The Laws Of The Second Coming

by Dr. Stephen E. Jones. The types and shadows of the law of God help explain the events surrounding the Second Coming of Christ. Original cover artwork, softcover 8x11, 194 pages.

“And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luke 24:27)

       It is a significant and revealing truth that everything in the New Testament was prefigured in the Old Testament. Behind the holidays, customs, and rituals of ancient Israel was an outline of the New Covenant, including both the first and second comings of Christ. We see this most especially in Israel’s feast days. While most Christians today pass over the Biblical passages concerning them as being mere ritual and of no importance, they actually contain in type and shadow a most wonderful representation of God’s Divine Plan. The author explains, “The Feast of Passover prophesied of Christ’s first work on the Cross. The Wave-sheaf offering prophesied of His resurrection and presentation in the Temple in heaven. The Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) prophesied of the coming of the Spirit in Acts 2. The autumn feast days prophesy of the second coming of Christ and the events surrounding it. These festivals given under Moses clarify the purpose, meaning, and even (to some extent) the timing of the second coming.” Israel had in fact seven feasts, or holy days, in their annual calendar, and each one of these is full of New Covenant symbolism. As the author intimates, these ancient rituals tell us a great deal about Divine signs related to future events.

       In addition to the book’s central purpose in showing in wonderful detail how the New Covenant was prefigured in the Old Testament ritual holidays, there are explanations of Old Testament Biblical events found from Genesis to the Minor Prophets. As examples, Israel’s inheritance in Canaan, the ten spies evil report, Jacob’s actions at Bethel, Haran, Peniel, Mahanaim, and Succoth are just a few of the prophetic fore-types examined.

       Along the way, many Biblical questions are also answered in this book, such as why palm branches were waved at the Feast of Tabernacles? What was the significance of Jesus celebrating Tabernacles in the New Testament? What were the eight signs in the gospel of Mark, and how are they significant for us? Why were Ishmael and his descendants likened in prophecy to wild donkeys? What is “strange fire” and why is God opposed to it? What is the symbolism of the three veils in the Temple? What was Paul’s lesson of the two tents? What are the three baptisms for New Testament believers? These and much more are explained in this very interesting, information-packed book.

       Particularly fascinating is chapter 11, “Christ Comes Of Judah And Joseph.” In Old Testament times, Jewish rabbis realized that the prophecies of a coming Messiah seemed contradictory. Some prophecies spoke of a “suffering servant” who would die for his people, while others depicted the Messiah’s coming as a “conquering David.” One Messiah could not both conquer and yet suffer death and seeming defeat at the same time. In order to explain this prophetic inconsistency, the rabbis proposed two different Messiahs, a Judah and a Joseph. They did not foresee instead that there would be two separate comings of only one Messiah. Yet this book does in fact depict Christ’s two comings as a Judah coming and a Joseph coming. These Messianic visitations tie in with the two sections of God’s ancient people, the House of Judah and the House of Joseph. This chapter will give you a better understanding of the separate houses of Biblical Israel and their separate promises in light of prophecy.

       Although literally every chapter of this book is a revelatory exposition of Scripture, we cannot neglect to mention chapter 12 on “The Sign Of Jonah” and its prophetic significance, and chapter 13 on “The Real Rapture.” The Old Testament types and shadows invalidate the popular dispensationalist theology of a secret rapture of the church to heaven. There is indeed the form of a “rapture” but not at all according to the pulp-book theology so prevalent today. You will be amazed and enlightened to see how all of prophecy fits together to form God’s perfect plan.

       There is simply too much wonderful information worth mentioning in this book to find the space to relate. Suffice to say that you will learn a new perspective on the Bible, gain an understanding of events related to the end of this age and the return of Christ, and develop new insight into Bible prophecy. We highly recommend this easy-to-read, yet information-packed book.

       This is a large format 8.5 by 11 inches, 200 pages (194+vi), and has a beautiful full color cover painting commissioned especially for this book by renowned artist, Keith Birdsong. An informative full-page explanation of the cover art by the artist is at the beginning of the book. These are the last remaining copies of a one-time 5,000 print-run, so order yours while they last.

 

Table Of Contents:

Chapter 1: Israel’s Prophetic Spring Feasts

     Subjects: Jesus crucified at Passover, the eclipses that day, the Wave-Sheaf Offering, how did Jesus fulfill the Wave-Sheaf Offering?, the Feast of Pentecost, and the importance of timing and historic fulfillment.

Chapter 2: The Feast of Trumpets

     Subjects: The two resurrections, not all Christians are raised in the First Resurrection, Christians will be held accountable, God’s servants scourged, the parable of the talents, the resurrection of the righteous, did the first resurrection already occur?, Hymenaeus and Philetus, the purpose of a bodily resurrection, the earth’s baptism of fire.

Chapter 3: The Day of Atonement and Jubilee

     Subjects: The fiftieth jubilee from Adam, Israel’s inheritance in Canaan, the ten spies’ evil report, the power of forgiveness.

Chapter 4: Jacob’s Feast Day Pattern

     Subjects: Jacob at Bethel, why was Jacob financially broke?, Jacob in Haran, Jacob at Mahanaim, Jacob at Peniel, Jacob at Succoth.

Chapter 5: The Feast Days in the Book of Joel

     Subjects: Blowing the trumpet, the call to repentance, the former and latter rain, pouring out His Spirit.

Chapter 6: The Feast Days In Elijah’s Story

     Subjects: The famine in the land, Elijah’s Passover and Pentecostal pattern, Elijah’s Feast of Trumpets pattern, Elijah’s Day of Atonement pattern, Elijah’s Feast of Tabernacles pattern.

Chapter 7: The Feast of Tabernacles

     Subjects: The purpose of the Fest of Tabernacles, Solomon celebrates the Feast of Tabernacles, a short chronological history under Ezra, Ezra celebrates the Feast of Tabernacles, the 490-year link with the Apostle Paul, waving the palm branches at Tabernacles, Jesus observes Tabernacles, the midst of the feast, the eighth day of Tabernacles, prophetic temple ceremonies at Tabernacles, and the eight signs in the gospel of John.

Chapter 8: Presenting the Firstborn

     Subjects: The law of the eighth-day circumcision, the firstborn of unclean animals, Ishmael the wild donkey, the glory manifest on the eighth day, and offering strange fire.

Chapter 9: God’s Face is God’s Presence

     Subjects: The face of Moses, the angel of His Presence, Paul’s commentary on God’s face, the three veils in the temple, faith and positive thinking, Paul’s commentary on Gideon’s army, Paul’s commentary on the two tents, the ministry of reconciliation, and the earth full of His Glory.

Chapter 10: The Two Works of Christ

     Subjects: The cleansing of lepers in Leviticus 14, ceremonial washings were baptisms, three baptisms and three feast days, Jesus’ baptism and wilderness testing, the Day of Atonement in Leviticus 16, two doves and two goats compared, and Jesus’ baptism on the Day of Atonement.

Chapter 11: Christ Comes of Judah and Joseph

     Subjects: Samson’s riddle of the dead lion, Joseph and the son-ship message, Judah, Joseph, and Benjamin, the house of Joseph in prophecy, how Israel became lost, Benoni-Benjamin and Bethlehem-Ephratah, and Caleb and Joshua.

Chapter 12: The Sign of Jonah

     Subjects: Jonah’s first call to preach, Jonah’s second call to preach, reconciling all nations, deliver us from evil, and putting Christ’s Second Coming into perspective.

Chapter 13: The Real Rapture

     Subjects: The first law of Christ’s coming, patterns in exodus 19 of Christ’s coming, patterns in Exodus 24 of Christ’s coming, how do we meet the Lord?, the catching away, the meaning of Peter’s “harpazo”, the meaning of Philip’s “harpazo”, the meaning of the man-child’s “harpazo”, meeting the Lord in the air and in the clouds, where will we ever be with the Lord?, who will be taken and who will be left?, when will every eye see Him?, and the unveiling and the New Covenant.

Chapter 14: The Law of the Man-child

     Subjects: The image of God, begotten from above, the feast days manifest the pregnancy, the marriage of our soul to God, the law of Deuteronomy 25:5-10, the story of Ruth, raising up seed in Christ’s image, and conclusion.

Appendix: The “Acta Pilati,” Pontius Pilate’s report to Tiberius.