Articles By Watchman Radio Hour

In Daniel, we find the amazing prophecy of a stone that was cut out of a mountain and then struck a statue completely destroying the statue and the stone, itself, growing so enormous that it becomes a mountain and fills the whole earth. Today, many say this is something that will happen in the future. The stone, according to them, has not yet struck the statue. This will happen in the future when Jesus returns. Edward J. Young in his commentary on Daniel writes concerning this popular view, “Thus, it is argued, the time of the prophecy is fixed as being, not the first but the second Advent of Christ. According to this position, there must first be a revived Roman Empire, the signs of which, it is alleged, are already to be discerned….Christ will then come for His saints; the Church will be caught up to heaven, and the Stone will fall.” (p. 77-78) This continues to be the most popular view of Daniel’s prophecy of the stone. However, this may not be the proper interpretation. Are we now awaiting the stone to fall in the future or has it already fallen and begun its work?

Today, there are an estimated 13.3 million Jews in the world. Of this number, 4.9 million live in Israel and 8.3 million live in other nations of the world. (www.simpletoremember.com) God has preserved the Jewish people. There is no doubt about that. Today, there is a nation called Israel where almost 5 million Jews live. The nation of Israel was established in 1948 after almost 2,000 years without a Jewish homeland. This seems to establish the fact that God has brought the Jews back to their land. In 1990, Steve Schlissel wrote in his book, Hal Lindsey and the Restoration of the Jews, “Just weight must be given, to be sure, to the reality of the Jewish presence, three and half million strong now, in the land. This could not have occurred but for the Providence of God, all must agree. Yet for all we know, it is possible that there may be another dispersion with a regathering a thousand years hence. We hope not and we doubt it, but we simply do not know.” (p. 29) Is today’s re-gathering of the Jews in the land of Israel a fulfillment of prophecy such as Amos 9:15 which says, “I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them.”? We cannot say for sure but it may very well be a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.

In our previous article, we discussed primarily Zechariah 13:7-9 and pointed out that it most likely refers to the events related to the first coming of Christ including his crucifixion and the destruction of Jerusalem and birth of the New Testament Church. Now, we want to go back to chapter 12 and discuss the meaning of that chapter along with chapter 13:1-6. We believe that this passage refers to an event or events that are yet future. Again, we cannot say with certainty that this is the case but we believe that such an interpretation fits in with other scripture passages. Also, it would seem that the events described in these sections have not yet occurred.

When does the Kingdom of Christ begin? Does it begin at the Second Coming or has it already begun? These are important questions for our day. Many are looking forward to a kingdom age when Jesus returns. The church will go down in defeat and be swished away by the rapture. A great tribulation will occur for seven years. 

The Old Testament prophets looked forward to a time of prosperity for the church and the kingdom of God on earth. Today, many evangelicals believe in a future prosperity of the kingdom of God but place that time beyond the Second Coming in a thousand year millennium in which Christ reigns bodily from an earthly throne or either place the time of prosperity for the kingdom of God only in eternity after the Judgment. The former view is most popular today with a few holding to the latter view. Many today have almost given up on the church and its mission and await the rescue of the church through the rapture that may come at any moment. The concept of a future prosperity of the church in this age before the Second Coming of Christ is only held by a few today. That has not always been the case. It was certainly not the case with the pioneer missionaries of our modern missionary movement.

The commentators vary in their interpretations of Zechariah 12-14. Some say it’s all referring to what happened to Jerusalem in 70AD. Others say it points to an event in the future that has not yet taken place. Others say it refers not to Jerusalem but to the church. What then is the correct interpretation? I really don’t know for certain nor does anyone. We can only say what we think it might mean as compared to the rest of Scripture. For example Ezekiel also talks about an invasion of Israel. Some say that invasion took place at the first exile and return of the Jews. Others say it is yet to happen. I, personally, believe that invasion is yet to happen as reflected in my earlier blogs on the restoration of the Jews but what about these invasions spoken of here in Zechariah?

Today, we hold great commercial sports events on Sunday and think nothing about it. The great Super Bowl has become a national event every year honored and revered by the whole nation. Even the churches celebrate Super Bowl Sunday and encourage their congregations to fully participate. The idea and concept of Sunday being the Christian Sabbath has almost been completely lost from our society. More and more stores stay open on Sunday. Even our credit card bills have due dates on Sunday. We have become a 24/7 society. The celebration of football has taken the place of the celebration of God on Sunday. It is true that many Americans still go to church on Sunday but church attendance has become secondary to football and other sports events that are attended and televised throughout the nation every Sunday with the ultimate football game being held on Super Bowl Sunday. It’s not that football and sports are wrong in themselves but when we put these things in the place of God and honor them above Him, then something is wrong. The Christian Sabbath is supposed to be a day to honor God to take time to remember Him and celebrate Him and to do that by resting from our normal work and pursuits. Yet, this concept has almost disappeared from the American scene.

Worship services abound in the nation. We have more mega churches than ever before, it seems. We have worship services brought into our homes by television. Many churches are filled with loud music and raised hands. Some even resemble rock concerts with the music being so loud that you can hardly hear yourself sing. There are all sorts of musical instruments from guitars to drums to cymbals to orchestras. Worship services abound and music abounds in them. Many churches have become seeker friendly and have Saturday night worship services or very informal services on Sunday morning. We have experts in worship. We have books on worship. We have seminars and teaching on how to conduct worship. We have the latest state of the art audio and projection systems in our churches. We no longer need hymn books. It’s all on the screen or screens before us. We have well trained worship teams to lead us. Worship abounds in evangelical churches. Yet, in all of this are we pleasing God? Is He the center of our worship?

The proclamation of the Word of God has taken a back seat in many evangelical churches today. The great pulpits of the past no longer exist. Even the large pulpit bibles that used to be on every pulpit don’t have a place in modern evangelical church sanctuaries. The pulpit has been put aside to make room for the worship team. When the preacher comes to speak, he usually has a small lectern that is put there for him to lay his Bible or notes on and then removed quickly as soon as he is finished to make room for the worship leaders. The great preaching of the Word of previous generations is missing from most modern day evangelical churches. So, people who tremble at the Word of God are scarce today.

Today, God’s warning judgments continue to fall on our nation. Whether it’s economic difficulties, severe weather, serious crimes, or other kinds of calamities that come to a people, God is speaking though we are not listening. It seems that we have become too sophisticated to listen to God anymore. This was not the case with our forefathers. They held times of fasting and prayer and confessed their sins before the Lord as a people in times of calamity.

Some say we are living in a post Christian society. Christianity is being left behind and the Bible is no longer relevant. Such an attitude has become common to many in this nation. Though there is much religion going on, few really honor and believe the Bible as former generations did. This is not unusual. It has happened before.

The commentators vary in their interpretations of Zechariah 12-14. Some say it’s all referring to what happened to Jerusalem in 70AD. Others say it points to an event in the future that has not yet taken place. Others say it refers not to Jerusalem but to the church. What then is the correct interpretation? I really don’t know for certain nor does anyone. We can only say what we think it might mean as compared to the rest of Scripture. For example Ezekiel also talks about an invasion of Israel. Some say that invasion took place at the first exile and return of the Jews. Others say it is yet to happen. I, personally, believe that invasion is yet to happen as reflected in my earlier blogs on the restoration of the Jews but what about these invasions spoken of here in Zechariah?

Today, we hold great commercial sports events on Sunday and think nothing about it. The great Super Bowl has become a national event every year honored and revered by the whole nation. Even the churches celebrate Super Bowl Sunday and encourage their congregations to fully participate. The idea and concept of Sunday being the Christian Sabbath has almost been completely lost from our society. More and more stores stay open on Sunday. Even our credit card bills have due dates on Sunday. We have become a 24/7 society. The celebration of football has taken the place of the celebration of God on Sunday. It is true that many Americans still go to church on Sunday but church attendance has become secondary to football and other sports events that are attended and televised throughout the nation every Sunday with the ultimate football game being held on Super Bowl Sunday. It’s not that football and sports are wrong in themselves but when we put these things in the place of God and honor them above Him, then something is wrong. The Christian Sabbath is supposed to be a day to honor God to take time to remember Him and celebrate Him and to do that by resting from our normal work and pursuits. Yet, this concept has almost disappeared from the American scene.

Worship services abound in the nation. We have more mega churches than ever before, it seems. We have worship services brought into our homes by television. Many churches are filled with loud music and raised hands. Some even resemble rock concerts with the music being so loud that you can hardly hear yourself sing. There are all sorts of musical instruments from guitars to drums to cymbals to orchestras. Worship services abound and music abounds in them. Many churches have become seeker friendly and have Saturday night worship services or very informal services on Sunday morning. We have experts in worship. We have books on worship. We have seminars and teaching on how to conduct worship. We have the latest state of the art audio and projection systems in our churches. We no longer need hymn books. It’s all on the screen or screens before us. We have well trained worship teams to lead us. Worship abounds in evangelical churches. Yet, in all of this are we pleasing God? Is He the center of our worship?

The proclamation of the Word of God has taken a back seat in many evangelical churches today. The great pulpits of the past no longer exist. Even the large pulpit bibles that used to be on every pulpit don’t have a place in modern evangelical church sanctuaries. The pulpit has been put aside to make room for the worship team. When the preacher comes to speak, he usually has a small lectern that is put there for him to lay his Bible or notes on and then removed quickly as soon as he is finished to make room for the worship leaders. The great preaching of the Word of previous generations is missing from most modern day evangelical churches. So, people who tremble at the Word of God are scarce today.

Today, God’s warning judgments continue to fall on our nation. Whether it’s economic difficulties, severe weather, serious crimes, or other kinds of calamities that come to a people, God is speaking though we are not listening. It seems that we have become too sophisticated to listen to God anymore. This was not the case with our forefathers. They held times of fasting and prayer and confessed their sins before the Lord as a people in times of calamity.

Some say we are living in a post Christian society. Christianity is being left behind and the Bible is no longer relevant. Such an attitude has become common to many in this nation. Though there is much religion going on, few really honor and believe the Bible as former generations did. This is not unusual. It has happened before.

Today, there are an estimated 13.3 million Jews in the world. Of this number, 4.9 million live in Israel and 8.3 million live in other nations of the world. (www.simpletoremember.com) God has preserved the Jewish people. There is no doubt about that. Today, there is a nation called Israel where almost 5 million Jews live. The nation of Israel was established in 1948 after almost 2,000 years without a Jewish homeland. This seems to establish the fact that God has brought the Jews back to their land. In 1990, Steve Schlissel wrote in his book, Hal Lindsey and the Restoration of the Jews, “Just weight must be given, to be sure, to the reality of the Jewish presence, three and half million strong now, in the land. This could not have occurred but for the Providence of God, all must agree. Yet for all we know, it is possible that there may be another dispersion with a regathering a thousand years hence. We hope not and we doubt it, but we simply do not know.” (p. 29) Is today’s re-gathering of the Jews in the land of Israel a fulfillment of prophecy such as Amos 9:15 which says, “I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them.”? We cannot say for sure but it may very well be a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.

Today, there are an estimated 13.3 million Jews in the world. Of this number, 4.9 million live in Israel and 8.3 million live in other nations of the world. (www.simpletoremember.com) God has preserved the Jewish people. There is no doubt about that. Today, there is a nation called Israel where almost 5 million Jews live. The nation of Israel was established in 1948 after almost 2,000 years without a Jewish homeland. This seems to establish the fact that God has brought the Jews back to their land. In 1990, Steve Schlissel wrote in his book, Hal Lindsey and the Restoration of the Jews, “Just weight must be given, to be sure, to the reality of the Jewish presence, three and half million strong now, in the land. This could not have occurred but for the Providence of God, all must agree. Yet for all we know, it is possible that there may be another dispersion with a regathering a thousand years hence. We hope not and we doubt it, but we simply do not know.” (p. 29) Is today’s re-gathering of the Jews in the land of Israel a fulfillment of prophecy such as Amos 9:15 which says, “I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them.”? We cannot say for sure but it may very well be a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.

Worship services abound in the nation. We have more mega churches than ever before, it seems. We have worship services brought into our homes by television. Many churches are filled with loud music and raised hands. Some even resemble rock concerts with the music being so loud that you can hardly hear yourself sing. There are all sorts of musical instruments from guitars to drums to cymbals to orchestras. Worship services abound and music abounds in them. Many churches have become seeker friendly and have Saturday night worship services or very informal services on Sunday morning. We have experts in worship. We have books on worship. We have seminars and teaching on how to conduct worship. We have the latest state of the art audio and projection systems in our churches. We no longer need hymn books. It’s all on the screen or screens before us. We have well trained worship teams to lead us. Worship abounds in evangelical churches. Yet, in all of this are we pleasing God? Is He the center of our worship?

Some say we are living in a post Christian society. Christianity is being left behind and the Bible is no longer relevant. Such an attitude has become common to many in this nation. Though there is much religion going on, few really honor and believe the Bible as former generations did. This is not unusual. It has happened before.

In Daniel, we find the amazing prophecy of a stone that was cut out of a mountain and then struck a statue completely destroying the statue and the stone, itself, growing so enormous that it becomes a mountain and fills the whole earth. Today, many say this is something that will happen in the future. The stone, according to them, has not yet struck the statue. This will happen in the future when Jesus returns. Edward J. Young in his commentary on Daniel writes concerning this popular view, “Thus, it is argued, the time of the prophecy is fixed as being, not the first but the second Advent of Christ. According to this position, there must first be a revived Roman Empire, the signs of which, it is alleged, are already to be discerned….Christ will then come for His saints; the Church will be caught up to heaven, and the Stone will fall.” (p. 77-78) This continues to be the most popular view of Daniel’s prophecy of the stone. However, this may not be the proper interpretation. Are we now awaiting the stone to fall in the future or has it already fallen and begun its work?

When does the Kingdom of Christ begin? Does it begin at the Second Coming or has it already begun? These are important questions for our day. Many are looking forward to a kingdom age when Jesus returns. The church will go down in defeat and be swished away by the rapture. A great tribulation will occur for seven years. 

The commentators vary in their interpretations of Zechariah 12-14. Some say it’s all referring to what happened to Jerusalem in 70AD. Others say it points to an event in the future that has not yet taken place. Others say it refers not to Jerusalem but to the church. What then is the correct interpretation? I really don’t know for certain nor does anyone. We can only say what we think it might mean as compared to the rest of Scripture. For example Ezekiel also talks about an invasion of Israel. Some say that invasion took place at the first exile and return of the Jews. Others say it is yet to happen. I, personally, believe that invasion is yet to happen as reflected in my earlier blogs on the restoration of the Jews but what about these invasions spoken of here in Zechariah?

When does the Kingdom of Christ begin? Does it begin at the Second Coming or has it already begun? These are important questions for our day. Many are looking forward to a kingdom age when Jesus returns. The church will go down in defeat and be swished away by the rapture. A great tribulation will occur for seven years. 

In a recent news article, the senior pastor of a large church in Dallas, Texas states, “When you remove prayer, when you allow the killing of children, and when you destroy the basic underpinnings of the family, you have destroyed the infrastructure of any culture. God is no respecter of nations. The nation that fears God will be blessed by God; the nation that turns away from God will be judged by God…” 9-7-2011 www.onenewsnow.com  In 1905, David Brewer, US Supreme Court Justice, wrote, “…we constantly speak of this republic as a Christian Nation – in fact, as the leading Christian nation of the world. This popular use of the term certainly has significance. It is not a mere creation of the imagination. It is not a term of derision but has substantial basis – one which justifies its use.” (P. xii, The United States a Christian Nation) Yet, today, our President has said that this nation is not a Christian nation. This shows how far we have come as a people since the early part of the 20^th century.

Today, we hold great commercial sports events on Sunday and think nothing about it. The great Super Bowl has become a national event every year honored and revered by the whole nation. Even the churches celebrate Super Bowl Sunday and encourage their congregations to fully participate. The idea and concept of Sunday being the Christian Sabbath has almost been completely lost from our society. More and more stores stay open on Sunday. Even our credit card bills have due dates on Sunday. We have become a 24/7 society. The celebration of football has taken the place of the celebration of God on Sunday. It is true that many Americans still go to church on Sunday but church attendance has become secondary to football and other sports events that are attended and televised throughout the nation every Sunday with the ultimate football game being held on Super Bowl Sunday. It’s not that football and sports are wrong in themselves but when we put these things in the place of God and honor them above Him, then something is wrong. The Christian Sabbath is supposed to be a day to honor God to take time to remember Him and celebrate Him and to do that by resting from our normal work and pursuits. Yet, this concept has almost disappeared from the American scene.

Worship services abound in the nation. We have more mega churches than ever before, it seems. We have worship services brought into our homes by television. Many churches are filled with loud music and raised hands. Some even resemble rock concerts with the music being so loud that you can hardly hear yourself sing. There are all sorts of musical instruments from guitars to drums to cymbals to orchestras. Worship services abound and music abounds in them. Many churches have become seeker friendly and have Saturday night worship services or very informal services on Sunday morning. We have experts in worship. We have books on worship. We have seminars and teaching on how to conduct worship. We have the latest state of the art audio and projection systems in our churches. We no longer need hymn books. It’s all on the screen or screens before us. We have well trained worship teams to lead us. Worship abounds in evangelical churches. Yet, in all of this are we pleasing God? Is He the center of our worship?

The proclamation of the Word of God has taken a back seat in many evangelical churches today. The great pulpits of the past no longer exist. Even the large pulpit bibles that used to be on every pulpit don’t have a place in modern evangelical church sanctuaries. The pulpit has been put aside to make room for the worship team. When the preacher comes to speak, he usually has a small lectern that is put there for him to lay his Bible or notes on and then removed quickly as soon as he is finished to make room for the worship leaders. The great preaching of the Word of previous generations is missing from most modern day evangelical churches. So, people who tremble at the Word of God are scarce today.

Today, God’s warning judgments continue to fall on our nation. Whether it’s economic difficulties, severe weather, serious crimes, or other kinds of calamities that come to a people, God is speaking though we are not listening. It seems that we have become too sophisticated to listen to God anymore. This was not the case with our forefathers. They held times of fasting and prayer and confessed their sins before the Lord as a people in times of calamity.

Some say we are living in a post Christian society. Christianity is being left behind and the Bible is no longer relevant. Such an attitude has become common to many in this nation. Though there is much religion going on, few really honor and believe the Bible as former generations did. This is not unusual. It has happened before.

In Daniel, we find the amazing prophecy of a stone that was cut out of a mountain and then struck a statue completely destroying the statue and the stone, itself, growing so enormous that it becomes a mountain and fills the whole earth. Today, many say this is something that will happen in the future. The stone, according to them, has not yet struck the statue. This will happen in the future when Jesus returns. Edward J. Young in his commentary on Daniel writes concerning this popular view, “Thus, it is argued, the time of the prophecy is fixed as being, not the first but the second Advent of Christ. According to this position, there must first be a revived Roman Empire, the signs of which, it is alleged, are already to be discerned….Christ will then come for His saints; the Church will be caught up to heaven, and the Stone will fall.” (p. 77-78) This continues to be the most popular view of Daniel’s prophecy of the stone. However, this may not be the proper interpretation. Are we now awaiting the stone to fall in the future or has it already fallen and begun its work?

Today, there are an estimated 13.3 million Jews in the world. Of this number, 4.9 million live in Israel and 8.3 million live in other nations of the world. (www.simpletoremember.com) God has preserved the Jewish people. There is no doubt about that. Today, there is a nation called Israel where almost 5 million Jews live. The nation of Israel was established in 1948 after almost 2,000 years without a Jewish homeland. This seems to establish the fact that God has brought the Jews back to their land. In 1990, Steve Schlissel wrote in his book, Hal Lindsey and the Restoration of the Jews, “Just weight must be given, to be sure, to the reality of the Jewish presence, three and half million strong now, in the land. This could not have occurred but for the Providence of God, all must agree. Yet for all we know, it is possible that there may be another dispersion with a regathering a thousand years hence. We hope not and we doubt it, but we simply do not know.” (p. 29) Is today’s re-gathering of the Jews in the land of Israel a fulfillment of prophecy such as Amos 9:15 which says, “I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them.”? We cannot say for sure but it may very well be a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.

The commentators vary in their interpretations of Zechariah 12-14. Some say it’s all referring to what happened to Jerusalem in 70AD. Others say it points to an event in the future that has not yet taken place. Others say it refers not to Jerusalem but to the church. What then is the correct interpretation? I really don’t know for certain nor does anyone. We can only say what we think it might mean as compared to the rest of Scripture. For example Ezekiel also talks about an invasion of Israel. Some say that invasion took place at the first exile and return of the Jews. Others say it is yet to happen. I, personally, believe that invasion is yet to happen as reflected in my earlier blogs on the restoration of the Jews but what about these invasions spoken of here in Zechariah?

In our previous article, we discussed primarily Zechariah 13:7-9 and pointed out that it most likely refers to the events related to the first coming of Christ including his crucifixion and the destruction of Jerusalem and birth of the New Testament Church. Now, we want to go back to chapter 12 and discuss the meaning of that chapter along with chapter 13:1-6. We believe that this passage refers to an event or events that are yet future. Again, we cannot say with certainty that this is the case but we believe that such an interpretation fits in with other scripture passages. Also, it would seem that the events described in these sections have not yet occurred.

Today, we hold great commercial sports events on Sunday and think nothing about it. The great Super Bowl has become a national event every year honored and revered by the whole nation. Even the churches celebrate Super Bowl Sunday and encourage their congregations to fully participate. The idea and concept of Sunday being the Christian Sabbath has almost been completely lost from our society. More and more stores stay open on Sunday. Even our credit card bills have due dates on Sunday. We have become a 24/7 society. The celebration of football has taken the place of the celebration of God on Sunday. It is true that many Americans still go to church on Sunday but church attendance has become secondary to football and other sports events that are attended and televised throughout the nation every Sunday with the ultimate football game being held on Super Bowl Sunday. It’s not that football and sports are wrong in themselves but when we put these things in the place of God and honor them above Him, then something is wrong. The Christian Sabbath is supposed to be a day to honor God to take time to remember Him and celebrate Him and to do that by resting from our normal work and pursuits. Yet, this concept has almost disappeared from the American scene.

When does the Kingdom of Christ begin? Does it begin at the Second Coming or has it already begun? These are important questions for our day. Many are looking forward to a kingdom age when Jesus returns. The church will go down in defeat and be swished away by the rapture. A great tribulation will occur for seven years. 

In studying the Old Testament Prophets, we have to be careful not to read something into the scripture that is not there. Also, many of the Old Testament prophecies are not that easy to understand and we should not be too quick to come up with an interpretation. It may not be that clear what the prophecy means, and more than one interpretation may fit the prophecy. That doesn’t mean that all the interpretations are correct. The prophecy does have a correct meaning even though we may not know for sure what it is. Therefore, we should not be so dogmatic about an interpretation of prophecy but should realize that we might not be completely correct in our interpretation. That doesn’t mean that we should shy away from coming up with an interpretation for the prophecy. We can interpret it by comparing it with other scripture and the whole teaching of the Bible.

The Old Testament prophets looked forward to a time of prosperity for the church and the kingdom of God on earth. Today, many evangelicals believe in a future prosperity of the kingdom of God but place that time beyond the Second Coming in a thousand year millennium in which Christ reigns bodily from an earthly throne or either place the time of prosperity for the kingdom of God only in eternity after the Judgment. The former view is most popular today with a few holding to the latter view. Many today have almost given up on the church and its mission and await the rescue of the church through the rapture that may come at any moment. The concept of a future prosperity of the church in this age before the Second Coming of Christ is only held by a few today. That has not always been the case. It was certainly not the case with the pioneer missionaries of our modern missionary movement.