Holy Spirit Birth Pangs and Resurrection #41

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. This is William Bell with All Bible Prophecy Fulfilled. Welcome to another edition of our podcast, where we're going to be discussing the Holy Spirit and his mission in the last days. That is, in the last days of the age that introduced the new messianic age. And in this discussion, we are looking at the correlations between the eschatological sufferings in the New Testament, showing their relationship to the coming of the Lord and the fall of the temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD. So we encourage you to take out a pen, paper, or whatever your note-taking apparatus is. Have open ears, open mind, bring an open heart, and let God open your understanding to the Word of God. So let's go ahead and begin. We're continuing our study in showing correlations between the Old Testament and the sufferings which were prophesied by the prophets and then fulfilled in the time of the apostles in the New Testament. So as we've looked at Jeremiah 30, verses 6 and 7, we've also looked at Isaiah 26, 17 and 18, or 17 through 20, and we correlated that with 2 Corinthians chapter 4, 16 through 18 in the previous broadcast. Then we looked at Daniel chapter 12 in verse 1 and showed the correlation between it and the fall of the temple in Matthew 24, verse 3, verse 8, and verse 21. So today we're going to be looking at Hosea 13, discussing the birth pangs which are found in and showing again the correlation between that and the time of the end and the time of resurrection. This one is going to be a bit revealing because of the significance of where that text falls in the New Testament, where it is aligned in the New Testament. So it is showing us the continuity of this theme of the birth pangs and how it relates to the time of the end. But we'll also, as time permits, we'll look at Zechariah chapter 13 as well and we'll be correlating that with another New Testament passage and showing you how it was fulfilled. So let's begin by looking at the 13th chapter of Hosea. Now in Hosea 13, the chapter begins with the condemnation of Ephraim for their sin. As the scripture says in verse 1, when Ephraim spoke trembling, he exalted himself in Israel. But when he offended through Baal worship, he died. Then after he dies, now this is the nation falling into sin, and thus God is going to send them away into Assyrian captivity. And so in verse 2, it says, now they sin more and more and have made for themselves molded images, idols of their silver according to their skills. So it begins to talk about the reason that they sin. But now as we progress further in the chapter, and we're not going to take the time to read and cover all of these things, but he enumerates more of Ephraim's sins so that he provides for them the justification for their judgment. And then he introduces the concept of the birth pangs, which are found in verse 13. So let's pick up in verse 12 and see where he is yet discussing the iniquity and the sin of Ephraim. The Bible says the iniquity of Ephraim is bound up. His sin is stored up. So there's the justification for God's action. It is because in view of all that has happened to Ephraim, he has not repented and therefore is ripe for judgment. But in that judgment, there are things that were going to occur that would introduce the coming of the Lord, because there is also a premise of hope extended to them. However, before that hope arrives, they had to go through a time of suffering. Now in verse 13, he says, the sorrows of a woman in childbirth shall come upon him. These are the birth pangs. This is the great tribulation mentioned in connection with this verse. We've seen that whenever the birth pangs are mentioned, it's always connected to the great tribulation. So we must bring that assumption and correlation to the text because you will not find in the New Testament a discussion of the birth pangs that are disassociated and disconnected with the great tribulation. So it's very, very important to understand and acknowledge and apply that connection. The sorrows of a woman in childbirth shall come upon him, for he is an unwise son. He's not repented. He will not take correction. He will not respond to the Lord's invitation to turn his life around. And thus the nation continues in their rebellion against God, in their sins against God. Remember what Daniel said about Judah in Daniel 9, verses 6 and following. He said, we have sinned against your law. We have not repented. He's confessing the fact that they have sinned and they're continuing in their sin. And he's saying the same things about Ephraim here. His sin is stored up. In other words, he's made a treasure of his sin, locked it up and threw away the key. In verse 13, the sorrows of a woman in childbirth shall come upon him. He is an unwise son, for he shall not stay long where children are born. Now, this is the idea of a child coming through the birth canal of its mother. And this is a very critical point in the birth delivery process, because at that point, when the child is about to come through the womb, if he lingers at that point, it causes great pain, both for the mother as well as endangers the life of the child. And it can create a very dangerous situation for them both. Both could be subject to die. But here is God extending hope and a premise of deliverance and salvation to the nation at the time of these birth pains. So the great tribulation and the birth pains and the time of the deliverance are all connected. These are sufferings that are related to the coming messianic age. But the verse that he gives next is absolutely profound and amazing when we see where that verse is applied. Because as we have shown that the great tribulation is connected to the destruction of the temple and that these eschatological sufferings were ushering in the new age following the fall of the temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD, this verse and its place in the New Testament shows us how to apply the chapter in which it is found. And so we cannot miss that. We should not miss that. And this is absolutely devastating to those who would make a futurist application of these eschatological sufferings. They're all placed within the same time frame. It's not two periods of eschatological sufferings. They're not two new ages that are being brought in, one in the first century and one in the 21st century. They were all in the first century. Notice he said, I will ransom them from the power of the grave. I will redeem them from death. Oh death, I will be your plagues. Oh graves, I will be your destruction. Pity is hidden from my eyes. Though he is fruitful among his brethren and east wind shall come, the wind of the Lord shall come up from the wilderness. Then his spring shall become dry and his fountain shall be dried up. He shall plunder the treasury of every desirable prize. Samaria is held guilty for she has rebelled against her God. They shall fall by the sword. Their infants shall be dashed in pieces and their women with child ripped open. So he talks about the judgment that was going to come, but this verse 14 and its application in the New Testament serves as a key for us to understand when the text in which it is found was to be fulfilled. Now, what is that text? I'm sure that many of you who are aware of these passages already know, but isn't it absolutely devastating that this verse that is connected to the birth pangs, which are associated with the fall of the temple is found in first Corinthians chapter 15, the great resurrection chapter of the Bible. The chapter that no one doubts is a reference to the coming of the Lord. And what many will say is the final coming of the Lord. Well, ladies and gentlemen, do you see the connection between the birth pangs and the great tribulation and the fall of the temple? Let's notice in first Corinthians chapter 15 in the heart of the resurrection chapter. And that's precisely what Hosea was talking about when he said, I will ransom them from the power of the grave, just like the dry bones in Ezekiel's prophecy and those who slept in the dust of the earth of Daniel's prophecy. It's all tied to resurrection and resurrection is at the coming of the Lord. I will ransom them from the power of the grave. I will redeem them from death. Oh, death, I will be your plagues. Oh, grave, I will be your destruction. Pity is hidden from my eyes. Well, let's read the text in first Corinthians 15. He starts off with a quote from Isaiah 25 and verse eight saying, so when this corruptible has put on incorruption and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory. Is there any question that we're talking about the resurrection? Is there any question that we're dealing with a subject that relates to the end time? But look at our next verse, verse 55. Oh, death, where is your sting? Oh, Hades, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law. This is the quote from Hosea chapter 13. Oh, death, I will be your plagues. Oh, graves, I will be your destruction. God will have the victory over death, over Hades, over sin, and over the condemnation of the law. Hosea 13 and verse 14 is quoted in first Corinthians 15. What's the connection? The verse is inseparably connected to the birth pangs and the birth pangs are inseparably connected to the fall of the temple in 70 AD. Do you not see therefore that the background of first Corinthians 15, that the framework for the fulfillment of this text and the resurrection spoken of here is the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD? Ladies and gentlemen, you cannot separate them. You cannot remove this verse from its prophetic context, which is the birth pangs, which is Matthew 24, which all happened before that first century generation passed. And that's why we read in verse 51 and 52, behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trump, for the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised incorruptible and we should be changed. He said, we shall not all sleep. In other words, some of them would be alive who were living in the time of Paul to experience the birth pangs. They were already experiencing them. And therefore the subject of the birth pangs belong to the first century generation. The coming of the Lord belongs to the first century generation and the resurrection of first Corinthians 15 belongs to the first century generation. And it is connected to the fall of the temple. You see when he quotes from Hosea 13, 13, in that context, you've got to pull the birth pangs along with it. And the birth pangs correlate and connect with the fall of the temple. That's why we say you cannot take these sufferings and make them general sufferings of today. These are eschatological sufferings. They are with a preview to the coming of the Lord, which occurred in the first century. Now let's go to the next text in the remaining time that we have. And we'll probably pick up more on this text in the next broadcast, but we'll see how far we can get with it in this study. And that is, we want to look at Zechariah chapter 13. And actually, I'll go ahead and introduce it, but we just won't have time to develop it. But I want you to take a look at Zechariah, the 13th chapter, because this connects the time of the Messiah with the time of the great tribulation and also the refining of the remnant within the last days. That's about all I'm going to be able to develop is just kind of an introduction to the subject at this point, and then we'll pick up on it in the next broadcast. But in verse 7, he talks about, awake, O sword against my shepherd. Well, who's that shepherd? That's the Messiah. That's the Lord Jesus Christ. Against the man who is my companion, says the Lord of hosts, strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered. Then I will turn my hand against the little ones. Now notice that this is the time the shepherd is struck. Now we know that you can't extrapolate the striking of the Messiah out of the first century. I know that there are many people who reject the Messiah that try to do it, but the Bible doesn't allow that to be done. Matthew 26, 31, the text is quoted, strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered. So we're looking at the time of the messianic age. We're looking at the time that Christ has come into the world. He has finished his ministry and is about to be crucified. And so strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered. Then I will turn my hand against the little ones. Now watch. And it shall come to pass in all the land, says the Lord, that two thirds in it shall be cut off and die. That's the great tribulation, ladies and gentlemen. That is the time of Jacob's trouble. This is the time when the nation goes through the birth pains and two thirds of the nation would die. This is focused on the last days of Israel. But he says, one third shall be left in it. I will bring the one third through the fire. We'll refine them as silver is refined and test them as gold is tested. They will call on my name and I will answer them. I will say, this is my people. And each one will say, the Lord is my God. We're going to pick up on that and develop that further in the next broadcast. Thank you for listening. We appreciate your support and your patronage in tuning into this podcast. I trust that the messages are edifying for you and encouraging, enlightening, and informative. Until next time, I'm William Bell with All Bible Prophecy Fulfilled saying, you have a very pleasant and wonderful day. May God bless.