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| Revelation 5: The Lion of Judah, Lamb that was slain - worthy to open the scroll. |
I recently sent out my periodic prayer newsletter via email.
I live in
central Oklahoma, and we recently had 2 of the highest level (according to wind
force and size) tornadoes within 11 days of each other - a very rare occurence, even here!
At the time
these tornadoes happened, I was wondering if they fit the “coincidental”
pattern of disasters that coincide with actions of nations against Israel. I had been watching this worldwide pattern
over the course of the last several years, and I was curious if I would find
out some information about the USA government coming against YHVH’s chosen land at the same time as these monster storms.
Do we write them off as mere
coincidence?
(Perhaps some are.)
Or
do we look to YHVH’s Word that clearly states time and again that He will come
against any nation that comes against Israel and Jerusalem?
(I am choosing to trust YHVH at His Word
and to pay attention to those things that are important to Him according to His
Word.)
One thing I
have noticed in the two areas of the world where I have lived during the past
decade is that there is a big disconnect in much of the church’s teaching and
“church-speak”…rarely is any biblical truth ever taught about YHVH’s judgment or about His chosen land and people Israel.
I see from the many
scriptures in YHVH’s Word that these two things are highly important to YHVH, but not only are they both important, they are also in direct correlation to each other in vital ways. YHVH judges those nations
who come against Israel. And Israel is a
huge part of His Kingdom plan.
Now, for the record, let me state what I hope is obvious - YHVH’s judgment is not only regarding what nations do with His land and people Israel. YHVH judges nations for any sin against His Word of Truth. And YHVH's judgment is not only for nations and groups but also ultimately for each individual person.
Having made that clear, let me go back to YHVH's judgment of nations regarding this one very specific biblical truth: a large part of YHVH’s Word states that one reason for God’s judgment on nations is directly related to how they treat His land and people Israel/Jerusalem/Zion.
Now, for the record, let me state what I hope is obvious - YHVH’s judgment is not only regarding what nations do with His land and people Israel. YHVH judges nations for any sin against His Word of Truth. And YHVH's judgment is not only for nations and groups but also ultimately for each individual person.
Having made that clear, let me go back to YHVH's judgment of nations regarding this one very specific biblical truth: a large part of YHVH’s Word states that one reason for God’s judgment on nations is directly related to how they treat His land and people Israel/Jerusalem/Zion.
It is something that cannot be ignored.
I wrote
my prayer newsletter based on what YHVH’s Word says about His judgment of
nations in regards to Israel and included part of Chuck’s teaching with his permission, at which
point he said “Sure, you can quote me…and then duck!”
And he was right.
I received
several emailed comments in response to my prayer newsletter. Some were encouraging, and others were
written as criticism of my views (all done respectfully).
I was
invited to comment on some of the responses I received, so I decided that
perhaps my blog would be the best place to comment. The rest of this blog post will be in response to the emails I received, as well as unpacking some related issues and questions that came up because of the emails.
Note: If you would like to read my prayer newsletter and Chuck's teaching before continuing with this blog post, you can find links to both in the right-hand column of this blog post.
Click on Gina's Prayer Update Letters to find my June 2013 letter.
Click on Intercessors for Israel (under Links in the right hand column of this blog). Once at IFI's home page, click on Teachings. (Hint: if you right-click on each link, it will allow you to open the link in a new tab, and you can switch back and forth between each item.)
I use this one particular email as a sample of similar types of responses I have heard.
I
respectfully would like to comment on your view on the natural disasters...
we as
Christians should not claim we know His dealings when disaster strikes.
While there may be some testimonies of people coming to Christ b/c of
thinking these are judgments on a nation, the way people come to Christ is when
each realizes individually his/her sin against God and accepts Christ's
atonement. Our job as believers is to pray for the eyes of unbelievers to
be opened by the Holy Spirit to the brevity of life, that there is a God who
created them, and that there is a Savior Who is waiting to welcome them into
eternal life...saving them from eternal separation from God, and to be
witnesses of His grace here on earth...
...While it is
true that God has dealt/will deal with nations in their support/antagonism of
Israel, it is the souls of individuals, not nations, that is at the heart of
the gospel. You correctly say that ultimately Israel will stand alone in
the world. Since that is an inevitability, shouldn't our main concern be
for the individuals God has placed in our spheres of influence to share Christ
with them? When we each stand before Him, the question will not be,
"what did you do with Israel," but it will be, "what did you do
with Jesus." If the entire government and population of the US
supported Israel, that would not be the way to eternal life for the individuals
who live here. Denying Christ, not denying Israel, is the root sin of
man...
...I do
believe that the Church must show discernment as to what is expressed and lived
out publicly. When the world and the press hear the Church saying these
are judgments of God, we then become known for judging and condemnation rather
than loving well. It is the kindness of God that leads to repentance; and
it is Christians whom He uses to show His kindness. [name withheld]
It is apparent to me that the author of this particular email assumed that by pointing out what YHVH's Word says about His judgment on nations that come against Israel, I was somehow coming against the gospel of Yahshua the Messiah.
Of course, the judgment of nations that come against Israel is altogether different from the judgment of individuals that will happen at the end of the age when we all stand before Yahshua Himself (Romans 14:10-12; 2 Corinthians 5:10) and hear whether or not He knew us and what the judgment against us is concerning our works (yes, I said works...which is another biblical topic that is hardly mentioned...and will be a topic for another time and another blog post).
Although comparing the content of this email response with what I said in my newsletter is somewhat like comparing apples and oranges, the email does bring up some very important questions and touches on some important issues. When I received this email along with several other similar emails, I went digging in YHVH's Word to address the questions that came up within me.
So, while this might not be speaking directly to the above email, the rest of this blog post will be speaking to the questions that came up within me when I read this and other emails.
First, let me share with you some of the questions that began running through my head after reading these emails:
Matthew 15:22-25, 28
Matthew 23:37-39 (also Luke 13)
It is apparent to me that the author of this particular email assumed that by pointing out what YHVH's Word says about His judgment on nations that come against Israel, I was somehow coming against the gospel of Yahshua the Messiah.
Of course, the judgment of nations that come against Israel is altogether different from the judgment of individuals that will happen at the end of the age when we all stand before Yahshua Himself (Romans 14:10-12; 2 Corinthians 5:10) and hear whether or not He knew us and what the judgment against us is concerning our works (yes, I said works...which is another biblical topic that is hardly mentioned...and will be a topic for another time and another blog post).
Although comparing the content of this email response with what I said in my newsletter is somewhat like comparing apples and oranges, the email does bring up some very important questions and touches on some important issues. When I received this email along with several other similar emails, I went digging in YHVH's Word to address the questions that came up within me.
So, while this might not be speaking directly to the above email, the rest of this blog post will be speaking to the questions that came up within me when I read this and other emails.
First, let me share with you some of the questions that began running through my head after reading these emails:
- "As believers in the Messiah of Israel, the Holy One of Israel, the Right Arm of Salvation of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - are we not also a part of YHVH’s people? Are we not grafted into the tree of His people Israel with Yahshua as the root? How then is it possible to separate ourselves from YHVH's chosen people Israel?"
- "How is it possible to separate Yahshua the Messiah of Israel from Israel the people of YHVH? Are they not both referred to as the servants of YHVH in the prophets? Are they not both intertwined in YHVH’s kingdom plan? And how can we separate Yahshua the Messiah of Israel from the physical land of Israel? Is it not the place where He has begun to establish His kingdom and will return to Jerusalem to reign from Jerusalem?"
- "How can we share the true gospel of the Messiah if we cut Him off from His people, His land, His Torah, His past, His future, His Father’s Words while doing it? Isn’t that the same as proclaiming ‘another gospel’ or ‘another Messiah’?
- "Loving well? What is the biblical meaning of loving well? Does that not mean obeying God? If a child says he loves his parents but constantly disobeys them, saying he is free from obeying them, does that not indicate a wrong understanding of what it means to love? And if a parent declares love to the child but does not warn the child which actions will bring judgment and punishment, is that really love? And is not God’s righteous judgment also a form of His immeasurable love? How is it possible to separate YHVH's holy, righteous, pure, infallible judgment from His love? Is not Yahshua the Messiah the ultimate example of Justice and Mercy, Judgment and Love, the Lion and the Lamb?"
- "When we stand before Yahshua at the end of the age, it is true that we will be judged individually by Him according to whether or not He knows us. But before that, throughout history, when YHVH bestows judgment on various nations in response to what they did to Israel, is it not in answer to the question to that nation, 'what have you done with Israel?' And what about the judgment of nations as opposed to the judgment of individuals? Is it important to know the criteria for YHVH's judgment of nations? As a citizen of a nation that has come against Israel while professing to be a friend, I am very much interested in the criteria YHVH has for judging nations! Should it matter to those people with whom we are sharing the true gospel of the Holy One of Israel, the Messiah, whether or not YHVH judges nations and what sin/sins bring judgment on such nations? I would think it would be vitally important!"
- "What does it mean to deny "Christ"? Would that not include withholding the truth of all that He, the Messiah, was/is about? Would that not also include withholding the truth of all that His Father is about? Does this not then mean that disobeying YHVH's clear Word of truth is denying the truth of His Messiah?"
And the list could go on....but I'll stop here.
I want to now go to the Word of YHVH to address some of these questions that came up within me. I won't tackle them all at this point. (I'm sure you are thanking me for that!)
What comes to my mind first and foremost is how Yahshua fits into each part of all of these questions.
Here is where it might get a bit sticky for some people...
Those who are the physical descendents of Israel (Jews) who hold to the truths of YHVH's Word but reject Yahshua as the foretold and promised Messiah do so for various reasons...one of which is because of the prophecies in the Tanakh (Old Testament) that still have yet to be completed by the Messiah. They do not accept a 2-part/twice-coming Messiah to finish the job. (But their eyes will be opened to the truth at the right time - YHVH's perfect choice of timing!)
Meanwhile, many of those gentiles who claim to be grafted into the people of God through belief in Yahshua the Messiah neglect to know the complete picture of their Messiah as revealed throughout Scripture, but rather "know" a "messiah" through church tradition and interpretations of man! And many neglect to teach the complete biblical truth of the Messiah of Israel - the only Messiah to the nations.
So, people from both of these groups might be reading this blog post and not recognize their Messiah! (This is what happened to me for much of my life, attempting to follow the Messiah portrayed to me by the Christian religion, but not the complete truth of the real Messiah, the true Living Word, the Holy One of Israel, according to the complete Word of YHVH.)
Yahshua and Israel (the land, the people):
Many Christian groups are fond of correctly pointing out that the Old Testament (Tanakh -Torah, Prophets, Writings) is filled with countless references to the Messiah of Israel that YHVH would send to the world. But somehow, these same groups then take the Messiah and separate Him from His people and His land Israel! They somehow infer that because the Messiah of Israel has come to all the world, His Father's commands, instructions, promises, words concerning His eternal inheritance in all the world - Israel - are now null and void and no longer of importance to Yahshua or to those who claim to follow Him! (Not all groups, but many!)
What does YHVH's Word say?
I cannot begin to quote what the Tanakh says about the Messiah...I would have to quote the entirety of the books! (And you can read for yourselves, I'm sure!)
I will only point out a few items of interest and proof of the inseparable connection between the land and people of Israel and the Messiah of Israel.
Matthew 5:17-20
[Yahshua said] “Do not think that I came to destroy the Torah or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to complete. For truly, I say to you, till the heaven and the earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall by no means pass from the Torah till all be done. Whoever, then, breaks one of the least of these commands, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the reign of the heavens; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the reign of the heavens. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees,1 you shall by no means enter into the reign of the heavens."
And while we are looking in Matthew, take a look though the whole book. See how many times Matthew points out that what Yahshua did or what was done to Him was in order to fulfill the many prophecies in the Torah and Prophets concerning Him. [1:22; 2:15,17,23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:14,35; 21:4; etc, etc]
Matthew 10:5-7,16-18
Yahshua sent these twelve out, having commanded them, saying, “Do not go into the way of the gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans, but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, proclaim, saying, ‘The reign of the heavens has drawn near.’ ..."See, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. But beware of men, for they shall deliver you up to sanhedrins and flog you in their congregations. And you shall be brought before governors and sovereigns for My sake, as a witness to them and to the gentiles.
Matthew 15:22-25, 28
And see, a woman of Canaan came from those borders and cried out to Him, saying, “Have compassion on me, O Master, Son of David! My daughter is badly demon-possessed.” But He did not answer her a word. And His taught ones came and asked Him, saying, “Send her away, because she cries after us.” And He answering, said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and was bowing to Him, saying, “Master, help me!” ...And Yahshua answering, said to her, “O woman, your belief is great! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that hour.
Matthew 23:37-39 (also Luke 13)
[Yahshua said] “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to her! How often I wished to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, but you would not! See! Your house is left to you laid waste, for I say to you, from now on you shall by no means see Me, until you say, ‘Blessed is He who is coming in the Name of YHVH!"
And very much related to the time when Yahshua will hear Jerusalem/Israel say "Blessed is He who is coming in the Name of YHVH"...
Romans 11:26-27 (read the whole chapter!)
And so all Israel shall be saved, as it has been written, “The Deliverer shall come out of Zion, and He shall turn away wickedness from Jacob, and this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins."
Luke 18:31-33
And taking the twelve aside, He said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all that have been written by the prophets about the Son of Adam shall be accomplished. For He shall be delivered up to the gentiles and shall be mocked and insulted and spat upon, and having flogged Him they shall kill Him. And on the third day He shall rise again.”
Luke 21:9, 20-22,24, 27-28
[Yahshua said], "But when you hear of fightings and unrests, do not be alarmed, for these have to take place first, but the end is not immediately.” ...“And when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its laying waste is near. Then let those in Judah flee to the mountains, and let those who are in the midst of her go out, and let not those who are in the fields enter her. Because these are days of vengeance, to fill all that have been written....And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem shall be trampled underfoot by the gentiles until the times of the gentiles are filled....And then they shall see the Son of Adam coming in a cloud with power and much esteem. And when these matters begin to take place, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”
Luke 24:46-49
[Yahshua] said to them, “Thus it has been written, and so it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and to rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His Name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these matters. And see, I am sending the Promise of My Father upon you, but you are to remain in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high.”
Revelation 3:11-13
[Yahshua said] “See, I am coming speedily! Hold what you have that no one take your crown. He who overcomes, I shall make him a supporting post in the Dwelling Place of My Elohim, and he shall by no means go out. And I shall write on him the Name of My Elohim and the name of the city of My Elohim, the renewed Jerusalem, which comes down out of the heaven from My Elohim, and My renewed Name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.”
Revelation 14:1
And I looked and saw a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s Name written upon their foreheads.
Romans 9:33
As it has been written, “See, I lay in Zion a Stone of stumbling and a Rock that makes for falling, and everyone who is believing on Him shall not be put to shame.”
Hebrews 12:22-29
But you have drawn near to Mount Zion and to the city of the living Elohim, to the heavenly Jerusalem,... to the entire gathering and assembly of the first-born having been enrolled in heaven, and to Elohim the Judge of all,... and to Yahshua the Mediator of a new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling which speaks better than the blood of Abel. Take heed not to refuse the One speaking. For if those did not escape who refused the warning on earth, much less we who turn away from Him from heaven, whose voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.” And this, “Yet once more,” makes clear the removal of what is shaken – as having been made – so that the unshaken matters might remain. Therefore, receiving an unshakeable reign, let us hold the favor, through which we serve Elohim pleasingly with reverence and awe, for indeed, our Elohim is a consuming fire.
Yahshua and YHVH's Judgment:
YHVH's judgment – righteous judgment, true
judgment, correct judgment – also known as right-ruling. His judgment
can be trusted. It is not evil. It is righteous. It might not always be pleasant, but it can
be trusted.
His
righteous judgment also cannot be separated from His mercy and His love. This is the picture that is revealed in Yahshua the Messiah!
Psalm 89:8, 13-18
O יהוה [YHVH] Elohim of hosts, Who is mighty like You, O Yah?...
You have a mighty arm, Your hand is strong, Your right hand exalted. Righteousness and judgment are the foundation of Your throne; Kindness and truth go before Your face. Blessed are the people Who know the festal trumpet-call! They walk, O יהוה, in the light of Your face. In Your Name they rejoice all day long, and they are exalted in Your righteousness . For You are the comeliness of their strength, and by Your good pleasure our horn is exalted. For יהוה [YHVH] is our shield, And the Set-apart One of Israel is our Sovereign.
Micah 6:8 (Yahshua uses this in Luke 11:42)
He has declared to you, O man, what is good. And what does יהוה require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your Elohim?
Amos 5:14-15
Seek good and not evil, so that you live. And let יהוה Elohim of hosts be with you, as you have spoken. Hate evil and love good, and set up judgment in the gate. It might be that יהוה Elohim of hosts shows favour to the remnant of Joseph.
Isaiah 61:6-9 (the first part of this chapter was quoted by Yahshua as being fulfilled at that time)
But you shall be called, ‘Priests of יהוה,’ ‘Servants of our Elohim’ shall be said of you. You shall consume the strength of the gentiles, and boast in their esteem. Instead of your shame and reproach, they rejoice a second time in their portion. Therefore they take possession a second time in their land, everlasting joy is theirs. For I, יהוה, love judgment; I hate robbery for burnt offering. And I shall give their reward in truth, and make an everlasting covenant with them. And their seed shall be known among the gentiles, and their offspring in the midst of the peoples. All who see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed יהוה has blessed.
John 9:39-41
And Yahshua said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those not seeing might see, and those seeing might become blind.” And those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, “Are we blind, too?” Yahshua said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin, but now you say, ‘We see,’ therefore your sin remains.
Matthew 12:17-21 (quoting from Isaiah 42:1-3)
...in order that what was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, might be filled, saying, “See, My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My being did delight. I shall put My Spirit upon Him, and He shall declare judgment to the nations. He shall not strive nor cry out, nor shall anyone hear His voice in the streets. A crushed reed He shall not break, and smoking flax He shall not quench, till He brings forth judgment forever. And the nations shall trust in His Name.”
John 5:19-23, 26-27, 30
Therefore Yahshua responded and said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son is able to do none at all by Himself, but only that which He sees the Father doing, because whatever He does, the Son also likewise does. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all that He Himself does. And greater works than these He is going to show Him, in order that you marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and makes alive, even so the Son makes alive whom He wishes. For the Father judges no one, but has given all the judgment to the Son, that all should value the Son even as they value the Father. He who does not value the Son does not value the Father who sent Him. ...For as the Father possesses life in Himself, so He gave also to the Son to possess life in Himself, and He has given Him authority also to do judgment, because He is the Son of Adam....Of Myself I am unable to do any matter. As I hear, I judge, and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own desire, but the desire of the Father who sent Me.
This topic of how Yahshua is directly involved with the righteous judgment/right-ruling of His Father YHVH leads into a related topic of Yahshua's judgment of groups as well as individuals:
The book of Amos is one of many good clear examples of the many times YHVH judges nations, including Israel, for their corporate sin against YHVH's Word (including the sin of individuals causing the corporate group to sin).
The story of Sodom and Gomorrah is another example of YHVH's judgment on groups of people (cities, in this case) who could have been saved from corporate judgment if a very small number of righteous people had been found within them. (See the conversation between Abraham and YHVH regarding Sodom in Genesis 18.)
Some people may counter with, "But that all happened in the Old Testament. Now we have Jesus, and His focus is on the individual."
Well, let's take a look at Yahshua's own words in Matthew 11:20-24 (and also Luke 10):
Then [Yahshua] began to reproach the cities in which most of His miracles had been done, because they did not repent: “Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Beit Tsaida! Because if the miracles which were done in you had been done in Tsor and Tsidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say to you, it shall be more bearable for Tsor and Tsidon in the day of judgment than for you. And you, K'far Nachum [Capernaum], who were exalted to the heaven, shall be brought down to the grave! Because if the miracles which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say to you that it shall be more bearable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.”
Here Yahshua is actually comparing a city in judgment, Capernaum, with another city that was judged by YHVH in the Old Testament, Sodom.
And again in Matthew 10:11-15, when Yahshua sent out His disciples, His instructions to them included these words:
“And into whatever city or village you enter, ask who is worthy in it, and stay there until you leave. And as you enter into a house, greet it. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whoever does not receive you nor hear your words, when you leave that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. Truly, I say to you, it shall be more bearable for the land of Sodom and Gomorah in the day of judgment than for that city!"
And one more note on YHVH's judgment:
The scripture that was quoted in the email saying it is "the kindness of God that leads you to repentance" is from Romans 2:4.
Let us not neglect to look at the surrounding verses...
Romans 2:1-6
Therefore, O man, [according to chapter 1, this man is wicked and unrighteous, suppressing the truth in unrighteousness, claiming to be wise but really a fool] you are without excuse, everyone who judges, for in which you judge another you condemn yourself, since you who judge practice the same wrongs. And we know that the judgment of Elohim is according to truth against those who practice such wrongs. And do you think, O man, you who judge those practicing such wrongs, and doing the same, that you shall escape the judgment of Elohim? Or do you despise the riches of His kindness, and tolerance, and patience, not knowing that the kindness of Elohim leads you to repentance? But according to your hardness and your unrepentant heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of Elohim, who “shall render to each one according to his works”...
If I am reading this correctly, it appears to me that only speaking about the kindness of Elohim that leads to repentance and leaving out the very important part about hardness and unrepentant hearts and storing up wrath for the day of judgment only leads people into an incorrect understanding of the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and the Messiah who is the Holy One of Israel.
This has been a very helpful exercise for me. Receiving the emails that brought up questions within me at first was not so pleasant. I questioned myself, and I questioned whether or not I had made myself very clear in my letter (it happens a lot).
I really only want to know and follow and obey YHVH in His complete Word, through His Messiah Yahshua! If there is something in His Word I am getting wrong, I want to know!
So digging into His Word regarding all these questions that came up for me has been good for me.
I'm sure there are still many countless areas where I get it wrong (and I'm sure this blog post includes some of those). And I'm sure there are many Scriptures I do not understand correctly or fully.
But I am so thankful to my Abba and my Redeemer that I continue to see new depths and understand more every time I dive into the Word of Truth, seeking to know my Elohim more fully!
I think the best way to end this blog post is to look ahead.
I will leave you with the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Lamb who was slain.
Revelation 5
And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, having been sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong messenger proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loosen its seals?” And no one in the heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. And I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it.
And one of the elders said to me,
“Do not weep. See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, overcame to open the scroll and to loosen its seven seals.”
And I looked and saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders a Lamb standing, as having been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of Elohim sent out into all the earth. And He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him sitting on the throne. And when He took the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the set-apart ones. And they sang a renewed song, saying,
“You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals, because You were slain, and have redeemed us to Elohim by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and made us sovereigns and priests to our Elohim, and we shall reign upon the earth.”
And I looked, and I heard the voice of many messengers around the throne, and the living creatures, and the elders. And the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice,
“Worthy is the Lamb having been slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and respect and esteem and blessing!”
And every creature which is in the heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying,
“To Him sitting on the throne, and to the Lamb, be the blessing and the respect and the esteem and the might, forever and ever!”
And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and bowed before Him who lives forever and ever.
(Don't forget what the opening of the scroll leads to...YHVH's righteous judgment!)
In the justice and mercy of our Righteous and Loving King, Yahshua, the Lion and Lamb!
Gina
Postscript: The portion of the Torah (read throughout the world) for this week is the story of Balak and Balaam and the talking donkey. It is relevant to this particular topic in many ways. One website that I greatly appreciate for many reasons, Bereans Online, has an interesting discussion on this week's Torah portion. If you would like to read it, click on the Bereans Online link to the right. Once at the website, click on "eNews" and then click on "Balak", the first listing under the Parashat heading.
Some people may counter with, "But that all happened in the Old Testament. Now we have Jesus, and His focus is on the individual."
Well, let's take a look at Yahshua's own words in Matthew 11:20-24 (and also Luke 10):
Then [Yahshua] began to reproach the cities in which most of His miracles had been done, because they did not repent: “Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Beit Tsaida! Because if the miracles which were done in you had been done in Tsor and Tsidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say to you, it shall be more bearable for Tsor and Tsidon in the day of judgment than for you. And you, K'far Nachum [Capernaum], who were exalted to the heaven, shall be brought down to the grave! Because if the miracles which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say to you that it shall be more bearable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.”
Here Yahshua is actually comparing a city in judgment, Capernaum, with another city that was judged by YHVH in the Old Testament, Sodom.
Yes, we will
be judged individually by the Messiah according to whether or not He knew
us. But corporate/national judgment is
altogether a different thing. Groups of
people, cities, nations can still be judged according to their works, their
deeds, their obedience or disobedience to God’s Word….and in this case their
lack of repentance.
And again in Matthew 10:11-15, when Yahshua sent out His disciples, His instructions to them included these words:
“And into whatever city or village you enter, ask who is worthy in it, and stay there until you leave. And as you enter into a house, greet it. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whoever does not receive you nor hear your words, when you leave that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. Truly, I say to you, it shall be more bearable for the land of Sodom and Gomorah in the day of judgment than for that city!"
And one more note on YHVH's judgment:
The scripture that was quoted in the email saying it is "the kindness of God that leads you to repentance" is from Romans 2:4.
Let us not neglect to look at the surrounding verses...
Romans 2:1-6
Therefore, O man, [according to chapter 1, this man is wicked and unrighteous, suppressing the truth in unrighteousness, claiming to be wise but really a fool] you are without excuse, everyone who judges, for in which you judge another you condemn yourself, since you who judge practice the same wrongs. And we know that the judgment of Elohim is according to truth against those who practice such wrongs. And do you think, O man, you who judge those practicing such wrongs, and doing the same, that you shall escape the judgment of Elohim? Or do you despise the riches of His kindness, and tolerance, and patience, not knowing that the kindness of Elohim leads you to repentance? But according to your hardness and your unrepentant heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of Elohim, who “shall render to each one according to his works”...
If I am reading this correctly, it appears to me that only speaking about the kindness of Elohim that leads to repentance and leaving out the very important part about hardness and unrepentant hearts and storing up wrath for the day of judgment only leads people into an incorrect understanding of the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and the Messiah who is the Holy One of Israel.
This has been a very helpful exercise for me. Receiving the emails that brought up questions within me at first was not so pleasant. I questioned myself, and I questioned whether or not I had made myself very clear in my letter (it happens a lot).
I really only want to know and follow and obey YHVH in His complete Word, through His Messiah Yahshua! If there is something in His Word I am getting wrong, I want to know!
So digging into His Word regarding all these questions that came up for me has been good for me.
I'm sure there are still many countless areas where I get it wrong (and I'm sure this blog post includes some of those). And I'm sure there are many Scriptures I do not understand correctly or fully.
But I am so thankful to my Abba and my Redeemer that I continue to see new depths and understand more every time I dive into the Word of Truth, seeking to know my Elohim more fully!
I think the best way to end this blog post is to look ahead.
I will leave you with the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Lamb who was slain.
Revelation 5
And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, having been sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong messenger proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loosen its seals?” And no one in the heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. And I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it.
And one of the elders said to me,
“Do not weep. See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, overcame to open the scroll and to loosen its seven seals.”
And I looked and saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders a Lamb standing, as having been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of Elohim sent out into all the earth. And He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him sitting on the throne. And when He took the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the set-apart ones. And they sang a renewed song, saying,
“You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals, because You were slain, and have redeemed us to Elohim by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and made us sovereigns and priests to our Elohim, and we shall reign upon the earth.”
And I looked, and I heard the voice of many messengers around the throne, and the living creatures, and the elders. And the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice,
“Worthy is the Lamb having been slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and respect and esteem and blessing!”
And every creature which is in the heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying,
“To Him sitting on the throne, and to the Lamb, be the blessing and the respect and the esteem and the might, forever and ever!”
And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and bowed before Him who lives forever and ever.
(Don't forget what the opening of the scroll leads to...YHVH's righteous judgment!)
In the justice and mercy of our Righteous and Loving King, Yahshua, the Lion and Lamb!
Gina
Postscript: The portion of the Torah (read throughout the world) for this week is the story of Balak and Balaam and the talking donkey. It is relevant to this particular topic in many ways. One website that I greatly appreciate for many reasons, Bereans Online, has an interesting discussion on this week's Torah portion. If you would like to read it, click on the Bereans Online link to the right. Once at the website, click on "eNews" and then click on "Balak", the first listing under the Parashat heading.
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