Passover day starts at sundown, the preparation day for the Feast of Unleavened Bread. When Jesus was here would have been His last day, the Last Supper, in the garden, the betrayal, taken to the priests, Pilot, nailed to the cross and put in the tomb before the sunset. When the sun set that would be the 15th the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread a high Sabbath, a holy convocation, the day they went out of Egypt.
This Sunday would be the Feast of Firstfruits the day Jesus rose from the grave being the Firstfruits of those who slept.
Romans 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Thank you Brother for that very moving reply . To imagine those things happening at the same time as Christ himself , the Son of God was being murdered by the supposed priests and elders of the Jewish faith is very poignant indeed . It's a sad and true saying that there are none so blind as those who will not see . I have kept that reply to me and will keep it in mind when I read the Gospel accounts of the crucifixion of our Lord . Thanks again .
In today's society an often soft fabric of emotionally immature individuals CAN be some advantage over the proud generations of parents and especially the grandparents from two generations ago. We see many young people brought up in church and perhaps having some childhood faith going strong into the world; but if they survive long enough they come back to their senses. The problem is of course that many are drawn into a church that appeals to their emotions or worse tickles their ears.
Of course we have the enemy taking advantage of both sides as he always does; being loyal to no one but himself but gladly pitting his subjects against each other; and if we aren't paying attention; his enemies as well.
On a personal note; I lost a friend about 13 years ago to suicide. She was bipolar; and seemed to have a viable testimony of faith. She was joyful to be around on her emotional high but I saw her once in an extreme low. Sadly she decided to stop taking medication and she was found dead a few months later. I won't detail it since where I lived someone may be familiar with it in regard to where she was found. What I will say is that in her case her emotions dictated what she felt was her necessity to stop taking meds (perhaps rationalized in her mind). I feel it is necessary to state this here because some will give advice to give everything to the Lord and quit taking medicine. I would just go to scripture and say that we should go to the physician (at that time the priests) to verify healing. This also shows that some need to have supervision; especially anything involving substance abuse or mental illness. I am certain some have in fact been able to get off medicines; but the best way we can help others at times is to make sure we are doing the best to take care of ourselves with God's guidance.
That being said; there is no doubt the enemy is behind the insane number of suicides in our nation today.
I may have discussed this topic in a previous post. Whether or not we consider "free will" to be a factor or not as to our immediate future; there is no doubt that things will end up with the Tribulation; the Millennium rule and final judgment followed by the eternal state. It is clear scripturally that almost all prophecy is conditional in some way; the fact that God does nothing without warning by one or more Prophets ( Amos 3:7). A prime example of this is with Israel and Judah who more often than not missed the mark whether it was the kings; prophets; priests or everyone else in society. Psalms is rife with examples of God's chastisement of the righteous ( Psalm 107 is one good example of this). We even see it with the other nations such as the Amorites and later in the book of Jonah the Ninevites who were given a lengthy respite of several generations before judgment finally came down as mentioned in the book of Nahum.
The statements in the New Testament such as the prophecy of Agabus shown in Acts 11 and 21 showed famine to come and later Paul's imprisonment. In the first case it has been brought to my attention that perhaps that famine either didn't occur or perhaps less severe because of preparations or repentance. That was what my former Pastor stated; not sure if anyone knows the history better than I do. As to the second circumstance; Paul was constrained to be obedient and bold. There wasn't a mandate it seemed for him going to Jerusalem although it seemed he was aware of it being part of God's plan. Perhaps the implication was martyrdom; after all Paul was no stranger to prison.
I tend to look at the "reap what you sow" context works as a sort of guarantee; like prophecy you can be certain that sin will bring forth punishment and trouble even in this life as the end of Proverbs 13:15 indicates. For God's children in rebellion it is only He who can bring real change but the wicked are lost.
"And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words."Earlier when John the Baptist arrived at the scene, stirring up great many people who came to be baptized at his hand we read,"And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?" John categorically rejected any notion that he was the Christ. It did not stop there."Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us."( John 1:19-22). Now the chief priests scribes and various sects who came to Jesus, "and they wanted to catch him in his words" firstly simulated fear for God, "They say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth" the same method that Satan employed to tempt Jesus and he also began," he said, If thou be the Son of God, command". The playbook of Satan is for whosoever who would want to be a power player in the world and the Herodians were one such in the time of Jesus, and in our times we have their ilk appearing in droves behind their candidate and sets Christian Visibility Day for other reason than they are sent. It is the spirit of wickedness at work, "And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming."(2 The.2:8). For those who abide in Christ and seek to see the light in his light does Christian visibility Day make any sense? St Paul is clear in warning, "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."(2 Co.4:4)
Jesus warned of this wicked and adulterous generation. Evangelicals want a sign and and Jesus refers to the son of perdition,Matt.24:15. the sign of our times Desolation is sure to come
St Mark cites Jesus referring the quote from the Psalm (118:22-23) which is identical in the gospel of St Matthew. The parable of rock is with direct reference to the judgment which we have it executed by an angel from above causing the fall of Babylon.(Re.18:21) Israel's failure is symptomatic of the wicked nations that have no interest in giving glory to the sovereign Lord of heaven and the earth. So they shall be judged with all other nations for their failure to produce fruits thereof. When they least expect God shall take the vineyard from the miserable husbandmen and give to others, Thus the parable centers about the Son who also is the Rock of Ages. In his rejection Israel committed a fatal error and it is to which the above mentioned quote from the Psalm alludes.
"Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?/Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof." (Matt.21:42-43)
Mark gives us the answer of Jesus, "What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others"(v.9). St Matthew sets him as a symbol, as the rock of offense and as the stone of stumbling. "And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder." (21:44)
"And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and they left him, and went their way." (v.12) The chief priests scribes and the Pharisees would try to destroy Jesus somehow.
Before we go into the parables Jesus employed them in order to illustrate realities of heaven from that of the earth. In Matt21:.45-46 we read that "And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them./But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet". It was not for want of intelligence that they rejected Jesus but out of envy. The multitude took Jesus as a prophet so when he spoke truth it resonated within and accepted as truth. Besides God had given such power for the Son of man healed the sick and cast out the demons from among them. Faith is the only that can reconcile both the worlds.
12:1 " A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country." God is who planted the vineyard, the world. He made man his steward. By far country the heaven is implied. The world is hedged about refers the blessings God had promised in the everlasting covenant. The tower and the wine fat signifies the spirit of God and soul of man of which he has to give account. "The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me," (Le.25:23)explains the significance of letting out to husbandmen.
v.2 "And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant," In next three verses we are considering Moses and the Law which as Israel set to work became for breaking the tradition of their fathers. The stoning of Stephen (Ac.7:59-60)
vv6-8 Jesus foretells of what the Jews intended to do. "And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard."
in v.9 "What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do?" The Gentile nations come in. The chief priests and Pharisees understood but without faith it was lost on them.
Matthew also gives us this colloquy where he dilates upon their controversy with parables. At the end he says,"And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them./But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.(Matt.21:28-46). There was the fear of men that governed the chief priests and Pharisees while Jesus as the Word become flesh would only serve what he represented in his humanity. "Thy word is truth." Unless he had let the word sanctify him how could he sanctify any man?"For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one. "I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee," was a Messianic prophecy which fulfilled in him.(Ps.22:22)
On the other hand the chief priests scribes and Pharisees made doctrine of God to none effect. "Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye."(7:13) .
St Paul explains it thus, "For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." Jesus came from God while his detractors angled for the praise of men.
Mark gives us several instances of the word of God being fulfilled in Jesus so it was not past or future of now that weighed uppermost but the eternal word. In cursing the fig tree he did not have to prove his claim that he was the rightful heir but his faith established the truth. Both power and glory operating in heaven and earth is encapsulated in faith.(vv.23-24). "And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and castitinto the sea"(Re.18:21) is a fulfillment of the word: of the rock cut out without hands"(Dan.2:34-35)
"And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots." Jesus explained simply, "Have faith in God."
Hello Heir: What you have said is very interesting. It may seem hard to imagine why someone would be willing to forgo the wonderful blessings God promises them for the terrible curses they ended up suffering. But if we look at the way the world has been and how it is now we can see that the human heart is so terribly disobedient to God. Most people don't want to be on that straight and narrow path that takes them to heaven, they would rather be rebellious and have it their way. I do praise God that we are on the path that leads to heaven.
I noticed you mentioned that you have never heard priests preach on this chapter. Are you a Catholic? I was raised by a Catholic mother but in my experience I found the religion shallow and hypocritical. Please don't be offended. I know there are a lot of Catholics who love Catholicism. The reason I am asking you this is, frankly, I hope your answer will be no because this religion doesn't tell the truth of salvation; that it is by the blood of Jesus Christ ONLY. I hope I hear from you so we can discuss this more. I love you in the Lord and I am hoping you are a child of God. God Bless :)
Jesus formally chose the twelve "And they went into an house." Here we a curious passage,"And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread./And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself."(vv.20-21).
Fame of the new prophet we read earlier in the Gospel of Mark was no different than of John the Baptist. "And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee."(1:28) Jesus having seen the masses who were as sheep without a shepherd.(Matt.9:36) began to preach of the gospel while his cousin before him aroused much speculation and curiosity. "Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan." to hear his message.(Matt.3:5) " And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?"( John 1:19). His testimony was received and they saw him as well. "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." Here we have an unvarnished look at fame or celebrity status. The ear hears so much as eye sees so often yet Jesus was an unknown quantity to his friends. "He is possessed!" summed up their report. The Spirit gives us the instance of his mother, "But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart."( Luke 2:19).
Hearing without faith is a dumb thing to do and it is how Jesus became so many things to so many. She heard with her ear of faith and digested over it. What many have witnessed or heard are good seed sown into the heard but it poves to be no man's land."When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side."(Matt.13:19). Is it strange to hear that some believers do not believe in trinity?
1:1 The first line encapsulates the generation of Jesus Christ which delineates the Alpha and Omega mode of the holiness of God. As provided for man his blessings surely are let in his Son. So he is the son of Abraham whom God blessed. (Ge.12:3). He is also the son of David whom God blessed by equal measure,"and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever."(2 Sa.7:12). These blessings did not begin with Abraham but from the everlasting covenant. It is set down as the driver so both Gentiles and Israel are to be allowed in the Fellowship of God with Man.(Ge.1:28) This universality of the Word become flesh we see in the arrival of the Magi and his attitude towards the Gentile centurion. (8:10) He was looking for faith in the world before whom he appeared as the Apostle.
The Sermon on the Mount presents him state the holiness of His Father as perfect. "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."(5:48) He shall prove with his life that it was doable. Blessings presented in this discourse carry for those who refused it. In Ch.23 his discourse 'Woe to ye' was condemnation to the nation that shortchanged Mercies of his Father for the traditions of their fathers. "Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers./Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?"(23:30-31) The parables are a literary devise that the Spirit uses with telling effect to separate the chaff from the good seed. "And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them."(21:45)
Fulfillment of the Scriptures is a notable feature of the Gospel so Alpha and Omega aspects of the kingdom of heaven keep the Son of man in the crosshairs from beginning till the end. Jesus began his ministry where the quote from isaiah served as a cue. "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."(4:14-17)
"And this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day."
Hypocrisy of the chief priests and elders is vile in that they profess faith, without backing it with their whole heart. "Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men." (Is.29:13) They covenanted with Judas for a sum to destroy an innocent man. But they would not take what he returned. Knowing money as blood money they use it yet to buy silence from soldiers. Their respect for money was learned from the precepts of men. If this nation was a bundle of prejudices and shallow opinions what they really believed in? Their heart was like "a cage of every unclean and hateful bird" with least attention span to commune with God in truth and quietness, As soon as Moses turned his back they were urging Aaron "Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him."(Ex,32:1) . When the ten spies brought back an evil report, they were so overwrought, "And wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?/And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt."(Nu.14:3-4)
'Until this day' refers to the Son so what is written of him must be fulfilled as well as the kingdom appointed for him fill both heaven and the earth. " For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;/ And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven."(Col.1:19-20)
"All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth"
"When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple."
Joseph interring Jesus in his tomb earmarked for his own reminds us of Isaiah who foretold his burial. "And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death."(Is.53:9). There were two other malefactors on the cross. So the first part of the verse refers to them as well as to the rich man who let his own tomb at his disposal. So much so for the carcass and after spirit has left it is an empty shell. The rich and the poor meet in death fulfilling the natural law. Piety of Joseph stands in stark contrast with those chief priests and the Pharisees who also required to get a hearing from the Governor.
The Spirit gives us the spiritual depth of the rock pointing out to the Alpha aspect of the Son. He was the cornerstone while for his enemies, the rock of offense. Wisdom principle determined the house with seven pillars (Pr.9:1) "The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old./ I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was."(Pr.8:22-23) Everlasting covenant is between God the Father and the Son which requires no other covenant. Wisdom and Power define God. Their covenant when simply put means the Power and glory that we refer every time we say the Lord's Prayer, refers to God the glory of the Son, ("Who being the brightness of his glory"-He.1:3,)
"And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory." In the case of Moses who wanted to see it God replied, "And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by."(Ex.33:18-23). The Spirit was pointing to this rock from where he would be lifter by His power. So Isaiah warns us, "look unto the rock whence ye are hewn,"(Is.51:1) Did not God see Joseph before the worlds began?
"Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour."
Three hours as the Spirit records it intends the darkness as a sign independent of natural cause of a solar eclipse. The number Three decidedly favors the spiritual darkness enveloping in their rejection of the Son; by the same token we have another sign, of graves letting out their contents as though in protest; The torn veil of the temple is a symbolic act as the word of God fulfilling as in the case of the hour of darkness that had now taken over the land. Jesus was correct in the timing. "I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me./But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." (26:55-56) The word of God zeroed in, that the Word become flesh could not have missed. (To digress a little, obedience of Jesus Christ was perfected in letting the word of his Father work with him.)
The voice came from heaven and in the Gospel of John Jesus explains it clearly. "Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes."( John 12:30). It was while he was alive. By the same token the death of the Son could not have passed on without some visible signs of it. There are so many strange signs and bizarre light and sound show in the sky. What does the man on the street say,"UFO sighting." His reasonable mind wants to hitch his mind to anything however silly it may be. But he rejects any suggestion that rejecting the word concerning shall have serious consequences. The mind of the centurion who witnessed the events, was much more of noble cast. " they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God."(v.54) Consider the chief priests and the Pharisees who would hush up his resurrection, what was their mind like? (vv.62-66) Do you think the modern churches shall disband their churches or abjure their heresies in the face of truth revealed?
We have in this chapter a few dilemmas created by wicked men.
1.Dilemma of 'other man's riches'
v.5 " And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself." Judas realized all too late his actions were irrevocable. Thirty pieces of silver did not help him to clear his name or conscience. Money was other man's riches so the chief priests hired him to do a job would not want to touch it; the enormity of guilt over betrayal of an innocent man's blood, no money could handle. Satan is the designated 'other man' since value of thirty pieces of silver has also changed. Who shall price an abstract thing as conscience? Chief priests whose piety was in observing traditions of their fathers set a price accordingly as 'unclean'. "And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood." Instead bought the land thereby fulfilling the scriptures. "Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet."
2 Dilemma of duty imposed by ungodly man.
Pontius Pilate despite of honor and authority was a pawn or a loser. " For he knew that for envy they had delivered him." He was a clever and worldly wise to have risen the ranks of a brutal regime, where dog eats dog principle prevailed. Envy killed you as well as slip of the tongue cast you down at any moment. He saw through the hypocrisy of the religion. He believed that Jesus was innocent. All he could do was wash his hands. "When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it."(v.24). If life was as simple as that but Judas realized it was not. He as well as Pilate were accountable to a Just God who could cast their soul to death and hell. Man in honor abides not.(Ps.49:20)
Before we take up Ch.27 it is worth our while to understand the significance of the earthen vessel in these verses. "Thus saith the Lord, Go and get a potter's earthen bottle, and take of the ancients of the people, and of the ancients of the priests;/And go forth unto the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the east gate." What Jeremiah spoke before witnesses there has been rephrased by Jesus as he left the Herod's second temple after his woe to ye' discourse. Significance he went by the east gate. He said,"Behold, your house is left unto you desolate./For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord."(23:38-39). Death and glory awaited him
Notice that he shall never again return in his old body. As he mentioned during his last supper his body as the potter's vessel in the hand of the prophet was about to be broken up.
Jeremiah foretold them, "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, the which whosoever heareth, his ears shall tingle." He also added to which the innocent blood of Jesus could be included, " Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place,.... and have filled this place with the blood of innocents;" (He.19:1-4) Partly it was fulfilled in their generation. In vv.10-12 we have much more, yet to come, "Then shalt thou break the bottle in the sight of the men that go with thee,/ And shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Even so will I break this people and this city, as one breaketh a potter's vessel, that cannot be made whole again: and they shall bury them in Tophet, till there be no place to bury." Tophet is interchangeable with valley of Hinnom, "Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that this place shall no more be called Tophet, nor The valley of the son of Hinnom, but The valley of slaughter." (19:6)
"Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death;/ But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses,"
The Seat of Moses is a symbol for authority. It signals the Law of Moses and his piety. What if the man who sits there is actively seeking false witnesses what are we to think of it. That law is an ass, is it not? Hypocrisy of chief priests and the council allowed their temple to be a den of thieves and now a Privy Council of Satan was called to order. They needed two witnesses since in their law two or three witnesses clinched the case against Jesus.
"But Jesus held his peace, And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God./Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." (vv.63-64)
Simon Peter comments on the trial,"Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain."(Ac.2:23)
Wicked men in their cloth pontificate and get their victims which explains, the Inquisition and the imposter church has soiled their hands ever since but the Word of God stands sure.
vv.63-64 "Thou hast said"
You shall be judged by what you say and the chief priest who said,"I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God" having said it was in judgment himself. In refusing the truth he was guilty of hellfire as well. This is what Jesus implied. Compare with this question, "The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?"(21:25-27)
"And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives./ Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad."
The chief priests covenanted with Judas to pay thirty pieces of silver. Their conspiracy to kill Jesus was born out of their human failings which however connected with the Word that underpins the everlasting covenant. Who shall betray him was a question that cropped up when Jesus foretold it. "And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me./ The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born."(vv.23-24). Jesus knew all along what role his disciple would play and as the Word become flesh he did not refuse him but his deity demanded grace must be shown and it is what he did. John gives us that account. Peter professed his faith, saying, "And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God./ Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?/ He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve. "( John 6:69-71).
vv.14-16 It was purely Judas' free will to judge the event in the house of Bethany that tilted his decision to betray his master. He did not have to wait too long because the word sent forth before the worlds began was in control of every events ever since he sent it, and Judas chose to do the bidding of Satan,- and Jesus equates the son of perdition as the devil himself. "Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
Ze.13:7 was about to be fulfilled. In the following passages we shall see how the little ones fared after smiting the shepherd.
"Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests,/ And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver."
This covenant is between men. Now Judas well knew what the box of alabaster with its contents cost. "Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?" The Spirit in setting this event is aligning it in terms of the everlasting covenant. The number Three whether counted in terms of value of the ointment or price of the betrayal referred the Word become flesh. The word 'covenant' is used with reference to the everlasting covenant. "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ."(2 Co.5:10)
The Spirit has organized the entire salvation program where it pleased the Father that in his Son should all fulness dwell so there is only one covenant which is everlasting that is between God and Man(the Son). The everlasting refers the holiness of God. His calling and gifts are irrevocable.
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, to day and forever. In order to show the fulness of Jesus Christ we have the Gospel of John as a testimony. "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."( John 1:1-2,14) Secondly we have the Law, "For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven."(Ps.119:89)
Without following the signposts set up by the Holy Ghost the Covenant theology to mean five or seven covenants are heresy.
When God has by a decree given a day to the Son how can man interpret seven days as stated in the opening chapters of the Book of Genesis as separate days?. The covenant between Judas and the Jews point to the everlasting covenant between God and the Son so judgment on them must be accordingly. Je.32:40 mentions the same everlasting covenant.
The Gospel of St Matthew sets the episode of breaking the alabaster box in between the conspiracy of the Jews. "The chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,/And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty." Death of Jesus was on their agenda. Little did they realize it was already set in motion before they had any inkling. So the spirit gives us clues so the Scriptures might be fulfilled. Jesus told his disciples, "Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified."(v.2).He announces the feast as three days from hence. Compare how John approaches the same event giving us a seven day period between. The command Number Three is the tag for the Son and similarly the number Seven refers to his Alpha aspect.
Such numbers are set in the frame of reference to the day decreed for the Son. " I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee." this day of salvation as well as the day of regeneration are hinged on the Alpha Omega aspect of the Son. In short his authority over hell and death are alike complete. Seven signifies it. " I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death."(Re.1:18)
The high priests were totally in dark over the truth and they made much of the Psalms which was no different than what the modern churches make of the Bible. Without following the lead of the Spirit they still speak of Sabbath and God's covenant with Israel. Like these foolish shepherds the council of Jewish leaders would not lay hands on Jesus because they were afraid of the people. Hypocrites! they claim they serve God but they hunger in fact for praise of men!
"But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people."(v.5)
The Parable clearly lays out total sanctification for those who are called to be kings and priests. " For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;/And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself."(Col.1:17-20). Receiving a prophet "in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward." But kingdom of God lays out the preceding verse as the rule: "He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me."(10:40). Consequently without 'Christ in me' by faith, charity is merely lip service.(1 Co.13). Laws of nations create a system and those who know it escape from justice reserved for lawbreakers. Sheep on the right speaks of the nation of light. They are those who saw the light in the true light. (Ps.36:9)
As kings our judgment must be fair. "A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes."(Pr.20:8) abiding in Christ we ought to train ourselves which explains faith with works. So one cannot serve mammon as well as serve God. As priests "Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity."(He.5:2). Having a beam in the eye one need to be circumspect before he wants to remove the mote in someone else's eye.
"And by him all things consist," Priestly garments of righteousness are of God we put on in our daily walks. We bear the burden of others which denote the breastplate and judgment, evokes the urim and thummim. Hearts can be very treacherous if let so by the light of the word we conduct our lives in all humility so grace may have perfect working in us. "Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits."(Ro.12:16,1-2) Our bodies are living sacrifices, "holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service."
"And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?"And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee." Evangelist Matthew reports after he cleansed the temple Jesus introduces himself as " My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves." (v.13) Compare how John treats the same cleansing of the temple, " And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise."(John2:17). John places the emphasis on "My Father's house." It is in this gospel we have this citation, "I and my Father are one."( John 10:30). In the Gospel of Matthew the book introduced Jesus as the son of Abraham and son of David. (Matt.1:1) St John having presented the logos aspect of Jesus Christ gives us a concrete example in this cleansing. My house is as valid as My Father's house. John continues the Alpha aspect of Jesus by the next verse, "And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up."(v.17)
This just shows each Gospel has its inner logic and what drives them as one is the Alpha Omega aspect of the Son hitched to the word.
John 2:18-23
Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?/Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up./Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?/But he spake of the temple of his body."
"Temple of the body" how marvelously the Spirit gives us a concrete image of the Word become flesh? We are made kings and priests into Jesus Christ and the church as his body must witness this aspect of our Savior Lord. (Re.1:6)
Levitical priesthood was set for the Israelites as befitting their bootcamp, while Order of Melchizadec is forever.
Earlier we quoted,"Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people"(He.2:17)" This glory sets Jesus Christ as the Apostle as well as the high priest of our profession. Alpha aspect gives us the decree. "The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek." (110:4). The Spirit gives us a clue how he has organized the Bible narrative in the encounter between Abraham and Melchizedek. The High Priest of the Most High is meeting Abraham from whom the lineage of Jesus Christ springs from according to his humanity. He.7:9 annotates the Alpha and Omega in the encounter. "And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth." (Ge.14:19). Earlier God blessed Abraham which sets all families in the earth which is confirmed by Melchizedek. (Ge.12:3). The bread and wine symbolizes the spiritual significance of our glory. "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,/And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever." (Re.1:5-6). Every believer is called to be kings and priests, nothing less.
Coming back to the key verse the right hand indicates holy angels with him include us. "on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."
This book is describing the transatlantic slave trade. And they would be sent into Egypt Again, which means this particular nation of people have had a history of being enslaved prior.
Me Personally have been going to church my entire life and not once have I ever heard the Priests, Pastor's preach this book in complete.
Which Is why most don't understand even though it's clear who the people are the book speaks of and who claim to be but are not.
The most high Yahweh leadath Israel into captivity in Egypt for disobeying his laws and sent Moses to being them out but they hardheaded Israelites continued there disobedience of his laws so the most high sent them into Egypt again this time on ships with yolks of iron upon thy necks sold to thy enemies separated from there children never to see them again given names and nationalities of the gentiles so they would no more be known as Israel and would work on pagan gods of the heathen so they will be broken.
The Spirit sets Jesus and Adam as representational figures for the worlds of the Spirit and of the earth respectively. When he presented the doctrine of his Father he was there as the Lord from heaven. The emblem of the mountain bore witness. ((5:1). He represented the cloud of witnesses set apart by God in him. His life would manifest his doctrine. What the Pharisees and the Sadducees signified in Adam. They belonged to their father which Jesus mentions in John 8:44."Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
The Jews claim for Father Abraham was after the manner of flesh. Of Adam St Paul says thus, "The first man is of the earth, earthy." While Jesus as the Word become flesh "was the Lord from heaven". (1 Co.15:47-49).
The Gospel delineates the acrimony of the chief priests and the scribes owing to the two contrary worlds from which they come from. In their hatred to Jesus they were qualified as murderers. They were the son of perdition. In Ch.23 we read the hypocrisy of those who shut out the world of the Spirit because they would not abide in the truth. For this reason Jesus cites the many lives lost on account of their parent, who was none other than the devil. "Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets./Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers."(vv.31-32)
Compare from where the modern churches have taken root. Not from the doctrine of Jesus whose life is antithetical to the princes of Holy See of Rome. What the Reformation did was to make those who sought glory of this world as their due set up their own as in the days of Jeroboam Dan and Bethel became places for worship. God is not mocked. "Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers"
This Parable is noteworthy since this along with the previous one are two of a kind. "And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them."(21:45) The householder in the previous parable lets out his vineyard (the earth) to husbandmen (nations) and expects fruits in return. Here the king commands his subjects to be present during the marriage of his Son. In both cases the nation of Israel were included among nations obligated to perform. Whether as tenants or as subjects their places are outside the holy city of God. "And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it."(Re.21:25) Those who belonged to New Jerusalem was called the Bride. "Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me," ( Luke 22:28-29). The parable is about the righteousness which is freely provided on the House. All that the guests required was to take the trouble of exercising faith trusting in the one who promised entry. All His promises are yea in his Son.
"And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:/ And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless."(vv.11-12). He did not think it was worthwhile to ask what was ready for him. It was as trifle in his sight as the nation of Israel taking the King'd invitation lightly. "But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city./Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy".(vv.7-8)
Similarly we could speak of the manner the churches approach the word of God arbitrarily without comparing the spiritual with spiritual.
In the Book of Genesis God separated the waters above from water below (Ge.1:6-7)which is a signal for the rise and fall of nations,- and the vision of Daniel on the banks of Ulai in Dan.12 gives us a river of time so history of these are set, and it leads us to the throne of God and of the Lamb and beyond to the saved nations on the earth.
According to the Abstract First day set two nations of light and darkness. Second day provided us the heaven a label for the world of the Spirit. God blessing Abraham (12:3) sends him along and his looking for a city was spiritual insight so faith explains what Abraham deprived of the Promised Land because of the sin of Amorites, could still thrive despite of it. " For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God."(He.11:10). It is thus we consider the cloud of witnesses which validates heroes of faith as the double for the Son.
The fall of Babylon described in St John's vision explains the fate of Jerusalem and the nations which rejected the Son. "And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder./ And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them."(v.45). Specific to the nation of Israel we have this verse, "And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus:"(Re.17:6; Matt.23:35-36)
vv.14-18 "These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful." In their opposition to God they are as one and yet Jerusalem shall be destroyed by the Gentiles. Re.18:21 the "stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all."(18:21)
"Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof./ And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder./ And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them."
'A nation bringing forth fruits' is not any specific nation but children of light collectively called a nation, and its hallmark is determined by fruits. "Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit."(12:33). Do we see any nation producing fruits that may be called as good?
Re.21:23 presents us nations walking under the holy city which is set up in mid-air so 12 foundation mentioned earlier gives us a rainbow as token of the everlasting covenant renewed between God and Noah, "for perpetual generations"(Ge.9:17).This is the sign now established by their own merits to which Jesus and his disciples serve for signs and wonders.(Is.8:18). Zion is above and not on the earth. Only those whose names 'are written in the Lamb's book of life,'(21:28) shall have access to it.
"And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: and the Lamb is the light thereof".
However the pure water of life cannot be hanging in the midair but serves a purpose. There shall be no more curse but healing of nations would require the tree of life. "And on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations".(Re.22:1-3)
"And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain."(Ze.14:17) Gates to New Jerusalem are open (21:25)
"By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?"
The triumphal entry of Jesus moved the city of Jerusalem and the commotion brought chief priests and elders to see it for themselves. "Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?"(13:55) In his own country the townsfolk were offended and in Jerusalem he was all the more a question mark. "Who gave thee this authority?"
Jesus could have given the same answer he gave John, "Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see/ The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them."(11:4-6) What blessedness was in reducing the power and glory of God into some theorem to be proved? It is what serpent gave Eve asking her to prove God by some established truths. Knowledge of good and evil without the truth was neither here nor there. Ever since the world has been wrestling with it and to what purpose?
Man raises razor-wire fencing to keep migrants out while within wildfires menacingly spread into an inferno does man see any connection? Of course not. His mind has been corrupted by undue stress on reason to see his folly from evidences. Minds that devise nuclear bombs to halt a war in far-off Pacific theater of war may not have foreseen space based nuclear weapons but it has become the reality.
The chief priests without faith could not determine if John's baptism was from heaven or not. They also wanted to please man so they were stumped by the question of Jesus. They were like the proverbial salt having lost savor was good for nothing. "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."(He.11:6)
Glory of Jesus came from both Wisdom and Power so whosoever received him was under the covenant that shall be fulfilled in the Son. So the flesh of body ought to tell us there is more to it. (Jesus Christ) "Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself." (Ph.3:21) In the previous post we considered trinity, of body spirit and soul serving as a witness as Jesus was the Faithful and true witness. It was not merely in terms of the body. Our soul is the inner man and he also bears witnesses in terms of the Word. Three agree in heaven: the Father the Word and the Spirit. We shall see this distinction in "the seventy times seven"(Matt.18:22) This applies to the world of the flesh and blood." The Holy city of God is however measured, which is a single measurement of an angel, and man. It is Gospel based and not according to man's life span. "an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel." (Re.21:17)
The memorial in heaven (Ch.4) does not show the cloud of witnesses nevertheless we hear them. "And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth./ And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;"(Re.5:10-11). Compare the number with this verse, "A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
"Ten thousand times ten thousand" is about the final salvation, and it explains why Jesus denounced the workers of iniquity. They did not do the will of God the Father. They were called to one body but they did not fit with 'the one flesh" which is about the Christ and the Bride
Passover day starts at sundown, the preparation day for the Feast of Unleavened Bread. When Jesus was here would have been His last day, the Last Supper, in the garden, the betrayal, taken to the priests, Pilot, nailed to the cross and put in the tomb before the sunset. When the sun set that would be the 15th the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread a high Sabbath, a holy convocation, the day they went out of Egypt.
This Sunday would be the Feast of Firstfruits the day Jesus rose from the grave being the Firstfruits of those who slept.
Romans 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
God bless,
RLW
In today's society an often soft fabric of emotionally immature individuals CAN be some advantage over the proud generations of parents and especially the grandparents from two generations ago. We see many young people brought up in church and perhaps having some childhood faith going strong into the world; but if they survive long enough they come back to their senses. The problem is of course that many are drawn into a church that appeals to their emotions or worse tickles their ears.
Of course we have the enemy taking advantage of both sides as he always does; being loyal to no one but himself but gladly pitting his subjects against each other; and if we aren't paying attention; his enemies as well.
On a personal note; I lost a friend about 13 years ago to suicide. She was bipolar; and seemed to have a viable testimony of faith. She was joyful to be around on her emotional high but I saw her once in an extreme low. Sadly she decided to stop taking medication and she was found dead a few months later. I won't detail it since where I lived someone may be familiar with it in regard to where she was found. What I will say is that in her case her emotions dictated what she felt was her necessity to stop taking meds (perhaps rationalized in her mind). I feel it is necessary to state this here because some will give advice to give everything to the Lord and quit taking medicine. I would just go to scripture and say that we should go to the physician (at that time the priests) to verify healing. This also shows that some need to have supervision; especially anything involving substance abuse or mental illness. I am certain some have in fact been able to get off medicines; but the best way we can help others at times is to make sure we are doing the best to take care of ourselves with God's guidance.
That being said; there is no doubt the enemy is behind the insane number of suicides in our nation today.
I may have discussed this topic in a previous post. Whether or not we consider "free will" to be a factor or not as to our immediate future; there is no doubt that things will end up with the Tribulation; the Millennium rule and final judgment followed by the eternal state. It is clear scripturally that almost all prophecy is conditional in some way; the fact that God does nothing without warning by one or more Prophets ( Amos 3:7). A prime example of this is with Israel and Judah who more often than not missed the mark whether it was the kings; prophets; priests or everyone else in society. Psalms is rife with examples of God's chastisement of the righteous ( Psalm 107 is one good example of this). We even see it with the other nations such as the Amorites and later in the book of Jonah the Ninevites who were given a lengthy respite of several generations before judgment finally came down as mentioned in the book of Nahum.
The statements in the New Testament such as the prophecy of Agabus shown in Acts 11 and 21 showed famine to come and later Paul's imprisonment. In the first case it has been brought to my attention that perhaps that famine either didn't occur or perhaps less severe because of preparations or repentance. That was what my former Pastor stated; not sure if anyone knows the history better than I do. As to the second circumstance; Paul was constrained to be obedient and bold. There wasn't a mandate it seemed for him going to Jerusalem although it seemed he was aware of it being part of God's plan. Perhaps the implication was martyrdom; after all Paul was no stranger to prison.
I tend to look at the "reap what you sow" context works as a sort of guarantee; like prophecy you can be certain that sin will bring forth punishment and trouble even in this life as the end of Proverbs 13:15 indicates. For God's children in rebellion it is only He who can bring real change but the wicked are lost.
"And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words."Earlier when John the Baptist arrived at the scene, stirring up great many people who came to be baptized at his hand we read,"And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?" John categorically rejected any notion that he was the Christ. It did not stop there."Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us."( John 1:19-22). Now the chief priests scribes and various sects who came to Jesus, "and they wanted to catch him in his words" firstly simulated fear for God, "They say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth" the same method that Satan employed to tempt Jesus and he also began," he said, If thou be the Son of God, command". The playbook of Satan is for whosoever who would want to be a power player in the world and the Herodians were one such in the time of Jesus, and in our times we have their ilk appearing in droves behind their candidate and sets Christian Visibility Day for other reason than they are sent. It is the spirit of wickedness at work, "And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming."(2 The.2:8). For those who abide in Christ and seek to see the light in his light does Christian visibility Day make any sense? St Paul is clear in warning, "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."(2 Co.4:4)
Jesus warned of this wicked and adulterous generation. Evangelicals want a sign and and Jesus refers to the son of perdition,Matt.24:15. the sign of our times Desolation is sure to come
St Mark cites Jesus referring the quote from the Psalm (118:22-23) which is identical in the gospel of St Matthew. The parable of rock is with direct reference to the judgment which we have it executed by an angel from above causing the fall of Babylon.(Re.18:21) Israel's failure is symptomatic of the wicked nations that have no interest in giving glory to the sovereign Lord of heaven and the earth. So they shall be judged with all other nations for their failure to produce fruits thereof. When they least expect God shall take the vineyard from the miserable husbandmen and give to others, Thus the parable centers about the Son who also is the Rock of Ages. In his rejection Israel committed a fatal error and it is to which the above mentioned quote from the Psalm alludes.
"Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?/Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof." (Matt.21:42-43)
Mark gives us the answer of Jesus, "What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others"(v.9). St Matthew sets him as a symbol, as the rock of offense and as the stone of stumbling. "And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder." (21:44)
"And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and they left him, and went their way." (v.12) The chief priests scribes and the Pharisees would try to destroy Jesus somehow.
Before we go into the parables Jesus employed them in order to illustrate realities of heaven from that of the earth. In Matt21:.45-46 we read that "And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them./But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet". It was not for want of intelligence that they rejected Jesus but out of envy. The multitude took Jesus as a prophet so when he spoke truth it resonated within and accepted as truth. Besides God had given such power for the Son of man healed the sick and cast out the demons from among them. Faith is the only that can reconcile both the worlds.
12:1 " A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country." God is who planted the vineyard, the world. He made man his steward. By far country the heaven is implied. The world is hedged about refers the blessings God had promised in the everlasting covenant. The tower and the wine fat signifies the spirit of God and soul of man of which he has to give account. "The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me," (Le.25:23)explains the significance of letting out to husbandmen.
v.2 "And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant," In next three verses we are considering Moses and the Law which as Israel set to work became for breaking the tradition of their fathers. The stoning of Stephen (Ac.7:59-60)
vv6-8 Jesus foretells of what the Jews intended to do. "And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard."
in v.9 "What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do?" The Gentile nations come in. The chief priests and Pharisees understood but without faith it was lost on them.
Matthew also gives us this colloquy where he dilates upon their controversy with parables. At the end he says,"And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them./But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.(Matt.21:28-46). There was the fear of men that governed the chief priests and Pharisees while Jesus as the Word become flesh would only serve what he represented in his humanity. "Thy word is truth." Unless he had let the word sanctify him how could he sanctify any man?"For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one. "I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee," was a Messianic prophecy which fulfilled in him.(Ps.22:22)
On the other hand the chief priests scribes and Pharisees made doctrine of God to none effect. "Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye."(7:13) .
St Paul explains it thus, "For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." Jesus came from God while his detractors angled for the praise of men.
Mark gives us several instances of the word of God being fulfilled in Jesus so it was not past or future of now that weighed uppermost but the eternal word. In cursing the fig tree he did not have to prove his claim that he was the rightful heir but his faith established the truth. Both power and glory operating in heaven and earth is encapsulated in faith.(vv.23-24). "And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and castitinto the sea"(Re.18:21) is a fulfillment of the word: of the rock cut out without hands"(Dan.2:34-35)
"And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots." Jesus explained simply, "Have faith in God."
I noticed you mentioned that you have never heard priests preach on this chapter. Are you a Catholic? I was raised by a Catholic mother but in my experience I found the religion shallow and hypocritical. Please don't be offended. I know there are a lot of Catholics who love Catholicism. The reason I am asking you this is, frankly, I hope your answer will be no because this religion doesn't tell the truth of salvation; that it is by the blood of Jesus Christ ONLY. I hope I hear from you so we can discuss this more. I love you in the Lord and I am hoping you are a child of God. God Bless :)
Jesus formally chose the twelve "And they went into an house." Here we a curious passage,"And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread./And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself."(vv.20-21).
Fame of the new prophet we read earlier in the Gospel of Mark was no different than of John the Baptist. "And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee."(1:28) Jesus having seen the masses who were as sheep without a shepherd.(Matt.9:36) began to preach of the gospel while his cousin before him aroused much speculation and curiosity. "Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan." to hear his message.(Matt.3:5) " And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?"( John 1:19). His testimony was received and they saw him as well. "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." Here we have an unvarnished look at fame or celebrity status. The ear hears so much as eye sees so often yet Jesus was an unknown quantity to his friends. "He is possessed!" summed up their report. The Spirit gives us the instance of his mother, "But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart."( Luke 2:19).
Hearing without faith is a dumb thing to do and it is how Jesus became so many things to so many. She heard with her ear of faith and digested over it. What many have witnessed or heard are good seed sown into the heard but it poves to be no man's land."When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side."(Matt.13:19). Is it strange to hear that some believers do not believe in trinity?
1:1 The first line encapsulates the generation of Jesus Christ which delineates the Alpha and Omega mode of the holiness of God. As provided for man his blessings surely are let in his Son. So he is the son of Abraham whom God blessed. (Ge.12:3). He is also the son of David whom God blessed by equal measure,"and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever."(2 Sa.7:12). These blessings did not begin with Abraham but from the everlasting covenant. It is set down as the driver so both Gentiles and Israel are to be allowed in the Fellowship of God with Man.(Ge.1:28) This universality of the Word become flesh we see in the arrival of the Magi and his attitude towards the Gentile centurion. (8:10) He was looking for faith in the world before whom he appeared as the Apostle.
The Sermon on the Mount presents him state the holiness of His Father as perfect. "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."(5:48) He shall prove with his life that it was doable. Blessings presented in this discourse carry for those who refused it. In Ch.23 his discourse 'Woe to ye' was condemnation to the nation that shortchanged Mercies of his Father for the traditions of their fathers. "Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers./Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?"(23:30-31) The parables are a literary devise that the Spirit uses with telling effect to separate the chaff from the good seed. "And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them."(21:45)
Fulfillment of the Scriptures is a notable feature of the Gospel so Alpha and Omega aspects of the kingdom of heaven keep the Son of man in the crosshairs from beginning till the end. Jesus began his ministry where the quote from isaiah served as a cue. "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."(4:14-17)
"And this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day."
Hypocrisy of the chief priests and elders is vile in that they profess faith, without backing it with their whole heart. "Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men." (Is.29:13) They covenanted with Judas for a sum to destroy an innocent man. But they would not take what he returned. Knowing money as blood money they use it yet to buy silence from soldiers. Their respect for money was learned from the precepts of men. If this nation was a bundle of prejudices and shallow opinions what they really believed in? Their heart was like "a cage of every unclean and hateful bird" with least attention span to commune with God in truth and quietness, As soon as Moses turned his back they were urging Aaron "Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him."(Ex,32:1) . When the ten spies brought back an evil report, they were so overwrought, "And wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?/And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt."(Nu.14:3-4)
'Until this day' refers to the Son so what is written of him must be fulfilled as well as the kingdom appointed for him fill both heaven and the earth. " For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;/ And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven."(Col.1:19-20)
"All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth"
"When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple."
Joseph interring Jesus in his tomb earmarked for his own reminds us of Isaiah who foretold his burial. "And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death."(Is.53:9). There were two other malefactors on the cross. So the first part of the verse refers to them as well as to the rich man who let his own tomb at his disposal. So much so for the carcass and after spirit has left it is an empty shell. The rich and the poor meet in death fulfilling the natural law. Piety of Joseph stands in stark contrast with those chief priests and the Pharisees who also required to get a hearing from the Governor.
The Spirit gives us the spiritual depth of the rock pointing out to the Alpha aspect of the Son. He was the cornerstone while for his enemies, the rock of offense. Wisdom principle determined the house with seven pillars (Pr.9:1) "The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old./ I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was."(Pr.8:22-23) Everlasting covenant is between God the Father and the Son which requires no other covenant. Wisdom and Power define God. Their covenant when simply put means the Power and glory that we refer every time we say the Lord's Prayer, refers to God the glory of the Son, ("Who being the brightness of his glory"-He.1:3,)
"And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory." In the case of Moses who wanted to see it God replied, "And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by."(Ex.33:18-23). The Spirit was pointing to this rock from where he would be lifter by His power. So Isaiah warns us, "look unto the rock whence ye are hewn,"(Is.51:1) Did not God see Joseph before the worlds began?
"Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour."
Three hours as the Spirit records it intends the darkness as a sign independent of natural cause of a solar eclipse. The number Three decidedly favors the spiritual darkness enveloping in their rejection of the Son; by the same token we have another sign, of graves letting out their contents as though in protest; The torn veil of the temple is a symbolic act as the word of God fulfilling as in the case of the hour of darkness that had now taken over the land. Jesus was correct in the timing. "I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me./But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." (26:55-56) The word of God zeroed in, that the Word become flesh could not have missed. (To digress a little, obedience of Jesus Christ was perfected in letting the word of his Father work with him.)
The voice came from heaven and in the Gospel of John Jesus explains it clearly. "Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes."( John 12:30). It was while he was alive. By the same token the death of the Son could not have passed on without some visible signs of it. There are so many strange signs and bizarre light and sound show in the sky. What does the man on the street say,"UFO sighting." His reasonable mind wants to hitch his mind to anything however silly it may be. But he rejects any suggestion that rejecting the word concerning shall have serious consequences. The mind of the centurion who witnessed the events, was much more of noble cast. " they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God."(v.54) Consider the chief priests and the Pharisees who would hush up his resurrection, what was their mind like? (vv.62-66) Do you think the modern churches shall disband their churches or abjure their heresies in the face of truth revealed?
We have in this chapter a few dilemmas created by wicked men.
1.Dilemma of 'other man's riches'
v.5 " And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself." Judas realized all too late his actions were irrevocable. Thirty pieces of silver did not help him to clear his name or conscience. Money was other man's riches so the chief priests hired him to do a job would not want to touch it; the enormity of guilt over betrayal of an innocent man's blood, no money could handle. Satan is the designated 'other man' since value of thirty pieces of silver has also changed. Who shall price an abstract thing as conscience? Chief priests whose piety was in observing traditions of their fathers set a price accordingly as 'unclean'. "And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood." Instead bought the land thereby fulfilling the scriptures. "Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet."
2 Dilemma of duty imposed by ungodly man.
Pontius Pilate despite of honor and authority was a pawn or a loser. " For he knew that for envy they had delivered him." He was a clever and worldly wise to have risen the ranks of a brutal regime, where dog eats dog principle prevailed. Envy killed you as well as slip of the tongue cast you down at any moment. He saw through the hypocrisy of the religion. He believed that Jesus was innocent. All he could do was wash his hands. "When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it."(v.24). If life was as simple as that but Judas realized it was not. He as well as Pilate were accountable to a Just God who could cast their soul to death and hell. Man in honor abides not.(Ps.49:20)
Before we take up Ch.27 it is worth our while to understand the significance of the earthen vessel in these verses. "Thus saith the Lord, Go and get a potter's earthen bottle, and take of the ancients of the people, and of the ancients of the priests;/And go forth unto the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the east gate." What Jeremiah spoke before witnesses there has been rephrased by Jesus as he left the Herod's second temple after his woe to ye' discourse. Significance he went by the east gate. He said,"Behold, your house is left unto you desolate./For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord."(23:38-39). Death and glory awaited him
Notice that he shall never again return in his old body. As he mentioned during his last supper his body as the potter's vessel in the hand of the prophet was about to be broken up.
Jeremiah foretold them, "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, the which whosoever heareth, his ears shall tingle." He also added to which the innocent blood of Jesus could be included, " Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place,.... and have filled this place with the blood of innocents;" (He.19:1-4) Partly it was fulfilled in their generation. In vv.10-12 we have much more, yet to come, "Then shalt thou break the bottle in the sight of the men that go with thee,/ And shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Even so will I break this people and this city, as one breaketh a potter's vessel, that cannot be made whole again: and they shall bury them in Tophet, till there be no place to bury." Tophet is interchangeable with valley of Hinnom, "Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that this place shall no more be called Tophet, nor The valley of the son of Hinnom, but The valley of slaughter." (19:6)
"Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death;/ But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses,"
The Seat of Moses is a symbol for authority. It signals the Law of Moses and his piety. What if the man who sits there is actively seeking false witnesses what are we to think of it. That law is an ass, is it not? Hypocrisy of chief priests and the council allowed their temple to be a den of thieves and now a Privy Council of Satan was called to order. They needed two witnesses since in their law two or three witnesses clinched the case against Jesus.
"But Jesus held his peace, And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God./Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." (vv.63-64)
Simon Peter comments on the trial,"Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain."(Ac.2:23)
Wicked men in their cloth pontificate and get their victims which explains, the Inquisition and the imposter church has soiled their hands ever since but the Word of God stands sure.
vv.63-64 "Thou hast said"
You shall be judged by what you say and the chief priest who said,"I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God" having said it was in judgment himself. In refusing the truth he was guilty of hellfire as well. This is what Jesus implied. Compare with this question, "The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?"(21:25-27)
"And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives./ Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad."
The chief priests covenanted with Judas to pay thirty pieces of silver. Their conspiracy to kill Jesus was born out of their human failings which however connected with the Word that underpins the everlasting covenant. Who shall betray him was a question that cropped up when Jesus foretold it. "And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me./ The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born."(vv.23-24). Jesus knew all along what role his disciple would play and as the Word become flesh he did not refuse him but his deity demanded grace must be shown and it is what he did. John gives us that account. Peter professed his faith, saying, "And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God./ Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?/ He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve. "( John 6:69-71).
vv.14-16 It was purely Judas' free will to judge the event in the house of Bethany that tilted his decision to betray his master. He did not have to wait too long because the word sent forth before the worlds began was in control of every events ever since he sent it, and Judas chose to do the bidding of Satan,- and Jesus equates the son of perdition as the devil himself. "Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
Ze.13:7 was about to be fulfilled. In the following passages we shall see how the little ones fared after smiting the shepherd.
"Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests,/ And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver."
This covenant is between men. Now Judas well knew what the box of alabaster with its contents cost. "Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?" The Spirit in setting this event is aligning it in terms of the everlasting covenant. The number Three whether counted in terms of value of the ointment or price of the betrayal referred the Word become flesh. The word 'covenant' is used with reference to the everlasting covenant. "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ."(2 Co.5:10)
The Spirit has organized the entire salvation program where it pleased the Father that in his Son should all fulness dwell so there is only one covenant which is everlasting that is between God and Man(the Son). The everlasting refers the holiness of God. His calling and gifts are irrevocable.
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, to day and forever. In order to show the fulness of Jesus Christ we have the Gospel of John as a testimony. "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."( John 1:1-2,14) Secondly we have the Law, "For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven."(Ps.119:89)
Without following the signposts set up by the Holy Ghost the Covenant theology to mean five or seven covenants are heresy.
When God has by a decree given a day to the Son how can man interpret seven days as stated in the opening chapters of the Book of Genesis as separate days?. The covenant between Judas and the Jews point to the everlasting covenant between God and the Son so judgment on them must be accordingly. Je.32:40 mentions the same everlasting covenant.
The Gospel of St Matthew sets the episode of breaking the alabaster box in between the conspiracy of the Jews. "The chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,/And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty." Death of Jesus was on their agenda. Little did they realize it was already set in motion before they had any inkling. So the spirit gives us clues so the Scriptures might be fulfilled. Jesus told his disciples, "Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified."(v.2).He announces the feast as three days from hence. Compare how John approaches the same event giving us a seven day period between. The command Number Three is the tag for the Son and similarly the number Seven refers to his Alpha aspect.
Such numbers are set in the frame of reference to the day decreed for the Son. " I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee." this day of salvation as well as the day of regeneration are hinged on the Alpha Omega aspect of the Son. In short his authority over hell and death are alike complete. Seven signifies it. " I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death."(Re.1:18)
The high priests were totally in dark over the truth and they made much of the Psalms which was no different than what the modern churches make of the Bible. Without following the lead of the Spirit they still speak of Sabbath and God's covenant with Israel. Like these foolish shepherds the council of Jewish leaders would not lay hands on Jesus because they were afraid of the people. Hypocrites! they claim they serve God but they hunger in fact for praise of men!
"But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people."(v.5)
The Parable clearly lays out total sanctification for those who are called to be kings and priests. " For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;/And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself."(Col.1:17-20). Receiving a prophet "in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward." But kingdom of God lays out the preceding verse as the rule: "He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me."(10:40). Consequently without 'Christ in me' by faith, charity is merely lip service.(1 Co.13). Laws of nations create a system and those who know it escape from justice reserved for lawbreakers. Sheep on the right speaks of the nation of light. They are those who saw the light in the true light. (Ps.36:9)
As kings our judgment must be fair. "A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes."(Pr.20:8) abiding in Christ we ought to train ourselves which explains faith with works. So one cannot serve mammon as well as serve God. As priests "Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity."(He.5:2). Having a beam in the eye one need to be circumspect before he wants to remove the mote in someone else's eye.
"And by him all things consist," Priestly garments of righteousness are of God we put on in our daily walks. We bear the burden of others which denote the breastplate and judgment, evokes the urim and thummim. Hearts can be very treacherous if let so by the light of the word we conduct our lives in all humility so grace may have perfect working in us. "Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits."(Ro.12:16,1-2) Our bodies are living sacrifices, "holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service."
"And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?"And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee." Evangelist Matthew reports after he cleansed the temple Jesus introduces himself as " My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves." (v.13) Compare how John treats the same cleansing of the temple, " And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise."(John2:17). John places the emphasis on "My Father's house." It is in this gospel we have this citation, "I and my Father are one."( John 10:30). In the Gospel of Matthew the book introduced Jesus as the son of Abraham and son of David. (Matt.1:1) St John having presented the logos aspect of Jesus Christ gives us a concrete example in this cleansing. My house is as valid as My Father's house. John continues the Alpha aspect of Jesus by the next verse, "And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up."(v.17)
This just shows each Gospel has its inner logic and what drives them as one is the Alpha Omega aspect of the Son hitched to the word.
John 2:18-23
Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?/Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up./Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?/But he spake of the temple of his body."
"Temple of the body" how marvelously the Spirit gives us a concrete image of the Word become flesh? We are made kings and priests into Jesus Christ and the church as his body must witness this aspect of our Savior Lord. (Re.1:6)
Levitical priesthood was set for the Israelites as befitting their bootcamp, while Order of Melchizadec is forever.
Earlier we quoted,"Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people"(He.2:17)" This glory sets Jesus Christ as the Apostle as well as the high priest of our profession. Alpha aspect gives us the decree. "The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek." (110:4). The Spirit gives us a clue how he has organized the Bible narrative in the encounter between Abraham and Melchizedek. The High Priest of the Most High is meeting Abraham from whom the lineage of Jesus Christ springs from according to his humanity. He.7:9 annotates the Alpha and Omega in the encounter. "And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth." (Ge.14:19). Earlier God blessed Abraham which sets all families in the earth which is confirmed by Melchizedek. (Ge.12:3). The bread and wine symbolizes the spiritual significance of our glory. "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,/And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever." (Re.1:5-6). Every believer is called to be kings and priests, nothing less.
Coming back to the key verse the right hand indicates holy angels with him include us. "on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."
Me Personally have been going to church my entire life and not once have I ever heard the Priests, Pastor's preach this book in complete.
Which Is why most don't understand even though it's clear who the people are the book speaks of and who claim to be but are not.
The most high Yahweh leadath Israel into captivity in Egypt for disobeying his laws and sent Moses to being them out but they hardheaded Israelites continued there disobedience of his laws so the most high sent them into Egypt again this time on ships with yolks of iron upon thy necks sold to thy enemies separated from there children never to see them again given names and nationalities of the gentiles so they would no more be known as Israel and would work on pagan gods of the heathen so they will be broken.
The Spirit sets Jesus and Adam as representational figures for the worlds of the Spirit and of the earth respectively. When he presented the doctrine of his Father he was there as the Lord from heaven. The emblem of the mountain bore witness. ((5:1). He represented the cloud of witnesses set apart by God in him. His life would manifest his doctrine. What the Pharisees and the Sadducees signified in Adam. They belonged to their father which Jesus mentions in John 8:44."Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
The Jews claim for Father Abraham was after the manner of flesh. Of Adam St Paul says thus, "The first man is of the earth, earthy." While Jesus as the Word become flesh "was the Lord from heaven". (1 Co.15:47-49).
The Gospel delineates the acrimony of the chief priests and the scribes owing to the two contrary worlds from which they come from. In their hatred to Jesus they were qualified as murderers. They were the son of perdition. In Ch.23 we read the hypocrisy of those who shut out the world of the Spirit because they would not abide in the truth. For this reason Jesus cites the many lives lost on account of their parent, who was none other than the devil. "Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets./Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers."(vv.31-32)
Compare from where the modern churches have taken root. Not from the doctrine of Jesus whose life is antithetical to the princes of Holy See of Rome. What the Reformation did was to make those who sought glory of this world as their due set up their own as in the days of Jeroboam Dan and Bethel became places for worship. God is not mocked. "Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers"
This Parable is noteworthy since this along with the previous one are two of a kind. "And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them."(21:45) The householder in the previous parable lets out his vineyard (the earth) to husbandmen (nations) and expects fruits in return. Here the king commands his subjects to be present during the marriage of his Son. In both cases the nation of Israel were included among nations obligated to perform. Whether as tenants or as subjects their places are outside the holy city of God. "And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it."(Re.21:25) Those who belonged to New Jerusalem was called the Bride. "Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me," ( Luke 22:28-29). The parable is about the righteousness which is freely provided on the House. All that the guests required was to take the trouble of exercising faith trusting in the one who promised entry. All His promises are yea in his Son.
"And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:/ And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless."(vv.11-12). He did not think it was worthwhile to ask what was ready for him. It was as trifle in his sight as the nation of Israel taking the King'd invitation lightly. "But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city./Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy".(vv.7-8)
Similarly we could speak of the manner the churches approach the word of God arbitrarily without comparing the spiritual with spiritual.
In the Book of Genesis God separated the waters above from water below (Ge.1:6-7)which is a signal for the rise and fall of nations,- and the vision of Daniel on the banks of Ulai in Dan.12 gives us a river of time so history of these are set, and it leads us to the throne of God and of the Lamb and beyond to the saved nations on the earth.
According to the Abstract First day set two nations of light and darkness. Second day provided us the heaven a label for the world of the Spirit. God blessing Abraham (12:3) sends him along and his looking for a city was spiritual insight so faith explains what Abraham deprived of the Promised Land because of the sin of Amorites, could still thrive despite of it. " For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God."(He.11:10). It is thus we consider the cloud of witnesses which validates heroes of faith as the double for the Son.
The fall of Babylon described in St John's vision explains the fate of Jerusalem and the nations which rejected the Son. "And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder./ And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them."(v.45). Specific to the nation of Israel we have this verse, "And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus:"(Re.17:6; Matt.23:35-36)
vv.14-18 "These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful." In their opposition to God they are as one and yet Jerusalem shall be destroyed by the Gentiles. Re.18:21 the "stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all."(18:21)
"Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof./ And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder./ And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them."
'A nation bringing forth fruits' is not any specific nation but children of light collectively called a nation, and its hallmark is determined by fruits. "Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit."(12:33). Do we see any nation producing fruits that may be called as good?
Re.21:23 presents us nations walking under the holy city which is set up in mid-air so 12 foundation mentioned earlier gives us a rainbow as token of the everlasting covenant renewed between God and Noah, "for perpetual generations"(Ge.9:17).This is the sign now established by their own merits to which Jesus and his disciples serve for signs and wonders.(Is.8:18). Zion is above and not on the earth. Only those whose names 'are written in the Lamb's book of life,'(21:28) shall have access to it.
"And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: and the Lamb is the light thereof".
However the pure water of life cannot be hanging in the midair but serves a purpose. There shall be no more curse but healing of nations would require the tree of life. "And on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations".(Re.22:1-3)
"And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain."(Ze.14:17) Gates to New Jerusalem are open (21:25)
"By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?"
The triumphal entry of Jesus moved the city of Jerusalem and the commotion brought chief priests and elders to see it for themselves. "Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?"(13:55) In his own country the townsfolk were offended and in Jerusalem he was all the more a question mark. "Who gave thee this authority?"
Jesus could have given the same answer he gave John, "Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see/ The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them."(11:4-6) What blessedness was in reducing the power and glory of God into some theorem to be proved? It is what serpent gave Eve asking her to prove God by some established truths. Knowledge of good and evil without the truth was neither here nor there. Ever since the world has been wrestling with it and to what purpose?
Man raises razor-wire fencing to keep migrants out while within wildfires menacingly spread into an inferno does man see any connection? Of course not. His mind has been corrupted by undue stress on reason to see his folly from evidences. Minds that devise nuclear bombs to halt a war in far-off Pacific theater of war may not have foreseen space based nuclear weapons but it has become the reality.
The chief priests without faith could not determine if John's baptism was from heaven or not. They also wanted to please man so they were stumped by the question of Jesus. They were like the proverbial salt having lost savor was good for nothing. "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."(He.11:6)
Glory of Jesus came from both Wisdom and Power so whosoever received him was under the covenant that shall be fulfilled in the Son. So the flesh of body ought to tell us there is more to it. (Jesus Christ) "Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself." (Ph.3:21) In the previous post we considered trinity, of body spirit and soul serving as a witness as Jesus was the Faithful and true witness. It was not merely in terms of the body. Our soul is the inner man and he also bears witnesses in terms of the Word. Three agree in heaven: the Father the Word and the Spirit. We shall see this distinction in "the seventy times seven"(Matt.18:22) This applies to the world of the flesh and blood." The Holy city of God is however measured, which is a single measurement of an angel, and man. It is Gospel based and not according to man's life span. "an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel." (Re.21:17)
The memorial in heaven (Ch.4) does not show the cloud of witnesses nevertheless we hear them. "And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth./ And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;"(Re.5:10-11). Compare the number with this verse, "A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
"Ten thousand times ten thousand" is about the final salvation, and it explains why Jesus denounced the workers of iniquity. They did not do the will of God the Father. They were called to one body but they did not fit with 'the one flesh" which is about the Christ and the Bride
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