George Washington said in his Thanksgiving address 1789
Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor... He got that idea from Isaiah 52:10 The Lord will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God. Our founding fathers believed that they were the seed of Abraham and heirs to ALL the promises. That included blessings in the land and Christ reigning over the nations, not in some distant future like modern End time theory puts the reign of Christ, but Christ reigning now! Many of you are ready to see this world turn around evil brought to Justice. Join us tonight as we show you how to effectuate that change, pull down principalities and powers from any place of governmental authority, and replace them with sons and daughters of the most high God
Ephesians 3 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles—
2 Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. 4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. 6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
7 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. 8 Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, 9 and to make plain to everyone the fellowship of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. 10 His intent was that now, by the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. 13 I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.
To the rulers who do not worship or honor God you cannot have power or lead nations
The Promise - Genesis 22
& the Blessing Genesis 12
Ephesians 1-the Mystery is also- Christ came to unite all things in him, everything in Heaven and Earth
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known[c] to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee[d] of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it,[e] to the praise of his glory.
Galatians 3 - The PROMISE OF ABRAHAM ON THE WHOLE WORLD - Through the SEED, Jesus!
5 So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? 6 So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”[c]
7 Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. 8 Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”[d] 9 So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
15 Brothers and sisters, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. 16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,”[i] meaning one person, who is Christ. 17 What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. 18 For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.
2 Corinthians 6- Now is the Day of Salvation- fulfilled Isaiah 49
6 We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For He says:
“In an acceptable time I have heard you,
And in the day of salvation I have helped you.”
Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
Isaiah 49:8 Thus says the Lord:
“In an acceptable[g] time I have heard You,
And in the day of salvation I have helped You;
I will [h]preserve You and give You
As a covenant to the people,
To restore the earth,
Always read the surrounding scriptures when the New Testament refers back to a fulfilled scripture on the Old Testament
The Servant, the Light to the Gentiles
49 “Listen, O coastlands, to Me,
And take heed, you peoples from afar!
The Lord has called Me from the womb;
From the [a]matrix of My mother He has made mention of My name.
2 And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword;
In the shadow of His hand He has hidden Me,
And made Me a polished shaft;
In His quiver He has hidden Me.”
3 “And He said to me,
‘You are My servant, O Israel,
In whom I will be glorified.’
4 Then I said, ‘I have labored in vain,
I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain;
Yet surely my [b]just reward is with the Lord,
And my [c]work with my God.’ ”
5 “And now the Lord says,
Who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant,
To bring Jacob back to Him,
So that Israel is [d]gathered to Him
(For I shall be glorious in the eyes of the Lord,
And My God shall be My strength),
6 Indeed He says,
‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant
To raise up the tribes of Jacob,
And to restore the preserved ones of Israel;
I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles,
That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ”
7 Thus says the Lord,
The Redeemer of Israel, [e]their Holy One,
To Him [f]whom man despises,
To Him whom the nation abhors,
To the Servant of rulers:
“Kings shall see and arise,
Princes also shall worship,
Because of the Lord who is faithful,
The Holy One of Israel;
And He has chosen You.”
8 Thus says the Lord:
“In an acceptable[g] time I have heard You,
And in the day of salvation I have helped You;
I will [h]preserve You and give You
As a covenant to the people,
To restore the earth,
To cause them to inherit the desolate [i]heritages;
9 That You may say to the prisoners, ‘Go forth,’
To those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’
“They shall feed along the roads,
And their pastures shall be on all desolate heights.
10 They shall neither hunger nor thirst,
Neither heat nor sun shall strike them;
For He who has mercy on them will lead them,
Even by the springs of water He will guide them.
11 I will make each of My mountains a road,
And My highways shall be elevated.
12 Surely these shall come from afar;
Look! Those from the north and the west,
And these from the land of Sinim.”
13 Sing, O heavens!
Be joyful, O earth!
And break out in singing, O mountains!
For the Lord has comforted His people,
And will have mercy on His afflicted.
God Will Remember Zion
14 But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me,
And my Lord has forgotten me.”
15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child,
[j]And not have compassion on the son of her womb?
Surely they may forget,
Yet I will not forget you.
16 See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;
Your walls are continually before Me.
17 Your [k]sons shall make haste;
Your destroyers and those who laid you waste
Shall go away from you.
18 Lift up your eyes, look around and see;
All these gather together and come to you.
As I live,” says the Lord,
“You shall surely clothe yourselves with them all as an ornament,
And bind them on you as a bride does.
19 “For your waste and desolate places,
And the land of your destruction,
Will even now be too small for the inhabitants;
And those who swallowed you up will be far away.
20 The children you will have,
After you have lost the others,
Will say again in your ears,
‘The place is too small for me;
Give me a place where I may dwell.’
21 Then you will say in your heart,
‘Who has begotten these for me,
Since I have lost my children and am desolate,
A captive, and wandering to and fro?
And who has brought these up?
There I was, left alone;
But these, where were they?’ ”
22 Thus says the Lord God:
“Behold, I will lift My hand in an oath to the nations,
And set up My [l]standard for the peoples;
They shall bring your sons in their [m]arms,
And your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders;
23 Kings shall be your foster fathers,
And their queens your nursing mothers;
They shall bow down to you with their faces to the earth,
And lick up the dust of your feet.
Then you will know that I am the Lord,
For they shall not be ashamed who wait for Me.”
24 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty,
Or the captives [n]of the righteous be delivered?
25 But thus says the Lord:
“Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away,
And the prey of the terrible be delivered;
For I will contend with him who contends with you,
And I will save your children.
26 I will feed those who oppress you with their own flesh,
And they shall be drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine.
All flesh shall know
That I, the Lord, am your Savior,
And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”
2 Corinthians 6:15-18 4 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what [d]fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what [e]communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you[f] are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
“I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.”
17 Therefore
“Come out from among them
And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean,
And I will receive you.”
18 “I will be a Father to you,
And you shall be My sons and daughters,
Says the Lord Almighty.”
(we will come back to vs 17-18)
Jeremiah 31:1 “At the same time,” says the Lord, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people.”
I want to back up just a bit here because of the words "at the same time."
At the same time of what? Jeremiah 30 - This is a chapter that modern end times teachers say is NOT fulfilled and is for Jews only
This is an absolutely fantastic Bible commentary on Jeremiah 30-32. As you read you will see how when you wrongly view what Jesus meant when he gave his Olivet Discourse predicting the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple, you lose out on all of these passages by putting these PROMISES IN THE FUTURE not for the whole body of Christ but for the Jews only or after another Great tribulation and a 1,000 year reign, which is not mentioned in the Old Testament
Think no more of Jeremiah as exclusively the weeping prophet; for the flashes of his delight make the night of his sorrow brilliant with an aurora of heavenly brilliance.” (Spurgeon)
A. Writing the prophecy down.
1. (1-3) Write the words in a book.
The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, “Thus speaks the LORD God of Israel, saying: ‘Write in a book for yourself all the words that I have spoken to you. For behold, the days are coming,’ says the LORD, ‘that I will bring back from captivity My people Israel and Judah,’ says the LORD. ‘And I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.’”
a. The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: Jeremiah 32:1-2 gives the time of this prophecy and book (covering four chapters, Jeremiah 30 through Jeremiah 33), right before the final fall of Jerusalem. Its general tone of hopefulness and optimism sets it apart from much of the previous in Jeremiah.
i. Jeremiah 32:1-2 gives the time of this prophecy and book – right before the final fall of Jerusalem. “The historical context is clearly indicated in Jeremiah 32:1 f. (cf. Jeremiah 33:1). Jerusalem was in the final stages of an eighteen-month siege which ended with its destruction by the Babylonians… The situation, humanly speaking, could not have been darker, but at this very point God commands Jeremiah to speak out concerning the future.” (Cundall)
b. Write in a book: Jeremiah was commanded to write the following prophecy. Previous words from God were obviously written, but there was special emphasis on the recording of this word. This is likely because its ultimate fulfillment was a long time distant to the days of Jeremiah.
i. “These are the contents of this precious book; every leaf, nay, line, nay, letter whereof, droppeth myrrh and mercy.” (Trapp)
c. I will bring back from captivity My people Israel and Judah: This is a promise stated many times before and after in Jeremiah. Yet as this prophecy develops, it seems clear that this return from captivity is later and greater than the relatively soon return from the Babylonian exile.
i. This is especially indicated by the last words of this chapter, which tell us that in the latter days you will consider it (Jeremiah 30:24). Jeremiah here looked beyond his present day and near future to see the latter days.
2. (4-7) The time of Jacob’s trouble.
Now these are the words that the LORD spoke concerning Israel and Judah.
“For thus says the LORD:
‘We have heard a voice of trembling,
Of fear, and not of peace.
Ask now, and see,
Whether a man is ever in labor with child?
So why do I see every man with his hands on his loins
Like a woman in labor,
And all faces turned pale?
Alas! For that day is great,
So that none is like it;
And it is the time of Jacob’s trouble,
But he shall be saved out of it.
a. That the LORD spoke concerning Israel and Judah: The mention of both kingdoms is another hint that this written prophecy speaks of something later and greater than the return from Babylonian exile. It is true that the Kingdom of Judah did contain people from all the tribes (2 Chronicles 11:13-16), so these words don’t demand a greater fulfillment, but they do suggest it.
b. We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace: Jeremiah poetically described the terror of the Jewish people (Israel and Judah) under a great, incomparable calamity.
i. “The picture of men clutching their thighs in anguish gives rise to the question Can a man bear a child? They behave like women in labor and their faces have turned pale.” (Thompson)
c. That day is great, so that none is like it: Jeremiah often used similar words to describe the coming judgment upon Judah and Jerusalem in his own day. Yet this describes something beyond that; another time of great terror to come upon the Jewish people and a time worse than ever before (none is like it).
i. That day is great. The idea of the great day is often connected to the calamity that comes upon the earth in the very last days.
·The great day of the LORD is near; it is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the LORD is bitter; there the mighty men shall cry out (Zephaniah 1:14).
·For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand (Revelation 6:17).
·Gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty (Revelation 16:14).
ii. “The phrase hayyom hahu, ‘that day’, is frequently used in the prophetic Scriptures to introduce information concerning the Day of the Lord, a significant eschatological theme.” (Feinberg)
iii. None is like it: Jesus also said there was coming a day of incomparable tribulation: Then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be (Matthew 24:21).
d. It is the time of Jacob’s trouble: As described in Jeremiah 30, this time of Jacob’s trouble seems beyond the catastrophe of the Babylonian invasions and exile. This is a coming time of catastrophe appointed for the Jewish people, also described vividly by Jesus in the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24:15-22), and there connected to what Jesus called the abomination of desolation.
i. In connecting Jeremiah 30 with Matthew 24, we note that what we often call the great tribulation is particularly the time of Jacob’s trouble; it is when a great and terrible world leader and the government he represents will try to destroy the Jewish people. Working through these, Satan himself will hope to devour the Jewish people (Revelation 12:1-6).
ii. This does not minimize the persecution that will also be brought against the followers of Jesus, both Jewish and Gentile during that time. Yet in God’s plan of the ages, this is noted as the time of Jacob’s trouble, because God will work in and through this catastrophe to bring salvation to the Jews.
e. But he shall be saved out of it: Through this time of incomparable tribulation to come against the Jewish people, God will rescue them and bring them His salvation. He will protect them (as in Revelation 12:6) and bring them to faith in their Messiah, Jesus Christ (Jeremiah 23:6, Romans 11:26).
i. “Jeremiah is stating that before the just-mentioned promise of restoration can be fulfilled, the nation must be severely disciplined, but not to the extent of final calamity.” (Feinberg)
ii. But he shall be saved out of it: “Not from it, but yet out of it; the Lord knoweth how to deliver his.” (Trapp) The Jewish people (those not yet trusting in their Messiah) will endure this time of Jacob’s trouble and be saved out of it. In contrast, Jesus told us to pray to escape these things (Luke 21:36), and Jesus promised His people that they would be kept from the very hour of calamity that comes upon the earth (Revelation 3:10).
3. (8-9) No more slaves.
‘For it shall come to pass in that day,’
Says the LORD of hosts,
‘That I will break his yoke from your neck,
And will burst your bonds;
Foreigners shall no more enslave them.
But they shall serve the LORD their God,
And David their king,
Whom I will raise up for them.
a. I will break his yoke from your neck: A false prophet previously used the symbol of the broken yoke to bring false hope (Jeremiah 28:2-4). Here God states the true promise that one day – in the season of the time of Jacob’s trouble – there would never again be a yoke upon the Jewish people.
b. Foreigners shall no more enslave them: This points to something greater than the return from Babylonian captivity, because many times since then have the Jewish people been enslaved to forced labor.
c. They shall serve the LORD their God: Instead of being slaves to foreigners, the Jewish people will be faithful servants of Yahweh (and ultimately, His Messiah Jesus Christ).
d. And David their king: In that day, God will also raise up for them David to reign as king. Most commentators take this as a reference to the Messiah, the Son of David, and not David the Son of Jesse. Yet there are good reasons to believe that this and similar passages speak of David the Son of Jesse.
i. This promise seems impossible, yet is repeated several times in the prophets of the Old Testament (Isaiah 55:3-4, Ezekiel 34:23-24, 37:24-25, Hosea 3:5). This speaks of the reign of the resurrected David, the Son of Jesse, over Israel in the Millennial earth.
ii. We have indications that as God’s people rule with Jesus over the millennial earth, people will be entrusted with geographical regions according to their faithfulness (Luke 19:12-19). It seems that David’s glorious portion will be to rule over Israel.
4. (10-11) A promise to gather and a promise to correct.
‘Therefore do not fear, O My servant Jacob,’ says the LORD,
‘Nor be dismayed, O Israel;
For behold, I will save you from afar,
And your seed from the land of their captivity.
Jacob shall return, have rest and be quiet,
And no one shall make him afraid.
For I am with you,’ says the LORD, ‘to save you;
Though I make a full end of all nations where I have scattered you,
Yet I will not make a complete end of you.
But I will correct you in justice,
And will not let you go altogether unpunished.’
a. Therefore do not fear, O My servant Jacob: God foretold a time of terrible catastrophe to come upon the Jewish people, the time of Jacob’s trouble. Yet God did not want them to fear, but to be confident in His ultimate victory and His promise of salvation: behold, I will save you from afar.
b. Jacob shall return, have rest and be quiet: In a lesser sense, this was fulfilled in the return from exile under Ezra and Nehemiah, but only in a lesser sense. It could not be said of the return from Babylonian captivity, no one shall make him afraid, but it shall be said of Israel in the Millennium.
c. I make a full end of all nations where I have scattered you: This is another aspect that was fulfilled in a lesser sense in the return from Babylonian exile, but awaits the latter days (Jeremiah 30:24) for its full fulfillment.
d. Yet I will not make a complete end of you: God’s promise to Israel was that they would not become extinct as a people, either by death or assimilation. They would endure terrible affliction yet survive.
i. The believer today can draw comfort from this principle of God’s character and nature. “Take to heart these tender words: God will not make a full end of you. It may seem as though nothing will be left: the furnace is so hot; the stock is cut down so near to the ground. But God knows just how much you can bear, and will stay his hand. ‘I will not make a full end of thee.’” (Meyer)
e. I will correct you in justice: God reminded Israel that though they would indeed see the nations that afflicted them judged, God would also correct them. As they had sinned, God would not allow them to go altogether unpunished.
B. Restoration after incurable affliction.
1. (12-15) Their incurable affliction.
“For thus says the LORD:
‘Your affliction is incurable,
Your wound is severe.
There is no one to plead your cause,
That you may be bound up;
You have no healing medicines.
All your lovers have forgotten you;
They do not seek you;
For I have wounded you with the wound of an enemy,
With the chastisement of a cruel one,
For the multitude of your iniquities,
Because your sins have increased.
Why do you cry about your affliction?
Your sorrow is incurable.
Because of the multitude of your iniquities,
Because your sins have increased,
I have done these things to you.
a. Your affliction is incurable: God spoke to the Jewish people honestly about their sinful condition, and that among men there was no one to plead your cause. Through history there have been few non-Jews willing to stand with Israel and the Jews in the face of deeply ingrained Jew-hatred.
b. All your lovers have forgotten you: In Jeremiah’s day and beyond, the Jewish people often trusted in and gave themselves to foreign nations hoping they would protect them. They would forget them instead.
i. “The lovers were the surrounding nations on whom Judah had relied for help against Babylon.” (Harrison)
ii. Why do you cry about your affliction: “And not rather for thy sins? Cry not perii, I have died, but peccavi; I have sinned, not, I am undone; but, I have done very foolishly.” (Trapp)
c. Because your sins have increased, I have done these things to you: God reminded them that the catastrophe came upon them from His own hand. They were not accidents or events of bad luck.
2. (16-17) Devouring the devourer.
‘Therefore all those who devour you shall be devoured;
And all your adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity;
Those who plunder you shall become plunder,
And all who prey upon you I will make a prey.
For I will restore health to you
And heal you of your wounds,’ says the LORD,
‘Because they called you an outcast saying:
“This is Zion;
No one seeks her.”’
a. All those who devour you shall be devoured: God spoke comfort to His people, assuring their sense of justice that those who had afflicted and devoured them would themselves go into captivity and become plunder.
i. “Because his people have undergone judgment and have acknowledged their guilt, God pronounces retaliation in kind on their enemies.” (Feinberg)
b. I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds: God promised to bring ruin to Israel’s enemies, but restoration to Israel. They would both be afflicted, but only one would be restored. God promised to restore them because the opposing nations treated Israel as an outcast.
3. (18-20) The restoration of Jerusalem and the people of God.
“Thus says the LORD:
‘Behold, I will bring back the captivity of Jacob’s tents,
And have mercy on his dwelling places;
The city shall be built upon its own mound,
And the palace shall remain according to its own plan.
Then out of them shall proceed thanksgiving
And the voice of those who make merry;
I will multiply them, and they shall not diminish;
I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small.
Their children also shall be as before,
And their congregation shall be established before Me;
And I will punish all who oppress them.
a. I will bring back the captivity of Jacob’s tents: For emphasis, God repeated the promise of restoration. Their present captivity in Babylon would not last forever, nor would future captivities.
i. “By the term tents we should understand ‘clans,’ that is, people who dwell in tents.” (Thompson)
b. The city shall be built upon its own mound: Jerusalem would never remain a dead or unoccupied city. God would build and restore it again. God promised to bless the people in the city, making them merry and multiplied.
i. I will also glorify them: “I will put honour upon them every where, so that they shall be no longer contemptible. This will be a very great change, for they are now despised all over the earth.” (Clarke)
4. (21-22) The One who draws near.
Their nobles shall be from among them,
And their governor shall come from their midst;
Then I will cause him to draw near,
And he shall approach Me;
For who is this who pledged his heart to approach Me?’ says the LORD.
‘You shall be My people,
And I will be your God.’”
a. Their governor shall come from their midst: In the context of the ultimate restoration of the Jewish people, Jeremiah prophetically described their governor, the One who ultimately rules over them. He comes from their midst; He is one of them.
i. Jeremiah 30:21 in the ESV is perhaps helpful:
Their prince shall be one of themselves;
Their ruler shall come out from their midst;
I will make him draw near, and he shall approach me,
For who would dare of himself to approach me?
b. Then I will cause him to draw near: The phrasing here indicates that the unique ruler would draw near to Yahweh in a special way, as a priest and representative of the people. This refers to the Messiah, who is not only a King but also a Priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
i. “He will have the privilege of approach to God. Usage in the OT shows that this means priestly position and ministry (cf. Psalm 110:4; Zechariah 6:13).” (Feinberg)
c. For who is this who pledged his heart to approach Me: Yahweh did not ask this question because He did not know; He asked the question to draw attention to this One, perfect in obedience and in heart and who could approach God the Father as priest on behalf of His people.
i. Who is this: “Who but my Son Christ durst do it, or was fit to do it? He is a super-excellent person, as is imported by this Mi-hu-ze, Who this he?” (Trapp)
ii. Who pledged his heart: “Our Lord with all his heart desired to do this: he ‘engaged his heart’ to perform it. Before all worlds his master purpose was to approach unto God as man’s representative…His heart was occupied with love to God and love to man, and he could not rest till he had restored the broken concord between these divided ones.” (Spurgeon)
d. You shall be My people, and I will be your God: This is the result of the approach of the King-Priest. God’s people are brought into close and deep relationship with God.
5. (23-24) The whirlwind of the latter days.
Behold, the whirlwind of the LORD
Goes forth with fury,
A continuing whirlwind;
It will fall violently on the head of the wicked.
The fierce anger of the LORD will not return until He has done it,
And until He has performed the intents of His heart.
In the latter days you will consider it.
a. The whirlwind of the LORD: The whirlwind here is a figure of God’s judgment, coming like a tornado that brings destruction and cannot be contained or controlled.
i. “Before there can be blessing, judgment must be meted out to the guilty.” (Feinberg)
b. The fierce anger of the LORD will not return until He has done it, and until He has performed the intents of His heart: The judgment of God is certain. In His mercy He may long delay it, but it will certainly come. The judgment of God also comes from His heart. One expression of God’s love for the good is His displeasure for what is evil.
c. In the latter days you will consider it: God reminds us that much in this chapter waits until the latter days for its ultimate and true fulfillment.
i. “In the days of the Messiah, but especially at the end of the world, when all these things shall have their full accomplishment.” (Trapp)
Back to 2 Cor 6:17-18
17 Therefore
“Come out from among them
And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean,
And I will receive you.”
18 “I will be a Father to you,
And you shall be My sons and daughters,
Says the Lord Almighty.”
Isaiah 52:11 Depart! Depart! Go out from there,
Touch no unclean thing;Go out from the midst of her,
Be clean,For you shall not go out with haste,
North Carolina Constitution, 1835: “No person who shall deny…the truth of the Christian religion…shall be capable of holding any office”; Maryland Constitution, 1851: “No other test…ought to be required…than a declaration of belief in the Christian religion…”)
In fact, it was the States’ jealous desire to keep religion under their jurisdictions that motivated the States to insist that a First Amendment be added to the U.S. Constitution to prohibit the Federal Government from inter-meddling with restraints on religion.
No comments:
Post a Comment