_________________________________________________ Revelation and Beyond: A Journey in the Midst of the Years Title Page "I will revive My work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years I will make Myself known." The Revelation (Handbook 2) PART 1: Time and the Works of God: An Introduction PART 2: Appointed Times, Appointed Works in the Midst of the Years PART 3: An Appointed Time, An Appointed Work: Restoring God's House PART 4: An Appointed Time, An Appointed Work: Renewing the Kingdom "And this do, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now our salvation is nearer to us than when we believed... Let us therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light..." Romans 13:11, 12 "Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time is... you do not know when the lord of the house is coming... lest He come suddenly and find you asleep." Mark 13:32, 35, 36 * * * * * "Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. And it is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and set up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise man, and knowledge to 'knowers.' It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him." Daniel 2:20, 21 _________________________________________________ God and Time Part 1: Time and the Works of God: An Introduction God does not speak of Himself in measures or terms of time; He simply states, "I Am!" He enfolds, encloses, all measures of time within Himself. "'I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God, 'who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.'" Revelation 1:8 Jesus also speaks of Himself in this way: "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham came into being I AM." John 6:38 "And He is the image of the invisible God, the first born of all creation. For in Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities -- all things have been created through Him or for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." Colossians 1:15-17 However, the Scriptures speak often in terms of time. "There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven -- A time to give birth, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted. A time to kill, and a time to heal; A time to tear down, and a time to build up... A time to throw stones, and a time to gather stones... A time to search and a time to give up as lost... A time to tear apart, and a time to sew together; A time to be silent and a time to speak. A time to love, and a time to hate; A time for war, and a time for peace." Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 There is even a time for wickedness. "I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is wickedness, and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness. I said in my heart, 'God will judge both the righteous man and the wicked man,' for a time for every matter and for every deed is there." Ecclesiastes 3:16, 17 _________________________________________________ God and Appointed Times Part 1: Time and the Works of God: An Introduction God speaks of His work and His will in terms of time, His "appointed times." The Fullness of Times "But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, in order that He might redeem those who were under law, that we might receive the adoption as sons." Galatians 4:4 "After John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand...'" Mark 1:15 "...He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration of the fullness of times, that is the summing up of all things in Christ, things upon the heavens and things upon the earth." Ephesians 1:8-10 The Proper Time "I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pilate, that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will bring about at the proper time..." 1 Timothy 6:13-15 The Last Days "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world." Hebrews 1:1, 2 "In the last days, The mountain of the house of the Lord Will be established on the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills..." Isaiah 2:2 The Day of the Lord "Blow a trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; surely it is near..." Joel 2:1 "Lift up a standard on the mountain, Raise your voice to them... I have commanded My consecrated ones, I have even called My mighty warriors... To execute My anger... The Lord of hosts is mustering the army for battle... The Lord and His instruments of indignation... ...for the day of the Lord is near!" Isaiah 13:1-6 Fixed Days "...God is declaring to men that all everywhere should repent because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the inhabited earth in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead." Acts 17:30, 32 "Therefore just as the Holy Spirit says, 'Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your heart as when they provoked Me, As in the day of trial in the wilderness... As I swore in My wrath, "They shall not enter My rest."' Therefore, let us fear, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you should seem to have come short of it. Since therefore it remains for some to enter it... He again fixes a day, 'Today,' saying... 'Today if you hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.'" Hebrews 3:7, 8, 11; 4:1, 6, 7 Acceptable Times "At an acceptable time I listened to you, and on the day of salvation I helped you; behold now is the acceptable time, behold now is the day of salvation..." 2 Corinthians 6:19 Appointed Days and Hours "Therefore... be ready too, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will." Matthew 24:42 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone." Matthew 24:3 "Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his lord will put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his lord finds so doing when he comes." Matthew 24:44-46 "For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and will then recompense every man according to his deeds (Lit. doing)." Matthew 16:27 God also speaks of an appointed order of things framed in measures of time: "first," "after that," "then comes the end," "until," and "when." "For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming, then comes the end, when He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet... And when all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, that God may be all in all." 1 Corinthians 15:22-28 Again: "There is a time for every event under heaven... a time for every matter and every deed." There are times that are fulfilled. "After John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand...'" Mark 1:15 There is work that is "fulfilled" - deeds that are completed in the sight of God. In the days of His flesh, Jesus had work to accomplish, work assigned to Him by His Father. And in His time on earth, He did just that! Then that appointed hour "came"! "...lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, 'Father, the hour has come; glorify Thy Son, that the Son may glorify Thee, even as Thou gavest Him authority over all flesh... I glorified Thee on the earth, having accomplished the work, which Thou hast given Me to do.'" John 17:1-8 "After this, Jesus knowing that all things had already been accomplished, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, 'I am thirsty'... When Jesus therefore had received the sour wine, He said, 'It is finished!' And He bowed His head; and gave up His spirit." John 19:28-30 "...He, having offered one sacrifice for sins, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet." Hebrews 10:12, 13 "It" is finished. "He, having offered one sacrifice for sins, sat down at the right hand of God..." But "it" is not finished! "...waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet." Jesus spoke to His disciples of "that time onward" - of works yet to be accomplished. "Truly, truly I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father." John 14:12 The above Scripture tells us who has been assigned these greater works. "...he who believes in Me..." What "time" is it now in our generation? It is still "from that time onward"! The "Work" is finished; but the work is not finished. And just as in Solomon's time, the following is still the state of affairs. "I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is wickedness, and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness. I said in my heart, 'God will judge both the righteous man and the wicked man,' for a time for every matter and for every deed is there." Ecclesiastes 3:16, 17 God confirms this in Handbook 2, repeating it in Handbook 3. "Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away, for truth has stumbled in the streets, and uprightness cannot enter... Now the Lord saw and it was displeasing in His sight that there was no justice. And He saw there was no man, and was astonished that there was none to intercede; then His own arm brought salvation to Him and His righteousness upheld Him. And He put on righteousness like a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head; He put on garments of vengeance for clothing and wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle. According to their deeds He will repay." Isaiah 59:14-18 _________________________________________________ The "Greater Works" and the First Century Church Part 1: Time and the Works of God: An Introduction "From that time onward" began in the first days of the early church. "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bondservants, the things which must shortly take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Christ Jesus, to all that he saw." Revelation 1:1 John speaking: "I was on the island of Patmos, exiled there for preaching the word of God, and for telling what I knew about Jesus Christ. It was the Lord's day and I was worshiping when suddenly I heard a loud voice behind me, a voice that sounded like a trumpet blast, saying, 'I am A and Z, the First and Last!' And then I heard Him say, 'Write down everything you see, and send your letter to the seven churches.' When I turned to see who was speaking, there behind me were seven candlesticks of gold. And standing among them was one who looked like Jesus, who called Himself the son of man, wearing a golden band across His chest. His hair was white as wool or snow, and His eyes penetrated like flames of fire. His feet gleamed like burnished bronze, and His voice thundered like the waves against the shore. He held seven stars in His right hand and a sharp, double-bladed sword in His mouth, and His face shown like the power of the sun in unclouded brilliance. When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead..." Revelation 1:10-17 (Living Bible) It was not the "gentle Savior" of an old refrain who presented Himself to John on Patmos. "Bless me now, O gentle Savior, hear my humble cry; When on others you are calling, do not pass me by." It was not a "gentle Savior" John saw standing in the midst of the lamp stands (the churches). His voice thundered, His eyes penetrated like flames of fire, His feet gleamed like burnished bronze; and in His mouth was a sharp, double-bladed sword. "And I saw heaven opened; and behold a white horse, and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges and wages war. And His eyes are a flame of fire... and from His mouth comes a sharp sword..." Revelation 19:11, 12, 15 It was not a "gentle Savior" who commended, reprimanded, and spoke of reward or judgment according to their deeds in His message to the churches the 2nd and 3rd chapter of the book of Revelation. "He who has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit say to the churches." Revelation 2:11 To Ephesus: "I know your deeds... I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember, therefore, from where you have fallen, and repent and do the first deeds, or else I am coming to you and will move your lamp stand out of its place." Revelation 2:4, 5 To Thyatira: "I know your deeds... and your last deeds are greater than the first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate... who teaches and leads My bond-servants astray... know I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds...Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come... keep My deeds until the end." Revelation 2:19, 25 To Sardis: "I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, and you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. Remember therefore how you have received and heard; and keep it and repent. If therefore you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come upon you." Revelation 3:1-3 To Laodicea: "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot, I would that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, I will vomit you out of My mouth." Revelation 3:15 To Pergamum: "...I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith... But I have a few things against you, because you have some who hold the teaching of Balaam... some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitains... Repent therefore; or else I am coming to you quickly and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth. Revelation 2: 13-16 One of the churches was commended and a door for the work opened for them. To Philadelphia: "He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this: 'I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name... I will also keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole earth, to test those who dwell upon the earth.'" Revelation 3:8, 10 The deeds, the greater works, were not completed in the first century. The deeds, the greater works, are not completed now... The "time" for those of us who believe in Him is still "from that time onward." "The Lord says to my Lord: 'Sit at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet.' The Lord will stretch forth Thy strong scepter from Zion, saying, 'Rule in the midst of Thine enemies.' Thy people will volunteer freely in the day of Thy power..." Psalm 110:1-3 And Jesus is still waiting! _________________________________________________ An Appointment From the Beginning Part 1: Time and the Works of God: An Introduction "Who" is assigned this appointed work, to make Jesus' enemies a footstool for His feet? Who is this 'one' in whom God put all things on earth under his feet? The Assignment "Then God said, 'Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness and let him rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth... And God blessed them; and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it... And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good." Genesis 1:26, 28, 31 How did God equip man to do His work? "Then God said, 'Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness...'" "When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, The moon and the stars, which Thou hast appointed; What is man that Thou dost remember him? And the son of man that Thou dost care for him? Yet Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels And dost crown him with glory and majesty! Thou dost make him to rule over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet..." Psalm 8:3-8 According to Our Likeness God crowned man "with His glory and majesty..." "For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subjected to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him. But we do see... Jesus..." Hebrews 2:8, 9 The First Instructions for the Work "Then God said...'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it...'" Genesis 1:26, 28 "And the Lord commanded the man saying, 'From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat from it, for in the day that you eat you shall surely die.'" Genesis 2:16, 17 Consider: It has been widely believed that at the moment of disobedience, Adam, representing all mankind, died in his "spirit". But Scripture tells us that in the beginning man was not created a living spirit but a living soul. "Then the Lord God formed man from the dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." Genesis 2:7 Man was flesh (body), he was soul (mind, emotion, intellect, etc.), not yet fully equipped to do God's work. But that he had been given the assignment and granted the grace and the "potential" or possibility to bear the image and likeness of God, is clearly stated. Again: "Who is man that Thou dost remember him... And dost crown him with glory and majesty! Thou dost make him to rule over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet..." Isaiah 8:4-6 For Adam and Eve at their creation every blessing was granted to them. God so loved them that He gave... His fellowship. His provision for their every need He supplied in the garden, even the tree of life was there for them. "...(He) graciously and helpfully cared for and visited and looked after him." But they did not "believe" His Word to them, they bought the Lie! "For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and beasts and birds and reptiles... For they exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the creator, who is blessed unto the ages." Romans 1:21-23, 25 "And God drove man out from the garden lest he eat of the tree of life. There was no longer any reflection of the likeness of God in him, the reflection of glory and majesty of God. And man although his body and soul were still intact, was dead in his trespasses and sin, and he who was to rule and subdue the earth was now ruled by 'the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that works in the sons of disobedience.'" Ephesians 2:1, 2 And man was "dead in his trespasses and sins..." However, Romans 11:29 tells us that the "gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable." "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek me and find me when you search for Me with all your heart.'" Jeremiah 29:11-13 Man at Creation "Crowned with Glory and Majesty": "...you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5:48 "For we are God's handiwork, recreated in Christ Jesus, that we may do the good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us, taking paths which he prepared ahead of time) that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10 Ponder these Scriptures: "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence. Through which things He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust." 2 Peter 1:2-4 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him, in love." Ephesians 1:3, 4 "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:6 "The Lord will accomplish what concerns me; Thy lovingkindness, O Lord, is everlasting. Do not forsake the works of Thy hands." Psalm 138:8 "Because He Is, I Can Become" (Handbook 3, Article 40) The Divine Original, Man's Only Hope of Glory "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him; and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men... And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of an only (or unique) one, full of grace and truth... For of His fullness we all received and grace upon grace." John 1:1-4, 14, 16 "He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation. For in Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities -- all things have been created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also the head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might have first place in everything. "For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself... I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God... that I might make full the word of God... that is the mystery of God which has been hidden from the past ages and generations that now has be manifested to His holy ones... which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." Colossians 1:15-19, 25-27 "As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so lead your life in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him... For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete (or full), and He is the head of all rule and authority..." Colossians 2:6, 7, 9, 10 "And we proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man complete (or perfect) in Christ..." Colossians 1:28 "...that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Colossians 2:2, 3 A Definition, "Crowned with Glory and Majesty" "Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness will cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will rise upon you, And His glory will appear upon you..." Isaiah 60:1, 2 "Awake, awake, utter a song! Arise... Then survivors came down to the nobles; The people of God came down as warriors... There were great resolves of heart... There were great searchings of heart... The leaders led in Israel... The people volunteered, bless the Lord... Thus let all Thine enemies perish, O Lord; But let those who love Him, be like the rising of the sun in its might." Excerpt: Judges 5 _________________________________________________ Working the Works of God Part 1: Time and the Works of God: An Introduction "They said therefore to Him, 'What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?' Jesus answered, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.'" John 6:28, 29 "Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness." Galatians 3:6 "My soul, it is God, even your God, God that cannot lie, who speaks to you. The word of His which you are now considering is as true as His own existence. He is God unchangeable. He has not altered the thing which has gone out of His mouth; nor called back one single consolatory sentence. Nor does He lack any power; it is God that has made the heaven and earth who has spoken thus. Nor can He fail in wisdom as to the time when He will bestow His judgments or His blessings; for He knows when to give and when to withhold. Therefore, seeing that it is the word of God so true, so immutable, so powerful, so wise, I will and must believe." Charles Spurgeon Wisdom and the Workman "Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him... He gives wisdom to the wise man, and knowledge to knowers. It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things..." Daniel 2:20, 21 Wisdom speaking: "For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding; If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will discern the fear of the Lord, And discover the knowledge of God." Proverbs 2:3-5 "...every man wise of heart in whom the Lord has put wisdom and understanding to know how to perform the work in or connected with the service of the sanctuary, shall perform in accordance with all that the Lord has commanded." Exodus 36:1 _________________________________________________ Reviewing the "Order of Things" Part 1: Time and the Works of God: An Introduction "...an administration of the fullness of the times, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth." Ephesians 1:10 "For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming, then comes the end, when He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet... And when all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, that God may be all in all." 1 Corinthians 15:22-25, 28 Again: "And when all things are subjected to Him... For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet." At this moment in time, the summer of 2012, nearly 2000 years since Jesus took His seat at the right hand of God, all things are not yet "subjected" to Him. No generation in all these centuries has completed the "greater works" to God's satisfaction. And although: "The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil." 1 John 3:8 And Jesus declared just before His crucifixion: "Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world shall be cast out." John 12:31 "...the whole world lies in the power of the evil one." 1 John 5:19 Satan is alive and well and very successful, he still rules! And although the kingdom "is" at hand, is hovering near, it has not come... "After John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand...'" Mark 1:15 Nor can it -- "it" is not finished! The "Order of the Feet" "For behold, the Lord is coming forth from His place, He will come down and tread on the high places of the earth." Micah 1:3 "For behold, He who forms mountains and creates the wind... He who makes dawn into darkness And treads on the high places of the earth, The Lord of hosts is His name." Amos 4:13 "He having offered one sacrifice for sins for all times, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet." Hebrews 10:12, 13 "The Lord says to my Lord: 'Sit at My right hand, Until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet.' The Lord will stretch forth Thy strong scepter from Zion, saying, 'Rule in the midst of Thine enemies.' Thy people will volunteer freely in the day of Thy power." Psalm 110:1-3 "What is man that Thou dost remember him? And the son of man that Thou dost care for him... And dost crown him with glory and majesty! Thou dost make him to rule over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet..." Psalm 8:3-8 "...For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subjected to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him. Therefore... make straight paths for your feet..." Hebrews 2:8, 9 "In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:6 But we do see Jesus. "...He, your Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher. And your ears will hear a work behind you, 'This is the way, walk in it, whenever you turn to the right or the left.'" Isaiah 30:20, 21 How It Works "...the Lord appointed seventy... and sent them two and two ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come. And He said to them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Go your ways, behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves... The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.' And the seventy returned with joy, saying, 'Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.' And He said to them, 'I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall injure you.'" Luke 10:1, 3, 16-18 "...everywhere I send you, you shall go, and all I command you, you shall speak... Behold, I have put My words in your mouth, See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, To pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, To build and to plant." Jeremiah 1:7, 9, 10 A Scripture to Remember "You know that David my father was unable to build a house for the name of the Lord his God because of the wars which surround him, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet." 2 Chronicles 2:4 A Caution for the Workman "I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me..." John 14:39 (Handbook 1, Article 36) _________________________________________________ God's Workman, a Portrait Part 1: Time and the Works of God: An Introduction A workman is the handiwork of God for the purpose of good works. "For we are God's handiwork recreated in Christ Jesus that we may do those good works which God planned beforehand for us, taking paths which He prepared ahead of time that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10 A workman "works" out his salvation with fear and trembling. "So then... just as you have always obeyed... work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." Philippians 2:12, 13 A workman presents himself to God. "I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, well-pleasing to God; which is your spiritual service of worship." Romans 12:1 "...and coming to Him as to a living stone... you also, as living stones, allow yourselves to be built up (or build yourselves up) as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 2:4, 5 A workman serves the purpose of God in his generation. "David served the purpose of God in His own generation..." Acts 13:36 A workman does all God's wills. "I have found David, a man after My own heart who will do all My will(s)." Acts 13:22 "I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who will do according to what is in My heart and in My soul; and I will build him an enduring house, and he will walk before My anointed forever." 2 Samuel 2:35 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father." Matthew 7:21 "Therefore look carefully how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." Ephesians 5:15-17 A workman walks in the same manner as Jesus walked. 1 John 2:6 "Truly, truly... the Son can do nothing of Himself unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son does also." John 5:19 A workman echoes the words of Jesus. "...a body Thou hast prepared for Me... Behold, I have come to do Thy will, O God." Hebrews 10:5, 7 A workman is: "...a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold new things have come." 2 Corinthians 5:17 A workman's conscience has been cleansed from dead works. "...the blood of Christ... cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God..." Hebrews 9:14 He has been redeemed from lawless deeds. "...our great God and Savior Jesus Christ; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds." Titus 2:13, 14 "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many works of power?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'" Matthew 7:22-23 A workman brings every thought captive to Christ. "Examine everything carefully, hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every appearance of evil." 1 Thessalonians 1:21 "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable in His sight." Romans 12:2 (Handbook 1, Article 70) "We are destroying speculations, and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are bringing every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God for the destruction of fortresses." 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 A workman knows and lives and has his being under the absolute authority of God. "He has put all things under Christ's feet and has made Him the head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." Ephesians 2:22, 23 "I am the vine, you are the branches, he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing." John 15:5 A workman walks in God's judgments. "...whatever you shall bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven." Matthew 16:19 Divine Work (Handbook 1, Article 102) A workman continually watches and listens, to see what the Lord will say to him. Listening (Handbook 2, Article 8) A workman remembers. "...remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness... that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments... He led you through the great and terrible wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water; He brought water for you out of the rock of flint." Deuteronomy 8:2, 15 The Wilderness (Handbook 1, Article 23) A workman keeps his "first love." "I remember concerning you the devotion of your youth, the love of your betrothals, your following Me in the wilderness through a land not sown." Jeremiah 2:2 "You must love the Lord your God and obey everyone of His commandments. Listen: you have seen and experienced His greatness and His awesome power... how the Lord kept them powerless against you to this day... how the Lord cared for you time and time again through all the years you were wandering through the wilderness until you arrived here... You must obey so you have the strength to go in and possess the land you are about to enter." Deuteronomy 11:1-3 The Friend of God (Handbook 1, Article 64) Loving God (Handbook 1, Article 89) A workman walks in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit. "For thus the Lord spoke to me with strength of His hand and instructed me not to walk in the way of the people, saying, 'You are not to say, it is a conspiracy...' And you are not to fear their fear or be in dread of it. It is the Lord of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, And He shall be your dread. Then He shall become a sanctuary..." Isaiah 8:11-18 "And these words I am commanding you today shall be on your heart... you shall fear only the Lord your God..." Deuteronomy 6:6, 13 A workman is a witness and a servant. "You are My witnesses and My servant, whom I have chosen, in order that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no god formed, and there will be none after Me. I, even I am the Lord; and there is no savior besides Me... It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed... So you are My witnesses... and I am God. Even from eternity I am He; and there is none who can deliver out of My hand; I act and no one reverses it." Isaiah 43:10-13 A workman confesses that he is a stranger and exile on the earth. "And I am no more in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world. While I was with them, I was keeping them in Thy name... and I guarded them... But now I come to Thee... I have given them Thy word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask Thee to take them out of the word, but to keep them from the evil one... As Thou didst send Me into the world, I have also sent them into the world." John 17:11-18 "By faith Abraham, when he was called... went out, not knowing where he was going... By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land... for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. ...having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth... they desire a better country, that is a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God..." Hebrews 11:8-10, 13, 16 A workman knows that, "friendship with the world is hostility toward God." "Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: 'The Spirit which He has made to dwell in us jealously desires us.'" James 4:4, 5 "Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world is passing away, and also it lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever." 1 John 2:15-17 "For the grace of God has appeared... instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age..." Titus 2:11, 12 A workman is content. "...I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need." Philippians 4:11, 12 A workman is diligent. "Study (be diligent) to show yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15 "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply virtue, and in your virtue, knowledge; and in your knowledge, self control, and in self control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness; and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these is blind or shortsighted, having forgotten his purification from sins. Therefore... be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you." 2 Peter 1:2-11 A workman is faithful. "Therefore, holy brethren, partaker of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession. He was faithful to Him who appointed Him as Moses also was in all his house... For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house whose house we are..." Hebrews 3:1-6 "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful putting me into service." 1 Timothy 1:12 A Workman's Confession "It is a trustworthy statement... that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all." 1 Timothy 1:15 Chief of Sinners (Handbook 1, Article 19) "He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?' And Peter answered... 'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.' And Jesus answered, and said to him, 'Blessed are you... because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.'" Matthew 16:16, 17 "But Thomas... was not with them when Jesus came...he said to them, 'Unless I shall see in His hands, the imprint of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe ... Jesus came... Then He said to Thomas... 'Be not unbelieving, but believing.' Thomas answered and said to Him, 'My Lord and my God.' Jesus said to him, 'Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and have believed.'" John 20:24-29 A Workman's Prayer "...(that he will) have a good conscience, desiring to conduct (himself) honorably in all things. ...(and that) the God of peace... may equip (him) in every good thing to do His will, working in (him) what is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen." Hebrews 13:18, 20, 21 "...that (he) may be a faithful servant of Christ... that (he) may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that (he) may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God... " Colossians 1:9, 10 A Workman's Praise "Blessed be the God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be and blameless before Him..." Ephesians 1:3, 4 A Workman's Testimony "...I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing knowledge of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord... in order that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own... but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus..." Philippians 3:8-12 "...(I) do not know what a day may bring forth..." Proverbs 27:1 "But as for me, I trust in Thee, O Lord; I say, 'Thou art My God.' My times are in Thy hand." Psalm 31:14, 15 _________________________________________________ The Revelation Revisited Part 2: Appointed Times, Appointed Work in the Midst of the Years What is a revelation? Only God can fully know God, and only God can make Himself known. "Revelation is a process whereby God makes Himself known to men. It is the revealing of something previously hidden, something that is unknown until the moment of enlightenment when it bursts forth from the Spirit of God into the spirit of a chosen person or persons. It is a self-disclosure of God, a deep knowledge of His person, His purpose, His ways or plans made known by the Holy Spirit." Harper's Bible Dictionary The Revelation, Handbook 2: "I will revive My work in the midst of the years; in the midst of the years I will make Myself known." Habakkuk 3:2 The Revelation Multiplied He is aroused and risen from His holy habitation. He is coming and will dwell in our midst. He is restoring things to His Divine Original -- His will and purpose in creation. He is making a correction by establishing a plumb-line, a measurement. He is summing up all things in Christ Jesus. His Divine Original 1. Men will rule over every living thing that moves on the earth. 2. Men shall bear the heavenly image of God's Son, Jesus Christ. 3. God's people will be a kingdom of priests, a people for God's own possession. 4. Not one from the book of the Lord will be missing, none shall lack its mate. 5. The people of God will be willing in the day of His power. Appointed Times Announced in The Revelation "There is an appointed time for everything... a time for every event under heaven." Ecclesiastes 3 "...now is the time for judgment..." "...for a brief moment..." "...the time of visitation..." "...it is a little while..." "...an administration of the fullness of times..." There Are Appointed Workmen "Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, 'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations...' Then the Lord stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and said to me, 'Behold I have put My words in your mouth... everywhere I send you, you shall go, and all that I command you, you shall speak...'" Jeremiah 1:7 "See I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant." Jeremiah1:4-10 There Are Appointed Journeys "Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers... And while they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work which I have called them.' Then when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they send them away. So being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went..." Acts 13:1-4 _________________________________________________ The Revelation in Practice Part 2: Appointed Times, Appointed Work in the Midst of the Years "Truly, truly I say to you, 'he who believes in Me,' the work that I do shall he do also, and greater works that these shall he do, because I go to the Father." John 14:12 "It" is finished! But "it" is not finished. "God has said, 'The secret things belong to Lord our God; but the things which are revealed belong to us...' (God has given us the Revelation; it belongs to us! But the last part of this verse is a mystery.) ...that we may do all the words of this law.'" Deuteronomy 29:29 Lord, how do we 'do' the Revelation? "O God, we have heard with our ears, Our Fathers have told us, The work that Thou didst in their day, in the days of old... Thou with Thy own hand didst drive out the nations, Then Thou didst plant them..." Psalm 44:1, 2 "Help us, for You are our God... " Hosea 8:2 "Let Thy work appear to Thy servants... And let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; And do confirm for us the work of our hands; Yes, give permanence to the work of our hands." Psalm 90:16, 17 "Study (be diligent) to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15 Appointed Times and the Teaching of the Revelation The Teaching, The Appointed Times: 1. God is aroused and risen from His holy habitation. "...now is the time for judgment..." 2. He is restoring things to His Divine Original "...now for a brief moment..." 3. He is making a correction: He is establishing a plumb line. "...a time of visitation..." "...it is a little while..." 4. He is summing up all things in Christ "...an administration of the fullness of times..." _________________________________________________ A Time for Everything Part 2: Appointed Times, Appointed Work in the Midst of the Years "There is an appointed time for everything, a time for every event under heaven -- A time to give birth, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted. A time to kill, and a time to heal; A time to tear down, and a time to build up... A time to throw stones, and a time to gather stones... A time to search, and a time to give up as lost... A time to tear apart, and a time to sew together; A time to be silent and a time to speak. A time to love, and a time to hate; A time for war, and a time for peace." Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 A Time for War "...now is the time for judgment..." God is aroused and risen from His holy habitation, He is moving among us. "The Lord will go forth like a warrior. He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout. Yes, He will raise a war cry. The Lord arises to contend and stands to judge His people. He has kept silent for a long time. He has kept silent and restrained Himself. Now He speaks: 'Woe to you rebellious children who take counsel and carry out a plan but not Mine, who make a league and pour out a drink offering, but not of My Spirit, thus adding sin to sin. You set out to go down into Egypt and have not asked of Me. (How is it that you did not watch Me every moment for fear of losing sight of Me?) I will kindle a fire in you, and it will consume every green tree in you, as well as every dry tree. I will destroy those who formerly worshiped Me, but now longer do, and those who never loved Me and never wanted to... It is time for judgment to begin with the house of God.'" A Time to Build Up "...now for a brief moment..." (He is restoring things to His Divine Original.) "Now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the Lord out God... to give us a peg in His holy place... to give us a reviving to raise up the house of the Lord, to restore its ruins... and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem." Ezra 9:8-10 "You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem..." Hebrews 12:22 "...to give us a reviving to raise up the house of the Lord, to restore its ruins..." "And those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; you will raise up the age-old foundations; and you will be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of the paths in which to dwell." Isaiah 58:12 "Repent therefore, and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the periods, times of 'restoration' of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient times." Acts 3:19-21 The Anointed One, the Planting, the Rebuilding, the Workmen "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to bring good news to the humble; He has sent me... to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God... To grant those who mourn in Zion, giving them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins, they will raise up the former devastations, and they will repair the ruined cities, the desolation of many generations... But you will be called the priests of the Lord; you will be spoken of a ministers of our God... And I will make an everlasting covenant with them." Isaiah 61:1-6, 8 A Time to Tear Down "...a time of visitation..." (He was speaking of a correction.) A Conversation Between Jesus and His Followers "And while they were talking about the temple; that it was adorned with beautiful stone, He said, 'As for these things you are looking at, the days will come in which there will not be left one stone upon another which will not be torn down.'" Luke 21:5, 6 Jesus speaks of Jerusalem: "And when He approached, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, 'If you had known in this day, even you the things that make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. For the days shall come upon you when you and your enemies will throw up a dirt wall before you, and surround you, and hem you in on every side, and will level you to the ground and your your children with you, and they will not leave one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation." Luke 19:41-44 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her... Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! For I say to you, from now on you shall not see Me until you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'" Matthew 23:37 A Time to Throw Stones (He was making a correction by establishing a plumb line.) "Jesus said to them, 'Did you never read in the Scriptures, "The stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief corner stone... Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and given to a nation producing the fruit of it. And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.' And when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them." Matthew 21:42-45 A Time to Overthrow "...it is a little while..." (He is making a correction.) "'But now take courage and work, for I am with you,' says the Lord of hosts... 'My Spirit is abiding in your midst; do not fear! Once more, it is a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth... And I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms of the nations...'" Haggai 2:4-6, 22 And again in Hebrews: "...Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven. And this expression, 'yet once more,' denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, in order that those things which cannot be shaken may remain." Hebrews 12:26, 27 (Handbook 3, Article 57) "For yet in a little while, He who is coming will come and not delay. But My righteous one shall live by faith; and if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him. "But we are not of shrinking back to destruction but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul." Hebrews 10:37-39 A Time to Gather Stones "...an administration of the fullness of times..." "...in all wisdom He has made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He proposed in Him with a view to an administration of the fullness of times, that is the summing up of all things in Christ, things upon heaven and things on earth." Ephesians 1:8-10 "...from the hands of the mighty God of Jacob, from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel..." Genesis 48:24 "The stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief cornerstone; this came about from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes." Matthew 21:42 "And coming to Him as to a living stone... you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to god, through Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 2:4, 5 "And the Lord their God will save them in that day as the flock of His people; for they are as the stones of a crown, sparkling in His land. "For what goodness and beauty will be theirs!" Zechariah 9:16, 17 "Gather My godly ones to Me, those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice." Psalm 50:15 "I will surely gather you, O Jacob, I will surely collect the remnant of Israel; I will bring them together as sheep in a fold, as a flock in the midst of their pasture." Micah 2:12 "...you will be gathered one by one..." Isaiah 27:12 _________________________________________________ Appointed Times, a Closer Look Part 2: Appointed Times, Appointed Work in the Midst of the Years "...now for a brief moment..." Revelation is one thing, what men "do" about it is another! Revelation: (Handbook 3, Article 4) "Where there is no vision the people perish." Proverbs 29:18 The Vision (1983) Be still my soul and listen: God is aroused and risen from His holy habitation. Even now He is moving among us. I hear Him say to me -- "Sing and rejoice, O My daughter, for lo I come. I will dwell in the midst of you and you shall know that I am the Lord." Be still my soul, and stand in awe. God will give us a new heart and renew a right spirit within us; We shall rebuild the ancient ruins; We shall raise up the former desolations, the devastations of many generations. Lift up your eyes now and see and do not despise the day of small beginnings. Behold, the Lord is doing a new thing, now it springs forth. Do you not perceive it? He will make a way for us in this wilderness and pour His Spirit upon us. Sons and daughters shall prophesy and dream dreams and see visions. He will give us treasure of darkness and hidden riches of secret places. We shall know that it is the Lord who calls us by name. Sing to the Lord a new song, O my soul! He will gather us and bring us together as a flock in the midst of a pasture. He will give us pure speech from pure lips that we may call on His name And serve Him with one unanimous consent, and one united shoulder. We shall be called priests of the Lord, and oaks of righteousness. We shall be His people and He shall be our God. * * * * * To Review What has happened through the generations of God's people that God's House lies in ruins, devastated and desolate? Ruins: (Handbook 3, Article 3) "...the time of visitation..." A correction in a former generation continued; a correction in our generation introduced. "He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him." John 1:11 "And He began to tell the people this parable: 'A man planted a vineyard and rented it out to tenant farmers, and went on a journey for a long time. And at harvest time he sent a slave to the vine-grower, in order that they might give him some of the produce of the vineyard; but the vine-growers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. And he proceeded to send another slave... but they beat him... and sent him away... And... a third... and this one they wounded and cast out. And the owner of the vineyard said, "What shall I do? I will send My beloved son; perhaps they will respect him." But when the vine-growers saw him, they reasoned with one another, saying, "This is the heir, let us kill him that the inheritance may be ours." And they cast him out of the vineyard and killed them. What, therefore, will the lord of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy these vine-growers and will give the vineyard to others.' And when they heard it, they said, 'May it never be!' But He looked at them and said, 'What then is this that is written, "The stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief corner stone"? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.'" Luke 20:9-18 In the parable of the minas given to the slaves of the nobleman who goes away to receive a kingdom and then return, Jesus defines "His enemies". "A certain nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then return. And He called ten of his slaves, and gave them ten minas and said to them, 'Do business with this while I am coming.' But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We do not want this man to reign over us...'" Luke 19:12-14 "But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them..." Luke 19:27 A time to tear down... a time to uproot what is planted... a time to give up as lost... The "time of visitation" in our generation! "...these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them..." The Message to the Organized Visible Church: (Handbook 2, Article 27) "...an administration of the fullness of times..." The Summing Up of All Things in Christ: A time to sew together... a time for peace... "...remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near in the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the dividing wall of the barrier, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, the Law of commandment in ordinances, that in Himself He might create the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, in Himself having put to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones, and are of God's household, having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, growing into a holy sanctuary in the Lord; in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit." Ephesians 2:11-22 Consider this: "The Israel of God," a New Creation! "...Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him as righteousness. Therefore, know that it is those who are of faith that are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham saying, 'All the nations shall be blessed in you.' So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer." Galatians 3:6-9 "But may it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world has been crucified in me, and I to the world. For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation (or creature). And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God." Galatians 6:1 "But the Scripture has shut up all men under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed... For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is not male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring (Lit. seed), heir according to the promise." Galatians 3:22, 23, 26-29 _________________________________________________ Appointed Times, a Much Closer Look Part 2: Appointed Times, Appointed Work in the Midst of the Years "...it is a little while..." A Time to Overthrow "'But now take courage and work, for I am with you,' says the Lord of hosts. '...My Spirit is abiding in your midst; do not fear... Once more, in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. And I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms of the nations...'" Haggai 2:4-6, 22 "Behold. the nations are like a drop from a bucket, And are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales... All the nations are as nothing before Him, They are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless." Isaiah 40:15, 17 "Why are the nations in an uproar, And the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand, And the rulers take counsel together Against the Lord and against His Anointed: 'Let us tear their fetters apart, And cast away their cords from us!' He who is enthroned in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger And terrify them in His fury..." Psalm 2:1-5 Appointed Times of Earthly Kingdoms and the Advent of the Kingdom of God "Now In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams and his spirit was troubled and his sleep left him... (his) spirit was anxious to understand the dream... Daniel said to the king, 'There is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the end of the days... You O king were looking and behold, there was a single great statue,... its splendor was surpassing, standing in front of you, and its appearance was awesome. The head of that statue was of fine gold; its breast and arms, silver; its belly and thighs, bronze; its legs, iron; its feet, partly iron and clay. You were looking until a stone was cut out without hands and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, and crushed them. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and gold were crushed like one and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.'" Daniel 2:31-36 "And in the days of those kings (represented by the great statue) the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be passed on to another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will endure forever. Inasmuch as you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold, that great God has made known to the king what will take place after this; so the dream is true, and its interpretation is worthy." Daniel 2:44, 45 Consider: "The stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief corner stone... he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces but on whomever it falls, it will scatter like dust." Luke 21:6 "And coming to Him as a living stone... you also as living stones are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood..." 1 Peter 2:4, 5 Again: "...it is a little while..." "...Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven. And this expression, 'yet once more,' denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, in order that those things which cannot be shaken may remain." Hebrews 12:26, 27 "Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world shall be cast out." John 12:31 A Time for War "And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. And the dragon and the angel waged war, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole inhabited earth; he was thrown down to earth, and his angels with him." Revelation 12:7-9 "How you have fallen from heaven, O shining one, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of the assembly... I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself the Most High.'" Isaiah 14:12-14 "You had the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden the garden of God... You were anointed cherub who covers, And I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked in the midst of the stones of fire. You were blameless in your ways From the day you were created, Until unrighteousness was found in you... Therefore I have cast you as profane From the mountain of God... From the midst of the stones of fire." Ezekiel 28:12-16 "'Behold I am against you, O destroying mountain, Who destroy the whole earth,' declares the Lord, 'And I will stretch My hand against you, And roll you down from the crags And I will make you a burnt out mountain. And they will not take from you even a stone for a corner Nor a stone for foundations, But you will be desolate forever,' declares the Lord." Jeremiah 51:25, 26 Ponder this from Part 1: "And the seventy returned with joy, saying, 'Even the demons are subject to us in your name.' And He said to them, 'I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. Behold I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy..." Luke 10:17-19 And this: The restoring of God's House and the destruction of the destroying mountain. "...This is the word of the Lord to Zerubabbel saying, 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the Lord of hosts. 'What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubabbel you will become a plain; and he will bring forth the top stone with shouts of "Grace, grace to it."' And the word of the Lord came to me saying, 'The hands of Zerubabbel have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will finish it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. For who has despised the day of small beginnings? But these seven will be glad when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubabbel -- these are the eyes of the Lord which range to and fro throughout the earth.'" Zechariah 4:6-10 And consider: "Truly I say to you, if you have faith, and do not doubt... if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' it shall happen." Matthew 21:21 A Fixed Day of Judgment "The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; neither is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all, life and breath and all things; and He made from one, every nation of mankind to live on the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times, and the boundaries of their habitation, that they should seek God, if perhaps they might find him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist... Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men when He raised Him from the dead." Acts 17:24-31 "Then Jesus said, 'I came into this world for judgment -- as a Separator, in order that there may be a separation -- to make the sightless see, and those who see may become blind. Some Pharisees who were near, hearing His remark, said to Him. 'Are we also blind?' Jesus said to them, 'If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, "We see;" your sin remains.'" John 9:39-41 "For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, 'As I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.' So then each one of us shall give account of himself to God." Romans 14:10-12 "For we must all appear and be revealed as we are before the judgment seat of Christ so that each one may receive according to what he has done in the body, whether good of evil." 2 Corinthians 5:10 A Summary of Past Judgments "Before God created the universe, He established a principle to govern it -- the principle of authority. He Himself, would be the highest authority and at the same time the source of all authority. Under Him would be several archangels and under them would be many angels. On earth would be man, a little lower than the angels, and under man all other living creatures. That is how God arranged to govern the universe." Watchman Nee However, the history of the world and of man in the world is a epic tale of a different principle, one introduced by Satan and his angels when they abandoned their proper abode -- the principle of rebellion. We see Adam and Eve embracing Satan's principle, being expelled from the Garden of Eden. We see the children of Israel refusing to obey God's commandment to walk in His ways over and over through their generations until the kingdom is taken from them and the promised land vomits them out, their temple is destroyed, and they are carried away by their enemies. We see the organized visible church being called to account in our generation for throwing off His yoke of obedience over and over through the centuries and God removing His Spirit from their midst. "The church did not attain to God's purpose, nor did she even know God's purpose." Watchman Nee What will God do now? Will He do what He has done so many times before? What was originally meant to include everyone will be passed on to a few who at least in the beginning are obedient. Originally the entire nation of Israel was invited into priesthood (they were to be a kingdom of priests) but when they fashioned the golden calf and bowed before it, God removed from them this privilege and designated one tribe, the Levites, to serve in their place. The Levites were priests through the generations until the time of Jesus. But they too fashioned their own god, worshiping at the altar of their man-made traditions. They rejected the Son and instigated His death. And the kingdom that Jesus announced by His coming was taken from them and given to the church; the church was to be a kingdom of priests, a holy nation. But the organized visible church also fashioned its own calf of gold, and rejected the authority of its Head. And the kingdom has now been taken from them. Their houses also lie desolate. Perhaps the commission in Handbook 2 holds a measure of understanding. "But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the Lord our God, to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes... to give us a reviving to raise up the house of our God, to restore its ruins..." Ezra 9:8 "...now for a brief moment..." The only appointed time with an urgency! The appointed time with a commission, an appointed work! "O Lord, who may sojourn in Thy tent? Who may dwell on Thy holy hill? He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness; And speaks truth in his heart..." Psalm 15:1, 2 "Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood (or in vain), And has not sworn deceitfully. He shall receive a blessing from the Lord And righteousness from the God of his salvation. Such is the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Thy face..." Psalm 24:3-6 "O send out Thy light and Thy truth, let them lead me; Let them bring me to Thy holy hill, And to Thy dwelling places." Psalm 43:3 _________________________________________________ Looking Ahead to Part 3 Part 2: Appointed Times, Appointed Work in the Midst of the Years Restoring God's House, a Matter of the Heart! The Tabernacle in the Wilderness "...every man wise of heart in whom the Lord has put wisdom and understanding to know how to perform all the work of the service of the sanctuary, shall perform in accordance with all that the Lord has commanded. Then Moses called... every man wise of heart whose heart stirred him, to come to the work to perform it." Exodus 36:1, 2 Solomon's Temple "Now it came about in the 480th year after the sons of Israel came out of the land of Egypt... in the 4th year of Solomon's reign over Israel... that he began to build the house of the Lord." 1 Kings 6:1 But the desire was first in the heart of David his father. "...David assembled at Jerusalem all the officials of Israel... He arose to his feet and said, '...I had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord and for the footstool of our God. So I had made preparations to build it... But God said to me... "Your son Solomon is the one who shall build My house and My courts; for I have chosen him to be a son to Me, and I will be a Father to him..." 'As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing soul; for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for His sanctuary; be courageous and act.'" 1 Chronicles 28:1, 2, 6, 9 "Now King David said to the entire assembly, 'My son Solomon, whom alone God has chosen, is still young and inexperienced and the work is great; for the temple is not for man, but for God... in my delight in the house of my God, the treasure I have of gold and silver, I give to the house of my God, over and above all that I have already provided for the holy house...' Then the rulers of the fathers' household... offered willingly...for the service of God's house... Then the people rejoiced because they had offered so willingly, for they made their offering to the Lord with a whole heart, and King David also rejoiced greatly... 'O Lord... preserve this forever in the intent of the thoughts of the heart of Thy people and direct their heart to Thee...'" 1 Chronicles 29:1, 3, 6, 18 Zerubabbel's Temple "Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia -- in order to fulfill the word of the Lord to Jeremiah, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying... 'The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all His people, may the Lord his God be with him, and let him go up.'" 2 Chronicles 36:22, 23 "Then the heads of fathers' households of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and Levites arose, even everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up and rebuild the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem." Ezra 1:5-8 But when difficulties arose and enemies multiplied: "Thus says the Lord of hosts, 'This people says, The time has not come, the time for the house of the Lord to be rebuilt.' Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai... saying, 'Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies desolate? Now therefore... set your heart on your ways... Go up to the mountain, bring wood and rebuild the house, that I may be pleased with it and be glorified...' Then Zerubbabel... and Joshua... the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the words of Haggai, the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him. And the people showed fear before the Lord. Then Haggai spoke by commission of the Lord to the people saying, 'I am with you,' declares the Lord. So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel... and the spirit of Joshua... and the spirit of the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God, on the 24th day of the sixth month in the second year of Darius the king." Haggai 1:1-5, 7, 8, 12-15 "Trust in the Lord and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness, Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:3, 4 _________________________________________________ God's House, an Introduction Part 3: An Appointed Time, an Appointed Work: Restoring God's House! "...declare to the house to the house of Israel... and let them 'measure' the perfection... make known to them the design of the house, its structure, its exits, its entrances, all its forms, all its statutes, all its laws. And write it in their sight, so that they may observe its whole form, and all its statutes, and do them. This is the law for the house: its entire border on the top of the mountain shall be most holy..." Ezekiel 43:10-12 "Take to your heart all the words that I command you this day... For it is not an idle word for you, indeed it is your life..." Deuteronomy 32:46, 47 An Early Glimpse of God's House "Then Jacob departed from Beersheba and went toward Haran. And He came to a certain place (Lit. lighted on the place) and spent the night there, because the sun had set; and he took one of the stones of the place and put it at his head place, and lay down in that place. And he had a dream, and behold, a ladder was set on the earth with its top reaching to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And behold, the Lord stood above it (or beside him) and said, 'I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants... And behold, I am with you, and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.' Then Jacob awoke... and said, 'Surely the Lord was in this place, and I did not know it.' And he was afraid and said, 'How awesome is the place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.'" Genesis 28:10-13, 15-17 Stephen speaks of God's house: "Our fathers had the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as He who spoke to Moses directed him to make it according to the pattern which he had seen... However the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands; as the prophet says; 'Heaven is My throne, and earth is the footstool of My feet; What kind of house will you build for Me? Or what place is there for My resting place; Was it not My hand which made all these things?'" Acts 7:44, 48-50 God speaks of His house, His dwelling place: "But he who takes refuge in Me shall inherit the land, And possess My holy mountain. And it shall be said, 'Build up, build up, prepare the way, Remove every obstacle out of the way of My people.' For thus says the high and exalted One Who dwells in eternity, whose name is Holy, 'I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite.'" Isaiah 57:13-15 "Heaven is My throne and earth is My footstool... But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word." Isaiah 66:1, 2 _________________________________________________ The Construction and Destruction of God's House on Earth Part 3: An Appointed Time, an Appointed Work: Restoring God's House! The four houses (and the priesthood) "...served as a copy and shadow of the heavenly things just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle; 'See,' He says, 'That you make all things according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.'" Hebrews 8:5 "For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one but into heaven itself, to appear in the presence of God for us..." Hebrews 9:24 "...who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of Majesty in the heavens, a minister of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man." Hebrews 8:1, 2 The Tabernacle (Tent) in the Wilderness This portable sanctuary served as the place of worship for the Israelites during their wilderness wanderings -- it was also named in Exodus 33:7 as "the tabernacle of the congregation", "the tent of meeting", and the "trysting tent". Solomon's Temple Built, 961 B.C. to 950 B.C.; destroyed by the armies of Nebuchadnezzar in 587 B.C. Zerubbabel's Temple Rebuilt by the people who returned to Jerusalem after the exile in Babylon (Ezra, Nehemiah, etc.) at the insistence of the prophets (Haggai and Zechariah). It was completed around 515 B.C.. Herod's Temple Cited as a restoration of Zerubbabel's temple, 20 to 19 B.C.; destroyed 70 A.D. by Roman soldiers under the command of Titus. "Thy holy people possessed Thy sanctuary for a little while, Our adversaries have trodden it down. We have become like those over whom Thou hast never ruled, Like those who were not called by Thy name." Isaiah 63:18, 19 _________________________________________________ The Tabernacle in the Wilderness Part 3: An Appointed Time, an Appointed Work: Restoring God's House! "Then Moses went up to the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. And the glory of the Lord dwelt on Mt. Sinai and the cloud covered it for six days, and on the seventh day He called to Moses from the midst of the cloud... And Moses entered the midst of the cloud and he went up to the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights." Exodus 24:15-18 "Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 'Tell the sons of Israel to take a contribution for Me from every man whose heart moves him you shall raise My contribution... And let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them. According to all that I am going to show you, as the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furniture, so you shall construct it.'" Exodus 25:1-9 Scriptural Names for the Tabernacle "The dwelling place of the tent of meeting." Exodus 40:2 "...the house of the Lord..." Exodus 23:19 "...tabernacle of the house of God..." 1 Chronicles 6:48 "...house of the tent..." 1 Chronicles 9:23 "...tabernacle of the testimony..." Numbers 1:50 Inside the Tabernacle: The Holy of Holies Ark of the Covenant The Mercy Seat The Cherubim The Veil The Holy Place The Altar of Incense The Lamp Stand The Table of the Bread of His Presence The Court The Laver The Altar of Burnt Offerings "Now it came about in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was erected... Thus Moses finished the work. Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And throughout all their journeys whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the sons of Israel would set out; but if the cloud was not take up, then they did not set out until the day when it was taken up. So throughout all their journeys, the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and there was a fire by night, in the sight of the house of Israel" Exodus 40:17, 33-38 God states "His Divine Purpose" for bringing the sons of Israel out of captivity in Egypt. "I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar; I will also consecrate Aaron and his sons to minister to Me. And I will dwell among the sons of Israel and will be their God. And they shall know that I am the Lord their God who brought them out of the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them; I am the Lord their God." Exodus 29:44-46 "Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My special treasure among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel." Exodus 19:5, 6 The Result "So He brought them to His holy border (or territory), To this mountain which His right hand had gained. He also drove out the nations before them, And He apportioned for them an inheritance by measurement, And made the tribes of Israel dwell in tents. Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God, And did not keep His testimonies... For they provoked Him with their high places, And aroused His jealousy with their graven images... So that He abandoned the dwelling place at Shiloh, The tent which He had pitched among men..." Psalm 78:54-60 _________________________________________________ Solomon's Temple Part 3: An Appointed Time, an Appointed Work: Restoring God's House! Built, 961 B.C. to 950 B.C. "Our fathers had the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as He who spoke to Moses directed him to make it according to the pattern he had seen. And having received it in their turn, our fathers brought it in with Joshua upon dispossessing the nation whom God drove out before our fathers, until the time of David. And David found favor in God's sight, and asked that he might find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. But it was Solomon who built a house for Him." Acts 7:44-47 "Now it came about in the four hundred and eightieth year after the sons of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of April... that he began to build the house of the Lord." 1 Kings 6:1 Messages from Solomon to King Hiram of Tyre: Hiram had been a friend of David. "You know that David my father was unable to build a house for the name of the Lord his God because of the wars which surrounded him, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet. But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side, there is neither adversary nor evil occurrence. And behold, I intend (Lit. say) to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord spoke to David my father, saying 'Your son, whom I will set on the throne in your place, he will build the house for My name.'" 1 Kings 5:3-6 "Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of the Lord my God dedicating it to Him, to burn fragrant incense before Him, and to set out the showbread continually, and to offer burnt offerings morning and evening, for Sabbaths and on new moons and on the appointed feasts of the Lord our God, this being required forever in Jerusalem. And the house which I am about to build will be great, for greater is our God than all the gods. But who is able to build a house for Him, for the heavens cannot contain Him? So who am I that I should build a house for Him, except to burn incense (Lit. offer up smoke) before Him." 2 Chronicles 2:4-6 "Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared, on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite." 2 Chronicles 3:1 Construction Materials: stone, cedar and cypress timber, gold. The Foundation "Then the king commanded, and they quarried great stones, costly stones... to lay the foundation of the house with cut stones." 1 Kings 5:17 "And the house... was built of stone... and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any iron tool heard in the house while it was being built." The Walls Stone covered with beams and planks of cedar. The Inner Sanctuary, the Holy of Holies "Then he prepared an inner sanctuary with the house in order to place there the ark of the covenant of the Lord... and he overlaid it with pure gold... And he overlaid the whole house with gold, until the house was finished. Also the whole altar which was by the inner sanctuary, he overlaid with gold." 1 Kings 6:19, 22 "Now the word of the Lord came to Solomon, saying, 'Concerning this house which you are building, if you will walk in My statutes and execute My ordinances and keep all My commandments by walking in them, then I will carry out My word with you which I spoke to David your father. And I will dwell among the sons of Israel, and will not forsake My people Israel.' So Solomon built the house and finished it." 1 Kings 6:11-14 "Thus all the work that King Solomon performed in the house of the Lord was finished. And Solomon brought in the things dedicated by his father David, the silver and the gold and the utensils, and he put them in the treasuries of the house of the Lord." 1 Kings 7:51 The Dedication of the Temple "Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers' households of the sons of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the city of David, which is Zion... Then all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark. And they brought up the ark of the Lord and the tent of meeting and all the holy utensils, which were in the tent of priests and the Levites brought them up. And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who were assembled to him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and oxen they could not be numbered. Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the most holy place, under the wings of the cherubim. For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim made a covering over the ark... There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeh, where the Lord made a covenant with the sons of Israel when they came out of the land of Egypt. And it came about when the priests came from the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord, so the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord." 2 Chronicles 5:11-14 "Then Solomon said, 'The Lord has said that He would dwell in the thick cloud. I have surely built Thee a lofty house, a place for Thy dwelling forever.' Then the king faced about and blessed the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing. And he said, 'Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth to my father David and has fulfilled it with His hand saying, "Since the day that I brought My people Israel from Egypt, I did not choose a city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house that My name might be there, but I chose David to be over My people Israel."' Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven..." 1 Kings 8 Solomon's Prayer "O Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like Thee in heaven above or on earth beneath, who art keeping covenant and showing lovingkindness to Thy servants who walk before Thee with all their heart... But indeed will God dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heavens of heavens cannot contain Thee, how much less this house I have built! Yet have regard to the prayer of Thy servant and his supplication, O Lord my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Thy servant prays before Thee today; that Thy eye may be open toward this house night and day, toward the place of which Thou hast said, 'My name shall be there,' to listen to the prayer which Thy servant shall pray toward this place. And listen to the supplication of Thy servant and of Thy people Israel, when they pray toward this place, hear them in heaven Thy dwelling place, hear and forgive... For Thou hast separated them from the peoples of the earth as Thine inheritance, as Thou didst speak through Moses Thy servant, when Thou didst bring out fathers forth from Egypt, O Lord God." 1 Kings 8 "Now O my God, I pray Thee, let Thine eyes be open, and Thy ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place. Now therefore arise, O Lord God, to Thy resting place, Thou and the ark of Thy might; let Thy priests, O Lord God be clothed with salvation, and let Thy godly one rejoice in what is good." 2 Chronicles 6:40, 41 "Now when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the house. And the priests could not enter into the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord filled the Lord's house. And all the sons of Israel, seeing the fire come down and the glory of the Lord upon the house, bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave praise to the Lord, saying, 'Truly He is good, truly His lovingkindness is everlasting.' Then the king and all the people offered sacrifice before the Lord..." 2 Chronicles 7:1-4 "...My House shall be a house of prayer." Isaiah 56:7 God's Reply "Then the Lord appeared to Solomon at night and said to him, 'I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will heal their land. Now My eyes shall be open and My ears attentive to the prayer of this place. For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that My name may be there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually. And as for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked even to do according to all that I have commanded you and will keep My statutes and My ordinances, then I will establish your royal throne as I covenanted with your father David, saying, "You shall not lack a man to be ruler in Israel." But if you turn away... and shall go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will uproot you from My land which I have given you, and the house which I have consecrated for My name I will cast out of My sight, and I will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. As for this house, which was exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and say, "Why has the Lord done thus to this land and to this house?" And they will say, "Because they forsook the Lord, the God of their father, who brought them from the land of Egypt, and they adopted other gods and worshiped them and served them, therefore He has brought all this adversity on them."'" 2 Chronicles 7:12-22 Afterwards: In the ensuing 300 + years there was much "turning away." First of all Solomon! "Now King Solomon loved may foreign women... from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the sons of Israel, 'You shall not associate with (lit. go among) them, neither shall they go among you, for they will surely turn you heart away after their gods.' Solomon held fast to them in love... For it came about when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not complete with devotion to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father... And Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord... built a high place (for detestable idols) on the mountain which is east of Jerusalem... thus he also did for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods... Now God was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel... 'Because you have done this... I will surely tear the kingdom from you...'" 1 Kings 11:1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 11 After Solomon there was a succession of many different kings, some evil, some who sought to return to God - and for short periods of time the people repented. But the final outcome? "And the Lord, the God of their fathers, sent word to them again and again by His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place; but they continually mocked the messengers of God, despised His words and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, until there was no remedy. Therefore He brought up against them the king of the Chaldeans who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary and had no compassion on young male or virgin, old man or infirm; He gave them all into his hand. And all the articles of the house of God, great and small, and the treasure of the house of the Lord... he brought them all to Babylon. Then they burned the house of God, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem and burned all its fortified building with fire, and destroyed all its valuable articles. And those who had escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon; and they were servants to him and to his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia, to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its sabbaths... to fulfill 70 years." 2 Chronicles 36:15-21 Jeremiah wrote a letter of hope to the exiles. "For thus says the Lord God, 'When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. And I will be found by you... and I will restore your captivity and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you... and I will bring you back to the place where I sent you into exile.'" Jeremiah 29:10-14 _________________________________________________ Zerubbabel's House of God Part 3: An Appointed Time, an Appointed Work: Restoring God's House! 536 B.C. - 515 B.C. The temple was labeled by many theologians and Bible translators as the "Second" Temple. Scripture, however, describes it as "a reviving, a raising up, a restoring" of the House of God. Timeline: During the reign of three kings of Persia (Cyrus, Artaxerxes, Darius): 536 B.C. - Return of first exiles to Jerusalem from Babylon. 536 B.C. - Altar of Burnt offering constructed. 535 B.C. - Foundation of house laid. 520 B.C. - Work suspended for fifteen year, resumed. 516 B.C. - House completed and consecrated. The Return of the First Exiles from Babylon "Now these... came up out of the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away to Babylon, and returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his city... Zerubbabel, Joshua, Nehemiah... The whole assembly numbered 42,360..." Ezra 2:1, 2 Note: In the Scriptures describing the construction of the tabernacle in the wilderness and the temple of Solomon, few workmen other than Moses and Solomon are mentioned. But in the rebuilding of God's House after the return from exile, there is a larger cast of referenced players whose spirits were stirred by God to help with the rebuilding. First of all Cyrus, king of Persia. Then from among the people, Zerubbabel, the governor; Joshua, the high priest; Ezra, also a priest; Haggai and Zachariah, prophets of God. Also included in the telling are the names of the enemies who opposed the work. The tabernacle and Solomon's temple were constructed in relatively peaceful times as was Herod's renovation; Zerubbabel's reconstruction was accomplished in times of great opposition. The Altar of the Burnt Offering Built "Now when the seventh month came, and the sons of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered together as one man to Jerusalem. Then Joshua... and his brothers the priests, and Zerubbabel... and his brothers arose and built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offering on it, as it is written in the law of Moses, the man of God. So they set up the altar on its foundation, terror was upon them because of the peoples of land; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord... morning and evening... From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, but the foundation of the temple of the Lord had not been laid. Then they gave money to the masons and carpenters, and food, drink, and oil to the Sidonians and the Tyrians, to bring cedar wood from Lebanon to the sea at Joppa according to the permission they had from Cyrus." Ezra 3:1-7 The Foundation Completed Construction Materials and Measurements (As Decreed by Cyrus) "Concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, let the temple, the place where sacrifices are offered, be rebuilt and let its foundation be fixed (or laid) , its height being 90 feet and its width 90 feet; with three layers of huge stones, and one layer of new timber. And let the cost be paid from the royal treasury." Ezra 6:3-5 "Now in the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem... (they) began the work... Now when the builders had laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites... with cymbals, to praise the Lord according to the directions of King David... And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers' households, the old men had seen the first house wept..." Ezra 3:8-12 The Work on God's House Suspended for 15 Years Ezra's account: "Now when the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the people of the exile were building a temple to the Lord God of Israel, they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers' households, and said to them, 'Let us build with you, for we like you seek your God; and we have been sacrificing to Him since the days of Esar-haddon king of Assyria who brought us up here.' But Zerubbabel and Joshua and the rest of the fathers' households of Israel said to them, 'You have nothing in common with us in building a house to our God...' Then the people of the land weakened the people of Judah, and frightened them from building, and hired counselors again them to frustrate their counsel all the days of Cyrus... even to the reign of Darius... Now in the reign of Xerxes, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem... '...let it be known to the king, that the Jews who came up from you have come to us at Jerusalem; they are rebuilding the rebellious and the evil city... if that city is rebuilt they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll and will damage the revenue of the kings... And you will discover in the record books... that the city is a rebellious city damaging to kings and provinces, and that they have incited revolt within it in past days, therefore that city was laid waste.'" Ezra 4:1-6, 12-15 Xerxes' reply: "'...a search has been made and it has been discovered that that city has risen up against the kings in past days, that rebellion and revolt have been perpetrated in it, that mighty kings have been over Jerusalem... Make these men stop work, that the city may not be rebuilt until a decree is issued by me...' As soon as the copy of King Artaxerxes' document was read they went in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews and stopped them by force of arms. Then work on the house of God in Jerusalem ceased, and it was stopped until the second year of the reign of Darius, king of Persia." Ezra 4:19-24 Rebuilding began again in 520 B.C. under Darius. "When the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah... prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them, then Zerubbabel... and Joshua... arose and began to rebuild the house of God... and the prophets of God were with them supporting them." Ezra 5:1, 2 A New Challenge "...Tettenai, the governor of the province beyond the Euphrates River... came to them and spoke to them, 'Who issued you a decree to rebuild this house and to finish this structure?' But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they did not stop them until a report should come to Darius, and a written reply be returned concerning it." Ezra 5:3-6 A Copy of the Letter "Let it be known to the king, that we have gone to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is being built with huge stones, and timbers are being laid in the walls, and this work is going on with great care and is succeeding in their hands. Then we asked those elders... 'Who issued you a decree to rebuild this temple and to finish this structure...' And thus they answered us saying, 'We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth and are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished. But because our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, He gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar... who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon. However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild the house of God... And now, if it pleases the king, let a search be conducted... and let the king send to us his decision...'" Ezra 5:8-17 Darius' reply to Tattenai; Governor of the Province Beyond the River: "...keep away from there... Leave this work on the house of God alone. Moreover... the full cost is to be paid to these people from the royal treasury out of the taxes of the provinces beyond the River, and that without delay. And whatever is needed... for a burnt offering to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine, and anointing oil, as the priests in Jerusalem request, it is to be given to them daily without fail..." Ezra 6:6-9 "And the elders of the Jews were building and succeeding through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah... And they finished building according to the command of the God of Israel and the decree of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes. And this temple was completed... it was the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. And the sons of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. And they offered for the dedication of the temple of God 100 bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel 12 male goats, corresponding to the number of tribes of Israel. Then they appointed the priests to their divisions and the Levites in their orders for the service of God in Jerusalem as it is written in the book of Moses. And the exiles observed the Passover on the 14th day of the first month... And they observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the Lord has caused them to rejoice, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to strengthen them in the work of the house of God, the God Israel." Ezra 6:14-20, 22 The Rebuilding Resumed Again Through the Prophesying of Haggai and Zechariah "Thus says the Lord of hosts, 'This people says, The time has not come, the time for the house of the Lord to be rebuilt.' Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai... saying, 'Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies desolate? Now therefore... set your heart on your ways!... Go up to the mountain, bring wood and rebuild the house, that I may be pleased with it and be glorified...' Then Zerubbabel... and Joshua... the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the words of Haggai, the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him. And the people showed fear before the Lord. Then Haggai spoke by commission of the Lord to the people saying, '"I am with you," declares the Lord.' So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel... and the spirit of Joshua... and the spirit of the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God, on the 24th day of the sixth month in the second year of Darius the king." Haggai 1:1-5, 7, 8, 12-15 "And this temple was completed... it was the sixth year of the reign of King Darius." Ezra 6:14 _________________________________________________ The Word of the Lord to Haggai and Zechariah Part 3: An Appointed Time, an Appointed Work: Restoring God's House! "...once more in a little while..." The people of God who returned from the exile in Babylon succeeded through the prophesying of Haggai and Zechariah. But it is from Ezra, who first spoke these words to the people after the return from Babylon, that we "who believe in Him," whose hearts are lifted up and whose spirits are stirred, receive this same commission to restore the ruins of the house of the Lord in this generation. "Now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the Lord our God to leave us an escaped remnant... to give us a reviving to raise up the house of the Lord, to restore its ruins..." Ezra 9:8, 9 We too, an "escaped remnant" have been given encouragement through the prophesying of Zechariah. "Let your hands be strong, you who are listening in these days to these words from the mouth of the prophets, those who spoke in the days that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, to the end that the temple might be built." Zechariah 8:9 "On 21st day of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet... (And although His words were spoken by Haggai to the remnant that had returned, the word from the Lord is also speaking of His house at a "later time.") Speak now to Zerubbabel... and to Joshua... the high priest, and to the remnant of of the people saying, 'Who is left among you who saw the house in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison? Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and also the dry land. And I will shake all the nations, and the Desire of all nations will come with the wealth of all nations; and I will fill this house with glory,' says the Lord of hosts. 'The silver is Mine, the gold is Mine'... 'The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former... and in this place I shall give peace...'" Haggai 2:1-3, 6-9 Zechariah also speaks of a later time to Joshua and his friends. "Thus says the Lord of hosts... 'Now listen, Joshua, the high priest, you and your friends who are sitting in front of you - indeed they are men who are a symbol for behold; I am going to bring in My Servant the Branch.'" Zechariah 3:8 "...Behold, a man whose name is Branch for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the Lord, and He who will bear the honor and sit and rule on His throne. Thus, He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices (lit. of them)... And those who are far off will come, and build the temple of the Lord. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. And it will take place, if you completely obey the Lord your God." Zechariah 6:12, 13, 15 Again: "'...Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and also the dry land. And I will shake all the nations, and the Desire of all nations will come with the wealth of all nations; and I will fill this house with glory,' says the Lord of hosts... 'The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former... and in this place I shall give peace...'" Haggai 2:6-9 _________________________________________________ Herod's Temple Part 3: An Appointed Time, an Appointed Work: Restoring God's House! When Herod the Great became king of Judea in 63 B.C. Zerubbabel's House had stood for about 500 years and had deteriorated from natural causes and bore the scars of many wars. (In 168 B.C. Antiochus IV, one of the Seleucid rulers, desecrated the temple by making a sacrifice to one of his gods). Herod attempted to gain the favor of the people by restoring it. The major part of this "restoration" began in 29 B.C. and was completed in ten years. However outer courts and embellishments went on during Jesus' lifetime and were completed in 65 A.D.. The Advent of Jesus and Herod's Temple "In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there came into being a priest named Zechariah... and he had a wife... named Elizabeth. And they were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. And they had no child... and they were both advanced in days. Now it came about, while he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division, according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering. And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, 'Do not be afraid... for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and... he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb. And it is he who will go as a forerunner before Him, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous; so as to make a people prepared for the Lord.'" Luke 1:5-15, 17 Jesus' Early Appearances "And when eight days were complete before His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel... And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, 'Every first-born male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord.') and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, 'A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.' And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, and he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, 'Now Lord, Thou dost let Thy bond-servant depart in peace, according to Thy word; for mine eyes have see Thy salvation...'" Luke 2:25-30 "And when He became twelve, they went up (to Jerusalem) according to the custom of the Feast; and when they were returning... the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem... And it came about that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them, and asking questions. And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding, and His answers... And when they saw Him they were astonished, and His mother said to Him... 'Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You.' And He said to them, 'Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in the house of My Father?' And they did not understand the statement which He had spoken.'" Luke 2:42, 46-50 To Review Jesus spoke of the final days of Herod's Temple; the final days of "God's House" on the earth. "And while they were talking about the temple; that it was adorned with beautiful stone, He said, 'As for these things you are looking at, the days will come in which there will not be left one stone upon another which will not be torn down.'" Luke 21:5, 6 "And when He approached, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, 'if you had known in this day, even you the things that make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. For the days shall come upon you when your enemies will throw up a dirt wall before you, and surround you, and hem you in on every side, and will level you to the ground and your children with you, and they will not leave one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.' And He entered the temple and began to cast out those who were selling, saying to them, 'It is written, And My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a robber's den.'" Luke 19:41-46 "Jesus said to them, 'Did you never read in the Scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief corner stone... Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and given to a nation producing the fruit of it. And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.' And when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them." Matthew 21:42-45 "Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! For I say to you, from now on you shall not shall not see Me until you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'" Matthew 23:38, 39 A Summary "Thou art the Lord God, who chose Abram and brought him out from the Ur of Chaldees, and gave him the name Abraham. And Thou didst find his heart faithful before Thee; and didst make a covenant with him to give him the land of the Canaanite... to give to his descendants. And Thou hast fulfilled Thy promise, for Thou art righteous..." Nehemiah 9:7, 8 "And Thou didst tell them to enter in order to possess their land which Thou didst lift up Thy hand to give them... But they became disobedient and rebelled against Thee, and cast Thy law behind their backs and killed Thy prophets who had admonished them so that they might return to Thee, and they committed great blasphemies (Lit. acts of contempt). Therefore Thou didst deliver them into the hand of their oppressors who oppressed them, but when they cried to Thee in the times of distress, Thou didst hear from heaven, and according to Thy great compassion Thou didst give them deliverers who delivered them from the hand of their oppressors. But as soon as they had rest, they did evil again before Thee; therefore Thou didst abandon them to the hand of their enemies, so that they ruled over them... And many times Thou didst rescue them according to Thy compassion and admonished them in order to turn them back to Thy law... Yet they acted arrogantly... However, Thou did bear with them for many years, and admonished them by Thy Spirit through Thy prophets... therefore Thou didst give them into the hand of the peoples of the lands... from the days of the king of Assyria to this day." Nehemiah 9:15, 26-32 "...to this day...?" Consider: Was the return of the Jewish people and the formation of the state of Israel the fulfillment of God's promise to His people through the prophets? "And there shall be no more for the house of Israel a prickling brier or a painful thorn from any round about them who scorned them; then they will know that I am the Lord God. Thus says the Lord God, 'When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and shall manifest My holiness in them in the sight of the nations, then they will live in their ground which I gave to My servant Jacob. And they will live in it securely; and they will build houses, plant vineyards, and live securely, when I execute judgments upon all who scorn them round about them. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God.'" Ezekiel 28:24-26 Consider the spiritual status of the city of Jerusalem, Israel: Jesus speaks of the earthly city of Jerusalem in no uncertain terms yet the Christian world, contrary to His words, builds denominational headquarters on its hillsides, flocks to its altars, treads its ancient ways, "even worships at the remaining wall of Herod's temple," hoping for spiritual inspiration and renewal. Listen to His words again for we must bring our thoughts of this city "captive to Christ." "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings but you would were unwilling. Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! For I say to you, from now on you shall not see Me until you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'" Matthew 23:37-39 And John in the Book of Revelation: "And there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, 'Rise and measure the sanctuary of God, and the altar. And those who worship in it. And leave out the court which is outside the sanctuary and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread underfoot the holy city for 42 months. And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees and the two lamp stands that stand before the Lord of the earth... And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them; and overcome them and kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt where also their Lord was crucified." Revelation 11:1-4, 7, 8 Scripture tells us Jerusalem above is our mother. "For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman. But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise. This contains an allegory: for these women are two covenants, one proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children into slavery; she is Hagar. Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother... And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of the promise." Galatians 4:22-26, 28 "Because you have kept the word of My steadfastness, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole inhabited earth, to test those who dwell upon the earth. I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, in order that no one take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." Revelation 3:10-12 "By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow-heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations whose architect and builder is God... ...they desire a better country, that is a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them." Hebrews 8-11, 16 And God's House, the kingdom, the Jewish priesthood no longer had an observable, visible presence on the face of the earth for the world to see! Behold, new things have come! "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God... Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." John 3:3, 5 "My kingdom is not of this world... of this realm." John 18:36 "...The kingdom is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or 'There it is!' For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst (or within you)." Luke 17:20, 21 _________________________________________________ God's House and God's Kingdom Part 3: An Appointed Time, an Appointed Work: Restoring God's House! "He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?' And Simon Peter... answered and said, 'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.' And Jesus answered and said to him, 'Blessed are you... because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter (Gr. Petros, a stone) and upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven and whatever you shall bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and what ever you shall loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.'" Matthew 16:15-19 And how is God's House and the kingdom to be expressed on the earth, now that there is no longer the physical presence of God's House, no longer a physical kingdom for the people, no longer a visible priesthood? "He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him. Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, 'Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us, and not to the world?' Jesus answered... 'If anyone loves Me he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him.'" John 14:21-23 "But he who takes refuge in Me shall inherit the land, And possess My holy mountain. And it shall be said, 'Build up, build up, prepare the way, Remove every obstacle out of the way of My people.' For thus says the high and exalted One Who dwells in eternity, whose name is holy, 'I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite.'" Isaiah 57:13-15 "Heaven is My throne and earth is My footstool... But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word." Isaiah 66:1, 2 "And I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me... I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the lampstands one like the Son of Man... the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands..." Revelation 1:12, 13; 2:1 "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst." Matthew 18:20 Consider: "And He was king in Israel, when the heads of the people were gathered, the tribes of Israel together." Deuteronomy 33:5 "Arise and stand into the midst!" Luke 6:8 Jesus speaks of God's house: "Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, you may be also." John 14:1-3 Consider Jesus and the "House" He is preparing: "...consider Jesus, the Apostle and High Priest of our confession. He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house. For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house... Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later, but Christ was as a Son over His house, whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end." Hebrews 3:1-3, 5, 6 Jesus speaks of God's house and God's kingdom in the same parable: "For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it... Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you, depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.' Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does them, will be compared to a wise man who built his house upon the rock. And the rain descended, and the rivers came and the winds blew and burst against that house; and yet it did not fall for it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. And the rain descended, and the rivers came and the winds blew and burst against that house; and it fell, and great was its fall." Matthew 7:14, 21-27 Ponder this Scripture: "Yes it is He who will build the temple of the Lord, and He who will bear the honor and rule on His throne. Thus He will be a priest on the throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices." Zechariah 6: 13 The House of God has a High Priest sharing the throne with the King? The kingdom of God has a King sharing the throne with the High priest? Jesus Changes for All Time the Meaning of the Word "Temple" Interchangeable words: house, temple, sanctuary, tabernacle, dwelling, abode. After Jesus drives the money-changers out of the temple the Jews ask Him, "What sign do you show us, seeing that you do these things?" "Jesus answered... 'Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.' The Jews replied, 'It took forty-six years to build this sanctuary, and you will raise it up in three days?' But He was speaking of the temple of His body. When therefore He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture." John 2:18-22 Jesus Changes for All Time the "Place" of Worship Jesus speaks with the Samaritan woman at the well: "'...Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.' Jesus said to her, 'Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem, shall you worship the Father... But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.'" John 4:19-24 Here in Lies Wisdom "We have come to Mt. Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem... and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant..." Hebrews 12:22, 24 "Now even the first covenant had regulations of divine worship and the earthly sanctuary. For there was a tabernacle (or sacred tent) prepared, the first one, in which were the lamp stand and the sacred bread (Lit. loaves of presentation); this is called the holy place. And behind the second veil, there was a tabernacle which is the Holy of Holies, having a golden altar (or censer) of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron's rod which budded, and the tables of the covenant. And above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat; but of these things we cannot speak in detail. Now when these things have been thus prepared, the priests continually enter the first (outer) tabernacle, performing the divine worship, but into the second only the high priest enters, once a year, not without blood, which he offers for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance. The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way into the holy place has not yet been, while the first (outer) tabernacle is still standing, which is a symbol for the time then present, according to which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience, since they relate only to food and drink and various washing, regulations for flesh imposed until a time of reformation. (Hebrews 7:12 For when the priesthood is changed...) But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation... through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, obtaining eternal redemption... And for this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant..." Hebrews 9:1-15 "For now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises. For if the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. For finding fault with them, He says, 'Behold, days are coming, says the Lord, When I will effect a new covenant With the house of Israel and with the house of Judah; Not like the covenant which I made with their fathers On the day when I took them by the hand To lead them out of the land of Egypt; For they did not continue in My covenant, And I did not care for them, says the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those days, says the Lord: 'I will put My laws into their minds, And I will write them upon their hearts. And I will be their God, And they shall be My people. And they shall not teach everyone His fellow citizen, And everyone His brother, Saying, "Know the Lord," For all shall know Me, From the least to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their iniquities, And I will remember their sins no more.' When He said, 'A new covenant,' He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear." Hebrews 8:6-13 Do not let your eyes glaze over, your ears close, your heart grow weary because God's Word concerning the restoration of His House is difficult to understand. If your heart has been stirred, your spirit lifted up, step into the "midst of the years." "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15 "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes He will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He shall glorify Me; for He shall take of Mine, and shall disclose it to you." John 16:13, 14 "...see with your eyes, hear with your ears, and give attention to all that I am going to show you; for you have been brought here in order to show it to you..." Ezekiel 40:4 "...set your heart on what you see with your eyes, and hear with your ears all that I say to you concerning all the statutes of the house of the Lord and concerning all its laws; and set your heart on the entrance of the house, with all exits of the sanctuary." Ezekiel 44:5 "...describe (Lit. declare) the house to the house of Israel... and let them measure the pattern (or perfection)... make known to them the design of the house, its structure, its exits, its entrances, all its forms, all its statutes, all its laws. And write it in their sight, so that they may observe its whole form, and all its statutes, and do them. This is the law for the house: its entire border on the top of the mountain shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law (or instruction) of the house." Ezekiel 43:10-12 "Take to your heart all the words that I command you this day... For it is not an idle word for you, indeed it is your life..." Deuteronomy 32:46, 47 "How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces peace and brings new of good, Who announces salvation, and says to Zion, 'Your God reigns!' Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices, they shout joyfully together; For they will see with their own eyes when the Lord restores Zion." Isaiah 52:7, 8 "...Be strong and courageous and act; do not fear nor be dismayed for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished." 1 Chronicles 8:20 Ezekiel's Vision of God's House "In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was struck, on the same day the hand of the Lord was upon me and He brought me there. In the visions of God He brought me into the land of Israel, and set me on a very high mountain; and on it to the south, a structure like a city. So He brought me there; and behold, there was a man whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze, with a line of flax, and a measuring rod in his hand; and he was standing in the gateway. And the man said to me, 'Son of man, see with your eyes, hear with your ears, and give attention to all that I am going to show you; for you have been brought here in order to show it to you. Declare to the house of Israel all that you see...'" Ezekiel 40:1-4 "Then He led me to the gate facing toward the east; and behold the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the way of the east. And His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory. And it was like the appearance of the vision which I saw, like the vision which I saw when He came to destroy the city. And the visions were like the vision which I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell on my face. And the glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate facing toward the east. And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner courts; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house. Then I heard one speaking to me from the house, while a man was standing beside me. And He said to me, 'Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell among the sons of Israel forever. And the house of Israel will not again defile My holy name, neither they nor their kings, by their harlotry and by the monuments of their kings in their high places (or when they die), by setting their threshold by My threshold, and their door post beside My doorpost, with only the wall between Me and them. And they have defiled My holy name by their abominations which they have committed. So I have consumed them in My anger. Now let them put away their harlotry and the corpses of their kings far from Me; and I will dwell among them forever. (Ezekiel was then given instructions.) As for you, son of man, declare the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities and let them measure the perfection (or pattern). And if they are ashamed of all they have done make known to them the form of the house, its structure, its exits, its entrances, all its designs, all its statutes, and all its laws.'" Ezekiel 43:1-12 The Perfection "The Mighty One, God, the Lord, has spoken, And summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shone forth." Psalm 50:1, 2 "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, In the city of our God, His holy mountain; Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, Is Mount Zion in the far north, The city of the great King. God in her palaces Has made Himself known as a stronghold... God is our refuge and strength. Abundantly available for help in tight places. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, And the mountains slip into the heart of the seas; Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride." Psalm 46:1-3 "We have thought on Thy lovingkindness, O God, In the midst of Thy temple. As is Thy name, O God, So is Thy praise to the ends of the earth; Thy right hand is full of righteousness... Walk around Zion, and go around her; Count her towers; Consider her ramparts; Go through her palaces; That you may tell it to the next generation. For such is God, our God forever and ever; He will guide us upon death." Psalm 48: 1-3, 9-14 _________________________________________________ Walk Around Zion, Measure the Perfection! Part 3: An Appointed Time, an Appointed Work: Restoring God's House! (We) have come to Mount Zion... "How lovely are Thy dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord; My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God... How blessed are those who dwell in Thy house! They are ever praising Thee." Psalm 84:1-4 "How blessed is the one whom Thou dost choose, and bring near to Thee, To dwell in Thy courts. We will be satisfied with the goodness of Thy house, Thy holy temple." Psalm 65:4 "Let us go into His dwelling place; Let us worship at His footstool. Arise, O Lord, to Thy resting place; Thou and the ark of Thy strength. Let Thy priest be clothed with righteousness; And let Thy godly ones sing for joy... For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His habitation. This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her needed with bread. Her priests also I will clothe with salvation; And her godly ones will sing aloud for joy." Psalm 132:7-9, 13-16 Ponder these Scriptures: "God in her palaces has made Himself known as a stronghold." "One thing I have asked from the Lord, that shall I seek; That I may dwell in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life, To behold the beauty (Lit. delightfulness) of the Lord, And to meditate (Lit. inquire) in His temple. For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle (or shelter); In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock. And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me; And I will offer in His tent sacrifices of shouts of joy; I will sing, yes I will sing praises to the Lord." Psalm 27:4-6 "The righteous man will sprout like the palm tree, He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Planted in the house of the Lord, They will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still yield fruit in old age; They shall be full of sap and very green, To declare (or show forth) that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him." Psalm 92:12-15 "How great is Thy goodness, Which Thou hast stored for those who fear Thee, Which Thou hast wrought for those who take refuge in Thee, Before the sons of men! Thou dost hide them in the secret place of Thy presence from the conspiracies of man; Thou dost keep them secretly in a shelter (or pavilion) from the strife of tongues." Psalm 31:19, 20 "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, 'My refuge and my fortress, My God in whom I trust!' For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper, And from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and a bulwark... You will only look on with your eyes And see the recompense of the wicked. For you have made the Lord, my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place. No evil will befall you, Nor will any plague come near your tent (or dwelling). For He will give His angels charge concerning you, To guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, Lest you strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the lion and cobra, The young lion and the serpent (or dragon) you will trample down. Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him, I will set him securely on high because he has known My name. He will call upon Me, and I will answer him, I will be with him in trouble (or distress); I will rescue him, and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, And cause him to feast his eyes on My salvation." Psalm 91:1-4, 8-16 The Perfect Protocol "Enter His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting, And His faithfulness to all generations." Psalm 100:4, 5 "To Thee I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, And call upon the name of the Lord... Oh may it be in the presence of all His people, In the courts of the Lord's house, In the midst of you, O Jerusalem. Praise the Lord!" Psalm 116:17-19 "Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord; Praise Him, O servants of the Lord, You who stand in the house of the Lord, In the courts of the house of our God!" Psalm 135:1, 2 "Behold, bless the Lord, all servants of the Lord, Who serve (Lit. stand) by night in in the house of the Lord! Lift up your hand to the sanctuary, And bless the Lord. May the Lord bless you from Zion, He who made heaven and earth." Psalm 134 The Perfect Apparel "Worship the Lord in holy attire (or the splendor of holiness); Tremble before Him all the earth. Say among the nations, 'The Lord reigns... He will judge the people with equity.'" Psalm 96:9, 10 "I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, My soul will exult in My God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness..." Isaiah 61:10 "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts." Romans 13:14 "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ Jesus have clothed yourselves with Christ... And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise." Galatians 3:27 "...that in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old man... and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth." Ephesians 4:22-24 "...put on the new self (lit. man) who is being renovated to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him..." Colossians 3:10 "Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature (or there is a new creation); the old things have passed away, behold new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ..." 2 Corinthians 5:17, 18 "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they might have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gate to the city." Revelation 22:14 "...we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven; inasmuch as we, having put it on, shall not be found naked. For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, in order that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge (or down payment.)" 2 Corinthians 4:18, 5:1-5 Perfect Faithfulness John's Vision "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, 'Behold the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell (or tabernacle) among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them... the first things have passed away.' And He who sits on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new.' And He said, 'Write, for these words are faithful and true.' And He said to me, 'It is done... He who overcomes shall inherit these things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.'" Revelation 21:1, 3, 5, 6 Remember "Appointed Times, a Closer Look"? "...once more in a little while..." He is restoring things to His plan and purpose in creation. "'...Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and also the dry land. And I will shake all the nations, and the Desire of all nations will come with the wealth of all nations; and I will fill this house with glory,' says the Lord of hosts... 'The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former... and in this place I shall give peace...'" Haggai 2:7, 9 And remember God's purpose for bringing the children of Israel out of Egypt? "...And they shall know that I am the Lord their God who brought them out of the land of Egypt, that I might dwell among them; I am the Lord their God." Exodus 29:46 "Listen to Me... all the remnant of the house of Israel... Remember this and be assured; Recall it to mind... Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, 'My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure'; Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man of His purpose from a far country. Truly, I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, I will do it... I bring near My righteousness, it is not far off; And My salvation will not delay, And I will grant salvation in Zion, And My glory for Israel." Isaiah 46:3, 4, 8-13 "O Lord, Thou art my God; I will exalt Thee, I will give thanks to Thy name; For Thou hast worked wonders, Plans formed long ago with perfect faithfulness." Isaiah 25:1 "Therefore, holy brethren, partaker of a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the Apostle and High priest of our confession, being faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses was in all His house. For He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, by just so much as the builder of the house has more honor than the house. For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end." Hebrews 3:1-6 "...the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God..." Revelation 3:14 "He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature..." Hebrews 1:3 "And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse; and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He wages war..." Revelation 19:11 "The beast that you saw... and the ten horns... these will wage war against the Lamb and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful." Revelation 17:8, 12, 14 "It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him; If we endure, we shall also reign with Him; If we shall deny Him, He also will deny us. If we are faithless, He remains faithful; for He cannot not deny Himself." 2 Timothy 2:11-14 God Builds an Enduring House for the Faithful "But I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who will do according to what is in My heart and My soul; and I will build him an enduring house, and he will walk before My anointed forever." 1 Samuel 2:35 Consider David: "I have found David a man after My own heart who will do all My wills... David... served the the purpose of God in his own generation..." Acts 13:22, 36 "Then David the king went in and sat before the Lord, and he said, 'Who am I, O Lord God and what is my house that Thou hast brought me this far... For Thou hast spoken also of the house of Thy servant concerning the distant future... For the sake of Thy word and according to Thine own heart, Thou hast done all this greatness to let Thy servant know... Now therefore, O Lord God, the word that Thou has spoken concerning Thy servant and his house, confirm it forever, and do as Thou hast promised by saying, "The Lord of hosts is God over Israel"; and "May the house of Thy servant David be established before Thee." For Thou, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, hast made a revelation to Thy servant, saying, "I will build you a house..." And now, O Lord God, Thou art God, and Thy words are truth, and Thou has promised (or spoken) this good thing to Thy servant.'" 2 Samuel 7:18-20, 25-28 Consider Paul: "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service..." 1 Timothy 1:12 "...the grace that was given to me from God, to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God..." Romans 15:16 Consider to whom these letters were sent: "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, to the holy ones who are at Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus..." Ephesians 1:1 "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God and Timothy the brother; to the holy ones and faithful brethren..." Colossians 1, 2 Consider Jesus' words to the churches: To the Church in Smyrna: "...Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life..." Revelation 2:10 To the Church in Pergamum: "I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith, even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you where Satan dwells." Revelation 2:13 To the unfaithful: "...a stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not prepare its heart, And whose spirit was not faithful to God... For their heart was not steadfast toward Him, Nor were they faithful in His covenant." Psalm 78:8, 37 "So He brought their days to an end in vanity, And their years in sudden terror." Psalm 78:33 Perfect Prayer A definition: "True prayer begins at the heart of God, is made known to the hearts of men, is prayed back to God again and God answers... The will of God is the starting point; we voice it, God does it." Watchman Nee Perfect Prayers "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven." Matthew 6:10 "Father forgive them..." Luke 23:34 "Father, into Thy hands I commit My spirit." Luke 23:46 "Father, if Thou art willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will but Thine be done." Luke 22:42 "...Help us, for You are our God." Hosea 8:2 "Lord, teach us to pray!" Luke 11:1 (Handbook 3, Article 18) Perfect Prayer and the Furnishings of the Tabernacle "These are the appointed things of the dwelling place, the dwelling place of the testimony, as they were appointed according to the command of Moses, for the service of the Levites..." Exodus 18:21 The Holy of Holies: The Ark of the Covenant "And they shall construct an ark of acacia wood... And you shall overlay it with pure gold inside and out... And you shall put into the ark the testimony which I shall give you..." Exodus 25:10, 11, 16 The Mercy Seat and the Cherubim "And you shall make a mercy seat of pure gold... And... two cherubim of gold, and make them of hammered work from the two ends of the mercy seat. And make one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat at its two ends. And the cherubim shall have their wings spread upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings and their faces to one another; the faces of the cherubim are to be toward the mercy seat. And you shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony which I shall give you. And there I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of testimony, I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel." Exodus 25:10-25 "And there I will meet with you... I will speak to you..." Exodus 25:22 "...when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say not of this creation... through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all having obtained eternal redemption." Hebrews 9:11, 12 "Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God... one who has been tempted in all things, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in the time of need." Hebrews 4:14-16 The Veil "And you shall make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet and fine twisted lines; it shall be made with cherubim, the work of a skillful workman... And you shall put up the veil... and bring in the ark of the testimony there within the veil, and the veil shall separate for you between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies." Exodus 26:31, 33 "Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water." Hebrews 10:19 The Holy Place: The Table "And you shall make a table of acacia wood... overlaid with gold rings for holders to carry the table. And you shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before Me at all times." Exodus 25:23-30 The Lampstand "Then you shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand and its base and its shaft are to be made of hammered work; its cups, it bulbs and its flowers shall be of one piece with it. And its branches shall go out from the sides... six branches going out. Then you shall make its lamps seven in number, and they shall raise up its lamps to shed light on the space in front of it." Exodus 25:31-40 "...I am the first and the last, the living One... and the seven lampstands are the seven churches." Revelation 1:17, 18, 20; "And you shall charge the sons of Israel, that they bring you clear oil of beaten olives for the light, to make a lamp to burn continually..." Exodus 27:9 "The kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were foolish, and five of them were prudent. For when the foolish took their lamps they took no oil with them, but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps... while the bridegroom was delaying..." Matthew 25:1-5 The Altar of Incense "...you shall make an altar as a place for burning incense; you shall make it of acacia wood... its horns shall be of one piece with it. And you shall overlay it with gold... And you shall put the altar in front of the veil that is near the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is over the ark of the testimony, where I will meet with you." Exodus 30:1-3, 6 And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it; he shall burn it every morning when he trims the lamps. And when Aaron trims the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense. There shall be perpetual incense on the altar before the Lord throughout your generations. You shall not offer any strange incense before the Lord on this altar..." Exodus 30:7-10 "O Lord, I call upon Thee; hasten to me! Give ear to my voice when I call to Thee! May my prayer be counted as incense before Thee; The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering." Psalm 141:1, 2 Incense and Perfect Prayer "...Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God." Acts 10:4 John speaking: "I looked, a behold a door standing open in heaven... and behold, a throne standing in heaven and One was sitting on the throne." Revelation 4:1 "And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book... And no one in heaven, or on earth, or under the earth, was able to open the book, or look into it. I began to weep... and one of the elders said to me... 'The Root of David, has overcome as to open the book...' And I saw in the middle of the throne... a Lamb standing, as if slain... And He came, and He took it out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. And When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, having each one... golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints." Revelation 5:1-8 "And when He broke the seventh seal, there was silence for about a half hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God; and seven trumpets were given to them. And another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him that he might give it to the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne." Revelation 8:1-3 Solomon and the Altar of Incense His message to King Hiram: "Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of the Lord my God dedicating it to Him, to burn fragrant incense before Him... And the house which I am about to build will be great, for greater is our God than all the gods. But who is able to build a house for Him, for the heavens cannot contain Him. So who am I that I should build a house for Him, except to burn incense (offer up smoke) before Him." 2 Chronicles 2:4-6 Again: "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer...'" Matthew 21:13 "...Christ was faithful as a Son over His house, whose house we are..." Hebrews 3:6 _________________________________________________ The Forms of the House Part 3: An Appointed Time, an Appointed Work: Restoring God's House! "...make known to them the forms (or designs) of the house, its structures, its exits, its entrances, all its designs, all it statutes, and all its laws. And write it in their sight, so that they may observe its whole form and all its statutes, and do them." Jesus speaks of the forms of God's house: "Do not let you heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Fathers house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, you may be also." John 14:1, 2 "I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you. In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. '...If anyone loves Me he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make our abode with him.'" John 14:18, 20, 23 Peter speaks of the form and declares it a spiritual house: "And coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected by men, but chosen and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up (or allow yourselves to be build up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 2:4, 5 Paul writes to the early church: "By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God... For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. If any man is in Christ Jesus, he is a new creation... the old things have passed away, behold, new things have come." 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Since you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow-citizens with the holy ones, and are of God's household, having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone; in whom the whole building, being fitted together is growing into a holy sanctuary in the Lord; in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit." Ephesians 2:8-10, 19-22 From Hebrews: "For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God. ...but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house whose house we are..." Hebrews 3:4, 6 Review (Handbook 3, Article 44) The Structure of the House "...make known to them the forms of the house, its structures, its exits, its entrances, all its designs, all its statutes, and all its laws. And write it in their sight, so that they may observe its whole form and all its statutes, and do them." Ezekiel 43:11 The Foundation "Behold I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a costly stone for the foundation, well laid. He who believes in it will not be disturbed (Lit. in a hurry). And I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the level; then hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and waters shall overflow the secret place." Isaiah 28:16, 17 "The stone which the builders rejected, This became the chief corner stone; This came about from the Lord, And it is marvelous in our eyes..." Matthew 21:42 "...from the hands of the mighty God of Jacob, from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel..." Genesis 48:24 "...and coming to Him as to a Living Stone, you also, as living stones, are being built up into a spiritual house for a holy priesthood..." 1 Peter 2:5 "And the Lord their God will save them in that day as the flock of His people; for they are as the stones of a crown, sparkling in His land. For what goodness and beauty will be theirs!" Zechariah 9:16, 17 Measuring the Perfection A Plumb Line (Handbook 3, Article 27) "If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do?" Psalm 11:3 Paul speaking: "I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own wages according to his labor. For we are God's fellow-workers; you are God's cultivated land, God's building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But let each man be careful how he builds upon it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Christ Jesus. Now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, straw, each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test of what sort each man's work is. If any man's work which he built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire. Do you not know that you are a sanctuary of God; and the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, which you are." 1 Corinthians 3:6-17 Being Known, a House and Kingdom Imperative "...the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, the Lord knows those who are His..." 2 Timothy 2:19 Gleanings From the Parables "And He was passing through from one city and village to another, teaching, and proceeding on His way to Jerusalem. And someone said to Him, 'Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?' And He said to them 'Strive to enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able, once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, "Lord, open to us!" and He will answer and say to you, "I do not know where you are from."'" Luke 13:22-25 Chilling Last Word From the Bridegroom Ten virgins, five prudent, five foolish, were waiting for the bridegroom, expecting to go in with him to the wedding feast. But the bridegroom delayed and they fell asleep. When he appeared suddenly and they were called out to meet him, five of them were short of oil. Not able to beg or borrow, they left to purchase more. When they returned the door to the wedding feast was shut. "Lord, Lord, open to us," they cried. The bridegroom answered, "Truly, I say to you, I do not know you." Matthew 25:1-29 (Paraphrased) What do Jesus' words "I do not know you" mean? Do they state that He does not know of you, or about you? Scripture does not seem to support this. "And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." Hebrews 4:13 "The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men: From His dwelling place He looks out On all the inhabitants of the earth, He who fashions the heart of all of them, He who understands all their works." Psalm 33:13-15 "The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven; His eyelids behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked..." Psalm 11:4, 5 "I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his deeds." Jeremiah 17:10 There is a man in the Scriptures that God said "He knew." "And the Lord said, 'Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation... For I have known him...'" Genesis 18:17 How did God get to know Abraham? "Now it came about that God tested Abraham..." Genesis 22:1 What did God learn about Abraham? "...now I know that you are a fearer of God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me." Genesis 22:12 "Thou art the Lord, God, who chose Abraham and brought him out... and gave him the name Abraham. And Thou didst find his heart faithful before Thee." Nehemiah 9:7 And how did God learn what was in the hearts of His people in the wilderness? "And you shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not." Deuteronomy 8:2 We know what Abraham's test included. What about the people in the wilderness? "And He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord. Thus you are to know in your heart that the Lord your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son. Therefore, you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him. He led you through the great and terrible wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water; He brought water for you out of the rock of flint. In the wilderness He fed you with manna... that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you at your end." Deuteronomy 8:3, 5, 6, 15, 16 Did Jesus keep the commandments of the Lord to walk in His ways? "...Truly, truly I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing, for whatever the Father does, these things the Son does in like manner." John 5:19 Even Jesus learned obedience through the things that He suffered. "In the days of His flesh, when He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to Him who was able to save Him out of death, and who was heard because of His piety, although He was a Son He learned obedience from the things which He suffered; and having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation..." Hebrews 5:7-9 He was humbled by these experiences. "...I am gentle and humble in heart..." Matthew 11:29 God found Moses' heart faithful. "Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house whose house we are..." Hebrews 3:5, 6 It seems there are only two categories of people in the world - those God knows and those He does not know! Again: "...the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, the Lord knows those who are His..." 2 Timothy 2:19 May we be found among them! The Wall Ezekiel's Vision "And behold, there was a wall on the outside of the house all around, and in the man's hand a measuring rod... and he measured the thickness of the wall (and height)..." Ezekiel 40:5 "...it had a wall all around... to divide between the holy and the profane." Ezekiel 42:20 Ezekiel describes the break down (breach in) the wall: "And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold the glory of the Lord filled the house... And He said to me, 'Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell among the sons of Israel forever. And the house of Israel will not again defile My holy name, neither they nor their kings, by their harlotry and by the monuments of their kings in their high places, by setting their threshold by My threshold, and their door posts beside My doorpost, with only the wall between Me and them.'" Ezekiel 43:7, 8 Scripture tells us how this happened: "There is a conspiracy of her prophets in her midst, like a roaring lion tearing the prey. They have devoured lives, they have taken treasure and precious thing; they have made many widows in the midst of her. Her priests have done violence to My law and have profaned My holy things; they have made no distinction between the holy and the profane, and they have not taught the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they hide their eyes from My Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. Her princes within her are like wolves tearing the prey, by shedding blood and destroying lives in order to get dishonest gain. And her prophets have smeared whitewash for them, seeing false visions and divining lies for them, saying, 'Thus says the Lord God,' when the the Lord has not spoken." Ezekiel 22:25-28 "Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, 'Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy from their own inspiration (Lit. heart), "Listen to the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God, 'Woe to the foolish prophets who are following their own spirit and have seen nothing. O Israel, your prophets have been like foxes among ruins.'"'" Ezekiel 13:1-4 A Charge Against the Prophets in Ezekiel's Time "You have not gone up into the breaches, nor did you build the wall around the house of Israel to stand in the battle on the day of the Lord." Ezekiel 13:5 A Charge in Our Time "And I searched for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it but I found not one." Ezekiel 22:30 Now for a Brief Moment "But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the Lord our God, to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage... to give us a reviving to raise up the house of our God, to restore its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem." Ezra 9: 8, 9 A Commission (Handbook 3, Article 4) "Therefore, says the Lord, 'If you return, then I will restore you -- Before me you will stand; And if you extract the precious from the worthless, You will become My spokesman. (Lit: as My mouth) Then I will make you to this people A fortified wall of bronze; And though they fight against you, They will not prevail over you; For I am with you to save you And deliver you,' declares the Lord. 'So I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked, And I will redeem you from the palm of the violent.'" Jeremiah 15:19-21 A Look Ahead "Violence will not be heard again in your land, Nor devastation and destruction within your borders, But you will call your walls salvation, and your gates praise... But you will have the Lord for an everlasting light, And your God for your glory." Isaiah 60:18, 19 "In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; He sets up walls and ramparts for security. Open the gates, that the righteous nation may enter, The one that keeps faithfulness." Isaiah 26:1, 2 _________________________________________________ Set Your Heart of the Entrance of the House Part 3: An Appointed Time, an Appointed Work: Restoring God's House! Ezekiel's Vision "Then He brought me by the way of the outer gate of the sanctuary, which faces east and it was shut. And the Lord said to me, 'This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no one shall enter by it, for the Lord God of Israel has entered by it; therefore it shall be shut...' Then He brought me by the way of the north gate to the front of the house; and I looked and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord, and I fell on my face. And the Lord said to me, 'Son of man, set your heart on what you see with your eyes, and hear with your ears all that I say to you... and set your heart on the entrance of the house...'" Ezekiel 44:1-5 "...mark well and set your heart to know who are allowed to enter the temple and all those who are excluded from the sanctuary. And you shall say to the rebellious, even to the house of Israel... 'Enough of your abominations...'" Ezekiel 44:5, 6 (Amplified) "And he was passing through from one city and village to another, and proceeding on His way to Jerusalem. And someone said to Him, 'Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?' And He said to them, 'Strive to enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able, once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, "Lord, open up to us!" Then He will answer and say to you, "I do not know where you are from."'" Luke 13:22-25 "For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it..." Matthew 7:13 Daniel's Vision "In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel saw a dream and vision of his head as he lay on his bed... I kept looking Until thrones were set up, And the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow, And the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was flames of fire. A river of fire was flowing and coming out before Him; Thousands upon thousands were attending Him, And myriad upon myriads were standing before Him; The court sat, And the books were opened..." Daniel 7:1, 9, 10 John's Vision "And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds..." Revelation 20:12 Consider these Scriptures: "...the seventy returned with joy saying, 'Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.' And He said to them, 'I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall injure you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.'" Luke 10:17-20 "Therefore, my beloved brethren, whom I longed for, my joy and crown, so stand firm in the Lord... indeed, true comrades, I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in the gospel, together with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life." Philippians 4:1-3 "But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and the church of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven..." Hebrews 12:22, 23 "His foundation is in the holy mountains. The Lord loves the gates of Zion More than all the dwelling places of Jacob. Glorious thing are spoken of you, O city of God... But of Zion it shall be said, 'This one and that one were born in her'; And the Lord shall establish her. The Lord will count when He registers the peoples, This one was born there." Psalm 87:1, 2, 5, 6 "In that day the Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth will be the prize and the adornment of the survivors of Israel. And it will come about that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy -- everyone who is recorded for life in Jerusalem." Isaiah 4:2, 3 "Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and esteem His name. 'And they shall be Mine,' says the Lord of hosts, 'on the day that I make My special treasure, and I will spare them as a man spares (or has compassion on) His own son who serves him.'" Malachi 2:16, 17 "Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation, until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but others to disgrace and everlasting abhorrence. And those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever." Daniel 12:1-3 Ponder this Scripture: (The Divine Original Handbook 2) "Seek from the book of the Lord and read: Not one of these will be missing, None will lack its mate. For His mouth has commanded, And His Spirit has gathered them. And He has cast the lot for them, And His hand has divided it to them by line. They shall possess it forever; From generation to generation they shall dwell in it." Isaiah 34:16, 17 The Door to the House "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he puts forth his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. And a stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers... Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers; but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." John 10:1-9 Keys to the Door "But He said to them... 'Who do you say that I am?' Simon Peter answered...'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.' And Jesus answered... 'Blessed are you... because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, by My Father who is in heaven... I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.'" Matthew 16:15-17, 19 "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this: 'I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name. Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews, and are not, but lie -- behold, I will make them to come and bow down before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell upon the earth. I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, in order that no one take your crown.'" Revelation 3:7-11 "A wide door for effective service has opened to me, and there are many adversaries." 1 Corinthians 16:9 _________________________________________________ Set Your Heart on the Exits of the Sanctuary Part 3: An Appointed Time, an Appointed Work: Restoring God's House! "...mark well and set your heart to know... all those who are excluded from the sanctuary." Ezekiel 44:5 (Amplified) "...the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it." Matthew 7:13 Daniel's Vision "In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel saw a dream and visions in his mind as he lay on his bed... 'I kept looking Until thrones were set up, And the Ancient of Days took His seat... The court sat, And the books were opened.'" Daniel 7:1, 9, 10 John's Vision "And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds... And if anyone's name was not written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." Revelation 20:12, 15 Blots and Erasers in the Book of Life "Then Moses returned to the Lord, and said, 'Alas this people have sinned a great sin, and they have made a god of gold for themselves. But now, if Thou wilt, forgive their sin -- and, if not, please blot me out from Thy book which Thou hast written!' And the Lord said to Moses, 'Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book.'" Exodus 32:31, 32 "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Write this in the book as a memorial, and place it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.'" Exodus 17:14 "Remember what Amalek did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt, how he met you along the way and attacked among you all the stragglers at your rear when you were faint and weary; and he did not fear God. Therefore it shall come about when the Lord your God has given you rest from all you surrounding enemies, in the land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance to possess it, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven; you must not forget." Deuteronomy 25:17-19 "Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy from their own inspiration (Lit. heart). Thus says the Lord God, 'Woe to the foolish prophets who are following after their own spirit and have seen nothing... You have not gone up into the breaches, nor did you build the wall around the house of Israel to stand in battle on the day of the Lord.' They see falsehood (lit. vanity) and lying divination who are saying, 'The Lord declares', when the Lord has not sent them; yet they hope for fulfillment of their word. Therefore says the Lord God, 'Because you have spoken vanity and seen a lie, therefore behold I am against you... So My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations. They will have no place in (Lit. not be in) the council of My people, nor will they be written down in the register of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel...'" Ezekiel 13:2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9 Consequences: "The beast that you saw was and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and he goes to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth will wonder, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world; when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come." Revelation 17:8 "And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain." Revelation 13:8 God's House and the Book of Life "Behold, your house is left to you desolate..." Luke 13:35 "Reproach has broken My heart, and I am so sick. And I looked for sympathy and there was none, And for comforters, but I found none. They also gave me gall for my food, And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink... May their encampment be desolate; May none dwell in their tents. For they have persecuted him whom Thou Thyself hast smitten... Do Thou add iniquity to their iniquity, And may they not come into righteousness. And may they be blotted out of the book of life, And may they not be recorded (Lit. written) with the righteous." Psalm 69:20, 21, 25-28 "'A curse shall go forth,' says the Lord of hosts, 'and it shall enter into the house of the thief and into the house of him who swears falsely by My name, and it shall abide in the midst of his house and shall consume it, both its timber and stone.'" Zechariah 5:3 "Woe to those who add house to house and join field to field, Until there is no more room, So that you have to live alone in the midst of the land. In my ears the Lord of hosts has sworn, 'Surely, many houses shall become desolate, Even great and fine ones, without occupants.'" Isaiah 5:8, 9 "And I saw no temple (or sanctuary) in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb are its temple... and nothing unclean and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life." Revelation 21:22, 27 "Stand in the gate of the Lord's house and proclaim there this word, and say, 'Hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah who enter by these gates to worship the Lord! Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. Do not trust in deceptive words saying, "This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord." Behold you are trusting in deceptive words to no avail. Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Behold, I have seen it,' declares the Lord." Jeremiah 7:2-4, 8, 11 "And Jesus entered the temple, and cast out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who were selling doves. And He said to them, 'It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a robbers' den.'" Matthew 21:12, 13 "...For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the son of God, and put Him to open shame. For ground that drinks the rain which often comes upon it and brings for vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to a curse, and its end is for burning." Hebrews 6:1, 4-8 "Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain... for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of my God... He who overcomes shall thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life..." Revelation 3:2 "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man, a king, who made a wedding feast for his son. But when the king came in to look over the dinner quests, he saw there a man not dressed in wedding clothes and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?' And he was speechless. Then the king said to his servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.'" Matthew 22:2, 11-13 "The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will cast them into a furnace of fire; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father." Matthew 13:41-43 Again: "Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain... for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of my God... He who overcomes shall thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life..." Revelation 3:2 "Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. Therefore, if a man cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. Now flee from youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart." 2 Timothy 2:20-22 A Pure Heart (Handbook 2, Article 26) "And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds... And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." Revelation 20:12, 15 _________________________________________________ Set Your Heart on the Statutes of the House Part 3: An Appointed Time, an Appointed Work: Restoring God's House! "Set your heart on what you see with your eyes, and hear with your ears all that I say to you concerning all the statutes of the house of the Lord and concerning all its laws..." Ezekiel 44:5 A Definition Law, statutes: decrees or edicts, as of a ruler, an established law. "...make known to them... all its statutes, and all its laws. And write it in their sight, so that they may observe its whole form and all its statutes, and do them. This is the law of the house; its entire area on the top of the mountain all around shall be most holy. Behold, this is the instruction of the house." Ezekiel 43:11 Instruction About God's House and the Fear of the Lord "For thus the Lord spoke to me with mighty power And instructed me not to walk in the way of the people, saying, 'You are not to say, It is a conspiracy!' In regard to all that the people call a conspiracy, And you are not to fear their fear or be in dread of it. It is the Lord of host whom you should regard as holy, And He shall be your fear, and He shall be your dread. Then He shall become a sanctuary..." Isaiah 8:11-14 "My son, if you will receive my sayings, And treasure my commandments within you, Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding; If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will discern the fear of the Lord, And discover the knowledge of God." Proverbs 2:1-5 The Fear of the Lord (Handbook 3, Article 14) _________________________________________________ God's House, Pressing On Part 3: An Appointed Time, an Appointed Work: Restoring God's House! "Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity..." Hebrews 6:1 "...stand and speak to the people in the temple all the words of this Life." Acts 5:20 "Listen, O My people, to My instruction..." Psalm 78:1 "When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, And He gave gifts to men... ...for the equipping of the true believers for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the true knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." Ephesians 4:8, 12, 13 Consider: "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to Him to show to His bondservants, the things which must shortly take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John... John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits who are before the throne; and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood, and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father; to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen." Revelation 1:1, 4-6 A Closer Look at the Design of the House "...and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father... And coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected by men, but chosen and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 2:4, 5 A Closer Look at the Living Stones "I urge you there, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, well-pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship... transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:1, 2 "The Mighty One, God, the Lord, has spoken, And summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting, Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shone forth. May our God come and not keep silence; Fire devours before Him, And it is very tempestuous around Him. He summons the heaven above, And the earth; to judge His people: 'Gather My godly ones to Me, Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.'" Psalm 50:1-5 "...(making full the word of God), that is the mystery which has been hidden from ages and generations... which is, Christ in you, the hope of glory..." Colossians 1:25-27 Again: "Therefore leaving the beginning word about the Christ, let us press on to perfection... For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name... For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself... Therefore God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, in order that two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have strong encouragement, we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast and one which enters inside the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek." Hebrews 6:1, 10, 13, 17-20 John again: "And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, 'Who is worthy to open the book and break its seals?' And I saw... a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. And He came and took it out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. And when He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, having each one a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the true believers (Lit. holy ones). And they sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy art Thou to take the book, and to break its seals; for Thou was slain, and didst purchase for God with Thy blood from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. And Thou hast made them a kingdom and priests to our God; and they shall reign upon the earth.'" Revelation 5:1-10 _________________________________________________ Renewing the Kingdom of God Part 4: An Appointed Time, an Appointed Work: Renewing the Kingdom "Come and let us go... and renew the kingdom." 1 Samuel 11:14 The kingdom of God is a mystery. "And He was teaching many things in parables... And He was saying, 'He, who has ears to hear, let him hear.' And as soon as He was alone, those about Him along with the twelve asked Him about the parables. And He was saying to them, 'To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God; but those who are outside get everything in parables.'" Mark 4:2, 9-11 It is a mystery that at this moment in the midst of the years is not finished. "And an angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, that there shall be delay no longer, but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants, the prophets." Revelation 10:5-7 How do we "renew" a mystery? To be complete, final, and universal, "the mystery of the kingdom" must break out of the limitations of language -- it must become a living activity. We have this promise (9/24/09): "Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, For wisdom and power belong to Him. And it is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and sets up kings; He gives wisdom to wise men, And knowledge to knowers. It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, And the light dwells with Him. To Thee, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, For Thou has given me wisdom and power; Even now Thou hast made known to me what we requested of Thee, For Thou hast made known to us the king's matter." Daniel 2:20-23 Consider the "king's matter" in Daniel's time, the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream, when it was the "stone" cut out of the mountain without hands! (Daniel 2:28-45) And now? "And coming to Him as to a living stone, you also as living stones..." 1 Peter 2:4, 5 "Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are on the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from the face of the earth..." Amos 9:8 An Overview of the Kingdom of God From the beginning, everything has been about the kingdom -- it is as inclusive as God's words about Himself. "I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." Revelation 1:8 The kingdom was, is and is to come. The Kingdom "Was" "Come... inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Matthew 25:34 The creation of Adam and Eve was about the kingdom. They were given the authority to rule over God's creation. "Then God said, 'Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness and let them rule over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.'" Genesis 1:26 "...be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule..." Genesis 1:28 The flood was about the kingdom. "The Lord sat as King at the flood; Yes, the Lord sits as King forever." Psalm 29:10 The call of Abraham was about the kingdom. "Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father's house, to a land which I will show you: and I will make you a great nation...'" Genesis 12:1, 2 "I am God Almighty; walk before me and be perfect... And you will be the father of a multitude of nations..." Genesis 17:1-7 The call and coming out of Egypt was about the kingdom. "...if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine, and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." Exodus 19:5, 6 And more importantly it was the declaration to them of His majesty, that He is their king. "The Lord came from Sinai, And dawned on them from Seir... And He came from the midst of ten thousand holy ones... Indeed, He loves the people; All Thy holy ones are in Thy hand... And He was king in Jeshurun, When the heads of the people were gathered, The tribes of Israel together." Deuteronomy 33:2-5 The Kingdom "Is" "...Jesus began to proclaim and say, 'Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'" Matthew 4:17 Jesus' first message was about the kingdom. "Jesus began to preach and say, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'" Matthew 4:7 Jesus' purpose for coming was the kingdom. "...I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose." Luke 4:43 The temptation of Jesus by Satan was about the kingdom. "And he (the devil) led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the inhabited earth in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him. 'I will give You all this domain and their glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore if You bow down before me, it shall be Yours.'" Luke 4:5-8 Being born again is about the kingdom. Seeing "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3 Being born of water and the Spirit is about the kingdom. Entering "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God..." John 3:5 Being conformed to the image of Christ is about the kingdom. Inheriting "The first man, Adam, became a living soul. The last Adam, a life-giving spirit. However the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. The first man is from earth, made of dust; the second man is from heaven... And just as we have borne the image of the earthy, let us also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God..." 1 Corinthians 15:46-50 The founding of the church was about the kingdom. "Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He began asking His disciples, saying, 'Who do people say that the Son of Man is?' And they said, 'Some say John the Baptist; some Elijah; and others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.' He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?' And Simon Peter answered, 'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God.' And Jesus said to him, 'Blessed are you, Simon, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father in heaven... and upon this rock I will build My church... I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.'" Matthew 16:13-19 Jesus commissioning His disciples and sending them out was about the kingdom. "And He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick." Luke 9:1, 2 The cross was about the kingdom; it was the King who was crucified. "And when they crucified Him... they put above His head the charge against Him which read, 'This is Jesus the King of the Jews.'" Matthew 27:37 "Pilate said to Him, 'So You are a king?' Jesus answered. 'You say correctly that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.'" John 18:37 Jesus showing Himself alive, appearing to His disciples over a period of forty days was about the kingdom. "To these (the apostles) He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by appearing to them over 40 days, and speaking of things concerning the kingdom of God." Acts 1:3 Jesus' coming again is about the kingdom. "And when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, 'Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?' He said to them, 'It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority...' After He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight." Acts 1:6-9 Paul's ministry was about the kingdom. "And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God, and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus with all openness..." Acts 20:30 The Revelation to John is about the kingdom. "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must shortly take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John. John to the seven churches that are in Asia; Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne; and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us, and released us from our sins by His blood, and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father..." Revelation 1:1-6 "And when He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, having each one a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy art Thou to take the book, and to break its seals; for Thou wast slain, and didst purchase for God with Thy blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. And Thou hast made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.'" Revelation 5:8-10 The Kingdom "Is to Come" "And the seventh angel sounded; and there arose loud voices in heaven saying, 'The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever." Revelation 11:15, 16 The Lord's Prayer is about the kingdom. "Pray then in this way: 'Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven... For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.'" Matthew 6:9, 10, 13 The day of the seventh angel is about the kingdom. "...that there shall be delay no longer, but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants, the prophets." Revelation 10:7 "And the seventh angel sounded; and there arose loud voices in heaven, saying, 'The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.' And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, 'We give Thee thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who art and who wast, because Thou hast taken Thy great power and hast begun to reign. (Lit. didst reign.)'" Revelation 11:15-17 * * * * * To Review If the kingdom has been prepared from before the foundation of the world, why does the kingdom need renewing? Jesus' words to the Jewish priests and people: "Did you never read in The Scriptures, 'The stone which the builders rejected, This became the chief corner stone; This came about from the Lord, And it is marvelous in our eyes'? Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and be given to a nation producing the fruit of it. And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter like dust." Matthew 21:42-44 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that kills the prophet and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together... Behold, your house is left to you desolate; and I say to you, you shall not see Me again until the time comes when you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'" Luke 13:34, 35 And the kingdom was given to the church with the commission to produce its fruit. "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven." Matthew 16:19 "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: 'He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this: "I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have kept My word, and have not denied My name. Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews, and are not, but lie -- behold, I will make them to come and bow down before your feet, and to know that I have loved you."'" Revelation 3:7-9 And the outcome for the organized visible church? "I have stretched over you the plumb-line of emptiness... The kingdom has been taken from you and given to a people who will produce the fruit of it. I have left you desolate. The church age is over. My eyes are now on the kingdom." Message to the Organized Visible Church (Handbook 2) And to whom have "the greater works" been entrusted? Who has God commissioned to renew His house and His kingdom by treading Jesus' enemies under his feet? "'...he who takes refuge in Me shall inherit the land, And shall possess My holy mountain.' And it shall be said, 'Build up, build up, prepare the way, Remove every obstacle out of the way of My people.' For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, 'I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite.'" Isaiah 57:13-15 "Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word." Isaiah 66:1, 2 "And I have put My words in your mouth, and have covered you with the shadow of My hand, to establish (Lit. plant) the heavens, to found the earth, and to say to Zion, 'You are My people.'" Isaiah 51:16 "In that day the Lord of hosts will become a beautiful crown And a glorious diadem to the remnant of His people; A spirit of justice for him who sits in judgment, A strength to those who repel the onslaught (Lit. battle) at the gate." Isaiah 28:5, 6 "I declared the former things long ago And they were forth from My mouth, and I proclaimed them. Suddenly I acted and they came to pass. You have heard; look at all this. And you, will you not declare it? I proclaim to you new things from this time, Even hidden things which you have not known. They are created now and not long ago; And before today you have not heard them..." Isaiah 48:3, 6, 7 _________________________________________________ Pressing On, a First Assignment Part 4: An Appointed Time, an Appointed Work: Renewing the Kingdom Review: John 14:12 "And this we shall do, if God permits!" Hebrews 6:1 "The Lord says to my Lord; 'Sit at My right hand, Until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet...' Thy people will volunteer in the day of Thy power." Psalm 110:1, 3 "Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who shall go for Us?' Then I said, 'Here am I. Send me!'" Isaiah 6:8 "Renewing the kingdom" and "restoring God's house" break forth from the Word and become living activities. "I will revive My work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years I will make Myself known." Measurements for the Volunteer "...every man wise of heart in whom the Lord has put wisdom and understanding to know how to perform all the work of the service of the sanctuary, shall perform in accordance with all that the Lord has commanded. Then Moses called... every man wise of heart whose heart stirred him, to come to the work to perform it." Exodus 36:1, 2 "And everyone whose heart lifted up and everyone whose spirit moved him (or made him willing) came and brought the Lord's contribution for the work of the tent of meeting and for all the holy garments." Exodus 35:21 A Volunteer's First Assignments Set your heart on God's house. "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness..." Matthew 6:33 Seek: inquire, pursue, go in search of. To inquire: question, consider, ask about, examine, look for clues To pursue: purpose in action; follow, shadow, undertake, press on, hunt for, chase after "Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened." Matthew 7:7, 8 "And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13 "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know." Jeremiah 33:3 The Parables Perfect Measurements for Seekers of the Kingdom and of His Righteousness "On that day Jesus went out of the house, and was sitting by the sea. And great multitudes gathered about Him, so that He got into a boat and sat down; and the whole multitude was standing on the beach. And He spoke many things to them in parables... And the disciples came and said to Him, 'Why do You speak to them in parables?' And He answered them... 'To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.'" Matthew 13:1-3, 10, 11 The kingdom is like... is compared to... can be pictured as... "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has, and buys the field." Matthew 13:33 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it." Matthew 13:45 "...The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; and this is smaller than all other seeds; but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches." Matthew 13:31, 32 "For whoever has, to him shall more be given, and he shall have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. Therefore I speak in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand." Matthew 13:12 The following parables also have kingdom measurements: "...the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind; and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down, and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away. So it will be at the end of the age; the angels shall come forth, and take out the wicked from among the righteous..." Matthew 13:48, 49 "The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness." Matthew 13:41 "So let us know, let us press on to knowing the Lord. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain waters the earth." Hosea 6:3 _________________________________________________ Seeking the Kingdom and Finding Righteousness Part 4: An Appointed Time, an Appointed Work: Renewing the Kingdom "...He loves him who pursues righteousness." Proverbs 15:9 "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want, He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside waters of rest; He restores my soul, He guides me in the tracks of righteousness For His name's sake." Psalm 23:1-3 The Kingdom and Righteousness "For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:20 "...they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end (or goal) of the law of righteousness to everyone who believes." Romans 9:2-4 "...for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." Romans 14:17 "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Thy throne." Psalm 89:14 The Stark Reality for All of Us "...in Thy sight no man living is righteous." Psalm 143:2 "...all our deeds are filthy rags." Isaiah 64:6 "There is none righteous, not even one; There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God; All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good, There is not even one. ...And the path of peace have they not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes." Romans 3:10-12, 17, 18 "...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." Romans 3:23 "If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:8, 9 "By His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, both righteousness and sanctification, and redemption." 2 Corinthians 1:30 "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21 We are seeking God's kingdom and His righteousness. But where is righteousness? How do we recognize it? How do we learn righteousness? "I bring near My righteousness... " Isaiah 46:13 A Definition "Great and marvelous are Thy works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Thy ways, O King of the nations. Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? For Thou alone art holy; For all the nations will come and worship before Thee, For Thy righteous acts have been revealed." Revelation 15:3, 4 "The Lord is righteous in all His ways..." Psalm 145:17 All God's ways, all God's works, all God's judgments are righteousness in action. "Let Thy work appear to Thy servants, And Thy majesty to their children..." Psalm 90:16 "Make me know Thy ways, O Lord; Teach me Thy paths." Psalm 25:4 "Thou dost meet him who rejoices in doing righteousness, Who remembers Thee in Thy ways." Isaiah 64:5 _________________________________________________ Seeking Righteousness, a Closer Look Part 4: An Appointed Time, an Appointed Work: Renewing the Kingdom "The Lord is righteous in all His ways..." Psalm 145:17 "...while following the way of Thy judgments, O Lord, We have waited for Thee eagerly; Thy name, even Thy memory, is the desire of our souls. At night with my soul I long for Thee, Indeed, with my spirit I seek Thee diligently; For when the earth has Thy judgments The inhabitants of the earth learn righteousness." Isaiah 26:8, 9 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be satisfied." Matthew 5:6 Paul had this hunger. "...I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own... but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith that I might know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on..." Philippians 3:8-12 "...He loves him who pursues righteousness." Proverbs 15:9 "Open to me the gates of righteousness, I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord, The righteous will enter through it. I shall give thanks to Thee, For Thou hast become my salvation." Psalm 118:19-21 "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing." 2 Timothy 4:7, 8 "Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood, And has not sworn deceitfully. He shall receive a blessing from the Lord And righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Thy face..." Psalm 24:3-6 "...I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life..." Revelation 21:6 _________________________________________________ The Kingdom of God Has a King Part 4: An Appointed Time, an Appointed Work: Renewing the Kingdom The Good Confession "Pilate... summoned Jesus, and said to him, 'You are the King of the Jews?' Jesus answered, 'My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting, that I might not be delivered up to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not from here.' Pilate therefore said to Him, 'So You are a king?' Jesus answered, 'You say that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.'" John 18:33, 36, 37 "I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate... ...He who is blessed and only Sovereign, the King of those who reign as kings, and Lord of those who rule as lords... To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen." 1 Timothy 6:13, 15, 16 Ruler of the Kings of the Earth (Handbook 3, Article 43) Proclaiming the Excellencies of the King "My heart is astir with a good theme; I am saying my works to the King; My tongue is the pen of a ready writer. Thou art fairer than the sons of men; Grace is poured through Thy lips; Therefore God has blessed Thee forever. Gird Thy sword on Thy thigh, O Mighty One, In Thy splendor and Thy majesty! And in Thy majesty ride on victoriously, For the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness; Let Thy right hand teach Thee awesome (or fearful) things. Thy arrows are sharp; The people fall under Thee; The arrows are in the heart of the King's enemies. Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated wickedness; Therefore God, Thy God, has anointed Thee With the oil of joy above Thy fellows. All Thy garments are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; Out of ivory palaces stringed instruments have made Thee glad." Psalm 45:1-8 A Portrait of the King "And I saw heaven opened; and behold a white horse and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges and wages war. And His eyes are a flame of fire, and upon His head are many diadems; and He has a name written upon Him which no one knows except Himself; and He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood; and His name is called 'The Word of God.' And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. And from His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may smite the nations; and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the wine of His fierce wrath. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords." Revelation 19:11-16 "It is not enough that we know Jesus as the Lamb of God and as the Savior of the world; we must know Him also as God's Christ, God's King, God's Judge. When we see Him as Savior, we say 'How lovable!' When we see Him as Monarch, we say, 'How terrible!' and fall prostrate at His feet..." Watchman Nee "...God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue confess (acknowledge) that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Pertinent Questions for the Volunteer Has the Lord made Himself known to me as King? "...no one can say, 'Jesus is Lord,' except in the Holy Spirit." 1 Corinthians 12:3 Have I set up His throne of authority in my heart? "...work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." Philippians 2:12, 13 _________________________________________________ A Brief History of the Earthly Kingdom Part 4: An Appointed Time, an Appointed Work: Renewing the Kingdom "...the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel... and they said to him, 'Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations." 1 Samuel 8 How It Began "Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you...' So Abram went forth... thus they came to the land of Canaan... And the Lord appeared to Abram and said, 'To your descendants I will give this land.' So he built and altar there to the Lord who appeared to him." Genesis 12:1, 2, 5, 7 "And the Lord said to Abram... 'Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever... Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you.'" Genesis 13:14-17 "...the Lord came to Abram in a vision saying... 'I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess it...' On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram saying, 'To your seed I have given this land, from the river of Egypt as far as the river Euphrates...'" Genesis 15:1, 7, 18 The Exodus from Egypt "Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 'Command the sons of Israel and say to them, "When you enter the land of Canaan, this is the land that shall fall to you as an inheritance, the land of Canaan, according to its borders.'" Numbers 33:1, 22 Solomon's kingdom was the only one that fully occupied the land deeded to them by God. "Now the angel of the Lord came... And he said, 'I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into this land which I have sworn to your fathers; and I said I will never break My covenant with you, and as for you, you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars. But you have not obeyed Me; what is this you have done? Therefore I also said, "I will not drive them out before you; but they will become as thorns in your sides. And their gods shall be a snare to you."' Then the Lord raised up judges who delivered them from the hands of those who plundered them." Judges 2:1-3, 16 "Now Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life..." 1 Samuel 7:15 "And it came about when Samuel was old that he appointed his sons judges over Israel. His sons however, did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after dishonest gain and and took bribes and perverted justice. Then the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel... and they said to him, 'Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways, now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations.' And Samuel prayed to the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, 'Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them. Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them out of Egypt even to this day -- in that they have forsaken Me and served other gods -- So they are doing to you also. Now then, listen to their voice; however, you shall solemnly warn them and tell them of the custom of the king who will rule over them...' And he said... 'he will take your sons and place them for himself in his chariots and among his horsemen... And he will take the best of your fields and your vineyards and your olive groves... and a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his servants. Then you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not listen.'" 1 Samuel 8 (Excerpts) A Brief Review "...and the Lord said to Samuel, 'Listen to their voice and appoint them a king...'" 1 Samuel 9:22 Saul was 40 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 32 years over Israel. And Saul committed a grievous error on the battle field by offering the burnt offering to the Lord himself. "And Samuel said to Saul, 'You have acted foolishly, you have not kept the commandment of the Lord, your God... now your kingdom shall not endure. The Lord has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has appointed him as ruler over His people...'" 1 Samuel 13:13, 14 God Chose David "I have found David, a man after My own heart who will do all My wills." Acts 13:22 "Now these are the last words of David... 'The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue. The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me, "He who rules over men righteously, Who rules in the fear of God, Is as the light of the morning when the sun rises, A morning with clouds, When the tender grass springs out of the earth, Through sunshine after rain." Truly is not my house so with God? For He has made an everlasting covenant with me, Ordered in all things, and secured; For all my salvation and all my desire, Will He not indeed make it grow?'" 2 Samuel 23:1-5 "David served the purpose of God in his generation." Acts 13:36 "For Thou, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, hast made a revelation to Thy servant, saying, 'I will build you a house... For Thou, O Lord, hast spoken; and with Thy blessing may the house of Thy servant be blessed forever.'" 2 Samuel 7:25, 29 After Solomon's death, his sons fought over his throne and the kingdom split into two portions -- Israel and Judah. Time and warfare caused the northern kingdom to vanish from the scene and its people were dispersed to the far corners of the world. And in the time of Nebuchadnezzar's invasion the final Jewish king was deposed. After 70 years a remnant of the people of Judah returned to rebuild the temple but until 1946 the Jewish people did not rule again over their own land. _________________________________________________ The Kingdom of God Has a Special Throne Part 4: An Appointed Time, an Appointed Work: Renewing the Kingdom "Do you not know that the Lord God of Israel gave the rule over Israel forever to David, to him and his sons?" 2 Chronicles 13:5 "I will sing of the lovingkindness of the Lord forever; To all generations I will make known Thy faithfulness with my mouth. For I have said, 'Lovingkindness will be built up forever; In the heavens Thou wilt establish Thy faithfulness. I have made a covenant with My chosen; I have sworn to David My servant, I will establish your seed forever, And build up your throne to all generations.'" Psalm 89:1-4 "...I have exalted one chosen from the people. I have found David My servant; With My holy oil I have anointed him, With whom My hand will be established... He will cry to Me, 'Thou art my Father, My God, and the rock of my salvation.' ...My covenant shall be confirmed to him. So shall I establish his descendants forever, And his throne as the days of heaven. ...as the sun before Me. It shall be established forever like the moon, And the witness in the sky is faithful." Psalm 89:19-21, 26, 28, 29, 36, 37 "For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us, And the government will be on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There shall be no end to the increase of His government Or of peace on the throne of David and over His kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord will accomplish this." Isaiah 9:6, 7 The angel speaking: "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end." Luke 1:30-33 "(Zachariah) being filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied: 'Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people. And has raised up a horn of salvation for us In the house of David His servant...'" Luke 1:68, 69 "A throne will even be established in lovingkindness, and a judge will sit on it in faithfulness in the tent of David..." Isaiah 16:5 "O house of David, thus says the Lord; 'Administer justice in the morning; (do justice and righteousness) And deliver the person who has been robbed from the hand of his oppressor...'" Jeremiah 21:12 "Arise, O Lord, to Thy resting place; Thou and the ark of Thy strength, Let Thy priests be clothed with righteousness; And let Thy godly ones sing for joy. For the sake of David Thy servant, Do not turn away the face of Thine anointed. The Lord has sworn to David, A truth from which He will not turn back; Of the fruit of your body I will set upon your throne... For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His habitation. This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell for I have desired it, I will abundantly bless her provision I will satisfy her needy with bread. Her priests also I will clothe with salvation; And her godly ones will sing aloud for joy. Then I will cause the horn of David to spring forth; I have prepared a lamp for Mine anointed. His enemies I will clothe with shame; But upon himself his crown shall shine." Psalm 132:8-11, 13-18 _________________________________________________ The Kingdom of God, a Definition Part 4: An Appointed Time, an Appointed Work: Renewing the Kingdom "The kingdom of God stands for: God shall rule. This means a constant conflict with man shall rule. Either God is sovereign, or man is sovereign. One of the two must be untrue." Klaus Bockmuhl What does God's rule include? Bockmuhl continues: "He is the instructor in all matters concerning the kingdom. He is the one who assigns us to our place, gives us daily instructions, interprets our situation in the light of the larger scope of the kingdom and in God's aim for history and decides the steps and actions to be taken, assessments that far exceed human ability or reasoning." The Present State of the Kingdom on Earth "The kingdom is the realm where God's authority is exercised. God's plan was for man to exercise this authority and spoil all the works of Satan. It is still His plan, He has not changed His mind! Man was originally given the responsibility and the power to overcome the devil's power through obedience; instead man fell, leaving Satan in charge. There are two consequences of man's fall; one is the problem of man's moral responsibility, and the other is Satan's usurping of authority over the earth. On the one hand, man suffered loss, but on the other hand, God also suffered loss. Redemption solves man's problem and man's loss but the loss which God suffered has not been solved. Man's moral responsibility has been dealt with by the cross, but the problem of Satan's authority over the earth must be dealt with by the kingdom. Therefore, the first essential meaning of the kingdom of God, is in regard to dealing with Satan. For the earth and a portion of the heavens are still in his realm of authority." Watchman Nee _________________________________________________ A Tale of Two Mountains Part 4: An Appointed Time, an Appointed Work: Renewing the Kingdom "You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of God, the heavenly Jerusalem..." Hebrews 12:22 "Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, who destroys the whole earth..." Jeremiah 51:25 "...prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say, 'O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God, "Because the enemy has spoken against you, 'Aha!' and 'The everlasting heights have become our possession'" therefore, prophesy and say... 'O mountains of Israel, you will put forth your branches and bear your fruit for My people Israel; for they will soon come... And I will multiply... the whole house of Israel... Yes, I will cause... My people Israel... to walk on you and possess you, so that you will become their inheritance and never again bereave them of children.'" Ezekiel 36:1, 8, 12 The Destroying Mountain "'Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, Who destroys the whole earth,' declares the Lord, 'And I will stretch out My hand against you, And roll you down from the crags And I will make you a burnt out mountain. And they will not take from you even a stone for a corner Nor a stone for foundations, But you will be desolate forever.'" Jeremiah 51:25, 26 The Destroying Mountain Has a Prince "And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience." Ephesians 2:1, 2 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:12 "I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in me." John 14:30 A Profile of the Prince "But you said in your heart, I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High." Isaiah 14: 13, 14 "'Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, Who destroys the whole earth,' declares the Lord, 'And I will stretch out My hand against you...'" The Judgment of the Prince "Now judgment is upon this world; and the ruler of this world shall be cast out." John 12:31 "How you have fallen from heaven, O shining one of the morning, son of dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations!" Isaiah 14:12 Remember these words of Jesus? "I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning..." Luke 10:18 And these scriptures from Part 1 and "The Order of the Feet"? "...what is man that you take thought of him... and dost crown him... with 'majesty'..." Psalm 8 "I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy..." Luke 10:19 Another prophecy to consider: "And a second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea..." Revelation 8:8 "Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes it is going to happen, it will be granted him." Mark 11:23 Is this a "greater work"? "Lift up a standard on the windswept mountain, Raise your voice to them, Wave the hand that they may enter the doors of the nobles, I have commanded My consecrated ones, I have called My mighty warriors, My proudly exulting ones, to execute My anger. A sound of tumult on the mountains, Like that of many people! A sound of the uproar of kingdoms, Of nations gathered together! The Lord of hosts is mustering the army for battle." Isaiah 13:2-4 "The Lord has opened His armory And He has brought forth the weapons of His indignation, For it is the work of the Lord of hosts..." Jeremiah 50:25 "...I will trample him on My mountains..." Isaiah 14:25 "They are coming from a far country From the farthest horizons, The Lord and His instruments of indignation, To destroy the whole land." Isaiah 13:5 "You are My war-club, My weapon of war; And with you I shatter nations, And with you I destroy kingdoms." Jeremiah 51:20 "...To declare in Zion the vengeance of the Lord our God, vengeance for His temple." Jeremiah 50:28 The Mountain of His Inheritance A Brief History Moses and the sons of Israel met God on a physical mountain. Solomon, Zerubbabel and Herod constructed His house on a physical mountain. On the last page of Handbook 2 we, who are also the Israel of God, are given our spiritual position; at this moment in time we have also come to a mountain. "You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God..." Hebrews 12:22 A Review (Handbook 2, Article 42) This is not a literal mountain. "You have not come to a mountain that may be touched..." Hebrews 12:18 But the song for the sons of Israel and for us is the same song. For the destination God prepared for them and for us is the same. "Who is like Thee among the gods, O Lord? Who is like Thee, majestic in holiness, Awesome in praises, working wonders? In Thy lovingkindness Thou hast led the people whom Thou hast redeemed. In Thy strength Thou hast guided them to Thy holy habitation. Thou wilt bring them and plant them in the mountain of Thine inheritance, The place, O Lord, which Thou hast made for Thy dwelling, The sanctuary, O Lord, which Thy hands have established. The Lord will reign forever and ever." Exodus 15:11-13, 17-18 For "Israel of God" of all generations of His people, His purpose for bringing us out of slavery, was and is to guide (bring) us to the mountain of His inheritance, His dwelling place, His sanctuary. The Highways to Zion "How blessed is the man whose strength is in Thee; In whose heart are the highways to Zion... They go from strength to strength, The God of gods will be seen in Zion." Psalm 84:5-7 "'In those days and at that time,' declares the Lord, 'the sons of Israel will come, both they and the sons of Judah as well; they will go along weeping as they go, and it will be the Lord their God they will seek. They will ask for the way to Zion, their faces in its direction; they will come that they may join themselves to the Lord in an everlasting covenant that will will not be forgotten.'" Jeremiah 50: 4, 5 And His purpose also included "a kingdom of priests." "You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto Myself. Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My special treasure among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." Exodus 19:3-6 _________________________________________________ The Kingdom Is a Kingdom of Priests Part 4: An Appointed Time, an Appointed Work: Renewing the Kingdom Veiled within the mystery of the kingdom of God there exists a "royal priesthood." And although Jesus did not speak of a kingdom of priests during His ministry on earth, we did hear from Paul. "But I have written very boldly to you on some points, so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God, to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, that my offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:15, 16 Through John and Peter we are introduced to the vital, living kinship between Jesus as High Priest and those who are being built up into a spiritual house in Him, "a royal priesthood" to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Spiritual Sacrifices "I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice well-pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." Romans 12:1 "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken spirit and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise." Psalm 51:17 "Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving..." Psalm 50:14 "He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me..." Psalm 50:23 "Do not neglect doing good and sharing for with such sacrifices God is pleased." Hebrews 13:15 "Tremble (I.e. with anger or fear) and do not sin; Meditate in your heart upon your bed and be still. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And trust in the Lord." Psalm 4: 4, 5 How do I know if I have truly presented myself to God as a holy sacrifice? The following words should resound in my mind and heart. "I am Thy bondservant, let it be done to me according to Thy word." Luke 1:38 And the following should be the constant expression of my whole being. "I pray Thee, Lord, perfect Thy plan and purpose in me." "Gather My godly ones to Me, Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice." Psalm 50:5 "Thy people will volunteer freely (will be freewill offerings) in the day of Thy power..." Psalm 110:3 A Look Back at the History of the Priesthood In the earliest known social pattern of ancient Israel, priests as a special group did not exist. The Bible records many presenting offerings to God, beginning with Abel. Others who offered, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob... Melchizedek is the first priest mentioned in the Bible. He is called a priest of God Most High and king of Salem. Melchizedek blessed Abraham and served him wine and bread. Abraham gave Melchizedek a material offering of one-tenth of captured booty. Hebrews 5 and 7 tell us more about him although he seems hidden like the kingdom, a mystery. When God led the sons of Israel out of Egypt it was He purpose for all of them to be a kingdom of priests. God announced this to them in the wilderness of Sinai, just three months after they had left Egypt. "...God called to Moses from the mountain, saying, 'Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell to the sons of Israel... "Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own special treasure among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." These are the words you shall speak to the sons of Israel.'" Exodus 19:3, 5, 6 And the people answered, "All that the Lord has spoken we will do." The next Scripture relevant to the subject of the priesthood is Exodus 20:22. "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, "You shall not make other gods besides Me; gods of silver or gods of gold. You shall make an altar of earth for me and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings... in every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you."'" And again the people replied, "All that the Lord has spoken we will do." Then Moses built an altar at the foot of the mountain with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel. And he sent young men of the sons of Israel, and they offered burnt offering to the Lord. Suddenly now there is a change in the order of the priesthood. The Bible does not explicitly explain the reason for Aaron and his sons and others from the tribe of Levi being designated to be priests to the Lord rather than men from all the tribes. But the following event has a bearing. At this time God called Moses to ascend the mountain to receive the law on stone tablets. When the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, they assembled around Aaron and said to him, "Make us gods who will go before us. As for Moses we do not know what has become of him." And Aaron fashioned a molten calf and the people said, "This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt." When Moses returned he called for those who were on God's side to come and stand by him. All the sons of Levi came. They were then commanded to go back and forth from gate to gate and kill - every man, his brother, and every man, his friend, and every man, his neighbor. From that time on until the time of Christ, only the members of the tribe of Levi had the privilege of being priests. But the Jewish priesthood vanished from the earth in the time of the destruction of Herod's temple and the scattering of the people to far reaches of the world. But John is told in visions in Revelation that God's purpose still includes a kingdom of priests; and who the royal priesthood will include is recorded in a new song to the Lamb. "Worthy art Thou to take the book, and to break it seals; For Thou wast slain, and did purchase for God with Thy blood Men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation, And Thou hast made them to be a kingdom and priest to our God And they shall reign on the earth." Revelation 5:9, 10 And how did the knowledge of this purpose of God's to have a kingdom of priests get lost, swallowed up almost to the point of obliteration, in the years after Jesus ascension to the present generation? "...there came in terrible distortions from which we are suffering greatly today. The popular thinking fastened upon the building as the identifying symbol of the church and great emphasis was put upon structures and massive cathedrals. Along with this came a gradual transfer of responsibility from the people to what was termed 'the clergy', which is a term derived from the Latin clericus meaning priest... and a special body immerged and came to be termed 'the ministry.'" Ray Stedman And the church on earth created two specified groups: a ruling class in the pulpit and a "laity" seated in the pews They had forgotten, if they ever knew, that the kingdom of God and the gospel which they claim to preach to the ends of the earth, has both a king and a high priest on the throne. The Order of Melchizedek Jesus was born to be King but He was chosen to be High Priest. "And no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when He is called by God, even as Aaron was. So also Christ did not glorify Himself so as to become a high priest, but He who said to Him, 'Thou art My Son. Today I have begotten Thee...' just as He says also in another passage, 'Thou art a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.'" Hebrews 4:5 "The Lord says to My Lord: 'Sit at My right hand, Until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet.' The Lord will stretch forth Thy strong scepter from Zion, saying, 'Rule then in the midst of Thy enemies...' The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind, 'Thou art a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.' He has shattered kings in the day of His wrath, He will judge among the nations. He has filled them with corpses, He has shattered the chief men over a broad country. He will drink from the brook by the wayside; Therefore He will lift up His head." Psalm 110:1, 2, 4, 6, 7 Abraham Meets Melchizedek "And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said, 'Blessed be God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.' And he gave him a tenth of all." Genesis 14:18-20 "For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom Abraham apportioned a tenth of all the spoils, was first by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he abides a priest perpetually. For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of the law also. For the one concerning whom these things are spoken, belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests. And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become such not on the basis of the law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life. For it is witnessed of Him, 'Thou art a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.' ...because He abides forever, (He) holds His priesthood permanently. Hence, also, He is able to save forever (or completely) those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. For it was fitting that we should have a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens... For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever." Hebrews 7:1-4, 12-17, 24-26, 28 _________________________________________________ The Priesthood Part 4: An Appointed Time, an Appointed Work: Renewing the Kingdom Paul speaking: "...God, whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of His Son..." Romans 1:9 "An hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit; and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth." John 4:23, 24 "I urge you... by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, well-pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." Romans 12:1 "...the grace that was given to me from God, to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God..." Romans 14:15, 16 "...He who had set me apart, even from my mother's womb, and called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles..." Galatians 1:15, 16 "I have fought the good fight; I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to those who have loved His appearing." 2 Timothy 4:7, 8 A priest in our generation speaks (12/2/01): God spoke to me this morning; He spoke to me about the duties of His priests. "For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts." Malachi 2:7 He talked to me about what He desired from His priests and told me to take this charge very seriously. It is part of the work of God's priests to ensure that God is honored and respected and that the sacrifices that we offer Him are without defect. "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect?" Malachi 1:6 Truly our God is worthy of all honor and respect. May we seek His glorification and the magnification of His name always. And may we zealously seek His will that He may be pleased and delight in His "temple." Let us praise God and offer Him the honor and respect for which He is due! How can we ensure that our sacrifices are without defect? Jesus does this for us. "'And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,' says the Lord of hosts. 'But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire and like fuller's soap. And He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the Lord offerings in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord, as in the days of old and as of former years.'" Malachi 3:2-4 Praise God! I have seen His work in me. Jesus has removed my defects before the Lord by cleansing me in His blood. He refines my heart daily. I pray that my offerings will be pleasing to Him. "The Mighty One, God, the Lord has spoken, And summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shone forth. May our God come and not keep silence; Fire devours before Him and it is very tempestuous around Him. He summons the heavens above, and the earth to judge His peoples. Gather My godly one to Me, Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice. And the heavens declare His righteousness, For God Himself is Judge." Psalm 50:1-6 Scriptures to Ponder "...I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who will do according to what is in My heart and in My soul; and I will build him an enduring house, and he will walk before My anointed always." 1 Samuel 2:35 "My covenant with Levi was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him as an object of fear, so he feared Me and stood in awe of My name. True instruction was in his mouth and unrighteousness was not found on his lips; he walked with Me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many back from iniquity. For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge and men should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts." Malachi 2:5-7 "...you are a living stone... a chosen race... a holy nation... a people for God's own possession..." 1 Peter 2:5, 9 A priest has: "...confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is His flesh, and since we have a great High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith..." Hebrews 10:19-22 A priest walks before God's anointed always. "Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to (him) and said to him, 'I am God Almighty; walk before Me and be blameless (Lit. complete, perfect).'" Genesis 17:1 God's Grace to the Priests of the Kingdom God builds for them an enduring house. (1 Samuel 2:25) God makes a covenant with them of life and peace. (Malachi 2:5) God removes their iniquity and clothes them in righteousness. God rebukes Satan when he accuses them. God admonishes His priests. "If you will walk in My ways, and if you will perform My service, then you will also govern My house and also have charge of My courts, and I will grant you free access among those who are standing here." Zechariah 3:7 _________________________________________________ A Portrait of a Priest Part 4: An Appointed Time, an Appointed Work: Renewing the Kingdom A Priest Serves God in His Spirit "However you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit... (if) the Spirit of Christ dwells in you... And if Christ is in you, though the body is dead, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness." Romans 8:9 "The one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him." 1 Corinthians 6:17 A Priest Clothes Himself With Christ, His Life Hidden With Christ in God "If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory" Colossians 3:1-4 "For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." Galatians 3:27 A Priest Is Sanctified "For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for that reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, 'I will proclaim Thy name to My brethren..." Sanctification (Handbook 3, Article 23) "Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me." Hebrews 2:13 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand. My Father who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are One." John 10:27-30 A Priest Is a Partaker of the Divine Nature "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence... in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature..." 2 Peter 1:2-4 A Priest Is a Messenger "For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts." Malachi 2:7 "Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke by the commission of the Lord to the people, saying, 'I am with you, declares the Lord.'" Haggai 1:13 "Confirming the word of His servant, He performs the purpose of His messengers." Isaiah 44:26 "Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord before Eli. And word from the Lord was rare in those day, no vision spread abroad... Samuel grew and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fail (Lit. fall to the ground)... And all Israel... knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the Lord..." 1 Samuel 3:1, 19, 20 "Thus the word of Samuel came to all Israel..." 1 Samuel 4:1 "Behold, I am going to send My messenger and he will clear (or prepare) the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple..." Malachi 3:1 The Lips of a Priest Preserve Knowledge, True Instruction Is in His Mouth "Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem... And He said to them... 'why do you... transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition... This people honors Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men.'" Matthew 15:1, 2, 8, 9 A Priest Walks in the Same Manner as Jesus Walked "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son does in like manner... For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and greater works than these will He show Him, that you may marvel." John 5:19, 20 A Priest Is a Judge "Do you not know that the holy ones will judge the world... Do you not know that we will judge angels?" 1 Corinthians 6:3 "...Consider what you are doing, for you do not judge for man but for the Lord who is with you in the word of judgment. Now then let the fear of the Lord be upon you; be very careful what you do, for there is not with the Lord God unrighteousness, or partiality, or the taking of a bribe." 2 Chronicles 19:6, 7 A Priest Walks in the Way of God's Judgments "In that day, the Lord of hosts will become a beautiful crown and a glorious diadem to the remnant of His people; a spirit of justice for him who sits in judgment, for those who sit in judgment, a strength to those who repel the onslaught at the gate." Isaiah 28:5, 6 The Way of God's Judgments (Handbook 3, Article 53) A Priest Is Faithful "But I shall raise up for Myself a faithful priest who will do according to what is in My heart and soul. And I will build him an enduring house and he will walk before My anointed forever." 1 Samuel 2:35 "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service..." 1 Timothy 1:12 "(And the beast and the ten horns), these will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and the chosen and faithful." Revelation 17:14 A Priest Fears the Lord "The fear of the Lord is his treasure." Isaiah 33:6 "And He will delight in the fear of the Lord..." Isaiah 11:3 "How blessed is the man who fears the Lord, Who greatly delights in His commandments." Psalm 112:1 A Priest Calls on the Name of the Lord and He Answers Him "Moses and Aaron were among His priests, And Samuel was among those who called on His name; They called upon the Lord, and He answered them. He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud; They kept His testimonies, And the statutes He gave them. O Lord our God, Thou didst answer them; Thou wast a forgiving God to them, And yet an avenger of their evil deeds." Psalm 99:6-8 A Priest Stands in Awe of His Name "Then God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM, and thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, "'I AM' has sent me to you... The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations."'" Exodus 3:14, 15 "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain." Deuteronomy 5:11 "These are the names of the sons of Aaron... whom he ordained to serve as priests... Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord when they offered strange fire before the Lord in the wilderness of Sinai..." Numbers 3:3, 4 A Priest Serves the Purpose of God in His Generation "...So they will be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorifies. Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins, They will raise up the former devastations, And they will repair the ruined cities, The desolation of many generations... But you will be called the priests of the Lord; And ministers of our God..." Isaiah 61:6 A Priest and the First Resurrection "Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years." Revelation 20:6 _________________________________________________ A Priest's Apparel Part 4: An Appointed Time, an Appointed Work: Renewing the Kingdom Zechariah's Vision "Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. And the Lord said to Satan, 'The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?' Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel.. And he spoke and said to those who were standing before him saying, 'See, I have taken your iniquity away from you to clothe you with festal robes.' Then I said, 'Let them put a clean turban on his head.' So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments, while the angel of the Lord was standing by. And the angel of the Lord admonished Joshua saying, 'Thus says the Lord of hosts, "If you will walk in My ways, and if you will perform My service, then you will govern My house and have charge of My courts, and I will grant you goings among those who are standing here."'" Zechariah 3:1-7 "Let us go into His dwelling places; Let us worship at His footstool. Arise, O Lord, to Thy resting place; Thou and the ark of Thy strength. Let her priests be clothed with righteousness; And let Thy godly ones sing for joy." Psalm 132:7-9 "I put on righteousness and it clothed me..." Job 29:14 "Ascribe to the Lord the glory of His name; Bring an offering and come into His courts. Worship in holy attire; Tremble before Him all the earth. Say among the nations, 'The Lord reigns...'" Psalm 96:8-10 A Priest Is Dressed for the Wedding Feast "And he said to me, 'Write, "Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb."' And he said to me, 'These are the true words of God.'" Revelation 19:9 "...Give praise to our God, all you bond servants who fear Him, the small and the great... Let us rejoice and be glad and give glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His wife has made herself ready. And it was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the holy ones." Revelation 19:5-8 "I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, my soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels." Isaiah 61: 10, 11 A Measurement (Handbook 3, Article 15) A Priest Is Dressed for War "...and I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges and wages war... And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses." Revelation 19:11, 14 Again: The Tale of Two Mountains "Lift up a standard on the windswept mountain, Raise your voice to them, Wave the hand that they may enter the doors of the nobles, I have commanded My consecrated ones, I have called My might warriors, My proudly exulting one, to execute My anger. A sound of tumult on the mountains, Like that of many people! A sound of the uproar of kingdoms, Of nations gathered together! The Lord of hosts is mustering the army for battle." Isaiah 13:2-4 "You are my war-club, my weapon of war..." Warriors (Handbook 3, Article 49) Consider: "And I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying, 'Come!' And I looked and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him; and he went out conquering and to conquer." Revelation 6:1, 2 "I saw at night, and behold a man was riding on a red horse, and he was standing...with red, sorrel, and white horses behind him. Then I said, 'My Lord, what are these?'.... and the man... answered... 'These are those whom the Lord has sent to walk around through the earth.'" Zechariah 8-10 A Priest Is Dressed for Prayer The Full Armor of God "Finally be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God..." Ephesians: 6:10-13 (Handbook 3, Article 50) "He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness..." Isaiah 61:10 Shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. "My covenant with him was one of life and peace..." Malachi 2:5 "How lovely on the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces peace And brings good news of happiness, Who announces salvation, And says to Zion, 'Your God reigns.' Listen! Your watchman lift up their voices, They shout joyfully together; For they will see with their own eyes When the Lord restores Zion." Isaiah 52:7, 8 Take the shield of faith. "...do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what has been promised. For yet in a little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay. But My righteous one shall live by faith; and if He shrinks back, My soul will have no pleasure in him." Hebrews 10:35-38 "...for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed to Him until that day." 2 Timothy 1:12 Faith and Prayer (Handbook 3, Article 54) Take the helmet of salvation. "For He has clothed me with garments of salvation..." Isaiah 61:10 And the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. "...I have put My words in your mouth... everywhere I send you, you shall go, and all that I command you, you shall speak.... Then the Lord stretched out His hand and touched my mouth... Behold I have put My word in your mouth. See I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant." Jeremiah 1:7, 9, 10 "For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure." John 3:34 The Measure of a Perfect Man (Handbook 3, Article 39) With all prayer and petition, pray in the Spirit. Prayer in the Spirit (Handbook 3, Article 53) Thoughts on Prayer (Handbook 3, Article 21) "...and with this is view, being on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the holy ones..." Ephesians 6:10-19 A Priest Is God's House of Prayer "Do you not know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God and that you are not your own?" 1 Corinthians 6:20 "My house shall be called a house of prayer." A House of Prayer (Handbook 3, Article 45) A priest's prayer in the spirit becomes prophecy. "And of Levi He said... They shall put incense before Thee..." Deuteronomy 33:10 God's Choice of Weapons (Handbook 3, Article 51) "He sends forth His command to the earth; His word runs very swiftly." Psalm 147:15 Priests Are Witnesses "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood... that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." 1 Peter 2:9 _________________________________________________ Priests and the Greater Works Part 4: An Appointed Time, an Appointed Work: Renewing the Kingdom Consider John's vision and ponder this "Greater Work!": "And there was given me a measuring rod like a staff, and someone said, 'Rise and measure the temple (or sanctuary) of the Lord, and the altar, and those who worship in it. And throw out the court which is outside the sanctuary and do not measure it for it has been given to the nations, and they will tread underfoot the holy city for forty two months. And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.' They are the two olive trees and the two lamp stands that stand before the Lord of the earth... They have the power to shut up the sky, in order that rain may not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have power over the waters to waters to turn them into blood, and to smite the earth with every plague, as often as they desire. And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them... And after three day and a half the breath of life from God came into them, And they stood on their feet, and great fear fell upon those who were beholding them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying, 'Come up here.' And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; and seven thousand people (Lit. names of men, seven thousand) were killed... and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven... And the seventh angel sounded; and there arose loud voices in heaven saying, 'The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.'" Revelation 11:1-4, 6-8, 11-13, 15 Zechariah's Vision "Then the angel who was speaking with me returned. And roused me as a man who is awakened from his sleep. (And I saw) a lamp stand all of gold and two olive trees by it, on the right and the other on the left side. And I asked, 'What are these, my lord?' He answered...'This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel saying, "Not by might nor by power but by My Spirit," says the Lord of hosts. Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain; then he will bring forth the top stone with shouts of "Grace, grace" to it... The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of the house, and his hands will finish it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. For who has despised the day of small beginnings (or things). But these seven will be glad when they see the plumb line (Lit. plummet stone) in the hand of Zerubbabel -- these are the eyes of the Lord which range to and from throughout the earth.' (Then I said), 'What are these two olive trees on the right of the lamp stand and on its left... What are the two olive branches which are beside the two golden pipes, which empty the golden oil from themselves?' Then he said, 'These are the two anointed ones (Lit. sons of fresh oil) who are standing by the Lord of the whole earth.'" Zechariah 4 "But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the loving kindness of God forever and ever. I will give Thee thanks forever, because Thou hast done it. I will wait on Thy name, for it is good; in the presence of the godly ones." Psalm 52:8, 9 A Priest Serves the Purposes of God in His Generation "How great are Thy works, O Lord! Thy purposes are very deep... For behold, Thine enemies, O Lord, For behold, Thine enemies will perish... But Thou hast exalted my horn like that of the wild ox; I have been anointed with fresh oil. The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Planted in the house of the Lord, They will flourish in the courts of our God." Psalm 92:5, 9, 10, 12, 13 David served the purposes of God in his generation and still serves a purpose in our generation. "Do you not know that the Lord God of Israel gave the rule over Israel forever to David, to him and his sons?" 2 Chronicles 13:5 The Tabernacle of David The apostles and the elders came together to see about circumcision and the Gentiles. James speaking: "Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. And with this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written, 'After these things I will return, and I will rebuild the tabernacle (or tent) of David which has fallen, and I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, in order that the rest of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles upon whom My name is called,' says the Lord, who makes these things known from of old." Acts 15:16-18 "'Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are on the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from the face of the earth; nevertheless, I will not totally destroy the house of Jacob,' declares the Lord. 'For behold, I am commanding, and I will shake the house of Jacob among all nations as grain is shaken in a sieve, but not a pebble will fall to the ground. All the sinners of My people will die by the sword, those who say, "The calamity will not overtake or confront us." In that day I will raise up the fallen booth (or shelter or tabernacle) of David, and wall up its breaches; I will rebuild it as in the days of old; that they may possess the remnant of Edom; and all the Gentiles (or nations) who are called by My name...'" Amos 9:8-10 Solomon speaking: "You know that David my father was unable to build a house for the name of the Lord his God because of the wars which surrounded him, until the Lord put them under the souls of his feet." 1 Kings 5:3 "...the Lord will certainly make for my lord an enduring house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the Lord, and evil shall not be found in you all your days. And should anyone rise up to pursue and to seek your soul, then the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the Lord your God..." 2 Samuel 25:28, 29 Words to Rightly Divide "Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, Like a warrior sobered up from wine. And He drove His adversaries backward; He put them on everlasting reproach. But He chose Judah, Mount Zion which He loved. And He built His sanctuary like the Heights, Like the earth which He has founded forever. He also chose David His servant... To shepherd Jacob, His people, And Israel, His inheritance. So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, And guided them with skillful hands." Psalm 78:65, 66, 68-72 "For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His habitation. This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it. Her priests I will clothe with salvation And her godly one will sing for joy. Then I will cause the horn of David to spring forth; I have prepared a lamp for My anointed. His enemies I will clothe with shame; But upon Himself, His crown shall shine." Psalm 132:13-18 The Key of David "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: 'He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one can shut, and who shuts and no one can open says this: "I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power and have not denied My name. Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of the Satan, who say that they are Jews, and are not, but lie -- behold, I will make them to come and bow down before your feet, and to know that I have loved you."'" Revelation 3:7-9 Though the greater works and the kingdom still seemed cloaked in mystery, we have this encouragement: "For nothing is hidden except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it should come to light." Mark 4:22 So let us press on! Ask and keep on asking, Seek and keep on seeking, Knock and keep on knocking. For he who asks receives, And he who seeks, finds, And to him who knocks, it shall be opened. "...let us lay aside every encumbrance... and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, who... sat down at the right hand of the throne of God..." Hebrews 12:1, 2 ...waiting for His enemies to be made a footstool for His feet! _________________________________________________ A Postscript: 9/24/12 The Greater Work Revealed A voice is crying in the wilderness; perhaps it is mine. Can you hear it? It is crying, "Make ready the way of the Lord, make His paths straight." Luke 3:4 Things Stand Ready in Heaven "And He has now entered into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels and authorities and powers made subservient to Him." 1 Peter 3:22 It Is Here on Earth That Things Are Stalled The way is not ready: "...heaven must receive (Him) until the time of the restoration of all that God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ages past." Acts 3:21 "...now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the Lord our God... to give us a reviving to raise up the house of our God, to restore it ruins..." Ezra 9:8, 9 His paths are not straight: "The one who says I have come to know Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked." 1 John 2:6 Jesus was saying to them... "Come to Me... take My yoke upon you..." Matthew 11:28, 29 "... the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He himself is doing..." John 5:19, 20 "...I speak these things as the Father taught Me... the things I have seen in the presence of My Father..." John 8:28, 38 "He was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was in all His house... Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant... but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house whose house we are..." Hebrews 3:2, 5, 6 And He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer...'" Matthew 21:13 Instructions for This Brief Moment "But the end and culmination of all things has now come near; keep sound minded and self-restrained and alert for the purpose of prayer." (Lit. prayers) 1 Peter 4:7 "Whoever speaks, let him speak the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so from the strength which God supplies, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ to whom belongs the glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." 1 Peter 4:11 Whoever speaks, let him speak the utterances of God. "And take... the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, with all prayer and petition praying at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, being at all times on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints..." Ephesians 6:17, 18 Whoever serves, let him do so from the strength which God supplies. From Paul: "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered Me faithful, putting me into service." 1 Timothy 1:12 Moses called every man wise of heart whose heart stirred him to come to the work to perform it. Every man wise of heart... "For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth comes knowledge and understanding, He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, Guarding the paths of justice; And He preserves the way of His godly ones..." Proverbs 2:6-8 ...whose heart stirs him to come to the work to perform it. "For wisdom will enter you heart, And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul... Discretion will guard you, Understanding will watch over you..." Proverbs 2:10, 11 And we proclaim Him, "admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man complete in Christ... in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Colossians 1:28; 2:3 * * * * * This Jesus was saying to them: "Come to Me... learn from Me..." Matthew 11:28, 29 "...when He comes into the world He says, 'Sacrifice and offerings Thou hast not desired, but a body Thou has prepared for Me; in whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin Thou hast taken no pleasure... Behold. I have come... to do Thy will." Hebrews 10:5-7 "And coming to Him as to a living stone... you also as living stones, allow yourselves to be built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 2:4, 5 "...present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice well-pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." Romans 12:1 "...be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2 And I resolve: "In the morning, O Lord, Thou wilt hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer (or sacrifice) to Thee and eagerly watch." Psalm 5:3 * * * * * A Personal Note I eagerly watched for many mornings. Then one morning in late summer, He spoke to me: "Gather My godly ones to Me, those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice." Psalm 50:5 Gather those who hear the voice crying in the wilderness? Gather those who come to Him to be built up as a spiritual house to offer sacrifices? Gather those whose hearts are stirred to come to the work to perform it? But how do I gather God's godly ones to Him? For He has said, "...you will be gathered one by one." Is it possible He will gather them through the words of this Postscript? And what does it mean "to gather"? A Possible Definition To be gathered is not to merely go ourselves, it is to be moved by the Holy Spirit. And we come, not on our own affairs, but having a single common concern for His. It is this that unites us into His name. The disciples gathered together immediately after Jesus' ascension. "And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was departing, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them; and they also said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.' Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet... and went up to the upper room, where they had been staying; that is, Peter and John and James and Matthew... These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers." Acts 1:10-13 "And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship and to the breaking of bread and to prayer." (Lit. the prayers). Acts 2:42 "Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose... And the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, '...select from among the brethren, seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. But we will devote ourselves to prayer, and to the service of the word.'" Acts 6:1-4 Jesus speaks about gathering. His words include specific instructions: "Truly I say to you, whatever you shall bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven." And specific promises: "Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them from My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst." Matthew 18:18-20 The Vision speaks of gathering: (The Christian's Handbook, Homepage) "Sing to the Lord a new song, O my soul! He will gather us and bring us together as a flock in the midst of a pasture." But this is not to gather in the old way. "...not forsaking our own assembling together..." Hebrews 10:25 Not this time in an upper room, not in a storefront or a megachurch compound or even a shining cathedral... We who have "come out" have left that behind, sometimes not knowing how to continue on with only two or three, sometimes feeling spiritually alone in the world. To be gathered is a "bringing together" in a new way. "Sing to the Lord a new song, O my soul!" ...as a flock in the midst of pasture... "Do not be afraid little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom." Luke 12:32 "For the Lord will save them as the flock of His people, for they are as the stones of a crown, sparkling in His hand. For what goodness and beauty will be theirs." Zechariah 9:16, 17 The Vision continues: "He will give us pure speech from pure lips that we may call on His name with one unanimous consent and one united shoulder." It is a bringing together to pray! But how do we who find ourselves apart from one another, sometimes a world apart, call on His name with one unanimous consent and one united shoulder? Where and what is this unity -- the unanimous consent and united shoulder. Jesus answers in His prayer for His disciples and for those of us who will believe in Him through their word. "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world... As Thou didst send Me into the world, I have also sent them into the world... that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us... And the glory which Thou has given Me I have given to them; that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in unity (Lit. into a unit), that the world may know that Thou didst send Me; and didst love them, even as Thou didst love Me." John 17:16, 20-23 And I wonder - is God gathering those of us He has brought to this moment through the Postscript to perfect us into a unity? A unity, built up as a spiritual house to offer up spiritual sacrifices? A unity... "...set apart for the gospel of God... God, whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of His Son..." Romans 1:1, 9 A spiritual unity... "...though absent in body but present in spirit..." 1 Corinthians 5:3 * * * * * A Closer Look: Perfected Into a Unit "Come to Me... learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble of heart..." Matthew 11:28, 29 "Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is My resting place? For My hands have made all these things, Thus all these things came into being, declares the Lord. But to this one will I look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word." Isaiah 66:1, 2 "And it shall be said, 'Build up, build up, prepare the way, Remove every obstacle out of the way of My people.' For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, 'I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite.'" Isaiah 57:14, 15 "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. After a little while the world will behold Me no more; but you will behold Me; because I live you shall live also. In that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you... If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and the Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make Our abode with Him." John 14:18-20, 23 "...for we are the temple of the living God just as God said; 'I will live and dwell in them and among them and I will be their God and they shall be My people.'" 2 Corinthians 6: 16 Is this our hour? Is He saying to us... "Arise and stand into the midst!" Luke 6:8 "...who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this. And if you keep silent... relief and deliverance will arise from a different place..." Esther 4:14 And I hear again my prayer from the pages of Handbook 3: "When on others You are calling, do not pass me by!" * * * * * A Personal Experience "...take... the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. With all prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints..." Ephesians 6:17, 18 I was working on the Postscript, putting together the following Scriptures that God had brought to my remembrance to include. "I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus... was in the Spirit on the Lord's day..." Revelation 1:9, 10 "Now these are the last words of David... 'The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, and His word was on my tongue.'" 2 Samuel 23:2 "The one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him." 1 Corinthians 6:17 Suddenly as I was typing the following Scriptures... "Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus... set apart for the gospel of God... God, whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel of His Son..." Romans 1:1, 9 "However you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you... For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God... we have received the Spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, 'Father, Farther!' The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God." Romans 8:9, 14, 15 ...in my spirit I cried out in prayer: "Father, Father, Hallowed be Thy name Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done On earth as it is heaven." And suddenly I knew: "...that my body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in me, whom I have from God and I am not my own." 1 Corinthians 6:19 "...the Holy Spirit helps our weakness for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit intercedes for us with groanings to deep for words." Romans 8:26 I am His house of prayer! And just as suddenly I caught a glimpse of our unity in the Spirit... "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you." John 14:2 And I found myself praying 'The Commission' for those of us He is gathering. "...enlighten our eyes... give us a reviving to raise up your house, to restore its ruins." Ezra 9:8, 9 * * * * * A Studied Approach to Prayer "Study to show yourself approved, a workman that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15 "Pray then in this way..." Thoughts on Prayer (Handbook 2, Article 21) "Out of heaven He let you hear His voice." The Voice of God's Word (Handbook 2, Article 7) "...I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me." Pray Reading (Handbook 1, Article 8) "...whatever you shall bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven." The Way of God's Judgments (Handbook 3, Article 53) "Indeed, while following the way of Thy judgments, O Lord, We have waited for Thee eagerly. Thy name, even Thy memory, is the desire of our souls. At night with my soul I long for Thee, With my spirit I seek Thee diligently, For when the earth experiences Thy judgments The inhabitants of the world learn righteousness." Isaiah 26:7-9 "Thy people will volunteer freely in the day of Thy power." God's People as Warriors (Handbook 3, Article 49) * * * * * Again: Instructions for This Brief Moment "But the end and culmination of all things has now come near; keep sound minded and self-restrained and alert for the purpose of prayer. (Lit. prayers) Whoever speaks, let him speak the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so from the strength which God supplies, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ to whom belongs the glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." * * * * * On 7/25/12 the sword of the Lord appeared in the morning sky. "You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and I have appointed you, that you might go and bear fruit and that your fruit might remain so that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give it to you." John 15:16 "...take... the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. Pray at all times in the Spirit with all prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance..." Ephesians 6:17, 18 "Then the Lord stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me, 'Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdom, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant." Jeremiah 1:9-10 "Let the godly ones exult in glory; Let them sing for joy on their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their throat, And a two-edged sword in their hand, To execute vengeance on the nations, And punishment of the peoples; To bind their kings with chains, And their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute on them the judgment written; This is an honor for all His godly ones, Praise the Lord." Psalm 149:5-9 "So shall My word be which goes forth from My Mouth; It shall not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:11 "It shall not return to Me empty..." "And when He broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God; and seven trumpets were given to them. And another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, that he might give it to the prayers of all the holy ones upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the holy ones, went up before God out of the angels hand. And the angel took the censer; and he filled it with the fire of the altar and threw it to earth; and there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake." Revelation 8:1-5 "O Lord, we call upon Thee; hasten to us! Give ear to our voices when we call to Thee! May our prayers be fixed as incense before Thee; The lifting up of our hands as the evening offering." Psalm 141:1, 2 * * * * * A Promise "Come unto Me... and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28 "And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And He will delight in the fear of the Lord, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear... And His resting place will be glory." Isaiah 11:2, 3, 10 "For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure." John 3:34 An Encouragement "Be strong and courageous and act; do not fear or be dismayed for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished." 1 Chronicles 28:20