Prophetic statements sometimes apply to more than one fulfillment, a principle we could call "duality." A prime example of duality is Christ's first coming to atone for our sins and His second coming to rule as King of Kings. Such dual themes are common in Bible prophecy. Jesus specifically alluded to the dual application of some prophecies in Matthew 17:11-12. Asked about the prophecy of "Elijah," who would precede the coming of the Messiah (Malachi 4:5), Jesus responded: "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. But I say to you that Elijah has come already …" (Matthew 17:11-12). The disciples understood that the "Elijah" who had come already was John the Baptist (verse 13). Jesus Himself explained that John, already dead when Christ uttered these words, was a first fulfillment of Malachi's prophecy. But Christ's clear implication is that another Elijah will precede His second coming, announcing His return just as John the Baptist preceded Christ's first coming. John no longer could do anything in the future. But as a forerunner, John had fulfilled, at least in part, Malachi's prophecy. Another prophecy with dual application is Jesus' Olivet prophecy (Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21), so named because He gave it on the Mount of Olives or Mount Olivet, overlooking Jerusalem. Many conditions described in this prophecy existed in the days leading up to the Romans' siege and destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. But Christ makes it clear that similar conditions would prevail shortly before His return. Another example of dual fulfillment is in references to the "Day of the Lord" such as in Isaiah 13:6: "Wail, for the day of the Lord is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty." Verse 1 of that chapter identifies the time setting as when the Babylonian Empire threatened the kingdom of Judah (Babylon invaded Judah and captured Jerusalem in 586 B.C.), and it is in this setting that Isaiah wrote that "the day of the LORD is at hand!" However, he again mentioned the Day of the LORD in Isaiah 13:9: "Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate; and He will destroy its sinners from it." His subsequent inspired words, though, show that he is writing about the time of the end: "For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be darkened in its going forth, and the moon will not cause its light to shine. "I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. I will make a mortal more rare than fine gold, a man more than the golden wedge of Ophir. Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth will move out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts and in the day of His fierce anger" (Isaiah 13:10-13). We must carefully examine the context of prophecies to understand their meaning and discern whether the prophecy seems incomplete after its first fulfillment. It is equally important to avoid reading duality into passages that do not support such interpretation. We should take great care to properly discern whether duality is a factor in any particular prophecy. Often we may recognize a prophecy's fulfillment only after it is well under way or already has taken place. What are parables? Parables were short, relevant stories that Jesus told to communicate spiritual truths. Jesus used "well-known" aspects of first-century life to help illustrate and communicate the message of the kingdom. The parables showcase the wisdom of Jesus as the master teacher. But the parables served a unique function in Jesus’ ministry in polarizing the crowds between those who hear him and those who truly understand him. It is to that function of the parables I want to look at together today as we begin this series. Jesus teaches this parable of the sower in verses 1–8 and then explains this parable to his disciples in verses 18–23. Between its teaching and explanation, Jesus speaks to the purpose of his teaching parables. In many ways, the parable of the sower is a parable about the parables. Thus, it makes it a fitting place to start as we begin this series on the parables. Traditionally called “The Parable of the Sower,” the sower really isn’t the main point of the parable. I think a better name for it might be “The Parable of the Four Soils.” The point of the parable explains the various "reactions" to the gospel. We will see that the good seed of the gospel can fall upon various soils of the human heart. In other words, the parable is trying to answer the question, “Why do so many people respond so differently to the Gospel?” In sum, the secrets of the kingdom can only be understood by God’s gracious aid. We will first consider the purpose of the parables, focusing on verses 10–17, before then explaining and applying the parable of the four soils. The Purpose of the Parables (Matthew 13:10–17) Jesus tells the parable to the crowd. A sower goes out to sow. Some seed fell on the path; birds ate it. Some seed fell on rocky ground; the sun scorched it. Some seed fell among the thorns; the thorns choked it. Some seed fell on good soil and produced fruit. Then Jesus wraps up the parable with, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Amazingly, Jesus doesn’t seek to explain the parable to the crowd or interpret it for them. That’s not the way the parable works. Parables forced the hearer to think about the message, wrestle with its meaning, and thus examine their own hearts. Jesus intends the parable to force people to contemplate and respond to his teaching. Parables were culturally relevant illustrations that functioned like a "puzzle box" enclosing the nature and purpose of the kingdom of heaven. Yet, only those who have ears to hear the truth can hear it. As Jesus taught by the sea, all audibly heard the teaching of the parable; not all will comprehend its message. This leads to verses 10-17 of the passage, in which Jesus explains the purpose of the parables. While Jesus taught the parable to the crowd, he explains his purpose in the parables to his disciples. He pulls them in and discloses to them the secret of the kingdom. The word “secret” comes from the Greek word mysterion. The word is used similarly by Paul when he talks in Ephesians of how God made known “the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ” (Eph. 1:9). The secrets of the kingdom refer to the hidden purposes of God’s kingdom that must be spiritually understood. The secret isn’t obscure, possessed only by a few entrusted folks. Rather, the kingdom of God is proclaimed publicly through Jesus’ teaching in parables. Yet, few understand the nature of Christ’s kingdom. They see but do not perceive. They hear but do not understand. In Matthew 13:12-13, Jesus speaks of the polarizing reaction to his teaching in parables. Those who wrestle, engage, and ponder over Jesus’ teaching will discover increasing truth. More understanding will be given. They will know the secrets of the kingdom. Yet, for the one who ignores, discards, and casts aside Jesus’ teaching will have what little truth received taken away. He says, “For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” (Matthew 13:12, ESV) Jesus taught in parables because the parables create and expose these spiritual realities—the parables spiritually harden or spiritually enlighten. Look at verse 13, “This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.” Jesus roots his teaching in Isaiah 6 and quotes this prophecy in verses 14 and 15. In many ways, Jesus intends the parables to polarize the crowd. He’s separating the wheat from the chaff. He is separating true spiritual seekers of Christ’s kingdom from phony impostors. Notice what Jesus says in verse 11, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.” You see, understanding of Christ’s kingdom must be given. Some receive this understanding, and others do not. We must pause here for a moment and consider how do we gain spiritual truth? How does anyone understand the kingdom of God? How can anyone believe in the gospel? Jesus points to God’s sovereignty as the reason any one of us understands the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. As he explains to the disciples, they see and hear, not because of their brilliance but because they are blessed. Blessed by who? Blessed by God. He tells them in verses 16–17, “But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” Just as Jesus will say a few chapters on in Matthew, in Matthew 16:17, when Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ, the Lord responds, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has -not revealed- this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” It is God who reveals to anyone the secrets of the kingdom. We can’t comprehend the identity of Jesus without God’s help and aid. Our sin causes such blindness and such deafness to the truth that it requires the supernatural aid of God to regenerate our hearts and enable us to behold the glory and salvation of Christ. Just as Paul taught the Corinthians, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:14). So, the parables then identify those who are supernaturally enabled to understand the teaching of Christ and behold the glory of Christ. Yet, there is a lesson as well here in terms of how the Spirit works in bringing us into the knowledge of the secrets of Christ’s kingdom. The parables provoke spiritual interest and spur the pursuit of more understanding to meaning. It says in verse 12, “For the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance.” There is a lesson for those of us who know the Spirit of God as our teacher. Our ability to understand spiritual truth is spiritually given. But once we have the Holy Spirit, knowing the truth is like a muscle. If you train and exercise your muscles, they will grow stronger, and you will be able to lift a heavier and heavier weight. However, if you don’t use it, it atrophies. It gets weak and shrivels away. Similarly, if we understand the truth that’s been revealed, we will have a greater ability to comprehend more truth. The disciples, who have already latched on to Jesus’ teaching, have demonstrated that they are true hearers, and Jesus gives them greater insight into his message and kingdom. Truth gives way to greater truth. The more truth we respond too, the more truth we can understand. Those who reject the truth, cannot understand Jesus’ parables. There is also a warning here if you are not a Christian. It is vital that you respond to the truth of God. When we fail to respond to the truth of the gospel, whether it is from a friend or from a sermon, our hearts begin to harden against the truth. Though we hear it, we do truly hear it in our hearts. Before long, truth ricochets off of us, and the result is hard-hearted resistance. The Parable of the Four Soils (Matthew 13:1–9; 18–23) In many ways, Jesus gives us a detailed interpretation of this parable because it’s so essential in understanding all the other parables. It is the key to understanding all the parables. This is the parable about parables. Now before we get into the specifics of the parable, we must note that in first-century Palestine, plowing came after sowing. So as the sower scatters his seed, he is not being careless as he’s throwing the seed, thus accidentally throwing some on the path. The purpose of the parable isn’t to urge us to be discriminatory in sharing the gospel, “Well that guy looks to be like the soil on the path, so I’m not going to share Jesus with him.” Or, “Oh well she looks like the superficial seed on the rocky ground, best not share the Gospel with her!” No, that’s not the point of the parable. If anything, the parable encourages us to be as widespread as possible with the sowing, but the parable helps give us a framework for understanding the various responses that come after the sowing. The sower sows the good seed of the Word upon the various soils. This good word is the gospel itself, of how Jesus has come to die on the cross to save us from our sins. It’s the message of his kingdom. Jesus came to fulfill the demands of God’s Law, and as the messiah, he will lay down his life for sinners so that anyone who would repent and believe in Christ would not perish but have everlasting life. The seed sown is the message of the gospel, the announcement of the kingship of Christ, the heralding of the way of salvation through God’s Son. The gospel is a good seed, a good word! It is news—the best of news! However, not everyone receives the gospel with joy. As the seed is sown, the four soils represent different types of human hearts. The parable asks us both to examine our own hearts while at the same time giving God’s church a framework for understanding the variety of reactions to our evangelism. So as we walk through Jesus’ interpretation of this parable, the question that should be in our minds is this: what type of soil is my heart? Keep that question in the back of your mind as we discuss these four types of soils. 1. The Unreceptive Path: The Hard Heart As the sower sows the seed, some of it falls upon the path. The seed has no time to grow on the hard, compacted soil and a bird quickly snatches it up. Our hearts can become so hard that the gospel bounces off of our hearts, and Satan quickly snatches it away. The image of the path brings to mind the idea of travel, commerce, and busyness. There is so much traffic and activity upon the heart that the word of God cannot take root in their heart. They hear the gospel, but they have no understanding. This person keeps themselves so busy with activity that they do not have time to contemplate spiritual things. They run to and fro at a frantic pace. When they do slow down, they keep their minds busy by the bombardment of media, news, and entertainment options available. No room, no time, no opportunity exists for the gospel to take root. If they hear the gospel, their heart is so trampled down by frantic activity they have no time to consider it. The evil one snatches it away with speed. This is a frightening reality because you can hear the gospel so frequently taught and preached and yet not understand it. A hard-heartedness can easily seep into active churchgoers. You get into the habit of going to church because that is how your mom raised you, or you want to look moral and important somehow. You sit week after week under the teaching of the gospel, and your heart is so hard that the word just bounces off of you. You leave unchanged, unmoved, and unresponsive to the word of God. If you are unresponsive to the gospel, then your heart may have been hardened against the gospel. And I pray that somehow God would get your attention before it is too late. Often, what this type of heart needs is a good plowing up to soften up the soil. Your heart needs good breaking with the cutting of the plow. It is a mercy for God to bring tragedy and suffering into your life in order to soften your heart and unclog your ears. With a heart tiled by suffering and softened by pain, you are ready to truly hear the gospel message. 2. The Superficial Gravel: The Shallow Heart The seed was also sown upon rocky ground. The terrain of Palestine is a rocky one. Much of the land is covered with 2-3 inches of soil over limestone bedrock. As a result, seeds scattered in such areas would begin to take root, but the roots couldn’t grow deep into the soil. When the heat of the sun beamed down upon the young plant, it dried out and died. The shallow roots couldn’t take the heat. Such hearts hear the gospel and initially find great joy in it. Filled with zeal, they become quite impassioned about Jesus, but as soon as tragedy or persecution hits, they abandon Jesus. More often than not, these people become the greatest antagonist against Christianity. When they hear about Jesus, they superficially attach themselves to the church, but their excitement does not last. It withers once life becomes difficult and dies out. Here we must caution against the dangers of emotionalism. Experiencing great feelings doesn’t necessarily mean that you know Christ. It’s common for people to chase experiences—whether it’s a conference, a youth camp, or a worship service. You can chase an experience all you want, but you might not have necessarily gained Christ. Such experience chasers are often like this soil. It’s all frothy emotions and crocodile tears, but there are no roots. They never develop a deep faith and trust in Jesus. Thus, as soon as the heat of the sun bears down upon them, they reveal themselves as the imposters they truly are. As soon as life gets hard, persecution occurs, or suffering strikes, they go from praising Jesus to blaming Jesus. For the true Christian, deeply rooted in the gospel, the heat of the sun strengthens us grow by forcing our roots to go deeper. Sufferings and trials grow and mature the Christian, yet for those who have only superficially attached themselves to Jesus, the heat shrivels them up. Emotions are by no means a bad thing for the Christian. Indeed, we should have great feelings and love for Jesus, but true faith in Jesus is a deep trust and confidence in God’s Word that goes beyond how we feel in any given moment. Only the true Christian can praise Jesus through sorrow and cling to Christ in tragedy. 3. The Worldly Weeds: The Divided Heart The third type of soil is that of the worldly weeds. This is the divided heart. It’s the type of heart that refuses repentance. It’s a divided heart because it attempts to add a love of Jesus along with love for the world. But, no matter how hard you may try, you cannot sustain split loves like that. As Jesus says in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters.” Or, as James puts it, “Friendship with the world is hatred towards God” (Jam. 4:4). Or, as John puts it, “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 Jn. 1:15). You see, true faith, saving faith is a complete and total devotion to Jesus. Those who have divided allegiance to Jesus end up rejecting Jesus in the end. It’s not as if they were Christians and then they lost their salvation. They were never Christian at all. They never truly repented of their former way of life. The roots of the world lie beneath the surface of their hearts. As the good seed of the gospel comes to them, it begins to grow, but the thorns and thistles of the world quickly choke out the seed. For each of these three soils so far, we must state firmly that none of them were truly Christian, though they may initially seem to be Christian. The first soil obviously rejects the seed, and Satan swallows it up. The second soil, the shallow heart, never truly becomes a Christian as the seed of the gospel doesn’t last. The third soil, the divided heart, also never truly becomes a Christian, as the gospel is choked out. Though to us looking at the outside, there may be initial signs of spiritual life; it doesn’t last. Time reveals their so-called faith as phony. The roots are too shallow to endure hardship or worldly desires choke out the gospel plant. These three soils help us understand the various responses to the Gospel message. However, there is a fourth soil Jesus gives us. 4. The Good Soil: The Fruitful Heart This fourth soil is the good soil of the fruitful heart. The message of the gospel comes into their life and begins to take root and grow. Their heart is ready, supernaturally prepared, for accepting the Gospel seed. The soil is soft, ready to receive the word, not hardened like the path. The soil is deep, ready to put down roots deeply, not like rocky like the gravel. The soil is pure, not contaminated by worldly weeds that choke out the gospel from their hearts. The Holy Spirit had gone before and prepared the heart in regeneration for true faith in Christ to take root. Jesus tells us that this soil represents the one who hears, accepts, and bears fruits. This person hears the gospel and accepts it as true. They hear of what Jesus has done for them, how he is the son of God who came down from heaven, became flesh, and dwelt among us. They hear of his death for the sins of humanity. They hear of his victorious resurrection, conquering sin and death. They hear it and accept it—they truly believe in him, that Christ is the king! It is only by the power of God that any of us can truly hear this gospel! So the message of the gospel is received, but what is the evidence of authentic hearing of the gospel? Well, Jesus is pretty clear: it is a life lived in fruitfulness. The seed of the gospel produces fruit thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold! What sort of fruit does this look like in the Christian life? Well, it means the fruit of the Spirit is evident in your life, and not just evident by continually increasing. Paul tells us: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Galatians 5:22–24, ESV) Fruit in the Christian life is also displayed through evangelism. A tree produces fruit for reproduction. In the same way, we, through our witness, must proclaim the gospel to others. We speak of what Christ has done for us and invite others to put their faith in Jesus! The mark of the true Christian is Spirit-empowered, persevering fruitfulness. Final Thoughts The four soils indicate four types of hearing, with only one soil representing the true hearing and acceptance of the Gospel message. Examine yourself and ask which type of soil reflects my heart?
I pray that today the Spirit would show you the depths of your heart and help you to truly hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ this morning. He has come to deliver you from your sin and save your soul. Through this sermon (and every sermon), I’m throwing out the seed of the gospel. If you’ve been coming to Redemption a while and hearing the gospel, I pray that the Lord has brought great fruit into your life as you accepted and received Christ. As you believe the truth, may the Lord give you greater understanding and enjoyment of Christ. May truth beget an increasing knowledge of the truth in your life, manifested by the fruitfulness that comes from Christian maturity! However, if you’ve been coming here a while and there is no fruit in your life, the problem isn’t with the good seed of the gospel but your heart. Receive Christ. Grow deep roots into Christ. Uproot the worldly weeds that choke out Christ from your life. For some of you, you may have never truly, authentically heard the gospel. The message has hit your ears but never your heart. I pray today you would respond for the first time in saving faith. May the Lord give you to know of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. May he bless your eyes, for they see. May he bless your ears, for they hear. He who has ears, let him hear. Why did Jesus often tell those he healed to remain silent? It is interesting that on a number of occasions after Jesus performed a mighty deed, he commanded those who benefited to not tell anyone. This is especially the case in Mark’s gospel. Why did Jesus do this? The messianic secret is a feature of the Gospel. Another major part of the answer to my initial question has to do with the nature of miracles and their main purpose. It seems they were mostly about confirming the man and his message. They were not ends in themselves. They pointed to the nature of salvation and the long-awaited messiah. The connection between miracles and salvation can be seen in many places. For example, the story of the healing of the paralytic in Matthew. 9:1-8 shows the inseparable link between forgiveness of sins and the man’s healing. “Although Jesus’ miracles teach about his power to heal physically, these signs are especially meant to turn attention to the kingdom of God (6:33; 9:12). Similarly, in the Book of Acts signs and wonders constitute the primary method of drawing attention to the claims of the gospel, but it is the gospel itself that is paramount (e.g., Acts 14:3).” The same can be said about Mark’s gospel. Miracles are primarily pointers, and they point to a person. As James Edwards comments: “For Mark the significance of Jesus cannot be fully conveyed by what he does, but only by who he is. One can be amazed by a miracle, but one can only trust and believe a person.” Moreover, Jesus did not want to be sidetracked from the main purpose of the incarnation: the cross. Jewish expectations at the time of what the messiah would be like were quite different from his. They were looking for a military conqueror, a political liberator. Although this was a proper expectation based on much Old Testament teaching, it was not the whole package. That the coming messiah should first suffer, then rule, was not part of most Jewish expectations. But the idea of a suffering messiah was there nonetheless (as in the Suffering Servant passage in Isaiah 52:13-53:12). What the Jews were eagerly looking forward to from the day of the Lord was God’s vindication: God’s salvation of his people and judgement on their enemies. The coming messiah was looked on as a great deliverer or judge, in the tradition of Moses, Samson or Gideon. Jesus knew these skewed expectations would become an obstacle to his appointed task of his substitutionary death. He could not allow those who wanted to make him a political revolutionary to deter him from his true mission. Thus he had to urge quiet, so that he might follow his father’s will, not the misguided will of the crowd. Here's an interesting thought experiment -- if you knew you had a finite amount of time to teach people everything they needed to know about abundant life now and eternal life to come ... how would you do it? If we're honest, I'll bet most of us would choose as straightforward a method as possible. Maybe contract law, or exhaustive doctrine? Among several kinds of teaching, one of Jesus' favorites was story. Moreover, his stories were sometimes strange or enigmatic, and he did not always try to explain them. What was he up to? Jesus knew that human beings are "story-formed people." We perceive and process our lives in the form of characters, plot, conflict, and resolution. So he used stories as a primary way of engaging our imaginations and inviting us to explore the deep truths he wanted us to know. One such story is the parable of the vineyard, in Matthew 20:1-16. (Click the scripture reference to read it online!) When reading parables, remember the principles we've outlined so far in this series, "Lost in Translation." Be aware of your own cultural lens; give priority to the historical context in which it was written; beware of creative normative commands from narratives meant to illustrate truth. In this parable, the vineyard would conjure in the first-century Jewish mind the important metaphor of the vineyard for God's people (see Isaiah 5:7). This isn't a story about how to do business, or about a free capitalist market, or about employing day laborers. It's a story about God's people...especially who's in and who's out. Jesus often designed his parables to begin with a setup, then offer an unexpected ending. It was a skillful way of exposing us, especially when we have hard hearts. This parable is a classic reversal of expectations: not only does the landowner pay the last workers first, he pays them a full day's wage! So what is Jesus trying to get across, if it's not about fair wages or being a generous employer? Parables aren't allegories (stories in which every element symbolizes something else -- think Orwell's "Animal Farm"). So we can't pick them apart piece by piece -- if we pull the petals off a rose, we'll lose the beauty of the whole! Instead, the parables are illustrating truth about "the kingdom of heaven." Jesus even starts this parable that way! In this case, Jesus is challenging people who feel that they somehow deserve privilege in God's kingdom. These might be people who have lived faithfully, tithed generously, even made personal sacrifices for God's glory. In these cases, it can be all too easy to mistakenly believe we "deserve" something from God, or that there are degrees of belonging in God's kingdom. But the simple fact is that everything we have is the result of God's grace -- a gift from our generous Landowner. Philip Yancey brilliantly put it this way: "God give gifts, not wages." When we accept the fact that we are recipients of God's grace rather than earners of God's favor, we will discover the kind of gratitude that permeates the hearts of so many people we read about in the Gospels and Acts. And oh, how we need this gratitude today! How we live in a cultural grace-drought! The Church has been called and equipped with the Holy Spirit to lead the way within our divisive, petty and backbiting culture to let God's rivers of living water flow through us into this dry and thirsty land. But it starts with remembering that we are all latecomers to the vineyard. We are all recipients of God's scandalous grace. We are all given more than we deserve from the One who wants us to have abundant lives. For reflection: 1) Which characters do you primarily relate to in this parable? 2) Do you feel like a "latecomer" to God's kingdom? How does it make you feel to consider that you are a latecomer, rather than one of the faithful all-day laborers? 3) Do you know anyone that you would find difficult sharing an equal share of the Church? (If you don't think of anyone, consider people who have wronged you, or wronged someone else. Think of people who do things you don't approve of. This is how many 1st century Jews thought of Gentiles and others they considered "unclean.") 4) What can you do to change your attitude toward the person(s) you thought of in #3? How can you bring all of this to God honestly in prayer? In Grace! What Must Happen before the Events of Revelation Take Place? In the last days, we know that… The Good news will be preached throughout the earth: “And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come” Matthew 24:14. There will be wars and rumors of wars: “And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately ”Matthew 24:6. There will be false messiahs and false prophets: “Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones” Matthew 24:23-24. The antichrist will appear: “Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come” John 2:18. There will be signs in the sky: “‘Immediately after the anguish of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken” Matthew 24:29. There will be those who mock the promise of Jesus’ coming: “Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. They will say, ‘What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created’” 2 Peter 3:3-4 People will receive the Mark of the Beast: “He required everyone-- small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name. Wisdom is needed here. Let the one with understanding solve the meaning of the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is 666” Revelation 13:16-18. People will turn away from true faith and embrace demonic teachings (which sounds similar to the popular New Age teachings of today): “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons...” 1 Timothy 4:1. There will be terrifying disasters and miraculous signs: “There will be great earthquakes, and there will be famines and plagues in many lands, and there will be terrifying things and great miraculous signs from heaven” Luke 21:11. Christians will be hated, and many will turn away from Christ and turn against each other: “Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other” Matthew 24:9-10. Sin will be widespread: “Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold” Matthew 24:12. What Apocalyptic Texts Can Best Prepare Us for the Last Days? The Greek meaning of apocalypse is to uncover, reveal, or disclose. Our eyes need to be opened so we can remain alert, viewing the world’s events from God’s perspective. We can do this by learning eschatology—studying the apocalyptic texts in the Bible that can best prepare us for the last days. To begin, it’s important that we remain aware of what is to occur in the Great Tribulation. This is covered in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21. The book of Revelation provides us an in-depth glimpse of the destruction to come. There is much apocalyptic literature in the Old Testament as well: Isaiah chapters 24 – 27 and 33 describes a mythological vision regarding the days leading up to Christ’s return. The book of Daniel is prophetic as well, specifically Daniel’s visions included in chapters 7 – 12. Amos contains symbolic visions concerning judgment, which you can read about in chapters 7 – 9. Micah prophecies judgment against Israel and Judah, but then it changes its tone and prophecies hope and restoration amongst God’s people during Christ’s millennial reign. Zechariah 9 – 14 contains visions and prophesies regarding the second coming of Jesus and the restoration amongst God’s people. Joel contains poetry and imagery that focuses on coming disaster and judgment on Jerusalem, followed by a time when God’s presence will be released and bring forth restoration amongst His people. Jeremiah contains predictions of both judgment and hope for Israel and the entire world in chapters 26 – 51. Ezekiel, in a similar manner, contains visions, parables, and allegories that illustrate coming judgment and restoration amongst Israel and all of God’s creation. We can also refer to the parables Jesus taught, such as the one involving weeds and wheat (Matthew 13:24-30 and 36-43). Other parables that can further our study of eschatology include the Parable of the Householder (Mark 13:32-37), the Final Judgment (Matthew 25:31-33), the Parable of the 10 Bridesmaids (Matthew 25:1-13), the Parable of the Three Servants (Matthew 25:14-30), and the Parable of the Sheep and Goats (Matthew 25:31-46). How Must We Live in the in-between Times? It's vital that we study Scripture and apply its principles to our daily lives. We are to remain firm and steadfast in our faith in all seasons, even if it costs us persecution and rejection. Time is ticking. Christ could return at any moment. Let’s use our gifts to further the Body and spread the Gospel, all for the sake of preparing this world for the coming of our King. God is not coming for a lukewarm Bride or a systematic, legalistic church—one that looks clean on the outside but is filthy on the inside. Rather, He is coming for a Bride that is pure and on fire for Him (see Revelation 19:7). We are to be “ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected” (Matthew 24:44). 1 Thessalonians 5:2,6-8 reminds us of the importance of staying awake and alert: “For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night … So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.” Let’s be a voice for Christ and stay informed on global and national current events, viewing them from God’s perspective. (The Victory Channel News is my go-to source for trustworthy news provided from a biblical perspective.) Matthew 24:32-33 illustrations why it’s important to remain aware: “Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door.” Lastly, we are to endure until the end, because Matthew 24:13 says, “But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” As destruction and evil escalades, those of us who are in Christ can cling to the truth that Jesus has already defeated the darkness. We don’t need to be afraid because John 16:33 says, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” The world may appear unpredictable, but these events are not random; in fact, they have already been foretold in the Bible. And what else has been foretold? The fact that, when Christ returns, the enemy will be destroyed once and for all. Trust me: On that day, it’s not going to be “the end of times” for His bride; rather, it will be the dawn of a new day. A day that will mark the very beginning of our utopia, our eternity, with Christ. We are definitely living in the last days.
And yet the last day has not come. That’s how we talk if we use the vocabulary of the New Testament. The last day refers to the future—the culminating day of God’s final salvation and wrath being revealed for all to see (see 1 Thess. 5:1–11). We are told in Scripture that though we know this day is coming, we cannot know the day or the hour of the last day itself (cf. Matt. 24:36). The last days refers to the period of time we are now in—between Christ’s death/resurrection/ascension and his second appearing or return. This is also called “the last time/s” (Jude 1:18; 1 Pet. 1:20) or “the last hour” (1 John 2:18) or “the end of the ages” (1 Cor. 10:11). It is helpful to think of the Old Testament as the age of promise, where God promised his people a Messiah who would establish and rule over his Kingdom. With the advent of Jesus as the Christ, or the Messiah, we have the age of fulfillment. The promises of God are being fulfilled in these last days, even if they will not being ultimately or finally consummated or fulfilled until the last day. Theologians call this the “already” (it has already dawned, the fulfillment has begun) and the “not yet” (it is not yet finalized or complete). The illustration at the top of this page illustrated how both the inbreaking blessings, along with suffering and tribulation, continue in this overlap of the ages. For a helpful summary of this paradigm, see Ben Gladd’s piece here “The Two Ages.” If you want to check out the biblical references for yourself on the last day vs. last days/last time/last hour/end of the ages distinction, see below: “Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.” (1 John 2:18) “He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you. . . .” (1 Pet. 1:20) “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.” (1 Cor. 10:11) “But in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.” (Heb. 1:2) “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.” (2 Tim. 3:1) “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” (Jude 1:18) “. . . scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.” (2 Pet. 3:3) “Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days.” (James 5:3) “And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.” (Acts 2:17) Biblical history is divided up into two distinct ages: the age of promise, when God promised to make all things right by establishing his kingdom and rule through his Messiah, and the age of fulfillment, when God’s promises are fulfilled. The Old Testament prophets talked about the age of fulfillment as the “latter days”. While they expected these latter days to come with the Messiah at the end of much tribulation and suffering, the New Testament authors tell us that these days have intruded into history earlier than that with the coming of Jesus Christ. Now, we live in the overlap of these ages, in the “already-not yet”—the age of fulfillment, the latter days, having come “already” with the kingdom of God through Jesus Christ, and the age of promise, with its accompanying suffering and tribulation, still remaining until the second coming of Messiah Jesus. A Better EdenThe phrase “two ages” refers to two distinct epochs of biblical history. The first epoch could be considered the period of “promises”—God promises to dwell with his people, bring about the arrival of the messiah, establish the kingdom, offer forgiveness of sin, raise the saints from the dead, and so forth. The second epoch is the age of fulfillmentand takes place during the period known as the “latter days” or the “end times.” There is where eschatology comes to the fore. Our English term “eschatology” comes from two Greek words: eschatos (“last”) and logos (“word”). So, eschatology is the “study of the last things.” We should consider the final phase of redemption to be “eschatological,” as it takes place at the very end of history. The Old Testament uses the phrase “latter days” or the “last days” to refer to this final period of Israel’s history (e.g., Gen. 49:1; Num. 24:14; Dan. 2:28–29, 45). All the events that take place within this period, whether acts of judgment or restoration, are “eschatological.” Though some believe that these two ages can only be discerned in the latter portion of the Old Testament, we can find evidence of eschatology in Genesis 1–3. While creation is deemed “good” (Gen. 1:3, 10, 18, 21, 25) and Adam and Eve “very good” (Gen. 1:31), there remains an element of incompleteness. For example, Adam and Eve, while perfectly fashioned in God’s image, can still sin. Sin can still invade the created order, too. Lastly, God created the cosmos to be a gigantic, cosmic temple so he can move in and dwell intimately with it. If Adam and Eve obey God’s commission in 1:28 and his law in 2:16–17 by producing godly descendants, expanding the boundaries of Eden and filling the earth with God’s glory, keeping his commands, and subduing evil, then the earth would be transformed into an incorruptible creation, evil would be abolished, and humanity would inherit incorruptible bodies. God would descend to earth to rule and dwell with humanity for all of eternity. Those are future realities contingent upon perfect obedience. That is the expectation of Genesis 1–2. Those expectations are very much related to what will transpire in the “latter days.” Like a seed germinating, sprouting, and eventually growing into a tree, the Old Testament writings begin with an eschatological seed in Genesis 1–3 and then develop into a vast tree by the close of the canon. The period of the “latter days” is not unrelated or disconnected to the rest of the Old Testament. It is the climax of Israel’s story. A Better Promised Land The Old Testament writers and prophets foresaw a time when the final redemption of God’s people and creation would emerge. This second epoch or age in Israel’s career was to take place at the end of history. This period is an irreversible break with the events that preceding. The Old Testament does not give us a line-by-line account of how the events will unfold. The Old Testament prophets tend to leave out elements depending upon the aim of their oracles. Nevertheless, a broad outline of what will transpire in the “latter days” is clear enough:
Thus, the “latter days” entail positive and negative elements with the negative elements generally preceding the positive. We can graphically depict the Old Testament’s expectation of the end of history: God first judges then restores. At that point, God will descend from heaven and dwell with redeemed humanity in the new creation for all of eternity. The Overlap of the Ages in the New TestamentOne of the most striking dimensions of the New Testament is the apostles’s insistence that the “latter days” have broken into history. Each New Testament book, in some way, claims that the last epoch in Israel’s history has begun through the person of Christ. All that the Old Testament foresaw would occur in the end times has begun to be fulfilled in the first coming of Christ and continues until the second coming of Christ. The Old Testament end-time expectations of the great tribulation, God’s subjugation of the Gentiles, deliverance of Israel from oppressors, Israel’s restoration and resurrection, the new covenant, the promised Spirit, the new creation, the new temple, a messianic king, and the establishment of God’s kingdom have all been set in motion through Christ’s death and resurrection. The expression “already-not yet” refers to two stages of the fulfillment of the latter days. It is “already” because the latter days have dawned in Christ, but it is “not yet” since the latter days have not consummately arrived. Scholars often use the phrase “inaugurated eschatology” or overlap of the ages to describe this phenomenon. The New Testament outlines the following schema of fulfillment: We will briefly examine two dimensions of the already-not yet—the kingdom of God and the presence of the antichrist. The Inauguration of the End-Time KingdomMuch of what Jesus says in the Gospels is centered upon the establishment of the end-time kingdom, an event that, according to the Old Testament, was to take place at the very end of history. Jesus argues that the kingdom has indeed arrived, but his followers and the crowds struggled to believe Jesus’s staggering claims. Central to this discussion is Jesus’s claim that the disciples have received the “mysteries of the kingdom” (Matt. 13:11; Mark 4:11; Luke 8:10). The term “mystery” originates in the book of Daniel, especially chapters 2 and 4, where it concerns judgment upon pagan nations and the establishment of God’s end-time kingdom. Nebuchadnezzar dreamed about a colossus with four parts, and each part represented four pagan kingdoms (Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome). A “stone” then smashed the statue and eventually filled the entire earth, illustrating that the whole earth was filled with God’s kingdom (Dan. 2:29–35). The prophet Daniel interpreted the meaning of Nebuchadnezzar’s symbolic dream (Dan. 2:36–45). Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and Daniel’s interpretation of it constitute the “mystery.” The divine revelation is thus “hidden” (Nebuchadnezzar) but later “revealed” (Daniel). “Mystery” then becomes a framework for understanding revelation that generally refers to a teaching or doctrine that entails new or surprising elements. What does Jesus mean by the “mystery of the kingdom of God”? In the immediate context of Matthew 13, the “mystery” is related to the parable of the sower and the following parables concerning the kingdom. The Old Testament prophecies expected the establishment of the end-time kingdom to be a decisive overthrow of God’s enemies at one consummate point at the very end of world history (e. g., Gen. 49:9–10; Num. 24:14–19; Dan. 2:35, 44–45). What makes Jesus’s teaching about the kingdom a “mystery” is the contrast with the Old Testament expectation of the kingdom. One of the main tenets of the prophesied latter-day kingdom is the consummate establishment of God’s kingdom directly preceded by the ultimate destruction of unrighteousness and foreign oppression. The advent of the Messiah would signal the death knell of evil empires. Pagan kings and their kingdoms were to be destroyed or “crushed” (Dan. 2:44). Such a defeat and judgment would be decisive and happen all at once at the end point of history. But Jesus claims that the advent of the Messiah and the latter-day kingdom does not happen all at once. Paradoxically, two realms coexist simultaneously—those who belong to the kingdom and those who belong to the “evil one.” The kingdom has been inaugurated but remains to be consummately fulfilled. The two ages mysteriously overlap. The Mysterious Presence of the AntichristThe two ages are very much on Paul’s mind in 2 Thessalonians 2:5–8: “Don’t you remember that when I was still with you I told you about this? And you know what currently restrains him [the man of lawlessness], so that he will be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but the one now restraining will do so until he is out of the way, and then the lawless one will be revealed” (HCSB). Paul’s understanding of the end-time opponent here is largely indebted to the book of Daniel, where a ghastly figure will oppress and deceive the covenant community in the “latter days.” According to Daniel 11, an end-time attack upon Israel will manifest itself in two ways. An opponent will persecute righteous Israelites. Daniel 11:31 says, “His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation” (cf. Dan. 2:8, 11, 25; 8:9–12; Isa. 14:12–14). Here the enemy will wage war against the temple precinct and defile it by “setting up the abomination that causes desolation.” Daniel 11:33–35 further describe the attack against the “wise” within the covenant community: “Those who are wise will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered” (Dan. 11:33). The righteous, nevertheless, will persevere under pressure, though they will “fall” and be “refined” and “purified” (Dan. 11:32, 36; cf. 12:10). According to Daniel, Israel’s latter-day enemy will also deceive some within the Israelite community by enticing speech. His deception results in some within the covenant community “forsaking the holy covenant” (Dan. 11:30). His influence through “flattery” also extends to those “who violate the covenant” to become even more godless (Dan. 11:32), to compromise, and to foster deception and further compromise among others. At the Olivet Discourse, Jesus, too, discusses end-time opponents of Israel using language from the book of Daniel: “Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many…and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.” (Matt. 24:5, 11; cf. 24:23–26). Jesus envisions an antichrist figure(s) that will deceive Israel preceding the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70. In Matthew 24:5, the oppressor will be characterized by deception, claiming to be “the Messiah,” and, therefore, upsetting the faith of “many.” In light of our brief analysis, we can now understand Paul’s admonitions to the Thessalonian community. Paul corrects the church’s confusion over the second coming of Christ. He makes it clear that Christ’s second coming has not yet occurred, since that day will be preceded by two events—“apostasy” and the unveiling of the “man of lawlessness” (2:3, NASB). Paul claims in 2:3 that Daniel’s “man of lawlessness” has not yet arrived on the scene, but, alarmingly, there is a sense in which the end-time oppressor is already on the scene (see 1 John 2:18–19). This suggestion explains the language in 2:7: “The mystery of lawlessness is already at work.” Paul is not teaching a general form of wickedness and persecution but a specific end-time deception and persecution that ought to be attributed to the church’s end-time antagonist. Paul employs “mystery” here in 2 Thessalonians 2:7 to describe a unique situation with startling ramifications: according to Daniel, the end-time persecutor will appear to the covenant community in his full bodily presence in the future, yet Paul argues that the antagonist is nevertheless “already at work” in the community. The church is to be on high alert for false teaching, so it must embrace the apostolic message of the gospel and its implications for daily living. Christian Ethics in the Already-Not YetEschatology, when properly understood, is not simply an exercise in theological speculation but fuel for Christian living. If believers are genuinely a “new creation” and part of the new heavens and earth (2 Cor. 5:17), then we possess the ability to overcome sin and temptation. Conversely, if a corporate antichrist is in our midst, then believers must devote themselves to the Bible to stave off false teaching and bear up under intense persecution. How does the story of Noah
point us toward Jesus and Grace? Noah was an obedient servant of God amidst a sinful world. He is most well-known for building an ark that preserved himself and his family, as well as representatives of every land animal, from a great flood that God unleashed in judgment upon the earth. The name Noah means “rest.” It derives from the Hebrew נוח (nuah), to rest. The name could also mean "comfort." It may seem ironic because the story of Noah involves neither of these things. After all, God floods the earth, and that doesn't seem like a whole lot of rest or comfort for its inhabitants. But perhaps this name can remind us of the feeling that Noah's family likely felt when at last the Flood waters receded and that God comforted them with a rainbow, reminding them that he would never flood the entire earth again. What does the rainbow represent? It represents God's promise to save and deliver us- the arc delivering noah to safety is a -foreshadow- of our deliverance in Jesus Christ, God's ultimate promise for mankind. When God saw how wicked and corrupt man had become, He regretted creating them and decided to destroy all of mankind (Genesis 6:7). However, God gave Noah favor because he saw that he was righteous (Genesis 6:8). God commanded Noah to build an ark to house and preserve his family, as well as every male and female species of land animal, from His punishment of a flood on the earth (Genesis 6:14-21). The rain fell and the floodwaters rose around the ark for 40 days, however, Noah and the other inhabitants "remained safe" (Genesis 7:17-18). Noah’s family consisted of eight people: Noah, his wife, three sons, and their wives. As they were the only human survivors of the flood, they became the founders of a new and second lineage of mankind that brought about our salvation in Jesus Christ. The events leading up to the flood can be seen as a forerunner for the second coming of Jesus (Matthew 24:37-39). Some lessons we can learn is that God can provide a way out to salvation. People on earth had a chance to repent and go with Noah onto the ark, but they refused. We also see lessons of God's faithfulness in this passage. He does not leave Noah's family out in the floodwaters. Instead, the waters eventually recede and they find land again. Archaeologists tell us that every great civilization in history had a story of a cataclysmic flood. But depend on Christ, who confirmed the story by saying, “As the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:37). What characterized the days of Noah? Apostasy. Anarchy. Ungodly philosophy. “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). The days of Noah have returned to us. The wickedness reached such a level that “the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the LORD said, ‘I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.’ But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD” (Genesis 6:6-8;) In these dangerous days, we have the grace of God. GRACE PROVIDES A SAVIOR Noah needed to be saved, so God told him, “Make yourself an ark” (Genesis 6:14a). That ark pictures Jesus Christ. (Read 1 Peter 3:18-20.) “Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch” (Genesis 6:14). Gopherwood is cypress, which will not rot, and “pitch” is tar. Interestingly, this is not the usual word for pitch—this word is translated in the rest of the Bible as atonement. The water was God’s judgment, and not one drop could come through. Christ is the atonement for our sin, and in Him, no judgment can get to you. The Ark’s Sufficiency“And this is how you shall make it: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits” (Genesis 6:15). The ark was 3 million cubic feet. There was room on that ark, and there is room at the cross. Notice that God does not say the ark has a prow or stern. Archaeologists tell us these are the dimensions of a coffin. The ancients built their coffins out of cypress because it would not decay. Why is the ark a giant coffin? Because when Noah came into that ark, it pictured the way we are buried with Christ in baptism. (See Romans 6:4.) “You shall make a window for the ark, and you shall finish it to a cubit from above; and set the door of the ark in its side” (Genesis 6:16a). This is the door that God sealed, and nobody could open it. (See Genesis 7:16.) But Noah could open the window and look up. God was saying, “From now on, you are to be Heavenly minded.” We are sealed into Christ by the Holy Spirit. We look into Heaven through Jesus Christ. And you shall take for yourself of all food that is eaten, and you shall gather it to yourself; and it shall be food for you and for them” (Genesis 6:21). God took care of all of their needs. When you come to Jesus, you have shelter and substance. Jesus not only saves but also satisfies. The word of God is our bread and spiritual food. Then the ark rested in the seventh month, the seventeenth day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat” (Genesis 8:4). You might blow past this. But when the ark arrived, having been steered by God (because it also had no helm!), it was the seventh month in the Jewish calendar—April. This is the time of Passover, when Jesus came out of the grave, having taken the floodwaters of God’s wrath upon the cross! GRACE PROVIDES SALVATION Why do we have a Savior? So we can be saved! How? “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:8-10; emphasis added). If you keep three prepositions in mind, you will never get confused about the relationship of faith and good works. You are saved…
The ark shows that salvation is by grace. "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD…. ‘I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall go into the ark—you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you’” (Genesis 6:8,18). God only has one plan of salvation, and that is by grace. Grace means that God saves us apart from any effort of our own. “Then the LORD said to Noah, ‘Come into the ark, you and all your household’” (Genesis 7:1a). Noah had to take that step through faith. (See Hebrews 11:7.) Noah was saved for good works. “So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth’” (Genesis 9:1). We do not do good works in order to be saved; we do them because we have been saved. GRACE PROVIDES SECURITY God did not say, “Noah, go into the ark.” He said, “Come”—meaning God was in the ark. In Christ, you are as safe as you can possibly be. About those who believe in Christ, the Bible says, “you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise” (Ephesians 1:13b). Not only did God shut the water out; God shut Noah in. Could Noah have lost his salvation? God shut the door! Noah may have fallen down inside that ark, but he couldn’t fall out of it. Jesus said, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:28). If you are saved by works, you will have to be kept by works. But we are saved by grace, and kept by grace. The first time, God destroyed the world by water. The second time, it will be by fire. “…The world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men…The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:6b-7,9). Now here is the question: “Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat” (2 Peter 3:11-12)? Isaac answered and said to Esau, "Behold, I have made him lord over you, and all his brothers I have given to him for servants, and with grain and wine I have sustained him. What then can I do for you, my son?" Esau said to his father, "Have you but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father." And Esau lifted up his voice and wept. Then Isaac his father answered and said to him: "Behold, away from the fatness of the earth shall your dwelling be, and away from the dew of heaven on high. By your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother; but when you grow restless you shall break his yoke from your neck." ~ Genesis 27:37-40 Read related articles about the life of Jacob and Esau: Rebekah sends Jacob to Mesopotamia to avoid Esau's intention to kill him. In his travel, the Lord visits Jacob in a dream known as Jacob's Ladder. In Mesopotamia, Jacob meets Haran and his daughter Rachel. Read the Bible Story of Jacob and Rachel. What Is the Promised Land?
In the Bible, the term “Promised Land” refers to a specific region of land that God endowed to His chosen people, as part of their heritage. (Genesis 12, Genesis 26:3, Genesis 28:13) God first gave this pledge of land to Abraham saying, “I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and from the desert to the Euphrates River.” He then reiterated the vow to Abraham’s descendants until the time came for His people to claim their inheritance. The "Promised Land" was the geographic area God declared to give to his chosen people, the offspring of Abraham. The promised land was placed in ancient Canaan, on the eastern side of the Mediterranean Sea. Numbers 34:1-12 discusses the location of the Promised Land: The Promised Land of Canaan“The LORD said to Moses, “Command the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter Canaan, the land that will be allotted to you as an inheritance is to have these boundaries: “Your southern side will include some of the Desert of Zin along the border of Edom. Your southern boundary will start in the east from the southern end of the Dead Sea, cross south of Scorpion Pass, continue on to Zin and go south of Kadesh Barnea. Then it will go to Hazar Addar and over to Azmon, where it will turn, join the Wadi of Egypt and end at the Mediterranean Sea. “Your western boundary will be the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. This will be your boundary on the west. “For your northern boundary, run a line from the Mediterranean Sea to Mount Hor and from Mount Hor to Lebo Hamath. Then the boundary will go to Zedad, continue to Ziphron and end at Hazar Enan. This will be your boundary on the north. “For your eastern boundary, run a line from Hazar Enan to Shepham. The boundary will go down from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain and continue along the slopes east of the Sea of Galilee. Then the boundary will go down along the Jordan and end at the Dead Sea. “This will be your land, with its boundaries on every side.” For migrating herders like the Jews, having a stable home of their own would be a true blessing. The promised land was a place to rest from their continual wandering. But this promise came with conditions. First, God commanded that Israel, the name of the new nation, had to trust and follow Him. Second, God demanded faithful worship of Him (Deuteronomy 7:12-15). Idolatry was such a grave transgression to God that he threatened to remove them out of the promised land if they worshiped other gods. Through a famine, Jacob also named Israel, went to Egypt with his family, where there was food. Over the years, the Egyptians turned the Jews into slaves for labor. After God delivered them from that slavery, he returned them to the promised land, under the guidance of Moses. However, because the people neglected to obey God's law, he made them wander in the desert for 40 years until that generation had died. Moses' heir Joshua finally led the people in and served as the military commander in taking over the Promised Land. Following Joshua's death, Israel was ruled by a succession of judges. The people frequently regressed to idolize false gods and suffered due consequences. Eventually, God allowed the Babylonians to destroy the Jerusalem temple and take most of the Jews into bondage to Babylon. Ultimately, they returned to the promised land, but under Israel's kings, devotion to God was inconsistent. God sent prophets to remind His people to repent, concluding with John the Baptist. What Made the Promised Land Unique? The promised land of Canaan, eventually called Israel, was a fertile land with brooks and deep springs that gushed out into the valleys and hills. The rich soil produced wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, and olives. There, the Israelites would lack nothing. Described in Scripture as “a land flowing with milk and honey,” the soil was rich for agriculture and shepherding, the mountains provided security and protection from the elements and their enemies, and the arid climate provided perfect conditions for livestock to thrive. (Exodus 3:17; Numbers 13:27, Deuteronomy 8:6-9) Abraham knew that he would not see God’s promised land with his own eyes. In fact, God made it clear to him that the land would not be given until four generations had passed, and that his descendants would face the hardship of slavery before they would enjoy the home God had promised. (Genesis 15:12-16) But Abraham held on to the promise, believing that God could and would bring His descendants into their promised land. When Would God’s Promise Be Fulfilled? In preparation to fulfill the promise He’d made to Abraham and his descendants, God placed Abraham’s great-grandson, Joseph in Egypt. When a seven-year famine made it increasingly difficult for the Israelites to find food, God used Joseph’s high position under Pharoah to save His people, the Israelites, from starvation. After Joseph’s generation died, the Israelites continued to thrive in Egypt. Then, “a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. ‘Look,’ he said to his people, ‘the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.’” (Exodus 1:8-10) For four hundred years the Egyptians forced God’s people into harsh and brutal slave labor, but this didn’t keep them from multiplying and spreading. In fact, the Egyptians became so fearful of Israel’s population explosion that Pharoah eventually ordered the prompt murder of all the Hebrew, newborn males. (Exodus 1:22) Moses was among the newborn babies to be slain. However, just as God had predestined Joseph to save his people from famine, He spared Moses’s life so that He could use him to deliver Israel from Egypt’s oppression--and ultimately lead them into the land promised to Abraham’s descendants. (Exodus 2:23-25) After Moses led God’s people out of Egypt and through the Red Sea, the time had finally come for Israel to realize the fulfillment of God’s long-awaited promise. In one miraculous display after another, God had clearly shown Himself mighty to save. Now, the Israelites needed only to believe God and follow His servant Moses into the desert wilderness that would lead them to the promised land. The Faith of Joshua and the Fear of Israel Through their deliverance from Egypt, the Israelites had witnessed first-hand God’s provision, His power, and His faithfulness to the promises made to their ancestors (Genesis 15:14, Exodus 15:1-21)) And God continued to provide for all their needs. As they began their journey to Canaan, God provided food and water. (Exodus 16:12-15, Exodus 15:25) He provided clothes and shoes that never wore out. (Deuteronomy 29:5) He gave them His law. (Exodus 5:6-21) And most importantly God gave the Israelites the gift of His sheltering and guiding presence. (Exodus 13:21) When the Israelites reached the border of the promised land, in Kadesh Barnea, God instructed Moses to, “Send out for yourself men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites.” Until that time the whole region near Canaan had been inhabited by wicked nations, who were driven by idolatry (Deuteronomy 9:4). Because of the sinful nature of these nations, not because of Israel’s rightness, God determined to drive them out and turn the land over to His children. But when Israel’s spies returned from their survey of the land, they were afraid and spread their fear to the Israelites. Instead of trusting in God’s continued deliverance and provision, the spies relied on their own flawed wisdom, based on the dangers they saw during their expedition. Their report included tales of unconquerable rulers, impossible odds, and super-human giants. (Numbers 13:32) Of the twelve spies, only Joshua and Caleb spoke the truth about Canaan based on God’s promise. “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” (Numbers 14:6-7). The doubting Israelites wanted to stone Joshua and Caleb after their faith-filled report. They couldn’t imagine overcoming the odds stacked against them. They fell into deep despair and wept bitterly. Disgusted with the Israelites continued unbelief, grumbling, and complaining God considered destroying the His people with a plague (Numbers 14:11) until Moses interceded. Although God chose to forgive His people--their unbelief had cost them the privilege of ever entering the land of promise. (Numbers 14:23) Instead, they would wander the wilderness for forty years until all the adults were buried right outside the border of the promised land. Then, their children would have a chance to prove themselves faithful to God and enter Canaan. Only Joshua and Caleb, the two faithful spies, were exempt from God’s just punishment. What Can We Learn from This Bible Story? "The Israelites wilderness situation was ordained to get them ready for the promise. Unfortunately, their patterns of behavior kept them stuck for far longer than God intended,” explains Victoria Riollano. The Israelites’ continued acts of rebellion were an outward manifestation of a much bigger issue—their lack of faith. Even though God had repeatedly demonstrated His trustworthiness to the Israelites, they allowed fear to keep them from resting in His continued provision. That same unchecked fear would eventually keep them from entering the land God had promised. Believers are faced with the choice between faith and fear on a regular basis. In fact, James 1:3 tells us that God tests our faith on purpose so that He can produce in us perseverance and maturity in Christ. The good news is that we don’t have to combat fear alone. We’re invited to cast our cares on God, and we’re promised that His perfect love casts out all fear. (1 Peter 5:7, 1 John 4:18) The New Promised Land: Kingdom of Heaven When Jesus Christ arrived in Israel, he brought a new covenant accessible to all people, Jews, and Gentiles alike. At the end of Hebrews 11, the popular "Hall of Faith" section, scripture remarks that people of the Old Testament "were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised." (Hebrews 11:39) They may have received the land, but they still looked to the future for the Messiah—that Messiah is Jesus Christ. The kingdom of God is now established on earth through Christ, and will be fulfilled with Israels return to the promised land, when they as a nation discover their messiah is Jesus Christ. Because Israel was entrusted with God's laws, but do not practice his laws, their inability to trust their messiah will bring the end of the age. Jesus Messiah will redeem the nation of Israel to prove he can redeem even the biggest catastrophe. One day, at the end of the Tribulation, all of surviving Israel will “look on Me whom they have pierced” (Zech. 12:10). Israel’s repentance will be complete, and they will inhabit the future kingdom over which Christ will reign as their Messiah. Then and only then will Israel fully possess the land promised to them. God is faithful to His Word—to Israel and to us! His face is hidden from those who do not believe or trust his authorship. All in God's good timing...The wandering in the wilderness will be over! He's in the game of redemption! Whoever believes in Christ as their Savior becomes a resident of the kingdom of God. As Jesus explained to Pontius Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Religious leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.” (John 18:36) We will see the promised land when Israel as a nation, turns to the name of Yeshua, Hebrew messiah as Lord, and ushers in the messianic kingdom for good! The Savior as revealed in the Tanakh I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no Savior. (Isa 43:11) Despite the fact that the Tanakh provides the record of God's deliverance of His people, the word moshia' (a participial form of the verb yasha, to deliver or to save) does not occur with great frequency in the Scriptures (it appears nearly half of the time in the latter part of the book of Isaiah). In the Jewish mindset, the concept of salvation is more national (corporate) than personal (as modern Christianity tends to view it). The salvation of the individual Jew is directly bound up with the salvation of the entire people, and includes the hope of being rescued from national enemies, of the Temple's complete restoration, and of the full corporate inheritance of the covenantal blessings of Adonai. For the Jew, Hamoshia' is a this-worldly, temporal leader who would rescue corporate Israel from her enemies and make the nation great in all the earth. The idea of a "Savior of the Jewish people," then, is bound up with the idea of national Israel and the restoration of the Kingdom of David on earth. This (among other reasons) partly explains why the Jewish people tend to reject Jesus as their Savior: from their point of view Jesus did not rescue corporate, national Israel from her enemies nor set up the kingdom of David.... As Christians, however, we believe that Yeshua' indeed did all of these things -- but in an "already/not-yet" sort of way. He already has effected full deliverance from the ultimate enemy of the Jewish people (i.e., sin and the devil), but He has not yet fully restored the temporal glory of the Kingdom of David and will not do so until He comes again to establish His rule in Jerusalem. Maranatha, Lord Jesus! Moshia'. Deliverer. One who "makes wide" or "makes sufficient." One who gives freedom from distress and the ability to pursue one's way. Often understood in a "this-worldly" manner of political deliverance, the word is also used to ultimately portray Adonai's deliverance and salvation of the Israel of God. Derived from the Hebrew verb Yasha'. Note that the Name for Jesus - Yeshua - is derived from this same root. Note: moshia' is not etymologically connected with the word mashiach, though there is overlap in the concepts between a Savior and the Messiah. References: Deut. 22:27; 28:29, 31; Jdg. 3:9, 15; 6:36; 12:3; 1 Sam. 10:19; 11:3; 2 Ki. 13:5; Ps. 7:11; 17:7; 18:42; Isa. 19:20; 43:11; 45:15; Zech. 8:7. The Savior Hamoshia'. The Deliverer; the Savior. Though this form does not directly appear in the Tanakh, it is widespread in Jewish thinking and is prevalent in the B'rit Chadasha. Salvation Yeshu'ah. [yeshuat- construct form] Noun feminine. Salvation; Deliverance. State of being made free from distress. References: Exo. 15:2; Ps. 119:155; Isa. 26:1; 49:8; 52:7; 59:17; 60:18; Hab. 3:8. God of Israel the Savior Elohei Yisrael Moshia'. God of Israel the Savior (Isa. 45:15). The Giver of Salvation Hannoten Teshuah. The Giver of Salvation (Psa. 144:10). A note about Moses (Moshe) Mosheh. Moses. The name Moses comes from the verb masha (qal present active participle) and means "he who draws out." Although Moshe was indeed a savior-figure in the Tanakh (who "drew his people out" of Egypt) and his name perhaps involves a word play on the word moshia', the proper name is probably not directly etymologically related to the word moshia'. Indeed, Moses himself spoke of the Coming Prophet who would ultimately deliver the Jewish nation, and this is a reference to the Mashiach Jesus (Deut. 18:18-19). Is God calling you? God’s call will go to the core of who you are and what you do. ‘I have called him… and he will succeed in his mission.’ Isaiah 48:15 NIV God told Jeremiah, ‘Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work.’ (Jeremiah 1:5 NCV) When God decides to use you, five things happen: First, there is a call. God asks common people to do uncommon things, like Peter getting out of a boat and walking on water. Second, there is fear. When God called Moses to stand before Pharaoh, he basically said, ‘I’m not a good enough speaker; use somebody else.’ Third, there is reassurance. The thought of filling Moses’ shoes must have shaken Joshua to the core, so God told him, ‘As I was with Moses, so I will be with you.’ (Joshua 1:5 NKJV) Fourth, there is a decision. Sometimes we say ‘yes’ to God and sometimes we say ‘no’. When we say ‘yes’ we live with joy; when we say ‘no’ we forfeit that joy. But there’s always a decision. Fifth, there is a changed life. Those who say ‘yes’ to God’s call don’t walk perfectly, not by a long shot. But because they say ‘yes’, they learn and grow even from their failures. Indeed, their failures often become part of their ability to minister to others. And those who say ‘no’ to God are changed too; they become a little harder, a little more resistant to His calling, and a little more likely to say ‘no’ next time. In the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), Jesus’ command to "follow me" appears repeatedly (e.g., Matthew 8:22; 9:9, Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27; John 1:43). In many cases, Jesus was calling the twelve men who would become His disciples (Matthew 10:3–4). But other times, He was speaking to anyone who wanted what He had to offer (John 3:16; Mark 8:34). In Matthew 10:34–39, Jesus stated clearly what it means to follow Him. He said, "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it." Jesus’ bringing a “sword” and turning family members against each other can seem a little harsh after words like "whosoever believes on Him shall not perish" (John 3:16). But Jesus never softened the truth, and the truth is that following Him leads to difficult choices. Sometimes turning back may seem very appealing. When Jesus’ teaching went from the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3–11) to the coming cross, many who had followed him turned away (John 6:66). Even the disciples decided that following Jesus was too difficult the night He was arrested. Every one of them deserted Him (Matthew 26:56; Mark 14:50). On that night, following Christ meant possible arrest and execution. Rather than risk his own life, Peter denied that he even knew Jesus three times (Matthew 26:69–75). To truly follow Christ means He has become everything to us. Everyone follows something: friends, popular culture, family, selfish desires, or God. We can only follow one thing at a time (Matthew 6:24). God states we are to have no other gods before Him (Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 5:7; Mark 12:30). To truly follow Christ means we do not follow anything else. Jesus said in Luke 9:23, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." There is no such thing as a "halfway disciple." As the disciples demonstrated, no one can follow Christ by the strength of his own willpower. The Pharisees were good examples of those who were trying to obey God in their own strength. Their self-effort led only to arrogance and distortion of the whole purpose of God’s Law (Luke 11:39; Matthew 23:24). Jesus gave His disciples the secret to faithfully following Him, but they did not recognize it at the time. He said, "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing" (John 6:63). And "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them” (verse 65). The disciples had walked with Jesus for three years, learning, observing, and participating in His miracles. Yet, even they could not follow Him faithfully in their own strength. They needed a Helper. Jesus promised many times that, once He had ascended to the Father, He would send a "Helper" to them—the Holy Spirit (John 14:26; 15:26). In fact, He told them that it was for their good that He was going away so that the Holy Spirit could come (John 16:7). The Holy Spirit indwells the heart of every believer (Galatians 2:20; Romans 8:16; Hebrews 13:5; Matthew 28:20). Jesus warned His followers that they were not to begin testifying of Him "until you have been clothed with power from on high" (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4). When the Holy Spirit came upon those first believers at Pentecost, they suddenly had all the power they needed to follow Christ, even to the death, if needed (Acts 2:1–4; 4:31; 7:59-60). Following Jesus means striving to be like Him. He always obeyed His Father, so that’s what we strive to do (John 8:29; 15:10). To truly follow Christ means to make Him the Boss. That’s what it means to make Jesus Lord of our lives (Romans 10:9; 1 Corinthians 12:3; 2 Corinthians 4:5). Every decision and dream is filtered through His Word with the goal of glorifying Him in everything (1 Corinthians 10:31). We are not saved by the things we do for Christ (Ephesians 2:8–9) but by what He has done for us. Because of His grace, we want to please Him in everything. All this is accomplished as we allow the Holy Spirit to have complete control of every area of our lives (Ephesians 5:18). He explains the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 2:14), empowers us with spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:4-11), comforts us (John 14:16), and guides us (John 14:26). To follow Christ means we apply the truths we learn from His Word and live as if Jesus walked beside us in person. God is asking for your participation; will you answer him? "LORD, SEND SOMEONE ELSE.” EVER SAID THAT? Do you have a favorite person from the Bible? (Besides Jesus, of course!) Moses is a personal favorite of mine. I find him very relatable. Not the plague thing or the Red Sea thing. It’s that scene at the burning bush (Exodus 3:1-3), but a very specific part of it. Exodus 4:13 was actually one of my ‘life verses’; “But Moses pleaded again, ‘Lord, please! Send someone else.’” It was right up there with, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” (Philippians 4:13) as long as he doesn’t ask me to do anything. It’s easy to have faith in God and trust him when we’re sitting on the couch binging Netflix. And the truth is, that’s where I related most strongly with Moses, telling God no. Well, more like dragging my feet and whining a lot, hoping that God will eventually get the message and just give up on me and change his mind. I’m wondering if the idea of God as Father comes from us acting like children so much of the time:
THE CALL What exactly was it that Moses was so dead-set against doing, and why? God had gotten Moses’ attention with the burning bush and was now speaking with him. Let’s look at what God was asking. ‘Then the Lord told him, “I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey—the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live. 9 Look! The cry of the people of Israel has reached me, and I have seen how harshly the Egyptians abuse them. 10 Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt”’ (Exodus 3:7-10, NLT). The first thing we notice is that there is a lot about what God has done and will do, and very little with regard to Moses.
Moses was to go and lead. God is going to deliver his people and he wants Moses to lead them when it happens. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that? So begins one of my favorite conversations in all of Scripture. THE “CONVERSATION "But Moses protested to God, “Who am I to appear before Pharaoh? Who am I to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11). Moses knew who he was. He had spent the last 40 years defining himself. He had tried to deliver his people 40 years ago, and that ended in murder and his being rejected by his people. This event is what drove him into the wilderness in the first place. He was an exiled murderer and he knew God was talking to the wrong guy. But God tells Moses exactly who he is; or does he? God answered, “I will be with you” (Exodus 3:12a). Look at what God is saying here:
But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?” (Exodus 3:13). Now Moses is talking to God. “Oh yeah? Well who are you?” Moses had been waiting for 40 years, but the Hebrews hadn’t heard from God in over 400. To them, he was literally the God of their ancestors; a people long dead and gone. They knew the stories of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but did it mean anything to them? Was God relevant to them now? And that was all just a few hundred years earlier. What expectations are we to have of God when we look back 2,000 years to the time when he walked the earth with the disciples? We hear stories of miracles and great moves of God from the past, but is that the same God who’s calling us now? Is God still relevant today? ‘God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you.” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you. This is my eternal name, my name to remember for all generations”’ (Exodus 3:14-15). Here, God drops the mic with this phrase, I AM WHO I AM. This is a verb, not a proper noun. It carries with it the idea of identification through action. It also transcends time and has been translation by some scholars as I will be who I will be. God is declaring himself the ever existing one; who I WAS then, is who I AM now, and who I WILL BE in the future. This is not the name that others call God; the descriptors of his character, but what God calls himself. This is the name only God is holy enough to utter. And—just like those who saw the opening of the ark in the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark—Moses’ ears should have exploded on the hearing of it and his face melted off his head. This is God’s name yesterday, today, and forever. Then God goes on for another seven verses, finishing out the chapter as if this should have settled everything with Moses: you’ll say this to the people and they’ll say ok, then you’ll tell Pharoah the plan, but I know he’ll say no, so then I’ll flex and he’ll finally say yes and then you’ll do this… And it should have settled it. But Moses was too broken to fully accept that. He was still too caught up in himself to accept the power and importance of God’s presence in his life. He knew God was wrong about him. ‘But Moses protested again, “What if they won’t believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The Lord never appeared to you’?”’ (Exodus 4:1). This goes back to identity, but not what we think of ourselves. Rather it’s what we think others think about us. We prejudge ourselves before others have a chance to. And doesn’t that all begin with the idea that I’m nobody that God would ever use? This false humility is the most evil form of pride because it says right to God’s face, “You’re wrong about me. I’m not the one you’re looking for. You’ve made a mistake.” When we don’t answer God’s call, we’re saying we know better than he does. Then God answers Moses’ concerns with three miraculous signs. God recognizes the game Moses is playing and pulls out the stops. First there’s this thing with the staff turning into a snake. Then there’s Moses’ hand turning leprous and being restored. And just to make sure there’s no longer any confusion who is God in this situation, God turns water from the Nile into blood (Exodus 4:2-9). Personally, I think this would have made me more nervous. ‘But Moses pleaded with the Lord, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.”’ (Exodus 4:10). This verse is often said to have the meaning that Moses had a stutter. I don’t think that’s necessarily true. I think it might have had more to do with Moses being an introvert and having spent the last 40 years in the middle of nowhere, with no one but sheep to talk to. I won’t go into why I think Moses was an introvert, but we don’t know exactly what he’s referring to here. What we do know is that Moses lacked confidence in his ability to do what God was calling him to do. Again, he’s questioning God’s judgement. But I don’t really think Moses was intentionally calling God out. I think he was afraid and disparately clawing at any excuse that might get him out of God’s plan. I think he had become so comfortable with his sheep and the situation he ended up in, that he didn’t want to leave. He may have thought he had little time left in this world, so why start some new project? His time to make a difference had passed. ‘Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say”’ (Exodus 4:11-12). I nearly weep at the graciousness behind this verse every time I read it. God is saying, I made you the way you are. I know it’s not easy. Nothing of any worth ever is. Now let’s go. I’m right here with you and I won’t leave you alone. Take my hand, we’ll do this together. I’ll teach you everything you need to know. Does this sound familiar? Come to me; take my yoke; learn from me; I will be with you always (Matthew 11:28-30). God is calling all of us. How will you answer the call? How did Moses? ‘But Moses again pleaded, “Lord, please! Send anyone else”’ (Exodus 4:13). Moses finally resorts to honesty. He didn’t want to do it. Moses was simply afraid. And I think it was this honesty that God had been waiting for. Then the Lord became angry with Moses. “All right,” he said. “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he speaks well. And look! He is on his way to meet you now. He will be delighted to see you. 15 Talk to him, and put the words in his mouth. I will be with both of you as you speak, and I will instruct you both in what to do. 16 Aaron will be your spokesman to the people. He will be your mouthpiece, and you will stand in the place of God for him, telling him what to say. 17 And take your shepherd’s staff with you, and use it to perform the miraculous signs I have shown you” (Exodus 4:14-17). A lot of the commentaries speak of this passage as a rebuke, that God is so angry that he’s punishing Moses by making him share the spotlight with his brother. Honestly, until I started preparing for this, I saw it the same way. It’s a great motivator, “Do what God calls you to do or he’ll get mad and punish you.” Personally, I’ve grown tired of being scared into following God. The New American Standard Bible is a more literal, word for word translation and puts it this way, “Then the anger of the LORD burned against Moses.” Looking at this more literal sentence structure and the original language, it could also be understood to say, “The face or breath (the countenance) of the LORD enflamed or blazed up.” I think this paints a vivid dual picture of God’s anger and the burning bush. Remember the burning bush? I can imagine the gentle warming flames flashing into a raging inferno in response to Moses’ declaration, the scorching heat pushing him back in startled terror. God had gotten Moses’ attention. He was letting Moses know that he’s not going to win this argument. Moses was getting too comfortable standing there talking to smoldering shrubbery. It was time for Moses to feel the heat. Those previous signs were just that; God manipulating the world. This was an experience of the raw power of God. What does Jesus tell us again? I will give you rest for I am gentle and humble in heart (Matthew 11:29). Remember I AM, the same yesterday, today, and forever. And look at what follows. God, again, goes out of his way to accommodate Moses. Oh look, there’s your brother who’s “just happening” to be coming this way, and what do you know, he’s a great speaker. What luck! And it says Aaron was already coming to see Moses, before this whole thing started. God is not going to call you to do something without providing you with everything you need to accomplish his work. You may not get everything you want. And it may not be easy. But I can tell you from experience, well, a little experience, that it’s a blessing beyond description. ANSWERING THE CALL How do you know you’ve been called? Right there in the second half of Exodus 3:12, “And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.” The fact that you’re here today is the sign that you have been called. God has called you for something; that’s why you’re here. What is it that God is calling you to do? What have you been trying to avoid? What Excuses have you been making? It’s nothing God hasn’t already heard. Or maybe you’re right where God wants you, doing what he has for you to do, but you’re stressed and burned out because you’re relying too much on your own ability. What might you need to let go of? Or maybe you’re doing God’s will and are constantly blessed and joyful. In that case, you really need to be up here sharing with us your secret. What does answering the call look like? I can show you one example of what answering the call looks like. It looks like me following through on God’s call for me to share this message with you. What will it look like for you? I have no idea. Maybe it’s to go to another country with the Gospel. Or maybe just next door. Maybe it’s going to the homeless on the street, or maybe a family member you haven’t spoken to in a while. Maybe God’s given you a testimony and he wants you sharing it, or maybe he’s leading you to serve in some other way. What God has called you to do is between you and God and whoever he might have called you to. What is God saying now? I have come down to this earth, I have seen through your eyes, I have heard through your ears, I have experienced your suffering. I came to rescue you from the power of sin in your lives and lead you into a new kingdom flowing with mercy and grace. Now go! God is sending you out into the world to lead people to him. I want to leave you today the way Moses left the people of Israel he had been leading for 40 years. Passing the mantle of leadership to Joshua, Moses—the man who was afraid to talk to Pharoah—stands before hundreds of thousands of Hebrews and declares, “be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid. The Lord will prepare the way and be with you” “So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you” (Deuteronomy 31:6). God is calling you, but it’s up to you to respond. In 1 Timothy 2:4 it says: “God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” God has an incredible plan, and He wants to use you! He wants to save you from a life of sin and unhappiness, to a life of true peace and joy. He wants to prepare you for eternity. He wants to use your life to glorify His name. God is calling you. He loves you and wants to help you! So how does God call you? Maybe you meet someone whose godly life challenges you, or you read or hear something that creates a longing for something more. Maybe you try to live a good life and react in a good way, but always fall short, and you feel empty deep down inside. This is God calling you. He is drawing you, but it’s up to you to respond. In Hebrews 1:1-2 it says, “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son.” God sent His Son Jesus to earth as a human being, where He experienced the same temptations and trials we do, but never gave in to sin. In this way He left us an example to follow. Now He is inviting you to let Him into your life, to guide, strengthen and help you live the same overcoming life. “Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20. This call of love is like a powerful magnet, always pulling in one direction; to turn completely from everything that is bad, corrupt, evil and self-seeking (sin) towards God’s Son Jesus Christ, to follow His example and come to a life of righteousness, peace and joy. But the choice is always yours, because God has given you a free will. Opening your heart to Jesus is making a decision to stop living for yourself completely, and giving Him full control, as your Lord and Savior. It is a totally life-changing decision. You don’t have to carry on sinning, losing your temper, being irritable, being offended. Jesus came to save you, and make a way out of all these things, and this amazing new life is what God will lead you into, step by step, if you will answer His call. Don’t let anything hinder you from making life’s most important choice – open the door of your heart to Jesus today! Consider today’s world...
Advances in technology and industry have never been greater. What was once science fiction is now everyday reality. Material prosperity abounds for millions of people across the Western world. But what about the half of mankind—billions!—who have little or nothing? And what about mankind’s rapid decline in values, morals and CHARACTER—once believed to be the most vital underpinnings of any society? Is the "human race" equipped, and are its leaders collectively willing, to solve the greatest challenges of civilization-- or must a greater unseen power intervene? Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “Your Kingdom come!” The next thing He instructed was directly related: “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” A loving God must SOON send His Kingdom to END man’s failed experiment or there will be no world to receive it! Jesus Christ’s Return—His “Second Coming”—is central to Christianity. Billions are waiting for it. Scoffers deny it. But those who know anything of God’s Word know Jesus is returning. Every indicator suggests His Coming cannot be far away. The Bible speaks extensively about how Jesus will establish the Kingdom of God, sometimes called the Kingdom of Heaven. Few things could be more important. Jesus Himself plainly described how God’s Kingdom will begin—all the biblical proof throughout the Old and New Testaments of how the Kingdom of God will first arrive. God’s Kingdom will bring His marvelous way of life to those living in it, which will one day include the whole world. But not at first… How many comings of Jesus does the Bible describe? Contrasting verses hold the surprising answer. The prophet Haggai wrote of Jesus’ Return, “Thus says the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; and I will shake all nations, and the Desire of all nations [long understood to be Jesus Christ] shall come…” (2:6-7). Christian masses do desire it, with greater reason every day to hope for it more than the day before because of worldwide character breakdown! The book of Revelation speaks of a very different reaction to Jesus’ appearance: “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our LORD, and of His Christ; and He shall reign forever and ever…the nations were angry, and Your wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged…and [You] should destroy them which destroy the earth” (11:15, 18). A picture of angry nations is incompatible with Haggai. These passages cannot refer to the same time! Consider I Corinthians 15:25, which shows something entirely different, saying Christ “must reign, till He has put all enemies under His feet.” You will see plain passages showing Christ first comes and establishes God’s Kingdom on Earth, using servants that are here. The establishment of the Kingdom of God is our focus. No true Christian doubts that Christ is coming. But how He will come--when He is coming (under what conditions)--where He will arrive--why He must come—and how He will ultimately set up His Kingdom? Mustard Seed Kingdom- We know Jesus spoke often in parables. In Matthew 13 alone, He presented seven—most very short. Each illustrates aspects of the Kingdom, collectively painting a full picture. The place to start is verse 31: “The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becomes a tree, so the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof” (vs. 31-32). The mustard seeds Jesus’ audience was familiar with were extremely small—very hard to see. This is why He called them the “least [meaning small in size] of all seeds.” God’s Kingdom is akin to microscopic when it arrives! No one focuses on this. It eventually grows into a WORLD GOVERNMENT, becoming the “greatest among herbs”—a “tree”—but it does not start that way. This parable is rarely mentioned. So there could be no doubt of the Kingdom’s small beginning, the next parable confirms this: “The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened” (vs. 33). The Greek word “hid” is egkrupto, meaning concealed in. Think of the modern equivalent--encrypted. Jesus says—literally-- He is bringing an ENCRYPTED KINGDOM. It is initially hidden but it expands because leaven always spreads. Jesus underscores this in a third parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man has found, he hides, and for joy thereof goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field” (vs. 44). “Hid” here comes from krupto, meaning “to conceal by covering.” Christ’s message is again made clear: God’s Kingdom starts tiny, hidden—and covered. One must go and find it! Yet another parable confirms this: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls” (vs. 45). Rare and precious, naturally occurring pearls are hard to find. “Who, when he had found one pearl of great price [it was hidden and he had to look for it], went and sold all that he had, and bought it” (vs. 45-46). Besides reinforcing the mustard seed and leaven parables, the hid treasure and pearl parables also add focus to the value of entering the Kingdom. Before looking at the three remaining parables of Matthew 13, realize that every kingdom on Earth today has four necessary components: (1) Land, property or territory—however large or small. There must be clear boundaries establishing the size of the kingdom. (2) A ruler or king leading the government. (3) People—subjects—living within the territory governed. And (4) a system of laws and rules with a basic structure of government. Despite its size, when the mustard seed Kingdom arrives, it does have all four elements. When Christ repeatedly spoke of the Kingdom being “tiny” and “hidden,” He was referring to the numbers of subjects—which would grow dramatically in the second and third “measures of meal.” Christ’s power and the territory He will govern will be anything but tiny. It is a literal Kingdom. Three More Parables- A fifth parable shows expansion of God’s Kingdom from a small beginning, as well as something else no one seems to notice: “ Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea…” (vs. 47). The net starts out empty. Over time it fills with fish of “every kind”—people from all nations. But not all “fish” belong: “When it was full, they drew to shore, sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world [or age, when Christ moves to Jerusalem]: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just[note this!], and shall cast them into the furnace [or oven] of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (vs. 48-50). Matt 13- Verse 43 calls the harvest the time when the righteous in the Father’s Kingdom “shine forth as the sun.” The Greek means “become resplendent.” Other passages make clear it is at this point many more saints, people who qualified for rule in God’s Kingdom, join Christ and the Father in Jerusalem where He will superimpose His Kingdom over all nations. It will have by then sprouted into the large mustard tree that started from the smallest seed. The very first parable in Matthew 13 brings yet another perspective, showing those who ultimately succeed in the Kingdom. Jesus spoke of a sower that cast seed, with some falling on good ground, some on stony ground, some where thorns could choke it, and some falling by the wayside. As with the wheat and tares, Jesus went on to interpret it for us: “Hear you [or understand] therefore the parable of the sower. When any one hears the word of the kingdom, and understands it not, then comes the wicked one [Satan], and catches away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that hears the word [of the Kingdom], and…with joy receives it; yet has he not root in himself, but endures for a while: for when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word [many do not want to hear of the Kingdom], by and by he is offended” (vs. 18-21). Notice also that tribulation and persecution are associated with subjects in the Kingdom! Yet the rewards will be awesome. Here is the last category: “He that received seed into the good ground is he that hears the word [of the Kingdom], and understands it; which also bears fruit, and brings forth, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirty” (vs. 23). This is the only category of hearer who survives—and these thrive. God has His Church and this is where He reveals His truth. The “Little Flock” Jesus used a fascinating term to describe a group that would be the early administrators in His tiny Kingdom. Like the Kingdom itself, this group will not be large to start. In Luke 12, Jesus instructed His servants to “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (vs. 32). “Little” is mikrosin the Greek. It is a micro-flock that takes a tiny Kingdom-- how logical and easy to understand! Another parable in Luke 19 describes a nobleman (Christ) who went to a far country (heaven) to “get for himself a kingdom” (vs. 12). This parable carries an extraordinary message for every true Christian. It describes a judgment, a reckoning, that comes immediately to a group of “servants” upon Christ’s arrival bringing His small Kingdom. Notice: “…when He was returned [from heaven], having received the kingdom, then He commanded these servants to be called unto Him, to whom He had given the money, that He might know how much every man had gained by trading” (vs. 15). Some servants had passed God’s test, others failed it. Reading the whole account reveals that those who succeed are placed over cities on Earth (not yet the entire Earth) in the initial phase of the Kingdom. God has been working with people all over the world, preparing them for leadership positions in the initial phase of the Kingdom. Only after a reckoning of past performance before Christ’s judgment seat (Rom. 14:10; II Cor. 5:10) will these specially called and trained servants be permitted to rule. Matthew 25 contains a related account, in which some are told, “Well done, you good and faithful servant: you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things: enter you into the joy of your lord” (vs. 21). The “joy of the Lord” involves what is the first phase of salvation as well as receiving a part in governing what will be a fast growing Kingdom—a role with the purpose of helping others enter the Kingdom during its first short phase, so that they also can qualify to rule at a point a little later. Anyone desiring to come into and under the Kingdom will have opportunity. Christ as King Jesus Christ, as King of the mustard seed Kingdom, also Himself starts “small” in how He manifests Himself in the phase leading up to His rule. The account of Christ’s ascension to heaven holds an eye-opening clue. The apostles asked the question: “LORD, will You at this time restore again the Kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). After His answer it adds, “While they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel” (vs. 9-10). These two men, actually angels, asked, “…Why stand you gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus [a man, not a Spirit Being in glorified form], which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen Him go into heaven” (vs. 11). The phrase “this same” in reference to Jesus is an all-important KEY. The angels were emphasizing that Jesus would return in the identical human form He had when He ascended. It is not surprising then that Christ is so often called “the Son of Man.” This is because He intends to continue (initially) His first-century form when He returns. The prophet Jeremiah described Christ in His expanding Kingdom by an unusual name, while also calling Him its King: “Behold, the days come, says the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In His days [at a point, but not right away] Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is His name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” (23:5-6). The Hebrew for “Branch” is sprout. Like mustard seeds, sprouts are also tiny to begin. This “sprout” depiction is completely incompatible with an all-powerful Jesus Christ returning in glorified form. Ten chapters later Jeremiah adds more, confirming something crucial about sprouts: “I [will] cause the Branch [sprout] of righteousness to grow up unto David; and He shall execute judgment and righteousness…” (33:15). The Hebrew “grow up” is simply the verb form of sprout. God is saying, literally, He will cause the sprout to sprout. Ponder the enormity of what we are being told. Jesus’ role will grow from small to large. Both accounts in Jeremiah tie the “Branch” to King David. Notice another prophecy about Christ from the angel Gabriel to Mary: “He [Christ] shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the LORD God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David: and He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:32-33). At His mustard seed coming—actually His revealing in Luke 17:30—Christ sits on King David’s throne before later assuming His own throne in Jerusalem (when David comes up to receive the vacated throne Jesus had just occupied). From “His Place”Powerfully confirming Jeremiah, Zechariah 6 also pictures growth toward worldwide rule. This verse is perhaps the most plain of those speaking about Christ as a Branch: “Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the MAN [again, not a Spirit Being in glorified form] whose name is the Branch [sprout]; and He shall grow up[sprout] out of His place [where He resided away from Jerusalem], and He shall build the temple of the LORD: even He shall build the temple of the LORD; and He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon His throne [at a later time]; and He shall be a priest upon His throne…” (vs. 12-13). This last part obviously involves Christ ruling in glory from a physical temple. Zechariah 6:12 pictures Christ growing out of an undisclosed location—“His place”—to build two temples. The first half of the verse describes building the spiritual Temple, which we will see is the Church. This fits perfectly with Malachi 3:1, which describes Christ returning to Earth to His Temple. Notice: “Behold, I will send My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me: and the LORD, whom you seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, whom you delight in: behold, He shall come, says the LORD of hosts.” This cannot be a physical temple in Jerusalem because none exists there today. The Jews do not even occupy the Temple Mount! Notice that Malachi says Christ coming to His Temple means to a people who seek and desire Him. The apostle Paul defined this Temple as the Church: “Know you not that you [the Church—God’s people] are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man defiles the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple you are” (I Cor. 3:16-17). (Also see I Corinthians 6:19-20.) Here’s how the apostle Peter describes true Christians: “You also, as lively [meaning living] stones, are built up a spiritual house, [a] holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (I Pet. 2:5). It is living-stones (human beings) that collectively form the spiritual “temple of God.” Where the Kingdom Begins: The almost universally believed destination of Christ’s Return is Jerusalem. But is this what God’s Word says? Christ will of course ultimately rule from there—countless scriptures show this—but is this where His tiny mustard seed Kingdom begins? Does His first-century coming provide a clue? Notice Mary lived in “a city of Galilee, named Nazareth” (Luke 1:26). This is where Jesus was conceived and where He later grew up—well north of Jerusalem! Far from a prominent city, Nazareth was scoffed at as a kind of dead-end backwater by Jerusalemites. After Jesus called Peter, He then called Philip who reported to Nathaniel that they had found Christ. Not convinced, Nathaniel asked, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46). Clearly Christ’s first-century coming was to an unexpected place. His arrival shocked and confused the masses: “Others said, this is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?” (7:41). Both Nazareth and Galilee were looked down on by the elites of Jesus’ day. Christ started His ministry away from Jerusalem—a pattern we will see holds. Certain passages prove Christ relocates to Zion, and these provide clues about which nation He will come to. A prophecy for our time—found in Numbers 24. The prophet Balaam foretold, “In the latter days…there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre [Ruler] shall rise out of Israel [not Judah]…Out of Jacob shall come He that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remains of the city [this is Jerusalem]” (vs. 14, 17, 19). Called the “Star” here, other passages describe Christ as the “Sun of Righteousness” (Mal. 4:2), “Day Star” (II Pet. 1:19) and the “Bright and Morning Star” (Rev. 22:16). He brings His dominion—His rule!-- to Jerusalem and Judah from a different modern nation of Jacob (Israel). This cannot merely be referencing Christ’s birth lineage because He was born of Judah, and in Judea. In fact, the very first reference to “the Jews” in the Bible shows them at war with Israel (II Kgs. 16:1-6)! The modern Mideast nation called Israel is in fact Judah, with the democratic, English-speaking nations of the West identified as the descendants of the rest of the tribes of ancient Israel. Jesus Christ first comes to one of these countries, Not Judah. Genesis 49 further clarifies to which of the remaining 11 tribes Christ initially comes. Notice verses 22-24, all of which describe Joseph: “Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence [Joseph!] is the shepherd, the stone of Israel).” Jesus Christ, indisputably the “Shepherd” and “Stone of Israel,” is foretold to return to, and be stationed in, Joseph—not Judah. A Coming City We saw earlier that a Kingdom contains four elements—land, a king, subjects and law. Of course, the territory would also contain a structure from which to rule. Does Christ build all of this upon arrival—or does He bring it with Him? The same disciples who asked about Christ’s Return in Acts 1 would have heard Him explain the following from John 14: “Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house [Greek: residence or abode] are many mansions [Greek: residences]: if it were not so, I would have told you…” (vs. 1-2). Christ is telling us to believe whatever He is about to say—no matter how unbelievable it may seem! Continuing, “…I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I WILL COME AGAIN, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (vs. 2-3). This is Jesus Christ coming from heaven to His people, not the other way around. The Greek word translated “place” is topos, from which comes the word topography. The word can also be translated “a spot or locality.” Christ spoke of bringing this already prepared place. Revelation 22 pictures a coming city. Christ’s Return is the context: “Behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be [this is an element of the reckoning or judgment described earlier]. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” Next is a very distinct description of the city’s setting: “For without are dogs [false prophets and ministers], and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loves and makes a lie” (vs. 12-15). This passage is also connected to Christ being the offspring [Branch] of King David’s lineage: “I Jesus have sent My angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the Bright and Morning Star” (vs. 16). This “city” cannot be “New Jerusalem,” established at the outset of Christ’s later 1,000-year rule. All who oppose God—every person on Earth who took the Mark of the Beast—will be executed before the arrival of that city. So the above categories of people could not be “without”—meaning outside it. Just think of the devil being bound at this time. This makes impossible that there could be even one sorcerer anywhere on Earth. The same with false prophets and idolaters. Also, since the devil is the “father of murder and lies” (John 8:44), there will be no murder and love of lying. All through Revelation 21 and chapter 22 verse 5, John records Christ’s message about the awesome New Jerusalem that will come to Earth at the start of Christ’s later Millennial reign. At the very end of Revelation 22, God does briefly reference again New Jerusalem, calling it the “holy city.” “Marvelous Work and Wonder ”Prior to the mustard seed Kingdom, vast numbers will come to know these Bible truths in what God, through the prophet Habakkuk, calls a “marvelous Work.” Notice: “Behold you among the [nations], and regard, and wonder marvelously: for I will work a work in your days, which you will not believe, though it be told you” (1:5). In Scripture, a “Work” represents God’s servants’ teaching and warning all who will listen. Will you believe advance report of this Work? The prophet Isaiah powerfully underscores what Habakkuk foretold: “Behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder [a miracle]: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid” (29:14). Paul also cited Habakkuk in the book of Acts, altering it slightly: “Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets [Habakkuk]; Behold, you despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which you shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you” (13:40-41). This means we should expect a gigantic, Earth-rattling Work to precede the Kingdom of God—one so far-reaching it will stagger the mind—one that cannot be fully comprehended until it’s seen-- that upon hearing of it most won’t believe it! The Antichrist Many are surprised to learn that the Bible calls Satan “the god of this world” (II Cor. 4:4), who has through history “deceived the nations” (Rev. 20:3). In Matthew 4, the devil claimed ownership of “all the kingdoms of the world” (vs. 8)—a fact Christ did not dispute. Satan seeks to counterfeit everything. Look what immediately follows the “marvelous work and wonder” and precedes the Kingdom of God. Paul records, “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition” (vs. 3). The apostle John called this man the “antichrist” (I John 2:18). The same passage goes on to show the source—and extent—of his power: “…whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders” (II Thes. 2:9). He brings the FULL POWER of the devil to bear—something akin to what Job experienced, but that the world collectively has never even begun to imagine! This man will tower over the world at his coming. He claims to be God: “…He as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God” (vs. 4). This man’s reach (and many verses show that there are two other men who work alongside and under him) extends beyond Christianity—he “opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped” (vs. 4)—every religion on Earth! The first phase of God’s Kingdom will begin the day this man’s reign ends. Returning to II Thessalonians, “…the LORD shall consume [him] with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy [him] with the brightness of His coming” (2:8). Christ first comes to His people—His Temple. The Kingdom of Israel is initially led by a little flock under Christ. He will at first hide His presence by being sprout-like. The Kingdom will grow in number of subjects before Christ transfers a ready-to-be greatly expanded WORLD GOVERNMENT to Jerusalem. From there He will rule all nations with a larger group of saints coming from His by then much larger flock. If you are surprised, even shocked, at the simple truths within Jesus’ parables, He designed them to confuse those He was not calling. Here’s what Jesus said: “Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which says, By hearing you shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing you shall see, and shall not perceive: for this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed…” (Matt. 13:13-15). The masses choose to close their eyes to the truth of the Bible. Parables keep them from understanding what they don’t want to hear. Matthew added, “All these things spoke Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spoke He not unto them…saying, I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world” (13:34-35). Jesus’ plain words— are now revealed and understood in our time. God has been waiting for thousands of years to establish His Kingdom on an Earth that desperately needs it. You’ve heard word of the Kingdom before it comes. There is great advantage in this! Christ is today preparing a specially chosen in advance of its arrival to rule under Him. Two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ built His Church—the true Church—the onlyone He built. Will you take hold of life-changing TRUTH?
https://m.jpost.com/judaism/article-713325/amp
'Go to the lost house of Israel" https://m.jpost.com/judaism/article-713325/amp The Parable of the Lost Sheep is a wonderful story told by Jesus to illustrate the loveand compassion that God has for every person. The parable is found in Gospels of Matthew and Luke, and is in response to Jesus being criticized and attacked by the religious leaders for "eating with sinners". The religious leaders, also known as the Pharisees, had hearts filled with wrong motives and prejudice. They could not believe Jesus would associate with these types of people. Jesus stops the crowd and begins to tell a story of how a shepherd left his flock of 99 sheep to go find one lost sheep. This parable displays the beautiful meaning of God seeking out the lost sinner and rejoicing when they are found. God cares about all of us equally and will stop everything to find us and care for us. We serve a Good Shepherd whose heart is for us to be found, rescued, and renewed. The parable of the lost sheep is meant to teach us how we should care for others regardless of how they look or act. We have been called to love and care for the lost! -Jeremiah 50:6 -- -The lost sheep of Israel- “My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray and caused them to roam on the mountains. They wandered over mountain and hill and forgot their own resting place. In Jeremiah 50:6, God calls Israel His people and “lost sheep.” The Messiah, spoken of throughout the Old Testament, was seen as the one who would gather these “lost sheep” (Ezekiel 34:23-24; Micah 5:4-5). When Jesus presented Himself as a shepherd to Israel, He was claiming to be the fulfillment of Messianic prophecy (Mark 6:34, 14:27; John 10:11-16; see also Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 5:4; and Revelation 7:17). God revealed through Moses that the children of Israel were “a holy people to the LORD . . . chosen . . . a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth” (Deuteronomy 7:6). It was through the Jews that God issued His Law, preserved His Word, and sent His Son. This is why, elsewhere, Jesus tells a Samaritan that “salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22). In Matthew 15, when the Jewish Messiah says that He was sent to “the house of Israel,” He is simply connecting His presence with God’s purpose in Old Testament history. Christ was “born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law” (Galatians 4:4-5). By referring to Himself as the True Shepherd, Jesus was invoking imagery that would have been familiar to His hearers. He used the symbols of sheep and their shepherd several times, referring to Himself as not only the “True” Shepherd, but the Good Shepherd(John 10:11), and the Door of the sheep (John 10:7). The three declarations in John 10 present a complete picture of the Lord who is our Shepherd (Psalm 23). In order to understand what Jesus intended to convey with sheep/shepherd imagery, we must understand the Middle Eastern shepherd of biblical times. His job was a dirty and dangerous one. Many times all the shepherd had to fight off lions and other wild animals was a staff with a crook. He willingly put his life on the line for his flock. At night, he would put the flock in a makeshift pen that had only one way in and out. The shepherd would open to door to the pen, call the sheep by name, and they would come in and settle safely for the night. Sheep are skittish animals and “spook” easily. Because they knew the shepherd’s voice, they would calm down and follow him and nobody but him. Several flocks can mix together, and when the flocks’ true shepherd speaks, they separate and follow him. If a thief comes, the sheep will not follow him because they do not know his voice. At night the shepherd lies down at the gate to the pen, to give his life if necessary to protect his flock. And the thief can only climb in over the fence because the shepherd is guarding the gate. Jesus is the True Shepherd to the sheep (true believers) who are His. We know Him, we recognize His voice, and we follow only Him (John 10:27–28). What Jesus is saying here ties right into John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except by me.” Jesus is not only the Good Shepherd who gives His life willingly for His sheep (John 10:11), but He is the also the “gate” or “door” of the sheep (John 10:9). In this metaphor Jesus presents Himself as the One who gives salvation, the One who offers access to heaven. So, Jesus is the True Shepherd who guards His sheep, the Good Shepherd who gives His life for them, and the Doorway to heaven for the sheep who know Him and are known by Him. Jesus also says there were many who came before Him pretending to be good shepherds. But, He says, they are thieves and robbers who come in among the flock. He is alluding to the false shepherds of Israel, the Pharisees who did not love the people, nor were they willing to sacrifice for them. These self-appointed and self-righteous false shepherds led the sheep of Israel astray from the true knowledge of the Messiah, clinging to a works-based religion that could not lead to salvation (Ezekiel 34:1–31). These leaders were not the true shepherds of Israel but were like thieves that plundered the flock for their own gain. Sadly, such false shepherds still abound today, more interested in fleecing the flock for their own personal gain, than in feeding and protecting the sheep as true under-shepherds to the True Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ. |
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