Revelation

An Unpalatable Sandwich

“In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in their own eyes.” Judges 17:6 & 21:25

Twice this statement is made in the book of Judges. We might think it is for emphasis but that is not the main reason for the repetition. The two statements are like the two slices of bread of a sandwich and we should have a closer inspection of what lies between.

In between are two examples of the consequences of not having a faithful spiritual leadership and departing from the Word of God. Since Cain killed Abel men have been creating gods from their imagination. Not surprisingly this is one of the main teachings Jesus Christ and the New Testament writers address. Jesus Christ alone is the way to the Father. He said, “No one comes to the Father but by Me.” Every person must make a choice whether to believe Jesus or not. The default position is that of not believing.

Micah (not the prophet) had a shrine in his home in which he placed an idol that he had made himself from his own imagination. This doesn’t seem much in all Israel but it led to the whole tribe of Dan following after the imaginary god behind the idol. Some consider that this is the reason why the tribe of Dan is not included among the twelve tribes that will evangelise the world during the seven year Tribulation to come (Revelation 7:5-­8). In the place of Dan, Joseph receives the double portion through Ephraim and Manasseh. This appears to be what Jacob meant when he said “And now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh … are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine” (Genesis 48:5).

Secondly, the city of Gibeah had turned the way of Sodom. God had utterly destroyed Sodom and its surrounds because of their wickedness (Genesis 18 & 19). Gibeah was a city of the tribe of Benjamin. The circumstances surrounding this revelation in the Bible reveal that there was no godliness in Gibeah. So what? That is just one city. However the whole tribe of Benjamin supported Gibeah against the rest of Israel who had come to cleanse the nation by destroying the wickedness in Gibeah. As a result of this support almost the whole tribe of Benjamin was wiped out. The lesson to us is that we must not identify with or support ungodly groups even if they have close family ties. If we do we can expect to share in God’s enmity with them.

In the prophetical Scriptures we discover that this is a pattern that will continue until Jesus Christ returns to the earth to rule. Our world is like Israel was in those days. Indeed, everyone is doing what seems right to them, “what is right in their own eyes.”

Unless God is our King mankind will go the way of Sodom, Dan and Gibeah. This we can easily observe today “but God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). God’s actions against ungodly people are not His final judgment but a call to repentance.

Outside the Camp

“Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp, and called it the tabernacle of meeting.” (Exodus 33:7)

Any time that we read about the people of Israel, whether they did well or poorly, we should remember that we are people just as they were and we are all descendants of Adam. Their behaviour and ours all stem from the same corrupt and fallen nature that we inherited from Adam.

In hindsight we may be inclined to be overly critical of Israel’s stubborn stiff-necked attitude and behaviour toward the Lord. But if we are careful and honest in heart-searching we will discover that we are just like them.

The Lord had been pleased to presence Himself in the midst of Israel’s camp until now but their open rebellion described in chapter 32, in breaking the blood covenant, made that impossible. Israel had vowed, “All that the Lord has said we will do, and be obedient” (24:7) and yet so soon after making that vow they had broken it.

Israel’s rebellion created a situation that the Lord could not ignore. He had a plan for Israel. They are to be a holy nation so there must be a cleansing before He can dwell in their midst again. At this time the preparations for the sanctuary that would later be called the tabernacle were under way but the Lord was presently meeting with Moses in his own tent. Symbolic of Israel’s rejection of the Lord Moses moved his tent well outside the camp. The people had removed the Lord from their heart and this would be a constant physical reminder of what they had done. They had rejected the Lord and could not now approach His presence. The Lord was no longer in their midst. He was in a more distant place.

Moses was insistent that the Lord find a way to presence Himself in the midst of the people. He went so far as to say, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here” (33:15). How many of us come before the Lord with that attitude with regard to our personal lives and that of our church? Would we rather die that live without the Lord or our church die unless the Lord is in the midst? This is the heart behind the well memorised verse in Revelation 3:20; “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him, and he with Me.”  It isn’t enough to lament that the Lord is no longer present with us. We must be as desperate as Moses was, such that we refuse to go on without His presence.

Knowing this situation would arise, the Lord had already prepared the way by which He could presence Himself in the midst of a rebellious but now also repentant people. The tabernacle, yet to be put together, would show the way, albeit with a final veil. It pictured the lord Jesus Christ. That final veil was only torn away by the Lord when He shed His own blood at Calvary. Now we not only have access to the Lord but He is present with His people.

The awareness of His presence will be lost if we are “stiff-necked” and do not obey His lead and commands. If the Lord seems far away “outside the camp” it may be because we have not heeded His word in some regard. He will return the awareness of His presence upon our repentance for that disobedience, based on forgiveness available through His blood shed at Calvary.

Joy Ahead

“looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

At Easter we rightly give special focus on the crucifixion and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ without which we would be without hope. The Gospel writers make it clear that Jesus was in no doubt that He came to earth for the cross. Without His substitutionary death for the sin of mankind we should all perish. Without His bodily resurrection we would have no assurance or expectation resurrection for ourselves. Jesus came to reconcile people to Himself. Why would He endure such pain and humiliation at the hands of His creation?

The answer is in Himself, in His Divine Nature. To say that He came solely out of love is inadequate and falls short. Jesus came to glorify God. To glorify God means to reveal His majesty, beauty, wisdom, power, in short, His Divine Nature, within the Creation. Love is an aspect of God’s glory but not all.

The Lord had made a prophetical statement to Satan in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:15), an unconditional Covenant with Abraham (12:1-3; 15) and King David (2 Samuel 7:16) and He will show Himself faithful to His word including His word that came through the prophets. When the whole creation is restored and God dwells with men on the earth then His glory will be revealed for all to see.

“And I [John] heard a voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He shall dwell with them and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God” (Revelation 21:3).

Paul writes, “He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.” “Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all” (1 Corinthians 15:25, 26, 28).

God will finish what He began in the Garden of Eden. He will have His Creation in perfect harmony with Himself and He will make His home with men (Revelation 21:22-23:5).

When the writer of Hebrews wrote concerning Jesus Christ, “who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross” it was the consummation of the victory over sin, the devil and death when God in all His holiness dwells with men that He had in mind. That is when He is seen face to face by His creation in all His glory (Revelation 22:4). That which Peter James and John saw on the Mount of Transfiguration was a foretaste of what all people who put their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ shall see.

Likewise when we have our focus on that same glorious future we will gladly endure the cross by laying down our lives for Him and the brethren (1 John 3:16). As Jesus is in resurrected humanity so shall we be in the resurrection (1 John 3:2). We shall never have the distinctive of the Divine Nature but we shall be perfect in humanity just as Jesus is.

God’s goal is to finish what He began and dwell with men. In Jesus Christ, we can begin enjoying His presence or continue enjoying His presence today.

Showers of Blessing

“Elijah was a man with a nature like ours and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit” (James 5:17-18)

James makes reference to Elijah’s prayers in conjunction with his exhortation for us to pray in faith, confess our sin, and be fervent in prayer and righteous in behaviour. The actual events that James is referring to occurred at a time whenIsrael had turned away from the Lord their God to the gods of the surrounding nations.

Under Ahab and Jezebel Israel had turned its back on the Lord. “Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him” (1 Kings 16:33)

That Elijah prayed that it would not rain reveals that it can be God’s will to stop the rain in order to get His people to return to Him. The drought was to get the attention of His own people not that of the world.

We make a mistake, I believe, if we think that droughts or other ‘natural’ disasters or pestilences are solely to gain the attention of an unbelieving world. It is to provoke Christians to pray but not for rain. We are to pray believing in the Person of our God in our Lord Jesus Christ, confessing our sin of serving ourselves instead of Him and turn to righteous behaviour. In other words, droughts or other disasters are calling God’s people to repentance. We cannot expect the ungodly that are dead spiritually to repent if those who claim to be alive spiritually will not. In Revelation 6:16 we can read how unbelievers would rather die than repent.

The accusation that James makes is that God’s people were praying for selfish things, for their own pleasure and ease of conscience instead of being involved with the interests of Jesus Christ (James 4:3).

If in a drought God gave us rain without our repentance what would we do? We would probably turn to other selfish prayers. Is this the meaning of prayer, to treat God as Father Christmas to give us pleasure and joy?

Prayer is a man or woman, boy or girl, communing and living with God through our Lord Jesus Christ and by the Holy Spirit. We cheapen this if we pray with no regard to the Person with whom we commune. We wouldn’t do that with our spouse or our children, would we?

In Australia we have a spiritual drought among God’s people and this may be why we have experienced rain drought. It is time we repented and returned to our Lord and let Him fulfil His mission in and through us. In 1967 and 1968 Billy Graham came to Australia for evangelistic meetings. It wasn’t Billy Graham that saved people; it was the Lord Jesus Christ in response to the praying of God’s people inAustralia.

Christians began praying for the unsaved months before Billy Graham ever came. They were surrendered to Jesus Christ and obeyed Him by sowing the Seed of the Word of God in the hearts of unbelievers and watering it with daily prayer. Droughts and disasters may be God’s provocation for us to do the same.

Egyptians Against Egyptians

“I will set Egyptians against Egyptians.” Isaiah 19:2

Written well over two thousand years ago this chapter in Isaiah reads partly like current day news. The parts not yet being fulfilled seem entirely possible in the near future. What was a long time in the future for Isaiah appears to be at our door. Almost every day the media reports unrest in Egypt as well as in other Middle East countries.

Another key event mentioned in this chapter is the fact of the river Nile drying up from its mouth (v 5). Rivers usually dry up from their source under natural conditions but that can change when a river is dammed. In Australia we have seen the effects of that with the River Murray and in Egypt the Nile is suffering the same consequences from being dammed.

Isaiah foretells other events in Egypt in this passage that have not yet begun to be fulfilled. That is because what we are seeing today is not the actual fulfilment of his prophecy. However, it is quite possible that we are seeing the final preparations for that fulfilment.

In isolation it may appear that we could be making too much of the prophecy in regard to current events but the events in Egypt are not the only ones that have a strong resemblance to prophecies concerning the days leading up to the Lord’s return. The Old Testament prophets refer to it as “The Day of the Lord.” The troubles in other Middle East countries, especially in their relation to Israel, also bear a strong resemblance to Biblical prophecy. Add to this the other troubles in and between many nations of the world that appear to conform to what the Bible describes in the last days and it doesn’t seem at all far fetched to believe the Lord’s coming may not be too far off.

As with His first advent, Jesus will return at God’s appointed time. Of necessity we need to be flexible in our plans and programs but not so with the Lord. Paul wrote, “When the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son …” (Galatians 4:4). The context makes it clear that this is a reference to the birth of Christ but just as Christ’s first advent was on God’s appointed day, and in His appointed way, so shall His second advent.

He will return on the God appointed day and will not be hurried or impeded. Not men or Satan and all his hoards could prevent His coming then (they all tried) and neither will they even slightly impede His coming again.

The farmer knows the signs of the coming season change because he has gained certain knowledge relating to seasons. People who know and believe what God has written in the Bible will also recognise the “signs” or “seasons” that reveal that we may well be in the preparation period leading up to the events prophesied for Israel, Egypt, the Middle East and the whole world as revealed in the Bible.

“‘Surely I am coming quickly [suddenly].’ Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20)

Chewing Gum

“So the King will greatly desire your beauty; because He is your Lord, worship Him.” (Psalm 45:11)

For one who indulges regularly in the habit of chewing gum there is the sweet sense of anticipation before the gum is placed in the mouth. The first bite releases the sweet sugars and freshness of the mint that provoke the taste buds to dance to exciting tunes. Although this initial burst wanes with chewing the memory of the initial gratification lingers so that the jaw continues its motion reminding the mind of the initial pleasure.

Eventually, long after the gum has lost its flavour and freshness the tastebuds manage to get a message through to the brain that it’s all over. There is no flavour and there is no freshness. Then the gum is thrown away and another sought to reproduce the initial sensation.

Unfortunately this seems to be an analogy of many marriages. They start out with freshness and ‘flavour’ but a long time after they are lost the couple concludes that they are no longer ‘in love’.

Satan is working hard at destroying the marriage relationship because he does not want people to see the beautiful imagery of the relationship that has been purchased by Jesus Christ for Himself and those who have been created new in Him (2 Corinthians 5:17). Those created new in Christ are His bride (Revelation 21:2, 9) and have entered into the most intimate of relationships.

There are some wonderful examples of intimacy in marriage about us but these all fall well short of that which Adam and Eve had before sin entered the world. However, even their perfect intimacy at a human level falls well short of that which those “born of God” may experience now. Yet again, that level of intimacy falls infinitely short of the intimacy that all in the New Creation will experience with our Lord Jesus Christ.

Believers are a new creation being prepared for and eventually fitted with bodies well suited to the New Jerusalem, new heavens and new earth that our Lord and Saviour will bring into being at a word. The new creation that we are in Christ and our resurrected bodies will be perfect for intimate fellowship with Jesus Christ..

The image that God gave as a visible and tangible experience is being attacked by the enemy of souls but we who love the lover of souls and His Word will taste the reality of that which is to come. No wonder Paul writes, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” That is not just speaking of heaven but of our lives now. This he makes clear as he continues, “Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus” (Colossians 1:28).

Promise Keeper

“Ah, Lord God! Will you make a complete end of the remnant of Israel?” (Ezekiel 11:13)

Periodically throughout Israel’s history the question of the nation’s survival has arisen. The first occasion is recorded in Exodus 32 when Israel tested the Lord by making a molded calf to represent the Lord. This was in violation of the second commandment.

In response the Lord threatened to consume the nation and begin again with Moses. Moses was a descendant of Abraham so the Covenant God made with Abraham could still have been fulfilled; but what about the covenants, promises and prophecies concerning Jacob’s twelve sons (Genesis 49)?

It would seem that the Lord had no intention of carrying this out but was testing Moses as to his fitness to lead God’s people. In Moses’ prayer he says that beginning again would give the Gentile nations opportunity to blaspheme the Lord by saying He could not do what He promised.

We live in what Jesus and Paul call “the last days” and again the question of the Lord fulfilling His promises and covenant with Israel is in question. Some are saying that God has dispensed with Israel and the church has replaced it, but what of the Lord’s very specific and detailed promises concerning Israel? Is He not able to deliver? Moses believed He could.

The Lord is emphatic in Ezekiel  saying, “I will gather you …” and “I will give you the land of Israel” (11:17); “I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them” and “they shall be My people and I will be their God” (vv 19, 20).

If we believe that the Lord God of Israel will renege on His covenant with Abraham, David and Israel, what assurance do we have that He will not renege on His word regarding us? Can there be any assurance of salvation if the Lord is a covenant breaker?

The Bible tells us from cover to cover that our God is a covenant and promise keeper. If not, the seventh commandment would be nonsense.

In Romans 11 Paul makes it clear that Israel has a primary role in this world’s future in the plan of God. The apostle John, in recording the word of the Lord in Revelation 7, also makes it clear that Israel will preach the Gospel to all gentile nations at a future time.

The church has not replaced Israel with regard to the Covenant and promises of God to Israel. The Lord will do just as He has said with Israel and with the church, but they are quite separate entities.

This has implications to all of us who have trusted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. It is the fact that God keeps His word without fail that provides us with assurance of salvation.

A New Name

“Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel.” Genesis 32:28

Jacob was a deceiver by name and nature. He purchased his brother Esau’s birthright at a time of Esau’s weakness and, with his mother’s help, stole the blessing Isaac wanted to give Esau. He himself was deceived by his uncle Laban into marrying Leah before marrying Rachael.

The Lord had met with Jacob at Bethel when he left the land promised in the Lord’s covenant with Abraham and again in Haran to send him back. At the ford of Jabbok the Lord came to Jacob again. Jacob was so self-­sufficient that he resisted the Lord until the Lord made him lame. Some of us are so stubborn in our own self-­realisation that this is the only way we will fully depend on the Lord. Only then was Jacob ready to re-enter the land of promise. Now that he was wholly surrendered to the Lord the Lord gave him a new name – Israel.

As his grandfather Abraham had done, Jacob purchased a parcel of land and built an altar to worship the Lord. He called the place, “God, the God of Israel.” This was the first occasion that the land of promise was called Israel and it stuck. Soon after this his sons referred to the place as Israel (Genesis 34:7).

It was only after the Lord had gotten His way with Jacob that Jacob received a new name. When the Lord has his way with us we are also known by a new name. We are told that we will be given a new personal name (Revelation 2:17) and also have our Lord’s name written on us (Revelation 3:12; 22:4).

The new name Jacob received meant Prince with God and was descriptive of his life after this meeting. Our new names may also be descriptive of our life since yielding to Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour.

Lasting Peace

“When they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them” (1 Thessalonians 5:3)

The “they” and “them” in this verse is Israel but it also has application to the unbelieving world. The apostle Paul is writing concerning “The Day of the Lord.” It is a day that will most certainly come. It is the time culminating in Jesus returning in all His glory. Paul looked forward to this day with great anticipation and joy.

Who of us can remember an American president who did not try to bring peace in the Middle East? Ever since Israel declared nationhood in 1948 there has been no lasting peace. At best there has been a cessation of hostilities for brief periods. The current attempts to bring peace in the Middle East will not bring lasting peace. We who are “sons of light and sons of day” (v 5) know that there will come a day when peace will be declared between Israel and the surrounding nations. However, it will not last.

Daniel prophecies, “Then he [the Antichrist] shall confirm a covenant with many for one week [of years; i.e. 7 years]; but in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering” (Daniel 9:27). In Revelation six John records Jesus’ prophecies concerning this same period. In verse two the Antichrist conquers by the threat of war (bow, no arrows) but later (verse 4) he conquers with violence.

Will the current talks bring peace to Israel? At best we can expect a reduction or lull in hostilities. Will these talks lead to the commencement of “the Day of the Lord?” Only hindsight will reveal that.

The Bible says that Israel will have a peace declared by world leaders but that it will be broken after a short while. Only when the Prince of Peace, the Lord Jesus Christ, appears will there be lasting peace in Israel and the world. We do not look for presidents to bring peace on earth because they are unable to change the hearts of men. Only Jesus can bring peace to a person’s heart and only then to nations.

There is a time coming, perhaps very soon, when in the false belief that it is safe and secure Israel will neglect its defences and then sudden destruction will come. But it will not be complete because Jesus Christ will not permit that. He will come again.

Glorious Beginning – Justified End

“I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the lamb are its temple.” Revelation 21:22

Each time I come to the final two chapters of the Bible in my reading my heart is lifted to heights of faith and expectation not often felt otherwise. The emotion and passion of these chapters when God is at last able to dwell with men is enormous and awe inspiring. That I will be there is too wonderful for words.

Man is at last able to access the tree of life (22:2 & 14) which has been forbidden for thousands of years and drink the water of life freely (22:17) provided his name is written in the Book of life (22:19), the Lamb’s Book of life (21:27). It is not simply God who will be the source of all at that time but the water of life that proceeds from the throne of God and the Lamb (22:1 & 3).

Having completed reading the entire Bible and reading this justified end for this world and the glorious commencement of the new earth, there is a strange sensation in returning to Genesis. Here we read of a very good or perfect world created by God without sin or the curse. I cannot help but wonder what might have been had Adam not sinned.

A moral creature such as man must be tested to see if he will believe God to be the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6).

All that comes after Genesis 2 until the end of Revelation 19 is due to the fact that man chose, and still chooses, to believe Satan’s lie about being able to be a god (self-sovereignty) and rebel against his Creator.

How fortunate and blessed we are that God has provided a way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13) so that we need not continue in sin and suffer its consequence but rejoice in the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)

Without the cross of Jesus Christ and His shed blood there can be no forgiveness of sin, no new creation and no resurrection. We are indeed most blessed as Jesus tells us in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12).

“Rejoice and be exceedingly glad” (Matthew 5:12)