Satan�s Final Solution from the Beginning

Satan�s Final Solution from the Beginning - By Joe Southerland- https://www.raptureready.com/2021/02/09/satans-final-solution-from-the-beginning-by-joe-southerland/ �And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD� (Job1:12). �He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of thedevil� (1st John 3:8). We are witnessing the trailing strands of Satan�s long, dark, corrupting thread that runs throughout the entire Bible. Before our eyes, Satan�s long-sought-after goal ofobtaining complete global domination over Mankind is once again within his grasp. It has been a long, wide path of destruction Satan has blazed for himself and his minions to entrap Mankind in his tempting snares. But now, he is primed to finish whathe conceived in his vile heart ages ago in the Garden of Eden � the complete spiritual defilement and domination of Mankind. Satan�s Opening Act In Genesis 3:15, after Satan�s first rebellious deceptions were vomited forth to Eve, God prophesied Satan and his minions would perpetually war with Eve�s seed, Jesus Christ,and those who called upon His name. Though this judgment was damning, Satan in his arrogant pride would claim victory, for He had succeeded in separating future generations of Adam from God, as they were now all born spiritually dead. But his dark work inEden was only Satan�s beginning act. In Revelation 12:4, we see Satan, pictured as a dragon, as he starts his four-millennium-long pursuit of the woman (Israel/those in faith relationship with God), as he attemptedto devour her child Jesus Christ even before he was born. The Bible provides us a wealth of historic details on Satan�s strategies to separate Mankind eternally from God. Satan�s Pre-flood Global Spiritual Corruption nearly succeeds� In Genesis 4:8, though not specifically mentioned, Satan�s handiwork is on display as he destroys the first two sons of Eve � Cain spiritually and Able physically. As inJob 1:6-12, God, for His greater purposes, had removed His hedge of protection and allowed Satan and Cain to perform their will. While God would ensure Mankind�s survival by blessing Eve with Seth, Satan would try to destroy them physically and/or spirituallyby keeping them from calling upon the name of the Lord (Genesis 4:26). And he nearly succeeded, for God appears to have given Satan nearly free reign up until Noah and his family are sealed into the Ark. By Genesis 6:7 of the pre-flood era, Satan�s cancerous corruptions had spiritually blackened almost all of Mankind upon the face of the earth. Left to his own will and withoutthe intervention of God, Mankind had descended into the self-centered spiritual decay outlined by the Apostle Paul in Romans 1:18-32. Satan rejoiced, for disastrously rebellious, pre-flood Mankind was deemed beyond redemption by God who sentenced them to thefirst death � as their bodies were washed away in the cleansing waters of the flood. Only Noah�s family of eight was hedged by God and saved. Satan�s Post-flood Global Destruction attempt� In Genesis 11, Satan tried to repeat his previous diabolical success by raising the first recorded global god-king, Nimrod, in order to again destroy what remained of Mankind,Noah�s rapidly expanding offspring. As a foreshadowing of things to come throughout history, Satan would empower a thoroughly corrupted man in willful open rebellion against God to do his evil bidding. Nimrod, Satan�s first prototype of the Antichrist, through wars of conquest, had subjugated all Mankind and, in doing so, created the first known One-World Government (OWG)and One-World Religion (OWR). God would have none of it and directly intervened, or Satan�s wicked plan would have worked to perfection. God abruptly thwarted the Father of Lies and miraculously confounded the tongues of all Noah�s 70 grandsons, formed theminto separate nations, and then scattered them upon the face of the earth. Though Satan would use his god-king template to spiritually corrupt and deceive entire nations throughout history. Even though he is a powerful being, Satan has his limitations;for unlike God, he is neither omniscient, omnipotent, nor omnipresent. God Aborts Satan�s Plan and Hedges His Power Upon the Earth� God scattered the nations, knowing full well that Satan�s power is finite and that by decentralizing the governance amidst multiple nations, Satan�s influence and powerwould be dramatically weakened. God knows that the potential for great evil comes with consolidation of too much power in the hands of a few people, who could fall under the controlling and corrupting influence of Satan as he temptingly appeals to peoples� self-centered, sin natures. Therefore, to maximize and enforce his will and deceptions upon the world, Satan must concentrate his power upon spiritually wicked rulers in high places of power and inprincipalities. It was Lord Acton, the British historian, who said, �All power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely.� The reason this quote rings so true is that it speaks directly to the fallen sin-nature that resides within each and everymember of Mankind. Satan knows absolute power corrupts people, and ultimately his power over Mankind thrives upon that fact. Satan Focuses His Attacks upon Israel and the Seed of Eve� Hamstrung by God since the Tower of Babel, Satan�s strategy switched from taking global dominion outright to a two-pronged approach: 1) destroy the seed of Eve, which wouldcome via the line of Shem (the Semites), Heber (the Hebrews) to Abraham (the Jews), and 2) corrupt the masses of humanity by spreading false religions which appealed to the sin-nature within Mankind. In short, Satan succeeded in corrupting/destroying the Lineage of King David and corrupting the nations of Israel/Judah to the point that God allowed the destruction ofthe Jewish nations, temple, and capital of Jerusalem. But Satan failed, for Israel �brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne� (Revelation 12:5). Thwarted by the Messiah, Satan retrenches for the Church Age Satan was enraged by the unforeseen events of the Messiah defeating death and then birthing the Church, but he was not defeated, and he retrenched. During the unfoldingChurch Age, Satan adds three new objectives to his plan: 1) destroy, attack and internally corrupt the churches, 2) destroy, attack and corrupt the remnant of Israel, and 3) set the stage for the Antichrist�s End-Time rule. Additionally, Satan still maintainedhis successful corrupting attacks upon the masses of humanity through raising and spreading false religions and spiritually compromising the rulers of the nations. However, Satan was frustrated; despite all his evil success, his limited power was insufficient to control all Mankind dispersed over the entire earth. But given time, thatwould all change. God Advances Technology � Satan�s Span increases For his greater purposes, God has allowed the advance of technology in the waning centuries of the Church Age as He oversaw the gradual accumulation of man�s knowledge ofthe underpinning laws upon which he created our world and our universe*. The Lord�s pleasure was to shape discovery and invention in order to set the perfect technological conditions to maximize the Lord God�s coming harvests for His kingdom. Satan, ever the opportunist, has always embraced and leveraged technology to expand his influence and power amongst Mankind. His corrupting lies were at first limited toface-to-face and word-of-mouth contacts, and then he gradually expanded his deceptions through the written and then printed word. Now, armed with global communications, mass media and social media, with little effort, Satan can place his lies and deceptions into the hands and before the eyes of nearlyevery soul on the planet. But Satan wants much more than that. Satan�s pride swells, for now, due to technology, he can once again consolidate and concentrate his power in his desire to control and defile all Mankind. And according to Scripture, he will attemptto do just that. Satan�s Final Solution � Totalitarian Global Control No longer limited geographically due to telecommunications, Satan can now enforce tight-fisted control over his children of disobedience to secure his global political andspiritual ambitions. Today, his globalist minions and crop of billionaire business elites are working with and within the nations and global governance bodies to form the underpinning structures required for the next phase of his plan. Satan�s grand strategy, first conceived in Babel, can now be vigorously relaunched with a new global god-king, the new Nimrod, Caesar, and Fuhrer. Known by many names � Son of Perdition, the Beast, the Antichrist � he will be installed and then enthroned by Satan to rule over the entire earth to align all of Mankind to his wicked will. We know from Revelation Chapter 17 that Satan�s Antichrist will cease power and controlthe world through ten evil kings/rulers who have sworn their complete allegiance to their master. The ensuing seven-year reign of the Antichrist will be the most horrific, brutal and bloody period of terror the world has ever seen, leading to the persecution, pursuit,enslavement, starvation and slaughter of hundreds of millions, if not billions. In the final three-and-one-half years of his demonic rule, the Beast will proclaim himself god and demand all nations, tribes and tongues worship him as God, or face death. According to Jesus Christ, this will be a time worse than any other in history. But Satan will not prevail. The Lion of Judah Triumphs At Tribulation�s end, all of Satan�s brilliant schemes will ultimately prove to be failures as the KING of KINGs and LORD of LORDs triumphantly returns and, with the utteranceof His voice, destroys the Antichrist and his godless, satanic worshippers. Satan of Revelation Chapter 12, �the great dragon, that old serpent, called the Devil, which deceiveth the whole world� will, at the direction of the Lamb of God, be bound with a greatchain and cast into a bottomless pit for a thousand years. Come out of her, my people Already, the Prince of the Power of the Air and his children are taking control of the data being transmitted into our lives as they work towards his final act of rebellionagainst God. Do not be ensnared in Satan�s deceptive utopian promises, nor his false religions, nor become tangled in the materialistic weeds of this fleeting world. Drawn near to Jesus Christ, and he will draw near to you even though he has never been far from you. Get right with God. Get into His Word. Spread the Gospel. May our mighty God bless and strengthen you! Maranatha! J&J Ranch Ministries �But as for me and my , we will serve the LORD� (Joshua 24:15). All verses KJV. Author�s YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGWbMhR5tdQkhPuV3JRky6Q/ * God�s Creation Laws � The Transcendent Foundation of the Universe https://youtu.be/73m66hMjUCM ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Why Did Jesus Leave Heaven for Us? Jesus leaving Heaven for us is one of the greatest gifts that we could ever receive in our lives. It is more than every worldly possession. His coming fulfilled the promise from God and redeemed us from our sins so that we can be in Heaven with Him forever. As Christians, it has been our greatest gratitude to God for giving His only begotten Son to the world to live amongst us. However, it is also a question among Christians as to why Jesus had to leave heaven to fulfill God’s promise to us? To understand this, we have to understand the deeper meaning of Jesus’ purpose here on earth, which is that He was on a mission to confirm God’s promise to men stemming from generation to generation. We also have to understand that this mission’s purpose was not only to save us but also to reveal the Father to the world. Let’s discuss this in detail as we come to understand why Jesus had to leave paradise for us. Jesus’ Mission Was Mandated by God the Father The purpose of God to send His only begotten Son to the world is due to God’s nature, which is His love for His creation. This purpose of God is the greatest love that any creation can ever receive. This is revealed in one of the most well-known Bible verses, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). The incarnation of Christ was necessary to fulfill God’s mandate of love to us and that is why Jesus had to leave heaven to fulfill this. Jesus’ Mission Confirmed God’s Promise We can read in the Old Testament that God continued the promise to His chosen people, the place of Paradise. However, it is also written that His Chosen people continued to doubt God’s promise for them. However, despite this, God never failed in His promise to His creations, and for this reason, He fulfilled it through His only begotten Son, Jesus. It is written in Romans 15:8, “Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers.” Jesus is indeed the fulfillment of all the prophecies and laws employed in the Old Testament but yet, some Christians think He was brought to earth from heaven to break such prophecies. This is not true at all. In fact, in Mathew 5:17, it is written, “‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.’” There are about 300 prophecies that Jesus fulfilled by just taking the form of a human. Jesus’ Mission Revealed the Father to the World One of the many reasons why Jesus had to leave Heaven and come to earth was for God the Father, as well. Historically, God physically walked with men on earth, and then He was present as a pillar of cloud and fire and then through the Tabernacle and thenthe Temple. God brought His son to earth to become human so that we could see God, as it is written in John 1:8, “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him” This move by God the Father was not only for the time of Jesus’ incarnation but also for future generations. Because of Jesus and through the Holy Spirit, the present modern world can know God. Jesus Redeemed the World from Sin Jesus was the only human without sin, as He was both fully human and fully God. One of Jesus’ chief purposes here on earth was to redeem us from our sins. When Adam and Eve first sinned, they were both physically and symbolically covered by God with animalskin. This meant that God would not allow humans to be covered with sin, rather, with His ultimate love in the form of Jesus, as it is written in Genesis 22:8, “God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering.” This verse means that God provided a more powerful offering for men so that we are redeemed from the sins of the past and the future through Jesus Christ if we choose to repent and believe. In John 1:29, it is written that Jesus is the “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” Jesus Provides an Example to the World In 1 John 2:6, we can read this, “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” Because of Christ, we now have someone we can emulate to the highest level. As fully human, Jesus suffered the obstacles of this world, and yet, as fully God, He lived a sinless and holy life. In 1 Peter 2:21, we can read Jesus as an example, “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.” Jesus Provides the Greatest Gift Jesus leaving Heaven for us is one of the greatest gifts that we could ever receive in our lives. It is more than every worldly possession. His coming fulfilled a promise and mandate from God, redeemed us from sins, and gave us the ultimate example of what we should truly be in this world................ ------------------------------------------------------------------ What Was Jesus’ Mission? This act of salvation was a one-time event, but it continues to affect people around the world just as it did over 2000 years ago when His mission was accomplished. No other superhero act compares to the sacrifice of the ultimate Hero, Jesus Christ. Special missions — they are common among superheroes and secret agents in movies. Audiences are accustomed to the typical mission of a hero saving the world or a spy defeating a villain. Although comic book heroes, like the Avengers, Superman, and X-Men, have gained popularity in recent years as individuals on larger-than-life missions, there is a person described in Scripture whose mission was epically greater than any plot in a modern superhero movie. This real-life hero is Jesus Christ. Readers of the Bible can sometimes become distracted by other events in Jesus’ life and believe these events were the focus of His mission, such as His good life as a great Teacher or His discussion of Kingdom ethics in the Sermon on the Mount. These events in His life are important, but paradoxically, Jesus’ main aim in His ministry is found in His death. Christ came to die for the sins of mankind and to be resurrected, bringing the gift of salvation to all who place faith in Him. Jesus’ mission as Savior of the world is demonstrated in His name, the biblical birth narratives, and His personal statements. Before diving into how these aspects display Jesus’ mission for coming to the world, understanding why Jesus had a mission to begin with is an important point to establish. The Story Begins God’s plan to save humans began long ago, with the first people on earth. Adam and Eve, perfect in creation, chose to disobey God’s special orders not to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis2:16-17). Instead of obediently following these instructions, Adam and Eve rebelliously ate the fruit from the tree, bringing darkness and death into the world (Genesis3:6; 17-19; Romans 5:12). Because of man’s sin, humans were utterly desolate and without hope. Thankfully, God did not leave them in that position but gave them hope. A Savior would be born as the seed of woman, who would crush the head of the tempter, the deceitful serpent, Satan (Genesis3:14-15). This promise of salvation, known as the protoevangelium, foretold of a coming Messiah who would save His people from their sin. Thousands of years later, the Messiah appeared, heralded by a beacon: A bright star in the sky (Matthew2:1-2,10-11). No, the Messiah was not the political leader the Jews wrongly believed Him to be, breaking them free from the chains of Roman rule. Instead, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, came as the gentle Servant-King to free all people from the chains of spiritual darkness: The oppression of sin (Zechariah9:9; Romans 6:18; 8:2). The Name of the Hero Derived from the Hebrew name Yeshua or Joshua, the name “Jesus” is theologically charged. In Bible times, names carried significant depth and meaning, which can be easily overlooked by modern readers. For instance, in the Old Testament book of 1 Samuel, the daughter-in-law of Eli the Priest gave birth to a son quickly after she heard the news of her husband’s and father-in-law’s death, as well as the loss of the Ark of the Covenant from the Tabernacle(1 Samuel 4:19-20). Because of her despair over these events, she named her son Ichabod, whose name in Hebrew means “no glory” since she noted how “[t]he glory has departed from Israel” (1Samuel 4:21). As seen in this example, biblical names hold strong meaning and significance. Jesus’ name fits His goal since His name means “the Lord saves” or “Yahweh saves.” When the angel Gabriel told Joseph to name Mary’s son “Jesus,” he explained the name choice: “Because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew1:21). Significantly, the Hebrew derivative of Jesus, “Yeshua,” also carries the meaning of “rescuer” or “deliverer.” Jesus is Immanuel, God with us (Matthew1:20), who came to bear the sins of the world and take mankind’s punishment upon Himself through death on a cross. He successfully carried out His mission as Jesus — the God who saves. Birth Narratives Matthew and Luke detail the birth of Jesus and the events directly after His birth. As was shown through His name, Jesus had already been foretold as the Savior of His people (Matthew1:21). Not only did this message from Gabriel indicate Jesus’ saving purpose, but also Simeon’s prayer of praise and Anna’s reaction to seeing the Christ child at the temple demonstrates His salvific mission. Simeon’s prayer alluded to the salvation Jesus would bring. As he states in his prayer, “My eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the sight of all nations” (Luke2:30-31). According to Simeon, Jesus would be a “light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel” (Luke2:32). This passage is an allusion to Isaiah 49:6, which links the light of the nations to the Lord’s salvation. Also, when Simeon saw Mary and Joseph, he prophesied of Jesus’ death, which would cause Mary anguish (Luke2:33-35). In addition to Simeon’s recognition of the young Messiah, the prophetess, Anna, also referenced Jesus’ mission of redemption, focusing on His mission in relation to Israel (Luke2:36-38). She gladly proclaimed the good news of Jesus’ coming as the Messiah to all those who were listening in the temple courts (Luke2:38). Even from the time of His presentation of the temple, people had begun to recognize Jesus’ true reason for coming. Jesus’ Statements in the Gospels Throughout His ministry, Jesus prophesied His death and resurrection (Matthew 16:21; 17:22-23; Mark 8:31; Luke 9:22). During these times, the disciples did not understand what Jesus was referring to, but Jesus’ continual mention of these events emphasized their significance. His focus was on accomplishing the mission the Father had given Him (John 6:28), which was to lay down Hislife for others and rise from the dead, according to the prophecy of Scripture (Luke 24: 25-27, 46-48). In addition to the individual predictions of His death and subsequent resurrection, Jesus also stated His intention for coming in clear declarations. When Zacchaeus expressed faith in Jesus and experienced a change of heart, Christ succinctly declared: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke19:10). Reflecting Simeon’s prophecy of Jesus being the Savior of all, Jesus made this statement after commenting on Zacchaeus’ status as a son of Abraham, even though he was a despised tax collector and “sinner” (Luke19:2,7). When addressing the Pharisees’ negative statement about Jesus eating with “tax collectors and sinners,” Jesus spoke about the purpose of His coming. Rather than coming to help those who believed themselves to be righteous, Jesus came to save those who acknowledged their true spiritual state of deadness. Using the comparison of a doctor helping sick patients, Jesus said, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark2:17). All people need the atoning work of Christ to cover their sins since no one can pay for their own sins, but not all recognize this need (Romans3:9-18). Many other statements point to His world-saving mission. He declared Himself to be the Bread, which brings eternal life (John6:51), the Light of the world (8:12), the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep (John 10:11),the resurrection and life (John 11:25), and the Way of salvation (John14:6). Among all these statements, the clearest one about His mission was when Jesus said He came to give His life as a ransom for many (Matthew20:28; Mark 10:45). Mission Accomplished His death and resurrection was the goal of His coming, to bring salvation to those who believe (John3:16-17). Only Jesus, who is the God-Man, could act as the perfect sacrifice to pay the terrible sin debt of all people (1Peter 2:24). Even so, He had no sin, He took all of man’s evil deeds upon Himself, dying in mankind’s place on the cross (2Corinthians 5:21). Bringing victory over death at His resurrection, Jesus freely gives new life in eternal relationship with Him to all who place faith in Him (Romans6:23). In a hero-like description of Jesus’ saving act and how this sacrifice affected his own life, the Apostle Paul wrote in a letter to his friend Timothy, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to savesinners — of whom I am the worst” (1 Timothy 1:15). Through His own power and choosing, Christ laid down His life as the sacrificial lamb of God (John 1:29).This act of salvation was a one-time event, but it continues to affect people around the world just as it did over 2000 years ago when His mission was accomplished. No other superhero act compares to the sacrifice of the ultimate Hero, Jesus Christ. ------------------------------------------------------------------- How Was it the Right Time for Jesus’ Life on Earth? Whereas in earlier and later periods, Jesus would have had a much harder time moving and speaking freely, such practical concerns had been overcome. There were still dangers and obstacles ahead, but this phase of Rome’s supremacy best served the Lord’s purposes. “Would you agree that God, knowing the cost, would consider every angle in planning such an operation? He sent the right man for the mission, which was accomplished in the only possible way: Jesus’ death and resurrection.” Yet, “what was it about the vastRoman Empire that was so ideal for the coming of Christ?” Why, after hundreds, even thousands of years, did God decide this was the right time for Jesus’ life on earth, not earlier or later? What Was the Right Time? This was a historically significant time because “the Mediterranean world — the cradle of civilization — was unified” for the first time. The Romans extended Greek foundations of civilization by adding “the famous Roman roads [...] that would allow messengers to travel safely with news and ideas,” creating better ships, which would also help the apostles spread the gospel, and there was peacefor over 200 years. Greek was widely spoken, enabling Jesus to communicate with many individuals and groups. In this “relatively calm environment [...] the Jews were allowed to preserve their own faith and customs.” Whereas in earlier and later periods, Jesus would have had a much harder time moving and speaking freely, such practical concerns had been overcome. There were still dangers and obstacles ahead, but this phase of Rome’s supremacy best served the Lord’s purposes. What about Before Christ? Rome started as a monarchy but became a republic, which grew in military might. They had taken “control of the entire Italian peninsula by 264 BC” before fighting “the Punic Wars with Carthage, a powerful city-state in northern Africa.” By the end of that war, Rome was “in full control of Sicily, the western Mediterranean and much of Spain.” A Third Punic War (149–146 BC) enabled Rome to spread north of Greece into Macedonia. These were turbulent times around the Mediterranean. Close to home, the “Roman-appointed king of Judaea” named Herod “was in great pain and in mental and physical disorder. [...] The slaying, shortly before his death, of the infants of Bethlehem was wholly consistent with the disarray into which he had fallen.” Jesus’ family would flee to Egypt and the prophecy would be fulfilled: “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son” (Hosea11:1). And After Christ? The second half of the first century AD was tumultuous, in part because of the fighting between Jews and the followers of Christ. Nero also persecuted the Christians, and the Romano-Jewish War of AD 66 led to the martyrdom of Paul and Peter “when anti-Jewish frenzy was at its height.” The “JewishRevolt of AD 132” demonstrates the ongoing antisemitic feeling in Rome. Yet religion was not the only problem for Palestine. A political shift brought short-term peace as Emperors no longer assumed their role as a matter of heredity. Men of skill and mental stability expanded the Empire, but they overextended themselves with “constant warfare.” The Empire succumbed to financial strife and disunity in the fifth century. The rise of Christianity caused upheaval in its own right, but if Christ had come during the unraveling of Rome’s supremacy, he and the apostles would have encountered major practical hurdles such as rejection of the Greek language as emerging cultures establishedtheir own languages, and intolerance of the Jews, which would have limited public teaching. Jesus would not have attracted crowds who listened and watched as he rebuked the Pharisees, performed miracles, preached the Beatitudes, and taught parables. God’s Perfect Timing The entire Old Testament was leading to this window in time. “God revealed his heart for the nations over and over throughout the Scriptures” (Christ in the Feast of Pentecost, Bickner and Robinson). We can trust that his timing is perfect in every personal, societal, and global matter. “For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end — it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay” (Habakkuk2:3). Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us “for everything there is a season, and a time for every matter underheaven.” Paul encouraged the church at Galatia: “let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Ecclesiastes6:9). But did the Old Testament provide clues as to when Christ would be born? Intervals in Scripture The Father brought Jesus into the world as Immanuel at a particular, predestined time preceded by other carefully divided events. For example, “forty is associated with almost each new development in the history of God’s mighty acts, especiallyof salvation” such as “the Flood, redemption from Egypt,” and “Elijah and the prophetic era.” The flood rains fell for 40 days: Spies explored Canaan for 40 days. Seventy also has a sacred meaning in the Bible and its “factors” are “two perfect numbers, seven (representing perfection) and ten (representing completeness and God’s law). As such, it symbolizes perfect spiritual order carried out with all power. It can also represent a period of judgment.” For instance, “ancient Israel spent a total number of 70 years in captivity in Babylon” and Jerusalem “kept 70 years of Sabbaths while Judah was in Babylonian captivity.” “Seventy sevens (490 years) were determined upon Jerusalem for it to complete its transgressions, to make an end for sins and for everlasting righteousness to enter into it” according to Daniel 9:24. With hindsight, the faithful can see landmarks demonstrating God’s mathematical attentiveness. Yet, by these means the Lord has not permitted his people to discern a pattern revealing the date of Christ’s return: “Concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Mark13:32). Celestial Timing and the Birth of Jesus “May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands render him tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts!” (Psalm72:10). “A star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel” (Numbers 24:17). Jesus’ birth coincided with a major celestial event set in motion when the Lord separated earth and sky, creating the cosmos. The timeline of these circuits led to some type of astronomical event during Christ’s infancy. In 2020, Saturn and Jupiter lined up to create a huge, bright light for those who enjoyed clear skies. “A conjunction occurs when two or more celestial bodies appear to meet in the night sky.” Such an event can produce what appears to be an especially large, particularly bright star visible “every night in a similar location for days or weeks. If the wise men were to follow the moment of conjunction, it’s possible they would have been led in a specific direction.” That is, a conjunction of planets could have produced the Star of Bethlehem. Even more unusual, “a triple conjunction event did actually occur over a span from September, 3 BC through May, 2 BC,” according to Jay Ryan in his article, “What Was the Star of Bethlehem.” The Lord’s plan to bring Jesus to earth was catalyzed at the beginning of time with the orbit of every planet and the placement of everybody of light in the universe. Heaven, Earth, and God’s Timing Scripture frequently alludes to the stars in heaven as a way of describing how numerous the people of God would be, and not one word of Scripture appears at random. He could have used grains of sand, blades of grass, or some other unquantifiable symbol to represent the vastness of his Kingdom. A star came out of Jacob: Jesus. The image of a bright, beautiful light — a star — seems to foreshadow the coming Immanuel. That same image simultaneously conveys eternity and mathematical precision; the placement and timing of Creation to the full extent of the universe, all of it under the Almighty’s control. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Was Jesus Fully God as a Baby? God, in His fullness, came to be with us. Although Jesus was fully God when He was a baby, He emptied Himself and was found in the appearance of a human — in the most vulnerable way — for us! People talk about the wonder of childhood Christmas as if the “magic” of it fades with adulthood. The Christmas tree did seem to shrink as I grew, but with each passing year of my adult life, I think that Christmas gets more and more big, deep, high, andjust plain surprising! The very thought of God coming to earth, condescending to live with us as one of us, and then die for us, is all too much to take in at the mere face value of the words we use to communicate the Christmas story. And the cornerstone of that wondrous, shocking love-story is the baby Jesus became. So, was Jesus fully God even as a baby? Let’s look at what the Scripture tells us: The Word Became Flesh And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth (John1:14). John’s words assert that God the Son (also called the Word of God) came and lived among us yet He was full of the glory of God because He was fully God. He did not grow into God. He was God! He Will Be Called Immanuel Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son;and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear A Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus (Matthew1:18-25). Matthew records that Jesus was born of the Holy Spirit and that He would save people from their sins, and that His name would be Jesus and Immanuel meaning “God Saves” and “God with Us.” Again, Matthew’s account doesn’t sound like someone growing into deity, but deity come in fullness. God with us, not God growing with us. Matthew tells of God in His fullness coming to be fully with us! A Baby in a Manger While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. Butthe angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will finda baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased” (Luke 2:6-14).The account of Luke is full of more descriptions of Christ’s coming than just this section of Scripture. But this is perhaps my personal favorite. God sent His Son’s birth announcement not to kings in palaces, but to lowly shepherds living outside — outside literally and often figuratively outside because smelly sheepherders just generally didn’t make the cut for the popular crowd. I love that our Lord is like this! The angels’ announcement was, “Don’t be afraid! There is Good News for everyone. God has come to save you from your sins and the way you will know is this: There’s a baby wrapped in rags in a stable!” That God came as a baby and didn’t just appear as a fully-grown man in the prime of life, was part of God’s plan to be a sign to us! He was fully God and yet He wanted us to know He had come to be so thoroughly with us that He came as a baby! The shocking sight of God as a human baby was part of the plan! It was a sign for us. As I watch my son grow, sometimes I remember my own struggles to grow and then consider how God came and lived as a kid. Endured the struggles of teenage life. All the waiting to live out His calling and it’s simply too big to wrap my mind around that God chose all that as part of His coming to save us. In no way did He shortchange His human experience. He felt the pain of the cross, He was hungry and tired, endured traffic jams of people, politics that He wouldn’t have chosen, slept in random places because His ministry required it, and He even lived,speculatively, through diapers, teething, acne, and just all of it! It wasn’t even for Him. He was God. He already knew completely what it was to be human because He knows all things. It was for us. For me. For you. So that we could know He understood us. So that we could know our Lord doesn’t hold His children at a cosmic arm’s length. He is with us! So close that He became one of us. As our world spins full of unknowns and fears, the baby in the manger is the most comforting hope we can hang our hearts on. Because that is the sign God gave us to show us that He is with us! But now, thus says the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you…” (Isaiah43:1-2a). Throughout Scripture, God spoke over His children words to quiet their fears but the most powerful words that hush my heart’s anxieties is that no matter what “I will be with you!” Fully God and Fully Man Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likenessof men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians2:5-8). Although Jesus was fully God when He was a baby, He emptied Himself and was found in appearance as just a man, even a baby. God is big enough to grasp being human and God at the same moment. Big enough to submit Himself to death, but too powerful to be mastered by it! Praise Him! When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden, God came looking for them, calling to them. He knew exactly what had happened the moment sin entered Creation, yet He still came to hear their story, to make a covering for them, and to give them hope of the promisethat would heal the sickness that had now come upon all Creation. Over the next millennia, He gave “breadcrumb” promises through prophecies that revealed more and more of His coming until the day He finally came. And when He came, He chose to come as a baby! Why Does This Matter? When you think of Christmas, the Baby Jesus, and the manger scene, let it remind you that His arrival shouts, “I am with you!” and let that message stir comfort and peace over your struggles and worries. Let it encourage service and humility over the offenses in your heart and let it strengthen and anchor your soul to the confidence that your God is with you in and through everything this life can throw at you. ------------------------------------------------------------------- What Is Heaven Like According to the Bible? We shall see the Lord face-to-face. The fact that our all-knowing, all-powerful Creator will dwell with us and we shall know him in an even more intimate way should be sufficient for the true Christian to rest assured that they will be satisfied. When people try to imagine heaven, they sometimes picture ethereal images like angels loafing on clouds or chubby cherubs strumming on harps. In order to be motivated to live for the values of heaven, maintaining a biblical mindset about eternal realitiesis important. But maintaining this perspective is difficult when we are bombarded with numerous misconceptions about heaven in popular culture. Here are three of the most common ideas about heaven and what the Bible says about them. Common Misconceptions about Heaven 1. Heaven is where good people will spend eternity. The scriptures make clear that there is no one who is good enough for heaven (Romans3:11-12; Psalm 14:3). Any righteousness that we think we have is like a “filthy rag” (Isaiah 64:6) when heldup to the standard of God’s incomparable holiness. Those who think they are good enough for heaven are self-deceived and their pride separates them from God who “opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James4:6, ESV). In fact, Jesus said the way to heaven is small and narrow, and “only a few find it” (Matthew7:14). One of the scariest warnings Jesus ever gave was about people who will be self-deceived. They will think they are following Christ and many of them will even be doing miracles in his name, but they will not be allowed entrance to heaven. At the end of theirearthly lives, Jesus will reveal to them that he never knew them. Rather than living for God and his will, they had actually been living for themselves and their own selfish desires (Matthew7:21-23). Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke9:23). 2. Heaven is where Christians will spend eternity. This might not be as clear in scripture as people think. Some scholars on the topic of heaven argue the opposite. For example, in his book, 40 Questions About Heaven and Hell, Alan Gomes believes that the Bible indicates we will spend eternity on the new earth that God will create. He points to passages such as 2 Peter 3:13 and Revelation 21:1-2. Gomes writes, “What possible reason would we have for existing in heaven? It could not be to experience God’s presence more fully, for God will have made his dwelling with us on earth. Nor could it be that heaven provides an especially suitable habitat forresurrected human beings, for God designed a renovated, material earth precisely for that purpose…the New Jerusalem is a literal city that God will situate on the new earth.” 3. Heaven will be boring. Randy Alcorn comments: “Our belief that Heaven will be boring (and I hear this from people all the time) betrays a heresy — that God is boring. I think that we will see that for the lie it is if we realize that Heaven is God’s place and it’s the person whose place it is that determines the nature of the place….if we’re experiencing the invigorating stirrings of God’s Spiritand trusting Him to daily fill our lives with divine appointments, experiencing the childlike delights of His gracious daily kindnesses to us, then we will know that God is exciting and Heaven is exhilarating. People who love God crave His companionship. Tobe in His presence will be the very opposite of boredom.” Biblical Description of Heaven 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 says, “The things God has prepared for those who love him” are “revealed to us by his Spirit.” To counter false, unbiblical notions, we need to study and meditate on “words taught by the Spirit” (1Corinthians 2:13). Our eternal home is a real place (John 14:1-3) where we will reside in real,physical bodies (1 Corinthians 15) and where we will experience everlasting joys, rewards, and treasures (Matthew5:12; Matthew 6:19-20; Luke 6:23). God dwells there (Revelation 21:3) and the light of Jesus will permeate every corner of thisplace (Revelation 22:5). Charles Spurgeon said, “To the lover of Jesus it is very pleasant to observe how the Lord Jesus Christ has always stood foremost in glory from before the foundation of the world, and will do so as long as eternity shall last.” We shall see the Lord “face-to-face” (1 Corinthians 13:12). The fact that our all-knowing,all-powerful Creator will dwell with us and we shall know him in an even more intimate way should be sufficient for the true Christian to rest assured that they will be satisfied there, but the Bible gives us many other glimpses of what this place will belike. 1. Eradication of evil. Jesus promised that when he returns, he will send out his angels to “weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil,” and “then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of theirFather” (Matthew 13:41-43). Picture your favorite place on earth. Now imagine that place completely free from any of the unpleasantries that make you feel sad, uncomfortable, or anxious. Perfect righteousness and justice reign supreme. Every shred of evil has been completely eliminatedand, instead, will be the opposite of anything that causes displeasure. In Revelation 21:4, we see that the eternal state will have “no more sickness, crying, or pain.” What is the opposite of these? Perfect health, joy, and pleasure. In God’s presence, there are “pleasures forevermore” (Psalm16:11, ESV). Lovers of God will find that the pleasures of heaven eclipse their wildest imaginations (1Corinthians 2:9). 2. Perfect friendships. Think of all the Old Testaments saints or Christians down through history that you would like to meet… Abraham, Moses, Hannah, the Apostle Paul, Hudson Taylor, Amy Carmichael, Jim Elliot, Corrie Ten Boom. The Bible says we will be with all of those people but describes them as “just men made perfect” (Hebrews12:22-23). There will no longer be any hint of pride, insecurity, jealousy, discrimination, or competition — nothing that would hinder the sweetest Christian fellowship. Think about a time when you felt deep love and respect for fellow believers. Now imagine that love and respect being completely untarnished by any ounce of sin on their part or yours. Imagine that love being multiplied to a perfect degree and encompassingpeople “from every nation, tribe, people and language” (Revelation 7:9; Daniel 7:14) who are perfectly united in the one aim of loving God and seeking his glory alone. 3. Learning and growth. While our knowledge will greatly increase in the eternal state (1Corinthians 13:12), there is no reason to conclude that we will become all-knowing. William G. T. Shedd states, “By this we are not to understand that the creature’s knowledge, in the future state, will be as extensive as that of the Omniscient One; or that it will be as profound and exhaustive as His. The infinitude of things can be known only by the InfiniteMind.” Alcorn comments on Ephesians 2:6-7: “The word show means ‘to reveal.’ The phrase in the coming ages clearly indicates this will be a progressive, ongoing revelation, in which we learn more and more about God’s grace.” 4. Meaningful work. Work was part of God’s original plan for humans before the fall (Genesis2:15). God is always working (John 5:17) and Jesus said his mission was to finish the work of doing theFather’s will (John 4:34) to bring God glory (John17:4). Reagan Rose writes, “Imagine all of the things you love about work — the satisfaction, the sense of progress, the knowledge that you have brought something that was disordered into a greater state of order — but imagine all of that without the confusion, sweat, orannoyance that is part and parcel of our work now! Now, that’s a job I wouldn’t mind signing up for.” This eternal view of the satisfying aspects of work can impact our perspective on our earthly jobs. Tom Nelson comments, “If our daily work, done for the glory of God and the common good of others, in some way carries over to the new heavens and new earth, then our present work itself is overflowing with immeasurable value and eternal significance. Living for Eternity Knowing the reality of our eternal state and that many of the things we are doing now will continue, only in a perfected condition, should motivate us to live with purpose and godly motivations now. Those who love God will continue to love God and want toobey Him. Those who do not love God would not enjoy heaven anyway and will not be allowed entrance there. Peter writes, “What kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming….since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace withhim” (2 Peter 3:11-14). ------------------------------------------------------------------- What Is the Significance of ‘For God So Loved the World’? We can never do anything to deserve Jesus’ immeasurable sacrifice for us. In humble gratitude, we can only accept God’s grace and follow Jesus’ instructions in the gospel to attain the salvation that symbolizes how God so loved the world. Arguably the most well-known verse in the Bible is also the one describing the essence of our relationship with Jesus: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John3:16). From handheld signs at train stations to the bottoms of fast-food cups to a football player’s eyeblack, this message of the ultimate sacrifice for our ultimate salvation is a universal call to worship Jesus Christ. When considering this verse, we often focus on its second half, which highlights the link between belief in Jesus and the hope of eternal life. This article explores the verse’s first half, which summarizes the intensity of God’s love for humanity and how that love prompted Him to send down His only Son to be tortured and killed for our sake. God’s Love for Us Is Everlasting and Sacrificial Our bond with God has been a story about fatherly love from the beginning. God created the world and everything in it out of love, declaring His creations good and blessing it (Genesis1). God showed His love for mankind in particular by making us in His image and entrusting us to be caretakers of the world (Genesis1:27-28). Emphasizing how important it was for humanity to live in love, Jesus Himself summarized the whole of Scripture into two commands about love: Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind; and love your neighbor as yourself. “All the Law and the Prophets,” Jesus continued, “hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:34-40). Expanding upon this binding theme of love, the Bible declares simply but powerfully that, “God is love” (1John 4:8). When Scripture speaks of God’s love for us, it speaks of the highest level of love — or, agapelove. Agape is the Greek word for the highest form of love. Agape loveis everlasting and sacrificial, freely given whether or not the giver receives the same level (or any level) of love in return. Agape love is the perfect love that God showed for humanity when He sent His only Son to be sacrificed in atonement for our sins so that, through our belief in Jesus, we may have eternal life. God Sent His Son to Save Us Out of Love for Us Since the Garden of Eden, God has loved us. Since the Fall of Man in that Garden, we have rebelled against God. Undoubtedly, God has been brokenhearted over His children’s choice throughout history to sin and to turn against each other. To guide His children toward Christ, God handed down 10 commandments and included over 600 laws for His people to follow in the first five books of the Old Testament. These laws included sacrifices the people could perform to reconcile themselves with God when they, inevitably, broke one of those many laws. As the people of old proved true, humanity’s expected obedience to hundreds of Old Testament laws proved futile,as our human nature skews us toward deception and selfishness, and away from obedience and self-sacrifice (Romans8:7-8). God knew that this myriad of laws would make one thing clear to us: People would sin no matter how many rules they had on hand to help them navigate the different situations they found themselves in. This propensity to sin separated the human race from God and showed humanity its need for a Savior — someone to save us from the condemnation of the hundreds of Old Testament laws and to show us the way to salvation through faith. Knowing that it was the right time in history for an intercessor, God then sent down His Son Jesus to be that Savior. Jesus taught us a new, more peaceful way of life, rooted in love and faith in Him as the long-awaited Messiah. The New Testament message is that this faith in the teachings of the Risen Messiah and in His identity as the Son of God offers Man perpetual salvation and does away with the need for bloody Temple sacrifices. But this salvation was not without its pricefor God. God Watched His Son Die Out of Love For Us Jesus Christ freed humanity from the grip of sin by the lashes that dug into his skin as the Roman soldiers whipped him (John19:1). Jesus freed us from the condemnation of the Old Testament laws by being beaten, mocked, spat upon, and made to carry His torture device on His back to Calvary (John19:2-17; Matthew 27:27-31). Jesus offered us the hope of eternal salvation by Himself, dying a criminal’s death, hung up on a pole to perish slowly and painfully. God not only watched His Son go through all of this, He knew it would happen. As Jesus’ father, God knew the physical anguish that Jesus would suffer. Yet God loved us so much that He willed it to happen. God also knew the mental anguish that Jesus would suffer in the Garden of Gethsemane. In fact, the human aspect of Jesus was so distraught at what awaited Him that Our Savior sweated blood as He prayed that God “takethis cup” from Him (Luke 22:41-44). At that moment, God sent down an angel to strengthen Jesusbecause it was the Father’s will that the Crucifixion happen for us, for our salvation, despite the horror Jesus willingly endured because of it (Luke22:43; Philippians 2:8). Set against this backdrop of Jesus’ Passion, the words, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son” take on a crystal clear and heart wrenching reality that should bend the knee of even the casual believer. This is what perfect love, selflessand sacrificial love in action, looks like. What Does This Mean? While we were still sinners, God sent down His only Son to die in our place so that we might enjoy eternal life (Romans5:8). In exchange, we’re to turn from sin and live our lives in a way that reflects our faith in His Son Jesus Christ. We can never do anything to deserve God’s (and Jesus’) immeasurable sacrifice for us. In humble gratitude, we can only accept God’s grace and follow Jesus’ instructions in the gospel to attain the salvation that symbolizes how God so loved the world. ------------------------------------------------------------------- How Can I Identify Messianic Prophecies in the Old Testament? There are prophetic types and shadows all throughout the Old Testament pointing to Jesus Christ. From the tabernacle and the feasts to the offerings and the High Priest, we can identify the Messiah who was, and is and is to come. There are more than 300 Old Testament prophecies fulfilled by Jesus Christ, revealing the true Messiah who would come to atone for sin and to redeem both Jew and Gentile unto Himself. In order for Christians to identify Messianic prophecies and prophetic types and shadows within the Old Testament, it is important to be a student of the Word of God and to understand that the New Testament is needed to understand the Old Testament and viceversa. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament testify of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament predicts the One to come. The New Testament reveals the One who has come and will come again. You may be familiar with the account in Luke 24 where Cleopas and another disciple are walking along the road to Emmaus following the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As they walked along, Jesus drew near and began asking them questions about their conversation. Unable to recognize Jesus, they told of what had happened and of their languishing hope that He was the one to redeem Israel. Jesus rebuked them saying, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” (Luke24:25,26). He then went on to interpret to them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself, beginning with Moses and all the Prophets (Luke24:27). These passages along with countless others in the New Testament are interwoven with Old Testament prophecies and types, clearly identifying Jesus Christ as the Messiah who was foretold hundreds of years before His birth. According to Walter Kaiser, “There is no finer teacher on whether Jesus is to be found in the Old Testament than the teaching of our Lord Jesus Himself.” Along with Luke 24, we find Jesus saying to the crowd in the Sermon on the Mount, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew5:17). He also rebuked the Jewish people in John 5:39 saying, “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me.” Something worth noting here is that the scriptures Jesus referenced were from the Old Testament. The Partnership of the Testaments Identifying Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament requires reading and understanding the New Testament. For instance, by studying and understanding the earthly life and ministry of Jesus Christ, we can recognize the scriptures that foretold of Him in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New Testament. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament partnertogether to point to Jesus Christ. Details surrounding the life and ministry of Christ Jesus and Old Testament prophecy become evident when reading the New Testament. Matthew 1:22-23 quotes the prophet Isaiah concerning the virgin birth of Christ (Isaiah 7:14). Jeremiah 31:22 foretells of Him being conceived by the Holy Spirit, and this is fulfilled in Matthew 1:20 and Luke 1:35. The place of Christ’s birth as Bethlehem is noted in two of the gospels with it first prophesied in Micah 5:1-5. Details surrounding His ministry, such as the blind seeing and the deaf hearing (Matthew 11:5) wereprophesied by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 29:18,19; Isaiah 35:5). Psalm 78:2 says, “I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old.” We know from the New Testament that Jesus spoke many times in parables (Matthew 13:34-35:34). The Old Testament speaks of Judas who would fulfill prophecy in betraying Christ for 30 pieces of silver (Psalm41:9; Zechariah 11:12,13). Several of the Psalms mention the piercing of a righteous Sufferer’s hands and feet (Psalm 22:16),soldiers casting lots for this same individual’s coat (Psalm 22:18), this One having no bones broken(Psalm 34:20), and His resurrection (Psalm49:15). Even the cry of Jesus Christ from the cross, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” would have brought this Psalm to the crowd’s remembrance, recognizing its source from the Old Testament. Jesus Christ was the One in Psalm 22. From Genesis to Malachi In the very beginning of the Old Testament, we find the first prophecy recorded in the garden after the fall, which would tell of the Seed from a woman who would crush the head of the serpent (Genesis3:15). All throughout the Old Testament, Messianic prophecies can be found pointing to Jesus Christ. According to Walter Kaiser, there are at least six direct Messianic predictions in the Pentateuch: Genesis 3:15; 9:27; 12:2-3; 49:8-12, Numbers 24:15-19, and Deuteronomy 18:15-18. The One to come would defeat Satan, dwell with His people, and bless the nations of the earth through Abraham’s seed, which would come through Judah. He would be a star to come out of Jacob and a scepter to rise out of Israel, and He would be a prophet. The scriptures tell us that the throne of David would be established forever, and this is prophesied in 2 Samuel 7:12,13, 1 Chronicles 17:11-14, and 2 Chronicles 21:7. The promised Redeemer is mentioned in Job 19:25-27. A priest like Melchizedek is noted in Psalm 110:1-7. Proverbs 30:4 declares the Son of God. The prophets of the Old Testament foretold of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Isaiah proclaimed more prophecies concerning Christ than anyone, particularly the well-known verses in Isaiah 53. A description of the New Covenant brought forth by Christ is described in Jeremiah 31:31-34. Ezekiel 34:23 says, “I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd.” This is referring to the Messiah, the Good Shepherd. Daniel speaks of His everlasting Kingdom (Daniel 7:13,14). As we continue on with the minor prophets, we see Messianic prophecies of Israel’s restoration (Hosea 3:5),the promise of the Holy Spirit (Joel 2:28-32), the establishment of the Kingdom (Micah4:1-8), the Lamb on the throne (Zechariah 2:10-13), a heavenly High Priest (Zechariah6:12,13), and the light of the world (Malachi 4:2,3). These are but a fraction of the Old Testament prophecies proclaiming the Messiah, Jesus Christ, and these prophecies are fulfilled through Jesus Christ and found within the gospels, Romans, Acts, the Epistles, and Revelation. According to The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, the early church held the responsibility of showing how the Old Testament prophecies pointed to Jesus and that He came into the world as the Son of David, “a title closely linked with the Messiah as a royal person.” The early church would rely on the Old Testament to minister the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to testify of Him. What Does This Mean? There are prophetic types and shadows all throughout the Old Testament pointing to Jesus Christ. From the tabernacle and the feasts to the offerings and the High Priest, we can identify the Messiah who was, and is and is to come. The importance of staying in the Word of God, understanding the New Testament and its harmony with the Old Testament, cannot be overemphasized. To understand one is to understand the other, and they both testify of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. --------------------------------------------------------------------- TheFirstborn of Every Creature �Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.� (Colossians1:15) A widespread cult heresy based on this verse claims that Jesus Christ was not eternal but merely the first being created�perhaps an angel�before becoming a man. Note, however, that the verse does not say He was the �first created of every creature� but the �first born of every creature,� and there is a big difference. In fact, the very next verse says that �by him were all things created� (v. 16). He was never created, for He Himself is the Creator. �All things were made by him; and without him was not any thingmade that was made� (John1:3). He is �born� of God, not �made,� the �only begotten Son� of God (John3:16). �No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him� (John1:18). The eternal Father is omnipresent, and therefore invisible, inaudible, inaccessible to the physical senses. The eternally existing Son is the �image� of the invisible Father, the One who declares, reveals, embodies His essence. Although He is always �in the bosom of the Father,� yet He is eternally also �the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person� (Hebrews1:3). He is the eternal, living Word, which was �in the beginning with God� (John1:2), and which �was God� (John1:1). Thus, the phrase �firstborn of every creature� in our text can be translated literally as �begotten before all creation.� The eternal inter-relationship of the Persons of the Godhead is beyond human comprehension in its fullness, and the terms �Son� and �begotten� are the best human language can do to describe it. Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, is the only begotten, eternally generated Son of the Father, forever shining forth as the image of the otherwise invisible God. HMM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Entrance Exam The popular belief is "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved" (Acts16:31). While this is true enough in its own right, it leaves out a great deal of biblical instruction about what God wants us to do with our lives between baptism and our glorious entrance into His Kingdom. Other just-as-true scriptures tell us that we have to meet His expectations, His standards, which are high and rigorous. And rightfully so, as the rewards are stunning! Jesus tells us in Matthew 13:43, "Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" (see Romans 8:17). Only a relative few can meet His standards because they are complex, extensive, and demanding. This fact is one reason "many are called, but few are chosen" (Matthew22:14). For God's called, they are easy to understand but difficult in terms of execution, even with the help of His Spirit in us. For instance, note the instruction of the apostle Peter: But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. . . . Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble. (IIPeter 1:5-7, 10; see Galatians 5:22-23) That is a significant challenge! So, it is good to review these things on occasion, to examine ourselves, to determine whether we are still standing tall, albeit humbly, before God, continuing to grow in His righteousness. We will do this by noting the passages in which Godtells us what kind of person He will�or will not�allow to enter His Kingdom. They will make up a kind of entrance exam against which we can evaluate ourselves. To Nicodemus, Jesus says, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God" (John3:5). Belief, repentance, baptism, and receipt of the Holy Spirit are requirements for salvation. With God's special calling and the gift of His Spirit, He sets us apart to come to know His way and plan, and eventually, to undergo complete regeneration at His coming(see Titus 3:5; Matthew 19:28). All along the way, we must put on the New Man, the character of our Lord (see Ephesians 4:17-24; Colossians 3:10-17). Further, Jesus teaches in Luke 6:20: "Blessed are you poor: for yours is the kingdom of God." If His statement refers to those who are financially needy, it would mean that all the poor of the world would receive a free pass into God's Kingdom! However, this is not the case. He is speaking directly to His disciples, then and now. Matthew5:3 contains a parallel saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." When used this way, "poor" means that, in comparison to God, we reckon that we are spiritually impoverished, without resources. We are weak, powerless, and spiritually bankrupt. Being poor in spirit is the attitudinal launching pointfor all the characteristics of love and godliness that please the Father. When we are poor in spirit, we recognize our spiritual need, which causes us to draw close to Him. Jesus also tells His disciples in Mark 10:15: "Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it." Little children are teachable and eager to learn, mild, humble, and free from obstinance and preconceived notions. Christ islooking for the ability to accept freely and eagerly what God teaches. Acts 17:11 judges the Bereans to be noble because they searched the Scriptures daily, not to prove Paul's teachings were wrong, but to determine the truth of what they had heard and if they themselves were aligned with them. Christ lays out another point of examination in Luke 9:62: "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." He is not dispensing farming advice. However, farming is hard work, too difficult for some, and so they find an easier, more enjoyable way of earninga living. Similarly, some whom God has called find the difficulties of the Christian life�one of self-sacrifice�too challenging, and they turn back and lose their reward. The prime illustration of this turning back is Lot's wife. She looked back, probably longingly, at a way of life in Sodom that God was about to destroy, rebelling against the explicit instruction in Genesis 19:17 not to look back. This has a firm application for us today, those living at the end of the age. As He said about Sodom, God has promised to destroy the corrupt world we live in. We must keep our eyes on our magnificent goal, move toward it,and endure. However, our path often brings us into tribulation, that is, circumstances that seem to want to squeeze, crush, and break us. Standing up to one such experience is not easy, yet the Bible says that we can expect many tribulations! Luke writes in Acts 14:22 that Paul and Barnabas told new converts, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God." This warning was among the last things Jesus also told His disciples before His arrest: "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John16:33). These difficult circumstances "perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle" us (IPeter 5:10). The same apostle writes that God called us to this sometimes harsh life "because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that [we] should follow in His steps" (IPeter 2:21). He, too, was made "perfect through sufferings" (Hebrews2:10). If we wish to be like Him, we have to overcome as He did. Patienceor endurance goes hand in glove with tribulation and is just as necessary for entrance to the Kingdom. Paul writes in II Thessalonians 1:4-5: [W]e ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdomof God, for which you also suffer . . .. The writer of Hebrews concurs: "For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise" (Hebrews10:36). Our everyday battle is against corruption of all sorts. Paul writes in Ephesians 5:5: "For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God" (many other disqualifying sinful practices are listed in I Corinthians 6:9-10; 15:50; Galatians 5:19-21; Revelation 21:7-8; 22:14-15). He exhorts us in I Timothy 6:11, "But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness." The apostle James puts our purpose in a nutshell: "Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?" (James2:5). We are selected and approved by God specifically to develop our faith in Him and love for Him, and we do this by striving to meet the high standards God sets throughout His Word for those who will enter His Kingdom. Trying to meet all of God's standards�in essence, to be like Christ�is neither simple nor easy. It can result in an arduous, painful life, as His did. Thank God for His grace and help in time of need (Hebrews4:16)! Yet, if we make a sincere effort to overcome and grow, we have this sure promise: ". . . if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior JesusChrist" (IIPeter 1:11). - Mike Fuhrer