"...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