The Lord continually reached out to a disobedient people. He gave them warning after warning finally saying “if after all this you do not repent I will punish you 7 times more for your sins”. (Leviticus 26)
We see by the time of Christ He said “Oh Jerusalem I weep for you. If you only you had known your time of visitation. Now these things are upon you”. He came a thief in the night and they were left desolate.
We think, how can this be? All those innocent Jews! The desolation occurred, not one stone was left upon another. Jerusalem was seized and over thrown. The Lords patience ran out and they were judged. He said “All day long I have stretched out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people”. They were left desolate, condemned and annihilated.
The Lord said “On you shall be required all the blood of the Prophets from righteous Abel to Zechariah whose blood was spilled at the altar” and even John the baptist and the blood of Christ Himself. As He said “Fill up the measure of your fathers guilt!” And the words from the Jewsh populace “His blood be upon us”. And it was.
Leviticus 26 had been fulfilled. This is a horrific description of them killing each other and even eating their own children and being attacked by armies and wild animals. I know this is graphic and is largely unspoken of but He said do not add or take away from His words. So this should be a wake up call in our day. Nothing happened to the Jews they did not deserve.
They thought they did service to God, in the end they received the wrath of God. Woe! Let that sink in.
You see Romans 1 says that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness in men who suppress the truth. And that is what they did. They were aware of Gods words and feelings about this and did not respond accordingly and His patience ran out. That was Gods wrath “to the Jew first”. They knew God and they suppressed the truth of God. They compromised His values and misrepresented Him.
We read on in Romans 1 that “they knew Gods eternal power and Godhead so they were with out excuse”. “They professed to be wise but became fools and turned the Glory of the incorruptible God into an image of an corruptible man”. They expected Christ to validate their Kingdom by giving them a man to preside in their preparations and are doing so today under the guise of a second coming, a phrase not found once in scripture.
This was the first great woe. They thought God was a man like them. Huh? Is not Jesus a man who will come to planet earth and rule from Jerusalem? That is your first strike.
For even in Samuel’s day when the populace demanded a king like all the other nations had. What did God tell Samuel? “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them”. They exchanged the glory of the invisible God into the image of a man”, an invisible king for one thy could see. That’s right.
And again Samuel addressed the people saying “But you today have rejected your God, who himself saved you out of all your adversaries and tribulations and have said to Him, No, but set a king over us” presumably one they could see. Main stream Christianity today in the same way, rejects the rule and reign of Christ today in hopes for another savior. Meaning, the main body of Christianity today, preaches that the Christ man will be our king in a future time in a man-made Jerusalem on earth, and rejects the notion of the invisible God being our king now as it was before Samuel. Not knowing Him in this way, they too have rejected Him. They too have turned the Glory of the incorruptible invisible immortal God into a flesh and body man with their “end time” teachings of another coming Jesus.
Lets bring up the peoples response when Moses was sent to rectify the covenant in Horeb. Ex 24.7 “All that the Lord has said we will do it”. This same people did not want to relate to God and also said “Moses, you deal with Him we don’t want to”. They gave away their birth right and responsibility to relate to the Father. They were glad to have someone else talk to God for them and rejected the blessings of God Himself. Maybe like today. With books, commentaries, preachers and other peoples opinions about God, off and online. They have exchanged a personal relationship with God the same way they did. “You speak to the scary voice” for us. He can speak to the hand.
Here is where we are today. The truth is truncated because everyone receives knowledge of God from each other. They have to verify things with another mans testimony. One says I am from Paul or Apollos, or maybe a Baptist or Evangelical and this teacher or that. You are all acting like silly men with your own private club. Don’t you know there is only one body? But what does Christ say? John 2.23-25+ 5.31-36 The people saw the signs that He did and Believed in Him and it says, Jesus did not commit himself to them because He knew all men and he had no need for man to testify of Him.”
They think that if they use the name Jesus, they must be good but maybe they preach another Jesus.
From Paul in Galatians, The gospel I preach to you is not by man, for I did not receive it from man nor was I taught it but it came by revelation of Christ. In other words first hand.
Today especially with end times they follow each other from one supposed prophesy to another. Changing doctrines with each new world event, having no truth but strong opinions. Empty of faith profiting on these theories no matter how many times they change their opinion they repent not. Vipers hatching eggs of yet more vain theories deceiving and being deceived. These are the blemishes in your love feasts. They do not enter the Kingdom because for them it is later and they keep distracted others who are trying.
Hebrews 10 puts out a stern warning drawing a comparison from those who rejected Christ back then and now anyone who rejected Moses law dies with out mercy. Of how much worse punishment do you suppose he will be who thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing. For we know Him who said vengeance is mine, and again, the Lord will judge His people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God”.
If you think God will put up with your flippant use of His name putting it on earthly things and on every wind of change, you are mistaken. You are using His name in vain. If you do not take these things upon ourselves and judge yourselves, you will be judged, for “judgment starts at the house of God. 1st Peter 4.17
Christ spoke very firm to the corrupt church in The Revelation of Jesus Christ with these words “I gave her time to repent, and I will cast her into a sick bed and all those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation unless they repent of their deeds”.
We need to get back to basics and back to the message preached by John the baptist, Christ, then those who heard. That is to “repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand”. This is as true today and every day as the day it was first spoken. When was the last time you heard that?
If you are preaching or believing in a kingdom of another day you do not have the King of Kings from the scriptures.
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and Glory forever and ever. Amen
and
To the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and the Lord of lords who alone has immortality dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To whom be honor and everlasting power.”
The Kingdom of God is at hand, Amen
