living word october 2014
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Free online Bible study Magazine for those wishing to go deeper into God's WordTRANSCRIPT
But of the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need that I write to you. (1 Thess. 5:1)
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May God give you the dew of the sky and the richness of the earth, and plenty of grain and new wine. (Gen 27:28)
In this month’s issue:
4. For the Asking Edwin & Lillian Harvey (USA)
5. Sealed Until that Day Kenn Legg (Australia)
6. Revelation 20: Events at the End of the World Mathew Bartlett (UK)
9. The Living Church (Sermon Outline) Mathew Bartlett (UK)
11. Hearing His Voice Begins With “Turning Aside” Daniel Kolenda (CfaN)
13. Faith-builders Bible Study Mark 13 Derek Williams (UK)
17. In Depth Study – Zechariah 3 Mathew Bartlett (UK)
19. Gaius the Prosperous Soul Haydn O. Williams (UK)
Back: Britain’s’ Cheapest Gospel Tracts Bible Studies Online
www.biblestudiesonline.org.uk
Living Word is published in the UK by Sharon Full Gospel Church, 7 Park View, Freeholdland Road, Pontnewynydd, Pontypool, NP4 8LP Editor: Mathew Bartlett
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Faithbuilders Bible Study Guide – Mark
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The Prophet of Messiah: Zechariah
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The Blessings of God’s Grace
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Jubilant Jeremy Johnson (CHILDRENS)
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Non-profit books for your Christian ministry.
The Donkey Boy – Tales from the Life of Jesus (CHILDRENS)
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The Pentecostal Bible Commentary Series:
1 Corinthians
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The Prophecy of Amos
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The Revelation of Jesus Christ
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An extract from ”Kneeling We Triumph” by Edwin & Lillian Harvey BUY ON KINDLE! £3.86 Reproduced by kind
permission of Harvey Publishers. Image© Winterberg
“Power belongs to God,” but all
that belongs to God we can have
for the asking. God holds out His
full hands and says: “Ask, and it
shall be given you. . . . If ye then,
being evil, know how to give
good gifts to your children, how
much more shall your Father
which is in heaven give good
things to them that ask him?”
(Matt. 7:7, 11).
The poverty and powerlessness
of the average Christian finds its
explanation in the words of the
apostle James: “Ye have not,
because ye ask not” (Jas. 4:2).
“Why is it,” many a Christian is
asking, “that I make such poor
progress in my Christian life?”
“Neglect of prayer,” God
answers. “You have not,
because you ask not.” “Why is it
there is so little fruit in my
ministry?” asks many a
discouraged minister. “Neglect
of prayer,” God answers again.
“You have not, because you ask
not.” “Why is it,” many, both
ministers and laymen, are
asking, “that there is so little
power in my life and service?”
And again God answers:
“Neglect of prayer. You have
not, because you ask not.” God
has provided for a life of power
and a work of power on the part
of every child of His. He has put
His own infinite power at our
disposal, and has proclaimed
over and over again, in a great
variety of ways in His Word,
“Ask, and ye shall receive.”
How little time the average
Christian spends in prayer! We
are too busy to pray, and so too
busy to have power. We have a
great deal of activity but
accomplish little; many services
but few conversions; much
machinery, but few results. The
power of God is lacking in our
lives and work. We have not,
because we ask not. Many
professed Christians confessedly
do not believe in the power of
prayer. It is the fashion with
some to contemptuously
contrast the pray-ers with the
do-ers—forgetting that in
Church history the real do-ers
have been pray-ers; the men
who have made the glorious
part of the Church’s history have
been without exception men of
prayer.—Torrey.
I have been in that old church in
New England where Jonathan
Edwards preached his great
sermon, “Sinners in the hands of
an angry God.” He had a little
manuscript which he held up so
close to his face that they could
not see his countenance. But as
he went on and on, the people
in the crowded church were
tremendously moved. One man
sprang to his feet, rushed down
the aisles, and cried: “Mr.
Edwards, have mercy!” Other
men caught hold of the backs of
the pews lest they should slip
into perdition. I have seen the
old pillars around which they
threw their arms, when they
thought the Day of Judgment
had dawned upon them. The
power of that sermon is still felt
in the United States today. But
there is a bit of history behind it.
For three days Edwards had not
eaten a mouthful of food; for
three nights he had not closed
his eyes in sleep. Over and over
again, he had been saying to
God: “Give me New England!”
And when he rose from his
knees, and made his way into
the pulpit they say that he
looked as if he had been gazing
straight into the face of God.
They say that before he opened
his lips to speak, conviction fell
upon his audience.— Chapman.
To aim aright at the liberty of
the children of God requires a
continual acting of faith—of a
naked faith in a naked promise
or declaration. By a naked faith
in a naked promise I do not
mean a bare assent that God is
faithful, and that such a promise
in the Book of God may be
fulfilled in me, but rather a bold,
hearty, steady, venturing of my
soul, body, and spirit upon the
truth of the promise with an
appropriating ACT!—John
Fletcher.
For the Asking
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Sealed Until that Day
Grace Roots by Ken Legg
Order your copy online PDF AUS $9 Print AUS $19
Christians are eternally secure, not
only because of the Father and the
Son, but also because of the Spirit.
After we believed in Jesus we were
sealed with the Holy Spirit. Paul
said, “In Him you also trusted, after
you heard the word of truth, the
gospel of your salvation; in whom
also, having believed, you were
sealed with the Holy Spirit of
promise, who is the guarantee of
our inheritance until the redemption
of the purchased possession, to the
praise of His glory” (Eph.1:13-14).
A seal is proof of ownership. As a
young Christian I used to wonder
how, amongst billions of people,
God would know those who have
believed the gospel and are saved.
Would each person be individually
quizzed at the end of their lifetime?
I have since learned that everyone
who puts their trust in Christ is
sealed with the Holy Spirit. And this
seal is ‘tamperproof’.
It secures us until the Lord returns
to claim what is His.
Paul says to the Christians at
Ephesus, “And do not grieve the
Holy Spirit of God, by whom you
were sealed for the day of
redemption” (Eph.4:30). We are
sealed until the Second Coming of
Jesus when the climax of our
salvation will be reached, including
the redemption of our bodies (see
Rom.8:23).
The seal of the Holy Spirit is God’s
deposit which marks us as His. Paul
wrote to the Corinthians, “Now He
who establishes us with you in
Christ and has anointed us is God,
who also has sealed us and given us
the Spirit in our hearts as a deposit”
(2 Cor.1:2122).
We pay a deposit on an article in
order to secure it for ourselves. By
paying a deposit we make the
statement, “This is now mine. I will
return to collect it.”
That’s the promise Jesus made
when He sealed us with the Spirit.
He said, “This person belongs to
me. I have bought them with the
price of my own blood. One day I
will come to collect those who are
mine.”
A seal cannot be removed. Its
permanence guarantees security for
the sealed item. Even though at
times a Christian may grieve the
Holy Spirit, yet He will never depart
from the believer. Jesus promised,
“I will pray the Father, and He will
give you another Helper, that He
may abide with you forever — the
Spirit of truth, whom the world
cannot receive, because it neither
sees Him nor knows Him; but you
know Him, for He dwells with you
and will be in you” (John 14:16-17).
The Holy Spirit Is The Pledge Of
God’s Intentions When Marianne
and I started going out with each
other I was living in the UK and she
lived in Switzerland. We were a
thousand miles apart. We couldn’t
afford to fly to see each other
regularly. And it took ages to send a
letter and receive a reply.
However, when we got engaged I
placed a ring on her finger. That ring
sealed the promise I made to her
that we would be married one day.
It was a pledge of my intentions.
Every time she looked at the ring
she would be reminded of my
promise, “I will come to Switzerland
and we will be married. Then I will
take you to be with me, and we will
be married forever.”
Dear friend, you are eternally
secure because the Father has given
His Word that nothing can separate
you from Him. Also, the Son has
purchased you with His blood and
incorporated you into His own
body. And the Spirit has sealed you
until the day that Jesus comes or
calls you home to be with Him.
Then Jesus will present you faultless
before God.
This is your salvation – signed,
sealed and delivered. It is the full,
ripened fruit of that which grows
from grace roots!
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!
In Revelation 19 we saw the Lord
Jesus Christ returning to earth with
his saints to destroy those who had
gathered to fight against him in the
battle of Armageddon. The battle
over, chapter 20 starts with the
immediate ushering in of the 1,000
year reign of Christ on earth, a
period of time known as the
Millennium. This great age of God’s
glory being manifested on earth
commences with the removal of
that evil influence that misled the
nations to rebel against God, Satan.
An angel is sent with God given
authority to bind the devil, and cast
him into prison - a place called the
abyss or bottomless pit, where he
will be sealed up for the duration of
Christ’s earthly reign. As Derek
Williams points out, no literal bars
and chains are meant here, for ‘The
devil is securely bound with the
chain of God’s authority and
purpose’. Since God has purposed
to shut Satan in his prison, the
power of his will and word are
sufficient to keep him there. The
absence of Satan alone will lead to a
tremendous period of freedom for
the earth. It is a time when, as an
old hymn puts it: ‘Jesus shall reign,
where ere the sun, doth its
successive journeys run.’ However,
as we shall see, God still has a
purpose for which he sets the devil
free for a season once the thousand
years are over.
Christ’s people will reign with him
over all the nations of the earth.
You will recall from our earlier
studies that those who had died in
Christ were caught up together to
meet him in the clouds, an event
known as the rapture, which takes
place before the Lord’s returning
with his saints to earth. These saints
will rejoice with the Lord in the air,
clothed with their resurrection
bodies, fitted for eternity. With
them are those saints who were
alive at the Lord’s coming for his
people. They were caught up too
and clothed with their resurrection
bodies to meet the Lord in the air.
Now in chapter 20 we are told that
those who gave their lives for Christ
during the period of tribulation are
permitted to join them as a
permanent part of the church. This
series of events is called the first
resurrection simply because it has
to do with believers being raised to
eternal life whilst the second
resurrection concerns only
unbelievers, who will be raised to
eternal judgment. The resurrection
of believers is completed prior to
the millennium, whilst the second
resurrection, for unbelievers, takes
place after the 1000 years has
finished.
Those who reign with Christ are
blessed and holy, for they have
previously received Him as their
Lord and Saviour. Blessed be the
God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who has blessed us with
every spiritual blessing in the
heavenly places in Christ (Eph. 1:3)
They are made holy by his sacrifice,
to stand forever perfect before the
throne of God. For by one offering
He has perfected forever those who
are being sanctified. (Heb. 10:14)
Jude tells us that Christ will present
us faultless before the presence of
His glory with exceeding joy (Jude
1:24)
To Christ’s redeemed people, God
will give the position of judges
during the Millennial reign. The
word judgment in v4 refers not to
eternal judgment, but to the
judiciary, or the law courts. Christ’s
people will decide the matters of
life and law in His millennial
kingdom. It seems clear from this
Revelation 20
Events at the End of
the World
Truth for Today
A brief extract from our forthcoming book.
By Mathew Bartlett
Image © Pidiyath100
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chapter that there will be those left
alive of the unsaved nations who
will be permitted to live on the
earth during the reign of Christ. So
whilst the earthly kingdom of Christ
will be wonderful we should
remember that it is not a perfect
paradise, nor will it be a permanent
residence for God on earth.
Yet we should not underestimate
it’s vital purpose. Since Christ’s
sufferings for our sin were real and
literal, so his entering into glory will
be real and literal, and it will begin
with his earthly reign. The scripture
says He will be great, and will be
called the Son of the Highest; and
the Lord God will give Him the
throne of His father David. (Luke
1:32)
This will literally be fulfilled during
the millennial reign of Christ, as he
shall reign over the nations from
Jerusalem itself. It will be a golden
age, for during it, the prophecy of
Habakkuk will be fulfilled, For the
earth will be filled With the
knowledge of the glory of the Lord,
As the waters cover the sea. ( Hab.
2:14)
This glory will be nothing less than
God’s immediate presence with us
on earth in the person of our Lord
Jesus Christ. It will be a time of
peace, when Isaiah says He shall
judge between the nations, And
rebuke many people; They shall
beat their swords into ploughshares,
And their spears into pruning hooks;
Nation shall not lift up sword
against nation, Neither shall they
learn war anymore. (Isa 2:4)
Even the animal kingdom will be
affected by our Lord’s kingly rule,
for the curse shall be lifted. "The
wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,
The leopard shall lie down with the
young goat, The calf and the young
lion and the fatling together; And a
little child shall lead them. The cow
and the bear shall graze; Their
young ones shall lie down together;
And the lion shall eat straw like the
ox. The nursing child shall play by
the cobra's hole, And the weaned
child shall put his hand in the viper's
den. They shall not hurt nor destroy
in all My holy mountain, For the
earth shall be full of the knowledge
of the Lord As the waters cover the
sea.( Isa. 11:6-9)
Daniel foresaw this golden age in a
vision, for he saw all the kingdoms
and rulers of the earth portrayed as
a statue. Then he saw a stone cut
without human hands which struck
the statue and destroyed it and the
stone became a mountain which
filled the whole earth. That stone
was Christ, and his rule will bring
the reign of peace.
However, this will be a divinely
enforced peace. Christ will rule the
nations with a rod of iron, putting
down all rebellion to bring about
obedience by compunction. We
might have thought that men would
want a king like this to reign over
them forever, sadly such will not be
the case. For whilst Christ’s
millennial reign will demonstrate
His power and ability to rule, and
what the world can be like when he
does rule, not even that will be
enough to persuade unregenerate
hearts to willingly submit to him.
Hence even though, as Derek
Williams puts it, ‘For a thousand
years the earth will be free from all
strife and enjoy the blessings of
God’, yet to quote Frederick
Tatford, ‘amid all the tokens of
God’s goodness, amid prosperity
and fruitfulness, human nature will
remain unchanged’.
This is the reason why, at the end of
1,000 years, God permits Satan to
be released from his prison. The
devil wastes no time in raising an
army of millions (Gog and Magog,
the number as the sand of the sea)
from among the still unchanged,
rebellious nations. They all, without
exception, gather to destroy the
camp of the saints in Jerusalem. Yet
the saints have no need to defend
themselves, as God’s fire descends
from heaven and consumes their
enemies. This event will be the final
episode of the end of the world and
even of the universe. The devil is
taken by force and thrown into the
lake of fire, an irreparable
separation from God where in
God’s plan of things he can do no
more harm.
Immediately after this event, John
sees the Great White Throne of
God, and before the face of him
who sat on it, heaven and earth fled
away and there was found no place
for them. Peter speaks of this event,
when he says, But the day of the
Lord will come as a thief in the
night, in which the heavens will pass
away with a great noise, and the
elements will melt with fervent
heat; both the earth and the works
that are in it will be burned up.
Therefore, since all these things will
be dissolved, what manner of
persons 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 dissolved, being on
fire, and the elements will melt with
fervent heat? (2 Peter 3:10-12)
What do you think will be the time
and place of the final judgment?
Time will have ceased to be. There
will be no specific place, for the
universe has passed away and our
ideas of time and space will hold no
more meaning. We can identify the
place only as being before the
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throne of God. His throne is
described as great and white as a
symbol of his absolute holiness and
unswerving justice; for justice
rather than mercy will decide the
judgment. The picture of God on His
great white thrown brings to my
mind a judge wearing a black cap,
for however merciful the judge may
be, his duty is not to pardon the
guilty but to condemn them.
We have already noted that the
unbelieving dead shall be raised (in
their corruptible bodies (Matt.
10:28) to stand before God.
Whether they were buried or
cremated or buried at sea will make
no difference. There is no way to
hide or escape from this last great
judgment. The great books (or
records) of God were opened. Did
you know that God has a book on
every individual and that each book
contains a record of every one of
your sins - your whole life story, for
nothing is hidden from God’s eyes?
Everything we have ever said,
thought or done is recorded in
those books. The dead were judged
according to what was written in
these books.
As the tragedy unfolds, another
book was opened, the book of life.
Its opening reveals the woeful state
of the lost, for it is opened only to
show that their names are not in it.
They had the chance to accept
Christ as Saviour during their lives,
but had failed to do so. All hope is
now gone, for no further
opportunity will be given. What
remorse they will feel, as an awful
doom awaits them. The day of
grace is over, and they are cast,
quite rightly, where the devil has
already gone, into the lake of fire.
The words ‘second death’ are
clarified, to show that they do not
refer to annihilation. At no time will
the unbelieving ever cease to
exist. They will remain in
conscious torment forever, the
unspeakable torment of a soul
banished from the presence of
God.
But perhaps John ends the
chapter with a more joyful
thought, for text of verse 14 is
very significant for believers.
When death and hell are cast
into the lake of fire, no one will
ever die again and no one will
ever be separated from God
again. God’s strange work of
judgment has been
accomplished and now the
eternal age of blessedness
begins, as the very first words
of Rev 21 indicate ‘I saw a new
heaven and a new earth... God
himself shall be with them and
be their God.’ How wonderful
that will be, greater than the
millennium, for it will never be
spoiled nor interrupted
forever.
The challenge which chapter
20 brings to you, the reader,
must be to ask where you
would stand, if you were
summoned tonight to appear
before God, would your name
be written in the Lamb’s book
of life because you have
received the Lord Jesus Christ
as your Saviour? Or would it be
your fate to spend eternity
forever separated from God?
The truth which must be
applied to your heart today is
this: you have the chance
offered to you by God to
receive Christ today. Do not
put it off, tomorrow may be
too late, for there is no
opportunity after death.
Where will you spend eternity? This question comes to you and me! Tell me, what shall your answer be? Where will you spend eternity? Eternity! Eternity! Where will you spend eternity?
Many are choosing Christ today, Turning from all their sins away; Heav’n shall their happy portion be; Where will you spend eternity? Eternity! Eternity! Where will you spend eternity?
Leaving the straight and narrow way, Going the downward road today, Sad will their final ending be, Lost thro’ a long eternity! Eternity! Eternity! Lost thro’ a long eternity!
Repent, believe, this very hour, Trust in the Saviour’s grace and power, Then will your joyous answer be, Saved thro’ a long eternity! Eternity! Eternity! Saved thro’ a long eternity!
Elisha Hoffman (d. 1929)
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The Communion of the Church
The church is a group of people who
are ‘called out ones’, ‘sanctified
ones’. The Scripture calls us saints,
that is holy ones, called out of the
world to be set apart for God. We
are not a group like a bowling club
or a political party, but a spiritual
fellowship.
You cannot join the church by filling
in a membership card, but by union
with Christ in his death and
resurrection. For those who are
joined with Christ is this way share
hi s life and nature. We are born
again, and have become children of
God. The joint agents of our birth
are the incorruptible seed of the
word of God, and the Holy Spirit of
God. So we are joined with Christ to
share one eternal destiny
(Predestined).
In the words of Ephesians, the
church is one body and shares one
hope, one Lord, one faith, one
baptism, and one God and Father of
all, who is above all and through all
and in all. (see Ephesians 4:4-6
NRSV)
So our membership of the church is
sealed by our union with Christ, and
that union may be outwardly
demonstrated in two main ways.
Our union with Christ is evidenced
in baptism, which is the outward
confession of an inward reality.
When we came to know Christ as
Saviour, our ‘old man’ (what we
were outside of Christ) died, and
was buried with Him. Our going
down into baptismal water signifies
our oneness with Christ in his death
and burial, declaring that in our new
life with Christ, old things have
passed away. Coming up out of the
water is symbolic of the fact that by
faith in Christ we have been raised
with Him to walk in newness of life,
for we are new creations in Christ,
all things have become new.
Therefore we were buried with Him
through baptism into death, that
just as Christ was raised from the
dead by the glory of the Father,
even so we also should walk in
newness of life. (Romans 6:4 NKJV)
Furthermore, our union with Christ
is evidenced in communion, for
here we rehearse the method by
which the church was brought into
existence, and which it continues to
exist, and by which we have all
become part of it. Communion is
our enacted statement that Christ
died for our sins and is risen, and
that by his saving action we are
joined to him in eternal life. Every
time we take communion we
reaffirm our relationship with him, a
relationship we have only because
of what he did for us.
In terms of its communion the
church is describes as the bride of
Christ. This word emphasises the
union of the body to Christ and her
mutual love for her Lord. Christ's
love for the church cannot be
doubted. He loved her and gave
himself for her (Eph 5:25). Christ's
possession of the church cannot be
doubted that she might be his,
redeem her (5:26,27). The
relationship between husband and
wife is so closely bound by God
himself that he describes them as
being one flesh, who can only be
separated by death. Yet those who
are Christ's are one spirit with him,
and that is an indivisible and eternal
unity; indeed, it is indestructible
unity. When Jesus said, ‘inasmuch
as you have done it to one of the
least of these my brethren, you
have done it to me,’ he was
showing that a believer cannot be
separated from his Lord; ‘he who
receives you receives me’ said
Jesus. How grateful we are that
‘nothing can separate us from the
love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.’
We belong to Him, being holy and
set apart as his. In the scripture
every individual believer is referred
to as holy. Or do you not know that
your body (singular) is the temple of
the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom
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you have from God, and you are not
your own? (1 Cor. 6:19) and also the
whole church of God corporately is
described as holy: Do you not know
that you (plural) are the temple of
God and that the Spirit of God
dwells in you? (1 Cor. 3:16)
Whoever maligns, belittles or
insults the church does these things
to Christ, for we are one with him.
He who touches the church touches
Christ, for we are the apple of his
eye.
The church's communion is an
expression of our union with Christ.
But our union with him leads
necessarily to our union with each
other. And this requires
commitment.
The Commitment of the Church
The church's commitment is a
commitment to ministry.
The church of Jesus Christ is
described as a body, with Christ as
the head. Christ possess his church
(indwells it) and expresses himself
through it in the world. All the life
of God resides in the body of Christ,
and yet all the life of God resides in
every individual part of the body of
Christ. Now each part of the body
has a different function, for every
part is different, but all these
functions are worked in us by the
same Holy Spirit. Thus diversity in
the body is never division. There
may be many different kinds of
people in the church of Jesus Christ,
but we are all born of God. There
are many different ministries and
administrations but all are the work
of one and the self-same Spirit, with
God as the master overseer, Christ
the head of his church.
God's blessing flows over all his
body and that which you or I do is
important and valuable in the
kingdom of God. God's purpose is
that through our prayers, teaching
and evangelism and so on we might
become mature in our faith, and
become more like Jesus
to equip the saints for the work of
ministry, for building up the body of
Christ, until all of us come to the
unity of the faith and of the
knowledge of the Son of God, to
maturity, to the measure of the full
stature of Christ. (Ephesians 4:12-13
NRSV)
A building. It is still under
construction, but one day praise
God it will be completed, for being
confident of this very thing, that He
who has begun a good work in you
will complete it until the day of
Jesus Christ; (Philippians 1:6 NKJV)
Hence the church's commitment is
to ministry, but for us to be
effective in ministry there must be a
complete surrender to Christ's
Lordship. Whatever our role in
ministry this challenge is the same:
in order for us to minister
effectively to the body of Christ
there must be complete yieldedness
to the Lord: I beseech you therefore,
brethren, by the mercies of God,
that you present your bodies a living
sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God,
which is your reasonable service.
(Romans 12:1 NKJV)
The Consummation of the
Church
Let me ask you a question. If you
had all resources, and if nothing
was impossible to you, what kind of
building would you make to dwell in
for all eternity? What kind of
comforts would it have? The church
is destined to be the dwelling place
of God throughout all eternity. The
glories of it cannot adequately be
put into words.
Glorious things are spoken of you, O
city of God! Selah (Psalms 87:3
NKJV)
The Bible describes it as the New
Jerusalem, coming down from
heaven, that is with a heavenly
nature. It is described in terms of
precious stones and gold, indicative
of its spiritual glories, for the
glorified church of Christ is
possessed of the glory of God, for
God dwells within her. If you can
tell the glory of God then you can
tell the glory of the church. God is
her glory, dwelling in and with her
forever.
Praise God that the building will
soon be finished. When the temple
was built at Jerusalem, there was to
be no noise of work on the temple
site. Building materials were to be
prepared elsewhere and then
transported to the site. There will
be no further building work in
heaven. The building work goes on
here. When it is finished the church
will be the showcase of God's glory
and grace. To prepare us for that
place God is working in us each day
to change us into the likeness of the
Lord Jesus Christ that His church
might be without spot or wrinkle or
any such thing. Jesus said I go to
prepare a place there for you, so
that we will be changed in the
twinkling of an eye into his likeness
and be forever with the Lord. O
what a change.
Conclusion
The living church has a vital
communion with her Lord and with
each other. We have a commitment
to serve Christ by our ministry to his
body, and we look forward to a
heavenly consummation, which will
be the eternal state of the church
Rev 21:11 "having the glory of God."
11
There is a small shrub called
dictamnus albus that grows in
Israel (as well as many other
places). It is also known as the
“gas plant” or “burning bush,”
because it emits a flammable
vapour and has been said to
spontaneously combust if it
gets hot enough in the desert
sun. Some Bible commentators
believe the dictamnus albus
might be the very species of
bush Moses encountered.
And the angel of the Lord
appeared unto him in a flame of
fire out of the midst of a bush:
and he looked, and, behold,
the bush burned with fire, and
the bush was not consumed.
And Moses said, I will now turn
aside, and see this great
sight, why the bush is not burnt.
And when the Lord saw
that he turned aside to see, God
called unto him out of the
midst of the bush, and said,
Moses, Moses. And he said,
Here am I.—Exodus 3:24
This is where Moses received his
divine call and discovered God’s
will for his life. But there is an
interesting detail recorded here
that many people miss. First of
all, it’s important to note that
Moses was not impressed
because a bush was on fire. He
had lived in the wilderness for
forty years. I’m sure he had
encountered many dictamnus
albus bushes before, and
perhaps he had even seen them
spontaneously combust. But this
one was unique because it kept
burning and burning and
burning, and yet, “The bush was
not consumed.”
I don’t know how long the bush
burned before Moses realized
something extraordinary was
going on. Maybe it burned for a
day or a week or a month before
he decided to investigate the
phenomenon. The Scriptures
don’t tell us. But one thing is
certain. God never shouted out
to Moses from the bush, “Hey,
you—Moses! Come over here. I
have something I want to say to
you!” Instead God waited until
verse 4. It says when the Lord
saw that Moses turned aside to
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see, then and only then did God
call out to him from the midst
of the bush.
I have often been
asked, “Why doesn’t
God speak to me?” I
think many times the
reason is so simple—
we aren’t listening!
We are often so busy and in
such a hurry that we rush right
past the Lord and never stop to
give Him our attention. I
wonder how often we miss an
encounter with God or a word
from heaven simply because we
are too busy to take the time to
“turn aside.” I have met some
Christians who feel very sorry for
themselves because it seems
they are always being forgotten
and passed over. While others
have burning bush experiences
and receive great revelations
from God, they seem to always
be left out. They ask, “Is God
angry with me? Doesn’t He love
me? Aren’t I special to Him?”
My friend, perhaps
God has just been
waiting for you to
slow down and “turn
aside.”
Several years ago I ministered in
a church where a powerful move
of the Holy Spirit caused
tremendous growth because
people were being saved and
discipled. After one of the
powerful services I saw a new
convert talking to a deacon of
the church. I was curious to
know what they could be
discussing, so I moved closer to
listen. I heard the young man
saying, “I’ve only been saved for
a short time, and I struggle with
prayer.” The deacon said,
“Young man, prayer is easy. It’s
just talking to God. Talk to Him
like you would talk to a friend.”
“Yes, I do that,” the young man
said, “but after about five
minutes I’ve said everything I
know to say. Yet I hear other
people saying they pray for
hours. How can someone pray
for so long? What do they talk
about?” The deacon began to
explain. “First,” he said, “you
need to make a list of all your
friends and relatives on a piece
of paper. Then you need to list
everything you need from God.
Then you need to list everything
you can be thankful for . . . ” And
the catalog of things to talk with
God about went on and on.
After the deacon
finished giving his
advice, I pulled the
young man aside and
said, “Do you really
want to know the
secret to prayer?”
“Yes” he said, “please
tell me.” I said, “I can
give it to you in one
word: listen.”
My friend, as sincere as that
deacon was, his advice to the
young convert was terrible. If
that young man had done what
he was told to do, I’m sure his
prayer life would have been
exhausted within a week. Prayer
is not about making lengthy
lists of requests for God and
continually chattering for as
long as possible.
Sometimes the best
thing you can do is to
be quiet and listen!
When I am in the presence of
someone who is full of wisdom
and who has many years of rich
life experience, I make it a point
to keep my mouth shut and
listen to what he has to say,
because I know that what he has
to say is more important than
what I have to say.
Do you think for one second that
what you have to say is more
important than what God has to
say? François Fénelon said, “A
humility that is still talkative
doesn’t run very deep.” Learn to
become quiet in the presence of
the Lord, in a posture of
humility and awe, and tune
your spiritual ears to His voice.
God will speak to you
in this place, and you
will encounter His
presence as Moses
did—when you turn
aside and listen.
13
The ‘Faith-builders Bible study series’ has been developed a useful resource for today’s students of God’s Word and their busy lifestyles.
Pastors, home or study group leaders and indeed for anyone wishing to study the Bible for themselves will benefit from using Faith-builders studies.
Each volume is the result of many years of group Bible study, and has been revised again and again to be relevant, challenging and faith building whilst remaining clear and easy to understand.
Each chapter has thought provoking questions to aid study and sample answers are provided.
Below is an extract from the study notes for Mark chapter 9.
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Do Not Trust in Earthly Things
13:1 Now as Jesus was going out of the temple courts, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Teacher, look at these tremendous stones and buildings!’
As Jesus was leaving the temple one of his disciples was very impressed by its greatness and splendour and drew his attention to it. This was the second temple which by this time had been rebuilt and enlarged by Herod the Great. In Luke 21:5 we are told that it was adorned with shapely and magnificent stones. The Jews were very proud of it and this disciple was too.
13:2 Jesus said to him, ‘Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left on another. All will be torn down!’
However, if he thought to make an impression on Jesus he was greatly mistaken; Jesus was not taken up
with the temporary things of this world, not even the temple. He directed this disciple’s thoughts away from the temporal to the eternal (2 Cor. 4:18) by warning that what seemed so magnificent would not endure. The temple would be completely destroyed, with every stone thrown down; this took place AD 70 when the Roman legions besieged and captured Jerusalem.
The temple belonged to the old covenant; but when Jesus died and rose again this was the beginning of the new covenant. The continual animal sacrifices made in the temple were no longer required, as Jesus had made his once and for all sacrifice on the cross (Heb. 10:9-12). Jesus wanted to prepare his disciples for the day when the external regulations for worshipping God would be done away with and they would instead worship him in spirit and truth (John 4:21-24). Believers today must also be careful
not to be so caught up with the external observances of Christianity that they become distracted from Christ himself (Col. 3:2).
Signs of the End of the World
13:3-4 So while he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, ‘Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that all these things are about to take place?’
As Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple with just four of his disciples (Andrew is an addition to the usual three), they asked him what signs would indicate the time when these things would happen.
13:5-6 Jesus began to say to them, ‘Watch out that no one misleads you. Many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,' and they will mislead many.
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The signs given in these verses were to be fulfilled from the time of the first disciples right up to the time of Jesus' return. The first was the appearance of false Christs and false teachers (claiming to represent Christ). Believers must be very careful not to be deceived by anyone (2 Thess. 2:3). The best way to safeguard ourselves is to walk close to Jesus every day, reading his word and taking it into our hearts.
Down through the centuries right up to the present time there have been many false teachers and false Christs. Their numbers will continue to increase as a sign of the near return of Jesus (1 John 2:18).
13:7 When you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come.
Jesus next refers to wars and rumours of wars; the latter being a reference to civil unrest, or acts of terrorism. Christians are not to be alarm by these events, for we are not like those who have no hope (Luke 21:25-26); they are signs that our Lord’s coming is getting nearer! But, says Jesus, these events do not mean that the end will come at once.
13:8 For nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines. These are but the beginning of birth pains.
Whole nations shall make war against each other and earthquakes will occur in all sorts of places, even where they had previously been unknown. There will be constant famines and catastrophic happenings throughout the world. All this is but the beginnings of the sufferings that are to happen (Rom. 8:22-23).
13:9 ‘You must watch out for yourselves. You will be handed over to councils and beaten in the synagogues. You will stand before
governors and kings because of me, as a witness to them.
Another sign of the coming end of the age is the persecution of the church. Jesus warns that his followers would be turned over to the local governing authorities to be beaten, and even appear on trial before rulers, such as when Paul appeared before Caesar (Acts 25:11-12); though this would become an opportunity for the believers to testify of Christ. Such persecution has continued throughout the Christian era and will do so until Jesus comes again. As with all the signs of the end of the age, the persecution will get worse as the end approaches.
13:10 First the gospel must be preached to all nations.
God has purposed that the message of salvation must be declared to all nations before the second coming of Christ.
13:11 When they arrest you and hand you over for trial, do not worry about what to speak. But say whatever is given you at that time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
Jesus gave these instructions to his disciples concerning how they should conduct themselves when they were delivered to those in authority for the gospel’s sake. These instructions hold good for believers facing persecution today. We are not to be anxious about what we are to say or try to prepare our defence beforehand, for when the time comes the Holy Spirit will speak through us.
13:12 Brother will hand over brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise against parents and have them put to death.
Jesus further warns that close family members would betray Christians, even if that meant them being put to death.
13:13 You will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the one
who endures to the end will be saved.
The time would come when all Christians would be hated and detested by the whole world for Christ's sake. Once again, the picture Jesus gives implies that this hatred would increase toward the end of the age. Nevertheless, “those who patiently endures to the end shall be made a partaker of the salvation of Christ and delivered from spiritual death' [Amp. N. T.] The Christian “must hold fast to the very end: and if he be truly Christian he will hold fast, because God holds him fast” (Alan Cole). Jesus said “remain faithful even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown that is life itself” (Rev. 2:10).
A Time of Great Trouble
13:14-18 ‘But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then those in Judea must flee to the mountains. The one on the roof must not come down or go inside to take anything out of his house. The one in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing their babies in those days! Pray that it may not be in winter.
Remember that Jesus was replying to his disciples’ question about the signs of the end of the age when he spoke of this “abomination of desolation” (Daniel 9:27). It is difficult to see how Jesus’ words could be taken as a reference to the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, for many of the events depicted in later verses did not coincide with the Roman siege. Perhaps the “abomination” is a reference to the image of “the beast” - a world-ruling opponent of Christ who would appear toward the end of time, and erect a statue of himself in the temple, proclaiming himself to be God (Revelation 13:12-15; 2 Thess. 2:4). Similar profanities had defamed the temple previously. During the period of Antiochus Epiphanes a statue was erected of
15
him in the temple and pigs were sacrificed there. But Jesus was clearly speaking here of a future day that would be worse than the time of Antiochus.
Jesus’ words were given as a warning to those alive at the time of this “abomination”. When they saw these things happen it would be vital for them to escape from Jerusalem and the surrounding area as quickly as possible and head for the Judean Mountains. There would be no time to take any possessions, just enough time to flee for their lives.
13:19 For in those days there will be suffering unlike anything that has happened from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, or ever will happen.
Although the days of the Roman siege were dreadful they did not come up to what Jesus foretold here. He was warning about a time of affliction that would be more dreadful than anything ever seen on earth, and which would never be witnessed again. This can only be a reference to the end of the age, a time which is spoken of in more detail in the book of the Revelation.
13:20 And if the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would be saved. But because of the elect, whom he chose, he has cut them short.
The word “elect” (chosen) is often used of believers in Christ (1 Pet. 1:2). Yet the word is also used to denote the nation of Israel. In context, Jesus has been addressing a localised situation (“let those who are in Judaea”) at a particular time. It is possible that he simply means only a few will be saved alive at this time; he does not elucidate as to whether they are Christians or Jews. But given their locality, they would more likely be Jews.
13:21-22 Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'Look, there he is!' do not believe him. For false messiahs and false
prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, the elect.
During these days of suffering many false prophets will appear professing to be the Christ. Many will follow and support these false prophets. They will be able to show signs and work mighty miracles (Rev. 13:11-14). These signs and miracles will be such a good counterfeit that if it was at all possible even those chosen by God would be deceived by them.
13:23 Be careful! I have told you everything ahead of time.
It is because Jesus has forewarned us of this that we can be on our guard and not taken in by what is false.
Second Coming of Christ
13:24 ‘But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light; the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
Immediately after these days of suffering are completed, awesome signs from God will appear in the heavens to announce the end of the world. Even the sun, moon and stars, together with the powers of heaven (e.g. gravity) will be shaken.
It is noteworthy that the signs given in this verse seem to correspond with those in Revelation 6:12-13, which occur at the opening of the sixth seal. Just before this, in Revelation 6:10-11 many Christians who had been martyred ask Jesus how long it will be until they are avenged. The Lord answers that it will not be until more of their fellow servants have been killed as they were. This might suggest that up until the opening of the sixth seal the church is present on the earth, whilst after the sixth seal comes the day of wrath (V17). On the other hand, some commentators believe the church will be removed before the great trouble occurs and “the
beast” is revealed. Certainly, at some time between the sixth and seventh seal being opened the tribes of Israel are sealed (Rev. 7:1-8) and the redeemed of the Lord are in heaven (Rev. 7:9-17).
13:26-27 Then everyone will see the Son of Man arriving in the clouds with great power and glory. Then he will send angels and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
After these signs appear in the heavens, Jesus himself will be revealed, coming in the clouds of the sky with great power and glory. Then shall be gathered in from all over the earth to the utmost limits of heaven all those who belong to him (1 Thess. 4:16-17).
Parable of the Fig Tree
13:28 ‘Learn this parable from the fig tree: Whenever its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near.
This is a simple parable taking an object of nature that response to the seasons as a matter of course. It cannot do anything else but respond. As summer approaches the young shoots appear and its leaves begin to bud. This is invariably taken as a sign that summer has arrived.
13:29 So also you, when you see these things happening, know that he is near, right at the door.
So it is with the signs the Lord gave to his disciples: they herald that his coming is near, even on the threshold
13:30 I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.
The generation here certainly does not mean that of the twelve disciples. It may refer to the generation that is alive at the time when all these signs have been accomplished. Jesus is emphasising
16
by this and the following verse that an end will come to the world.
13:31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
Yet although heaven and earth will perish and pass away (2 Pet. 3:10), there are some things, which, according to the eternal word of God will endure forever.
The Time of His Coming
13:32 ‘But as for that day or hour no one knows it — neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son — except the Father.
This verse has always presented a real difficulty in as much as if Christ is the divine son of God, how can he speak of not knowing the day of his return? Yet this difficulty might be explained if we remember that Jesus was also a man, and as a child he grew in wisdom, and in his humbles state as a man he might claim to not know something.
The point of what Jesus is saying, however, is that if he and the angels do not know the time or date of his coming, no man should presume to know it.
13:33 Watch out! Stay alert! For you do not know when the time will come.
Instead of guessing the time for the Lord’s coming, Christians should be constantly on the alert, on our guard spiritually by watching our lives and praying, so that we might be ready when he comes.
13:34 It is like a man going on a journey. he left his house and put his slaves in charge, assigning to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to stay alert.
Jesus likens himself to a master who goes on a journey and puts his servants in charge of particular tasks. We are all his servants, and
we are also all like the doorkeeper who was commanded to remain alert, watching for his master's return (Luke 19:13; 1 Cor. 15:58).
13:35-37 Stay alert, then, because you do not know when the owner of the house will return — whether during evening, at midnight, when the rooster crows, or at dawn — or else he might find you asleep when he returns suddenly. What I say to you I say to everyone: Stay alert!’
Jesus repeats his warning that since we do not know when he will return we must be watchful at all times; keeping our minds on him and doing the work he has entrusted to us. Otherwise when he comes he may find us asleep like the unbelievers; that is, in a state of spiritual apathy and dull to the things of God (Rom. 13:11; 1 Thess. 5:6). That is why he addresses his warning to all; it is not only his existing followers which must learn to be awake and watching. The teaching of Christ’s second coming has led many to personal faith in him.
Discussion Questions for Chapter 13
1. vv. 5-6. Why can the reader be assured that any one on earth claiming to be Christ is false? In answering this question, consider also how Jesus describes His own return in 13:26.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. vv. 3-25. List some of the signs of Jesus’ coming given in this chapter.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. vv. 14-22. Describe the time of great trouble which Jesus refers to in these verses.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. vv. 28-31. What is Jesus teaching through the parable of the fig tree?
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. vv. 32-37. Why can no one correctly predict the time of Jesus’ coming?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
17
Vision Four: The Cleansing of the
High Priest vv. 1-7
3:1 Next I saw Joshua the high priest
standing before the angel of the
LORD, with Satan standing at his
right hand to accuse him.
Joshua the high priest was among
those who had returned from exile
in Babylon to Jerusalem. Zechariah
sees him in vision form standing
before the angel of the Lord with
Satan making accusations against
him. The devil had done the same
to God’s servant Job (Job 1:6-12),
and presumably does so to all God’s
servants, since he is known as ‘the
accuser of the brothers’ (Rev.
12:10).
3:2 The LORD said to Satan, "May
the LORD rebuke you, Satan! May
the LORD, who has chosen
Jerusalem, rebuke you! Isn't this
man like a burning stick snatched
from the fire?"
Joshua stands in front of the Lord as
one who is justified in his sight, and
so the Lord rebukes Satan for daring
to bring an accusation against God’s
servant (Rom. 8:33); for if God be
for us, who can be against us (Rom
8:29-31)?
3:3 Now Joshua was dressed in
filthy clothes as he stood there
before the angel.
The dirty clothes which Joshua wore
were symbolic of his own sin and
possibly (since the high priest
represented the nation) that of all
Israel. The scripture had already
declared all people to be sinners,
and all human righteousness is as
filthy rags (Isa. 64:6).
3:4-5 The angel spoke up to those
standing all around, "Remove his
filthy clothes." Then he said to
Joshua, "I have freely forgiven your
iniquity and will dress you in fine
clothing." Then I spoke up, "Let a
clean turban be put on his head." So
they put a clean turban on his head
and clothed him, while the angel of
the LORD stood nearby.
But in a picture of cleansing,
forgiveness and justification, the
angel ordered Joshua’s soiled
clothes to be removed and that he
be clothed instead with clean robes.
Joshua also received a clean turban,
the sign of high priestly office,
which bore a gold plate engraved
with the words HOLINESS TO THE
LORD (Exodus 29:6; 39:30).
For the Jews, this would have been
an indication that God would
honour his covenant. The sin of the
people was to be removed, and
they would once again be seen as
the nation belonging to God, with a
renewed and cleansed priesthood
and rebuilt temple. Their enemies,
represented in the vision by Satan,
would be unable to overcome them
or thwart God’s purposes.
The early church realised that this
vision provided an illustration of
what Christ has done for Christian
believers. Christ has carried our sin
away in his own body on the cross
(1 Peter 2:24) so that our filthy
garments might be taken away and
our sins are forgiven (1 John 2:12).
Subsequently, Christ clothed us
with the garments of his
righteousness and salvation (Isaiah
61:10). By faith in Christ we are
justified in God’s sight (Gal. 2:16);
that is, we are accepted as part of
God’s covenant people, in a right
relationship with God. Christ has
cleansed us in order to make us
holy; we are a kingdom of priests (1
Peter 2:9; Rev. 1:6) that we might
serve God acceptably with
reverence and godly fear (Heb.
12:28) offering spiritual sacrifices to
the Lord (1 Peter 2:5).
3:6-7 Then the angel of the LORD
exhorted Joshua solemnly: "The
LORD who rules over all says, 'If you
live and work according to my
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requirements, you will be able to
preside over my temple and attend
to my courtyards, and I will allow
you to come and go among these
others who are standing by you.
Having cleansed and justified
Joshua, the Lord next gave him a
solemn commission. The Lord’s
charge to Joshua was for him to
perform the duties of high priest,
the vision thereby ordained Joshua
as high priest in the eyes of the
people.
But more than that; for the return
of the nation of Israel to the
Promised Land was a re-establishing
of their God-given call to be
witnesses to the nations; and this
was to be inaugurated by the
consecration of their high priest as
much as by the rebuilding of the
temple.
Having been made holy, Joshua was
to serve God in holiness of life’
keeping his commandments
blamelessly. This is always to be the
result of consecration to God’s
service. Like Joshua, it is only once
we have been cleansed that we can
be consecrated to serve the Lord;
just as in Exodus 29:20 Aaron and
his sons had to have the blood of
the sacrifice applied to them before
they could minister. The result of
our cleansing and consecration is to
be obedience (Rom. 6:1-2); for the
deeper our appreciation of our
forgiveness, the deeper will be our
devotion to God (Luke 7:47).
The Greater High Priest to Come
vv. 8-10
3:8 Listen now, Joshua the high
priest, both you and your colleagues
who are sitting before you, all of
you are a symbol that I am about to
introduce my servant, the Branch.
God sends a message to Joshua and
his contemporaries about the
servant of God who was one day to
appear, whom Isaiah and Jeremiah
had already identified as ‘the
Branch’ (Isa. 11:1 and Jer. 23:5). It
was important to note that this
branch was to be of the line of
David; yet Joshua the high priest is
set forth as a picture of him in order
to indicate that he would also be a
priest, bearing the sin of many (Isa.
53:10-11). Of course, Israel knew
that this could never be – priests
only came from the tribe of Levi; yet
as the writer to the Hebrews
explains, the priest God spoke of
was appointed after the order of
Melchisedec, not the order of
Aaron,; that is, according to the
power of an endless life. Jesus
Christ is the branch born of the seed
of David, who because of his
endless life remains a priest of God
forever (Rev. 1:18; Heb. 6:20).
3:9 As for the stone I have set
before Joshua -- on the one stone
there are seven eyes. I am about to
engrave an inscription on it,' says
the LORD who rules over all, 'to the
effect that I will remove the iniquity
of this land in a single day.
It is uncertain whether an actual
engraved precious stone was placed
before Joshua during his
consecration; at least in this vision
of his consecration. If so, it would
have served as a perpetual
reminder before the people of
God’s promise in this verse – to
remove the sin of the people
through the ministry of ‘the
branch’.
The Lord Jesus Christ is again and
again referred to as a ‘stone’ in the
scriptures. He is a chosen and
precious stone (1 Peter 2:4), yet he
is the stone which the builders
rejected (Psalm 118:22; Acts 4:11)
and the one who became a trap and
snare to those who did not believe
(Isaiah 8:14; 1 Peter 2:7). On this
stone, the Lord says, are seven eyes
(originally, possibly seven facets1), a
symbol speaking of the all-
knowledge of God. The servant who
is anointed with the sevenfold Holy
Spirit (Rev 4:5; Isa. 11:2) will also
possess such all-knowledge.
Engraved on the stone, which is
Christ, is the sign that God would
remove the iniquity of the people in
a single day - the dreadful day when
Christ hung on a cross at a place
called Calvary and God laid on him
the iniquity of us all (Isa. 53:6).
3:10 In that day,' says the LORD
who rules over all, 'everyone will
invite his friend to fellowship under
his vine and under his fig tree.' "
The result of Christ’s removing the
iniquity of the people is described
vividly in terms of fellowship,
abundance and peace; a message
which would have been welcomed
by the fearful exiles. Moreover, the
fact that everyone would have his
own supply and could sit in peace,
suggests that they would be no
more slaves or servants (as they had
been in Babylon). Through Christ we
enjoy fellowship with God (1 Cor.
1:9) and one another (1 John 1:7).
Through Christ we have peace with
God (Rom. 5:1) and with each other
(Eph. 2:14). Through Christ we have
abundance (Rom. 8:32). Through
Christ we are no longer slaves or
servants but sons and friends (Gal
.3:26; John 15:15).
1 Baldwin, p. 116-117
19
From ‘Meet These
Men: Character Studies
in the Bible’
A forthcoming book based on
studies by the late Haydn O.
Williams. Image © Dvest
Gaius the prosperous soul 3 John 1
The name Gaius is mentioned five
times in the New Testament. The
apostle Paul baptised one of his
Corinthian converts by this name (1
Corinthians). Later, he became one
of Paul’s travelling companions
(Acts 19:29). Another Gaius was
from Derby (Acts 10:4). In the book
of Romans 16:23 Paul received
hospitality of Gaius. However, there
is a doubt as to which of these if
any was the Gaius of John.
We may not be sure who he was,
but more importantly, we know
what kind of man he was. A study of
his character and conduct reveals
him to be a prosperous soul, a
beloved brother, a faithful servant
and a charitable man. If we are not
sure where he came from ewe can
be sure to where he was going. We
are only given six verses about him
but they are all gold. He was a
consistent Christian brother.
Although we are not told when or
how Gaius found Jesus Christ as his
Lord and Saviour, it is obvious that
he did have a real encounter with
the Lord. He was also well known to
John, who looked upon him as his
son in the faith, and who was
delighted to find him growing in the
truth. It may be that John had led
Gaius to Jesus and was his Pastor.
John was always thrilled to see
spiritual growth.
He was loved by John, the great
apostle of love. He had been close
to Jesus and leaned on his breast.
He wrote much about love (e.g.
John 3:16). God is love. John knew
real love and he wrote so much
about it. John loved Gaius truly. To
be worthy of John’s love makes
Gaius a very special person to John.
He was loved by others. The word
beloved conveys the idea that he
was loved by other people also.
Having a good testimony, he was
well spoken of because of his love
for others. He was a prosperous
soul indeed, an apt description for
him. His love made him prosper.
Walking in the Truth
Our text speaks of the truth in Him
and that he walked in the truth.
Pontius Pilate asked Christ, “What is
Truth?” But truth was standing
before him. Jesus said “I am the
way, the Truth ad the Life.” (John
14:6) John said, “The law was given
by Moses, but grace and truth by
Jesus Christ.” Walking means living
in harmony, in fellowship with
truth, practising and obeying the
word of the Lord and the Spirit of
God. Gaius was walking in the truth
because he was living in Christ and
Christ was living in Him. No wonder
his soul flourished.
Waited on Brethren
His condition
It would appear that he was not
enjoying the best of health or
material wealth. If this was true
then he’s bigger than we think. He
did not make sickness or anything
else an excuse to prevent his soul
from prospering. Affliction or
poverty doesn’t mean you are out
of the will of God. We can still grow
in grace and truth.
His Charity
Gaius was commended for his love,
concern, charity and ministry to the
saints. He was given to hospitality
(REF). Be not forgetful to entertain
strangers. (REF). He was unselfish
and without respect of persons. He
was big hearted man, He did it
faithfully, prosperous soul.
Conclusion
Many starve their souls while they
prosper materially and positionally.
What a difference between Gaius
and Diotrephes who loved the pre-
eminence, to be the boss, selfish
proud, arrogant, he was not a
prosperous soul - but Gaius was a
prosperous soul.
20
Contact Us Editor: Mathew Bartlett
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