The Gospel, chapter 2
Sunday, September 30th, 2018To: “In Resident Churches of God, all Saints” grace and peace from our God. 9/29/18, Tishrel 21, 5779,
Today is called “Sukkot vii” on the Judean calendar, it’s the seventh day of the Feast of Tabernacles. Today and the previous six foreshadowed the kingdom of God on earth. Through Moses, Jesus had the Israelites live in temporary booths demonstrating that their fleshly bodies were temporary. Foreshadowing peace, righteous judgment and another deliverance of Israel to the boundaries promised Abraham. It’s THE Good News!
The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is Creator, Re-Creator and Sustainer, “He is the only truth.” He’s the One God, One Way and One Life. Because of Israel’s covenant breaking, “ten tribes were dispersed first” then at God’s designated time, the tribe of Judah was dispersed among the nations. They and the ten tribes are still scattered and were when Jesus sent His apostles out, demonstrating Himself “Son of God and gave them powers to perform miracles.”
(Matt 10:5-8; “Jesus sent out these twelve, instructing them as follows: “Do not go to Gentile regions and do not enter any Samaritan town. Go instead to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near!’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.”)
The kingdom of heaven was near because the Creator and King Himself was near. The gospel’s thrust has always been about Jesus’ return as king of kings. (James, “Jesus’ brother” wrote his revealed letter to these still scattered tribes. Its about knowing by faith who Jesus is and His message.
(James 1:1-7; “From James, a slave of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the TWELVE tribes dispersed abroad. Greetings!’ (My brothers and sisters, consider it nothing but joy when you fall into all sorts of trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you will be perfect and complete, not deficient in anything. But if anyone is deficient in wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without reprimand, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed around by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord.”)
A major part of Jesus’ good news is; “Israel will yet be delivered to the borders Jesus promised Abraham.” This good news is revealed through Jeremiah for Israel and we followers of Jesus.
(Jeremiah 30:1-7; “The Lord spoke to Jeremiah. “The Lord God of Israel says, ‘Write everything that I am about to tell you in a scroll. For I, the Lord, affirm that the time will come when I will reverse the plight of My people, Israel and Judah,’ says the Lord. ‘I will bring them back to the land I gave their ancestors and they will take possession of it once again.’” Israel and Judah Will Be Delivered after a Time of Deep Distress. So here is what the Lord has to say about Israel and Judah. (5) Yes, here is what He says: (“You hear cries of panic and of terror; there is no peace in sight. Ask yourselves this and consider it carefully: Have you ever seen a man give birth to a baby? Why then do I see all these strong men grabbing their stomachs in pain like a woman giving birth? And why do their faces turn so deathly pale? Alas, what a terrible time of trouble it is! There has never been any like it. It is a time of trouble for the descendants of Jacob, but some of them will be rescued out of it.” (Compare with Matthew 24:)
(Jer 30:8-12; When the time for them to be rescued comes,” says the Lord who rules over all, “I will rescue you from foreign subjugation. I will deliver you from captivity. Foreigners will then no longer subjugate them. But they will be subject to the Lord their God and to the Davidic ruler whom I will raise up as king over them.
So I, the Lord, tell you not to be afraid, you descendants of Jacob, My servants. Do not be terrified, people of Israel. For I will rescue you and your descendants from a faraway land where you are captives. The descendants of Jacob will return to their land and enjoy peace. They will be secure and no one will terrify them. For I, the Lord, affirm that I will be with you and will rescue you. I will completely destroy all the nations where I scattered you. But I will not completely destroy you. I will indeed discipline you, but only in due measure. I will not allow you to go entirely unpunished.”
Jer 30:12-15 Moreover, the Lord says to the people of Zion, “Your injuries ‘deceptions’ are incurable; your wounds are severe. There is no one to plead your cause. There are no remedies for your wounds. There is no healing for you. All your allies have abandoned you. They no longer have any concern for you. For I have attacked you like an enemy would. I have chastened you cruelly. For your wickedness is so great and your sin is so much. Why do you complain about your injuries, that your pain is incurable? I have done all this to you because your wickedness is so great and your sin is so much.
(Jer 30:16-17; But all who destroyed you will be destroyed. All your enemies will go into exile. Those who plundered you will be plundered. I will cause those who pillaged you to be pillaged. Yes, I will restore you to health. I will heal your wounds. I, the Lord, affirm it! “For you have been called an outcast, Zion, whom no one cares for.”
(Jer 30:18-20; The Lord says, “I will restore the ruined houses of the descendants of Jacob. I will show compassion on their ruined homes. Every city will be rebuilt on its former ruins. Every fortified dwelling will occupy its traditional site. Out of those places you will hear songs of thanksgiving and the sounds of laughter and merriment. I will increase their number and they will not dwindle away. I will bring them honor and they will no longer be despised. The descendants of Jacob will enjoy their former privileges. Their community will be reestablished in My favor and I will punish all who try to oppress them.”
(Jer 30:21-24; One of their own people will be their leader. Their ruler will come from their own number. I will invite Him to approach Me, and He will do so. For no one would dare approach Me on his own. I, the Lord, affirm it! Then you will again be My people and I will be your God. Just watch! The wrath of the Lord will come like a storm. Like a raging storm it will rage down on the heads of those who are wicked. The anger of the Lord will not turn back until He has fully carried out His intended purposes. In days to come you will come to understand this.”)
Jacob’s descendents are still scattered in a bondage likened to Israel’s enslavement to Egypt. The bondage is Satan’s doings, promoting “sin” lawlessness in God‘s sight, Satan is the god of the whole world, deceiving in various and many ways. The Psalmist shared revelations like Jeremiah’s.
(Psalms 96: “Sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord! Praise His name! Announce every day how He delivers! Tell the nations about His splendor! Tell all the nations about His amazing deeds! (4) For the Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise; He is more awesome than all gods. For all the gods of the nations are worthless,
but the Lord made the sky. Majestic splendor emanates from Him; His sanctuary is firmly established and beautiful. (7) Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the nations, ascribe to the Lord splendor and strength! Ascribe to the Lord the splendor He deserves! Bring an offering and enter His courts!
(9) Worship the Lord in holy attire! Tremble before Him, all the earth! Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns! The world is established, it cannot be moved. He judges the nations fairly.” Let the sky rejoice, and the earth be happy! Let the sea and everything in it shout! Let the fields and everything in them celebrate! Then let the trees of the forest shout with joy before the Lord, for He comes! For He comes to judge the earth! He judges the world fairly, and the nations in accordance with His justice.”)
Final Judgment
Tomorrow is the seventh of seven annual Sabbaths and looks forward to righteous judgment. (Lev 23:23:39 “‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you gather in the produce of the land, you must celebrate a pilgrim festival of the Lord for seven days. On the first day is a complete rest and on the eighth day is complete rest.”)
Jesus Kept the Sabbaths He Himself set aside for the good of the people. Sabbath keeping keeps God’s people attuned to His plan of salvation, peace, His millennial reign, judgment and New Jerusalem’s coming with God the Father. It was on the eighth day of the feast that Jesus stood and proclaimed.
(John 7:37-39; On the last day of the feast, the greatest day, Jesus stood up and shouted out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me, and let the one who believes in me drink. Just as the scripture says, ‘From within him will flow rivers of living water.’” (Now he said this about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were going to receive, for the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.) It’s a summation of Jesus’ good news, proclaimed from the foundation of the world.
More Judgment and resurrections before New Jerusalem’s coming
(Rev 20:1-6; Then I saw an angel descending from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the abyss and a huge chain. He seized the dragon – the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan – and tied him up for a thousand years. The angel then threw him into the abyss and locked and sealed it so that he could not deceive the nations until the one thousand years were finished. (After these things he must be released for a brief period of time.) (4) Then I saw thrones and seated on them were those who had been given authority to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. These had not worshiped the beast or his image and had refused to receive his mark on their forehead or hand. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were finished.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who takes part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with Him for a thousand years.”) A second death is alluded to four times in Revelations.
(Rev 21::5-8; And the One seated on the throne said: “Look! I am making all things new!” Then He said to me, “Write it down, because these words are reliable and true.” He also said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the one who is thirsty I will give water free of charge from the spring of the water of life. The one who conquers will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My Son. (8) But to the cowards, unbelievers, detestable persons, murderers, the sexually immoral, and those who practice magic spells, idol worshipers, and all those who lie, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. That is the second death.”)
Jesus’ good news isn’t about bad people going to an ever burning place and good folks going to heaven. The good news is about Believers IN Jesus being resurrected to serve Him and live forever in the family of God. About demonically led people’s destruction.