August 4, 2024

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“‘Where are they taking the basket?‘ I asked the angel who was speaking to me. He replied, ‘To the country of Babylon to build a house for it. When the house is ready, the basket will be set there in its place.’” (Zechariah 5.10-11)

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” (John 14.1-4)

REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

These two collections of verses happened nearly 550 years apart. One may not make as much sense without the other. Both speak of houses being built. Both address the finality of a certain action happening only when the construction is completed. Following the premise of both prophesies, we are able to discern a relationship to a “wedding” ceremony and tradition. As it pertains to Zechariah, it is a premonition of an evil alliance seated in an evil house. The word “house” designates a place of governance. Thus, as it pertains to John, it is a premonition of a holy alliance seated in a righteous house. When we arrive in the Revelation According to John the Beloved, there is no question that the evil house is identified as Babylon just as in Zechariah. Consequently, the righteous house is identified as the New Jerusalem. Interestingly enough, the building of the house in Jerusalem, i.e. the Temple, will not be started until the house in Babylon is completed. The “consort,” the evil representative of a foreign nation which is to be removed from Israel does not happen until Nehemiah addresses Darius, the Median ruler. Under King Darius’s command, Nehemiah is sent to Israel with a full resource at his disposal to rebuild Jerusalem. As for when the New Jerusalem shall appear, we know that not even the builder knows the day nor the hour until it happens. Even when the “house” is completed in Heaven, it shall not be put on earth until the “Father of the Groom” gives the command. Thus, the whole of creation waits for it. It groans for it as a woman in labor about to give birth. In that vein of thinking, I believe that we are in this day and age in the midst of Braxton Hicks contractions. They are not the true labor pains but are a signal of an impending birth where the true labor pains will produce a contraction and lead to the delivery of a new life. Perhaps Jesus had this in mind when He speaks to the disciples and a gathering of followers from the Mount of Olives following the cleansing of the Temple:

“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. [It is] Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other. Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 24.6-13)

Of course, the building of the new house, or the setting of it in place in the New Earth, cannot happen until the old house has been cleared away. Daniel’s “abomination of desolation” which is revisited in Jesus’ teaching recorded in Matthew 24.15 reveals such a time as that. Consider for a moment something many of us have seen: the moving of a house from one plot of ground to another. We watch as the preparations are made to secure, lift and transport that house. It is an amazing fete. With equal intentionality, the place where the house is going must be secured and prepared as well. Just as utilities must be disconnected at one end so they must be ready to be connected on the other end. The house is just a building until it is set on a firm foundation and “connected.” We can even use scriptural terms of “living water” and “the light of the world” to identify this house coming to life. Of course, we know that the house will not be a home until there are people living in it. It has no use or purpose until there are those who will avail themselves of the resources there. Imagine those heavenly housemovers who will move “heaven and earth” to bring the New Jerusalem to its place in the New Earth. The entire mindset of those who will dwell in it is reshaped as to what they considered that house would look like. Human words will have failed. We will stand and kneel amazed at the glory of it all. The truth of the matter will be fully known as we ourselves will be fully known. (ref. 1 Corinthians 13.12)

Until those moments happen, we are impacted by the transitional pains of this new life. We may experience them as bad, evil or terrible moments. Yet, we can faithfully experience them as those “signs of the times” which point to that glorious future promised to all who will “keep the faith.” Mighty ones of God, we must keep the faith. The end will come. The time of its arrival Jesus explained clearly and simply as “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24.14) It is not a “wait and see” invitation. It is a “call to action” commission which Jesus fully empowers, as recorded in Matthew 28, “Go, therefore, into all the world and make disciples in and of every nation. Preach to them the gospel. Baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Do this faithfully and confidently knowing that I AM with you always to the very close of this age.” Yes, mighty ones of God, each one of us is called to preach, serve and worship in the midst of God’s Word who is without question Jesus the Christ. He is the true Messiah. There will be many others who will assume a position, locally and globally, of being “messianic,” a deliverer of the people from the hands of evil. Their definitions of evil will be worldly and subjective serving their own needs above the people whom they are supposed to serve and in contradistinction to the will of God before whom we all will stand and kneel on “that Day.” But pay heed to the signs and the time frame by which these things will come to pass. As scripture informs us, “Upon the witness of two, truth shall be discerned and acted upon.” (Matthew 18, 2 Corinthians 13, Deuteronomy 19, Revelation 11, Zechariah 4 and others) We have such witnesses now from both the Old and the New Testaments. They are in agreement as to the will of God in the matter and the outcome of such matters as God’s will be done. We dare not ignore them nor claim ignorance of them. We have been told and we ourselves have become witnesses to it as the gospel of Jesus the Christ has been given to us.

TODAY’S PRAYER IN RESPONSE TO GOD’S WORD:

Father, before we were conceived in the womb, You had already formed us in Your love and by Your Spirit brought us into being. Each one of us is blessed with the opportunity of doing right, being good and producing the fruit of the Spirit in order that others be fed the truth of that same love so that the two will become one. It is our soul’s sincere desire to embrace the oneness You have in mind so we would know we are Your people and You are our God. Lead us in that discovery of the truth and the manifestation of that love for us all. In Jesus’ name, we pray. AMEN.