Messianic Perspectives

Liz Aiello: Shalom and welcome to Messianic Perspectives, a daily program where we look into the scriptures from a distinctive first-century Jewish point of view. This is Liz Aiello. One of the longest-running television series of all time was Star Trek. Created by producer Gene Roddenberry in the 1960s, it made William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy famous. Then there was Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager, and Deep Space Nine.

But did you know the Bible talks about a spectacular series of Star Treks that began many thousands of years ago? And now, to tell us more about it, here is our Bible teacher, Dr. Gary Hedrick.

Dr. Gary Hedrick: Thank you and welcome, listening friends, to another edition of the program. It's good to have you with us today as we continue this series of studies on Star Trek: The Original Series. What we're talking about is the fact that long before Star Trek or Star Wars, the Bible records a series of voyages into outer space by human beings. Enoch and Elijah were two notable examples that we've already talked about.

When we finished up last time, we were talking about this passage in Acts chapter 1. This is where Jesus set off on his voyage back to heaven. It says he took his disciples up on a mountain near Jerusalem, and it says in verse 6, "When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, 'Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?'" That was a natural question for these Jewish Talmidim, these Jewish disciples, to ask.

After all, the establishing of the kingdom is one of the core beliefs of Judaism. Even after all of the teaching he did, telling them he would have to go away and prepare a place for them, telling them he would come back for his people someday, telling them about a future time of tribulation in Matthew 24, they still don't get it. They want to know if he's getting ready to set up the kingdom.

Notice how patiently and how gently he answers their question. He doesn't browbeat them for not paying attention. He doesn't chew them out because he knows they can't help it. They're just acting like good Jews are supposed to act, and a devout Jew always has one thing uppermost in his mind, and that's the coming of Mashiach and the establishment of the kingdom. So he doesn't jump all over them and say, "Why haven't you guys been paying attention?"

Here's what he says in verse 7: "And he said unto them, 'It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.'" Notice his answer. This is significant because we've got people today preaching that God is finished with his people Israel. There are religious movements in our day that are teaching this nonsense. They say the church has replaced Israel in God's plan and that all the prophecies about a future kingdom must be spiritualized and made to refer to the reign of the church, not Israel.

Notice what Jesus said when they asked whether or not he was going to restore the kingdom to Israel. If kingdom now theology is correct, if dominion theology is correct, if Rushdoony and North and all of those guys are correct, this would have been the perfect opportunity for Jesus to explain it to his disciples. When they said, "Are you getting ready to restore the kingdom to Israel?" this would have been the perfect opportunity for the Son of God to say to them, "No, I'm not going to restore the kingdom to Israel."

"Israel rejected me, so the kingdom has been given to someone else. Israel has forfeited the kingdom. She has lost it forever." This would have been the ideal opportunity for Christ to teach his disciples a very important truth—that is, if the kingdom has indeed been taken away from Israel. But that's not what he said, my friend. If his reply tells us anything, it's that the restoration of the kingdom to Israel is not a question of if, but a question of when.

When they said, "Lord, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" he said, "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power." What is he saying? It's not time yet. Now look at verse 8. Jesus says, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." In other words, they are to keep their priorities in order.

The main task of the church is to spread the gospel. We're to be witnesses. Some people get so caught up in prophetic speculation that it becomes sort of like sitting around and contemplating your navel. You don't get much accomplished. I've been in churches where they can tell you the significance of every one of the toes on the image in Daniel chapter 2 and they can go through the seven seals in the book of Revelation and tell you what every one of them means, but that very same church can be dead as a doornail.

Because there's no evangelistic fervor, no program of evangelism taking the gospel out into the streets and meeting the people where they are. In verse 8, Jesus keeps the disciples on track by telling them to keep their priorities in order. There's a place for prophetic study, and we do a lot of it here on this program, but it's not the main business of the church. Our primary mission is evangelism and discipleship, which means first proclaiming the gospel and then second, training or making disciples of those who respond to the gospel.

Any program of evangelism should include the Jewish people. I can never understand how so many churches can have missions to Chinese people and Japanese and Hispanic and Europeans, and I even have a very dear friend who works among the Eskimos in northern Alaska, does a great work up there telling the Eskimo people about Jesus. But how is it that so many churches are interested in giving the gospel to everyone but the Jews? How ironic. The Jewish people gave us Jesus, the Messiah. They gave us the Bible, and then we just turn our backs on them like it means nothing, like we owe them nothing.

Now let's go on to verse 9: "And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight." That's how he left this world. He was taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight. Verse 10: "And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel"—angels—"who also said, 'Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.'"

You see how his departure was carefully orchestrated to emphasize the reality of his second coming. It says he will come back to this earth in the same way he left this world, that is, literally, physically, and visibly. He left literally. This story isn't a myth or an allegory. He left physically, which means he wasn't an apparition or a spirit. It was really him. Thirdly, he left visibly. The people there on the mountain could actually see him as he ascended into the clouds and disappeared out of their sight.

So he left literally, physically, and visibly, and that is how he will return. His second coming will be literal. It's not a symbol or an allegory. It's not a figment of someone's imagination. It will also be physical when he returns and touches down on the Mount of Olives. And it will be visible. In fact, Revelation 1:7 says, "Behold, he cometh with clouds," just like he left, he was received up into a cloud. "Behold, he cometh with clouds," it says in Revelation, "and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen."

You see, he's coming literally, physically, and visibly, just like he left. Let's look over here in Revelation chapter 19 because here's a picture of Yeshua HaMashiach when he returns in his glory. It says in Revelation 19:11, "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war." Verse 12: "His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself."

"And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God." Verse 14: "And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations," that is the nations that have come against Jerusalem here at the battle of Armageddon, "that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God."

Now watch this, verse 16: "And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." That's Yeshua when he comes the second time. And those nations who've been under the impression that Jesus no longer cares for his people or that he no longer has a relationship with his people Israel are in for a rude awakening, my friend, because when he comes back, he's coming as a warrior. When his wrath comes down on those nations at Armageddon, the carnage and destruction will be unlike anything this world has ever seen.

By the way, it might surprise some of us Gentiles to realize that when he comes, he'll be wearing the traditional vesture of a Jewish man. It's called the tallit or the prayer shawl. Do you know what it means when it says, "And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written"? You see, on the prayer shawl, there are symbolic knots and coils on the tzitzit, the fringes of the garment. When a Jewish man is in a sitting position like he would be on a horse and he's wearing the tallit draped around his shoulders in the traditional way, those little coils fall right on his thigh.

Do you know what the significance of those knots and coils is in Judaism? They represent the holy name of God, Yahweh. That's why it says in Revelation 19:16 that he has on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Well, our time is gone for today. We'll continue next time. I'll see you then. God bless you. Take care. Bye-bye.

Liz Aiello: Thank you, Gary, and thank you, listening friend, for tuning in today. Today, we've been listening to our Bible teacher, Dr. Gary Hedrick, talking about Star Trek: The Original Series. Well, it's true, the Bible tells us about some very spectacular events, both past and future, which rival the work of even the most imaginative science fiction writer. By the way, if you enjoyed today's study, you'll be glad to know that we've placed all seven of these programs on one convenient CD.

The title is Star Trek: The Original Series, and it shows that space travel originated not in recent times but thousands of years ago. In fact, many instances of human space travel, both in the distant past and also in the future, are mentioned in the Bible. It's available for your gift of just $6 or more to help us keep this program here on your station. If you have a friend or loved one who is an avid science fiction fan and needs the Lord, why not give him or her a copy of this series?

It's a unique way to present the gospel in a context that your friend or loved one will understand. Just ask for the program GT25 entitled Star Trek: The Original Series. Visit our secure online store at messianicspecialties.com to place your order. If you would prefer to order by mail, just address your request to Messianic Perspectives, P.O. Box 345, San Antonio, Texas 78292. To order by phone, use our toll-free order line. The number is 1-800-926-5397.

And as always, when you're in touch with us, please mention the call letters of this station. If you're listening to our webcast or podcast, we need to know that too. I'm Liz Aiello. Join us next time, won't you, as Dr. Gary Hedrick continues our series of studies on Star Trek: The Original Series, right here on Messianic Perspectives.

Guest (Male): Messianic Perspectives is sponsored by CJF Ministries of San Antonio, Texas, and is made possible on this station by the freewill contributions of our listeners in this area.