HEAVENLY RELATIONSHIPS ARE BETTER

The Gospel of Luke records some words of Jesus in response to the Sadducees that might seem troubling to those who have lost a beloved spouse:

Jesus said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; for they cannot even die anymore, because they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. (Luke 20:34-36)

A close examination of this passage reveals that the relationships of those who have trusted Christ as Savior and Lord will be infinitely better after the resurrection in the heavenly kingdom.

The Sadducees taunted Jesus with the Old Testament law that provided for a widow by requiring the deceased’s brother to marry her (Deuteronomy 25:5), and thus they hoped to discredit the doctrine of bodily resurrection. In answering the Sadducees, Jesus referred to the marriage customs of the time. Arranged marriages were common, young women were “given in marriage.” Though we speak today of the father “giving away” the bride, it is hardly the same as it was then. What’s more, young widows were expected to remarry for practical reasons. Jesus’ answer revealed that the resurrection life in the age to come will be radically different – and better—than life in this fallen world of death and bereavement.

First of all, Jesus says that “those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead” will enter into a new relationship with those they love, a relationship infinitely higher than the cultural norms in our fallen world. Marriage was instituted by God to provide companionship (primarily for the man, who seems to have had the greater need) and to propagate the human race (Gen. 2:18; 1:28). The need to propagate the race will no longer exist in the eternal kingdom, and need for companionship will be fulfilled in a greater way than we can imagine. There will be no loneliness in heaven!

Second, that new relationship is a relationship of pure love. As resurrected “sons of God,” we will share God’s character, free of sin, and therefore free of selfishness. “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16), and so we will know and show that pure love toward our departed loved ones, toward others, and most importantly toward God.

Third, that relationship is a permanent relationship: “for they cannot even die anymore: (Luke 20:36). The emphatic words in this statement are striking: “even” and “anymore,” The subordinate conjunction “for” implies that this resurrected, immortal new life is the reason for the new relationship. In this fallen world, the traditional marriage vow is “till death do us part” or “as long as we both shall live.” Death ends that relationship as every widow or widower painfully knows. In this life, death hangs over every relationship. Christ came to free us from that dread by securing eternal life for everyone who trusts in Him:

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.

(Hebrews 2:14-15)

 In the age to come, our relationship of pure love will have no end!

So, far from being a disappointing declaration, Jesus’ answer to the Sadducees unveils a new relationship of love in the heavenly kingdom that is pure and everlasting. We will see them again, indeed, and it will be infinitely better than before!

WRITE THIS IN A BOOK

Since the written word was essential in communicating God’s truth, we might wonder when was the first time God commanded someone to write something. What did he command to be written and why? I was surprised to find that the first use of the verb “to write” in the Bible is in Exodus 17:14:

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write this in a book as a memorial and recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven."

(Exodus 17:14)

The first command to write was a pronouncement of judgment! It was against a people known as Amalek or the Amalekites. This vicious tribe was the very first enemy of Israel when God’s people left Egypt, and they remained the implacable enemies of God’s people through David’s reign and even into Israel’s captivity in Babylon. The Amalekites are an illustration of the enemy of God’s people today – sin!

When we understand how devastatingly destructive sin is to our lives, we can understand why God’s first command to “write” a book of remembrance has to do with judgment on this enemy of God’s people

There is a profound spiritual lesson in God's dealings with Amalek.  Theodore Epp, long-time director of Back-to-the-Bible ministries, saw Amalek as a type of the sin nature and by extension the Amalekites as specific sins.  Here God says He will "utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven."  In verse 16 He states that He will "have war against Amalek from generation to generation."  The typology finds greater clarity in the life of David, especially in 1 Samuel 30.  King Saul had compromised with Amalek, sparing the "King of the Amalekites" (1 Samuel 15:9), but David (as a type of Christ) showed them no quarter (1 Samuel 30:17-19).

Note the following analogies between the Amalekites and sin in our lives:

I.            Amalek is determined to destroy God’s people before they can enter the Promised Land.

A.    The Amalekites were the first to fight against Israel after they had been delivered from Egypt through the blood of the Lamb.  (cf. Dt. 25:17)

B.     The Amalekites were determined to exterminate the people of God. (See Esther  8:3– Haman, the Agagite. “Enemy of Israel.”

II.         Amalekites attack at the weakest points and at the most vulnerable moments. (Deut. 25:18)

            “Sin that closely clings closely to us” (Compare Hebrews. 12:1)

To defeat sin we need help from our brethren – “Aaron and Hur” to come alongside (Exodus 17:12).

           

III.      Amalek must be utterly put to death – show no quarter!

For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. (Romans 8:13)

Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.  (6)  Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience,  (7)  in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. (Colossians 3:5-7) 

A.    We do this by the power of the Holy Spirit.

B.     We do this through prayer (Ex. 17:9-12): personal and joint prayer.

IV.      Sin will ultimately be eradicated by the Lord.

“the LORD will have war against Amalek from generation to generation." (Ex. 17:16)

But ultimately, He declares victory:

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this in a book as a memorial and recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven." (Ex. 17:14)

 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. (Revelation 22:3) 

In this world we will have warfare with sin from generation to generation. But one day, God will "blot out the memory" of sin forever and establish His kingdom!

Christian, we need to ask ourselves: What are we doing with the Amalekites in our lives?

THIS ONE WILL BE OUR PEACE

THIS ONE WILL BE OUR PEACE

In this season we hear that comforting phrase: “Peace on Earth!” And yet we look at the world around us and see no peace. Right there is the problem: we are looking in the wrong place! Peace is not to be found in human institutions or devices. True peace is found in the Person of Jesus, the Messiah of Israel and Savior of the world. The prophet Micah revealed it over 700 years before the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.

"But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

Too little to be among the clans of Judah,

From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel.

His goings forth are from long ago,

From the days of eternity."

Therefore He will give them up until the time

When she who is in labor has borne a child.

Then the remainder of His brethren

Will return to the sons of Israel.

And He will arise and shepherd His flock

In the strength of the LORD,

In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God.

And they will remain,

Because at that time He will be great

To the ends of the earth.

This One will be our peace. (Micah 5:2-5a)

This One will be our peace!

That phrase is emphatic: “This One.”  The same expression was used of Lamech’s hope conerning his son Noah: "This one will give us rest from our work and from the toil of our hands arising from the ground which the LORD has cursed." (Gen. 5:29)  The Song of Moses proclaims, “This Same (One) is my God” (Barnes trans.). And here in Micah, “This One” is our peace. And who is this One? The Apostle Paul makes the fulfillment clear:

But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it 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 saints, and are of God's household . . . (Ephesians 2:13-19 NASB)

Isaiah’s wonderful prophecy calls this Messiah “The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). Those who receive this Prince of Peace as their Lord and Savior and look to Him for all their needs, experience a peace that “surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).

An accurate translation of that famous angelic announcement of the birth of Jesus makes it clear that the peace He gives is for those who trust in Him:

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"

(Luke 2:14 ESV)

He is pleased with those who put their trust in Him. Have you received Jesus as your Lord and Savior?

SACRIFICING FEELINGS

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

(John 15:13)

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her . . .

(Ephesians 5:25)

Since most of us will never be called upon to actually sacrifice our physical lives for our friends or wives or anyone else, these commands tend to sound theoretical. But there are other ways of sacrificing that are more difficult even than death, because they are inward and long-lasting. The sacrifice of my right to express my feelings is one such sacrifice.

A very moving illustration of emotional sacrifice is depicted in the film Life is Beautiful, directed by and starring the enigmatic Roberto Benigni. The film was in the theaters in 1997, ten years after our return from Italy. At that time, the dialogue was only in Italian with English sub-titles. My wife and I, still conversant in Italian, could get the full impact of the humor, as well as the horror, of the film. We were a few seconds ahead of the rest of the audience in laughing at the comedic lines (if the audience got the Italian humor at all). But the serious, heart-wrenching drama could not be missed.

The film is about sacrifice. Guido Orefice, a Jewish bookseller in Italy, is deported with his young son, Giosuè, and his wife, Dora, to a concentration camp, where Dora is separated from her husband and son. In order to protect his son both physically and emotionally, Guido convinces the boy that what they are experiencing is an elaborate game in which Giosuè will earn points for performing certain tasks his father assigns him. Extra points will be earned for hiding from the guards. The boy who earns 1,000 points first will be awarded a real tank – not a toy one.

The father maintained the charade until the end, sacrificing his own “right” to be horrified and depressed over their plight. The final task assigned to Giosuè was that he hide in a steel box until he could hear no noises. Giosuè caught a glimpse of his father being led away by German soldiers to be shot, but the father maintained the game by his expression. As the boy emerged from the box, an American tank rolled into the camp, and the tank commander helped the boy up onto it. As the tank rolled past freed prisoners, Giosuè saw his mother and was reunited with her. The final words of the film are the voice of the adult Giosuè paying tribute to his father’s sacrifice.

Sacrificing feelings is a difficult task. We claim our right to our feelings above all else. Perhaps we feel it is hypocritical to “act” as though we’re happy when we’re not. We can find ample justification for letting people know how we feel. But sacrificial love, agape love, means subordinating my feelings and my desires to the needs of others. I have found that sacrifice to be difficult, but I’m determined to call on God’s grace to help me demonstrate it.

SUNDAY SCHOOL IS NOT JUST FOR KIDS!

The vision for Christian education for all ages in the church setting was that of Welsh pastor Thomas Charles (1755-1814). Charles founded Sunday Schools in chapels to teach reading to the illiterate, using the Bible, and biblical doctrine to all ages. The description of Sunday Schools in Charles's Wales is now happily true of churches all over the world:

"Truly, indeed, it is only in Wales that old men and old women are to be seen leaning on their walking sticks, their spectacles on their noses, seated as a class around the Word of God, with the intention of understanding its teaching; while nearby classes of infants and children, boys and girls of every age and status, give themselves to the same task." (John Morgan Jones and William Morgan, trans. John Aaron, The Calvinistic Methodist Fathers of Wales, Vol. 2)

Thomas Charles of Bala

See you in Sunday School!

Preparing a Place

"I will also appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant them, that they may live in their own place and not be disturbed again, nor will the wicked afflict them any more as formerly,

(2 Samuel 7:10)

"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. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:2-3)

God’s covenant and promise to David reaches far beyond the life of David and his son Solomon. David’s dynasty was to be an eternal reign: “I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” 7:13). The ultimate fulfillment of the Davidic covenant came through David’s greatest son, Messiah Jesus. The Apostle Paul affirmed this fulfillment on his first missionary journey to Antioch in Pisidia:

And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, "'You are my Son, today I have begotten you.' And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way, "'I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.'

(Acts 13:32-34)

The Apostle James also confirmed this connection when he declared at the council in Jerusalem:

 And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written, “After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name,  says the Lord, who makes these things known from of old.” (Acts 15:15-18)

And Jesus Himself affirmed his Messiahship with this challenge to the Pharisees:

"What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" They said to him, "The son of David." He said to them, "How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying, "'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet"'? If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?" (Matthew 22:42-45)

God promised David that He would appoint a place for His people Israel where they would be safe from all harm and nourished by the Lord Himself. The physical Promised Land was not the ultimate fulfillment of that promise. The writer to the Hebrews, commenting on Psalm 95:7-11 referring to the Promised Land as God’s “rest,” says this:

For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. (Hebrews 4:8-10)

That “Sabbath rest” is salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and it will ultimately culminate in the New Heaven and New Earth where there is perfect peace and righteousness.

When you read God’s promise to David, “I will appoint a place for My people,” can you not hear also the words of the Savior: “I go to prepare a place for you . . . that where I am you may be also”?

DOES YOUR CHURCH GIVE A SWEET AROMA?

Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs a year old day by day regularly. One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight . . . with it a grain offering and its drink offering, as in the morning, for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD. . (Exodus 29:38-39, 41)

“Something sure smells good!” We all know the pleasant aroma of savory food in the oven. God spoke to Moses about sacrifices that emitted “a pleasing aroma” to Him. In the Tabernacle in the wilderness, Aaron and his sons were to offer burnt offerings of two one-year-old lambs, one in the morning and one in the evening. Each lamb was to be offered with what amounted to two cups of fine flour mixed with one quart of olive oil and a quart of wine poured over the whole sacrifice. The combination of these ingredients would certainly produce a distinctive aroma that spread throughout the camp of the Israelites. Whether that would be a pleasant aroma to any particular individual would be a matter of taste. But it certainly became a characteristic aroma in the camps of Israel. Most importantly, the aroma of those sacrifices was pleasing to God because of what they represented.

The pleasantness of the aroma to God was, without a doubt, the symbolic representation of the sacrifice of His Son, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) The whole burnt offering pictures Christ’s complete surrender to the Father’s will, his total dedication, expressed in His prayer in the garden of Gethsemane, “. . . not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:39)

Another pleasant aroma that permeated the Tabernacle and undoubtedly seeped through the curtains to the surrounding camps was the daily incense that was to be offered on the golden altar in the holy place, just outside the Holy of Holies where the Ark of Testimony (or Covenant) was housed. That incense was a special formula to be used only in the Tabernacle. Israelites were forbidden to use that formula for common use, and the priests were forbidden to offer any “strange incense” on that altar. The incense represents the sacrifice of intercessory prayer. (Revelation 5:8; 8:3, 4). The prayers of God’s people, those cleansed by the blood of the Lamb and surrendered to Him in humble service are also a pleasant aroma to God.

So how does all this apply to our churches? As we have noted, the aroma of the sacrifices and the incense spread to the surrounding area. Those living in the vicinity of the Tabernacle could not miss it. The faithful would find it pleasant, as God did. The aroma of sacrifice would be a reminder every morning and evening of their covenant relationship with God. It was their spiritual atmosphere. But, from the history of Israel we know that there were others who despised the law and the worship of the Lord God. They wanted to run their own lives and they resented any restrictions. These individuals most likely hated the “smell” of those sacrifices and wished they could get away from it. Some probably did.

The Apostle Paul wrote of his ministry and that of his associates in terms of those Old Testament sacrifices:

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ. (2 Corinthians 2:14-17 ESV Emphasis added)

Notice that Paul says the offering of his ministry was to God, not to people. Yet the fragrance of that ministry spreads all around! To some, those whose heart is yearning for salvation, it is a “fragrance of life,” but to those who are obstinate and rebellious, it is a “fragrance of death.” In either case, the aroma of a church should be pleasing to God. When it is, that church will attract those who love that aroma.

Does your church emit the savor of Christ’s sacrifice? Is it a pleasing aroma the God?

REFLECTED GLORY IN MINISTRY

Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them. Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he commanded them all that the LORD had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. Whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded, the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face was shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he went in to speak with him. (Exodus 34:30-35)

Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. (2 Corinthians 3:12-13)

Moses' authority as spiritual leader derived from his intimate relationship and communication with God, which resulted in the divine glow on his face. This reflected glory did not last, but faded until Moses's next encounter with the LORD. Hence, the Apostle Paul noted to the Corinthian church that Moses "used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away" (2 Corinthians 3:13 NASB). In the context of Exodus we may infer that the only glory the people were to see was the reflected glory of God, not any human glory in Moses himself. And the only authority Moses had was derived from his communion with God.

           

By way of application, every minister of Christ today should ask himself, "Do people catch a glimpse of the glory of the Lord when I stand in the pulpit and expound His Word?" If not, what is lacking in my on communion with God?  Years ago, I heard of a church that had an inscription on the inside of the pulpit: “Sir, we wish to see Jesus” (John 12:21).  A good reminder for every preacher!

           

In the Apostle Paul's analogy, however, Moses is representative of the Old Covenant. The glory of the Old Covenant, which Paul calls "the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones" (2 Cor. 3:7) was a fading glory. It was glorious because it reflected God's holiness and righteousness; it was fading because of Israel's disobedience. God's purpose in forming a holy people of His own would be fulfilled in the New Covenant through the sacrifice of His Son and the work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of believers. That glory, "the glory of God in the face of Christ" (2 Cor. 4:6), will not fade away.

MOSES'S FUNERAL PSALM

It seems that Psalm 90, “A Psalm of Moses, the man of God,” is irresistible to ministers preparing a funeral message. After all, our minister’s handbooks all recommend it. The psalm does have some memorable verses on God’s eternality and man’s mortality:

Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.

Before the mountains were born

Or You gave birth to the earth and the world,

Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

You turn man back into dust

And say, ‘Return, O children of men.’

For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it passes by,

Or as a watch in the night. (Psalm 90:1-4)

I always think of Isaac Watts’s great hymn, O God, Our Help in Ages Past, when I read those verses. Then there is that reality check about the nature of old age:

As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years,

Or if due to strength, eighty years,

Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow;

For soon it is gone and we fly away. (Psalm 90:10)

All of the above are quite appropriate at a funeral, when everyone is forced to reflect upon the relative brevity of life. But there is more to that psalm, and the diligent pastor is loath to take verses out of context. That’s when we run into verses that disturb the atmosphere of comfort:

For we have been consumed by Your anger

And by Your wrath we have been dismayed.

You have placed our iniquities before You,

Our secret sins in the light of Your presence.

For all our days have declined in Your fury;

We have finished our years like a sigh.

(Psalm 90:7-9)

Who understands the power of Your anger

And Your fury, according to the fear that is due You?

(Psalm 90:11)

Anger, wrath, fury? Hardly comforting to a grieving family! And what about the unbelievers who inevitably attend the funeral of a staunch Christian? Well, maybe they need to hear about God’s wrath, but is this the right venue?

While pondering this psalm and its dubious use in funerals, I thought of the historical context in which it was most likely written. It is regrettable that this psalm is rarely expounded in all its fullness.

The first thing that ought to raise a question is why Moses, of all people, a man who lived to be 120 years old, would declare that a man’s years are seventy or eighty? When did Moses witness great numbers of people dying by age seventy or eighty? The obvious answer is during Israel’s wandering in the Sinai wilderness.

Israel had come to the southern border of the Promised Land, but they were hesitant to enter. They wanted to send scouts, one from each tribe, to spy out the land (Deuteronomy 1:22). All of those scouts except two, Joshua and Caleb, brought back a bad report on the land God had promised to give them. The negative report prevailed and the adult population refused to enter the land. In consequence of this lack of faith and obedience, God’s sentence was passed:

'None of the men who came up from Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob; for they did not follow Me fully, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have followed the LORD fully.' "So the LORD'S anger burned against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the entire generation of those who had done evil in the sight of the LORD was destroyed. (Numbers 32:11-13)

The total number of men twenty years old and older at that time, minus Joshua and Caleb, was 603,548. That means that during the forty years of wandering in the Sinai wilderness, the nation would average over 1,200 funerals a day! And that was only the men. In addition to judgments for particular acts of rebellion, Moses witnessed the once hearty soldiers, all once fit for war, aging and weakening. He observed that by age 70 most were finished, but some were stronger and struggled on till 80, stooped and aching. And this end was the judgment for their disobedience, their failure to believe God. They were literally “consumed by (God’s) anger.”

Commentators have rightly seen a universal principle these verses: death is God’s judgment for man’s rebellion in Eden. Verse 3 clearly refers to Genesis 3:19 (though a different word for ‘dust’ is used): “You are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Moses’s witnessing of death in the wilderness caused him to reflect on that tragedy in the garden and its universal consequences.

 But the Bible makes a distinction in the case of God’s redeemed saints:

Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His godly ones. (Psalm 116:15)

Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord-- for we walk by faith, not by sight-- we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:6-8)

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. (Philippians 1:21-23)

Derek Kidner observed: “In an age which was readier than our own to reflect on mortality and judgment, this psalm was an appointed reading (with 1 Cor. 15) at the burial of the dead: a rehearsal of the facts of death and life which, if it was harsh at such a moment, wounded to heal.”[1] Psalm 90 has been a part of both Jewish and Christian funerary liturgy for centuries. 

Still, Psalm 90, Moses’s Funeral Psalm, needs to be presented in its context. Though death is a universal result of sin having entered the world, it is not God’s wrath that ushers one of his beloved saints into heavenly fellowship with Him.

---

[1] Kidner, Derek. Psalms 73-150. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries.

A CHORUS OF VIRTUES

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. (2 Peter 1:5-9)

The Greek word translated “supplement” in the English Standard Version comes from two words that mean “leading a chorus” (Robertson’s Word Pictures). The idea is that the Christian virtues in this passage are not to be added to one another, as the KJV and the NIV have it, but to supplement or complete one another as the voices in a chorus do. The balanced, mature Christian life has these virtues in harmony. Faith, for instance, must be in harmony with knowledge, self-control with steadfastness, etc.

That godliness must be in harmony with brotherly affection (philadelphia) is particularly striking. The noble desire for godliness, in isolation from the other virtues, has led many to ungodly extremes. Monastacism in its various expressions is one example. Monks have sought to free themselves from sinful temptations by isolating themselves from the world and others, only to find, as Jerome did, that they cannot escape their own thoughts! Some, in seeking personal godliness, have become judgmental of others, lacking in brotherly affection. Nothing is more cacophonous than supposed godliness without brotherly affection or kindness (NASB). It’s like a novice putting a bow to a violin!

One final voice, standing next to Brotherly Affection, completes the chorus: LOVE. Brotherly affection is that deep bond between believers in Christ, yet our love must extend beyond the bounds of our spiritual family. Our Lord commanded that we love even our enemies (Matt. 5:44; Luke 6:27, 35). That love of the will (agape), is also needed in cultivating brotherly affection. That's why the two are often mentioned together (Rom. 12:10; 1 Thes. 4:9; 1 Peter 1:22; 2 Peter 1:7)

Meditating on how all the voices in this chorus of Christian virtues should sound together is a good exercise. We must remember, however, that it is not by the exertion of our will that we can put these virtues in balance. It is the work of the Holy Spirit. Paul calls them “the fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22), and he exhorts us to “walk in the Spirit” (Gal. 5:16 compare Rom. 8:4). Whenever we find that our spiritual life is out of balance – and it happens to every Christian for time to time – we need to refresh our relationship with Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit by means of prayer and the Word. We need to quiet ourselves before the Lord for as long as it takes for renewal.

The Christian’s life is to be a chorus of praise to the grace of God. Let’s make sure all the voices are singing together.

GRATEFUL FOR A KINGDOM THAT CANNOT BE SHAKEN

Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe . . . (Hebrews 12:28)

On the November 2, 1852, my great-great-grandfather, Johann Friedrich Boberg, appeared in Knox County, Indiana, Circuit Court to sign a “Declaration of Intention” to become a citizen of the United States of America. In that declaration, Johann renounced his allegiance to Prince Leopold of Lippe in what was then The Kingdom of Prussia, and swore his allegiance to the United States of America. That declaration was five years and one day after Johann arrived in the port of New Orleans – the minimum residency requirement for citizenship. Since the five-year anniversary was on a Sunday, he had to wait until Monday morning to apply. Johann Friedrich Boberg was eager to become a U.S. citizen!

Christians have pledged their allegiance to Jesus Christ as Lord and King. That allegiance takes precedence over any and all other allegiances. Christians, however, have a sort of dual citizenship. We are in this world – as to our physical existence – but not of this world as to our spiritual, eternal life. This world is passing away (1 Corinthians 7:31), decaying from within because of its sinfulness and rebellion against God, but “whoever does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:17).

My physical citizenship in this world is limited in both its nature and duration. As to its nature, my physical citizenship is limited to the realm God has assigned to human government, which has no authority over my relationship to God. The duration of my citizenship in this world is also limited. First, it is limited by my earthly lifespan. It may also be limited by the very existence of the nation in which I live! For example, the Kingdom of Prussia that had been Johann Friedrich’s home was dissolved in 1918, following the devastation of the First World War. Everything in this world is tentative and fragile. And God has promised that He will “shake” this world system, and then remove that which was shaken:

At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." This phrase, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:26-29)

God shook the world at Mt. Sinai when He gave His Law to the nation Israel. He shook both heaven and earth in the death and resurrection of Christ. And the writer of Hebrews says there is another “shaking” coming! When God shakes the heavens and the earth the next time, He will also remove what He has been shaken.

I’m thankful that by God’s grace, I have citizenship in an eternal kingdom! The most important citizenship a person can have is in the Kingdom of God. And we can have that citizenship through repentance from our sins and faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We must renounce all allegiance to the prince of this world, and declare our total spiritual allegiance to Christ.

Johann Friedrich Boberg couldn’t wait to cast off the past and declare his allegiance to a new country. How much more eager should we be in these dark, sinful, violent times to renounce allegiance to this sinful world and declare our allegiance to God through Jesus Christ!

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. (Philippians 3:20-21)

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken . . .

WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT?

Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

(Isaiah 53:1 NKJV)

This time of the year there is a lot of talk about the birth of Jesus (though not nearly as much as in past decades!). The Baby Jesus, the helpless infant lying in a manger is a heart-warming image. The Babe in the manger is also less threatening, disturbing, than the adult Jesus of Nazareth who claimed to be the Son of God and Savior of mankind!

Isaiah prophesied not only of the coming of the Messiah, but also of the attitude of skepticism and outright disbelief of those to whom He came. “Who as believed our report?” Isaiah asks. The Apostle John witnessed the rejection of Jesus Christ by the Jewish nation under the instigation of their religious leaders, as well as the ignorant indifference of the world in general:

He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. (John 1:10-11)

The following illustration comes from Matthias Ruether, principal of Brake Bible and Missions School in Lemgo, Germany.

Imagine being not prepared when the king arrives. That's rather tragic. But this is just what happened in a small restaurant in Ladenburg near Heidelberg, Germany, on August 22, 2011. Around noon, a friendly-looking married couple in their mid-sixties was seen standing in front of the "Gueldener Stern" ("Golden Star"), the oldest inn in town, studying the menu. The proprietress walked up to them and told them, somewhat gruffly, that they were at capacity. She went on to explain that a wedding reception was taking place that day, and not one table was to be had. Maybe they'd have better luck in the pizza restaurant next door. So the famished couple walked over to the Italian restaurant, much to the joy of the pizza baker, who realized at once who stood in front of him - namely, the Swedish royal couple, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Sylvia! ….

When the proprietress (of the inn) was asked about her faux pas, she was more than just a little uncomfortable about it. "I just don't have time to read magazines all day," she offered in explanation as to why she did not recognize the royal visitors. . .

Christmas reminds us that the King of the world came. Unrecognized by most, he became man in a small town in Israel. "He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him" (John 1:11). Had the proprietress but recognized the Swedish royal couple, she would have been saved from major embarrassment. But there is a lot more at stake at Christmas. He who recognizes the Son of God will have eternal life. "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God," (John 1:12).  (Translated from German by Ilka Jones)

"I just don't have time to read magazines all day," said the proprietress.  But do folks today have even a few minutes of the day to read the Bible? Even those who profess to be Christians are too busy to read and study God’s Word. Surveys have indicated that only 10% of those who say they are evangelical Christians have read the Bible in its entirety. In Jesus’ day, even those who did read the Scriptures failed to recognize the Messiah when He was in their midst:  “You search the Scriptures,” Jesus challenged the religious leaders, “for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.” (John 5:39)

Who has believed our report? asks Isaiah. Indeed. I challenge every reader today to read all of Isaiah 53, and ask yourself honestly: “Who does this chapter describe?” And pray that God’s Holy Spirit would reveal Christ to you. For Isaiah goes on to ask: And to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?”

Unless and until God opens a person’s heart and mind to the truth, that person will remain in darkness and ignorance. The problem is not intellectual – it is spiritual. Pride keeps people from yielding to Christ. Jesus prayed,

 "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. (Matthew 11:25-26)

Have you believed the report, the message of Christ prophesied centuries before the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem? Have you embraced Him as your Lord and Savior?

EARTH-DWELLERS VS. CITIZENS OF HEAVEN

For all its mysteries, the Book of Revelation makes one thing very clear: those who have claimed this fallen, sin-cursed world as their permanent home are the enemies of God and His people. Revelation calls them “those who dwell upon the earth,” or “earth-dwellers.” The word used in the original Greek text is the participle form of katoikeo, which means to settle down, to live permanently in. 

It’s not hard to see this philosophy in everything from beer commercials to the latest alleged medical breakthrough that holds out the hope that people will one day live forever – on this same earth, with its wars, crime, hatred, greed, and lust! This world is all the earth-dwellers have and they hold on to it will all their strength and determination. They also resent any disruption of their enjoyment of this world, things like disease, accidents, and natural disasters.  When homes are destroyed by hurricanes, tornadoes or earthquakes, we hear people say, “It’s just not right!”  They want to blame someone.  Ultimately, the one they blame is God.  “How could a good God allow such terrible things to happen?” The Bible’s explanation that the sin of mankind brought all this misery, that Paradise was lost when man rebelled against God, is dismissed without a thought.

The Book of Revelation strips away the mask of self-righteousness from the earth-dwellers and shows them for the enemies of God they are.  Let’s look at some passages.

The first mention of the earth-dwellers is in Jesus’ message to the small but faithful church of Philadelphia in Asia Minor, what is today Turkey.

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 on the earth. (Rev. 3:10 NASB, phrase highlighted in bold throughout.)

Jesus assures His faithful followers that they will be protected from the wrath that will be poured out on the earth-dwellers.  In Revelation 6:10, the martyrs in heaven appeal to the Lord for judgment of those who slew them for their faith.

“and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?"  (Rev. 6:10)

The attitude of the earth-dwellers toward God’s people is vividly portrayed in their hatred and persecution of God’s two witnesses (possibly representative of the Church in the last days)[i].

“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 lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire. 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 mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. Those from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate; and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. (Revelation 11:3-10)

It’s Christmastime for the ungodly earth-dwellers when they believe they have silenced God’s witnesses forever! But that’s not the end of the story!

Judgment of the Earth-Dwellers

The judgment for which the martyrs prayed is announced in Revelation 8:13 --

Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in mid-heaven, saying with a loud voice, "Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!"

Those trumpet blasts announced the judgments of God recorded in chapters 9-11, which include the release of demonic hordes and painful torments on those very earth-dwellers who reject God. That judgment is further depicted in Chapter 11, after the rapture of God’s witnesses:

But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those who were watching them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." Then they went up into heaven in the cloud,[ii] and their enemies watched them.[iii] And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second woe is past; behold, the third woe is coming quickly. Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were 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 You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. "And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth." (Revelation 11:11-18)

Rather than worshiping God, the earth-dwellers worship the Beast, Satan incarnate (Rev. 13:1-9), whom Paul calls “the man of sin” (or “lawlessness,’ 2 Thessalonians 2:3). The earth-dwellers are already being prepared for such a “leader,” as we see the rule of law being flouted shamelessly by national and world leaders. The arbitrary rule of a world dictator who will offer peace and prosperity to all who will give him absolute allegiance (e.g. “worship”) is more feasible than ever.

A Challenge to Citizenship

Everyone is a citizen of either this present world or the world to come. Paul contrasts the two when he encourages the Philippians to persevere in faith and holiness:

For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself. (Philippians 3:18-21, bold print added.)

Sadly, some who once declared their allegiance to Christ and even ministered in his name eventually show that their true citizenship is in this present world. Such was Paul’s former co-worker Demas:

for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica . . .

 (2 Timothy 4:10)[iv]

Where is your citizenship today? If you have lived for “this present world” up to this point, your future is not bright. But it doesn’t have to stay that way! The invitation of God’s Spirit is still extended:

The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost. (Revelation 22:17)

The New Heaven and New Earth

In one of the most blessed passages of Scripture, the Apostle John describes his vision of what awaits those who have trusted Christ and are citizens of Heaven:

Then 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 will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; 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." Then He said to me, "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. "He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. (Revelation 21:1-7)

Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever. (Revelation 22:1-5)

Where is your citizenship? This old cursed world is coming to an end, and a glorious new Earth is coming soon.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:10-13)

And Jesus said:

"And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book." (Revelation 22:7)

  

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[i] See Beale, G. K., The Book of Revelation, for a thorough and compelling presentation of this view.

[ii] Compare 1 Thesssalonians 4:16-17 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-52.

[iii] As William Hendriksen pointed out in More Than Conquerors, this is “hardly a secret rapture!”

[iv] Contrast Colossians 4:14 and Philemon 1:24.

666: WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon.  (12)  He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.  (13)  He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men.  (14)  And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who[1] had the wound of the sword and has come to life.  (15)  And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed.  (16)  And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead,  (17)  and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.  (18)  Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.  (Rev 13:11-18 NASB)

The world’s fascination with the number 666 seems to have no bounds.  In popular films and novels it is always connected with the devil or the occult.  In the comedy film The Burbs, neighbors of the strange, suspicious family the Klopecs decide to visit them and get acquainted.  But when they knock on the door, a loose house number flips over and changes the address from 696 to – you guessed it – 666, thus proving decisively that the Klopecs are evil!

Christians through the centuries have identified the beast from the sea in Revelation 13 as the Antichrist, the “man of sin” mentioned by Paul (2 Thessalonians 2:3 KJV, NKJV).  Speculations have run wild, especially in the last couple of centuries, as to who exactly this Antichrist might be, and the number 666 has often been considered the key to his identity.  By assigning numerical values to letters, interpreters have identified a wide variety of candidates from Nero Caesar[2] to Ronald Wilson Reagan (whose first, middle, and last names all have six letters!).[3]  Kim Riddlebarger’s comment shows the futility of modern speculation about the number 666:

The attempt to calculate the number of the beast using gematria (computing numerical value of letters) can also be problematic because this kind of methodology can be manipulated to refer to almost anyone, in what has come to be known in certain circles as the “pin the tail on the Antichrist” game.[4]

            John tells us in verse 18 that discerning the meaning of the number of the beast requires “wisdom” and “understanding,” not mathematical or kabbalistic acumen!  The word translated “calculate” in v. 18 is used only one other place in the New Testament – Luke 14:28 – where Jesus gives an illustration about counting the cost of a decision.  The idea is clearly one of using wisdom in evaluating a given situation.  In Revelation, as we have noted previously, numbers generally have symbolic significance, and so it is with the number 6 and its repetition in 666.

Throughout Scripture, and certainly in Revelation, the number 7 represents the fullness or completion of divine acts.  God’s work of creation was complete on the seventh day, and so He rested, signaling the fullness and completion of creation.  God’s judgments in the Book of Revelation are in groups of seven, symbolizing their fullness and completion.  The number six, on the other hand, represents humanity.  The man, created on the sixth day, was to bear the image of God’s character, the reflected glory of God. But he sinned, and in his fallen, distorted humanity, he continually comes short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).  Satan would have mankind assert its independence from God.  Satan, the beast from the sea, and the beast from the earth (the false prophet) represent an unholy trinity dedicated to usurping authority from God, yet continually falling short.  The number of the beast, appropriately, is 666 – the three-fold assertion of fallen humanity.  The number three stands for perfection, as in the Triune God who is “Holy, Holy, Holy” (Isaiah 6:3). The number of the beast declares mankind in their alienation from God to be “perfect” in unholiness, spiritual lepers who ought to be crying out: “Unclean! Unclean! Unclean!”

A key point in this interpretation is the fact that New Testament Greek did not have the indefinite article “a,” as in “a man.”  The indefinite article is supplied in English translations where it is clearly needed, as in the phrase, “There was a man sent from God whose name was John” (John 1:6).  In Revelation 13:18, however, it is not clear that the indefinite article “a” is needed.  If we translate the Greek text literally, we read, “for it is number of man.”  Beale renders it, “a number of humanity.”[5]  The same grammatical construction is found in Revelation 21:17, where John describes the dimensions of the wall of the heavenly Jerusalem, saying the measurements were “human measurements” (NASB), or literally, “measurement of man.”

What does the number 666 represent, then?  Beale explains it well:

It is a number common to fallen humanity … This generic notion is consistent with 13:1, which affirms that the beast has its earthly origin in the sea of fallen humanity (See also 17:15).  The beast is the supreme representative of fallen humanity, separated from God and unable to achieve divine likeness, but always trying.[6]

 Can there be any doubt that the dominant “religion” in most of the world today is what we call “secular humanism,” the assertion that mankind is the supreme sovereign over both his own life and the destiny of this world?  Those who buy into that “religion,” and refuse to repent, do in fact bear the mark of the beast and the number of this name.  How much better to bear the seal of God, the name of God and the Lamb, our Lord Jesus Christ!

Copyright 2015 by Thomas L. Jones

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[1] Based  on the masculine pronoun in the Greek for “who,” the NASB seems justified in using the masculine personal pronoun for both the first beast and the second beast.  The ESV refers to the beast with the pronoun “it,” implying that the beast may be an impersonal entity rather than an actual human dictator.

[2] Riddlebarger, Kim.  The Man of Sin: Uncovering the Truth About The Antichrist.  Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 2006, p. 111.  As Riddlebarger notes: “None of the church fathers, apparently, were aware of any connection between 666 and Nero.”

[3] Ibid., p. 111.  Note: Riddlebarger rejects this connection as ridiculous, as do I!

[4] Ibid., p. 111.

[5] Beale, G. K.  The Book of Revelation. Grand Rapids, Michigan/Cambridge, U.K.: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1999, p. 724.

[6] Ibid.  p. 724.