Be Ready!

32 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 34 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. 37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 47 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 48 But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know 51 and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. – Matthew 24:32-51 ESV

Jesus is attempting to open the eyes of His disciples and help them develop a long-term perspective regarding His Kingdom. They were focused on the here-and-now, and having trouble understanding that the talk of His coming death in Jerusalem was anything but bad news or something to be avoided at all costs. This entire chapter contains Jesus’ surprising and difficult-to-comprehend words that reveal the bigger picture regarding God’s plan of redemption. Jesus’ death on the cross would be just the beginning of a much larger and comprehensive plan of God that would include His resurrection and His return to His Father’s side. But, even more importantly, it would require His eventual return to earth as the conquering King.

While Jesus knew that there would be a long delay before His return, He wanted His disciples to live with a sense of eager anticipation. If they expected it to happen, kept their eyes open, and looked for the signs of its approach, they would be able to endure the struggles that were coming their way.

Jesus used the visual lesson of a fig tree to help the disciples understand that there would be visible, recognizable signs associated with His coming. The budding of a fig tree is a natural indication that summer is near. It is an unmistakable and irrefutable sign. Jesus wanted His disciples to know that the signs of His return would be just as clear and undeniable. He even assured them that “this generation will not pass away until all these things take place” (Matthew 24:34 ESV).

But what does that mean? Was He saying that the events associated with the end times would take place during the lifetimes of His disciples? The answer would seem to be no. But while they were alive, they would begin to see the early signs of His return. The budding of a fig tree provides a premonition or portent of something to come. The buds do not mean summer has arrived but that it is coming. In the same way, the disciples would live long enough to see signs that would point to Jesus’ coming. They would not be alive when He returned, but they would be given clear indications that it would happen.

Each generation of believers has been given signs that His coming is imminent and inevitable. These signs act as assurances of God’s faithfulness and are meant to encourage Christ-followers to continue to wait eagerly and hopefully.

The earth will continue to endure all kinds of struggles, including earthquakes, famines, floods, disasters, and even wars. Jesus even states that the world would eventually “pass away” (Matthew 24:35 ESV). The apostle Paul broke the same news to the believers in Corinth.

Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away. – 1 Corinthians 7:31 NLT).

The apostle John wrote, “This world is fading away, along with everything that people crave” (1 John 2:17 NLT). Earlier, in this very same discourse, Jesus warned His disciples of future signs that would foretell the end of the age and the nearness of His return.

“…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. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.” – Matthew 24:6-8 NLT

While there will be clear signs along the way, the actual day and date of the Lord’s return will remain a mystery. Christ’s followers will be given assurances of its coming but will not know the exact time of His return. Jesus indicated that even He did not know the day or the hour. God the Father alone has access to that information.

The second coming of Jesus will be a surprise, catching most of the earth’s inhabitants completely off-guard and unprepared. Jesus used the days of Noah as an apt point of comparison. In a way, Noah’s building of the ark was a clear sign that something was coming. Peter indicates that Noah warned his neighbors of God’s coming judgment and the availability of salvation made possible by the ark.

[God] did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness… – 2 Peter 2:5 ESV

The New Living Translation reads: “Noah warned the world of God’s righteous judgment.” But the people in Noah’s day ignored the signs and refused the message of Noah. Instead, they busied themselves, “eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark” (Matthew 24:38 ESV).

They continued with their lives, oblivious to the warning signs and ignorant of what was about to happen, until “the flood came and swept them all away” (Matthew 24:39 ESV). Jesus clarified to His disciples that the same thing would happen when He finally returned, catching the world unprepared and completely off-guard.

The next few verses have created much controversy over the ages. Some have attempted to use them as proof of the eventual rapture of the church. But it is important to keep these verses within their context. Jesus has been talking about His second coming, not the rapture, so the context is judgment, not salvation. When Christ returns the second time, He will come as a righteous judge to deal with sinful mankind once and for all. His coming will take place at the end of the Great Tribulation, a time in which many will come to faith in Christ and endure intense persecution at the hands of the Antichrist. But when Christ returns, He will defeat the Antichrist and his ungodly followers, casting Satan, the Antichrist, and the false prophet into the lake of fire or hell.

Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. – Revelation 20:10 NLT

And all those who are living on the earth at that time will be judged as well, with their ultimate fate being consignment to hell.

Based on the context of the second coming, those whom Jesus describes as being “taken” are the unbelievers who remain. They will be judged and condemned, then sent to the destination God has prepared for them. Any who are “left” are meant to symbolize those who came to faith in Christ during the Great Tribulation.

Jesus appears to stress the need to remain prepared and fully expectant. This is why He said, “Stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:42 ESV). He added, “You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44 ESV).

Disciples of Christ are to live with a sense of eager expectation and conduct themselves as if His return could occur at any moment. Waiting is difficult. The delay can easily cause us to lose hope and take our eyes off the prize. Jesus gave His disciples a warning in the form of yet another parable.

A faithful and wise servant stays vigilant and diligent while his master is away, conducting himself as if the master could walk in the door at any minute. But the wicked servant used the delay as an excuse to sow his wild oats. His sin-prone, self-centered nature manifested itself.  And Jesus warns that the servant’s master, like the Messiah, will return when the servants least expect it. When he does, he will bring just judgment on the wicked servant.

Again, Jesus was trying to get His disciples to understand that there was much more to the Kingdom than they ever imagined. His first coming was just the beginning, and His eventual departure would not be the end. He would come again. He had promised to do so, and they needed to live their lives as if it could and would happen – at any moment. They were to stay diligent and vigilant. They were to remain faithful and wise. Unlike the wicked, followers of Christ are to stay alert and awake, fully prepared for His return.

“Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.

“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” – Revelation 22:11-13 NLT

So, be ready.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Trust Me

1 Behold, a day is coming for the LORD, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. 2 For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 3 Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. 4 On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. 5 And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.

6 On that day there shall be no light, cold, or frost. 7 And there shall be a unique day, which is known to the Lord, neither day nor night, but at evening time there shall be light.

8 On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter.

9 And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one.

10 The whole land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. But Jerusalem shall remain aloft on its site from the Gate of Benjamin to the place of the former gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king's winepresses. 11 And it shall be inhabited, for there shall never again be a decree of utter destruction. Jerusalem shall dwell in security. – Zechariah 14:1-11 ESV

The events described in this closing chapter of Zechariah’s book must have thrilled and shocked the prophet as he heard them for the first time. He had no reference point for considering their timing or their staggering implications. As he stood among the other returned exiled and took in the sights of Jerusalem, it would have been difficult for him to imagine what he was hearing. The city was still in ruins, the Temple was only partially completed, and there were no walls to protect anyone who dared to reside in the former capital of Judah.

The reminders of Jerusalem’s destruction by the Babylonians were everywhere. Zechariah could see the broken-down walls and the burned remnants of civic buildings, palaces, and private homes. Charred timbers protruded from the rubble like discarded matches. Plants and vines grew among the debris and the darkened windows of the abandoned buildings stared by like the lifeless eyes of a corpse. The entire city had been transformed into a dystopian landscape that bore little resemblance to the once-majestic city of David and the place where the wise and wealthy King Solomon reigned.

Zechariah has had to wrestle with God’s pronouncement of yet another siege of Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:2). But he has also heard that “the LORD will give salvation to the tents of Judah” and “destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem” (Zechariah 12:7 ESV). Yahweh has promised to “pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace” (Zechariah 12:10 ESV) and “to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness” (Zechariah 13:1 ESV). But the prophet must have found himself drowning in the flood of divine revelation as he tried to take it all in. His mind would have reeled with questions and concerns about the LORD’s timing and intentions for these events. What would prompt the Almighty to allow another siege of the city Zechariah was desperately trying to rebuild? Why would the LORD permit the enemies of Judah to gain the upper hand and seek their destruction again? Hadn’t He just promised to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness?

Christians living on this side of the cross are intimately familiar with the stories of Jesus’ birth, life, ministry, death, burial, and resurrection. They can read these prophecies and recognize the thinly veiled references to Jesus. Hidden within the poetic and apocalyptic language are signs and symbols that portray the first and second advents of Jesus as the Messiah of Israel and the Savior of the world.

But Zechariah knew nothing of these things. He was ignorant of Jesus the son of Mary being born in a lowly stable in the backwater town of Bethlehem. He had no concept of God taking on human form and living and ministering among the people of Israel for three years. He had no way of knowing about Jesus’ rejection by the Jewish people and His crucifixion at the hands of the Romans. While Yahweh had given hints about some of these things, Zechariah was incapable of connecting the dots because he lived on the wrong side of the cross. Like all the other Old Testament prophets, he was simply a conduit through which Yahweh disseminated the news of His sovereign and providential plan of salvation for the world.

That is why this closing chapter must have left Zechariah reeling and confused. He couldn’t understand all he was hearing and recording. He knew Yahweh was speaking of future events but had no way of knowing when or how they would happen. So, the news of Jerusalem’s fall and plunder would not have been good news to Zechariah.

“Watch, for the day of the Lord is coming when your possessions will be plundered right in front of you! I will gather all the nations to fight against Jerusalem. The city will be taken, the houses looted, and the women raped. Half the population will be taken into captivity, and the rest will be left among the ruins of the city.” – Zechariah 14:1-2 NLT

Even as he inscribed these words onto parchment, Zechariah must have wanted to scream, “But why?!” Was more devastation really necessary? Did the people of Judah deserve to endure more suffering and subjugation at the hands of their enemies?

Zechariah would have been thrilled to hear that “the Lord will go out to fight against those nations” (Zechariah 14:3 NLT), but the mention of plundering, looting, raping, and enslavement would have made his stomach turn and his skin crawl.

As a prophet of Yahweh, Zechariah was privileged to hear directly from the LORD but was not endowed with the capacity to see into the future or discern the meaning of the words he recorded. Proof of his faithfulness as a prophet came in the form of his obedience to listen and repeat what he had been told. He was commanded to express God’s words, not explain them. He had been commissioned to communicate, not elucidate.

The fact that this book exists proves that Zechariah did as he was told. He wrote down what he heard whether he understood it or not. He faithfully recorded Yahweh’s words, even though he couldn’t fully grasp their significance or timing. But in doing so, Zechariah and the people of Judah received a reminder of their God’s power, providence, sovereignty, and everlasting love for them. Their very existence as a people had been Yahweh’s doing. He had orchestrated their return to Judah from exile. He had ordained the repopulating of Jerusalem, the construction of the Temple, and the rebuilding of the walls. But had far more in store for them than they could understand or appreciate. His plans for them reached far into the future and beyond their wildest imaginations.

Yahweh had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah, providing the people of Judah with an assurance of His love and His promise to restore them.

“In that day,” says the LORD, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.” – Isaiah 31:1 NLT

“I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love.
    With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.
I will rebuild you, my virgin Israel.
    You will again be happy
    and dance merrily with your tambourines.
Again you will plant your vineyards on the mountains of Samaria
    and eat from your own gardens there.
The day will come when watchmen will shout
    from the hill country of Ephraim,
‘Come, let us go up to Jerusalem
    to worship the Lord our God.’” – Jeremiah 31:3-6 NLT

This promise didn’t come with a timeline. Yahweh didn’t articulate a date or guarantee that Jeremiah’s audience would live to see the fulfillment of these events. But they were expected to believe and hope. Yahweh wanted them to trust His words and rest in the assurance of His sovereignty and power to preserve, protect, and provide for them – now and into the future.

In this closing chapter of Zechariah, Yahweh describes a scene of epic proportions, featuring the advent of the LORD and His arrival on the Mount of Olives. This second coming of the Messiah would be nothing like His first arrival when He came in the form of an innocent, helpless baby. This time, Messiah will come to earth as a conquering King. This passage brings to mind the words of Luke recorded in the Book of Acts. Just before Jesus ascended into heaven, He had a last conversation with His disciples. They were still dealing with the surprising nature of His resurrection and its implications. As they stood with Jesus on the Mount of Olives, one of them asked, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” (Acts 1:6 NLT). This unnamed disciple (most likely Peter), wanted to know if the resurrection was the sign they had been waiting for. Was it time for Jesus to establish His earthly kingdom and overthrow the Romans?

But Jesus simply responded, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know” (Acts 1:7 NLT). Jesus had already told His disciples, “No one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows” (Matthew 24:36 NLT). Much to the disciple’s surprise, Jesus’ resurrection wasn’t going to bring an end to Roman rule, it was going to inaugurate the Church Age. Just before He ascended into heaven, Jesus told His disciples, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8 NLT).

Having issued this commission to His followers, Jesus “was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him” (Acts 1:9 NLT). And as the disciples strained to catch one last glimpse of their LORD and Savior, the angels told them, “Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!” (Acts 1:11 NLT).

Zechariah recorded the event describing what the angels had in mind.

On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. And the Mount of Olives will split apart, making a wide valley running from east to west. Half the mountain will move toward the north and half toward the south. – Zechariah 14:4 NLT

The Book of Revelation provides a more detailed description of Jesus’ return to the Mount of Olives.

Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords. – Revelation 19:11-16 NLT

John describes the armies of heaven accompanying Jesus to earth. Zechariah records that “the Lord my God will come, and all his holy ones with him” (Zechariah 14:5 NLT). In his vision, John describes an epic battle that will take place as Jesus and His heavenly host take on the Antichrist and his followers.

Then I saw the beast and the kings of the world and their armies gathered together to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army. And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast—miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. Both the beast and his false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. Their entire army was killed by the sharp sword that came from the mouth of the one riding the white horse. And the vultures all gorged themselves on the dead bodies. – Revelation 19:19-21 NLT

But Zechariah only records the effects of Jesus’ victory.

And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day there will be one LORD—his name alone will be worshiped. – Zechariah 14:9 NLT

Compressed within verses 6-9 is an expansive overview of the end times. It includes the establishment of Jesus’ earthly Kingdom where He will rule and reign from Jerusalem for a thousand years. But it also foreshadows the arrival of the New Jerusalem and the beginning of the eternal state.

On that day the sources of light will no longer shine, yet there will be continuous day! Only the Lord knows how this could happen. There will be no normal day and night, for at evening time it will still be light. On that day life-giving waters will flow out from Jerusalem. – Zechariah 14:6-8 NLT

The apostle John provides a more detailed explanation of what Zechariah describes.

I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory. Its gates will never be closed at the end of day because there is no night there. And all the nations will bring their glory and honor into the city. Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. – Revelation 21:22-27 NLT

Yahweh has a plan that is comprehensive in nature and is unfolding right on schedule. Neither Zechariah nor John fully understood the scope of God’s plan but both were expected to believe in it and rest on the certainty of it.

“Remember this and stand firm,
    recall it to mind, you transgressors,
   remember the former things of old;
for I am God, and there is no other;
    I am God, and there is none like me,
declaring the end from the beginning
    and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
    and I will accomplish all my purpose,’
calling a bird of prey from the east,
    the man of my counsel from a far country.
I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass;
    I have purposed, and I will do it.” – Isaiah 46:8-11 ESV

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Water for Purification and Revitalization

1 “On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.

2 “And on that day, declares the Lord of hosts, I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, so that they shall be remembered no more. And also I will remove from the land the prophets and the spirit of uncleanness. 3 And if anyone again prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will say to him, ‘You shall not live, for you speak lies in the name of the Lord.’ And his father and mother who bore him shall pierce him through when he prophesies.

4 “On that day every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies. He will not put on a hairy cloak in order to deceive, 5 but he will say, ‘I am no prophet, I am a worker of the soil, for a man sold me in my youth.’ 6 And if one asks him, ‘What are these wounds on your back?’ he will say, ‘The wounds I received in the house of my friends.’

7 “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd,
    against the man who stands next to me,”
declares the Lord of hosts.

“Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered;
    I will turn my hand against the little ones.
8 In the whole land, declares the Lord,
    two thirds shall be cut off and perish,
    and one third shall be left alive.
9 And I will put this third into the fire,
    and refine them as one refines silver,
    and test them as gold is tested.
They will call upon my name,
    and I will answer them.
I will say, ‘They are my people’;
    and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’” – Zechariah 13:1-9 ESV

Chapter 13 is a continuation of the previous chapter, expanding further on the events associated with the future state of Israel and the world. With the Messiah’s unexpected return and His victory over their enemies, the people of God respond with penitence and remorse over their previous rejection of Him. But what follows is another unexpected response from the one “whom they have pierced” (Zechariah 12:10 ESV). Rather than judgment, the Messiah offers them cleansing from their sins.

“On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.” – Zechariah 13:1 ESV

This water of purification will flow from the Temple itself, a scene witnessed by the prophet Ezekiel and recorded in the book that bears his name.

In my vision, the man brought me back to the entrance of the Temple. There I saw a stream flowing east from beneath the door of the Temple and passing to the right of the altar on its south side. The man brought me outside the wall through the north gateway and led me around to the eastern entrance. There I could see the water flowing out through the south side of the east gateway. – Ezekiel 47:1-2 NLT

In his book, the prophet Ezekiel described how the Israelites had rejected God and turned to other sources of self-satisfaction and sustenance. Rather than worship Him alone, they violated His commandment (Exodus 20:3-5) and committed spiritual adultery.

“For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me — the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!” – Jeremiah 2:13 NLT

God had offered to be the sole source of their spiritual and physical needs. He had promised to bless them greatly if they would only remain faithful to Him. But they had chosen to give their affections to false gods who proved to be incapable of providing life and purification from sin.

“What did your ancestors find wrong with me
    that led them to stray so far from me?
They worshiped worthless idols,
    only to become worthless themselves.” – Jeremiah 2:5 NLT

“Has any nation ever traded its gods for new ones,
    even though they are not gods at all?
Yet my people have exchanged their glorious God
    for worthless idols!” – Jeremiah 2:11 NLT

Their apostasy left them impure and in need of cleansing. Water for purification was a central part of the sacrificial system provided by God. Even the priests had to be cleansed before they could minister in God’s house on behalf of the people.

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Take the Levites from among the people of Israel and cleanse them. Thus you shall do to them to cleanse them: sprinkle the water of purification upon them.” – Numbers 8:5-7 ESV

The water of purification was a strange concoction ordained by God and detailed in the Book of Numbers. The Israelites were to take a red heifer without defect and burn it on the altar along with cedarwood, hyssop, and scarlet yarn. The ashes were to be gathered and kept in a clean place for later use in a ceremony of purification.

“For the unclean they shall take some ashes of the burnt sin offering, and fresh water shall be added in a vessel. Then a clean person shall take hyssop and dip it in the water and sprinkle it on the tent and on all the furnishings and on the persons who were there and on whoever touched the bone, or the slain or the dead or the grave. And the clean person shall sprinkle it on the unclean on the third day and on the seventh day. Thus on the seventh day he shall cleanse him, and he shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and at evening he shall be clean.” – Numbers 19:17-19 ESV

The uncleanness referred to in these verses had to do with anyone who came into contact with a dead body.

“Whoever touches the dead body of any person shall be unclean seven days. He shall cleanse himself with the water on the third day and on the seventh day, and so be clean. But if he does not cleanse himself on the third day and on the seventh day, he will not become clean. Whoever touches a dead person, the body of anyone who has died, and does not cleanse himself, defiles the tabernacle of the Lord, and that person shall be cut off from Israel; because the water for impurity was not thrown on him, he shall be unclean. His uncleanness is still on him.” – Numbers 19:11-13 ESV

The water of purification was used to cleanse the contaminated and unclean individual, allowing them to be restored to fellowship with God and their faith community.

In the Zechariah passage, Yahweh speaks of a future day when He will not only cleanse His people with living water but He will also purge the land of idolatry and false prophets. He will remove the distractions that led to their rebellion and rejection of His Son. Even those who attempt to present themselves as prophets of God will be exposed as frauds and suffer the consequences. In that future day, there will be no need for prophets because God’s word will have been fulfilled completely. The Messiah will have returned and established His Millennial Kingdom. In this 1000-year-long period in which Christ will rule from the throne of David in Jerusalem, righteousness and justice will be the law of the land. The Son of David, Jesus Himself, will reign over the world and serve in the roles of King, Prophet, and Priest. Anyone else who claims to speak on God's behalf will be deemed a liar and dealt with appropriately.

In the closing verses of this chapter, Yahweh focuses His attention on someone He refers to as “my shepherd…the man who stands next to me” (Zechariah 13:7 ESV). There are some who believe this to be a reference to Jesus the Messiah, but the context seems to make this conclusion untenable. Yahweh goes on to give the command, “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; I will turn my hand against the little ones” (Zechariah 13:7 ESV). This verse seems to tie back to chapter 11 where Yahweh delivered an unflattering assessment of the worthless shepherd.

Then the Lord said to me, “Go again and play the part of a worthless shepherd. This illustrates how I will give this nation a shepherd who will not care for those who are dying, nor look after the young, nor heal the injured, nor feed the healthy. Instead, this shepherd will eat the meat of the fattest sheep and tear off their hooves.” – Zechariah 11:15-16 NLT

This false and unreliable shepherd would suffer serious repercussions for His failure to feed and care for God’s flock.

“What sorrow awaits this worthless shepherd
    who abandons the flock!
The sword will cut his arm
    and pierce his right eye.
His arm will become useless,
    and his right eye completely blind.” – Zechariah 11:17 NLT

In the Zechariah 13 passage, Yahweh’s description of this individual as “My shepherd” would seem to indicate a partnership between the two of them.  He describes this shepherd as being by His side, inferring a sense of intimacy. But God often referred to His relationship with godless leaders with the same kind of language. God repeatedly referred to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, as “my servant” (Jeremiah 27:6; 43:10). He also said of Cyrus, the king of Persia, “He is my shepherd” (Isaiah 44:38 NLT). So, the use of this intimate language does not necessarily suggest that this individual has a close relationship with Yahweh or functions as a willing or obedient servant. Both Nebuchadnezzar and Cyrus were simply unwilling instruments whom God used to accomplish His will.

God even considered the religious and civil leaders of Israel as His shepherds, even though they proved to be rebellious and unfaithful.

“‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, because my flock lacks a shepherd and so has been plundered and has become food for all the wild animals, and because my shepherds did not search for my flock but cared for themselves rather than for my flock, therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them.” – Ezekiel 34:7-10 NLT

God allowed these men to serve according to His divine purposes. He placed them in positions of authority and gave them responsibility for caring for His chosen people, but they abused their power. The same thing will happen in the end times when God allows the Antichrist to ascend to power over the entire world. This “shepherd” will rule over all humanity, including the Jewish people living during that day. He will win them over by making a treaty with them and allowing them to rebuild the Temple, but then He will turn against them and mercilessly persecute them, even putting many to death. This seems to be the shepherd Yahweh has in mind in the Zechariah passage.

God describes the immense suffering of His people at the hands of the Antichrist during the Great Tribulation.

“In the whole land, declares the Lord,
    two thirds shall be cut off and perish,
    and one third shall be left alive.
And I will put this third into the fire,
    and refine them as one refines silver,
    and test them as gold is tested.
They will call upon my name,
    and I will answer them.” – Zechariah 13:8-9 ESV

During this future period of intense persecution, many Jews and Christians will be martyred for their faith. In his vision of the end times, the apostle John was allowed to see this host of martyred saints standing before the altar of the Almighty in heaven.

I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” – Revelation 6:9-10 NLT

The Antichrist will be given “power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them” and authority over every tribe, people, language and nation” (Revelation 13:7 NLT).

But God will have the last word. This “shepherd” who turns on the flock of God will pay dearly for his actions. Jesus Christ will return to earth again and deal a death blow to the Antichrist and Satan, casting them into hell along with all those who refuse to honor God and His chosen Servant.

But there’s a New Testament passage that reveals a hidden aspect to the words of God found in Zechariah 13. In his gospel account, Matthew records the following statement that Jesus addressed to His disciples just prior to His death. 

“Tonight all of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say,

‘God will strike the Shepherd,
    and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’

But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.” – Matthew 26:31-32 NLT

Here, Jesus uses the very same passage found in Zechariah to describe His own death as God’s Shepherd. But He will die for a completely different reason. His suffering will result in life and redemption. His sacrifice will produce atonement and forgiveness for sins. Jesus, the Good Shepherd will be struck down but only to rise again and make possible eternal life to all those who place their faith in Him. As Jesus told the woman at the well, His death would provide life and access to living water.

“…those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” – John 4:14 NLT

When the Good Shepherd returns to rescue God’s sheep and restore them His fold, He will usher in the eternal state where God’s people will live with Him in the New Jerusalem. Featured prominently in this coming Kingdom is the river of the water of life.

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. – Revelation 22:1-3 NLT

The Zechariah passage ends with the statement, “I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God’” (Zechariah 13:9 ESV), and Revelation 21:3 states, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.”

God’s grand plan of redemption will be complete and all His promises fulfilled.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

You Can Count On God

1 Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, four chariots came out from between two mountains. And the mountains were mountains of bronze. 2 The first chariot had red horses, the second black horses, 3 the third white horses, and the fourth chariot dappled horses—all of them strong. 4 Then I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5 And the angel answered and said to me, “These are going out to the four winds of heaven, after presenting themselves before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The chariot with the black horses goes toward the north country, the white ones go after them, and the dappled ones go toward the south country.” 7 When the strong horses came out, they were impatient to go and patrol the earth. And he said, “Go, patrol the earth.” So they patrolled the earth. 8 Then he cried to me, “Behold, those who go toward the north country have set my Spirit at rest in the north country.” – Zechariah 6:1-8 ESV

In this final vision, Zechariah is shown what appears to be four chariots pulled by teams of red, black, white, and dappled horses. As Zechariah looks on, these instruments of war pass between two bronze mountains without the aid of any charioteers. They appear to be driverless but are not without a sense of direction or purpose. In fact, the angel asserts that they have come from the presence of the LORD and are on a mission. There are obvious similarities between this last vision and the first one Zechariah was shown. Both include horses of different colors.

“I saw in the night, and behold, a man riding on a red horse! He was standing among the myrtle trees in the glen, and behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses.” – Zechariah 1:8 ESV

In this opening vision, Zechariah was shown a heavenly messenger sent by Yahweh “to patrol the earth” (Zechariah 1:10 ESV). The mission had been completed because Zechariah heard the announcement, “We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth remains at rest” (Zecharaiah 1:11 ESV). Their work was done and they rested in a grove of myrtle trees. But in the last of the eight visions, the horses have left the presence of Yahweh and just beginning their mission.

“These are the four spirits of heaven going out after presenting themselves before the Lord of all the earth.” – Zechariah 6:10 NET

They are described as rûaḥ, a Hebrew word that can be translated as “winds” or “spirits.” Given the context, it makes sense to view these chariots as divine emanations from God. They have been sent by Yahweh and commanded to “Go, patrol the earth” (Zechariah 6:7 ESV). As Zechariah looks on, the chariots head north and south. The chariots pulled by the black and white horses head to the north country, while the chariot pulled by the team of dappled horses makes its way to the south country.

The nation of Israel occupied a narrow sliver of land between the Mediterranean Sea on the west and the Arabian Desert on the east. Over the centuries, Israel’s enemies had invaded its borders from one of these two directions. So, the chariots were sent to the north and south but were expected to extend their mission beyond Israel’s borders. Their “patrol” would eventually take them to Egypt, Babylon, and Assyria, all sworn enemies of Israel. The mission of the horseman in Chapter 1 resulted in a pronouncement of peace. All was well in the land of Judah. But the chariots of the eighth vision appear to be on a mission of a different sort. They will bring peace but only after divine judgment is carried.

The angel describes the horses as strong and “impatient to go and patrol the earth” (Zechariah 1:7 ESV). They are literally chomping at the bit. In antiquity, the horse was revered for its power and ferocity in battle. These beautiful creatures could transform into devastating weapons of mass destruction, wreaking havoc against enemy infantry. Harnessed to a chariot, horses were the equivalent of a tank in modern warfare. 

The Book of Job records God’s eloquent description of the horse’s unique affinity and disposition for combat.

“Have you given the horse its strength
    or clothed its neck with a flowing mane?
Did you give it the ability to leap like a locust?
    Its majestic snorting is terrifying!
It paws the earth and rejoices in its strength
    when it charges out to battle.
It laughs at fear and is unafraid.
    It does not run from the sword.
The arrows rattle against it,
    and the spear and javelin flash.
It paws the ground fiercely
    and rushes forward into battle when the ram’s horn blows.
It snorts at the sound of the horn.
    It senses the battle in the distance.
    It quivers at the captain’s commands and the noise of battle.” – Job 39:19-25 NLT

That these horses and their chariots were intended to carry out God's judgment is made clear by verse 8.

“Look, those who went north have vented the anger of my Spirit there in the land of the north.” – Zechariah 6:8 NLT

Twenty years earlier, in 539 B.C., the Babylonians had fallen to the Persians. God had already meted out His wrath against the nation that had invaded and destroyed Judah. But His judgment was not yet complete. The Egyptians and Medo-Persians would also have to pay for their constant harassment of God’s people.

It’s interesting to note that the black, white, and dappled horses convey their chariots on their assigned routes but the chariot pulled by the red horses is not mentioned. The angel doesn’t announce its destination. There has been much speculation as to the meaning of the horses’ colors. Some have suggested that the red horses stand for war and bloodshed, while the black horses symbolize death. The white horses represent victory and the dappled horses stand for plague and disease. Together, these horses and their chariots display the multifaceted and devastating nature of God’s pending judgment against the nations.

As Zechariah looks on, the chariots and their horses are just beginning their assignments. They have passed between the two bronze mountains on their way to their final destinations. Some have speculated that these mountains represent Mount Zion and the Mount of Olives. But the more logical explanation is found in chapter 14 of Zechariah’s prophecy.

Watch, for the day of the Lord is coming when your possessions will be plundered right in front of you! I will gather all the nations to fight against Jerusalem. The city will be taken, the houses looted, and the women raped. Half the population will be taken into captivity, and the rest will be left among the ruins of the city.

Then the Lord will go out to fight against those nations, as he has fought in times past. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. And the Mount of Olives will split apart, making a wide valley running from east to west. Half the mountain will move toward the north and half toward the south. You will flee through this valley, for it will reach across to Azal. Yes, you will flee as you did from the earthquake in the days of King Uzziah of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all his holy ones with him. – Zechariah 14:1-7 NLT

The Mount of Olives was where Jesus ascended back into heaven after His final post-resurrection appearance to His disciples (Acts 1:9-12). The angels assured the disciples that Jesus would one day return to that very same spot and complete the mission He had been given by His Heavenly Father. While His departure from earth had been in relative obscurity with only His disciples as witnesses, His return will be so impactful that the Mount of Olives will split in two. His second coming will bring judgment to the earth as God’s heavenly army dispenses divine wrath on all those who rejected His Son’s offer of salvation and opposed His right to rule and reign.

Zechariah was given a glimpse into the distant future when God will send His Son to earth a second time. On this occasion, Jesus will not come as an innocent baby in a manger, but as a conquering King riding a white horse and meting out judgment against the enemies of God. Centuries later, the apostle John was given a vision of this end times event.

Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords. – Revelation 19:11-16 NLT

Zechariah was not privileged to know all the details concerning God’s coming judgment. The explanations he received from the angel were cryptic and incomplete but he could rest assured that God had a plan in place that would be fulfilled in a timely manner. Later in this book, Zechariah will receive and record a powerful promise from God concerning the nation of Israel and the city of Jerusalem.

And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day there will be one Lord—his name alone will be worshiped.

All the land from Geba, north of Judah, to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem, will become one vast plain. But Jerusalem will be raised up in its original place and will be inhabited all the way from the Benjamin Gate over to the site of the old gate, then to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s winepresses. And Jerusalem will be filled, safe at last, never again to be cursed and destroyed. – Zechariah 14:9-11 NLT

The Temple still needed to be completed. The land of Judah remained under foreign control. Jerusalem was still a relative ghost town with a small population and no protective walls. Yet, God was at work because He had plans for His people.

“I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.” – Jeremiah 29:11-14 NLT

They were back in the land but God had far more in store for them than they could ever have imagined. The days ahead would be fraught with difficulty but God wanted Zechariah to know that the future was bright because His will would be done. His plan promises would be fulfilled and His plans for the people of God would be carried out just as He had said.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Jehovah-M'Kaddesh

7 “Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God. 8 Keep my statutes and do them; I am the Lord who sanctifies you.” – Leviticus 20:7-8 ESV

YHWH-M’Kaddesh – The LORD Who Sanctifies, Makes Holy.” The key to understanding this name of God lies in its association with the Hebrew term, qāḏaš (קָדַש) which, according to the Outline of Biblical Usage carries the following meanings: “to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate.”

In verse 7, God commands the Israelites to “consecrate” (qāḏaš) themselves. The purpose for their consecration is their holiness; they are to “be holy” (qāḏôš), This is the adjective form of the root word qāḏaš and describes their set apart or sacred status as God’s chosen people. They are called to live ceremonially and morally different lives than those of every other people group on earth because they belong to God. They are His children and should reflect His holy character through adherence to His holy law.

But in this passage, God reminds His chosen people that their set-apart status is not the byproduct of law-keeping. In other words, they don’t earn their holiness through obedience or strict adherence to a set of religious rules or rituals. He states, “I am the Lord who sanctifies (qāḏaš) you.” God had already chosen them as His own and that distinction had nothing to do with their behavior. In the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses informed the people of Israel, whom God had recently released from captivity in Egypt, that they belonged to Him. 

“For you are a holy (qāḏôš) people, who belong to the LORD your God. Of all the people on earth, the LORD your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure.

“The LORD did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! Rather, it was simply that the LORD loves you, and he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors.” – Deuteronomy 7:6-8 NLT

Moses states that they were already holy in God’s eyes and it had nothing to do with their adherence to the law. So, their set-apart status had nothing to do with their behavior. God’s rescue of them from captivity in Egypt had not been the result of their worthiness or some form of reward for their righteous character. It wasn’t even because they were a mighty and powerful nation that could prove beneficial to God’s plans. In fact, Moses states that their size and significance had nothing to do with their selection by God. Yahweh had chosen them as His special treasure, even though they “were the smallest of nations” (Deuteronomy 7:7 NLT).

But the Leviticus passage conveys God’s expectation that the Israelites live in keeping with their status as His special treasure. Their behavior was to match their identity as His chosen ones. They were already holy because God had hand-picked them; now they were to live like it. That’s why God tells them, “Keep my statutes and do them” (Leviticus 20:8 ESV). This was not an option but a command. Yahweh was communicating His non-negotiable expectation of His chosen people. They were to live as who they were as His treasured possession.

Moses went on to tell the Israelites that their obedience to God’s laws was binding and not up for debate.

“…you must obey all these commands, decrees, and regulations I am giving you today.” – Deuteronomy 7:11 NLT

Yet, their obedience to God’s law could not make them holy. Only God could do that. Their adherence to the law was proof of their set-apart status. It gave evidence of their standing as His treasure possession because the law had been given to them alone. It was God’s way of differentiating the Israelites from every other nation on earth. The law was intended to be God’s code of conduct for regulating their actions and attitudes as His people. It was the key to being holy. If the Israelites had been allowed to live just like all the other nations, there would have been no tangible difference between them. But God’s people were to live holy, set-apart lives that made them distinctively different from the rest of the nations on earth.

But the Israelites had a difficult time living up to their holy identity. According to God, they were holy, but they found it virtually impossible to maintain the standard God had given them.  Over the centuries, they repeatedly failed to obey God’s law, choosing instead to compromise their convictions and blend in with the nations around them. This did not make them any less holy or set apart in God’s eyes. In fact, it caused Him to punish them for bringing shame and dishonor to His name. They ended up in captivity again, this time in Assyria and Babylon. But the Book of Ezekiel prophecies about a future day when God will restore Israel because they remain His treasured possession. He is YHWH-M’Kaddesh, The LORD who makes holy.

“…they shall all have one shepherd. They shall walk in my rules and be careful to obey my statutes. They shall dwell in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children's children shall dwell there forever, and David my servant shall be their prince forever. I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will set them in their land and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” – Ezekiel 7:24-27 ESV

God had called the people of Israel. He had set them apart and, in doing so, made them holy in His eyes. But He expected them to live in keeping with their identity as His children. He provided them with His law so they would know what holiness looked like in everyday life. Their relationship with Him came with rules. Their unmerited status as His chosen possession came with conditions and expectations. That’s why God commanded them to “be holy.” They were to display their identity through obedience to His commands.

But look closely at Ezekiel 7:24. Despite their failure to faithfully carry out God’s commands, the day is coming when God will see that they do. He confidently declares, “They shall walk in my rules and be careful to obey my statutes.” Their conduct will line up with their status as His holy people. Their character will reflect their consecrated state as His treasured possession. He will make it happen. Jehovah-M’Kaddesh will ensure that His people are positionally and practically holy in every way.

The apostle Paul picks up on this theme in his first letter to the church in Corinth.

Think about the circumstances of your call, brothers and sisters. Not many were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were born to a privileged position. But God chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something, so that no one can boast in his presence. He is the reason you have a relationship with Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” – 1 Coronthians 1:26-31 NLT

Notice that Paul reminds the Corinthians that they too were called by God. He chose them, not the other way around, and His choice of them had nothing to do with their wisdom, power, or status. They had done nothing to deserve their calling. In fact, Paul states that they were foolish, weak, low, and despised. In the world’s eyes, they were regarded as nothing. Even their relationship with Jesus had been God’s doing.

He [God] is the reason you have a relationship with Christ Jesus. – 1 Corinthians 1:30 NLT

God had called them and set them apart. He is the one who set them apart as His own.

God is faithful, by whom you were called into fellowship with his son, Jesus Christ our Lord. – 1 Corinthians 1:9 NLT

Paul echoes this wonderful reality in his letter to the Romans.

For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. – Romans 8:29-30 NLT

God is Jehovah-M’Kaddesh, the one who sanctifies and sets apart. It is He who makes our salvation and sanctification possible.

So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. – Hebrews 2:11 NLT

Through His death on the cross, Jesus made our holiness possible. He paid the price for our sins, dying the death we deserved to die, so that we might be restored to a right relationship with our holy Father.

But when this priest had offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, he sat down at the right hand of God, where he is now waiting until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet. For by one offering he has perfected for all time those who are made holy. – Hebrews 11:12-14 NLT

We are holy but we are also becoming progressively more holy. It is an ongoing process that requires our willing reliance upon God’s Spirit and our faithful obedience to His will for our lives. The apostle Peter gives us the recipe for living holy lives as we wait for the return of Christ.

So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.” – 1 Peter 1:13-16 NLT

God is Jehovah-M’Kaddesh, the one who sanctifies, but we also have a role to play and we wait for the completion of His sanctifying process in our lives: The glorification of our bodies. We cannot make ourselves holy; only God can do that and He has chosen to do it through the sacrificial death of His Son. But we can exhibit our holy standing by living as God’s obedient children through the indwelling power of the Spirit and the guidance of His Word.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Divine Witness.

But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. – John 15:26-27 ESV

Once again, Jesus is attempting to prepare His disciples for His imminent departure. In a matter of hours, His betrayal and arrest will take place and the disciples will find their world turned upside down by the events that will follow. So in this message, which has come to be known as the Upper Room Discourse, Jesus gave His disciples a glimpse into what was to come, including an assurance that they would have help after He had gone. He would send them a helper or advocate, in the form of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth. And according to all that Jesus said was going to happen to them after He was gone, they were going to need the Spirit's help.

First, Jesus said that the world would hate them, just as it hated Him. And they were going to be first-hand witnesses as to just how much the world hated Jesus when they saw Him brutally crucified. They would watch as the crowds turned their joyful shouts of “Hosannah!" into angry screams of “Crucify Him!” But Jesus let them know that things were going to get even worse after His departure. “I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:19 ESV). He warned them that they were going to be persecuted. Why? Because of their relationship with Him and because they were going to be His representatives on earth after He returned to His Father.

So Jesus told them to abide in Him. “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5 ESV). But this statement had to confound the disciples, because Jesus was telling them that He was going away. He was leaving them. So how were they supposed to abide in Him when He was no longer going to be with them? How was He going to be in them if He was going to be absent from them? And how could Jesus say to them, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full”? (John 15:11 ESV). Joy in the midst of persecution? How were they supposed to have fullness of joy at the thought of the death of their friend and teacher?

That's where the Helper was going to come in. Jesus knew something they didn't know. He knew that none of what He was asking them to do was going to be possible without help. They were incapable of surviving all that lie ahead without the aid of the Holy Spirit. The joy that would be in them would come in the form of the Holy Spirit. His presence would provide them with a constant internal reminder of all that Jesus had said and done when He was with them. The Spirit would make it possible for them to endure all the persecution that was coming and be fruitful in the process. They would not only survive, but thrive in the midst of abundant difficulty. They would discover a supernatural capacity to love selflessly and sacrificially, just as they were about to see Jesus do. The Spirit within them would bear witness to them regarding Jesus. The Holy Spirit would make sense of all the seeming madness regarding Jesus’ coming, miracles, teachings and startling death. The Spirit would provide undeniable proof of just who Jesus had claimed to be. His presence within them would prove that Jesus was still abiding with them. And as a result, they would become unwavering witnesses of Jesus, testifying of His resurrection and proclaiming His offer of forgiveness of sin and eternal life to any who would receive it.

It is the Holy Spirit who proves once and for all that Jesus was who He claimed to be and that the salvation He so boldly offered is real. The apostle Paul put it in words that make it so clear: “he [Jesus] has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us” (2 Corinthians 1:22 NLT). In his letter to the believers in Rome, he put it this way: “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:16 ESV). It is the abiding presence of God's Spirit within us that provides us with inarguable evidence that Jesus’ offer of salvation was real. It proves that Jesus really did rise from the dead. He does sit at the right hand of the Father. He is going to return some day. The Spirit of God who lives in us is our personal guarantee regarding all that Jesus promised to us. And while we wait for the ultimate climax of all that Jesus promised: His return, we can enjoy fullness of joy and assurance of our salvation. We can experience abundant fruitfulness and express unconditional love. We can sense the reality of Christ's abiding presence and trust in the promise of His imminent return.

The Last Hour.

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 ESV

What a foreboding statement. At this point in his letter, John seems to take on a tone of seriousness and soberness. He addresses his audience as children, exposing his pastor's heart and his feelings of compassion and responsibility for them. He wanted them to know the reality of their circumstances and understand the seriousness of what they saw happening around them. What they were experiencing was NOT to be unexpected or surprising, because of the times in which they were living. It was the last hour. How does John know that? Because “many antichrists have come” (1 John 2:18 ESV). As the gospel advanced, the opposition increased and it continues to this day. And it is not just an opposition to Christians. It is an anti-Christ sentiment. It isn't even an opposition to God. There are many who, like the individual referred to in chapter one, claim to have fellowship with God. They claim to know Him. But they deny Jesus as Christ. They are anti-Christ, and therefore opposed to the good news as preached by Jesus Himself and carried on by His disciples. Like the original recipients of John's letter, we are living in the last hour, the last days. This was a common designation for the days that followed Jesus incarnation and resurrection. The writer of Hebrews tells us, “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” (Hebrews 1:2 ESV). Paul warned Timothy, “that in the last days there will come times of difficulty” (2 Timothy 3:1 ESV). Peter tells us, “that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires” (2 Peter 3:3 ESV). But Peter also knew that the last days would also be accompanied by a great movement of God. He had seen it and experienced it. On the day of Pentecost, he had been part of the small band of disciples who had been dramatically and miraculously transformed by the coming of the Holy Spirit. And he knew that their experience had been promised by God many years earlier through the prophet Joel. “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 ESV). Peter worked this Old Testament prophesy into the message that he gave to the crowd of people who had gathered as a result of the disciples speaking in languages they didn't know. It was the last days. God was at work. He had sent His Son. He had died, was raised again and now His disciples were spreading the good news regarding the salvation made available through Him. But there was going to be opposition. There was going to be an anti-Christ sentiment rise up and spread. The world would oppose their message. Satan would stand against the gospel and its offer of a restored relationship with God. We are living in a war zone. Satan, the god of this world, has blinded the eyes of the lost. He wants to keep them in the dark regarding the hope available to them through Jesus Christ. So he offers them alternatives and seemingly viable options. But they are all anti-Christ, other than Christ. They provide options that leave out Christ.

But like the believers to whom John was writing, we have hope and we have help. We have the Holy Spirit. John wrote, “But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ” (1 John 2:27 NLT). What we have to realize is that virtually everything around us is anti-Christ. The world and the things it offers us provide a constant temptation to turn from Christ to something else. Satan wants us to find our hope in the things of this world. He wants us to find our satisfaction from the things of this world. He wants us to seek our joy from the things of this world. He wants us to find our significance from the things of this world. But these things are all lies and illusions. They are poor imitations of the real thing. John reminds us, “And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life” (1 John 2:25 ESV). That should be our focus. Everything here is temporal, not eternal. It is fading away. But our hope is sure. Our salvation is secure. Our eternal future assured. And we know that the last days will have a last day. There is an ending to this story. There is a final chapter to God's story of redemption. Jesus Himself told us, “And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven” (Matthew 24:30-31 NLT). These are difficult days, but we serve a great God. We have His Spirit within us and His promise of eternal life to motivate us. We can not only survive, we can thrive. We have already overcome the evil one because of what Christ has done for us.

He Is Coming!

Daniel 11-12, Revelation 22

He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” – Revelation 22:20 ESV

As the books of Daniel and Revelation both come to a close, they provide encouraging reminders that the events recorded in them will take place. Daniel is told to “shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end” (Daniel 12:4 ESV). He is to seal up what is contained in the prophesies provided by God and preserve them. God was not telling Daniel to hide them, but to make sure that he preserved them so that the words contained within them would be proven true when all took place just as God had said. In the book of Revelation, John is told, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near” (Revelation 22:10 ESV). This was an indication that the end was close. The culmination of all God's plans for the redemption of mankind were nearer than they had ever been. There is a surety and a certainty contained in both of these books. What God has said will take place. What He has prophesied will come to pass. There will be much that will happen between now and the end of time. Daniel was told of events involving the nations of the world that would result in all kinds of political and military upheaval in the centuries to come. The Persians, Egyptians, Seleucids, and Greeks would jockey for power, conquering one another and making the Middle East a volatile and unstable environment for years to come. All the way up until the rise of the Roman empire, Palestine would find itself in the middle of a power struggle between powerful nations, leaving the people of Israel as helpless pawns and easy preys for their enemies. The 400 years between the close of the Old Testament and the opening of the New Testament were some of the most tumultuous times on earth – just as God had said they would be. But they would end with the coming of the Son of God as an innocent human baby.

What does this passage reveal about God?

But Christ's first advent was designed to pay for sin and offer salvation and justification to all who would believe in Him. His first coming was to satisfy the just demands of a holy and righteous God who had to punish mankind for their rebellion against His sovereign rule. Jesus became the sin substitute, accomplishing for man what he could not have done for himself. Jesus lived a sinless life and lived in perfect obedience to the just requirements of God's holy law. He became the perfect, spotless Lamb who was sacrificed as a payment for the sins of mankind. His death made eternal life possible. He exchanged His righteousness for man's sins. He bore our burden and died the death we deserved. All in fulfillment of God's divine plan. But while His redemptive work is finished, His job is not yet done. He is coming again. He has unfinished business. The point of all prophesy is the future. In Daniel's case, he was given insight into events that would take place over the coming centuries. And all of what was recorded in chapter 11, verses 1-35 has taken place. The various kings and nations mentioned can be easily traced and the accuracy of the prophecies contained in these verses can be easily proven. So if what God said would happen has actually taken place, why would we not believe that everything else He promised would be fulfilled as well. God told Daniel that “there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time” (Daniel 12:1 ESV). He was speaking of the Great Tribulation, the missing seventieth week spoken of in Daniel 9. It will be a time of great trouble. Jesus Himself described it in these sobering terms: “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be” (Matthew 24:21 ESV). But God had good news for Daniel. “But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book” (Daniel 12:1b ESV). God would redeem a remnant of His people. He even told Daniel, “But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days” (Daniel 12:13 ESV). This does not mean that Daniel would live to see the end, but that he would be part of the faithful remnant who would undergo resurrection from the dead and stand before “the throne of God and of the Lamb” (Revelation 22:3 ESV).     

What does this passage reveal about man?

Jesus told us, “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains” (Matthew 24:7-8 ESV). The centuries have recorded a wide range of events, from wars to natural disasters. We continue to watch as the influence of sin on the world manifests itself in a variety of unsettling forms. There are days when it would appear as if the end was near. We even question whether it can get any worse. But Jesus said these things are simply the birth pains. They are the precursor to something even greater yet to come. Man's rebellion against God will continue to increase up until the bitter end. The period of the Great Tribulation will see the rise of the Antichrist and the greatest outpouring of persecution on the Jews that the world has ever seen. Sin will have reached its apex. Man's rebellion against God and Satan's war against God's people will come to a climax. And then God will step in.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

John records the stirring words of Jesus Himself, predicting His second advent. “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (Revelation 22:12-13 ESV). He is coming again. God predicted it and He will bring it to pass. Again, Jesus says, “Surely I am coming soon”  and the response of those of us who call Him our Lord and Savior should be, “Amen. Come Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20 ESV). We should long for His coming. We should pray for His return. And while we wait, we should issue the words found in Revelation 22:17: “The Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price” (Revelation 22:17 ESV). Jesus is coming again. And while there may appear to be plenty of time before that event takes place, we must live with a sense of urgency. We are to live soberly and righteously, as if His return could take place at any minute. We are to issue an invitation to everyone we meet, inviting them to “Come!” We are to point all those who are thirsty to the source of living water – Jesus Christ. And while we wait for His return, we are to do exactly what the angel told John, “Worship God” (Revelation 22:9 ESV). He is to be our focus. He is to be our source of hope. He is to be our help in times of trouble and our strength when we feel weak. We must constantly remind ourselves that God is not done yet. His will WILL be done. His plan WILL be fulfilled. His Son WILL return. His Kingdom WILL come. And sin WILL be no more.

Father, You are worthy of worship. You are deserving of my praise and my trust. You have proven Yourself trustworthy and true time and time again – in history and in my life. Your Words always come true. Your prophecies always get fulfilled. Your will always comes to pass. Help me to live in light of those realities. And, come Lord Jesus, come! Amen

Then All Will Know.

Isaiah 49-50, Revelation 8

Then all flesh shall know that I am the Lord your Savior; and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. – Isaiah 49:26 ESV

One of the reasons God chose Israel was to reveal Himself through them. They were to have been a living example of what it looks like when men walk in a right relationship with God. They had received His law, which was intended to provide them with a code of conduct, unlike any other on earth. He had given them the sacrificial system in order to atone for their inevitable sins and to receive forgiveness so that they might continue to enjoy His presence among them. God had chosen Israel in order to reveal His presence and power among men. He had placed His name on them so that they might reveal to the world around them what it looks like when men serve God faithfully. Their lives should have been lights shining in the darkness around them. But they had failed. And God had known all along that they would do so. He was not surprised, shocked, or caught off guard. The sending of His Son was not plan B. The incarnation was not a knee-jerk reaction to Israel's failure to live up to God's expectations. The Messiah had been the plan all along. God had known that mankind was incapable of living up to His holy, righteous standards. They could not keep His law. They could not obey His commands. And the sacrificial system had always been a temporary and incomplete solution to their ongoing sin problem. It was never intended to absolve them of their guilt permanently or completely. Which is why they had to keep offering sacrifices year after year. It was a foreshadowing of a greater sacrifice to come.

What does this passage reveal about God?

The goal of God has always been for men to worship Him and Him alone. All of creation was intended to bring glory to God. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (Psalm 19:1 ESV). “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God” (Romans 1:20 NLT). Throughout history, God has made Himself known to man. He revealed Himself to Abraham. He appeared to Moses in a burning bush. He manifested His glory to the people of israel through thunder and lightning on Mount Sinai. He appeared before them as a pillar of fire and a pillar of smoke. He spoke through His prophets. His presence appeared in the Holy of Holies above the Mercy Seat. God was always making Himself known. But men either failed to acknowledge Him or refused to obey Him. Israel, as a nation, never fully lived in obedience and faithfulness to Him. And yet God would use the nation of Israel as the means by which He would make Himself known to the world. He would see to it that His Son, the Messiah, would be born a Jew. “But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children” (Galatians 4:4-5 NLT). God's greatest revelation of Himself to mankind would be through His own Son. “Christ is the visible image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15 NLT). The apostle Paul refers to Jesus as “the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4). He became God in the flesh – God incarnate.

What does this passage reveal about man?

But even Jesus, “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:6-7 ESV), was eventually rejected by men. He became “obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8 ESV). God predicted the rejection of His own Son through His prophet Isaiah. “I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting” (Isaiah 50:6 ESV). In chapters 49-50 of Isaiah, God makes it clear that the day was coming when He would send His servant to redeem Israel, not from captivity in Babylon, but from captivity to sin. He would bring salvation of a kind they had never known. And as a result, they would know God. “Then you will know that I am the Lord; those who wait for me shall not be put to shame” (Isaiah 49:23 ESV). The Jews collectively rejected the Messiah when He came the first time. “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him” (John 1:11 ESV). But at His second coming, Christ will come in power and glory and might. He will come as a conquering warrior and as the King of kings and Lord of lords. “Then all flesh shall know that I am the Lord your Savior; and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob” (Isaiah 49:26 ESV). At His second coming there will be no discussion or debate as to who He is. There will be no one living who will be able to reject the reality of His nature as God or the essence of His role as King.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

The return of Jesus will be accompanied with great judgment. He will not come as an innocent, helpless baby, but as a conquering King and righteous Judge over all the earth. The book of Revelation makes it painfully clear that judgment is a non-negotiable part of His return. Chapter eight records four of the seven trumpets that will bring judgment upon the earth during the days of the Great Tribulation. There will be cataclysmic, worldwide destruction that will impact every living person on earth at that time. God will reveal Himself in devastating, non-debatable reality. And it will all culminate with the return of His Son. Men have only two options: They can choose to recognize the glory of God revealed through the gift of His Son Jesus Christ, making possible salvation and a restored relationship with Him. Or they can wait and face God's glory as revealed in His coming judgment. The writer of Hebrews reminds us, “it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27 ESV). When Christ returns, no one will be able to debate His deity or reject His sovereignty. Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that He is the Lord. They will worship Him whether they want to or not. How much more should we who have been redeemed by His blood worship Him now? We who have been made right with God through the finished work of Christ on the cross have been witness to God's glory. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14 ESV). We have seen Him. Now we must reveal Him to all those around us. We have been transformed by the Light of the world, so that we might shine like lights in the world. God is making Himself known through us. But one day He will make Himself known to all men through the return of His Son to earth. Then all flesh shall know.

Father, You want to be known by men. But You also want to be worshiped by men. You designed us for worship. You created us to have a relationship with You. But sin interfered and marred that relationship. It created a barrier over which we could not climb. It placed before a chasm we could not cross. But You sent Your Son to do for us what we could not do for ourselves. And one day You are sending Him again to do for the world what it cannot do for itself. You will redeem Your creation, restore the people of Israel, and bring an end to sin and death once and for all – so that all will know that You alone are God. Amen

Be Strong. Fear Not!

Isaiah 35-36, Revelation 1

Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.” – Isaiah 35:3-4 ESV

Judgment was coming against the people of Judah. God had repeatedly warned them that their sin and rebellion against Him would have devastating consequences, and in chapter 36, the reality of their coming destruction began to sink in. But in chapter 35, God gave Isaiah a glimpse into the future. He allowed His messenger to witness a glimmer of hope in the midst of the darkness and despair of his day. God revealed a time when all things would be made right. The eyes of the spiritually blind would be opened. The ears of those who refused to hear would not only hear, but obey. The judgment of God would be turned into blessing. The barren wilderness would blossom. The desert would become fruitful. The people would see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of God. So God tells Isaiah to “strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees” (Isaiah 35:3 ESV). While their current circumstances were less than desirable, they needed to be reminded that God was not yet done. He had a bright and beautiful future in store for them. While everything looked bleak, they had to be reminded that all was not lost. As long as God sits on His throne and rules and reigns over the world He has created, there is hope – “…the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (Isaiah 35:10 ESV).

What does this passage reveal about God?

Our God can be trusted. In spite of all that mankind has done to reject His sovereign rule and reign, He will accomplish His divine plan for their redemption and the creation's restoration. John was given a glimpse into the future and allowed to see what God had in store for mankind. He wrote, “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen” (Revelation 1:7 ESV). Jesus Christ is coming again some day. And when He returns, He will do so as a conquering King. In the vision given to John, he sees Jesus as “one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength” (Revelation 1:13-16 ESV). What a stark contrast to the helpless baby in a manger. What a powerful difference from the beaten and bloodied body stuffed in a borrowed tomb. This is the resurrected Lord and Savior returning to finish what He began. Later on, in the book of Revelation, John writes, “And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ And he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment’” (Revelation 19:5-6 ESV).

What does this passage reveal about man?

As we live in this world, it is easy for us to develop weak hands and feeble knees. We can find ourselves sapped of strength and running short on hope. But we must constantly remind ourselves, “Be strong; fear not!” We must never lose sight of the fact that God is not done yet. He has a plan that He has yet to consummate and complete. But He will. We must remind ourselves of the promise that Jesus gave to John. “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades” (Revelation 1:17-18 ESV). Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ is not done yet. He has not finished His work. But it is so easy for us to lose sight of the reality of our future glorification and put all out hope in our salvation. As great as it is to be saved from sin and the condemnation of death, I must never forget that eternity is the ultimate reward. God has in store for me so much more than even a saved life on this planet has to offer. Jesus told His disciples, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also” (John 14:1-3 ESV). Salvation, as wonderful as it is, would be incomplete without our ultimate glorification. Yes, He loved us and “freed us from our sins by his blood” (Revelation 1:5 ESV), but “he is coming with the clouds” (Revelation 1:7 ESV). He is going to return some day, and when He does, He will finish what He began. He will complete what He started.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

This life is not all there is. Jesus did not die just to redeem me and then leave me to struggle with the temptations and trials of this world. He has something far greater in store for me. As the old chorus goes, “This world is not my home, I'm just passin’ through, my treasures are laid up, somewhere beyond the blue.” My ultimate hope is in my future glorification. Paul puts it so well in his letter to the believers in Corinth. “For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee” (2 Corinthians 5:1-5 ESV). We can be strong and fear not. We can have hope. We can stand firm in the midst of all that is going on around us, because we know how the story ends. We know that this is not all there is. God has a future in store for us that will be far greater than anything we could ever imagine. “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT).

Father, thank You for this timely reminder of Your plan for us. You are not done yet. Your Son's redemptive work is not yet complete. While I am saved and my place in Your Kingdom is secure, I am still in this earthly tent, struggling with the reality of sin and the constant attacks of the enemy. But the day is coming when You will make all things right. Your Son will return and put an end to sin and death once and for all. He will establish His Kingdom and we enjoy the reality of a life free from sin, sorrow, disease, and death. Help me stay strong and fearless until that day comes. Amen

To Him Who Is Able.

Isaiah 33-34, Jude 1

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. – Jude 1:24-25 ESV

One of the difficult things about reading the book of Isaiah is how it mixes together events that will take place in the not-so-distant future and those that have yet to take place. Within a single chapter you will have prophecies concerning the coming destruction of Judah at the hands of the Assyrians, and predictions of the Millennial Kingdom of Christ. There would be more immediate fulfillments of many of the prophecies contained in the book of Isaiah. But some of them would be partial in nature, to be fulfilled in their entirety in the end times. God's divine plan has an end to it. There is a final aspect to His dealings with mankind and the people of Israel. And yet, He is operating in time and space, all along the way, orchestrating events in such a way that all things will culminate on His predetermined schedule. God told Isaiah, “Now I will arise…now I will lift myself up, now I will be exalted” (Isaiah 33:10 ESV). There is a day coming when God will implement the final phase of His great plan. “For the Lord has a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion” (Isaiah 34:8 ESV). The difficult we face is our inability to see what God has planned out into the future. We are limited in our perspective. So God told us what would happen. He gave us a glimpse into the future. He provided us with an assurance that He has it all taken care of and there is nothing for us to worry about.

What does this passage reveal about God?

The people of God would find themselves falling victim to the attacks of Assyria and Babylon. The northern kingdom of Israel would end up destroyed and living in captivity in Assyrian. Not long afterwards, the southern kingdom of Judah would fall to the Babylonians and end up in living in exile for 70 years. But God was not done yet. He would eventually restore them to their land. He would keep His promise to Abraham and allow them to return to the land of Canaan. He would miraculously provide for them so that they could rebuild the city of Jerusalem, restore the walls that surrounded it and reconstruct the temple that had been destroyed by the Babylonians. But they would find themselves without a king. Over the next centuries, they would be relatively powerless and helpless, unable to defend themselves against outside forces and constantly ending up the pawns of more powerful forces. But God was not done with them yet. He would eventually send His Son to be born as one of them. He would grow up among them. He would preach a message of repentance to them. But they would eventually reject Him, demanding His death. But again, God was not done with them. God's ultimate plan for His people, the Jews, involves a yet-to-be-fulfilled event that still looms out in the future. Isaiah is given a glimpse of that yet future event. “Your eyes will behold the king in his beauty” (Isaiah 33:17 ESV). “Your eyes will see Jerusalem, an untroubled habitation, an immovable tent, whose stakes will never be plucked up, not will any of its cords be broken. But there the Lord in majesty will be for us” (Isaiah 33:20-21 ESV). How easy it is to judge the faithfulness of God based on our limited perspective. How quick we can be to jump to conclusions and question God's sovereignty or doubt His love. But we must always remember that God is not done yet.

What does this passage reveal about man?

As God's people, this world will always be a place of difficulty and confusion. This world was never intended to be our permanent home. We should not allow ourselves to get too comfortable here. But because we have limited perspective and are unable to see very far into the future, we can find ourselves becoming infatuated and enchanted with what this world has to offer. We can end up expecting all of God's blessings to show up here and now, forgetting that His plan involves the hereafter. God has an eternal perspective, not a temporal one. Our greatest challenge is to keep our eyes focused on Him and not what we see happening around us. We must cling to His promises concerning the future. But the world will want us to see this life as our preferred destiny. We will find ourselves tempted to try and get all we can get now, to live for the moment. But God wants us to live for the future. So He has provided us with glimpses into what is going to happen. He has made it clear that there is a day coming when His Son will return and the final chapter of the story will be written. In this life, we will find ourselves surrounded by those who would tempt us to follow their lead, discounting the activity of God in our lives and dismissing the inevitability of the life to come. They will infiltrate the people of God, disguised as one of the flock, but with evil intentions and motivated by wrong motives. Jude described them in very stark terms: “For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” (Jude 1:4 ESV). He goes on to say that they “defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones” (Jude 1:8 ESV). “These people blaspheme all that they do not understand” (Jude 1:10 ESV). They are “grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires, they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage” (Jude 1:16 ESV). Basically, these people are worldly and devoid of the Spirit. He compares them to hidden reefs, waterless clouds, fruitless trees, wild waves and wandering stars. In other words, they can't be trusted.

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

But there is one we can trust: Jesus Christ. He is able to keep us from stumbling. He is able to keep us in the love of God and protect us, even when we find ourselves surrounded by those who would deceive and distract us. Isaiah found himself surrounded by those who would reject not only his message, but his God. He had to be reminded that God was not finished, that He had a plan. God would prove Himself faithful. The test for Isaiah would be whether he would remain faithful to God as his world seemingly collapsed around him. He would have to trust God while his contemporaries continued to live in open rebellion to God. He would have to continue preaching his message of repentance when no one seemed to be listening or responding. Jude told his readers, “But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life” (Jude 1:20-21 ESV). We must remain faithful. We must trust that God will be faithful and send His Son to finish what He began. In the meantime we are to “have mercy on those who doubt, save others by snatching them out of the fire, to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh” (Jude 1:22-23 ESV). 

Father, You are trustworthy. I can rest in the knowledge that You have a plan that You are working and there is no one who can stop it. I must not let the presence of those who would distract or deceive me disturb me. You told me there would be those who would try to sneak in and take my focus off of the reality of Your sovereign plan and Your Son's eminent return. Help me stay faithful even if those around me decide to follow their own sinful desires. I want to remain blameless and true, dependent on You and determined to stay the course until the end. Amen

The Danger of Forgetfulness.

For you have forgotten the God of your salvation, and have not remembered the Rock of your refuge… – Isaiah 17:10 ESV

The northern kingdom of Israel had made an alliance with Syria in order to come against the southern kingdom of Judah. Not only were they planning an attack on their own brothers, they were turning to a foreign nation to help them do it. They were placing their trust in men rather than God. And at the heart of their decision to place their trust and hope in men was a failure to remember that God was the source of their salvation. As a result, their efforts to sow seeds of faith in pagan idols would prove unfruitful. Their alliances with other nations were just not diplomatic and military in nature, but they also formed spiritual alliances, turning to the false gods of those nations as a source of help and hope. But God warned them, “In that day man will look to his Maker, and his eyes will look on the Holy One of Israel. He will not look to the altars, the work of his hands, and he will not look on what his own fingers have made, either the Asherim or the altars of incense” (Isaiah 17:7-8 ESV). A day of judgment was coming. At that time, the people of Israel would learn to turn to their God and to abandon their false gods, made with their own hands. They would receive a powerful reminder of the danger of forgetting God.

What does this passage reveal about God?

Isaiah 17-18, 2 Peter 3

Ultimately, God is in control. Mankind may forget or even ignore Him, but He does not go away. He does not cease to be God. Our refusal to acknowledge Him does not alter His reality or diminish His capacity to rule and reign. God is sovereign over all. Repeatedly in these chapters, we see the words “in that day” and “at that time.” There is a day of judgment coming. God has planned a time of payback, when He will deal righteously and justly with the sins of mankind. We can read in the Old Testament the countless times in which God fulfilled His warnings of coming judgment on the people of Israel and Judah. He had warned about the coming of the Assyrians against the northern kingdom and it took place. He later warned the people of Judah that the Babylonians would come, and they did. He has provided ample warning of yet-future judgments to come that will involve the entire world. And those days will come just as He has said they will. “For the Lord of Hosts has purposed, and who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back?” (Isaiah 14:27 ESV). God will do all that He has planned to do, and no one can stand in His way. It doesn't matter whether we believe it or not. It doesn't make any difference if we agree with it or not. God's will will be done.

What does this passage reveal about man?

There will always be scoffers. Peter reminded his readers of that reality. “I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandments of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, ‘Where is the promise of his coming?’” (2 Peter 3:1-4 ESV). There were those in Peter's day who were denying the return of Jesus. They scoffed at the idea. Warren Wiersbe describes a scoffer as “someone who treats lightly that which ought to be taken seriously.” These individuals took a look at the world around them and concluded, “From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created” (2 Peter 3:4 NLT). In other words, they believed that the world would simply continue to go along just as it always had, because God was not involved. Jesus was not coming back. There was no need to concern yourself with right moral standards or holy living. But Paul reminded his readers that these scoffers “deliberately overlook this fact” (2 Peter 3:5 ESV). They choose to ignore the reality that God has intervened in the affairs of the world on a variety of occasions, including at creation and during the world-wide flood in the days of Noah. God is not aloof and distant, simply watching the world from afar. He is intimately involved and has a divine plan for its ultimate redemption and restoration. Peter assured his readers that “the day of the Lord will come like a thief” (2 Peter 3:9 ESV). It will come unexpectedly and suddenly, catching everyone unawares and unprepared. But he encouraged his audience to be ready – to not forget the God of their salvation and their rock of refuge. “Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:11-13 ESV).

How would I apply what I’ve read to my own life?

God wants us to be ready. He wants us to live as if we truly believe in the return of His Son. We are to live in anticipation of “day of the Lord” as if it could be any day. We should desire to “be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace” (2 Peter 3:14 ESV). There will be those around us who scoff at His return and live as if it isn't even going to happen. They will refuse to live their lives in preparation for His coming. But we must be ready and “count the patience of our Lord as salvation” (2 Peter 3:15 ESV). The longer He delays, the more people have the opportunity to accept the gift of salvation made available through His Son. While we should long for and pray for His return, we should also see each passing day that God delays that event as a sign of His grace and mercy on mankind. And in the meantime, we are to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter3:18 ESV). Rather than forget Him, we are to grow in our knowledge of Him.

Father, You are our Savior. You are our rock of refuge. Never let me forget that. It is so easy to turn to someone or something else other than You. But those things always prove insufficient and incapable of delivering what they offer. Only You can rescue and redeem. Only You can save and sanctify. You are in complete control and Your plan is unstoppable. No matter what I see taking place around me, I can know that You are intimately involved in the affairs of men and diligently working Your plan to perfection. Amen

The Reality of the Resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15:12-34

But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. – 1 Corinthians 15:20 NLT

The future resurrection of the dead may have been in question with some of the believers in Corinth, but Paul affirmed it's reality. His argument was that if there is was no such thing as a future resurrection of the dead, then Christ Himself was not resurrected. Their rejection of the doctrine of bodily resurrection had ramifications. It eliminated the possibility of Christ having been resurrected from the dead. "And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless" (1 Corinthians 15:14 NLT). And if there was no such thing as the resurrection of the dead, then Paul and the other apostles were nothing more than liars, having taught that God raised Jesus from the dead. Without the doctrine of the resurrection, there is no such thing as a risen Savior, forgiveness of sin, or an eternal estate. All it would leave us with is the present reality of this world, then death.

One of the things that jumps out at me in this passage is the danger of human logic and reason. When men begin to try and explain away what they see as difficult to understand, it almost always leads to heresy. The Corinthians were wrestling with their cultural concept of the dichotomy between the flesh and the spirit, the body and the soul. They had been indoctrinated with the idea that the body was material and therefore evil. But the soul was spiritual and therefore good. So the idea of a resurrection of the body was inexplicable to them. They couldn't fathom how that could be. So their human reasoning kicked in and they simply denied the possibility of a bodily resurrection. It didn't matter to them what God may have to say about the subject. They had reached their conclusion and were completely comfortable with it. But Paul wasn't. He wanted them to understand the dangerous ramifications of their human reasoning. By denying the bodily resurrection of the dead, they were denying the very thing that was the key to their forgiveness and future glorification: The resurrection of Jesus. When God raised Jesus from the dead, it was not just to prove His own power, but as a precursor of what was to come. As Paul said, "Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died" (1 Corinthians 15:20 NLT). Paul made a comparison between Jesus and Adam. When Adam sinned, he brought death (both physical and spiritual) to the world. When Jesus was raised from the dead, He brought new life (both physical and spiritual) to the world. Paul gave them a glimpse into the future when he wrote, "Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back" (1 Corinthians 15:23 NLT). He is referring to the Rapture of the Church. Paul goes into greater detail about this future event in his letter to the Thessalonian believers. "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever" (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 NLT). Just a few verses earlier in this passage, Paul made it clear that when Christ returns for His Church, He will be accompanied by all the believers who have died. But then he wrote that all "the Christians who have died will rise from their graves." They will return in their spirit form, but will be reunited with their resurrected, renewed bodies. And those believers who are alive at the time of Christ's return will also be given new bodies. Paul addresses that a few verses later in this section of his letter to the Corinthians. "It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies" (1 Corinthians 15:52-53 NLT).

The resurrection of our earthly bodies is a non-negotiable aspect of our faith as believers. God is not redeeming just a part of us, but all of us. He is going to restore ALL things, not just some things. He will redeem and restore what has been marred by sin, including all of creation and our bodies. All that God made in the physical universe He deemed as good. But it has all been damaged by sin. God will restore it all. He will bring back to life even those bodies that have been dead and buried for centuries. But if none of this is true, and there is no resurrection, then as Paul said, "Let's feast, and drink, for tomorrow we die!" (1 Corinthians 15:32 NLT). But Paul also warned the Corinthians to avoid people who thought that way. He wanted them to know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the resurrection was a reality. Christ Himself was proof of it. And His own resurrection was ample evidence and assurance of our own future resurrection. It's going to happen. We don't know when or how, but it is going to happen. "So encourage each other with these words" (1 Thessalonians 4:18 NLT).

Father, thank You for this timely reminder. We live in a world where everything is growing old, decaying, and falling apart. While I have Your Spirit living within me, my body continues to show the effects of sin. But there is a day coming when I will receive a new, resurrected body. You will make all things new, including my own physical body. Your work of transformation in my life will be complete and whole, because You don't do anything halfway. Amen.

The Law. The Prophets. The Messiah.

Matthew 17:1-13; Mark 9:2-13; Luke 9:28-36

“Suddenly, when they looked around, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus with them." – Mark 9:8 NLT

What an amazing event this must have been to witness. Only Peter, James and John were privileged to see this incredible scene as Jesus was transfigured or transformed into what was apparently His heavenly form. We are told in the Gospels that His face glowed and His clothes became "dazzling white, far whiter than any earthly bleach could ever make them" (Mark 9:3 NLT). Matthew describes His face as being as white as the sun. This was a supernatural transformation, and it was capped off by the appearance of Moses and Elijah, two great icons of Jewish history.

This was obviously what Jesus had been referring to when He had earlier told the disciples, "And I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom" (Matthew 16:28 NLT). Peter, James and John were the ones who were fortunate to see Jesus in all His heavenly glory. What they saw was Jesus, the Messiah, in His future kingly form. It is very similar to what John would see in his vision many years later while exiled on the isle of Patmos. In his vision, John was given a glimpse of the future and he was privileged yet again to see Jesus in all His glory, coming to set up His Kingdom on earth. "Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. He wore a robe dripped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. On his robe at his thigh was written this title: ‘King of all kings and Lord of all lord’" (Revelations 19:11-16 NLT).

What Peter, James and John were witnessing was highly significant. They were watching as Moses, representing the Law of God, and Elijah, representing all the prophets of the Old Testament, were meeting with Jesus, the Messiah. If they still harbored any doubts about Jesus' identity, this should have erased them. They were able to listen as Moses and Elijah discussed with Jesus His upcoming ascension back into heaven. And then, to top it all off, they heard the very voice of God telling them, "This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him" (Luke 9:35 NLT). And then suddenly, Moses and Elijah were gone, and only Jesus was left standing before them. I think every part of this event was orchestrated by God and had a message just for the disciples. The appearance of Moses and Elijah was significant because they represented the Law and the Prophets. Moses also represented the old covenant, and as a prophet himself, Moses had predicted the coming of the great prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15-19). Elijah and the other Old Testament prophets had foretold about the coming of the Messiah and the future blessing of God on the people of Israel. Jesus was the fulfillment of all that had been written in the Law and the prophets (the Old Testament). Later on, after His resurrection, Jesus would tell the disciples, "When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled" (Luke 24:44 NLT). Jesus was the focal point of it all. He was the culmination and the climax of all that had been written about in the Old Testament. It had all been leading up to Him. And it is significant that when Moses and Elijah suddenly disappeared, Jesus alone was left. He was God's "Chosen One," the Messiah. He was the answer to man's sin problem and He had full power and authority from God to act as His representative. So God told the disciples to listen to Him. He knew what He was doing. He was not only the Messiah, but He was the future King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He was the very same individual who was going to return the earth in power and glory and set up His Kingdom and destroy the armies of hell. This was the Son of God, not just some roaming rabbi. He was the King of Heaven. He was the Chosen One of God and He was fulfilling the will of God. So listen!

Father, sometimes we lose sight of just how significant Jesus really is. Sure, we recognize Him as our Savior. But we fail to realize just how powerful, majestic and important Jesus Christ really is. He is the one who is going to return to the earth some day and return Your creation back to its original perfect state. He is going to defeat the armies of hell and Satan himself. He is going to judge the unrighteous. He is going to rule and reign from a literal throne in Jerusalem. His death, burial and resurrection were not the end of His job. He has more to do. His work in not yet complete. Help us to recognize and respect just how holy, righteous, powerful and important Jesus Christ really is and, as a result, to listen to Him intently. Amen.

When He Returns In His Glory.

Matthew 16:27-28; Mark 9:1; Luke 9:26-27

“For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds." – Matthew 16:27 NLT

The Second Coming of the Lord. It is a real-life event that is on God's divine schedule. It will take place and its outcome is certain. At this moment in His discussion with the disciples, Jesus alludes to His coming return. But keep in mind that the disciples had not yet bought into the idea that He as going to have to die, resurrect and leave them. We just saw the reaction of Peter when Jesus explained to them the things that were going to have to happen to Him in Jerusalem. He had told them, "it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead" (Matthew 16:21 NLT). And Peter's response to this news was to rebuke Jesus and demand that God prevent it from happening. "Heaven forbid, Lord! This will never happen to you!" (Matthew 16:22 NLT).

Jesus explains to Peter and the disciples that all of these things must happen. They are part of God's plan. And as Christ's followers, they are going to have to bear their own crosses. They are going to have to give up their lives as they have known them and be willing to suffer along with Christ in the spread of His Kingdom on earth. Jesus is trying to prepare these men for the days that are ahead of them. He knows that all of this news is difficult for them to hear, but they must be strong. He must die. He must be buried, resurrected on the third day, and then return to His Father in Heaven. But then He lets them know that some day He will return. He wants to live with that thought in mind. He wants them to be faithful and strong, following His example of obedience and sacrifice. He warns them, "If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels" (Luke 9:26 NLT). The interesting, and somewhat confusing, thing about this word from Jesus is that none of these men will be around when Jesus returns the second time. That event has yet to take place. Yet Jesus is telling them they should live in faithfulness and readiness. This is a common message from Jesus regarding His Second Coming. In Matthew 24, in what is called His Olivette Discourse, Jesus told the disciples in more detail the events surrounding the end of the age. He tells them about the Great Tribulation and warns them how hard it is going to be. Then He tells them that it will end with His return to the earth. And he says, "So you, too, must keep watch! For you don't know what day you Lord is coming. Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. You must also be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected" (Matthew 24:42-44 NLT). None of the disciples would live to see this day, but yet He tells them to be ready all the time. They were to live in a state of readiness and preparedness, as if He was coming back in their lifetime. And we should do the same. His coming is certain. He is going to return in power and glory. And when He does, He will not be coming back as a baby in a manger, but as a conquering King. He will establish His Kingdom on earth, and rule from Jerusalem in righteousness and glory.

But again, these are future events. They have yet to happen. The disciples would not live long enough to see them take place, and yet Jesus told them, "some standing here right now will not die before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom" (Matthew 16:28 NLT). What in the world is He talking about? Ah, great question! And the answer comes tomorrow. So keep reading. But the real message from today's passages is that God has a plan. There is a bigger picture we must keep in mind when it comes to the redemptive work of God in the world. It is multifaceted and complex. There are a number of things that must happen along the way for His complete plan to be fulfilled. The death, burial and resurrection of Christ was one of them. The coming of the Holy Spirit and the start of the Church was another. The ultimate return of Christ for His bride, the Church, is yet another. This is known as the rapture of the Church and it must happen before the rest of the events of the end times can take place (1 Thessalonians 5:15-18). Then there will be the time known as the Great Tribulation, a seven year period on earth that will see the rise of the Antichrist, who sets up a one-world government, establishes himself as God, and turns the wrath of the world against the chosen people of God, the nation of Israel. This period will end with the Second Coming of Christ. God's plan is detailed, specific, and set in stone. It cannot be thwarted, changed, or altered in any way. The disciples needed to know that. We need to know that. We must live with the end in mind. This is not all there is.

Father, give us an end-times perspective. Help us live with our hearts set on Your Son's eventual return. That is the key to this whole mess being cleared up once and for all. Your ultimate plan is to redeem the world, both men and creation. You want to reestablish the order, peace, and perfection You originally created in the beginning. Your plan is to return things to the way they were in the beginning before man sinned. That is the goal. That is what we should long for. Even if we die and go to be with You in heaven, the plan is not complete. Sin will still reign and rule on earth. The creation will still be imperfect, Satan will still be destroying the souls of men and women, and the Kingdom of God will not be complete on the earth. That is the day we should desire more than anything else. Help us keep our minds alert, ready and focused on Your Son's eventual return. Amen.