Randy Green's Blog, page 458
December 10, 2012
Stargazers
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven [1 Thessalonians 4:16].
But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near [Luke 21:28].
Man's only option for redemption is the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation is a Person, not a set of beliefs or fervent church attendance. Accordingly Luke 21:28 refers to God's people looking up ("lift up your heads") because the Lord Jesus is returning ("your redemption is drawing near").
In each case the Lord is descending from heaven. So the two passages refer to the same event. Right? Not so fast! Such a conclusion is a non sequitur. It assumes that the Lord Jesus can only descend from heaven one time. In fact He already did so at His first coming, when He took upon human flesh. We celebrate that time as His birthday, the holiday Christmas.
Fact of the matter is, the Lord Jesus will descend from heaven twice more. The first time He comes, He will come down to the clouds and call the Christians to meet Him there in the clouds. He will not come to the earth at that time. This is known as the Rapture in theology textbooks. If you read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, you will obtain a fuller account of this marvelous event. I cannot wait for it to transpire! Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus.
Then there is the time after that when the Lord will return to the earth with His angels and heavenly people. This is known as the Second Coming. The first coming or advent occurred circa 3 B.C. We celebrate this as Christmas. The Lord's Second Coming will be after the Great Tribulation. At that time He will cast the antichrist and the false religious leader into the Lake of Fire (Rev.19:20), and lock up the devil for 1000 years (aka the Millennium; cf., Rev.20:1-3). If you read Luke 21:25-28 you will obtain further information on this event.
To recapitulate, at the Rapture the Lord Jesus descends from heaven to the clouds and calls the Christians to meet Him there. He takes us home to heaven with Him to celebrate the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7-9). At His Second Coming the Lord Jesus descends from heaven with His angels and saints, coming all the way to the earth to destroy evil and set up the Millennial Kingdom on the earth (Rev.19:11-19). For 1000 years He will rule the earth from His throne in Jerusalem, keeping all sin in check worldwide.
For further Bible teaching be sure to check out my five volume set, Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. For more info please visit these sites to purchase my books:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near [Luke 21:28].
Man's only option for redemption is the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation is a Person, not a set of beliefs or fervent church attendance. Accordingly Luke 21:28 refers to God's people looking up ("lift up your heads") because the Lord Jesus is returning ("your redemption is drawing near").
In each case the Lord is descending from heaven. So the two passages refer to the same event. Right? Not so fast! Such a conclusion is a non sequitur. It assumes that the Lord Jesus can only descend from heaven one time. In fact He already did so at His first coming, when He took upon human flesh. We celebrate that time as His birthday, the holiday Christmas.
Fact of the matter is, the Lord Jesus will descend from heaven twice more. The first time He comes, He will come down to the clouds and call the Christians to meet Him there in the clouds. He will not come to the earth at that time. This is known as the Rapture in theology textbooks. If you read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, you will obtain a fuller account of this marvelous event. I cannot wait for it to transpire! Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus.
Then there is the time after that when the Lord will return to the earth with His angels and heavenly people. This is known as the Second Coming. The first coming or advent occurred circa 3 B.C. We celebrate this as Christmas. The Lord's Second Coming will be after the Great Tribulation. At that time He will cast the antichrist and the false religious leader into the Lake of Fire (Rev.19:20), and lock up the devil for 1000 years (aka the Millennium; cf., Rev.20:1-3). If you read Luke 21:25-28 you will obtain further information on this event.
To recapitulate, at the Rapture the Lord Jesus descends from heaven to the clouds and calls the Christians to meet Him there. He takes us home to heaven with Him to celebrate the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7-9). At His Second Coming the Lord Jesus descends from heaven with His angels and saints, coming all the way to the earth to destroy evil and set up the Millennial Kingdom on the earth (Rev.19:11-19). For 1000 years He will rule the earth from His throne in Jerusalem, keeping all sin in check worldwide.
For further Bible teaching be sure to check out my five volume set, Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. For more info please visit these sites to purchase my books:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
December 8, 2012
Eight Days A Week – Part 2
I didn't know it at the time, but this woman unconsciously brought to light a deep spiritual truth. In the Law of Moses the Lord repeatedly used visible physical realities to teach the Israelites invisible spiritual truths—sort of like using picture cards to teach very young children. The visible physical realities of everyday life were employed to open the eyes of God's people to what lay behind the scenes in eternity.
A week DOES consist of only seven days, not eight. Once the seventh day is over a new week begins, itself consisting of seven days. So we have Days 1-7, followed by Days 1-7, then once again Days 1-7—for as long as time exists. There is no such thing as a Day 8…unless you're a Beatle in love!
This understanding of the number “7” began in Genesis 1-2 with the creation of space, time, and matter. God created the heavens and the earth in six days, and He rested on the seventh day. From this the Law of Moses—as also the New Testament at times—employs the number “7” to typify “completeness” or “perfection”. Creation was made “complete” in seven days, six of those days being work days and the seventh being a day of rest. The is the typology involved in the Bible's usage of the number “7”.
But not so fast! In some cases the Bible makes it a point to include a Day 8 in its typology. If all time is broken down into weeks consisting of Days 1-7, what are we to make of a Day 8? Hmm. Now that's a toughie...at least it was until the Spirit revealed the typology or symbolism to me.
Do you know what Day 8 typifies? Look at it like this: if all of time consists of Days 1-7, what is left? Answer: eternity! Yes, in the holidays of Israel when a feast consisted of a Day 8, the Lord was teaching that the holiday continued into eternity. It lasted through all of time and didn't stop there.
This is food for thought, dear friends. We have so much spiritual nutriment to feed on from the entire Word of God. Are you hungry for it?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. For more info please visit these sites to purchase my books:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
A week DOES consist of only seven days, not eight. Once the seventh day is over a new week begins, itself consisting of seven days. So we have Days 1-7, followed by Days 1-7, then once again Days 1-7—for as long as time exists. There is no such thing as a Day 8…unless you're a Beatle in love!
This understanding of the number “7” began in Genesis 1-2 with the creation of space, time, and matter. God created the heavens and the earth in six days, and He rested on the seventh day. From this the Law of Moses—as also the New Testament at times—employs the number “7” to typify “completeness” or “perfection”. Creation was made “complete” in seven days, six of those days being work days and the seventh being a day of rest. The is the typology involved in the Bible's usage of the number “7”.
But not so fast! In some cases the Bible makes it a point to include a Day 8 in its typology. If all time is broken down into weeks consisting of Days 1-7, what are we to make of a Day 8? Hmm. Now that's a toughie...at least it was until the Spirit revealed the typology or symbolism to me.
Do you know what Day 8 typifies? Look at it like this: if all of time consists of Days 1-7, what is left? Answer: eternity! Yes, in the holidays of Israel when a feast consisted of a Day 8, the Lord was teaching that the holiday continued into eternity. It lasted through all of time and didn't stop there.
This is food for thought, dear friends. We have so much spiritual nutriment to feed on from the entire Word of God. Are you hungry for it?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. For more info please visit these sites to purchase my books:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
December 7, 2012
Eight Days A Week – Part 1
Back in the day when I was in high school, the Beatles came out with still another hit song titled Eight Days A Week. I recall being in a local diner with my school buddies one day after school. We were chowing on some burgers with grilled onions and sipping on cherry coke made at the fountain. Those burgers and cherry cokes back then sure were tastier than what is available nowadays!
Anyway, back to the point. Our waitress was a middle-aged woman, a wife who made extra family money at this diner. She was really good in the personality department. She didn't flinch around teenagers, no matter how ridiculous we so often behaved!
Well, I stuck a nickel in the jukebox selector on the wall by our booth and chose Eight Days A Week. As we listened our waitress came with our order. She smiled and slyly dropped the comment, "Eight days a week? There's only seven days in a week!"
She wasn't being an old fogey, dear friends. She knew full well it was simply a song, and the lack of sense was a matter of poetic license. The Beatles were singing their love for someone, proclaiming they loved her so much that it required an extra day each week to express their love.
After all, isn't "love" in reality incoherent and quixotic like that? Our waitress was simply relating to teenagers in a jovial manner, and we appreciated her for it. In fact she did such a splendid job of it that, though I cannot remember her name anymore, I can still see her face in my mind's eye.
Oh, dear! We're out of time today. We'll get back to this tale tomorrow. See you then!
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. For more info please visit these sites to purchase my books:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
Anyway, back to the point. Our waitress was a middle-aged woman, a wife who made extra family money at this diner. She was really good in the personality department. She didn't flinch around teenagers, no matter how ridiculous we so often behaved!
Well, I stuck a nickel in the jukebox selector on the wall by our booth and chose Eight Days A Week. As we listened our waitress came with our order. She smiled and slyly dropped the comment, "Eight days a week? There's only seven days in a week!"
She wasn't being an old fogey, dear friends. She knew full well it was simply a song, and the lack of sense was a matter of poetic license. The Beatles were singing their love for someone, proclaiming they loved her so much that it required an extra day each week to express their love.
After all, isn't "love" in reality incoherent and quixotic like that? Our waitress was simply relating to teenagers in a jovial manner, and we appreciated her for it. In fact she did such a splendid job of it that, though I cannot remember her name anymore, I can still see her face in my mind's eye.
Oh, dear! We're out of time today. We'll get back to this tale tomorrow. See you then!
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. For more info please visit these sites to purchase my books:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
December 6, 2012
Time To Cut the Grass
A voice says, “Call out.” Then he answered, “What shall I call out?” All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the LORD blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever [Isaiah 40:6-8].
What to do when I encounter a deluge of difficulties? Hmm. Now let me think... I guess I could throw a pity party and invite all the naysayers I know. That might be fun. Naw. I think I'll take a rain check on that one.
I got it! I'll go to bed, pull the covers over my head, and hope I never have to wake up. Ah, the old ostrich policy at its finest. That always works. Not! Toss that one on the rubbish heap too.
Dear me. What shall I do? I could stand on the street corner and strum my guitar, giving my best impersonation of Bob Dylan with some poetry set to music. I could sing all about how no one likes me and life isn't fair, and soar off into the nether world as I reminisce about the good old times back in the day. Yeah, but that's a dead horse I don't want to beat.
Okay. So what will I do in response to the doldrums of my existence? Well, thus far all my approaches were to gaze far and wide in all directions horizontally. What I failed to do was to take a gander vertically. The horizontal gaze fixes the eyes on man—or as Isaiah worded it, on "all flesh", both myself and other people.
And therein lies the crux of the matter, my dear friends. "All flesh" is like grass and its loveliness is no more than the flowers in the field. Have you noticed how long grass and flowers last? Let me tell you: not long!
The contrast to "all flesh" is to be found in the phrase "the word of our God ". So how long does the Word of God last? That would be "forever", and methinks "forever" is a wee bit longer than how long grass and flowers last.
That settles it. Isaiah's logic is irrefutable and irresistible. I'm going to handle my deluge of difficulties by hieing off to the prayer closet with my Bible, and spending time alone with the Lord Jesus. Why don't we all go and do likewise?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. For more info please visit these sites to purchase my books:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
What to do when I encounter a deluge of difficulties? Hmm. Now let me think... I guess I could throw a pity party and invite all the naysayers I know. That might be fun. Naw. I think I'll take a rain check on that one.
I got it! I'll go to bed, pull the covers over my head, and hope I never have to wake up. Ah, the old ostrich policy at its finest. That always works. Not! Toss that one on the rubbish heap too.
Dear me. What shall I do? I could stand on the street corner and strum my guitar, giving my best impersonation of Bob Dylan with some poetry set to music. I could sing all about how no one likes me and life isn't fair, and soar off into the nether world as I reminisce about the good old times back in the day. Yeah, but that's a dead horse I don't want to beat.
Okay. So what will I do in response to the doldrums of my existence? Well, thus far all my approaches were to gaze far and wide in all directions horizontally. What I failed to do was to take a gander vertically. The horizontal gaze fixes the eyes on man—or as Isaiah worded it, on "all flesh", both myself and other people.
And therein lies the crux of the matter, my dear friends. "All flesh" is like grass and its loveliness is no more than the flowers in the field. Have you noticed how long grass and flowers last? Let me tell you: not long!
The contrast to "all flesh" is to be found in the phrase "the word of our God ". So how long does the Word of God last? That would be "forever", and methinks "forever" is a wee bit longer than how long grass and flowers last.
That settles it. Isaiah's logic is irrefutable and irresistible. I'm going to handle my deluge of difficulties by hieing off to the prayer closet with my Bible, and spending time alone with the Lord Jesus. Why don't we all go and do likewise?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. For more info please visit these sites to purchase my books:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
December 5, 2012
Nowhere Else To Go
Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life [John 6:67-78].
It is the norm nowadays to view church and religion as being equivalent to salvation, as being the same as eternal life. If I go to church I must be saved. If I am religious in any way I must have eternal life.
Truth be told, church is often predominantly activities and programs. Christians are so busy with these functions they have little to no time left for personal time with the Lord. Bible reading and meditation is replaced with shortcuts like puny daily devotionals and quick booklets about the Bible. But, dear people, where is Jesus in all that?
The Gospel is a Person, not programs and activities. Programs and activities never died for anyone! This doesn't mean we should have no programs and activities. It means that programs and activities are not a substitute for the Person of Jesus Christ. We can have programs and activities without Jesus and look mighty fine and religious. But we cannot live the Gospel that way. Either we have a personal relationship with Jesus, or else we haven't the Gospel.
Peter didn't say, "Lord, what other programs and activities can we employ?" He said, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. Notice the personal pronouns "whom" and "You". Peter knew that eternal life was a Person, viz., Jesus Christ. First the disciples related to Jesus the Person. Only then did they perform ministry functions because they were related to Him.
Think I need to retire to the prayer closet for a space and allow the Lord to search my heart and mind as only He can do. Am I daily spending time alone with this Person Who is eternal life? Or am I too busy socializing and running hither and yon in a hustle and bustle of activities? Hmm. I wonder...
To further research this issue, I direct you to my two books Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. For more info please visit these sites to purchase my books:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
It is the norm nowadays to view church and religion as being equivalent to salvation, as being the same as eternal life. If I go to church I must be saved. If I am religious in any way I must have eternal life.
Truth be told, church is often predominantly activities and programs. Christians are so busy with these functions they have little to no time left for personal time with the Lord. Bible reading and meditation is replaced with shortcuts like puny daily devotionals and quick booklets about the Bible. But, dear people, where is Jesus in all that?
The Gospel is a Person, not programs and activities. Programs and activities never died for anyone! This doesn't mean we should have no programs and activities. It means that programs and activities are not a substitute for the Person of Jesus Christ. We can have programs and activities without Jesus and look mighty fine and religious. But we cannot live the Gospel that way. Either we have a personal relationship with Jesus, or else we haven't the Gospel.
Peter didn't say, "Lord, what other programs and activities can we employ?" He said, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. Notice the personal pronouns "whom" and "You". Peter knew that eternal life was a Person, viz., Jesus Christ. First the disciples related to Jesus the Person. Only then did they perform ministry functions because they were related to Him.
Think I need to retire to the prayer closet for a space and allow the Lord to search my heart and mind as only He can do. Am I daily spending time alone with this Person Who is eternal life? Or am I too busy socializing and running hither and yon in a hustle and bustle of activities? Hmm. I wonder...
To further research this issue, I direct you to my two books Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. For more info please visit these sites to purchase my books:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
December 4, 2012
Let's Try That Again
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" [John 3:5-6].
I remember a kindly old soul in a church I once pastored. She told me she didn't need to be born again. I showed her Jesus' words. Her reply, "Oh, that's just for the wicked people, like skid row winos. I've been a good person all my life, so I don't need to be born again."
Here's the thing. Jesus spoke those words to Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin in Jesus' day, the ruling council in Israel. He was also a very upstanding member of the community. He wasn't a hypocrite nor a self-righteous religio. And he never joined sides with those who rejected Jesus.
In fine, Nicodemus was one of the most God-fearing and righteous people of his day. He sincerely wanted to belong to the Lord and do right by Him. He walked as best he knew how, according to the available light from the Scriptures at that time. And he sought out Jesus because he wanted more light. Yes, Nicodemus was a pillar in the "church" back in the day, not a skid row wino by any stretch.
Notwithstanding all this, Nicodemus still was required to be born again, if he was to enter the Kingdom of God. The reason why is that the flesh begets the flesh. It cannot give birth to the Spirit. Permit me to make a pitch for my book Volume 1: Genesis at this time, available from Amazon and Amazon Kindle.
We discuss this issue in Genesis 1. God made all things to reproduce after their own kind. Ergo, the flesh perforce must beget the flesh. We cannot fetch drinking water from salty water, nor grapes from thistles. It just doesn't happen that way because God ordained that each thing reproduces after its own kind.
The contrast Jesus made was between the natural order of things ("born") and the spiritual order ("born again"). All of physical creation fell under the tyranny of sin when Adam sinned. Every person born is now conceived in sin and born with a sin nature, i.e., a predilection for disobeying the Word of God. All of us want to eat from the kogae tree instead of from the life tree, if for no other reason than that the Lord said not to! Sin...
Consequently we are not fit to live with the Lord in heaven. If we would be fit, we must be rid of our sin nature. The problem is that man cannot accomplish this on his own. The reason why is a subject for another day. Suffice it to say that the Lord Jesus did accomplish this by His death on the cross to pay the penalty for all mankind's sins. His resurrection out of death was the sign that His payment was accepted by our heavenly Father.
When a person accepts Jesus' finished work on his/her behalf, he/she is born again. We accept Him by grace through faith. God freely offers His new life to us (i.e., grace). We take Him at His Word and act accordingly by requesting that He bestow His new life to us (i.e., faith).
Any takers? Go ahead. Take Him up on His offer and cheer the heart of the Lord.
There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance [Luke 15:7].
I remember a kindly old soul in a church I once pastored. She told me she didn't need to be born again. I showed her Jesus' words. Her reply, "Oh, that's just for the wicked people, like skid row winos. I've been a good person all my life, so I don't need to be born again."
Here's the thing. Jesus spoke those words to Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin in Jesus' day, the ruling council in Israel. He was also a very upstanding member of the community. He wasn't a hypocrite nor a self-righteous religio. And he never joined sides with those who rejected Jesus.
In fine, Nicodemus was one of the most God-fearing and righteous people of his day. He sincerely wanted to belong to the Lord and do right by Him. He walked as best he knew how, according to the available light from the Scriptures at that time. And he sought out Jesus because he wanted more light. Yes, Nicodemus was a pillar in the "church" back in the day, not a skid row wino by any stretch.
Notwithstanding all this, Nicodemus still was required to be born again, if he was to enter the Kingdom of God. The reason why is that the flesh begets the flesh. It cannot give birth to the Spirit. Permit me to make a pitch for my book Volume 1: Genesis at this time, available from Amazon and Amazon Kindle.
We discuss this issue in Genesis 1. God made all things to reproduce after their own kind. Ergo, the flesh perforce must beget the flesh. We cannot fetch drinking water from salty water, nor grapes from thistles. It just doesn't happen that way because God ordained that each thing reproduces after its own kind.
The contrast Jesus made was between the natural order of things ("born") and the spiritual order ("born again"). All of physical creation fell under the tyranny of sin when Adam sinned. Every person born is now conceived in sin and born with a sin nature, i.e., a predilection for disobeying the Word of God. All of us want to eat from the kogae tree instead of from the life tree, if for no other reason than that the Lord said not to! Sin...
Consequently we are not fit to live with the Lord in heaven. If we would be fit, we must be rid of our sin nature. The problem is that man cannot accomplish this on his own. The reason why is a subject for another day. Suffice it to say that the Lord Jesus did accomplish this by His death on the cross to pay the penalty for all mankind's sins. His resurrection out of death was the sign that His payment was accepted by our heavenly Father.
When a person accepts Jesus' finished work on his/her behalf, he/she is born again. We accept Him by grace through faith. God freely offers His new life to us (i.e., grace). We take Him at His Word and act accordingly by requesting that He bestow His new life to us (i.e., faith).
Any takers? Go ahead. Take Him up on His offer and cheer the heart of the Lord.
There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance [Luke 15:7].
December 3, 2012
Betwixt and Between, Part 2
What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works [Romans 9:30-32].
Those words take us back to yesterday’s post. Let’s continue now with what we began then. Man thinks he is good enough to obey the Law. So God gave the Law to His chosen people back in the day to allow them all the chances they wanted at keeping it. Guess what? Nary a soul succeeded. The purpose of the Law was achieved: it showed man that he could not possibly live with God on the basis of his own merits.
This taught man that, if he was to live with God, he needed a Savior—One Who could pay the penalty for his sins and also replace the sinner living inside him with a new life of righteousness. On the one hand the penalty for sins needed to be paid, and that penalty is death. On the other hand a new life was needed, one which did not want to disobey the Word of God and also had the power to obey it.
So it is, you see, that it is a good thing we Christians are not under law but under grace (cf., Rom.6:14). The Law did NOT merely consist of a set of do's and don'ts to be followed. The Law consisted of an indivisible set of regulations forming one single LAW, and every last regulation must perforce be obeyed perfectly at all times 24/7, or else the offender was not perfect and so was unable to live with God.
Also, the Law was NOT merely a question of morality. As we learned by the opening quotation of this post, the Law was a means for attaining righteousness. In other words to put ourselves under the Law is to attempt to be perfect, in order to earn our own way to heaven. To be under the Law is not merely to obey the Ten Commandments to the best of our ability. It is to attempt to get ourselves to heaven by our own obedience—in which case either we obey it perfectly always or else we pack the swim suits because the destination will be very hot!
Dear friends, don't listen to well-meaning folks who quote the Law and insist we are responsible to obey it. We are NOT under law: we ARE under grace. The Apostle Paul's words with which we began this post are meant to teach us this very point. Those Israelites who rejected Jesus as Israel's Messiah did so because they wanted the Law, not grace. Ergo, God had the Gospel go to the Gentiles to give them the opportunity to receive Jesus as their Savior.
Which of us in our right minds wants to reject the Gospel and return to the Law? Not me! I will arise and go to Jesus. He will embrace me in His arms. Care to join me?
Those words take us back to yesterday’s post. Let’s continue now with what we began then. Man thinks he is good enough to obey the Law. So God gave the Law to His chosen people back in the day to allow them all the chances they wanted at keeping it. Guess what? Nary a soul succeeded. The purpose of the Law was achieved: it showed man that he could not possibly live with God on the basis of his own merits.
This taught man that, if he was to live with God, he needed a Savior—One Who could pay the penalty for his sins and also replace the sinner living inside him with a new life of righteousness. On the one hand the penalty for sins needed to be paid, and that penalty is death. On the other hand a new life was needed, one which did not want to disobey the Word of God and also had the power to obey it.
So it is, you see, that it is a good thing we Christians are not under law but under grace (cf., Rom.6:14). The Law did NOT merely consist of a set of do's and don'ts to be followed. The Law consisted of an indivisible set of regulations forming one single LAW, and every last regulation must perforce be obeyed perfectly at all times 24/7, or else the offender was not perfect and so was unable to live with God.
Also, the Law was NOT merely a question of morality. As we learned by the opening quotation of this post, the Law was a means for attaining righteousness. In other words to put ourselves under the Law is to attempt to be perfect, in order to earn our own way to heaven. To be under the Law is not merely to obey the Ten Commandments to the best of our ability. It is to attempt to get ourselves to heaven by our own obedience—in which case either we obey it perfectly always or else we pack the swim suits because the destination will be very hot!
Dear friends, don't listen to well-meaning folks who quote the Law and insist we are responsible to obey it. We are NOT under law: we ARE under grace. The Apostle Paul's words with which we began this post are meant to teach us this very point. Those Israelites who rejected Jesus as Israel's Messiah did so because they wanted the Law, not grace. Ergo, God had the Gospel go to the Gentiles to give them the opportunity to receive Jesus as their Savior.
Which of us in our right minds wants to reject the Gospel and return to the Law? Not me! I will arise and go to Jesus. He will embrace me in His arms. Care to join me?
December 2, 2012
Betwixt and Between, Part 1
What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works [Romans 9:30-32].
In those verses a clear dichotomy exists, and this contrast is the point to the entire quotation. On the one hand there is the righteousness which is by faith, on the other a law of righteousness. In each case righteousness is the result. The cause is what varies between the two.
The phrase a law of righteousness is better understood when the order of the words corresponds to the phrase the righteousness which is by faith. After all, Paul is teaching the difference between the two "righteousnesses", if you will permit me to coin a word.
So let's change the order of the words for the phrase a law of righteousness, so that it does correspond to what it is being contrasted with. Voilà! we come up with the righteousness which is by law. For each phrase righteousness is the result, while it is achieved by means of either "law" or "faith".
I wanted to note this contrast because by doing so we can see the purpose of the Law of Moses, dear friends. The Law was given by the Lord to the Israelites to teach them that they could not be perfect. But being perfect is the condition necessary for entrance into heaven. God is perfect and He cannot tolerate anything less. If He did then heaven would become hell pronto!
The problem wasn't with the Law. The problem was with man because man is a sinner and sinners are the opposite of perfect. Trouble is, because man is a sinner his thinking and judgment is all out of whack. Ergo, instead of looking in the mirror and seeing a sinner, he looks in the mirror and sees a saint.
This predicament leaves man betwixt and between. He is torn between Law and grace, and the sinner cannot swallow his pride enough to accept the pure Gospel without adulterating it by adding in the Law. By that means a sinner can feel that he is not perfect and needs the Gospel, but he is not really so bad after all and can do good on his own.
We will continue our flow of thought in our next post tomorrow. For tonight let’s hie off to our prayer closet and ruminate a bit on what we have just studied.
In those verses a clear dichotomy exists, and this contrast is the point to the entire quotation. On the one hand there is the righteousness which is by faith, on the other a law of righteousness. In each case righteousness is the result. The cause is what varies between the two.
The phrase a law of righteousness is better understood when the order of the words corresponds to the phrase the righteousness which is by faith. After all, Paul is teaching the difference between the two "righteousnesses", if you will permit me to coin a word.
So let's change the order of the words for the phrase a law of righteousness, so that it does correspond to what it is being contrasted with. Voilà! we come up with the righteousness which is by law. For each phrase righteousness is the result, while it is achieved by means of either "law" or "faith".
I wanted to note this contrast because by doing so we can see the purpose of the Law of Moses, dear friends. The Law was given by the Lord to the Israelites to teach them that they could not be perfect. But being perfect is the condition necessary for entrance into heaven. God is perfect and He cannot tolerate anything less. If He did then heaven would become hell pronto!
The problem wasn't with the Law. The problem was with man because man is a sinner and sinners are the opposite of perfect. Trouble is, because man is a sinner his thinking and judgment is all out of whack. Ergo, instead of looking in the mirror and seeing a sinner, he looks in the mirror and sees a saint.
This predicament leaves man betwixt and between. He is torn between Law and grace, and the sinner cannot swallow his pride enough to accept the pure Gospel without adulterating it by adding in the Law. By that means a sinner can feel that he is not perfect and needs the Gospel, but he is not really so bad after all and can do good on his own.
We will continue our flow of thought in our next post tomorrow. For tonight let’s hie off to our prayer closet and ruminate a bit on what we have just studied.
December 1, 2012
A Frightening Number, Part 2
Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six [Revelation 13:18].
Man's number is 6, while the beast's number is 666. The two are connected in Revelation by the words "the number is that of a man". See! The number 666 is connected with man and his number.
Okay. Now that we have that detail to go by, let's consider two possibilities with the number of the beast. One possibility is that the number is six hundred and sixty-six. In fact the original Greek has the number written out in letters as hundred and sixty-six.
Notwithstanding that fact, the Book of Revelation is highly symbolic, employing typology to teach future mysteries. Writing the number 666 with letters forces the reader meditate on the text more, if he really wants to solve the mystery. Jesus spoke in parables in order to accomplish the same thing. If anyone really wanted to discover the truths of God's Word, such a one had to search them out as if digging for buried treasure. Superficial reading of short blips and Sunday School ditties won't suffice for us to mature spiritually, dear friends.
The clue, once more, is in the phrase "the number of a man", and I want to correct that translation. In the Greek there is no indefinite article attached to the word for "man". In other words it reads "man", not "a man". The number of man, as we've already noted, is the number 6.
Hurray! We've reached the last step of our analysis of the number 666. The number of man is 6. Now look at the number of the beast: 666. Stop reading it as six hundred sixty-six and start reading it as 6-6-6, i.e., as a triple 6.
The number for God is 3. The number 3 expresses the superlative degree. God is the MOST divine. He is the THRICE holy God. Oh, and don't leave out that God revealed Himself to be a TRINITY.
The word Trinity is formed by combining "tri" with "unity". "Tri" means 3 and "unity" means 1. Voilà! Trinity means 3-in-1. God is one, yet He shows Himself to be three Persons simultaneously and for all eternity. God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—3 Persons comprising 1 God. We could easily express this by saying the number of God is 333. 3 is God's number and there are 3 Persons in the Godhead.
Do you see what the number of the beast means now? Compare 333 with 666. No, it's not that 666 is double 333. It's that there are 3 beasts identified in Revelation 12-13. There is the Dragon (i.e., Satan), and there is the beast out of the sea (i.e., the antichrist), and there is the beast out of the earth (i.e., the false religious leader).
The devil will forge his own pseudo-trinity, with the devil possessing the antichrist, who is a human male. The false religious leader is also a human male, though not possessed by the devil. This is Satan's mimicking of our precious Lord Jesus Christ, Who is God the Son taking on His own human body. The antichrist is the devil in a human body.
So the number of the beast is the number of man because the number represents who the beast is: he is a man. In fact he is 2 men and 1 devil! And since there are actually three beasts to mimic the Trinity, the number of man ("6") becomes written as "666" to expose the beast as the devil's human impersonation of the Trinity.
The Bible is unfathomable, dear people. We can never learn all it has to teach us...but we can have fun trying! Spend some time alone with the Lord now. Allow the Holy Spirit to work this teaching into your mind and down into your heart. That is the only way we can mature spiritually, so that we become all that the Lord wants us to be. To God be the glory! Amen.
Man's number is 6, while the beast's number is 666. The two are connected in Revelation by the words "the number is that of a man". See! The number 666 is connected with man and his number.
Okay. Now that we have that detail to go by, let's consider two possibilities with the number of the beast. One possibility is that the number is six hundred and sixty-six. In fact the original Greek has the number written out in letters as hundred and sixty-six.
Notwithstanding that fact, the Book of Revelation is highly symbolic, employing typology to teach future mysteries. Writing the number 666 with letters forces the reader meditate on the text more, if he really wants to solve the mystery. Jesus spoke in parables in order to accomplish the same thing. If anyone really wanted to discover the truths of God's Word, such a one had to search them out as if digging for buried treasure. Superficial reading of short blips and Sunday School ditties won't suffice for us to mature spiritually, dear friends.
The clue, once more, is in the phrase "the number of a man", and I want to correct that translation. In the Greek there is no indefinite article attached to the word for "man". In other words it reads "man", not "a man". The number of man, as we've already noted, is the number 6.
Hurray! We've reached the last step of our analysis of the number 666. The number of man is 6. Now look at the number of the beast: 666. Stop reading it as six hundred sixty-six and start reading it as 6-6-6, i.e., as a triple 6.
The number for God is 3. The number 3 expresses the superlative degree. God is the MOST divine. He is the THRICE holy God. Oh, and don't leave out that God revealed Himself to be a TRINITY.
The word Trinity is formed by combining "tri" with "unity". "Tri" means 3 and "unity" means 1. Voilà! Trinity means 3-in-1. God is one, yet He shows Himself to be three Persons simultaneously and for all eternity. God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—3 Persons comprising 1 God. We could easily express this by saying the number of God is 333. 3 is God's number and there are 3 Persons in the Godhead.
Do you see what the number of the beast means now? Compare 333 with 666. No, it's not that 666 is double 333. It's that there are 3 beasts identified in Revelation 12-13. There is the Dragon (i.e., Satan), and there is the beast out of the sea (i.e., the antichrist), and there is the beast out of the earth (i.e., the false religious leader).
The devil will forge his own pseudo-trinity, with the devil possessing the antichrist, who is a human male. The false religious leader is also a human male, though not possessed by the devil. This is Satan's mimicking of our precious Lord Jesus Christ, Who is God the Son taking on His own human body. The antichrist is the devil in a human body.
So the number of the beast is the number of man because the number represents who the beast is: he is a man. In fact he is 2 men and 1 devil! And since there are actually three beasts to mimic the Trinity, the number of man ("6") becomes written as "666" to expose the beast as the devil's human impersonation of the Trinity.
The Bible is unfathomable, dear people. We can never learn all it has to teach us...but we can have fun trying! Spend some time alone with the Lord now. Allow the Holy Spirit to work this teaching into your mind and down into your heart. That is the only way we can mature spiritually, so that we become all that the Lord wants us to be. To God be the glory! Amen.
November 30, 2012
A Frightening Number, Part 1
Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six [Revelation 13:18].
If you were to do a bit of research on the numerous attempts to interpret the "number of the beast" over the centuries, you would come away knowing less about it than when you began! It is in some ways rather hilarious to read many of them.
One approach which yields the most untrustworthy results is to take the number as a man's name. Each letter of the alphabet is assigned a number, so the letters of a person's name add up to a total value. Find a man's name whose letters add up to 666 and you've found the identity of the beast.
Sounds logical enough, doesn't it? Uh, not so much. Here's the problem. Which letters do we use? The Book of Revelation is written in koine Greek, which employs different letters than English. Perhaps the name should add up to 666 in Persian...or Aramaic...or Hebrew.
And then there's the problem of which name is the correct one. In perusing the various commentaries, we discover that the letters of more than one name can be made to total 666. Do we put all those names in a hat and have a drawing? We could even sell tickets to it and award a prize to the winner!
Seriously, though, the Bible records, "the number is that of a man". It doesn't say "the number is that of a man's name", does it? No, it doesn't. So why would we try to make a man's name add up to 666? Duh? Go figure, why don'cha.
And right there we have Scripture's key for interpreting the number of the beast. The number is that of a man. Man was created on Day 6 of creation week. That is why the number of a man is 6. That is the first clue we have to go by. Scripture gave it to us: let's put it to good use. So come with me now, roll up your sleeves, put on your work gloves, and let's work up a good sweat in solving this puzzle.
If you were to do a bit of research on the numerous attempts to interpret the "number of the beast" over the centuries, you would come away knowing less about it than when you began! It is in some ways rather hilarious to read many of them.
One approach which yields the most untrustworthy results is to take the number as a man's name. Each letter of the alphabet is assigned a number, so the letters of a person's name add up to a total value. Find a man's name whose letters add up to 666 and you've found the identity of the beast.
Sounds logical enough, doesn't it? Uh, not so much. Here's the problem. Which letters do we use? The Book of Revelation is written in koine Greek, which employs different letters than English. Perhaps the name should add up to 666 in Persian...or Aramaic...or Hebrew.
And then there's the problem of which name is the correct one. In perusing the various commentaries, we discover that the letters of more than one name can be made to total 666. Do we put all those names in a hat and have a drawing? We could even sell tickets to it and award a prize to the winner!
Seriously, though, the Bible records, "the number is that of a man". It doesn't say "the number is that of a man's name", does it? No, it doesn't. So why would we try to make a man's name add up to 666? Duh? Go figure, why don'cha.
And right there we have Scripture's key for interpreting the number of the beast. The number is that of a man. Man was created on Day 6 of creation week. That is why the number of a man is 6. That is the first clue we have to go by. Scripture gave it to us: let's put it to good use. So come with me now, roll up your sleeves, put on your work gloves, and let's work up a good sweat in solving this puzzle.
