Revelation 11

Dr. Couch, what is going on in Revelation 11?

ANSWER: To measure the temple means that God is about to do something with it. There will be a rebuilt temple in the messianic kingdom when Christ returns. This measuring is telling us that the Lord is going to restore the activity in the temple during that period.

The second half of the tribulation is described with the "forty-two months" as mentioned in v. 2. The tribulation lasts seven years. The two witnesses are given authority to testify by doing incredible things on the earth. The entire world apparently will see those things. When the two witnesses are killed the whole world sees their dead bodies. See verse 9. This would have to be by television.
Two witnesses are important because the Old Testament speaks of the necessity of two witnesses in order to confirm a testimony. See Deut. 17:6; 19:15; Num. 35:30.
You mentioned the fact that there are many views about chapter 11 but more than likely they do not take the Bible literally. By taking it literally, we come to the right answers.

The "kingdom of the world" would be the antichrist's kingdom mentioned in Dan. 7:23. Christ's kingdom will replace it when He comes back.

Don't listen or read the covenant guys. Only premillennialists and dispensationalists take the Bible at fact value. The others cannot be trusted. Thanks for asking. --Dr. Mal Couch (3/12)

Is the Sermon on the Mount for today?

Dr. Couch, I understand that some think that the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7) is not applicable to the church age today. Is this true, and, what do you think?



ANSWER: In the Bible there are first and secondary applications in various chapters. A question: is the Law in the OT seen with a first application to us today, or a secondary application? Are we under the Law, or was the Law for the Jewish people during their existence in OT times?

All would answer that the Law was for the Jews during the dispensation of the Law. Yet, there are great spiritual principles in the Law for us today, but not with direction application. I can learn many great principles from the Law as I read it but we are not under the Law in a direct way now in this church age.

The same is true with the Sermon on the Mount. For example we read in Matthew 5:3 of the "poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Do the poor today receive blessings by being under the kingdom of heaven? Of course not, the kingdom of heaven is the messianic kingdom that is yet to come, when Christ returns as Israel's Messiah! This was anticipated by the Jews, but the kingdom of heaven is not the church today.

Do you think that 5:20 is about us today, those now living in the church age? It reads: "Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven." Do you think that is for the church presently? Of course not!

Are we guilty of fiery hell (5:22) if we say to a brother RACA? This is extremely Jewish and must be understood in regard to the Jews who were then under the Law.

Do we stand and pray in the synagogue as mentioned in 6:5. No, we do not. Do we "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness" as the Jews? To a certain extent yes but in another sense we do not (6:33).

Again, while there are certain spiritual lessons in the Sermon on the Mount for us today, these verses are not first for the church dispensation. They were for the Jews who were looking for the messianic rule of the Messiah over Israel in the Holy Land. First application would be for Israel and the Jews; second application would be for us, but interpreted with caution.

When we read our newspaper we apply the same principles of interpretation. I know that the first page of my newspaper is about "hard" news and is not the advertising section of the paper. I know that it is not the editorial section, nor the want-ad section. When I read my newspaper I read it with sound "hermeneutics." I apply the various sections in the proper way. I don't simply apply every paragraph directly to me, from every sentence, with a broad stroke of the brush! I do the same when reading and applying the Bible to every situation.

Common sense is needed when reading the Scriptures!

I hope this helps. Thanks for asking. --Dr. Mal Couch (9/11)

2 Timothy 4:1

Dr. Couch, what is going on in 2 Timothy 4:1 and the issue about the "His appearance and His kingdom"? Is His "appearance" the rapture, and is the "kingdom" the messianic reign taught about so often in the OT? And what about the "and" ("kai") between "appearance" and "His kingdom"? ANSWER:  You sent me a lot of information about the use of the "and" which I don't think is important in understanding the passage. The context is more important here.    I do not think this passage is about the rapture of the church but about Christ's return in order to judge both those who are alive and those who have died. "Appearance" is a noun and is the word "epiphaneia." As the Lexicon says this is about "the advent of Christ" and not the rapture. He comes to earth to judge and rule!    The "by" is not a stated preposition but is embedded in the nouns "by" His appearance, and "by" His kingdom. These are genitive/ablatives in Greek grammar.    2 Timothy 4:1 fits perfectly with Matthew 25:31-46. There the King comes to sit on His throne and judge the sheep and the goats. The righteous Jews and Gentiles will inherit the kingdom "prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (v. 34).    I believe the passage is really simple. Let's not complicate it. Thanks for asking.    Dr. Mal Couch (7-10)

Spiritual Kingdom

Dr. Couch, Paul says that God has delivered us out of this present evil age because of what Christ did on the cross (Gal. 1:4)? Does this mean that we could currently be living in this way? And, are we living in a spiritual kingdom now? ANSWER:  "To deliver" is an Aorist Middle Subjunctive in the Greek. The Greek Lexicon says it could read: He "Himself might take [us] away out of a place, that is, out of this evil age." "He Himself might remove, deliver us out of this evil age." Paul is speaking about the influence of this evil age on us now, today. This is happening "according to the will of our God and Father."    I wrote in my Galatians commentary with Dr. John Witmer, "There is a past benefit with Christ's death. He took the judgment that was placed on all humanity. He also died that believers might be presently liberated from the power and clutch [the influence] of sin. But eternal salvation also awaits believers after death." The Greek word used here for "age" is "aion." Each period of history is a specific age that we are walking through in time.    We know we are not now in the physical and literal messianic earthly kingdom. The church is not that Jewish, Davidic kingdom over which Christ will someday rule for one thousand years. Paul says that we are on our way to that kingdom. Though the Jews are the key earthly people, the church will be there co-ruling with the Lord and enjoying His worldwide reign. Therefore Paul writes that "He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son" (Col. 1:13). "Delivered" is an Aorist Tense of "ruomai" which should be translated "to cause us to escape, to be rescue, to be delivered." This again carries the idea of "to be influenced by." We still see the workings of "the domain of darkness" all around us! And yet we are headed for His earthly kingdom that has not yet arrived.    In my commentary series on Colossians, Gromacki points out that this "transfer" is like taking people from one country to another. In terms of influence we have been transferred from the kingdom of Satan to the kingdom of Christ, that is, its influence on us, as to where we are headed—someday into Christ's earthly domain! Thanks for asking, Dr. Mal Couch  (6-10)

Meaning of Luke 16:14-17

Dr. Couch, what is going on in Luke 16:14-17? I know you wrote a nationally published commentary on Luke, so you have some idea of what the Lord is talking about. ANSWER:  Christ is speaking to the Pharisees because He knew they were lovers of money. Before men, they were trying to justify themselves and yet God the Father knew their hearts. Before John the Baptist began proclaiming the gospel (good news) of the coming Messianic Kingdom (the kingdom of God), the Pharisees bragged in their Law-keeping. But then some of them saw the benefit of following after the kingdom, whereby the rigors of the Law were eased. While the preaching and the offer of the Kingdom was the new message, the Lord reminded them that the Law was still around, for "It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail" (v. 17).    The millennial Kingdom at that point would be rejected and the belief in the simple gospel would be proclaimed after the crucifixion of Christ, and yet it too would be spurned. But the Jews, especially the Pharisees, could not escape the Law! This does not mean that they were to be saved by "Law-keeping." I wrote in my commentary:     But God knew their hearts (v. 15a). What men esteem, God detests (v. 15b). He then added that since the coming of John the Baptist, everyone was trying to force his way into the kingdom of God (v. 16), "but it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail" (v. 17). Many of the Jews wanted the benefits of the kingdom proclaimed by John and the Lord Jesus, but the rigors of the Law and its conviction about the nature of sin were being ignored. God was examining hearts, and the judgment of the Law was standing.    Everything Jesus was teaching was being scoffed at (v. 14). People want the easy route and do not want to live by the truth. The legalists of Christ day would pretend to keep the Law but in the long run they would reject both the Kingdom offer and the simple way of faith in the gospel.    Thanks for asking.    Dr. Mal Couch (Apr., 10)

Psalm 69

Dr. Couch, is Psalm 69:35-36 a messianic kingdom passage? ANSWER:  Yes, indeed! The verses speak of God saving Zion, which is a reference to the city of Jerusalem, and/or the nation of Israel itself. He will build up the cities of Judah, "that the Jews may dwell there and possess it." This is a picture of prosperity and safety for the Jewish people. It shows the finality of God's blessings upon the nation, which will be at peace when the Messiah is reigning.    The seed of the Lord's servants will inherit the city, "and those who love His name will dwell in it." I generally come to a conclusion about a passage after studying it or translating it from the Hebrew or Greek. After I looked at the verses I checked Unger who says the same thing. He writes "Universal praise is to rise up to Him in the Kingdom age, for God will save Zion (Psalm 51:18; Zech. 12:1-5; Rom. 11:26-35) and build the cities of Judah. That 'the humble and the poor, the delivered godly remnant, will dwell there (permanently), and have it in possession, as well as their descendants (Isa. 65:9-10)."    The orthodox Jewish Rabbis certainly hold the same thing. We're in good company with them. They say, this has to do with the "coming redemption of Zion (cf. Isa. 44:23)." For the Lord "will redeem us for the sake of His lovingkindness."    It is not sad that the poor amill Covenant guys never see the blessings of the kingdom mentioned in the Word of God? They remain in their ignorance distorting the Scriptures and missing all of the great messianic truths of His Word!    Thanks for asking.    Dr. Mal Couch (Apr., 10)

Egypt and Assyria Blessed by Israel

Dr. Couch, it looks as if Egypt and Assyria are blessed by Israel in the kingdom. Is this correct? ANSWER:  Yes, indeed! Isaiah 19:16-25 tells us that Israel will become a terror to Egypt, and that would only be in the messianic Kingdom. The Egyptians will shrink like women (v. 16), because of the purpose of the Lord against them. Five Egyptian cities will be speaking Hebrew (the Canaan language) and will swear allegiance "to the Lord of Hosts" (v. 17). The Egyptians will build an altar to the Lord in Egypt "and a pillar to the Lord near its border" (v. 19).    The Lord will make Himself known to the Egyptians and they will even make sacrifice and worship God, "and will make a vow to the Lord and perform it" (v. 21). The Lord will heal the Egyptians and He will respond to them and will heal them (v. 22). And, "In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrians will come into Egypt and the Egyptians into Assyria" (v. 23). Finally, the Lord will say: "Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands and Israel My inheritance" (v. 25).    This has never happened before so we are waiting for it to take place, and that would only be during the time of the Kingdom reign of Christ! The Lord will also judge the people of present day Jordan but then, He will bless them and they will know Him—again, at the time of the Kingdom. Only dispensationalists can spot the timing of this event, and that would be the one thousand year reign of the Messiah! We sometimes forget that many peoples of earth will come to the Lord at that time. The Kingdom will be a great moment of conversion for many Gentile nations. It will be a blessed time in world history.    Thanks for asking.    Dr. Mal Couch (Mar., 10)

Matthew 7 and Salvation

Dr. Couch, I have heard some say that Matthew 7:13-27 is about the church; they make a case for belief not being enough to enter the kingdom—only those who do the will of the Father will enter. It seems this section is dealing with false prophets. Aren't these the predominant ones during the time of Christ who claimed to prophesy, etc. And, who were the ones doing this stuff in Israel at the time of Christ? ANSWER:  I won't be able to deal with this entire section in this short answer. It is important to say here that there are many spiritual principles in this section (Matthew 5-7: The Sermon on the Mount). So I will simply point out some observations that would tell us this is not first for the church; it has to do with what was happening with the nation of Israel as Christ began His ministry. And the passage is more than simply about false teachers.    Note the following: (1) The entire section has to do with the presentation of the millennial kingdom, here called "The kingdom of heaven" (5:3; 10, 19, 20; 6:10, 33; 7:21). (2) The church is made up of Jews and Gentiles but in this section, Christ compares the Jews with the Gentiles (5:47; 6:7, 32). (3) The Lord speaks of the synagogue in this section (6:2, 5), and (4) The giving of alms, which was a distinct Jewish practice (6:2, 3). Note 6:2: the church is not even around! "When you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues ..." 5:20 is a distinct Jewish passage that cannot be understood unless one sees that the verse is aimed at the thinking of the Jews. "I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes (Jewish) and Pharisees (very Jewish), you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven."    Those who try to make a direct application of the Sermon on the Mount to the church have no understanding of history. There is no question but that the "kingdom of heaven, kingdom of God" is a description of the messianic kingdom! In no way is this used to describe the church age! If this is settled in one's mind, this section of verses makes definite sense. Again, while there are many principles that we can embrace in the Sermon on the Mount, it is not directed to the church age. We can have secondary application in some things the Lord says, but not direct application!    Thanks for asking.    Dr. Mal Couch (Oct.2009)

Is Isaiah 24 the Terrible Prophesied Tribulation?

Dr. Couch, what is the meaning of Isaiah 24? It sounds like the terrible prophesied Tribulation, though most amillennial speakers or writers never touch the passage. 

 

    ANSWER: You are absolutely correct. This is a Tribulation passage that sounds that is a preview of the book of Revelation. I will not repeat all the verses here but simply urge all who are reading this answer to open their Bibles to Isaiah 24 and get an eye full of what is coming (I believe) soon upon the earth. 

   Verse 5 is virtually quoted in Revelation 11:18. Isaiah 24:5 reads: “The earth will also be polluted by its inhabitants, for they transgress laws violate statutes, and break the everlasting covenant.” 

   Revelation 11:18 reads: “God’s wrath will fall on the small and great, to destroy those who destroy the earth.” 

   However, as bad as it is, Isaiah 24:23b ends on a positive note: “For the Lord of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and His glory will be before His elders.” Since God the Father is Spirit seen by no one, this has to be God the Incarnate Son who visibly will reign and rule in Jerusalem. The amills foolishly try to spiritualize this and call it a reference to the church! This will not fly! 

    Though he was a personal friend of mine before his death, Dr. Edward J. Young, the great Westminster Seminary OT professor in his Isaiah commentary used poor hermeneutics to try to explain Isaiah 24:23. He wrote: 

       “The seat of the reign is Zion and Jerusalem. As an OT prophet Isaiah uses the figures
       that were known to him to depict the spiritual salvation of the NT. In this reign the
       Church will be glorified.” 

    The problem with his statement is that Young eliminates all normal, literal meaning from the text. And though spiritual salvation may be part of the passage, it is about the restoration of the Jewish people back to the land, with the terrible Gentile persecution removed from them. I had a debate with Young and found him “wanting” in poorly trying to describe his amillennial views! 

   In some of my future tapes I will be exegeting many of the “lost and forgotten” messianic kingdom passages. The world is growing darker and I think we are closer to these terrible events than we think. 

   Thanks for asking,

   Dr. Mal Couch