“Sit . . . Until . . .” The Multiple Witness of Scripture
By Robert Caringola

1 The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
2 The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.
3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power... Psalm 110
What I am going to share with you in this article, I have shared with many Christians who thought they understood bible prophecy. From so called Doctors of Theology to the simply inquisitive, they all recoiled in what the prophets called “astonishment”! Their Christ-returning-any-day concepts were shattered.

Who is being called to attend the marriage supper & who is being married?

Revelation 19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

Identifying the Bride of Christ from the Holy Scriptures

Presented and narrated by Karl Tester

Clarence Larkin Chart

Clarence Larkin’s Charts : The theology of Ribera, by Larkin’s own admission.

By Robert Caringola

After thirty years of work, the late Clarence Larkin (1850 – 1924, an American Baptist Pastor) published a work which many in the Futurist School of eschatology refer to as “the dispensationalists’ second bible” and “a standard authority on dispensationalism.” The book is entitled Dispensational  Truth. It is touted by some as the greatest book on bible prophecy in the world! It contains over 115 charts, maps and woodcuts. These are referenced today by a myriad of prophecy teachers. But, I wonder how many of these so-called teachers have read Larkin’s admission of cartooning Francisco Ribera’s catholic counter-reformation prophetic interpretation.

This article is not an explanation of the errors of dispensationalism. Space does not allow for a proper refutation of the Futurist School or a defense of the Protestant Historical School (Historicism). It will simply be, for the most part, the words of Larkin himself. These are found on page 5 of his book, Forty-Sixth Printing. Some of the other printings have it on page 4.

“The glory of a good thing is that it flows to others” Martin Luther. Conversely, the horror of a bad thing is that it not only flows but, at times, floods and drowns. How many, today, are drowning in the tide of dispensational teachings? The book Dispensational Truth furthered the rushing current of futuristic eschatology - Rome’s poisonous waters!

Now, let us read Larkin’s affirmation of the Jesuit origins of Preterism and Futurism. He also identifies the “secret of the martyr heroism,” known as Historicism.

I have added bold emphasis where I felt appropriate.

    The “Preterist School” originated with the Jesuit Alcazar. His view was first put forth as a complete scheme in his work on the Apocalypse, published in A.D.1614. It limits the scope of the apocalypse to the events of the Apostle John’s life, and affirms that the whole prophecy was fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus and the subsequent fall of the persecuting Roman Empire, thus making the Emperor Nero the “Antichrist.” The purpose of the scheme was transparent, it was to relieve the Papal Church from the stigma of being called the “Harlot Church” and the Pope from being called the Antichrist…”

    The “Historical School”. . . interprets the Apocalypse as a series of prophecies predicting the events that were to happen in the world and in the Church from John’s day to the end of time. The advocates of the School interpret the symbols of the Book of Revelation as referring to certain historical events that have and are happening in the world. They claim that “Antichrist” is a “System” rather than a “Person,” and is represented by the Harlot Church of Rome. They interpret the “Time Element” in the Book on the “Year Day Scale.” This school has had some very able and ingenious advocates. This view, like the preceding was unknown to the early church. It appeared about the middle of the Twelfth Century, and was systematized in the beginning of the Third Century by the Abbot Joachim. Subsequently it was adopted and applied to the Pope by the forerunners and leaders of the Reformation, and may be said to have reached its zenith in Mr. Elliott’s “Horae Apocalypticae.” It is frequently called the Protestant interpretation because it regards Popery as exhausting all that has been predicted of the Antichristian power. It was a powerful and formidable weapon in the hands of the leaders of the Reformation, and the conviction of its truthfulness nerved them to “love not their lives unto the death.” It was the secret of the martyr heroism of the Sixteenth Century.

    The “Futurist School” interprets the language of the Apocalypse “literally,” except such symbols as are named as such and hold that the whole of the Book, from the end of the third chapter, is yet “future” and unfulfilled, and that the greater part of the Book, from the beginning of chapter six to the end of chapter nineteen, describes what shall come to pass during the last week of “Daniel’s Seventy Weeks.” . . . In its present form it may be said to have originated at the end of the Sixteenth Century, with the Jesuit Ribera, who actuated by the same motive as the Jesuit Alcazar, sought to rid the Papacy of the stigma of being called the “Antichrist,” and so referred the prophecies of the Apocalypse to the distant future. This view was accepted by the Roman Catholic Church and was for a long time confined to it, but, strange to say, it has wonderfully revived since the beginning of the Nineteenth Century, and among Protestants. . . ., The “Futurist” interpretation of scripture is the one employed in this book.

Clarence Larkin

Well, there you have it. Larkin is ecstatic because the rejected prophetic counter-scheme manipulations of the Jesuit Ribera have been “wonderfully revived.”

I have written a book entitled Seventy Weeks, The Historical Alternative. In this book, I address, in modest detail, much of the information presented by Larkin. If you want to know more about these schools of thought, I encourage you to read it. In summation, it is the story of the only Messianic Divine time-measure recorded in Holy Writ – Daniel’s Seventy Weeks. The truth of its interpretation begins with a journey back to the Protestant Reformation. It was during this period of Church history that this great prophecy’s commonly understood fulfillment was hermeneutically attacked and distorted. The confusing results of this theological assault are with us to this day. Clarence Larkin’s book Dispensational Truth is a classic example. He teaches that a seven-year tribulation period is yet to come.

What was this doctrinal assault’s ultimate purpose? Who first taught it? Larkin already told you – Ribera!

Why was this new interpretation of Daniel Chapter Nine rejected by scholastic Protestant clergy for centuries? Who were its authors trying to protect? Again, Larkin told you – the Papacy and its identified label - “Antichrist.”

In my book, you’ll have these and many more questions answered. After reading, you will never again, in good conscience, be able to teach the charts of Larkin.

I contend with no man’s person, only that which pertain to the words of truth.

Seventy Weeks the Historical Alternative can be ordered from:

TRUTH IN HISTORY

P.O. BOX 808

OWASSO, OK 74055-0808

(918) 553-6000

www.truthinhistory.org

Reign of Jesus Christ

The Psalmist David wrote: “The Lord said unto my Lord, ‘Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of Thy strength [Wonder what that is?] out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies [emphasis mine]. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power’…” (Psalm 110:1-3a.)

Unbelievably, in the face of clear scripture, there still is a debate over whether Christ is presently reigning on this earth, and if not, when? And if presently, how? Furthermore, did Jesus “bind” Satan or not? What do the Scriptures say – present or future?

In chapter 20: 1-2 of the symbolic Book of Revelation, we read: “I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.” Immediately, most will be entertaining the concept of a futuristic millennium with these verses. That is not my subject matter at present. This is not an article about the millennium and its various schools of thought. However, if you believe it to be a literal thousand years in the future, you are still in eschatological infancy.

“And bound him”: Jesus came first to bind Satan then to destroy him. This binding was for the purpose of restricting his power to totally throw entire nations into complete idolatry. (I am not saying that this stops individual temptation.) History records nation after nation, civilization after civilization which existed under one form or another under Satan’s complete deception, i.e., Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and the Romans. The boasting of Satan is clear during the temptation of Jesus. “And the devil, taking him up into a high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it” (Luke 4:5-6). However, the Scriptures and history reveal that Christ turned the tables. The great historian, Will Durant, observed:

“There is no greater drama in human record than the sight of a few Christians, scorned or oppressed by a succession of emperors, bearing all trials with a fierce tenacity, multiplying quietly, building order while their enemies generated chaos, fighting the sword with the word, brutality with hope, and at last defeating the strongest state that history has known. Caesar and Christ met in the arena, and Christ had won.”

The Story of Civilization III, “Caesar and Christ,” p. 652.

Jesus came and demonstrated his commission by signs and wonders, especially by displaying His authority over demons. He said, “But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you” (Matthew 12:28). Jesus proved His kingdom authority by casting out devils. However, the people reacted and accused him of doing these wonders by the authority of the Devil. Immediately Jesus responded, “…how can one enter into a strong man’s house and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? And then he will spoil his house” (Matthew 12:29). The message is clear, first “bind” then spoil the other’s dominion. This, Jesus did. Please note: The word “bind” here is the same word which appears in Revelation 20:2. Christ, in this present reign, has bound the devil. It’s just that simple. (Other verses which vindicate this understanding are: Lk. 10:17-19; Jn. 12:31; Col. 2:15; Heb. 2:14; Eph. 4:8 and 1 Jn. 3:8.)

God’s true Israel needs to awaken to her identity and to the realization that she has the power to do a better job. Our power has been drastically limited by Dispensationalism’s “other gospel.” This “other gospel” bemoans a concept that evil is becoming stronger. It lies and tries to convince us that the world is coming more and more under the control of the Devil. Wake up! Satan is bound, and we know it not! Christ has given us this great chain of circumstance. We can tighten the chain but do it not!

Now that we are brought into remembrance concerning the binding of Satan and the plundering of his strong house by Jesus, we turn to the concept of reigning. The “my Lord” of David’s Psalm is proclaimed by Scripture to have Zion ruling (reigning) in the midst of her enemies. Remember, “Thy people” are the rulers. Was this authority for only some blissful millennial age in the future, or is it present? I assert that we are reigning with Christ now in the midst of our enemies!

Paul reminded Timothy that “the word of God is not bound” (II Timothy 2:9). He went further and proclaimed a “faithful saying” which has major implications concerning our present reign with Christ. “For if we died with him, we shall also live with him; if we suffer, we shall also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; if we believe not, yet he abideth faithful; he cannot deny himself” (II Timothy 2: 11-13). Have we died; are we living; do we suffer, and are we reigning – presently? What sayeth the scriptures? Did Paul address these situations?

“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore, we are buried with him by baptism into death…” (Romans 6:3-4a). Yes, we have died. Furthermore, Paul states that we are now living with Christ: “…Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4b). During this living with Christ, we “shall suffer persecution” (II Timothy 3:12b). Therefore, the reward of this death, suffering and life: “For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:17).

J. Marcellus Kik, in his excellent book, raised the following question:

“An individual Christian may ask himself this question: What more could the popular [futuristic] conception of the millennium give me than I already possess? I have a Savior who is my Prophet, Priest and King. God the Father is my covenant God. I have the forgiveness of sin. I have the promise of eternal life . . . I have the Holy Spirit as my Teacher, Sanctifier and Comforter. I have security against my greatest enemies: Death, Hell and the Devil. I am standing on Mt. Zion and am a citizen of the Holy City. I belong to the commonwealth of Israel and am not a stranger from the covenants of promise. What more does a Christian desire? More material prosperity?  Is not the Lord wealth enough? Perhaps we desire less ‘tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?’ But are we not in all these things more than conquerors through Him who loves us?”      J. Marcellus Kik, An Eschatology of Victory, p. 206.

“And they sang a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou was slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God, kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth”  (Revelation 5:9-10).

There are two critical points to be addressed in these verses. First, the word “us” in verse 9 is correctly translated “them.” And in verse 10, “us” again is correctly interpreted as “them,” and “we” should be “they.” Why the reason for this adjustment? Simple, angelic beings have no need of redemption. Angelic beings will not reign upon this earth – we will. Let’s read this with the proper pronouns inserted: “For thou wast slain, and has redeemed them to God. . .and hast made them unto our God, king, and priests: and they shall reign . . .”  Second, the proclamation, “they shall reign upon the earth,” means just what it says. It is our commission to reign, even now, in the midst of our enemies! Christ purchased Israel not only to redeem them from sin but to equip them to fulfill God’s original dominion mandate for His people – ruling upon this earth. And regardless of the destruction still caused by the Devil, we who are in “heavenly places in Christ” rejoice at the self-evident continual growth of the Kingdom of God.     Remember:

Stone…………………………Becomes……………………………….MOUNTAIN

Daniel 2:34-35

The following verses should help you grasp the present reality of Christ’s reigning through Zion and His growing Kingdom. It does not instantaneously appear in total power. Remember Isaiah 9:7, “Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end.” Furthermore, Daniel revealed that “there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him [some initially won’t]: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His Kingdom that shall not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:14). Now, fundamental question: Has Christ been given this kingdom yet? YES HE HAS! Wash that Dispensationalism out of your minds with the “water of the word.” Luke 22:29 states, “I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father has appointed unto me.”

By Robert Caringola

HEALED OF CANCER!

29 MAY 2000

Sister Cielie Jacobs:

My testimony began about three weeks ago, on 29 May 2000. The day began like every other Monday, laundry and all the usual things. I did my planning for the week, little did I know how my life would change that night.

That night I got into bed (I have to tell it because that's where the miracles all began). I sat in bed, and I had an itch at my collarbone. I put my hand under my pyjamas to scratch, and my little finger stopped against a lump in my breast, it felt so big. When I tried to feel it again, it was so small I had to look for it. Immediately, I knew something was wrong. Eventually, I fell asleep that night. I only went to my GP on Wednesday, and she said that with the history of my mother, who had breast cancer, then lung cancer that spread to her liver, who passed away in February 2000, I had to go for a scan and mammogram immediately (I had my yearly routine check-up in February 2000, and there was nothing wrong). I went again, and on the sonar, not on the Mammogram, they saw a 13mm nodule (lump). Doctor Veldman recommended that I had it surgically examined.  Doctor Mellet, the surgeon, did a biopsy and told me to call him the next day for the results. Before I could make the call, his receptionist called me. When I heard her voice, I knew this could only be bad news. I have been busy here at the church cleaning, and immediately packed up and went home. It was a big shock to hear such a thing. I saw what my mother went through, so I knew what lay ahead of me.

Nickey and I went to Doctor Mellet on Friday, where he informed us that it is malignant and that the cells are very different from normal cells, it is very serious and a mastectomy needs to be done a.s.a.p.

I came home, and tears flowed. I had to tell my three sons, 14, 16 and 17. After I told them, a sense of peace came over me. A desire was laid upon me to tell people this. I called Francois Ferreira, but ended up, talking to his mother. She knew about cancer! Francois also had cancer as a young man. Then  I phoned Brother Fanus and Sister Mathilda Botha, very good friends of ours.

Sunday we went to church...

Walter Brink Today - Nelspruit South Africa

I was very fit and active and participated in triathlon involving rowing, cycling and jogging. I was at the Hoedspruit Air Force Base where I did my national service, and where we had a lot of time for exercise. At the base, there were two main groups of people, those who were active and those who were not. Because I was with the active lot and was very fit I thought I was a little better than the others, in the sense that every now and then I went to Church and you have the impression that what you do in your own power you can place yourself above the rest and you think you are alright.

We went scuba diving in the Blyde River 20km from Hoedspruit Air Force Base. We really wanted to do a night dive and arrived already in the afternoon, unpacked our gear and got everything ready and in the late afternoon before sunset, we decided first to go and check the visibility in the water. The pool in which we were to dive was about 200m long, 30m at its widest and 8m deep. There were many beautiful trees on the banks of the river. We went into the water to swim in a circle to determine the visibility. About 30m from the shore on our return about 6m deep I was at the bottom of the river swimming and I was looking at a fish in the water which was stationary. The water was very clear and clean and the view was good.