upon numerous warnings to us. But
do we heed such warnings? This is drastically shown us by the judgment
of Sodom. God wanted to save the entire family of Lot and said: Escape
for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape
to the mountain, lest thou be consumed (Genesis 19:17). But Lots wife
looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt (verse 26).
God also quite concretely wants to keep us away from zones of danger and
false ways. Therefore, He speaks through circumstances, by His Word, by
the soft voice of the Holy Spirit in our conscience. But do we pay attention
to this? In Numbers 22 beginning with verse 22, we read how God tried by
His angel to turn Balaam back from his wrong way. Finally, God had to use
very unusual means to open Balaams eyes.
Today, we live in a time in which the enemys arts of seduction increase
uncannily. Jesus Himself compares the end time with the time of Noah. It
is reported about his contemporaries that they knew nothing until the
flood came, and took them all away. And Jesus continued, So shall also
the coming of the Son of man be Watch therefore (Matthew 24:39,
42). Later, Paul wrote the Corinthians: Now all these things happened
unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon
whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinks he
stands take heed lest he fall (1 Corinthians 10:11-12).
E D I T O R S N O T E
To start or renew yourNews From Israelmagazine subscription,please use the order form on pages46-47, or call 800-845-2420 and haveyour credit card ready.
32pages$18foraone-yearsubscription 12 issues
In light of the times, News From Israelisa necessary monthly magazine that will keep you updated on breaking
developments throughout the Middle East.News From Israeluncovers
hidden information the news media leaves out!
MC
8/13/2019 04 Apr 2011
6/48
Calvary, the death of Jesus on the cross, the darkness at midday, the earth-quake, the burial in the tomb, the resurrection, the opening of the graves, the
appearing of the Lord Jesus up to His ascensiontruly an incredible story! Buteven if such a story seems incredible, this does not mean that it is not true!
T H O M A S L I E T H
6 M I D N I G H T C A L L
8/13/2019 04 Apr 2011
7/48
A P R I L 2 0 1 1 7
Jesus ChristHe truly is the Redeemer and He is the rightful King of Israel.But for this,He received only scornful
laughter. It is no different today.
In Mark 15:21 to 16:14, we read of the
crucifixion and resurrection of theLord Jesus Christ, His appearing after-
wards, as well as the reaction of those to
whom He appeared. This event was totally
incredible, even for His trusted disciples.
Although Jesus had referred to His resur-
rection when speaking to them, and they
had believed Him, trusted Him and fol-
lowed Him, it was still incredible for these
believers when the resurrection took place.
And yet the Lord Jesus had foretold His
path of suffering three times.
From that time forth began Jesus to
shew unto his disciples, how that he
must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many
things of the elders and chief priests and
scribes, and be killed, and be raised
again the third day (Matthew 16:21, cf.
Mark 8:31). Peter exclaimed, Be it far
from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto
thee. His reaction showed that the disci-
ple ultimately did not know what tomake of the idea of the death and resur-
rection of the promised Redeemer, al-
though He had told them about it, For
he taught his disciples, and said unto
them, The Son of man is delivered into
the hands of men, and they shall kill
him; and after that he is killed, he shall
rise the third day. But they understood
not that saying, and were afraid to ask
him (Mark 9:31-32).
When the Lord Jesus was nailed to the cross,in addition to His pain, He had to endure
mockery and scorn, Likewise also the
chief priests mocking said among them-
selves with the scribes, He saved others;
himself he cannot save (Mark 15:31).
He saved others; how true that is!
The Lord Jesus Christ came to the earth
as a Savior (Romans 10:11-13). He
saved others, the chief priests and
scribes said mockingly, but they them-
selves would not let Him save them. Hecame unto his own, and his own re-
ceived him not (John 1:11).
The mockery continued in that they
said, Let Christ the King of Israel
(Mark 15:32). Before, when He stood be-
fore the council, Jesus was confronted
with His position when the high priest
asked Him, Art thou the Christ, the Son
of the Blessed? (Mark 14:61). That
meant, Are you the Anointed One, the
promised Messiah-King? And the Lord
Jesus answered, I am (verse 62). How
moving this is! He saved others ...
Christ, the King of Israel. That which
was meant as scorn and mockery was
nothing other than an unconscious testi-
mony to the Son of God.
Jesus ChristHe truly is the Re-
deemer and He is the rightful King of Is-
rael. But for this, He received only
scornful laughter. It is no different today.Who is more mocked, and who is more
ridiculed? Buddha? Not interesting! Mo-
hammed? Life threatening! Any other
deity? Insignificant! No, in the most
cases, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, is
slandered and ridiculed. It was the same
at that time when He hung on the cross.
Nobody laughed at the two robbers at
His side. They were not mocked, spat on
or ridiculed.
Could it perhaps be because the state-ment of the Lord Jesus Christ, No man
cometh unto the Father, but by me
(John 14:6), is so provocative because it
is the simple truth? If something does
not affect us, we can overlook it without
becoming indignant or defending our-
selves with mockery and blasphemy. But
woe betide anyone who says something
that makes us feel they are speaking to
us, even doubting us! Then it is not
C O V E R S T O R Y
8/13/2019 04 Apr 2011
8/48
8 M I D N I G H T C A L L
enough merely to reject Jesus, to nail
Him to the cross; no, tasteless scorn is
poured upon Him. With this, peoplecover their conviction; with this they
want to demonstrate their superiority, al-
though they are inwardly full of fear and
uncertainty. Could the Bible be right?
Could this despised man on the cross be
the Son of God after all?
Let Christ the King of Israel descend
now from the cross, that we may see and
believe (Mark 15:32). Does this not re-
mind us of the temptation of Jesus in the
wilderness? There the devil tempted theLord Jesus with the words, If thou be
the Son of God, command this stone that
it be made bread (Luke 4:3). But the
Son of God did not let Himself be
tempted; He was obedient unto death
(Philippians 2:8). His descent from the
cross would not have been a triumph, al-
though that would have been an easy
thing for the incarnate God, who had
healed blind and lame people and even
raised people from death. No, the tri-umph was that He conquered death by
remaining on the cross, voluntarily dy-
ing there and ultimately being raised
from the dead. This was the victory of
God and not some heroic deed of Bat-
man or Superman. From this we see that
the words, Descend now from the
cross were not only a mockery but also
simultaneously a temptation. Perhaps a
last desperate attempt of Satan to turn
away his defeat.
That we may see and believe! What
did the Lord Jesus say to His disciple
Thomas after His appearing? Blessed
are they that have not seen, and yet have
believed (John 20:29). Not seeing and
then believing, but exactly the other way
round: first believe and then see. For we
walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthi-
ans 5:7). Are we prepared to believe?
Then we will see. If you are not preparedto believe, however, you will not believe
even if you see.
The chief priests and the scribes, as
well as the many who saw Jesus when He
bore His cross, had heard of the signs
and wonders of the Lord Jesus, and per-
haps even experienced them. Those of
these Jews who did not want to believe
before Calvary, however, those who had
closed their hearts to the impressive
speaking of God in His Son until thistime, would not have believed even if the
Son of God had descended from the
cross.
Unfortunately, we Christians of today
also tend to want to see and thereby
prove the Bible and strengthen our faith.
Yet we go from believing to seeing and
not the other way round. Man is not con-
victed of sin by earthly, visible things and
heroic deeds, but by the Word of God.
Unfortunately,we Christians of today also tend to want to see and thereby prove the Bible and strengthen our
faith.Yet we go from believing to seeing and not the other way round.Man is not convicted of sin by earthly,visi-
ble things and heroic deeds, but by theWord of God.
8/13/2019 04 Apr 2011
9/48
C O V E R S T O R Y
Of the death of our Lord Jesus on the cross,Mark says, And Jesus cried with a loud
voice, and gave up the ghost. And the
veil of the temple was rent in twain from
the top to the bottom (Mark 15:37-38).The veil in the temple is torn; now we
have access to the heavenly sanctuary!
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to
enter into the holiest by the blood of Je-
sus, by a new and living way, which he
hath consecrated for us, through the veil,
that is to say, his flesh (Hebrews 10:19-
20). Hallelujah! The way is free!
The dividing wall between God and
man was not the veil in itself, but sin.
The veil in the temple was torn from topto bottom, from God to man. It was the
veil that divided off the Holy of Holies.
This shows us that sin has been blotted
out and paid for. Just like that? No, not
just like that. It may seem so to us be-
cause it is nothing more than undeserved
favor, but for God this act was not simply
that; it was the painful, humiliating way
to the cross, with torture, mockery and
scorn, with pain, suffering and death.
Salvation, the now free way to God, did
not take place just like that, but it wasand is the proof of Gods love for you and
me (Romans 5:8). And if we look at this
grace of God, His love and kindness,
how irrelevant and trivial earthly things
become!
And when the centurion, which
stood over against him, saw that he so
cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said,
Truly this man was the Son of God
(Mark 15:39). This Roman officer real-
ized that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
He would not have contemplated the
possibility of His resurrection. He did
not have the hope of the resurrection,
and stood perplexed and full of fear in
the face of his realization. He simply
knew, I am also guilty of the death of
this just Man. How terrible this thought
must have been, and how guilty he must
have felt at this moment. We do not
know what happened to this centurion.We do not know whether he later met
the risen Lord and came to saving faith
in Him. The only thing we know is that
the crucifixion of this just Man moved
him deeply. If he confessed his guilt and
sincerely prayed for mercy, then we will
see this Roman centurion one day in
heaven. Then the words of Jesus on the
cross, Father, forgive them; for they
know not what they do (Luke 23:34)
applied to this Roman soldier, who reallyhad no idea who this Man was that they
nailed to the cross.
There were also women looking on
afar off: among whom was Mary Magda-
lene, and Mary the mother of James the
less and of Joses, and Salome; (who also,
when he was in Galilee, followed him,
and ministered unto him;) and many
other women which came up with him
unto Jerusalem (Mark 15:40-41). Who
A P R I L 2 0 1 1 9
The dividing wall between God and man was not the veil in itself,but sin.The veil in the temple was torn from top
to bottom, from God to man.It was the veil that divided off the Holy of Holies.
C O V E R S T O R Y
8/13/2019 04 Apr 2011
10/48
10 M I D N I G H T C A L L
were the women of whom these verses
speak? It is said of Mary Magdalene that
the Lord Jesus had healed her from her
demon possession (Luke 8:2). Mary, the
mother of James and Joses, was the
mother of the Apostle James, the son of
Alphaeus; and Salome was the mother of
the so-called sons of thunder (the
apostles James and John), the sons of
Zebedee (Matthew 27:56). These
women, who are mentioned by name,
and many others looked where the body
of the Lord Jesus was taken (Mark
15:47).
Notice what love women had for Jesus.Weonly have to think of the ministry of
Mary and Martha. Think of how lovingly
Mary anointed the feet of the Lord Jesus,
and see how these three women bought
sweet spices to anoint the body of the
Lord (Mark 16:1-2). This is love, this is
faithfulness, this is devotion which only
women are capable of in this measure.
And entering into the sepulchre, they
saw a young man sitting on the right
side, clothed in a long white garment;and they were affrighted. And he saith
unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Je-
sus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he
is risen; he is not here: behold the place
where they laid him (Mark 16:5-6).
It is interesting to note that the angel
spoke of Jesus the Nazarene, i.e. of the
Crucified One, and not of the Son of
God. Everything still seems to be taking
place on earth; it is all about the man Je-
sus, and only later on with His incredibleascension do we find the transition to
the heavenly Kingdom of God, which
Luke hints at, Why seek ye the living
among the dead? (Luke 24:5). The cen-
tral thing about this incredible story is
certainly the fact of the resurrection, He
is risen; he is not here (Mark 16:6). And
then the angel, in the guise of the young
man, continues, But go your way, tell
his disciples and Peter that he goeth be-
It is interesting to note that the angel spoke of Jesus the Nazarene, i.e.of the Crucified One,and not of the Son of
God.Everything still seems to be taking place on earth; it is all about the man Jesus,and only later on with His
incredible ascension do we find the transition to the heavenly Kingdom of God,which Luke hints at,Why seek ye
the living among the dead?(Luke 24:5).The central thing about this incredible story is certainly the fact of theresurrection,He is risen;he is not here(Mark 16:6).
8/13/2019 04 Apr 2011
11/48
C O V E R S T O R Y
fore you into Galilee: there shall ye seehim, as he said unto you (verse 7).
Why is Peter specially mentioned?
The angel spoke of the disciples of the
Lord Jesus; that should have been
enough. Peter was one of them, after all.
I think this has to do with his previous
denial of Jesus. Peter, who denied his
Lord and Master three times, was full of
shame and sorrow over his personal fail-
ure. How vehemently he had declared
before this that he would go to his death
with Jesus. But when theory was turned
into practice, he denied the Lord who
loved him so much. And Peter certainly
loved his Lord. He must have felt all the
worse after his denial of Him. With the
command of the angel to tell Peter in
particular that the Lord Jesus was risen
from the dead, Peters sadness was to be
changed into joy. And it should assure
him, Peter, I forgive you! None of thedisciples suffered as much as Peter, and
so this news of the resurrection was like
a tremendous liberation to him. An in-
credible story for Peter, who, as Luke
and John report, now hastened to the
grave to see for himself what they had
told him (Luke 24:12 and John 20:3).
But when, where and in what circum-
stances did Jesus tell His disciples that
after His resurrection He would go to
Galilee? This took place when He was onthe Mount of Olives together with His
disciples, after the last supper, and
shortly before His arrest in the Garden of
Gethsemane, when He also predicted Pe-
ters denial of Him (Mark 14:28). This
detail was also known to the disciples,
and yet they were so slow to understand
all this. I say deliberately to understand
and not to believe, because I think that
they really did believe, in the true sense
of the word, but did not really under-stand. It was all an incredible story for
them, mere theory and not to be under-
stood in practice. The angel underlined
the reliability of the Word of God by ex-
pressly emphasizing, There shall ye see
him, as he said unto you (Mark 16:7).
In other words, and this is valid up to the
present day, Believe and trust in the
Word of God; then you will not go
wrong.
What a faith it would have been if the
disciples had made their way to Galilee
after the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus, to
wait for Him there instead of barricading
themselves in a house in Jerusalem. The
apostles should have known, and yet
they were completely taken by surprise.
They were not expecting the Lord Jesus,
really. Are you waiting for the Lord? I do
not meant theoretically, according to the
Word, but practically. Are you ready tomeet the Lord, or are you saying, The
Lord will not come for a long time? As
he said unto youthese are words that
should touch our hearts too.
And they went out quickly, and fled
from the sepulchre; for they trembled
and were amazed: neither said they any
thing to any man; for they were afraid
(Mark 16:8). An incredible story is our
theme, and we see by the reaction of the
women how incredible this all seemed tothem. We could really say they were suf-
fering from shock. They had reckoned
with everything, just not an empty tomb.
And now the angel gives them a com-
mand. This must have seemed like a
dream to them. And what about the
command they received to tell the disci-
ples and Peter of the risen One? Neither
said they any thing to any man. We do
not want to judge them, but we acknowl-
A P R I L 2 0 1 1 1 1
What a faith it would have been if the disciples had made their way to Galilee after the crucifixion of the Lord
Jesus, to wait for Him there instead of barricading themselves in a house in Jerusalem.The apostles should have
known,and yet they were completely taken by surprise.They were not expecting the Lord Jesus, really.
C O V E R S T O R YC O V E R S T O R Y
8/13/2019 04 Apr 2011
12/48
12 M I D N I G H T C A L L
edge this fact, and above all we ask our-
selves, what command has the Lord
given us? Are we fulfilling it? Go ye into
all the world, and preach the gospel toevery creature (Mark 16:15). This is the
Lords command to us too. And what did
Peter and John say so eloquently after-
wards, For we cannot but speak the
things which we have seen and heard
(Acts 4:20). Is this the case with us, or
perhaps the words, Neither said they
any thing to any man; for they were
afraid, are more applicable where we are
concerned. Let us each examine our-
selves and answer for ourselves. Thewords of 2 Timothy 1:7 should encour-
age us in this connection, For God hath
not given us the spirit of fear; but of
power, and of love, and of a sound
mind.
After all this, at last the appearing of theLord took place, Now when Jesus wasrisen early the first day of the week, he
appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of
whom he had cast seven devils (Mark
16:9).
Only Mark writes of the fact that the
shocked women did not say anything to
anyone at first. As the other Gospels re-
port, these women were full of fear on
the one hand, but full of great joy on the
other hand. On the way to the disciples,
to tell them of their incredible meeting,
they were silent, knowing that nobody
would believe them anyway. Who would
take them seriously as women? The tes-
timony of a woman at that time had ab-
solutely no value. This fact is also a proof
of the credibility of the Bible: if this book
would have been written later on by peo-
ple without the inspiration of the holy
God, then the writers would surely have
come up with more reliable witnesses
than a couple of women.
Mark describes further that the LordJesus met with Mary Magdalene. She had
possibly not even gotten over the shock
of His death when the Lord appeared to
her. Similarly as with Thomas later on,
first she had to see before she believed
with all her heart. And she [Mary Mag-
dalene] went and told them that had
been with him, as they mourned and
wept. And they, when they had heard
that he was alive, and had been seen of
her, believed not (verses 10-11). Luke24:11 says it even more emphatically,
And their words seemed to them as idle
tales, and they believed them not. What
is our title? An incredible story. They
did not believe it. It was simply an in-
credible story. We see this again in Mark
16:13, after the Lord Jesus had revealed
Himself to the two disciples on the road
to Emmaus, After that he appeared in
another form unto two of them, as they
And even when the two disciples who had been on the road to Emmaus told the disciples, they were inca-
pable of regarding the impossible as being possible.Then the Lord Jesus appeared to His disciples,and
upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen
him after he was risen(verse 14).
8/13/2019 04 Apr 2011
13/48
C O V E R S T O R Y
walked, and went into thecountry. And they went and
told it unto the residue: nei-
ther believed they them
(verses 12-13).
Let us imagine how the
eleven disciples must have felt
just before that. A couple of
days ago, they were there when
their Lord and Master rode tri-
umphantly into Jerusalem, and
then the events leading up to
the crucifixion took place in quick suc-
cession. The disciples were despondent,
desperate, full of fear, unsure and per-
plexed. And then came Mary Magdalene
and the other women. But what is the
reason for Jesus first appearing to the
women and not His disciples? This testi-
mony was too incredible to be true. And
even when the two disciples who had
been on the road to Emmaus told thedisciples, they were incapable of regard-
ing the impossible as being possible.
Then the Lord Jesus appeared to His dis-
ciples, and upbraided them with their
unbelief and hardness of heart, because
they believed not them which had seen
him after he was risen (verse 14).
The Lord Jesus had to scold His clos-
est friends, namely the remaining eleven
apostles, for their unbelief. Unbelief? In
what form? They saw in Jesus theAnointed One and Son of God, and con-
fessed Him as such. The disciples be-
lieved in Jesus, by all means. Yet they
showed their unbelief in their practical
faith-lives. Just as today, many Christians
believe in the Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ, but do not put their faith into
practice. They give no testimony, al-
though they know of their commission.
They do not grow, although they should.
They still consume spiritual milk, al-
though they should have become teach-
ers themselves long ago (Hebrews 5:12).
They complain and despair although
they know the promises. Are you also
concerning yourself with the question,
Who shall roll us away the stone from
the door of the sepulchre? (Mark 16:3),
when this stone has been rolled away
long ago? The women realized it whenthey looked up (verse 4). What are you
spending more time doing? Looking at
the stones that you think are in your way,
or are you looking up to your Lord and
Savior?
Do what the scolded disciples did and
let the admonition of the Lord be an en-
couragement to grow spiritually. Later
on, after the Lord Jesus had ascended
into heaven, they could not do other
than to proclaim boldly and powerfullythe fact of the resurrection, And with
great power gave the apostles witness of
the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and
great grace was upon them all (Acts
4:33).
An incredible story? Yes, indeed. In-
credible, and yet true. What grace that
those who believe it will one day go from
believing to seeing. Praise be to the risen
Lord Jesus Christ! (MR0410/432)
A P R I L 2 0 1 1 1 3
Are you also concerning yourself with the question, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepul-
chre? (Mark 16:3),when this stone has been rolled away long ago?The women realized it when they looked up
(verse 4).
C O V E R S T O R YC O V E R S T O R Y
8/13/2019 04 Apr 2011
14/48
14 M I D N I G H T C A L L
M O NE Y: E ND S & T R E ND S $For resources on endtime economics and to subscribe to the free newsletter,Eternal Value Review,visit Wilfreds
website www.eternalvalue.com or contact him at: staff@eternalvalue.com
Jubileum Part I: Gods PropheticOutline for Prosperity
Just what does the Bible say about the rich the poor about wealth
distribution how things will be when Jesus Christ restores all things
(Acts 3:21)? Quite a bit. In fact, as much as 40% of the Bible is said to
deal with these and related topics.
B y W i l f r e d H a h n
Most wonderfully, the
Bible concerns itself pri-
marily with the captives
and the poor, whether in spirit or
physically. In this 3-part series,
our aim is to show just how won-
derfully God has aligned the phys-
ical creation with his heavenly kingdom
and work of salvation. Should His re-quirements of love, mercy and forgive-
ness not be practiced, the societies of
mankind are designed to malfunction
and self-destruct.
We will begin by first consulting the
Bible for its perspectives on these top-
ics. In Part II, we will then explore
Gods ideal plan for economic justice
on eartha program that will be rein-
stituted in the Millennium period. Part
III reflects upon the wonderful bless-
ings of cancellation and forgive-
ness. As we will discover, these
concepts are necessary for both eternal
salvation and the blessed existence of
mankind during his temporal, physical,
existence on earth.
The Poor and the RichEvery time we risk writing about Bibli-
cal perspectives on wealth and its distri-
bution, we seem to invite incendiary
responses. Quoting Robert E. Lucas, Of
the tendencies that are harmful to sound
economics, the most seductive, and
the most poisonous, is to focus on ques-
tions of distribution.1 We would agree.
Even my background as a practitioner in
the Darwinian world of the global in-
8/13/2019 04 Apr 2011
15/48
Jubileum Part I: Gods Prophetic Outline for Prosperity
vestment industry, has not spared me
from being accused a Marxist.
Therefore, lets settle this point right at
the outset. We are here more interested
in the Bibles view on these questions ofwealth, the poor, forgiveness and Gods
desired economy for mankind, not the
secular theories of men. As it is, the field
of economics and its myriad theories
(which is a subject body that belongs to
the humanities, not science) has yet to
settle on a unanimous view. It should
also be recognized that this field of non-
sciences has had a terrible, terrible track
record.
Moreover, populist views and policies
on these matters tend to change with the
times and zeitgeist. For example, in
America today, to speak of wealth
redistribution from the rich to
the poor would be economic
heresy. According to the
thinking in higher-echelon
political circles, the rich
must be protected. In
short, arent they the onesthat provide the capital that
provides jobs and incomes
for everyone else? There-
fore, the right and privilege
to achieve huge outsized
after-tax incomes and wealth must
be preserved. At least, that is the reason-
ing that is prevalent in the halls of
power.
However, lets get back to the Biblical
view and put these things into properfocus. It is not so much that specific
tenets of capitalist theories about wealth
creation and distribution are dead
wrong. It is that their implementation
does not always emphasize fairness,
compassion and love. Dont believe it? If
that were not the case, one would need
to wonder why the Holy Spirit went to
the trouble of inspiring the Bible. Its
central message would be obviated.
As the Bible repeatedly shows, God
chooses to observe the motives of the
heart rather than the punctilious obser-
vance of ritual or theory. For I desire
mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledg-ment of God rather than burnt offer-
ings (Hosea 6:6, see also Matthew 12:7,
9:13). Through Micah, God admonished
the Jews, saying, He has showed you, O
man, what is good. And what does the
LORD require of you? To act justly and
to love mercy and to walk humbly with
your God (Micah 6:8).
The same message is found in the
New Testament. Even the gospel cannot
be operative without love and mercy. If
I speak in the tongues of men and of an-
gels, but have not love, I am only a re-
sounding gong or a clanging
cymbal. If I have the gift of
prophecy and can fathom
all mysteries and all
knowledge, and if I have
a faith that can move
mountains, but have not
love, I am nothing. IfI give all I possess to the
poor and surrender my
body to the flames, but have
not love, I gain nothing
(1 Corinthians 13:1-3).
People may have great
head knowledge of Scriptures or ele-
gant economic theories about wealth
creation and prosperity. However, it is
all insignificant noise if its implemen-
tation (putting into practice) does notinvolve love. The two Royal Laws,
which Christ said encompassed all the
Law and the Prophets (Matthew
22:40), were best summarized by the
law expert mentioned in Luke 10:27:
Love the Lord your God with all your
heart and with all your soul and with
all your strength and with all your
mind; and, love your neighbor as
yourself.
$
If I speak in the
tongues of men
and of angels, but
have not love, I am
only a resounding
gong or a clanging
cymbal. If I have
the gift of prophecy
and can fathom all
mysteries and all
knowledge, and
if I have a faith that
can move
mountains, but
have not love, I am
nothing. If I give all
I possess to thepoor and surrender
my body to the
flames, but have
not love, I gain
nothing
(1 Corinthians
13:1-3).
A P R I L 2 0 1 1 1 5
8/13/2019 04 Apr 2011
16/48
The very last days of the Church Era
the terrible times that Paul talks ofare de-
scribed as being without love,
unforgiving, instead characterized
by the love of money and loveof themselves (2 Timothy
3:2-3). That exactly de-
scribes the attitudes re-
quired to underpin an
environment of eco-
nomic oppression,
high indebtedness and
widening wealth skews.
That day is here today. If
anything (by at least some
measures), these conditions are likely to get
worse and most certainly, much worse
by the time the Tribulation unfolds.
The Bible Versus Political PolemicsUsing such terms as Marxism or Capi-
talism is not helpful in discussing what
the Bible actually says and mandates vis-
-vis wealth. Neither ism is supported
in the Bible. (In fact, the Bible supports no
isms of mankind.) Actually, the Scrip-tures and ancient wisdom precede these
man-made theories by several millennia.
To the extent that Karl Marx might have
theorized some of the flaws of capitalism
(as does the Bible), this did not qualify
him as a godly man. Much to the contrary.
His seminal failings were that he did not
operate out of a spirit of love (more likely
envy) nor a fear of God. Likewise, any
rich person or proponent of capitalism
would not be sinfully wrong, were theyinspired by a sense of justice or love for
fellow mankind. Without love and mercy,
the ultimate consequence of even the best
theory and doctrine will be destructive.
The essential points and attitudes to
which we must orient ourselves in rela-
tion to wealth and physical possessions
are found in the Bible. These were estab-
lished long before Adam Smith or Karl
Marx came along. To emphasize, Biblical
wealth theory cannot be disassociated
from love and justice, and has no union
with concepts of self-interest (Adam
Smith and later concepts of the good of
capitalism or affluence); nor asso-ciations with envy nor
covetousness; and more
lately, the good of greed.
Why Are There Poor?Wasnt Abraham, the Bib-
lical patriarch, wealthy?
This observation is often
made in the defense of the
rich. It completely misses the
point. To be relatively or absolutely
wealthy is not a sin (though it is also
true that very few are capable of justly
managing wealth). The Bible does not
condemn the state of being rich; it
rather indicts the elite rich that oppress
their fellow mankind and take no con-
cern for the poor.
Without a doubt, there were numer-
ous wealthy individuals mentioned in
the Old Testament. But, what conclu-sions should we draw from this observa-
tion? First, we need to draw a
distinction between those rich that were
righteous and those that were not. We
have already drawn attention to the crit-
ical differentiationlove, mercy and
justice. However, lets also consider
some practical aspects. Who would not
agree that it is impossible for everyone
in the world to be as rich as Abraham, in
relative terms. This is simply not physi-cally possible. Nor does the Bible ever
promise that everyone can be rich (as
do todays popular and widespread
[false] Prosperity Gospel teachers).
The Bible draws a distinction between
the state of being wealthy and that of
hoarding. These are not one and the
same concepts. It is a mathematically-sup-
portable fact that hoarding must result in a
wealth distribution skew in other
16 M I D N I G H T C A L L
M O NE Y: E ND S & T R E ND S $
The Bible draws
a distinction
between the
state of being
wealthy and that
of hoarding.
8/13/2019 04 Apr 2011
17/48
Jubileum Part I: Gods Prophetic Outline for Prosperity
words, a relative division in wealth or stan-
dard of living. In fact, such is the very defi-
nition of hoarding. As outlined in James
5:1-6, wealth is described as having been
heaped or amassed, which is impliedby the Greek word saurizo. This is an im-
portant distinction, as it gives evidence of a
wealth skew. Wealth cannot be heaped and
concentrated without there being a lessen-
ing or deprivation of someone elses rela-
tive wealth. The impulse for this effect may
be unintentional, sin or conspiracy. At the
very least, we must not forget the innate
vulnerability of all human flesh. Every-
thing else being equal, the love of money
(1 Timothy 6:10), the lust of the flesh
(1 John 2:16), and all mankind being born
into sin testify to the corruptible bias of the
world. Just who is uncorruptible?
It is no surprise therefore that almost
the entire emphasis of the Bible in relation
to the poor is to their defense. But why
should this be? Just why is it necessary for
the Bible to counsel special aid and care for
the poor? While there are godly people
mentioned in the Bible who were wealthy,just why is it that the rich attract so little
favorable mention in the Scriptures? The
answer: the same reason that mankind
needs salvation and forgiveness of sins.
Therefore, what the Bible does consistently
concern itself with are the poor and the op-
pressed, both physically and in spirit.
Moses said to the Hebrews, There
should be no poor among you
(Deuteronomy 15:4), this being a com-
mand from God. Jesus said that he cameto preach good news to the poor. (The
Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he
has anointed me to preach good news to
the poor. He has sent me to proclaim
freedom for the prisoners and recovery
of sight for the blind, to release the op-
pressedLuke 4:18.) He also said:
You will always have the poor among
you (John 12:8), pointing out the un-
fortunate state of a fallen world.
Gods Plan for Fair Dealing withWealthA thorough study of the economic princi-
ples within the God-given laws to the Is-
raelites of the Sabbath and the Jubilee Year
reveals the intended wealth distribution
that God had planned upon earth. It is not
unreasonable to take instruction from
these commanded ordinances of the Is-
raelites as, after all, they were called to be a
light to the world (Isaiah 42:6, 49:6).
But arent ancient laws and principles ir-
relevant today? No. Consider that Godhimself will again reinstitute these two
Sabbath ordinances in the Millennium pe-
riod. Think of it: when Jesus Christ re-
stores all things (Acts 3:21), the Sabbath
and Jubilee years will be practiced by the
entire earth. Civil leaders today would then
do well if they sought to pursue the same
principles behind these two ordinances.
Then, just what are these principles? We
next need to examine the Bibles teachings
about the Sabbath and Jubilee Years.Of course, the Sabbath finds its origi-
nal roots at Creation. God rested on the
7th day. The entire earth was to rest on
this day. Ever since, all developed cul-
tureswhether Asian, Western or oth-
erwisehave operated on a seven-day,
weekly cycle. Later, the Sabbath Law was
given to the Hebrews. However, this oc-
curred in several stages, as we will review
in Part II.
$
As a brief
foretaste,
considered what
God said through
Moses, At the
end of every
seven years you
must cancel
debts(Deuteronomy
15:1). As such,
we see that a
seven-year debt
cycle was
instituted. There
was no such
thing as
perpetual debt:
every Sabbath
Year, debts had
to be laid flat.
Anyone who
could not pay
back his debts
by that time was
forgiven this
amount.
A P R I L 2 0 1 1 1 7
8/13/2019 04 Apr 2011
18/48
As a brief foretaste, considered what
God said through Moses, At the end of
every seven years you must cancel
debts (Deuteronomy 15:1). As such, we
see that a seven-year debt cycle was in-
stituted. There was no such thing as per-
petual debt: every Sabbath Year, debts
had to be laid flat. Anyone who could
not pay back his debts by that time was
forgiven this amount. We can imagine
just how different our economies would
be today were this same convention ap-
plied.
Points to PonderThe CircaseptanCycleThe seven-day cycle, ending with the
day of rest, is evidenced by all of Cre-
ation. Here is an excerpt from an excel-
lent article on this subject, written by
Kenneth Westby, entitled The Amazing
7-Day Cycle.2
Now we discover that the beat all life is
tuned to is seven.
How did seven come to be imbedded
deep into the ancient genetic building
blocks of life? Why is seven the key coordi-
nating rhythm for lifes myriad complexi-
ties?
God didwind up the clockworkleaving
his fingerprints all over the clock. The new
science of chronobiology has had some of
sciences most impressive successes in see-
ing back to creation with its discovery of
primitive origins to the seven-day cycle
found in human cells and other life forms.
God somehow coded into the infinite
complexities of life a clock that ticks to the
time of a seven-day rhythm. We humans
have no control over these innate circasep-
tan rhythms and benefit best by simply liv-
ing in sympathetic harmony with them.
More importantly, the seven-day cycle in
physical nature points beyond temporal
reality to a far greater spiritual reality.
God, with masterful design, uses time it-
self and a seventh day rest to call his cre-
ation to pause and listen.He has a message
which explains why we were created and
for what special purpose. His words are so
majestic, so exciting, so unbelievable, so
beyond our mundane world that they
could only be comprehended as coming
from God himself. His message dispels ig-
norance, solves lifes grand mysteries, and
offers a future too beautiful to be true.
His personal message introduces him-
self as our creator,he gives us dignity and a
special relationship to himself by declaring
we have been made in his image, he then
offers to save us into an eternity with
himif we but follow him. He invites us tojoin him on his journey,to walk with him, to
talk with him, to learn from him, to even
rule with him.How could we refuse such an
invitation?
The mystery of the seven-day cycle was
never intended to be a mystery, but a call
from the Creator to get in harmony, in sync,
with him. It is high time we get in step with
God.
In Part II and Part III, we will focus onGods perfect plan for economic justice
and the great gifts of forgiveness and
cancellation.
ENDNOTES
1 Robert E.Lucas,The Industrial Revolutions:Past and
Future(2004)
2 http://www.godward.org/archives/Special%20
Articles/7-Day%20Cycle.htm
M O NE Y: E ND S & T R E ND S $
The mystery of
the seven-day
cycle was never
ntended to be a
mystery, but a
call from the
Creator to get in
harmony, in sync,
with him. It ishigh time we get
n step with
God.
MC
18 M I D N I G H T C A L L
8/13/2019 04 Apr 2011
19/48
A P R I L 2 0 1 1 1 9
And the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up to-gether with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Wherefore comfort one another with these words (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).
B Y N O R B E R T L I E T H
HOPE ANDRESPONSIBILITY INVIEW OFTHE RAPTURE
8/13/2019 04 Apr 2011
20/48
The Rapture is the next
great event which
awaits the Church of
Jesus Christ. What hope is con-
nected with this, and what is the Churchs
responsibility in view of Jesus return?
The hope embraces five encouragements. Thefirst one is, And that, knowing the time, that
now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now
is our salvation nearer than when we believed
(Romans 13:11).
Every day the return of Jesus for His own draws a
little nearer. For now refers to people who have
already been redeemed through Jesus (spiritually
renewed), and gives them the hope of redemption
from the body at the Rapture, i.e. the resurrection.
The return of Jesus to take home His Church is the
conclusion of the process of redemption of the chil-
dren of God. We could say that it is our ultimate
salvation or the completion of redemption. Theprocess of redemption which began with the spiri-
tual renewal will culminate in the transformation of
the body and the glory of God.
At our conversion, our soul was redeemed; at the
Rapture, the body will also be transformed.
Even we ourselves groan within ourselves, wait-
ing for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our
body (Romans 8:23). Everything earthly (physical,
negative), everything that limits us through our
physical nature, all physical weakness, such as the
process of aging, the inclination to sin, sorrow,tears, and worry, will be transformed into eternal
glory. Paul explains that the new body will be
adapted to heaven, just as the bodies of birds are
adapted for flying, the bodies of animals for the
earth, the bodies of fish to water and the bodies of
people to the world (1 Corinthians 15:39-49).
The second encouragement is: For our conver-
sation (citizenship) is in heaven; from whence also
we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: who
shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned
like unto his glorious body, ac-
cording to the working whereby
he is able even to subdue all things unto
himself (Philippians 3:20-21).
I would like to emphasize the word citi-
zenship. It is so wonderful that the Bible al-
ways gives us assurance. What is citizenship?
Citizenship is the state of being a citizen of a coun-
try. As a German citizen, I have the right to live in
Germany, and nobody can drive me out. I am a
child of this people. As a citizen of heaven, I have
the right to live in Gods kingdom, because I have
become a child of God through Jesus Christ.
We are born into the people of a nation. In the
same way, we are born into the kingdom of heaven
(through rebirth). Jesus bought us the right to be-
come a citizen of heaven; through Him we have be-
come partakers of grace. He is our guarantee, the
divine signature, our legitimation, our passport.
Now we are awaiting the Lord Jesus, for Him to re-
turn to take us home, to the kingdom where He hasprepared a place for us.
The third encouragement: Looking for that
blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the
great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave
himself for us, that he might redeem us from all in-
iquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people,
zealous of good works (Titus 2:13-14). The
blessed hope is directly connected with the appear-
ing of the Lord, who is our God and Savior.
What is blessed? It is the expression for re-
demption and fellowship with God. Blessed is theterm for attaining to the highest supernatural bless-
ing that lies beyond the possibility of man. The
highest blessing is God Himself. Therefore, blessed-
ness puts everything humanly achievable into the
shade. The uniting with God through the appearing
of Jesus is, therefore, our blessed hope.
The fourth encouragement: And to you who are
troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be
revealed from heaven with his mighty angels
(2 Thessalonians 1:7).
Paul explains that the new body will be adapted to heaven, just as the bodies of birds areadapted for flying, the bodies of animals for the earth, the bodies of fish to water and the bod-
ies of people to the world (1 Corinthians 15:39-49).
20 M I D N I G H T C A L L
8/13/2019 04 Apr 2011
21/48
The Bible tells us that at the return of Jesus for
the resurrection and Rapture, we will first enter
into rest, to appear with the angels of His power
in glory later on. Rest means that we have
come to rest from all toil, the battle of faith and
overcoming. We will be liberated from all suffer-
ing, trouble will be over; life will attain its ut-
most fullness, the goal of our faith having been
reached.
When Jesus was risen from the dead, it says
that His head covering in the tomb was folded up
in a special place by itself (John 20:7). Why is
this mentioned? It is to draw our attention to the
fact of what Jesus achieved. The cloth that had
been wrapped around Jesus head reminds us of a
sweatband (in the sweat of thy face, Genesis
3:19): the battle, the trouble and toil were set
aside. He accomplished the work in our place
and thereby created a blessed rest, a rest from
having to work for our redemption ourselves.For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath
ceased from his own works, as God did from his
(Hebrews 4:10).
Fifth encouragement: Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according
to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again
unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incor-
ruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away,
reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the
power of God through faith unto salvation readyto be revealed in the last time (1 Peter 1:3-5).
Notice the correlation: the eternal inheritance
that Jesus achieved for us is kept for us in
heaven, and we are kept for this inheritance. Isnt
that wonderful? The Bible always gives us assur-
ance! It is not our power that keeps us, or we
would soon be in trouble; it is Gods power, His
omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence
that keep us. We may trust in this power of God
in faith and act accordingly.
The responsibility embraces five admonitions. First ad-monition: In view of the imminent return of the
Lord Jesus for His Church, we are told to love one
another, Owe no man any thing, but to love one
another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the
law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou
shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt notbear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there
be any other commandment, it is briefly compre-
hended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy
neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his
neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
And that, knowing the time, that now it is high
time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation
nearer than when we believed (Romans 13:8-11).
A child once wrote the following words to God,
Dear God, I bet its hard for You to love everyone
in this world. We are only four people in my family,and I never make it!
When a person close to us is taken from us by
death, we often regret many things; we regret not
having loved them more, for instance. John Wesley
once said, I have often regretted judging too
harshly, but only seldom being too compassionate.
When we stand before the judgment seat of God,
the Lord will not ask in the first place how much
we prayed or how much we resisted sin, how well
we fought and admonished, how faithful we were
HOPE AND RESPONSIBILITY IN VIEW OF THE RAPTURE
We are born into the people of a nation. In the same way, we are born into the kingdom ofheaven (through rebirth). Jesus bought us the right to become a citizen of heaven; through Him
we have become partakers of grace. He is our guarantee, the divine signature, our legitima-tion, our passport.
A P R I L 2 0 1 1 2 1
8/13/2019 04 Apr 2011
22/48
22 M I D N I G H T C A L L
or how much we did for Him.
He will ask how much we
loved. Love is the fulfillment
of the law; love is the greatest
thing of all. And the worst
thing of all is to neglect to
love. The letter to the Church
at Ephesus shows us where
our priorities lie (in Revelation
2:1-7). Everything else is important too, but love al-
ways has priority.
Second admonition: We are admonished to keep
a pure conscience, Now the Spirit speaketh ex-
pressly, that in the latter times some shall depart
from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and
doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; hav-
ing their conscience seared with a hot iron (1 Tim-
othy 4:1-2).
A man once asked his neighbor, who was a
farmer, why he had been looking so sad recently.After a while, the farmer admitted, I have a guilty
conscience because I stole a chain. The neighbor
encouraged him to give the chain back and put the
matter in order, so that his conscience would be
clear and he could be happy again. Days later he
met the farmer again, but he still looked sad. He
asked him whether he had returned the chain, to
which the farmer answered, Yes, I did, but it didnt
help matters much. After a while, he ultimately
confessed, Well, there was a cow at the end of the
chain. We must tell the whole truth, and manypeople are afraid to do this, and therefore they are
not free.
Third admonition: We are admonished to await
Jesus. Looking for that blessed hope, and the glori-
ous appearing of the great God and our Saviour Je-
sus Christ (Titus 2:13). Christians have many
goals that they pursue, and they are awaiting a lot
of things, but they look far too little for the return
of Jesus for the Rapture. We await death, the day of
judgment, the end of the world, but hardly Jesus
appearing. It is not without
significance that the New Tes-
tament speaks less of our ex-
pectation of death than the
return of Jesus (cf. 1 Corinthi-
ans 1:7 and 1 Thessalonians
1:9-10). Fervent expectation
belongs to true conversion
and true service.
Fourth admonition: We are admonished to hope,
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren,
concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow
not, even as others which have no hope. For if we
believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them
also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with
himWherefore comfort one another with these
words (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 & 18).
People who have no personal relationship with
Jesus are called outsiders, them that are without;
in the Word of God, they are people without hope,who have no citizenship in heaven and no comfort.
The Bible describes the kingdom of heaven for us in
the most vivid colors, but it also says that we will
not go there automatically. A personal turning in
faith to Jesus Christ is, according to the Scriptures,
essential and cannot be replaced by anything else.
Fifth admonition: We are admonished to take the
Word of God seriously. And he said unto me,
These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord
God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew
unto his servants the things which must shortly bedone. Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that
keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book
(Revelation 22:6-7).
The Bible proclaims the judgment of God. It
speaks of the coming wrath, it speaks of death and
the possibility of spending eternity far from God.
We should not ignore these warnings, but take
them seriously, and they should lead us to turn con-
sciously to the grace of God in Jesus Christ.
(MR0310/387)
And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holyprophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book(Revelation 22:6-7).
8/13/2019 04 Apr 2011
23/48
8/13/2019 04 Apr 2011
24/48
We are living in an increasingly insecure world.The news media continues to bombard uswith reports,mainly negative, and we can barely digest it all. But theabove Scripturegives us theanswer: its about the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the spirit of grace. Is-raels salvation is at stake.The Gentiles are mentioned in the previous verse: And it shallcome to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come againstJerusalem (verse 9).That sums up theconviction of our world today.
Thisyears AtlanticCoast Prophecy Conference will be targeted toward Israel, theChurch, and the Gentile world.What it all means and what the Bible has to say about itwill be presentedby our speakers during the21/2 day prophecyconference.So, dont missthis important event!
CONFERENCE REGISTRATION
Registration Fee:$59 per person ($49 by 29 July)# in party: ______x $59 Total Registration $
# Banquet:______x $35 Total for Banquet $
Total Enclosed $
Participants Name: Attending Banquet?
1._____________________________ Yes__ No__2._____________________________ Yes__ No__
3._____________________________ Yes__ No__
Your Name:________________________________________
Address:___________________________________________
City:________________________State:____Zip:______________
Phone:___________________________________________
Check Visa/MC/Disc/AMEX
Card#_____________________________________________
Expires:______Signature:_______________________________
Mail to:Midnight CallP.O. Box 280008,Columbia, SC 29228
Registrationby phone:(800)8452420or (803)755-0733Fax:(803) 755-6002
# in party:
Mail to:Atlantic Coast Prophecy Conference,Landmark Resort Hotel,1501 South Ocean Blvd.,Myrtle Beach,SC 29577Reservations: (800) 845-0658 or Fax (843) 445-7274Please mention Midnight Call or Atlantic Coast Prophecy Conference when calling.
Arrival Date: Departure Date:
InteriorviewHotel Rooms $40/night OceanviewHotel Rooms $45/night
OceanfrontHotel Rooms $51/night KingAngle OceanviewSuites $52/night
OceanfrontEfficiencies $52/night OceanfrontSuites $60/night
DoubleAngle OceanviewSuites $55/night
DeluxeOceanfront Suites $63/night
$ /night x nights = $*Plus$5resortfeepernight $*Plus13% accommodationstax $Total for Accommodations $
Your Name:____________________________________________
Address:___________________________________________
City:________________________State:____Zip:_____________
Phone:_____________________________________________
Check Visa/MC/Disc/AMEX
Card#_______________________________________________
Expires:______Signature:____________________________________
MC 04/11 HOTEL RESERVATION MC 04/11
16-18 October 2011Landmark Resort HotelMyrtle Beach,South Carolina
And I will pour upon thehouse of David, and upon theinhabitantsof Jerusalem, thespirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they havepierced,and theyshall mourn for him,asone mournethfor his onlyson, and shall bein bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn (Zechariah 12:10).
2 0 1 1 A T L A N T I C C O A S T P R O P H E C Y C O N F E R E N C E
24 M I D N I G H T C A L L24 M I D N I G H T C A L L
8/13/2019 04 Apr 2011
25/48
NORBERT LIETHis a graduate of Midnight Call
Bible School in Montevideo/Uruguay. He has
served as Midnight Calls missionary in sev-
eral South American countries. Norbert Lieth is
the lead speaker for Midnight Call Ministries
throughout Europe. He has authored 18 books,
and many have been translated into several languages. He
and his wife, Elke, and their four daughters reside in Switzerland.
WILFRED HAHNis known for his writings and
insights on present-day world economic and
money trends, viewed from a Biblical perspec-
tive. He has global investment industry experi-
ence spanning three decades, having held
various executive positions from Director of
Research for a major Wall Street firm, to Chairman of Canadas
largest global investment group. At one time also a top-ranked
global analyst and strategist, he continues to write and work as
a Chief Investment Officer. The Mulberry Ministry, founded in
1995 with his wife, Joyce, publishes and distributes Eternal
Value Reviewand over 40 books and booklets. For the past 10
years, he has been a contributor toMidnight Callmagazine.
DR. CHUCK MISSLER,a Naval academy gradu-
ate and former Branch Chief of the Dept. of
Guided Missiles, had a remarkable 30-year
executive career. He served on the Board of
Directors of 12 public companies and was CEO
of 6 of them. For twenty years, Chuck balanced
his high-profile corporate career with his teaching commit-
ment to a weekly Bible study at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa in
Southern California. He earned a Ph.D. from Louisiana Baptist
University in Biblical Studies in 1999. He and his wife Nancy
established Koinonia House in 1973. Koinonia House publishes
the monthlyPersonal UPDATE, which highlights the Biblical rel-
evance of current events to over 50,000 subscribers world-
wide. After a devastating earthquake in 1992 demolished their
home in Big Bear, California, Chuck and Nancy moved Koinonia
House to Coeur dAlene, Idaho, and K-House now reaches tens
of thousands through its monthly newsletter, radio shows,
cassette tapes, and conferences.
DR. GREG HARRIS(Th.D.) has taught at Wash-
ington Bible College for seven years. Then for
ten years, Dr. Harris taught Bible and Greek at
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
He continues to serve as an international faculty
member of the Jordan Evangelical Theological
Seminary in Amman, and maintains an ongoing international
conference and pulpit ministry. He is the author ofThe Cup and
the Glory, The Darkness and the Glory, andThe Stone and the
Gloryand numerous journal articles. He joined The Masters
Seminary family in 2006 as Professor of Bible Exposition, and
also teaches as an adjunct professor at The Masters College. Dr.
Harris serves as the teaching pastor at Lake Hills Community
Church in Castaic, CA.
JAMES K. WALKER,the president of Watchman
Fellowship, is a former fourth generation Mor-
mon with over twenty years of ministry experi-
ence in the field of Christian counter-cult
evangelism, apologetics, and discernment. He
has been interviewed as an expert on new
religious movements and cults on a variety of network television
programs including Nightline, ABC World News Tonight, and The
News Hour with Jim Lehrer. He has spoken at hundreds of
churches, colleges, universities, and seminaries throughout
the United States and internationally.
ARNO FROESEis the executive director of Mid-
night Call Ministries and editor-in-chief of the
critically-acclaimed prophetic magazinesMid-
night Call and News From Israel. He has
authored a number of well-received books,
and has sponsored many prophecy confer-
ences in the U.S., Canada, and Israel. His extensive travels
have contributed to his keen insight into Bible prophecy, as he
sees it from an international perspective.
MEET THE SPEAKERS
8/13/2019 04 Apr 2011
26/48
James, the son of Alphaeus, is
almost always only mentionedin the various lists of the apos-
tles, and always toward the end of
them. Apart from this, he is only
mentioned a few times in connec-
tion with his mother (Matthew
27:56, Mark 16:1 and Luke 24:10).
He is also called James the less in
Mark 15:40, to distinguish him
from James, the son of Zebedee. We
may assume from this that the lat-
ter was taller or older than James, the son of Al-phaeus.
How were the disciples called? The brothersPeter and Andrew, and also James and John, were
called directly from their place of work to follow
Jesus (cf. Matthew 4:19-22). This was surely
something that they remembered all their lives,
that tremendous moment when they were called
out of their daily routine to follow Jesus, Peter, do
you remember? John, do you remember?
The calling of Philip and Nathanael
or Bartholomew was extraordinary,The day following Jesus would go
into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and
saith unto him, Follow mePhilip
findeth Nathanael, and saith unto
him, We have found him, of whom
Moses in the law, and the prophets,
did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son
of JosephJesus saw Nathanael
coming to him, and saith of him, Be-
hold an Israelite indeed, in whom is
no guile! Nathanael saith unto him, Whenceknowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto
him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou
wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael an-
swered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son
of God; thou art the King of Israel. Jesus answered
and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw
thee under the fig tree, believest thou? Thou shalt
see greater things than these (John 1:43, 45 &
47-50). This must have changed the lives of the
two disciples. Matthew was also called from his
The Calling of the Twelve Disciples
James,the Son ofAlphaeusB Y M A R C E L M A L G O
And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits,to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. Now the names of the
twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son
of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James
the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite, and Judas
Iscariot, who also betrayed him (Matthew 10:1-4).
26 M I D N I G H T C A L L
8/13/2019 04 Apr 2011
27/48
A P R I L 2 0 1 1 2 7
Yet particularly with James, the son of Alphaeus, we could have expected a specialreport of his calling, because he was probably related to Jesus Christ on his mothers
side. In John 19:25, the following three women are named, Now therestood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his motherssister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.
tax booth in a special way
(Matthew 9:9). This must
have moved this man enor-
mously.
But how was it with
James, the son of Alphaeus?
Could he also look back on a
special moment? One thing
is sure, at some point there
was a day in his life in which
he was received into the cir-
cle of the twelve. The Bible
does not speak of this day. It
gives no information as to
whether this calling took place in a spectacular
way. The Bible does not say a word too much, but
not a word too little either. If it does not say any-thing about the calling of James, the son of Al-
phaeus to be a disciple, then there is nothing
spectacular to say. It must have been an insignifi-
cant event that took place in all stillness. Nonethe-
less, this James was an apostle who was received
into the circle of the disciples by Jesus Christ Him-
self.
Yet particularly with James, the son of Al-
phaeus, we could have expected a special report of
his calling, because he was probably related to Je-
sus Christ on his mothers side. In John 19:25, thefollowing three women are named, Now there
stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his
mothers sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and
Mary Magdalene. The name Cleophas is a Greek
form of the Aramaic name Chalpaj, which can also
be translated as Alphaeus. Therefore, Cleophas Al-
phaeus was the father of the apostle James. This
made Mary, the wife of Cleophas the mother of
James. And this Mary was called the sister of Mary,
the mother of the Lord.
There are two arguments against this. Firstly,
that in John 19:25, not three but four women are
mentioned. According to this theory, hismothers sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas are
two different people and not, as we presume, one
and the same person. Most expositors speak actu-
ally of a total of three women. Secondly, you
could say that two physical sisters would surely
not bear the same name. The German Bible trans-
lator Ludwig Albrecht writes, however, in the
margin of his Bible, The fact that two sisters
bore the same name would not necessarily have
been odd at that time. King Herod the Great had
two sons who were both called Herod. The Biblescholar Abraham Meister also had no problem
with this, and he wrote explaining the name of
Cleophas, Husband of Mary, the sister of the
mother of Christ.
Proceeding from the assumption that this
James was related to Jesus, it is not peculiar to
think that there must have been a special bond
between Jesus Christ and the family of Alphaeus.
In spite of this, we read nothing of the calling,
life or ministry of this apostle.
Veronese, Crucifixion 1582
8/13/2019 04 Apr 2011
28/48
28 M I D N I G H T C A L L
James, the son of Alphaeus,was a man in the background
and played a rather modest
role. If this had not been the
case, then the four evangelists
would certainly have men-
tioned him. But James appar-
ently accepted this subordinate
role completely. He lived ac-
cording to the words of Jesus,
Take my yoke upon you, and
learn of me; for I am meek and
lowly in heart: and ye shall find
rest unto your souls (Matthew
11:29). Why can this be applied
to this unknown apostle?
Let us concern ourselves briefly with the situa-
tion after the ascension of Jesus (Acts 1:9). Awhole new era began for the disciples. They had to
ask themselves, Where do we go from here?
This taking stock would have been the opportu-
nity for James to make a completely human deci-
sion, namely, to leave. He had always been in the
background, in spite of the fact that he was related
to Jesus. Peter was already the uncontested leading
figure. You could probably have been able to tell
from afar that he was an apostle. Perhaps you
could not say this about this James, the son of Al-
phaeus. Jesus was no longer there. How couldthings get any better? He could have reviewed the
supposedly meager years and decided to leave and
begin anew. But James, the son of Alphaeus, did
not do this. He remained with the disciples, And
when they were come in, they went up into an up-
per room, where abode both Peter, and James, and
John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas,
Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Al-
phaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother
of James (Acts 1:13). He was an apostle, and in
this he was no less than Peter. He would also re-
ceive the promised reward from Jesus, And I ap-point unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath
appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink at
my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judg-
ing the twelve tribes of Israel (Luke 22:29-30).
He had the same rank, the same position; he was
like all the others, and all the others like him.
Is this not a message to our hearts? There are
Christians who experience so much with the Lord
that we could become green with envy when we
hear them speak. But there are also many believers
who do not have such experiences, or merely oc-casionally, and therefore they have nothing to tell.
Are they the poorer Christians than those who ex-
perience so much with the Lord? By no means. In
the first place, it is not about experiencing spec-
tacular things with the Lord, but having Him.
James, the son of Alphaeus, experienced much less
than Peter or John probably, but he did not have
the Lord any less than they.
Perhaps you feel like a James, the son of Al-
phaeus. You are often alone, experience little and
The Calling of the Twelve Disciples
James,the Son of AlphaeusJames, the son of Alphaeus, was a man in the backgroundand played a rather modest role ... He lived according to the words ofJesus, Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and yeshall find rest unto your souls (Matthew 11:29).
8/13/2019 04 Apr 2011
29/48
Think of James, son of Alphaeus. He could have expected more, seeing that hewalked with his Master, Jesus Christ. He remains in the Bible a
minor apostle. Did he give up his office as an apostle?No, he carried on after Jesus ascension into heaven,even if his position did not change.are seldom asked for your help, although you wait
for it. Your experiences with Jesus are fewer than
those of others. Your life is sometimes monoto-
nous. You feel underestimated and misjudged. Per-
haps you ask yourself sometimes, What is the
point of it all?
Think of James, son of Alphaeus. He could have
expected more, seeing that he walked with his
Master, Jesus Christ. He remains in the Bible a
minor apostle. Did he give up his office as an
apostle? No, he carried on after Jesus ascension
into heaven, even if his position did not change.
We should all take this to heart. The same Jesus
dwells through the power of His Holy Spirit in
each of us. The tasks and the experiences may be
different, but in Jesus