What we are talking about is the Old and New Testament. Many churches today tell you “You don’t need to read the Old Testament, that it is for Jews and not for Christians.” This is not only a lie, but deceit. There is something that they don’t want you to read. Mostly that God is against the rapture. Eze.13:18-22. But maybe they just don’t understand it, or maybe they were never taught the truth. Maybe they don’t want to know the truth. Whatever their reason, get out of that church. In the times in which we are living in, not all the prophesies have come true yet. There are so many still to come. Today we are going to show that you cannot understand the New without knowing the Old. Let’s begin with Peter, the one that Jesus built his church on. 2Peter 3:1-10 and it reads.
2Pet.3:1] This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:
[2] That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:
Peter wants us to remember the prophesies prophesied by the prophets. Or in other words, look back to the Old Testament and study the prophets. How can you know that Jesus either quoted or fulfilled what they prophesied about, unless you study them.
2Pet.3:3] Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
[4] And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
[5] For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
[6] Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
We had an earth age before this that was destroyed by God with water and he also shook the earth which separated it into the continents we have today. That would be the (katabole G2602), the over throw of Satan. The foundation of this world. Also notice they are willingly ignorant of this truth, they were told, but chose not to hear.
2Pet.3:7] But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
And now being the second earth age, we studied this in our first lesson Genesis chapter 1.
2Pet.3:8] But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
[9] The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
[10] But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
We came into this world age to choose between God and Satan. A thief in the night, meaning at the 6th.trump Satan is here and you are worshipping him instead of the true Christ. This word Elements is rudiments, that is to say evil. Let’s now go to Gen.1:1-5. And read.
Gen.1:1] In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
[2] And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
And this word “was” means “became”. We find it in H1961 from H1933 in the Hebrew manuscripts. Now we know that this world became void and without form. Also notice that God moved, not hovered.
Gen.1:3] And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
[4] And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
[5] And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
This light is Jesus, and notice the capital D in Day. And Satan is darkness, and notice Night is also capitalized. So, Jesus was God’s plan from the beginning. I want you to remember there were two trees in the Garden. Now we go to John and we’ll read in John1:1-5.
John1:1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
[2] The same was in the beginning with God.
[3] All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
[4] In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
[5] And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
Let’s go down to verse 14 and read.
John1:14] And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
And His plan for the Light came to pass. And Christ walked with us, a prophesy from Old came to the New. And now, let’s go to Amos 5:18-19 and read.
Amos5:18] Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light.
[19] As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.
We also have likewise sayings. “He jumped out of the pot and into the fire” and this serpent is interesting for these end times. That Serpent of Old? Are we seeing a pattern here? If you don’t know the Old, how can you learn the New. But Jesus taught us himself in Matthew 5:17-18 and it reads.
Mat.5:17] Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
[18] For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
This heaven and earth will pass, this second earth age shall pass with fire this time. For God is a consuming fire, Heb.12:29. And the most important for me was Isaiah. Isaiah 7:14 reads.
Isa.7:14] Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
And in Mat.1:22-23 reads.
Mat.1:22] Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
[23] Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Notice again “spoken by the prophet” in verse 22. The Old teaches the New, the Old proves the New. Without the Old we have no proof that Christ was fulfilling prophesy. But thank the Lord for his word every day. Revelations, means to reveal, or to make known. Let no man tell you anything else, like it is sealed. It is not, but rather we are sealed in our foreheads with the word of God. We study every day because the word of God is pregnant, it is always growing. We will always be given something new. Now I want to share something I was given by the LORD just the other day. We end this lesson with Rev.22:8-16 and it reads.
Rev.22:8] And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
[9] Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
Never worship angels, it is a sin. But notice he was a fellow servant, a prophet.
Rev.22:10] And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
For the time is at hand, meaning it is the end times. We should already have them sealed in our foreheads.
Rev.22:11] He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
[12] And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
[13] I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
Genesis through Revelations.
Rev.22:14] Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
Do His commandments, Old. Enter through the gates, New. And we know that He is the tree of life. I told you to remember there were two trees in the Garden.
Rev.22:15] For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
[16] I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
Did you catch that? I Jesus, it was Jesus all along talking with John. He called himself a fellow laborer, that would be “Savior”. Called himself a prophet, that would be the Son of God. He was the beginning and the end. He was Genesis through Revelations. He is our LORD, and nothing was made without Him. There are so many places in the Old Testament that the New Testament fulfills. And there are many more prophesies that need to come to pass, so as watchmen we do watch. Praise the Lord, let us go to His throne.
Father, we thank you and we love you for Jesus’s sake. Our Savior, our reward. Bless all that love you in Jesus’s precious name, Amen.