Psalm 110 - The Last Days Psalm

Recently I was asked to teach Psalm 110 for my Sunday morning fellowship group. The first verse of this Psalm is posed as a question by Jesus in response to the Pharisees, during Holy Week in Jerusalem...

The Question

Matthew 22:41-46 (NASB95)
Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question:
"What do you think about the Christ, whose son is He?”
They said to Him, “The son of David.”
He said to them, “Then how does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying,
‘THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I PUT YOUR ENEMIES BENEATH YOUR FEET”’?
“If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his son?”
No one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question.

Jesus asked the Pharisees this question “how is He both David’s son and David’s Lord?” The Pharisees could not answer because they would have to admit:

1. The Messiah is eternal
2. The Messiah is divine
3. The Messiah was David’s Lord when he heard these words from heaven

David Guzik comments:

The Pharisees were partially right in saying that the Messiah is the Son of David. But they didn’t have a complete understanding of who the Messiah is. He is not only David’s Son (a reference to His humanity), but He is also David’s Lord (a reference to the deity of Jesus, the Messiah).

Introduction

I was inspired to memorize Psalm 110 many years ago due to its frequent quotations in the New Testament. In fact, this Psalm is “the most frequently quoted Old Testament chapter in the New Testament.” More on that later…

Psalm 110 is a “royal psalm”, meaning a psalm extolling the power and majesty of the king. But it’s much more than that - it’s a Messianic prophecy. It reveals many truths that are foundational to New Testament theology.

This is one Psalm where it really helps to know a little Hebrew, especially if you memorize it as I did. You see, “the LORD” in all caps is what most Bibles use for the name YHWH. "The Lord" in name case is how they translate the Hebrew word adoni (my lord) and Adonai - the title of the Messiah in this Psalm.

So, this little writing scheme comes out to be confusing when you are hearing or reciting this Psalm.

For this and other reasons, I have done a little extra translating of this Psalm, carefully studying the text and borrowing words from other translations where possible. As you might notice in your Bible footnotes, there are even a few places where the translators admit difficulties with the Hebrew meaning. In some cases, using the Septuagint (Greek) helps, but keep in mind that the Jewish scribes who translated the Septuagint before Christ didn’t even understand this Psalm!

Days to Come

Psalm 110 speaks of two days to come, and about the coming Messiah and high priest not yet visible to mortal eyes.

The days prophesied to come after David’s reign are:

• The day of the Messiah’s power (verse 3)
• The day of the Messiah’s wrath (verse 5)

These days are also prophesied by Isaiah:

Isaiah 61:1-2 (NASB95)
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
Because the LORD has anointed me
To bring good news to the afflicted;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to captives
And freedom to prisoners;
To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn…

This prophecy is read by Jesus in Luke 4:17-19, proclaiming His commission to rescue His oppressed people.

Note that in Isaiah the Messiah proclaims two periods:

• The year of the LORD’s favor
• The day of vengeance of our God

But as Luke records Jesus introducing His ministry, the latter day of vengeance is omitted. That time will be prophesied shortly before His crucifixion and ascent to the throne of heaven (Luke 21:22).

Psalm 110

1 A Psalm of David.

The declaration of Yahweh to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”

King David sees a vision and records it in this Psalm. It was understood to be a revelation of Messiah coming with power and wrath, even by the Pharisees in Jesus’ time. What they didn’t understand was the word “my Lord” used for the Son of David, and the fact that His kingdom would be based in heaven until His return on the “day of His wrath.”

This first verse is quoted in Mat 22 and 26, Mark 12 and 14, Luke 20 and 22, Acts 2, and Hebrews 1.

The position of Christ at the right hand of God is referenced in Romans 8:34, Ephesians 1:20, Colossians 3:1, Hebrews 1:3, 8:1, 10:12, 12:2, and 1 Peter 3:22

In these scriptures, the Right Hand of God brings:

• Deliverance: Exodus 15:6
• Eternal Pleasure: Psalm 16:11
• Righteousness: Psalm 48:10
• Support: Psalm 63:6-8
• Salvation: Psalm 80:17-19

The “man of YHWH’s right hand” is:

• Mighty and Exalted: Psalm 89:13
• Valiant: Psalm 118:15-16
• The Creator: Isaiah 48:12-13

The Day of His Power

2 Yahweh sends forth Your strong scepter from Zion, saying, “Rule in the midst of Your enemies.”

David sees Jesus holding the scepter of His kingdom in a world full of enemies. But Jesus doesn’t just send out decrees, nor does He send out squadrons of soldiers to enforce His orders. Almighty God sends forth the scepter of His power - the Holy Spirit - to rule the hearts and lives of believers.

Note that this scepter is not the rod of iron (Hebrew “shevet barzel”) in Psalm 2. It is Hebrew “matté”, a word which is also translated as “tribe” in many verses. The use of this word teaches us that the power of the Holy Spirit is implemented through the “tribes” of the New Testament, symbolically being the church, founded on the testimony of the twelve apostles.

This prophecy is fulfilled in Jerusalem at Pentecost as His disciples “receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon them” (Acts 1:8)

3 Your people - freewill offerings in the day of Your power. Arrayed in holy splendor, your young men come to you like dew from the morning’s womb.

Verse 3 References:

• Freewill offering: Rom 12:1, Deuteronomy 16:10
• Day of your power: Acts 1:7-8
• Holy array: 1 Chron 16:28-29
• Dew from morning’s womb: Isaiah 26:19

‭‭

4 Yahweh has sworn and will not change His mind, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.”

David Guzik commented:

This oath was so important that the author of Hebrews refers to it five times:

• Hebrews 5:5-6 and 5:10 emphasize that this was Yahweh’s declaration, not something that the Messiah claimed for Himself.
• In Hebrews 6:20, the emphasis is on the idea that Jesus the Messiah serves now and forever as a living, active High Priest for His people.
• Hebrews 7:17 emphasizes that the priesthood of Jesus the Messiah according to the order of Melchizedek is better than the priestly order of Aaron, because it is eternal and will never end.
• Hebrews 7:21 emphasizes that the priesthood of Jesus the Messiah according to the order of Melchizedek is better than the priestly order of Aaron because it was founded on a direct oath of Yahweh, unlike the priestly order of Aaron.

The designation as high priest according to the order of Melchizedek made Christ Jesus “the source of eternal salvation … to all those who obey Him” (Hebrews 5:9-10).

The Day of His Wrath

5 The Lord at Your right hand has shattered kings in the day of His wrath.

• The Lord - this is Christ Jesus, at the right hand of almighty God.
• Shatters kings - this is a prophetic past tense verb, action that is foreseen to have happened on this day.
• Day of His wrath - this could be a day or months or years (Revelation 6:16-17).

6 He will judge among the nations, He has filled them with corpses, He has shattered Rosh (the head) over the whole earth.

• He will judge - during His judgments there will be opportunities for repentance, but the nations will not repent. (Rev 9:20-21, 16:8)
• He has filled them with corpses - this scene is like that at the end of Revelation 19, when the armies of the beast are being fed to the birds.
• He has shattered Rosh - Rosh is a Hebrew word meaning “head” or “chief”. In this verse it is singular, likely the mystical title of the Beast and his dominion. (See Ezekiel 39:1)

7 He will drink from the brook by the wayside; in like manner He will lift up Rosh (head).

This last verse is the hardest to translate and the hardest to understand. Most translations make this verse seem mundane and anticlimactic.

But the phrase “lift up head” is enigmatic.

I will offer two possible explanations. The two are used in this story about Joseph in prison, interpreting dreams

Genesis 40:13 (NASB95) within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office; and you will put Pharaoh’s cup into his hand according to your former custom when you were his cupbearer.

…

Genesis 40:19 (NASB95) within three more days Pharaoh will lift up your head from you and will hang you on a tree, and the birds will eat your flesh off you.”

One interpretation:

After kneeling to drink water from the brook, like David when he conquered Goliath, the Messiah cuts off the head of his Satanic enemy with the sword coming from His mouth. Lifting up the head He shouts a proclamation of victory while his armies rush in to lay claim to the land (1 Samuel 17:51-52)

A second possibility:

After the battle is ended and the enemy is defeated, Christ kneels to drink from the brook by the wayside. (Could this be the brook that flows from the throne of temple in Ezekiel?)

Being refreshed He lifts up His head, symbolizing His exaltation as the victorious Lord of all creation.

In defense of the first interpretation, there is the first Messianic prophecy of Jesus’ victory over the serpent of old in Genesis 3:

Genesis 3:15 (NIV) And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."

The offspring of the woman is Christ Jesus. The offspring of the serpent is the antichrist beast of Revelation.

But the phrase “lift up head” usually has a more positive connotation in the Psalms, signifying blessing and honor. On balance I think this favors the second interpretation, or perhaps both!

After some more study of the Old Testament and Psalms, I also see the Lord lifting up my head to give me victory through His strength. Here are some verses to remember as we seek to be more like Jesus…

Psalms 3:2-3 (NASB95)
Many are saying of my soul,
“There is no deliverance for him in God.” Selah.
But You, O LORD, are a shield about me,
My glory, and the One who lifts my head.

Psalms 27:5-6 (NASB95)
For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle;
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 with shouts of joy;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.

Summary

• Psalm 110 establishes the deity of Messiah the Son of David as the only begotten Son of God. Jesus identified Himself as the subject of this prophecy through His life and testimony on earth, and through His resurrection and ascension to the throne of heaven.
• This Psalm affirms the power of the Holy Spirit working in these last days through the church.
• It offers assurance that the Lord Jesus will always be at the right hand of God to forgive and intercede for us as the high priest of heaven.
• Finally, it gives us the assurance that God will avenge the cruel wickedness of the enemy and his evil kingdom in the final day of judgement.

 

The Sanctification of Elijah

A few months ago I was wondering why Elijah the prophet was given such a prominent place in the Bible. After all, he didn't write any books, nor were any named after him. I don't believe there is any messianic prophecy credited to him, but he was the subject of much messianic prophecy in both the Old and New Testaments.

Pastor Greg Laurie reminded me of this subject recently on TBN when he spoke about Elijah. That inspired me to study more and write about this amazing man of God.

Elijah the Tishbite appears in 1 Kings 17 with a message for the king:

“As the Lord, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.”

Elijah was bold and brash. He was maybe a little scary, coming from the presence of God. But I see “except by my word” and think of something else.

Elijah was zealous and proud. Maybe not arrogant but definitely self-confident. This is a quality that creates boldness, and perhaps this is why God chose him for this mission. But his story starts before this chapter. It starts with a rugged but simple man in prayer.

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. ‭‭James‬ ‭5:17

When Elijah appeared before Ahab he had already prayed earnestly and the drought had already begun maybe six months earlier. When Elijah said he “stands before God” he meant that he had standing with God, like an appointment or an office to represent God. This gave him the boldness to speak. But after this meeting with the King he had to run and hide for three years.

During this time of severe famine God continued to sanctify Elijah. You can see the result of this in the following chapters. Elijah still had hubris when he spoke to the people on Mount Carmel:

“I alone am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men.” ‭‭18:22‬

But when it came to the time to call for rain, Elijah did not make a public spectacle commanding rain to come down, but remembered God’s promise:

“Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the face of the earth.”‭‭‭ 18:1‬

So he went up to pray and wait for the Lord in a posture of humility:

So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he crouched down on the earth and put his face between his knees. He said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go back” seven times. It came about at the seventh time, that he said, “Behold, a cloud as small as a man’s hand is coming up from the sea.”‭‭18:42-44‬

The famine ended and Elijah ran faster than a chariot to Jezreel, possibly assuming that King Ahab would put his wicked Canaanite wife out on the street. Elijah may have thought his troubles were over until he met Jezebel in her wrath. Apparently for the first time in his life Elijah feared for his life. Immediately he ran to hide in the Judean wilderness, then made his way to the mountain of God where got another lesson in humility.

Then he came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” ‭‭19:9-10‬

God brought him to the mountain top and spoke to him, not through a mighty destructive wind or an earth shaking voice or a fiery blast, but in a low whisper:

“What are you doing here Elijah?”

Elijah gave Him the same excuse for a final time:

"I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.” 19:14

Now God gave him his marching orders, to anoint other kings of Syria and Israel, and to anoint another prophet named Elisha to replace him. And oh, by the way:

“I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.” ‭‭19:18‬

To this command there was only a response of obedience. Elijah went and did what God told him to do. His mission now was to pass the mantle to Elisha (yes that’s where “pass the mantle” comes from.)

Elijah’s human bravado was broken but his place in God’s heart and in God’s kingdom was lifted to new heights. Elijah humbled himself to resign his special appointment, but God himself exalted Elijah, and soon brought him into His eternal presence escorted by a chariot of fire (yes that’s where that movie got its name).

Elijah’s voice continues to cry out like a voice in the wilderness, calling us to a decision:

“How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” 

Faith #7: Messianic Prophecy

Number seven on my list of reasons for faith in our Lord Jesus is the set of Messianic prophecies found in the Hebrew scriptures of the Old Testament. Jewish Rabbis and Church Fathers both recognized these prophecies as Messianic, but the fulfillment of these prophecies in the life of Jesus reveal the astonishing surprise ending.

The Old Testament or Covenant between God and Israel was given to Moses as recorded in the Torah or Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible. The books of history, poetry, and prophecy comprise the rest of what we call the Old Testament, and many of these books contain prophecies of the Messiah as a "man of sorrows." The Jewish Rabbis did not understand these messianic prophecies and would not accept their fulfillment in the life of Jesus. Yet the prophecies still testify to this day to Jews and Christians alike for those who choose to study them.

Here are the verses that are most compelling to me:

Genesis 22 - The Sacrifice of the only Son

He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.

Christians recognize this story as foreshadowing God's sacrifice of his own Son for our sins. The location of Moriah is understood to be Zion, where Jesus carried the wood for his own sacrifice on the cross. It was a very specific place God had in mind for this sacrifice, and Abraham presented the perfect picture of what a great sacrifice this was for a father to give his only son whom he loved.

God did provide a ram for the sacrifice, and as the writer of Hebrews says, He gave Isaac back to his father as a foreshadowing of the resurrection. The Lamb of the final sacrifice would be fulfilled in Jesus, and His resurrection would demonstrate that He alone has become Redeemer and Lord of all creation.

Psalm 22 - The Crucifixion of Christ

For dogs have surrounded me; A band of evildoers has encompassed me; They pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me; They divide my garments among them, And for my clothing they cast lots.

Psalm 22 is a graphic prophecy of the crucifixion of Messiah Jesus. It is quoted in the New Testament in the last words of Jesus on the cross - "My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?" There is astonishing detail here written about this cruel execution method, thousands of years before the Romans used it in Judea. Here's a good post on Psalm 22 from Jews for Jesus.

Isaiah 49-53 - The Suffering Servant

But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.

This One who is called the arm of the LORD - the Servant of YHWH - is prophesied in these chapters of Isaiah to suffer in our place and bear our iniquity. These most treasured scriptures give a clear description of substitutionary sacrifice, demonstrating the goodness and righteousness of God in scriptures that were hidden in plain sight for hundreds of years before Christ.

Daniel 9 - The End of Sin and the New Covenant

“Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy. So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.”

These verses in Daniel are difficult to understand but are clearly Messianic prophecy, repeated by Jesus himself in reference to the destruction and desolation of Jerusalem. The end of the Old Testament system of ritual sacrifice is accompanied by a New Covenant initiated by the blood of the perfect Lamb of God, which is an everlasting covenant of righteousness, based not on our works, but the finished work of Christ on the cross.

Seventy Times Seven

Thoughts regarding the seventieth Jubilee, the kindness and patience of God, and the end of sin...

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

II Peter 3:9 NASB

Just how patient is God and just how long will he wait for us? In Noah's generation it was many years from the time Noah began to build the ark until the flood came. After the prophecy of Jonah, God waited more than 100 years to destroy Nineveh and the kingdom of Assyria. After the crucifixion of Christ, the church endured 38 years of Jewish persecution before Jerusalem was destroyed and the Jewish nation was scattered. None of these time periods indicate a time limit for sin, but they do prove that there is a limit to God's patience and that an end of sin is coming. A clue can be found in Matthew 18:

Peter came and said to Him,

“Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”

Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven."

Matthew 18:21-22 NASB

In this passage and the following parable, Jesus indicates that we must always be ready to forgive, since we have each been forgiven an unimaginable debt to God ourselves. The condition in the parable that triggers God's wrath is not a number or a time limit, but rather the unmerciful behavior of the one who was given great mercy. (Note that Jesus commands heart-forgiveness; to do less is to leave our debtors in prison.)

There is another "seventy times seven" in the Bible, an interesting coincidence or maybe something more:

Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city,

to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity,

to bring in everlasting righteousness,

to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy.

Daniel 9:24 NASB

Those weeks (Hebrew "shabuim") are generally interpreted by Christian scholars as periods of seven years, thus the prophecy primarily refers to the 490 years from that time until the final atoning sacrifice of Christ and the anointing of the body of Christ for world outreach. This prophecy was to be sealed and only released after it was fulfilled. If the math seems strange, consider that seven years is the time designated by God for the remission of debt. The last year of this shabua is known as a "Sabbath year" (Hebrew "shemittah"). Seventy times the shemittah would be observed in the land of Israel, seventy times seven times the high priest would offer the yearly atonement for their sins. After this time God would turn his face away from the Jews and send his Jewish church to the Gentiles. (Remember that after God lifts his hand of protection, there may be years before the natural consequence of sin causes the inevitable disastrous effects.)

The question remains how long before the "times of the Gentiles" is fulfilled and the Messiah returns to reconcile the Jews to himself. There is another type of "shabua" or period of seven known as "Jubilee" (Hebrew "yobel"). Jubilee occurs after seven shemitta periods, or every 49 years. Jubilee is a year when Jews are to return to their tribal homeland, and when the land of Israel should revert to its original tribal allotments. Thus Jubilee has a special relationship to the promised return of Messiah and the establishment of his kingdom on earth.

It turns out that, according to many who have studied this subject, we are in the seventieth Jubilee since the promised land was first given to the tribes of Israel. There are two possible implications regarding this time that we live in now. First, that the seventy times seven prophecy of Daniel applies also to the second coming of Christ, and that the time has come for sin and transgression to end and the promised everlasting righteousness to be established on earth. Second, that the grace of God extended to mankind may have a limit of "seventy times seven" after all, as alluded to by Christ in the book of Matthew.

I'm not suggesting that there is a time limit on God's forgiveness, or that Messiah must come within a certain known time window, but rather that now is a special time and should be treated with utmost diligence to seek a right relationship with God through the mercy offered to us in Christ.

Jubilee is a season of liberation, and a time of spiritual renewal. Though the land may sit idle (i.e. we should not focus on material gain), it is a time when we should use our storehouse of spiritual treasure to reach those in need. Here's a good article on the positive aspects of this Jubilee year:

http://www.johnnyandelizabeth.com/blog/2016-true-year-of-jubilee.

If this Jubilee is bringing the kingdom of Satan to an end, let's consider what that could mean. The One speaking in Daniel 12 says this:

“At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise.

There will be a time of distress

such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then.

But at that time your people

—everyone whose name is found written in the book—

will be delivered.

Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake:

some to everlasting life,

others to shame and everlasting contempt.

Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens,

and those who lead many to righteousness,

like the stars for ever and ever.

Daniel 12:1-3 NASB

The final jubilee will be a time when all property returns to its rightful owner (God). Such a financial catastrophe will lead to a time of great distress for those who don't have faith, but in the midst of this trouble the people of God will be delivered, and will shine like the stars of heaven. Stars shine at all times, but they can only be seen in darkness. People will be drawn to the light, or they will run to the darkness, so that the fruit will be evident and the harvest can begin.

The true church will stand and grow, while the apostate church will descend with the reprobate culture. At some point this apostasy will exhaust the patience of God, and then the end will come. Truthfully, I don't know how or when this will end, but I know The One who will end it. I'm sure it will be crystal clear at that time, as clear as the glassy sea around His throne. Until then we must work while it is called today, so that Christ may present us to himself as his spotless bride.

The Bookends of Creation

Click to enlarge

Some interesting revelations about the Bible and the eternal nature of God...

Sunday I listened to our pastor talk about part of the Lord's prayer, "...give us this day our daily bread..." My mind wandered as usually happens when the Holy Spirit begins speaking to me from the text. I thought, "daily bread" sounds like "manna in the wilderness". I thought about the verses in John where Jesus said "I am the bread of life...that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world". I thought about the beatitude that said "Blessed are they which hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." And I thought "Jesus Christ is our righteousness". I want to hunger and thirst for the bread of life that comes down from heaven and gives righteousness and abundant life!

But my mind didn't stop wandering. I noticed all the paragraphs in the book of John that start with "I am". John is the gospel that describes how the soldiers of the chief priest drew back and fell down when Jesus declared "I AM" (probably "eh-yeh" or the name of God in Hebrew). After church I made a list of all the declarations of Jesus' identity (Word of God made flesh, Anointed One, bread of life, light of the world, good shepherd, resurrection and life, way/truth/life, true vine, eternal Son of God) and noticed that at the end of John something quite profound had happened to the disciples:

None of the disciples ventured to question Him, “Who are You?” knowing that it was the Lord.
John 21:12

Ponder that for a moment. Jesus had taken on a glorified body and was in many ways different from when they last saw Him, but they understood His NATURE and felt his divine presence in their midst. They KNEW HIM because He said who HE IS.

The remainder of the chapter is the most intimate picture of the love of Jesus in all the gospel accounts.

The gospel of John clearly defines Jesus' eternal divine nature, but the Revelation to John at the end of the Bible contains the most profound "I AM" statement of all.

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.
Revelation 22:13

I didn't realize until this week that this is a quote from Isaiah:

"Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the first and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me.
Isaiah 44:6

Clearly Jesus through John is speaking as the eternal almighty God.

The Greek words of this verse in Revelation are also very interesting. Omega is not just the final letter of the Greek alphabet, but a form of the verb "to be", the same verb used in the words "I AM". Alpha on the other hand is not just the first letter of the Greek alphabet, but a prefix that negates whatever comes after it. So Alpha is "the state before anything" and Omega is "the final state of being".

Jesus is the author and finisher, before creation and the ultimate end of creation. Protos and Eschatos, beginning and end, Arche and Telos, pre-eminent ruler and the long-awaited answer to every prayer.

This is my savior and Lord who finally says "I am the root and offspring of David, the bright morning star." Even so, come Lord Jesus!

Understanding the Trinity

One of the things I struggled with over the years is reconciling the monotheistic concept of Judaism with the Christian doctrine of the Trinity. Since the term "Trinity" is not in the Bible I have felt a need to understand why it has been considered a core doctrine by Christian churches for virtually all of church history.

So before I raise questions in your mind about my own orthodoxy, let me explain. I tremble to even consider that I might misrepresent God's nature, and don't believe that anyone can truly comprehend the nature of God since he exists beyond our frame of reference in time and space. However, I really want to understand what the Bible says about the nature of God and his relationship to Jesus our Lord, so I will proceed with my limited analogy if you will bear with me in this endeavor.

The SHMA

Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! (Deuteronomy 6:4 NASB)

This is a phrase that every Jew knows and memorizes as a child. It is the foundation of Judaism and the first commandment in the Torah. Jesus, being a Jewish Rabbi, understood and agreed with the writings of Moses, calling the SHMA the Greatest Commandment. However, the New Testament clearly indicates that Jesus made Himself equal with God by calling God His Father. So now God appears as two personalities in a family relationship.

This Father-Son relationship is most fundamental to Christianity and most abhorrent to the religion of Islam, who consider Christianity to be a polytheistic religion. So how do you explain to a Muslim (or a Jew for that matter) that you believe in one God who has multiple forms or personalities? Is He one God or two or three? One morning recently I awakened with thoughts that helped resolve that question in my mind.

The FORM of God

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. (Philippians 2:6 NASB)

All through the Old Testament there are references to the "right hand" or "strong arm" or "outstretched arm" of God. These references uniformly occur in places where God is interacting with creation as Lord and Savior, in other words, in the role of Messiah. In fact in practically every reference you can substitute the name of the Messiah for this term and it makes perfect sense. For example,

My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth, And the Messiah will judge the peoples; The coastlands will wait for Me, And for the Messiah they will wait expectantly. (Isaiah 51:5)

Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and the Messiah. (Jeremiah 32:17)

Try this yourself; I think you will find a blessing in that.

In the New Testament we see the glorified Jesus our High Priest, seated at the right hand of God. The thought occurred to me that perhaps Jesus actually is analogous to God's right hand. The concept of a spiritual body consisting of multiple interacting personalities is not foreign to the Bible; reference the Body of Christ for example.

So when Jesus communicates with the Father, is this a conversation, or an interaction analogous to the interaction of the brain with the body, where the brain communicates via a type of nervous system to produce visible action? In this case, even though the Son of God is communicating to the Father as a person, in the spirit the two are considered one. You would not refer to me as "they" in reference to my body parts, but as to "him" who has a single will and many interconnected members. Is it possible that in the incomprehensible nature of God we can make such an analogy? Let me continue.

The Spirit Connection

I now understand that the Holy Spirit is analogous to the central nervous system of God. The Holy Spirit makes it possible to connect directly to God. It was the Holy Spirit that rested upon Jesus, fusing His will to God and allowing Jesus to carry out the perfect plan of God on earth. The Holy Spirit so fully embodied the Father's presence in Jesus that He could say "whoever has seen Me has seen the Father."

Now, the body analogy may be confusing since the Holy Spirit is invisible, like the wind. In my lifetime this has become much easier to visualize since we transmit control signals invisibly all around the world and through the darkness of space by various forms of electromagnetic radiation. Certainly the Creator of the universe could operate in ways that go far beyond our mortal technologies, even transcending the boundaries of time.

Jesus said that those who worship God must worship Him in spirit and in truth. That is our connection protocol. We authenticate by being authentic, by emptying ourselves of our old lives to put on the righteousness of Christ. We connect to Jesus through the Holy Spirit, the Helper whom the Father sends to be with us and in us, who teaches us and intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. The Holy Spirit translates our earthly requests to heavenly and perfect petitions before the throne of God.

Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." In our human form we cannot behold the face of God and live, but through His Spirit we can grasp the nail pierced hand of God and draw near with confidence to the throne of grace.

Conclusion

Though we may not comprehend God's true nature while we exist in earthly form, we can understand that God took the form of a man (Jesus), and was indwelt by the Holy Spirit who empowered Him to perfectly reflect the nature and will of God on earth. The creator is still worshiped as the one true God. There is one throne in Heaven, not three, and Jesus is seated or standing there at the right hand of God to execute God's plan for creation.

The Curse on the Dragon

I was reading Psalm 140 one day recently.  It's one of those Psalms that don't get quoted a lot in church because it's a prayer for vengeance.

"As for the head of those who surround me,
     May the mischief of their lips cover them.
"May burning coals fall upon them;
      May they be cast into the fire,
      Into deep pits from which they cannot rise.
"May a slanderer not be established in the earth;
            May evil hunt the violent man speedily."
Psalm 140:9-11 NASB

Many of the Psalms have this mysterious double meaning, one as a prayer and one as a prophecy. In this Psalm David is praying for deliverance from his enemies who have surrounded him. This is the most obvious meaning when you are reading or reciting the Psalm.

But if you look closely you will see an underlying prophecy regarding the final fate of Satan and his followers. The "head" of those who surround David is also their "leader" or "chief". David in a prophetic sense is Christ and His kingdom.  The "head" of those who surround Christ is Satan.  The curse which is repeated every time this Psalm is recited is that Satan, the beast and the false prophet will be cast into a fiery pit from which they shall never arise.

When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Revelation 20:7-10 NASB

There are two interesting men mentioned in verse 11. In Hebrew they are Ish-Lashon (man of the tongue) and Ish-Hamas (man of violence). These are most surely the false prophet and the beast of the Revelation in a prophetic sense. I also found it interesting that the word "Hamas" is used in the context of those surrounding the camp of David. I don't think it's a coincidence that Hamas means "zeal" in Arabic and "violence" in Hebrew.

Those who are on the wrong side in this cosmic battle constantly participate in this ancient curse.  An ever expanding chorus of martyrs in heaven join in this prayer. Choose this day whom you will serve...as for me and my house we will serve the Lord!

God is in Control

A few days ago I was reading something a friend liked on Facebook, which said that some who focus on prophecy are too negative and lead believers into fear and anxiety.

I lost a lot of sleep that night thinking seriously about this. I had never considered that what I post online about Biblical prophecy might cause some to stumble or fear, and I was deeply convicted. If you feel this way, please accept my humble apology and let me explain my motives.

First, I know there have been marketeers who prey on people's fears and superstitions to sell books and supplies for end-time preparation. Some may do this simply to feed their egos and enhance their power and influence over other believers. Some of these would fall into a category I've already blogged about, the wandering stars who have rushed headlong into "Balaam's Error".

I must confess that researching prophecy has been fulfilling to me because it's sort of like solving a puzzle, or finding that piece you were missing for so long. Little revelations keep me interested in studying more, and I think this is a good thing as long as it doesn't distract me from seeking the heart of God. But it's not the main thing.

After a lot of introspection I think I know why I am personally interested in this subject. I feel like the world we know in America is spinning out of control and lurching into some very troubled waters. This is currently disguised by a very unsustainable program of government borrowing and economic stimulus. In fact, I can't help believing that the end of the American era is at hand and without America the entire world is in for a very rude awakening. If I didn't believe in God I would be very troubled by these feelings of hopelessness for my homeland.

However, as a Christian I have a better home and a better hope in the eternal presence of God. When I read and write about end time prophecy I am reinforcing my confidence that indeed God has forewarned us about what is coming, and is giving us the hope and strength to thrive in the midst of a cataclysmic disaster.

What I know is this - that as hard as things may get in my lifetime, I am accepted and beloved by God and He will provide a way for me even in death to have eternal joy and hope. I am learning goals and strategies to reach the lost and leave a legacy of testimony to my Jewish brethren who have yet to accept Yeshua as their Messiah. I am learning how to put on the full armor of Christ so that I am prepared for spiritual warfare.

At the same time, I want to encourage those who see this to do the same.

But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.
I Thessalonians 5:4-8 NASB

Remember that even though we may one day see hardship and persecution in our own land, God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.

My goal is to encourage the fainthearted and help the weak, so please be patient with me. I will not allow the Holy Spirit in me to be quenched even if some may despise my prophesying. So hold fast to whatever I write that seems to be good and encouraging and cast away whatever appears to discourage you. After all, sometimes I miss the Lord or need to correct what I say in the spirit, even as I'm sure you do as well.

(I didn't intend to borrow so heavily from Paul's letter to the Thessalonians, but found myself on exactly the same wavelength!)

Guide to Apocalyptic Scriptures

After years of study, I put together this timeline that I have used to understand biblical prophecy related to the end times.  I have intentionally put aside the many teachings I have had on this subject and mainly used the Bible as my guideline, checking what I learn from the Bible and the Spirit against those teachings when necessary and fruitful.  I once again must thank the publishers of the Biblehub website for the enormous benefit of having so much information easily available online.

Click image to expand to readable size

I would just add a few notes.  One is my mapping of the "Great Tribulation" to the entire time period from the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 until the Day of the Lord at the final trumpet.  I did not set out to take such an unconventional view of this term (the "thlipsis megale" in Greek), however after cross-referencing the synoptic accounts in Matthew, Mark and Luke, I came to the conclusion that the "Olivet Discourse" is mostly referring to the end of the Jewish kingdom and the desecration of the temple by the Roman Emperor. After all, this is what the disciples asked about (the destruction of the temple) and what they would be most concerned about in their lifetimes.  This drove me to review the prophecies of Daniel regarding the abomination of desolation and the cessation of the regular sacrifice which were fulfilled at that time and are not mentioned in Revelation.  The tribulation in my view, is great not only in intensity, but also in its breadth (worldwide) and duration over the centuries.  This trying of our souls involves not only endurance through persecution, but also endurance through false prophecy and the mocking wisdom of man.

Of course, Jesus also talks about His second coming after the great tribulation so we cannot take a "post millennial" viewpoint; the balance of scripture still indicates much to come before the great day of judgment.

If you study end time teachings over the years, you will discover that commonly accepted teachings come and go, and change greatly over time.  This is natural, because nobody really knows when the things yet to come will happen, or exactly how.  That part is up to God.  I may change my own view of some of these events, but I have tried diligently to respect the entire teaching of the Bible and only use the tools available to consolidate wisdom and knowledge from the Bible and present it here in a very broad summary.

I hope you enjoy using this for reference, and consider it prayerfully before commenting below!

Seven Shofars and a Shout

In the last few days I learned something about shofars (trumpets made from ram's horns).  In the Bible they are used to lead people into battle.  Sometimes these are spiritual battles, as when the priests blew the shofars to gather the people for fasting and prayer.

In one particular battle, priests blew their shofars once a day for six days to warn the enemy of the coming judgment of God.  The city under siege was Jericho, and the commander of the invading army was Joshua.  On the seventh day, the army marched around Jericho seven times, then blew their shofars seven times, and then when the people shouted God brought down the walls of Jericho by the power of His word.

So it is in the end of time, that the blast of the angel's shofars will pronounce doom on the city of Babylon, which is the dominion of Satan.  Six times the shofars will sound the solemn warnings, and after the seventh blast, with the shout of a great multitude of believers and angels, the Lord will bring down the walls of Satan's kingdom by a great earthquake and by the power of His word.

Indeed, our entry into the eternal kingdom must be preceded by this great battle, in which the promised land is cleansed from all the powers of sin and darkness.  It was an inspiration to me to see this prototyped in the battle of Jericho, to demonstrate the power of God when His people enter the promised land.  Get ready to shout, people of God, and watch the gates of Hell come down!

The Final Apostasy

At church this morning our interim pastor followed one of his deep theological bunny trails into the book of Romans and landed on chapter 1, wherein Paul describes the process of falling from the grace of God.

I memorized about half the book of Romans about 40 years ago and if you ever memorized that much scripture you might know that I have recited the first chapter of Romans in my mind more than any other scriptures, just to keep those memorized verses from slipping into the dust bin of my distant memories.

At any rate, I was inspired to tie these verses starting with Romans 1:18 to scriptures I have been studying most recently in the second letter of Paul to the church in Thessalonica.  Specifically,

Let no one in any way deceive you, for it (the day of the Lord) will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. (2 Thessalonians 2:3)

I wondered if the apostasy to which Paul referred here would look like the process he described in the first chapter of Romans.  When I got home I got this confirmation from research of the Greek text on the Bible Hub web site.

Apokalyptetai gar orge theo ap ouranou... (Romans 1:18 The wrath of God is revealed from heaven...)

After studying prophecy so intensely, I am starting to recognize prophetic language I didn't see before.  The first word of this section of Romans is the same Greek word as the beginning of the book of Revelation (Apokalypsis).

So there are two ways of reading this section of Romans, one in a historical sense, in which the wrath of God revealed from heaven could be seen in the sun, a lake of fire hotter and larger than anything one could imagine on earth, perhaps like the one that awaits the devil and his followers.

The other is in a prophetic sense; Romans 1 describes the apostasy that is to come before the antichrist is revealed at the end of time.  OF COURSE, where else in the Bible is the wrath of God coming down from heaven to punish the ungodly?  I NEVER SAW THIS BEFORE!

We have refused to honor God or give thanks, we have become futile in our speculation, we have accepted a form of earth-worship in place of God, we have accepted and embraced unnatural sexual behavior and are plunging headlong into a state of societal depravity which can only be paralleled by Rome at its worst or by Sodom and Gomorrah.  As I recall both of those eras ended in flames.

When the times of the Gentiles come to full fruition, God will suspend His wrath one final time(Rev 7:3) to fulfill His promise to the descendants of Jacob.

Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. (Matthew 24:22)

The elect are those predestined for salvation from the tribes of Israel, who will finally see and embrace their Messiah:

...and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,
“THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION,
HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB.”
“THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.”
(Romans 11:26-27)

I am excited to see these prophecies fulfilled, but as I said before, we Gentiles will be watching the final act from heaven.  Oh! What a glorious day!