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In 1Chronicles 12:32 we read about certain sons of Issachar who were “men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do”. These men came to assist David to become king. Saul, the king, was dead.

A season had passed and a new season was upon them. These men had an insight into the seasons of YHWH, and this insight assisted them to make good decisions for the betterment of the nation as a whole.

Gen 8:22    “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”

YHWH created seasons. Seasons are patterns which repeat themselves unerringly. Season follows season with predictable repetition, just like day follows night, and summer follows winter.

Together with the theme of restoration, YHWH’s dealings with the nation of Israel are by far the largest subject of the Bible as far as volume of references are concerned. As such, it must obviously play an important role in YHWH’s plans and purposes for this world and the end times in which we live. The nation of Israel plays such a prominent part in these prophecies that it would be impossible to understand the prophecies if we were to exclude Israel from the picture. It is therefore vital that we ask some pertinent questions, and search honestly to find answers to those questions.

The leaders of the Reformation of the 16th to 18th centuries were unified in their fervent teaching declaring the Pope to be the Antichrist. As a result of the teaching of the Reformers, millions of people who were being brought to Christ, left the false Roman Catholic system. In an effort to bring these people back into their church, the Roman Pontiff instructed a Jesuit priest, Francisco Ribera, to undermine the prevailing Reform teaching by means of a false counter-teaching. This doctrine would present the Antichrist as a singular infidel who would make his appearance in the future after a so-called rapture, and who would rule the world once Jesus had come to take His saints away into heaven. This doctrine would effectively remove the accusing Protestant finger from the false Roman Papal system. This Jesuit teaching published in 1591, formed the foundation of the doctrine we now know as the futurist interpretation of Bible prophecy.

Before we look at the beautiful promises related to the first resurrection, we need to understand the heart of the teaching about the return of Jesus back to earth as King, the victorious event which will precipitate the first resurrection.

Matt 25:41 “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;

25:42         “For I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink;

25:43         “I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’

25:44         “Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’

25:45         “Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’

25:46         “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”