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“We Hold These Truths” Americans Have Wandered Out of History, Part IV

Posted on March 29, 2009 by | Leave a comment

In this last installment of his sermon, Rev. Atwood shares some more personal thoughts and an appeal.

by Rev. Nate Atwood

And so I sit, in my driveway, hymnal in hand, meditating on the words of the past hymns, “My Country ’tis of Thee,” and thus upon the thoughts of those who had a much higher vision for America than I hold—“Our father’s God to Thee, Author of liberty, to Thee we sing; long may our land be bright with freedom’s holy light; protect us by Thy might, Great God our King.” I open my Bible and drink in the Scriptural truth recorded by Moses, “I am the Lord thy God that
brought thee out of the land of slavery. . . .” “Proclaim liberty throughout the land and to all the inhabitants thereof. . . .” Yes, it is God who gave us liberty.

And as I think on these things I watch my two-year-old son playing in our backyard, this blond-haired little boy wandering from swing set to flower bed . . . in his own way rejoicing in the gifts of God. He is happy. He is safe. He is free. May God grant that he will continue to grow up in a nation of liberty wherein he will have the privilege of pursuing the dreams God has for His life. May he live in the dignity which only freedom can fully afford and which cost our founding fathers and their families so very much.

As I sit, and meditate, and watch my son, it seems my sanctified imagination gets swept away, and in this holy moment I sense a peculiar variation of the “cloud of witnesses” round about me. I imagine–and it is only inspired imagination—General Washington, President Adams, and Patrick Henry standing around my chair, their hand upon my shoulder, their gaze also fixed upon little Noah. I see them in my mind’s eye smiling at this blond boy’s freedom, safety, promise, and pleasure at swings and slides and flowers.

I can almost hear their voices, softly saying, “This is what we did it for . . . so that you could raise your son in the dignity, potential, and joy which freedom affords. We delight with you, young citizen. Our sacrifices were well worth it. Now, raise him to the Light and introduce him to the Author of Freedom. And in that introduction make sure that he knows the sacred story of this nation as well as the history of Israel. Teach him to think Biblically. Yes, make him a student of history.”

Reverend Nate Atwood has been in the ministry for sixteen years as an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church. He has been Senior Pastor at Kempsville Presbyterian Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia, since Palm Sunday, 1999.

See also Part III, Part II and Part I.

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“We Hold These Truths” Americans Have Wandered Out of History, Part III

Posted on March 22, 2009 by | Leave a comment

by Rev. Nate Atwood

In the second installment of Rev. Atwood’s sermon on the biblical basis of our nation’s legal history, he focused on the definitive biblical aspects of the Declaration of Independence. Secular authors like Alan Dershowitz argue that its primary author, Thomas Jefferson, was a deist. This is the point at which we begin the third installment of Rev. Atwood’s sermon.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Now some of you are thinking, “But Thomas Jefferson was a deist, not an evangelical Christian. How can we claim such firm Biblical footing for his document?” First of all, it’s important to note that Thomas Jefferson was not the sole author of the Declaration of Independence. In June of 1776 a committee of five people were tasked by the Continental Congress to write a Declaration. John Adams, the devout and deeply Biblical Christian, was the chairman of that committee. He tasked Jefferson with the work of writing as he recognized Jefferson’s literary talent. But it must be said that the work came out of Adams’ committee and under his oversight. It also must be said that while Jefferson was not an evangelical Christian, he was still deeply affected by the Biblical imprint of his time. Thus, in reflecting on the Declaration of Independence, he wrote, “We do not claim these rights under the charters of kings or legislators, but under the King of Kings.”

The truth of the matter is that liberty had been developing as a national idea for many years. Jefferson and Adams, as well as the whole of the Continental Congress, did not live or write in a vacuum. Franklin Cole, in a book entitled, They Preached Liberty, extensively studied the sermons preached from Colonial pulpits during the years leading into the Revolutionary War. His thesis was that all of the ideas found in the Declaration were first found in America’s pulpits. For example, in 1768, Reverend Daniel Shute of Hingham, Massachusetts, declared, “life, liberty and property are the gifts of the Creator.” (Sound familiar?) In 1770, in an election sermon Rev. Charles Turner insisted, “The Scriptures cannot be rightfully expounded without explaining them in a manner friendly to the cause of liberty.” In 1768 Rev. Richard Slater of Mansfield, Connecticut assured his listeners, “God never gives men up to be slaves till they lose their national virtue, and abandon themselves to slavery.”

Given this careful devotion to God in the writing of the Declaration of Independence, it is not surprising that when it was first read publicly on July 4, 1776, a bell was rung to call the people of Philadelphia together. That bell is the “Liberty Bell,” and you can still read on it the inscription placed on it for that day. . . . “Proclaim liberty unto all the land, unto all the inhabitants thereof.” In case you don’t recognize it, that’s a Bible verse Leviticus 25:10. In fact, this might well be called America’s verse. Yes, our forefathers knew it and built their lives upon this truth . . . it was God who gave us liberty. And because liberty came from God they entitled it “the holy cause of liberty.”

Furthermore, because liberty came from God and was therefore sacred, these signers of the Declaration of Independence were more than willing to die for their convictions. Adams and Jefferson survived the war without great loss. Other signers of the Declaration did not fare so well. Of those fifty-six men, five were captured by the British, tortured, and then executed. Twelve had their homes ransacked or burned. Two lost their sons serving in Revolutionary Army.
Another two had sons captured. Nine of the fifty-six fought and died in the war from wounds or the hardships of battle. Indeed, they did pledge their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. Such were the sacrifices of the American Revolution. These were not wild-eyed, rabblerousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means and education. They had security, but they valued liberty more. And they valued liberty, because they knew that liberty came from God and was therefore holy. Remember, these fifty-six men were the ones who added two more clearly Scriptural references to God to Jefferson’s version of the Declaration as it came out of Adam’s committee. The historical record is clear: they were motivated by their belief in God (God as He is defined by Scripture). No wonder they were willing to put their lives on the line. . . . After all, during the war one of the favorite slogans of the Americans was “No King but Jesus!”

In 1831, in Albany, New York the French author Alexis de Tocqueville recorded yet another July 4th celebration. Found in his book Democracy in America, in which this celebrated author repeatedly noted the unbreakable connection between American democracy and American faith in God, de Tocqueville recorded that on this particular July 4th he was awakened by the firing of guns in a federal salute and the ringing of all church bells. He came out to see what was going on
and was invited to join in a great parade, devoid of “any real military splendor” but marked by people from all walks of life, floats representing every conceivable occupation, and “three or four old soldiers, who fought with Washington, whom the city preserves like precious relics, and whom all the citizens honor.” They “carried with great pomp a tattered old American flag, bullet torn, which came down from the war of independence.”

De Tocqueville expected the parade to end in some fine government building but was surprised to see it ended, instead, in a Methodist church where the entire Declaration of Independence was read with “much warmth and dignity.” He recalled that the reading was preceded by “a prayer made by a Protestant minister . . . I recall this fact,” he said, “because it is characteristic of this country, where they never do anything without the assistance of religion.”

Let’s remember the lesson of history . . . religion can survive in the absence of freedom. But freedom without religion is tenuous at best and can even be dangerous. George Washington reminded the country of this truth in his farewell address, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.” So how might you celebrate the 4th of July? I think the record of history I just went through should give you some ideas. I just hope you will celebrate it. I also hope that you will, as families worshipping together. And perhaps you’ll experience a moment such as I knew and which I recorded in my prayer journal….

See Part II and Part I.

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We Hold These Truths” Americans Have Wandered Out of History, Declaration Part II

Posted on March 15, 2009 by | 3 comments

By Rev. Nate Atwood

(Read part 1)

Last week, I posted the first part of a sermon by Rev. Atwood. He shared the importance of relearning our whole national history. Those aspects that modern education censors out. As he pointed out, scripture was an important part of the rise of political freedom, which resulted from the rule of law. That is God’s law applied through human law. The founding generation emphasized the great value of knowing facts of history because those facts taught them about the causes of oppression, corruption, and failure as well as the means to a good and prosperous society. Therefore, our ancestors created states and bound them together in federation based on their belief in God and on their knowledge of covenantal and world history. To forget what they and their ancestors learned and achieved the hard way will enable tyrants present and future to repeat the same evils that robbed people of God’s gift of life and liberty.

This second part of Rev. Atwood’s sermon focuses on the Declaration of Independence and the role Scripture had to play in its writing.

If we Americans have wandered out of history, let’s wander back into it.

Speaking as a Christian, a teacher of the Bible, and an American citizen, I’d like to make these basic observations with regard to the Declaration of Independence. This isn’t, first of all, a political document. First of all, and primarily, the Declaration of Independence is a religious document. Let me ask you this series of questions, . . . why did the signers of the Declaration think they could declare independence? Why did the signers of the Declaration think that it was morally permissible to rebel against England? Why did the signers
of the Declaration think they, as an upstart, rag-tag, largely impoverished group of people, could defeat the greatest military power on the face of the earth? After all, wasn’t their setting a bit like the Taliban thinking they could defeat the United States? What motivated these men? Even more to the point, . . . what was their authority for making these claims and choosing this course of action? Where did they think human rights came from? How did they understand the role of government in human affairs?

The answer, of course, is contained in the Declaration itself. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men. . . .” As you read the Declaration of Independence, it is very clear that the moral authority for the drive for independence was found in
God Himself. Even more to the point, this moral authority was found in the Bible itself.

John Adams, in a letter written late in his life to Thomas Jefferson, remarked that the Founding Fathers found their agreement in the “basic principles of Christianity.” This is a remarkable statement, and scrutiny of the Declaration itself suggests just this. Let’s take a moment and step inside the Declaration and “connect the dots” between the various phrases and thoughts found therein and the teaching of the Bible. In fact, let’s begin with the idea of “rights.”
Where did the concept of “rights” come from? Well, it is taught in the Bible. For example, Psalm 82:1–4 refers to the concept of “rights.”

God presides in the great assembly; He gives judgment among the “gods”: “How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked? Selah. Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”

What we must grasp is that the Founding Fathers lived in an era profoundly shaped by the Bible. As inheritors of the Reformation, they lived in a time when it was simply taken for granted that society was to be structured around the teaching of the Bible.

Additional thoughts and phrases in the Declaration of Independence are clearly Biblical. For example, there is a clear definition of the role of government contained in the Declaration. . . . “That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men. . . .” Did you know that this is precisely what the Bible teaches as the role of government? Psalm 82 is written to an assembly of governmental leaders (these are the “gods” referred to in the psalm). Romans 13 similarly sees that the government’s use of force is based upon a commitment to protect the innocent. The Founding Fathers justified their rebellion against the British crown because it was a government that no longer upheld the rights of the citizens. Their logic was that the British were in rebellion against God by this failure, and thus were no longer a legitimate authority. Four times the Declaration of Independence directly refers to God. Each of these references is
completely consistent with what the Bible teaches to be true about God and is, in fact, the same language the Bible used to describe God. The first reference is to “Nature’s God.” The concept therein is that the idea of justice and law can clearly be deduced from the natural order created by God. This is precisely what the Bible teaches in Romans 1. The second reference is to God as “Creator.” The Bible teaches this in Genesis 1. (I realize it may seem obvious to us that God is Creator, but if you study world religions and philosophies you’ll learn that this is a distinctly Biblical thought. For example, Eastern religions and even Greek thought viewed the universe as eternally pre-existent—at least in the form of matter if not structure. The idea of a “Creator” is not so universally held as we might surmise.)

The last two references to God are found towards the end of the Declaration of Independence. He is referred to as “the Supreme Judge of the World.” Yes, again and again the Bible teaches us that God is our Judge (“There is One who seeks and judges,” John 8:50). The final reference to God is an appeal to “the protection of Divine Providence.” Here is a profoundly Biblical concept—the idea that God is active in the affairs of men, that God rules in those affairs, that God orders those affairs so as to ultimately protect His interests, and that in so doing He protects those who ally themselves with His causes. (“The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run unto it and are glad,” Proverbs 18:10, and Romans 8:28, “For we know that in all things God works for the good of those that love Him and are called according to His purposes.”)

Now let’s return to my earlier premise that the Declaration of Independence is first of all a religious document and only secondarily a political document. Do you now see why I hold this position? My point is that we must look deeper than the course of action our Founding Fathers took. We must examine the reasons for that course of action, and those reasons were clearly religious. Their appeal was simply to God as their moral authority and their protection. Their actions were political, but their motivations were religious.

In other words, before America was conceived in liberty, America was conceived in God. Now isn’t it true that a law of nature is this: “He who conceives is the father”? You might call the Declaration of Independence our national birth certificate. Every year we remind ourselves that this is the day our nation was born. And—if we have a shred of common sense—we honor our founding fathers. But according to this—our Birth Certificate—we were conceived in God and His Truths.

In other words, the real Founding Father is the Lord of Hosts. And so on the 4th of July, our national birthday, we should honor our ultimate Founding Father … our Father in heaven.

(Read part 1)

Reverend Nate Atwood has been in the ministry for sixteen years as an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church. He has been Senior Pastor at Kempsville Presbyterian Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia, since Palm Sunday, 1999.

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Christian Support for Killing Iraqis

Posted on February 10, 2009 by | 1 comment

The following is an excerpt of an article written by Jacob G. Hornberger by an XCJ reader. Hornberger raised the question about Christians uncritical acceptance of the Iraqi war.

Among the things about the Iraq War that I have never been able to understand is how American Christians have been able, in good conscience, to support this war. After all, no one can deny that neither Iraq nor the Iraqi people ever attacked the United States. That makes the United States the aggressor — the attacker — in this particular conflict. How could American Christians support the killing of Iraqis in such a war of aggression? How could they reconcile this with God’s sacred commandment, Thou shalt not murder.

To read the rest of the article, go here: http://www.fff.org/blog/jghblog2009-02-06.asp

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Sabbath Discussions : What is the mark of the Beast in Revelation, the Book

Posted on February 8, 2009 by | Leave a comment

By Daniel Downs

Now that our government’s latest effort to raise taxes is over, I want to resume my discussion of Revelation. I guess here discussion means with a conversation with myself. Nevertheless, it’s my hope and prayer that those who read these posts will benefit from my mental brain storms–as it were.

Oh, yes, lest I forget; I don’t actually believe these discussions will help any pastor long in the ministry understand Revelation any more than I think such students of the Bible are confused by Revelation. If the one I referred to in my first post was serious, I ask for your fervent prayer on his behalf.

Now, that’s off my chest; let’s consider what the mark of the Beast is as described in Revelation chapter 13:16-18.

Based on current technological developments, prophecy teachers tell us that the mark is probably a microcomputer chip. These chips are already being used in GIS technology. They are being implanted in pets, livestock, and in human newborns. Linked to satellites, devices, animals, or people with embedded microchips can be tracked to within a few feet anywhere in the world. If linked to supercomputers where our government, medical, and financial records are stored, big brother can know anything about our every activity including all of our financial transactions. With traffic and other surveillance cameras going up in every place imaginable, big brother as envisioned by George Orwell in his novel 1984 will soon be a reality. All that will be needed is a paranoid socialist dictator reigning over the world.

As mentioned in Revelation 13:18, the mark is a number representing the dictatorial beast. It is also pointed out by prophecy experts that in the future embedded chips will most likely possess the beast’s number or code to screen non-members of his global anti-religion club, which is another reason to suspect this beast will be a good socialist or secularist. Membership in this end time global anti-god club is voluntary. It is truly egalitarian. Its membership consists of rich and poor, famous and infamous, slaves and free citizens from all nationalities of the world. (13:16) Thus, under this tyrannical socialist dictator, racial prejudice is a thing of the past. The final bigotry of humanity to be eradicated is god-fearing haters of greed, oppression, immorality, falsehood, and the like. Consequently, those who refuse to join the club will likely loose their lives here on terra firma. (13:15)

One of the beautiful things about having everyone in the world embedded with a traceable microchip is how much greater the convenience in conducting financial transactions like buying and selling. Instead of wasting time getting paper and credit cards out of your pockets, billfold, or purse, all members of the global anti-god club will have to do is pass their hand or forehead past a scanner. It will be very similar to moving bar coded merchandise over scanners at most retailers today. Again, most non-members will not have to worry about this change because most will not be alive.

It’s true; socialist-secularism does not bode well for dissenters. History proves that much.

If we dig a little deeper (and here I’m not referring to a grave), we will find a few more valuable nuggets of knowledge. In the prophecies of Ezekiel, God sends an angel to mark the people on their forehead who were burdened by the evils done in Israel. (Ezek. 9:1-4). Concerning the rest, God ordered them to be killed. (9:5-8) Why? Divine justice demands unrelenting crime to be abolished. Those whose foreheads were marked for protection demonstrated their moral and emotional fidelity to the covenantal law of God. They choose not be become callous and numb to evil because of its acceptance and prevalence. They choose to suffer the pains of self-discipline and fidelity instead. That this is about a mental determination on the part of the marked and unmarked is further supported by God’s instruction to Ezekiel at the beginning of his calling:

“Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak My words to them. For you are not being sent to a people of unintelligible speech or difficult language … whose words you cannot understand. But, I have sent you to them who should listen to you; yet the house of Israel will not listen to you, since they are not willing to listen to Me. Surely the whole house of Israel is stubborn and obstinate. Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces and your forehead as hard as their foreheads…. Do not be afraid of them or be dismayed before them, though they are a rebellious house.” (2:4-9)

The same moral fidelity is also represented by the 144,000 undefiled Jewish bondservants whose foreheads are seal in chapter 7 of Revelation.

Here in chapter 13, the opposite is the case. Those whose foreheads are sealed with the mark of the latest and greatest dictator are as immoral, unfaithful, and anti-Christ as the he is. The famous mark, 666, thus symbolizes the trinity of modern secularism consisting of statism, humanism and socialism. This modern secular trinity is the allegiance of Satan disguised as the worship of humanity and self. It reflects the taboo of secularism and naturalism that claims god-is-dead or never existed while making the state the almighty and humanistic science its religion. This is similar to the Roman faithful making Caesar a god and building the temple of Caesar in Pergamum. Jesus assures us that this is where Satan seat of power or governance was located. (Rev. 3:13)

Jesus said, “Your heart is where your treasure is.” (Mat. 6:21) I think I remember a preacher once saying during an offertory that it is where your allegiance is as well. Okay, maybe it wasn’t a preacher taking an offering, but it applies nonetheless. Our fidelity to the covenantal law of faith in Jesus Christ is why the Spirit of God seals our foreheads as a token assurance of eternal life in God’s kingdom. (2 Cor. 1:22; Eph.1:31-14; Eph. 4:30)

Our mind and emotions cannot be disconnected from our eternal spirit.

According to the Apostle Paul, we are to …

“live no longer as the Gentiles live, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard of Him and have been taught in Him, just as the truth is in Jesus, that in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness and truth.” (Eph. 4:17-24)

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Sabbath Discussions : Revelation on Sexual Politics (the Book)

Posted on January 25, 2009 by | Leave a comment

Have you heard? January is sanctity of life month. Americans and their churches not only give honor to the gift of life but thy also remember the continuing war against it. The right to life is unalienable not because Jefferson wrote it nor because our nation was founded on natural law. The right to life is unalienable because it is a gift of God. The newest commander in the war against that God-given right is President Obama.

The question to be answered in this post is do presidents, legislators, lawyers, or judges have any right to presume to make law that violate the unalienable right to life. The right to life surely means the right to be born, the right to grow up unmolested or harmed, the right to a morally good family and society, the right to live the best possible life on this earth, and the right to eternal life as God’s redemptive justice permits.

As I was studying Revelation, I realized that Jesus did say something about the issue of abortion, homosexuality, and other issues related to modern sexual politics. This led me to the answer that begins with Jesus’ addresses to seven churches in Asia Minor.

Jesus praises his citizens for their work and faithfulness, and he also pointed out their problems that required correction. He concluded his address by pointing to the reward for overcoming the issues at hand. Jesus rebuked two of the seven churches for sex related problems. He also praised one for their like-minded hatred of teaching and practices that the others should have opposed as well.

Here is what Jesus told John to write to the church at Pergamum:

“I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit immorality. So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore, repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will war against them with the sword of my mouth.” (Rev. 2:14-16)

The great mystery of this passage is who the Nicolaitans were. Little historical information about them seems to exist. However, who they were is not as important than what they promoted and practiced. Jesus refers to an account recorded in Number chapters 22-25. Here Jesus tells that it was Balaam who was responsible for the Israelites violating God covenant law. As Balaam encouraged Israelites to commit immorality, so the Nicolaitans taught the church it was okay to do likewise.

Before answering. the question what exactly does Jesus mean by immorality, consider what he said to the church at Thyatira:

“I have this against you, that you tolerate the women Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads my bond-servants astray so that they commit immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to repent of her immorality. Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts, and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.” (Rev. 2:21-23)

Did you notice the similarities in the two addresses? The issue at hand is leaders who teach God’s people to believe it is okay to practice immorality. As James wrote: “Each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust is conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.” (Jas. 1:14-15) Just like Adam and Eve in the Eden’s garden of purity, the people of God were being taught by tempters in the service of the arch-deceiver. (Gen 3) Whereas the arch-deceiver comes to steal, kill and destroy, Jesus came so that we could have abundant life forever. (Jo. 10:10,28; 8:44)

That is why Jesus praised the church at Ephesus. He said, “This you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.” (Rev. 2:6) Like Jezebel, one of their likely leaders, the Nicolaitans promoted and practiced what Jesus Christ hates.

So then what does Jesus mean by immorality? It is any sexual misconduct or sin. That is the short definition.

Jesus hates immorality just as God the Father hates it. This is codified in the covenantal laws recorded in the Torah. It is alluded to by the prophets in their call to Israel to repent of their covenantal infidelity and of their immorality. It is also an issue addressed by the other apostles to the early church.

In Deuteronomy, Moses tells the Jews who were about to enter the promised land that they were not to behave toward the Lord the way the Canaanites had for centuries. They did for their gods every abominable act which the Lord hates. They even killed their children to appease their god. (De. 12:31)

This same abomination is mentioned in Leviticus. It is this priestly book of law that we get a more detailed idea about Moses meant by abominable. Summarizing Leviticus chapter 18, a list of abominable include the following: Continue reading →

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Sabbath Discussions : On the most outrageous statement in Revelation (the book)

Posted on January 18, 2009 by | Leave a comment

One of the most outrageous statements penned by the writer of Revelation is this:

Jesus Christ … the ruler of the kings of the earth. (Rev. 1:5)

How could John claim that Jesus was the ruler over the vicious Christian murdering Roman king Domitian? Show me any other king in the world who came to the aid of persecuted Christians before Emperor Constantine. I don’t know of any king today who appears to be ruled by Jesus either. Surely, the collective Emperor called the U.S. Congress does not follow the rule of Jesus Christ.

Do you doubt that Congress is king of a kingdom? Several years ago when new Congress was being sworn into office I caught the last part of the speech and prayer of the high ranking military chaplain, a black general, who was officiating over the ceremony. He instructed Congress to rule the kingdom they were inheriting well. There also seems to be a consensus among political analysts, economists, historians, theologians, journalists, and other scholars that America has achieved the status ruler over a global empire, and most regard it as an economic one. Some historians have shown how similar our federal government is to the Roman Empire at its terrible apex. Satan gave Jesus the tempting opportunity to rule over both the Roman Empire and all other earthly kingdoms as well. (Mt. 4 and Lk. 4)

Back to my question–how then could John make such an outrageous statement? Unless he saw Christians reigning with Jesus after the yet to occur resurrection, he could not be referring to Christ’s faithful followers. The world experienced what Christian rule was like. In the end, the Church ruling empire was not very Christ-like, just ask Martin Luther, John Calvin, or any of the dearly beheaded.

John may have meant that when Jesus returns he will reign over the kings of the earth. This would conform to the Hebrew prophets, the gospels, epistles, and Revelation 11:15-19.

However, I believe John is making a literal declaration not merely a prophetic one, which is supported by the gospels and epistles as well.

For Jesus to rule of the kings of the earth, Satan would have to loose his right and authority to do so. Jesus never disputed Satan’s right or authority to give him authority over all the kingdoms of the earth. (Mt. 4; Lk. 4) In fact, Jesus acknowledges the rule of Satan over the world. (Jo. 14:30; 12:31) The apostle Paul also acknowledged this rule. (Eph. 2:1-2) The thing to notice is this: Satan’s rule over the earth was from heaven, but he was thrown out of heaven to the earth. (Rev. 12:7-11; Jo. 12:31) The mission of Jesus was not just to restore willing humans the benevolent rule and kingdom of God. His mission also was to destroy Satan’s works and end his right to rule over repentant humanity. (1 Jo. 3:8; Heb. 2:14) Jesus accomplished the first by dying to satisfy justice fully for our moral crimes against God’s law. Having paid that price, he accomplished the second when God raised from the dead and gave him all of the authority both in heaven and on earth (Mt. 28:18). Paul describes this best in his letter to the Colossians:

For [God] rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins…. When [Jesus] had disarmed the rulers and authorities, he made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through [God]. (Col. 1:13; 2:15)

Everyone throughout the Roman Empire would have understood Paul’s meaning. It was common practice by the Roman generals to parade before all leaders and citizens of Rome the kings and leaders of conquered peoples and nations. All who read or heard Paul’s words understood that Jesus not only defeated his enemies but that he and heaven celebrated Satan’s and his followers humiliating defeat.

According to Peter, Jesus could not ascend to the throne of God until after angels, authorities, and powers had been subjected to him. (1 Pe. 3:22)

This may explain why Jesus appeared off- and-on to the disciples for forty days before his ascension. (Ac. 1:3, 9-11)

Paul further explains that after his resurrection, Jesus, the firstborn of all creation, created anew all spiritual and physical positions of authority and their powers. (Col. 1:16) This means no matter how many may rebel against the order and authority of Jesus’ rule the world will in the end bow to his world order. (Php. 2:9-11)

Though Jesus has authority over all powers as well as over all flesh (Jo. 17:2), but not all spirits or humans intend to submit to the kingly rule of Jesus Christ. The republican form of constitutional democracy may very well have reflected the rule of Lord Jesus. It certainly was shaped and informed by biblical principles. The noble idea of a nation that shines the biblical based light of law and freedom may have inspired many peoples; but,today, national and global trends indicate a determination not toward a messianic world but rather toward the kind worthy of judgment as previewed in Revelation.

The new types of ruler and kings of the earth cannot win by opposing the biblical reign of God’s risen Messiah. They certainly will never create a world of peace, justice, and prosperity for all by following the model of Rome or Satan. As any ruler worthy of the title, Jesus will have the last word concerning all of their schemes and plans.

Jesus died so that all of us could have an abundant life in good standing with the Supreme Judge of the world. Therefore, he is adamantly opposed to the abundance of choices for death, immorality, and injustice–social, economic, or any other kind. The wisest choice would be for a culture oriented to life, which is by definition messianic, and Jesus–a Jew–still agrees even after 2,000 years.

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Sabbath Discussions : On Revelation, the Book 2

Posted on January 11, 2009 by | Leave a comment

Today, I was not absent in body but I was also there in mind and spirit. Some might say I was not all there are usual. Nevertheless, Pastor John preached on that wonderfully depressing book entitled “Ecclesiastes.” You know the one that says your life is meaningless dust and all of your accomplishments are insignificant chaff in the wind. Fortunately, Pastor John is a very good communicator of God’s word, which means his message was great and his punch line superb. My meager attempt to summarize his message is this: If nature reclaims everything, what’s the point of all of the stuff accumulated over the years? What’s the point of all the hard work and the grand or not so grand accomplishments? Most likely all of it will return to dust and be forgotten. His superb punch line goes something like this: Stuff is temporal but people are forever. A good meaningful life now and for eternity is achieved only through the redeeming work of Jesus Christ. In other words, a life of endless enjoyment first experienced by Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden will one day be restored by Jesus Christ. That is the counter-point to the bleak reality portrayed in Ecclesiastes. (By the way, the garden may be located in Jerusalem.)

Although Pastor John’s message on Ecclesiastes was certainly inspiring, I think I will avoid delving into the dark mental space of the wise son of King David. Instead, I want to continue with last week’s discussion about the often confusing and image rich book of Revelation.

John, who wrote down this prophetic panorama of our future, was only one of at least seven persons who collaborated on the publication of Revelation. God was the primary source and Jesus was the divine intermediary showing John what would occur in human history. There were others. For example, Jesus’ angel, other angels, and ruling elders assisted Jesus in showing what God wants all of us to know and understand.

One of the things God’s want us all to comprehend is the benefits of this prophecy. Unlike many books of the Bible, there are specifically stated benefits in reading, hearing, remembering, doing, and living the content of God’s revelation through Jesus the Messiah. John states it this way:

Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things that are written in it; for the time is near. (Rev. 1:3)

As mentioned last week, the time is near but how near is a matter of perspective. One day is as a thousand year and a thousand years is as one day to God. Adding to this perspective is the phrase often used by Jesus during his earthly ministry: The kingdom of God is at hand (or near). The eternal kingdom of God is as near as the ever present Spirit of God, and yet it seems too many that God is usually remote. Jesus, however, meant that because those who saw and heard what God had specially directed him to say and do they were also under a directive of God whose presence and rule had approached them. Also implied was the promise of God’s coming reign over Israel and world was approaching. It was time for its fulfillment. Like the Jews during Jesus earthly days, all of us are confronted by the revelation of Jesus with a decision whether to enter the kingdom rule of God and His Son Jesus. As the Psalmist sang,

The rulers take counsel together
Against the Lord and against His
Anointed, saying, “Let us tear their
fetters apart and cast away there
bands from us!”

The Lord scoffs at them, saying,
“But as for Me, I have installed My King
Upon Zion, My Holy mountain.”
[And to His King,] You are My Son,
Today I have begotten you.”
Now therefore, worship the Lord with
reverence and … do homage to the Son….
(Ps. 2:2-4, 6, 7, 12)

In other words, the kingdom is still at hand and the time is even nearer than before. In order to benefit from entering God’s kingdom now under the lordship of Jesus, you must first know the laws of the kingdom, maintain good relations with the King, and continue doing God’s will, but I’m getting ahead of the subject at hand.

The benefits promised to those who read, hear, heed the words of Revelation are unique. You will find them listed in the messages to the 7 churches, in the rewards for overcoming mentioned in 6: 9-17; 7:9-8:5 (and beyond); 14:12-17; 20:4; 20:11-15; and 21-22. The key to overcoming is seen in chapter 12 and verse 11, which states:

They overcame … because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their love their loves even when faced with death.

In the Bible, blessed does not necessarily mean everything will be hunky dory. In the Sermon on the Mount, happy and blessed are synonyms for the same Greek word. (Mat. 5-7) Yet happy and blessed does not necessary mean happy, prosperous, tranquil, or life without problems. In most cases, blessed means the state of a right relationship with God in the present through past obedience to His laws and justice that will ultimate lead to future good including love, peace, joy, righteousness, wholeness, and prosperity for all eternity. Momentary pain, problems, or lack does not reflect on the present state of blessedness in the kingdom of Christ and God. This is even clearer in Luke’s gospel (6:20-46).

Some other scriptures that help clarify the meaning of the blessed life are Lk. 12:43; Jas. 1:12; Mat. 16:17; Rom. 4:8; Rev. 16:15. In these verses, we find a slave will be blessed (and not condemned) when his master returns from a trip and finds him doing what the master wanted. According to James, blessed is every man who perseveres under trial. Such trials prove one’s faith. Once approved, that man will receive the crown of life as promised by the Lord. A person is blessed while going through struggles with overcoming as the end goal. Remaining faithful to God is what overcoming means.

There are other aspects of the blessed state. For example, Paul declared a man blessed whose sins (moral crimes) are not held against him (Rom. 4:8). James also taught that the man who lives according to the perfect law of liberty of God is blessed (Jas.1:25). Simon Peter was blessed because God had revealed to him that Jesus was His Son, the Anointed One (Mat. 16:17). God wants the same for all people.

Here is a real puzzle: “Behold, I am coming like a thief in the night. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and others see his or her shame.” (Rev. 16:15)

Does this mean we must always go to bed with our clothes on lest Jesus returns and everyone see us naked? I think this refers to what Paul taught us and that was to put on the likeness of Christ like a garment. (Rom. 13:14; Eph. 4:20-24; Col. 3:10). This is the white garment mentioned in Revelation.

So, how do we obtain the benefits promised in Revelation?

  1. &nbsp: Read the book. What is written is meant to be understood. Like the Jews who read the book of the God’s law every Sabbath, they still did not understand God’s intentions and plan, according to Paul (2 Cor. 3:15; Ac.13:27; 15:27)
  2.   Understand the book. Hear it words. Listen to the voice of God. Understanding is a gift of the Spirit of God (1 Jo. 2:20-21). Faith comes by hearing the word of God (Rom.10:17). The just shall live by faith (Hab. 2:4; Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11; Heb. 10:38). Righteousness is the fruit of faith in Jesus Christ.
  3.   Heed or keep remembering and living the God-given directives of this prophecy. This is what Jesus meant when he told his disciples that they must remain in the vine (Jo. 15:1-6). “If my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (Jo. 15:7). Why? Because it means those who do keep God’s commandments and the faith and testimony of Jesus. (Jo. 15:10; Rev. 14:12; 12:17)

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Sabbath Discussions: On Revelation, the Book

Posted on January 4, 2009 by | Leave a comment

Although absent in body, I was present at church both in spirit and in mind. Thank God for the gift of radio. The preacher to whom I was listening made to me an astounding confession: He found the book of Revelation confusing.

I usually enjoy a challenge and for this one I’m prepared. I have been studying the book of Revelation for over a year.

A wise person years ago told me that the best way to start something is at the beginning. This is the place at which I begin my discussion of this image and allusion rich book of prophecy.

A good way to begin a discussion about a book is about its author: who is the author of Revelation and what was his purpose? This book was a collaborative effort of no less than 7 persons. The collaborative group of authors introduced in the very first sentence:

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and he sent and communicated it by his angel to his bond-servant John. (Rev. 1:1)

The above text shows us that God is the primary source of this fascinating revelation. He gave it to Jesus who sent his angel to communicate it to John who in turn wrote it down.

Anyone familiar with the gospel of John has already recognized the excitement of John about receiving this prophecy. John was excited because receiving this revelation was affirmation that Jesus’ promises were still true. Jesus gave John and the other disciples a promise that would occur after his death and resurrection. Here is the promise:

When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. (Jo. 16:13)

If you read on, you will discover that Jesus explains that God gave him all things and because of this, the Spirit would take what was his and disclose it to them. (Jo. 16:15) That is what John was describing in his introduction.

You may be wondering about the other collaborators not mentioned above. Who are the other three? In addition to God, Jesus, and his angel, the Spirit of God is a fifth. It was the Spirit that enabled John to pass beyond the vale of the flesh into the realm of heaven and the future. (Rev. 1:10; 4:1-2) It is apparent that being in the Spirit does not always result in glossolalia (speaking in tongues 🙂

Another collaborator in the publication of this book is one of the 24 ruling elders who basically tells John to whining about the sealed book. (Rev. 5:4-5)

There also seems to be another angel who instructs John. This angels angel first instructs him about one of the beasts and a harlot who rides it (Rev. 17; 19:10) and later shows John the bride of Christ, the heavenly city, and the tree of life (Rev. 21-22). If this is meant to be two separate angels, then the consistent numerological symbol 7 ceased. I think it more probable that John could not tell the difference between the different angels. Consequently, the last angel was most likely the same as the previous, which again would fit the use of 7 in this Revelation of biblical allusions and symbolism.

The purpose of this collaborative work is indicated in the first verse of John’s introduction and elaborated on later in the chapter. The simplified version is “the things which must soon take place.” In verse 3, these things are called prophecy. Elaborating further, Jesus says to John, “Write the things you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things” (v. 19). As our discussion progresses, you will see that the latter words also serve as general headings of the outline or as markers for this multi-authored book. The nearness of Christ’s return is also mentioned. (Rev. 1:3, 7, 19)

This hope cannot be extinguished if it is remembered that to God one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as a day. The kingdom of God is still at hand and His coming is drawing nearer each new year, but according to the Jewish calender this is the 5769th year.

Occupy until I do come, said Jesus. (Lk. 19:13 KJV).

Source: NASB except were noted otherwise.

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