31st Dec

2 Chronicles 36                       Revelation 22              Malachi 4

And so we come, fittingly at the end of the year, to ‘The End of the World,’ in 3 different scenarios. As far as the Jews were concerned, the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of its temple in 586 BC and the subsequent deportation of the cream of their people, must have seemed like the end of the world. Psalm 137 gives some sense of the desolation felt by those exiled. But even in this terrible situation, the Lord is at work. He has already inspired Jeremiah to prophesy a limit to the time of Exile (25:1-14) during the reign of Jehoiakim, the 3^rd but last of Judah’s kings. And our chapter ends with the beginning of the fulfillment of that prophetic word (repeated almost word for word at the beginning of Ezra). Ezra 6:15, with its specific references to a specific month in a specific year of a specific king, informs us that the temple was finally re-dedicated in 516 BC, exactly 70 years on from the fall of Jerusalem, just as revealed to Jeremiah.

Malachi continues to look forward to ‘the Day of the Lord.’ We have noted before that biblical prophecy often fuses together different levels of fulfillment. Here, Malachi mixes images from the Incarnation of Jesus and his Second Coming. Verses 1–3 have clear references to the very end of all things, the image of fiery destruction taken up by Peter in 2 Peter 3:10. Verse 3 supports the interpretation of the Millennium as outlined a day or so ago. Whether Malachi knows his words will ‘close’ scripture for 400 years of silence we cannot tell. But he ends by straining his prophetic sight into the future, and seeing the one God would send to prepare the way for Jesus, John the Baptist (Matthew 17:11-13).

Revelation is truly the end of the world – or, to be more theologically accurate, the re-beginning of the world. ‘I am making everything new,’ says God in 21:5. His ultimate plan is nothing less than the complete restoration or recreation of the entire cosmos, and these final chapters of scripture outline the wonderful beauty of this new world. In 22:2 we read that the old divisions and hatreds of human existence will disappear, because there will be healing for the nations.

I love C S Lewis’s phrase in the Narnia Chronicles, as the children enter Aslan’s Country (Lewis certainly grasped the fundamental biblical concept that the future for which we are saved is a physical, created one) – ‘Further on and further in, further up and further in’.  There is progression in eternity.  There’s a glorious cosmopolitan harmony awaiting us in the city of God. This should inspire our social concern and our social action for areas of deprivation and need.

The image of the bride of Christ should also strengthen our commitment to the Church. It’s so easy to knock the Church, especially when things are hard in a fellowship. Some feel that they can be more Christian by not going to church. But you can’t. God’s new order is God’s people in social form. The gates of the City are the Patriarchs of the Old Testament; its foundations the Apostles of the New. To be a Christian now is to be part of an entirely new social order, ahead of time.  Augustine said there is no salvation outside the Church; and although those words have been abused over the centuries, there is still truth in them. Get stuck into the Church, John seems to be saying, because one day, the day when God’s glory comes to take up permanent residence on the new earth, it’s going to be the Bride. 

The local church, with all its faults, prepares us for the new order that is to come. Whatever your experience of Church, you are nearer Heaven when you’re with your fellow Christians than when you are in isolation at home. And the Church may seem dull and boring and unexciting now, but on its wedding day, you won’t be embarrassed to belong any more.

One of the wonderful things about the closing chapters of Revelation is the way John describes the complete reversal of the consequences of sin:-

·         evil & chaos will have no place (21:1)

·         there will be no more suffering (21:4)

·         there will be no more dissatisfaction (21:6)

·         there will be no more wrath (21:9)

·         there will be no more night (22:5)

·         there will no longer be any curse (22:3)

·         there will be no more threat to peace (21:25)

·         there will be exquisite intimacy with God

ü      the image of parenthood (21:7)

ü      the image of matrimony (21:9) (think of Jesus in Matthew 22:30; Mark 12:25; Luke 20:35)

ü      the image of servanthood (2:3, 4) - ‘They will see his face’

In short, there will be all the potential of Eden – ‘Behold, I make everything new’ (21:5). We cannot take it in, and can only turn to the poets and the visionaries, who help us to understand why St Paul and countless other believers since, simply could not wait to enter this new world.

“The things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world ... had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.”

C.S. Lewis – the Last Battle

(member of the clergy)

30th Dec

2 Chronicles 35                       Revelation 21              Malachi 3

Josiah continues his reforms, now re-establishing the pattern of worship lost for so long. Particular emphasis is placed on the Passover, the annual remembrance of God’s great act of salvation in leading his people out of slavery in Egypt. Today, we daily remember of God’s great act of salvation in the death and resurrection of Jesus.

The death of Josiah shows that we can never relax our guard, and that God’s word can come through the most unexpected sources. That is not to say that we accept whatever we are told, but nor should we simply dismiss it as Josiah does here. Whenever we are faced with someone claiming to speak from God, we must weigh it carefully, however unlikely it seems. For Josiah, it is a fatal mistake. 31 years of good kingship comes to an end in one of the most famous battles in human history, the battle of Carchemish, which again helps us to ‘peg’ biblical history. We know that this battle happened in 609 BC. The Babylonians had overrun the Assyrian Capital Nineveh in 612, and the Assyrians had settled for a final stand in the city of Carchemish. Contemporary accounts record that the Assyrian Army was delayed at Megiddo by the king of Judah, and record his defeat and death. The Babylonian victory at Carchemish ended Assyria’s period as a super-power, and also inflicted a crushing defeat on Assyria’s ally, Egypt, from which it never fully recovered. Biblically, the stage is now set for the final act in the Kings of Judah.

Malachi 3:1 refers to the coming of Christ at the first Christmas, and may have influenced John, alone among the gospel writers, to set the cleansing of the temple right at the beginning of his gospel, just after the wedding in Cana – a ‘sudden coming’ indeed! 3:2 reminds us that Jesus is not the meek and mild figure of popular, liberal Christian myth. Rather, his presence and ministry – and, crucially, humanity’s response to them – will determine the ultimate fault-line of judgment, and on which side of that line we find ourselves. Think Matthew 3:12, a verse we so often ignore in our excitement at the previous verse. Our Lord comes to us as refiner, and refining involves a degree of heat sufficient to make us pliable to his Will and Purpose. Human nature doesn’t change as radically as we sometimes imagine. A key way in which the Lord’s refining work plays out in everyday life, whether in Malachi’s day or our own, is our use of money. ‘Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand’ may be ancient words (1 Chronicles 29:14), but they should inform our thinking today. The word ‘possessions’ is not a Christian one.

It is only after Revelation 19 and 20 that we can begin to read Revelation 21 and 22.  It is only on the basis of a cosmos purged of evil, that we can see the new created order, represented here by the new Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God, prepared as a bride, beautifully dressed for her husband.  Are you a bit surprised to find that John’s image of eternity is a city? It means people living together; it means organised social living – and that’s precisely what John intends us to take from this. 

The Christian hope is solid, material, it’s social and it’s perfect. Peter writes in 2 Peter 3:13 that ‘We are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness’. We notice in 21:24 that cultural diversity will continue.  There will still be nations, which will still be governed by rulers, but they will bring their splendour into the gates of God’s city. 

All those Old Testament images of Jerusalem, the City of Peace, are here brought to the most glorious fulfillment – a city where righteousness dwells. A city where, because of Christ, you and I will live in perfect harmony with creation. A city in which labour will bring joy and fulfillment. 

But we need to be clear that John’s vision of the New Jerusalem is not a simple continuation of human history, nor the final flowering of human achievement. New Jerusalem comes down from Heaven – God’s new creation, completely gifted to us.  And it stands on the other side of the line which the return of Christ will draw across the page of human history. 

(member of the clergy)

29th Dec

2 Chronicles 34                       Revelation 20              Malachi 2

Can you remember what you were doing when you were 8? Maybe you are 8! Imagining becoming king at that age – this is what happened to Josiah 640 years BC. I love the description of Josiah’s faithfulness in verse 2; ‘He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord … not turning aside to the right or to the left.’ [see below] Can that be said of us today?

When Josiah was 16 (the text underlines the fact that ‘he was still young’), ‘he began to seek the God of his father [ancestor rather than actual father] David’. What a wonderful description of what we all need to do. How fervently are we ‘seeking’ God, in our private devotions and in our public gatherings? Note that this seeking is an ongoing, daily choice (‘he began to seek’) and that it is never simply an internal or private journey. It means outward change too, here expressed in the destruction of the elements of pagan worship introduced and allowed by Josiah’s predecessors. His next work is to rebuild the temple. Are there things in our lives that should not be there? Will be faithful in tearing them down? Is there anything of the Lord’s work in us that we have allowed to fall into disrepair? Will we be faithful in rebuilding? During this rebuilding, the book of the law of Moses (most scholars believe this to be the book we know as Deuteronomy) is discovered. Here we see the root of the problem – God’s people have literally lost sight of his Word. It’s interesting that, 4 times in Deuteronomy, God calls on his people not to turn to the right or left from following his commands. Whenever that happens today, we will experience similar problems – disobedience, unfaithfulness and defeat. Let us thank God for the central place of his Word in our lives today.

Malachi turns his prophetic wrath on the leaders of God’s people in chapter two. Their sin? ‘Turning from the way and causing many to stumble.’ How? By not proclaiming the message of the Lord so as to instruct the people with knowledge (2:7, 8). Secondly, Malachi accuses the people of ‘breaking faith with one another.’ We need to read and heed these words, and take to heart the call: ‘So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith.’

Revelation 20 is one of the most contested passages in the whole of scripture, and one of the most difficult to interpret. With regard to the Millennium (or thousand-year reign of Christ), there have historically been 3 major positions among Christians

Post-millennialism

• Jesus will return after a millennium of worldwide Christian dominance
• This is barely credible – certainly, Jesus in his final teaching (Matthew 24 & 25) gives no such indication: the Church can expect to see the gospel spread across the whole earth, with many coming to faith, but also persecution and tribulation

A-millennialism

• we are living in the millennium now – 1000 years is purely figurative
• The major problem here is the banishing of Satan in 20:1–3. Can we really say that Satan is absent from the world today?

Pre-millennialism

• Jesus will return to earth, dead and living saints meeting together in the air (the rapture), & reign with them for a lengthy period on this present earth
• The major problem here is the release of Satan (20:7–10)

This is not an area of theology over which we should fall out with other Christians; but I believe the pre-millenialist position is the most faithful to scripture, for the following reasons

1. It is the oldest view, held by all the ‘Church Fathers’ until Augustine’s Greek ideas.
2. It best fits the plain pattern of Rev 19 – 22 & the plain sense of 20:1–6 in particular
• 1000 years is specified 6 times
• the focus throughout is on earth (19:11–16, 17–21; 20:1, 4, 8, 11)
• the destruction of the beast & false prophet leaves a vacuum in world government
• the verb ‘come to life’ (20:4) always refers to physical resurrection (e.g the raising of Lazarus in John 11:25)
3. It is supported elsewhere in scripture (Revelation 2:27, 5:10, 11:15; 1 Corinthians 6:3; Philippians 2:10, 3:11; 2 Timothy 2:12; Acts 1:6, 3:21; Luke 1:32, 23.38; Matthew 2:2; Isaiah 2:1–4; Micah 4:3; Zechariah 14:9, Isaiah 11:9; Habbakuk 2:14; Daniel 7:9–13, 18, 22–27)

Taking this position, the release of Satan does make some sense. If, after such a period of gracious and just rule by Jesus and his saints, the people of earth once again choose to rebel and follow the Enemy, then God’s final judgement is utterly justified.

The scene of final judgement is a sobering one, as books are opened, and all secrets are laid bare, just as Jesus said they would be (Luke 12:2-4). We also see the fulfilment of the promise made in 1 Corinthians that ‘the final enemy to be destroyed is death.’

(member of the clergy)

28th Dec

2 Chronicles 33                       Revelation 19              Malachi 1

The early reign of Manasseh is one of the darker periods in these Chronicles – pagan worship, child sacrifice … the result is conquest by Assyria. But even here in the midst of such darkness, we see the readiness of our Lord to show mercy (12-13); and more, what God’s mercy is designed to achieve – ‘Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God.’ He demonstrates his repentance in active obedience – do we?

Malachi’s message comes to God’s people in a time of great spiritual decline. It is approximately 80 years after the rebuilding of the Temple, and the promises of the coming Messiah have not yet happened. As a result, the people had become lax, displaying an increasingly casual attitude toward God and worship. Malachi states that their sacrifices were unacceptable to God, husbands were unfaithful, and the priests neglectful of God’s covenants. In this first chapter, Malachi details the failings of the people as a whole.

We are accustomed to the idea that heaven rejoices at repentance – but at judgment? If Babylon does indeed represent our modern, global economic world order, then it is ironic to think of the rich and famous enjoying Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus in Covent Garden, ignorant of the fact that it is based on the song of heaven in response to the destruction of the very source of their wealth and status. It is striking that Babylon’s destruction is so swift (10). Although numbers in Revelation are usually symbolic, the message is clear: a whole world order collapsing in dramatic fashion. This has particular resonance in our age, the first in human history when an entire global economic order could indeed be undone at a stroke, whether through human greed or error, cyber-terrorism or the spread of civil unrest.

The number seven has been a significant feature throughout the book of Revelation (7 lampstands, 7 seals bowls and trumpets) and now ends with a final seven – a series of visions from 19:11 – 21:1.

1. The Rider on the white horse riding out of heaven’s open door (19:11–16)
2. An angel invites birds to a macabre supper of human flesh (19:17–18)
3. The Battle of Armageddon (19:19–21; see 16:16)
4. An angel binds Satan for 1000 years (20:1–3)
5. Dead Christians are raised (the first resurrection) & reign on earth with Christ for 1000 years, after which Satan is released for a final fling before being destroyed (20:4–10)
6. The Great White Throne appears. The 2nd resurrection brings all people to life for the final judgment, before which the earth disappears (20:11–15; see also Daniel 12:2)
7. The New Heaven & Earth appear & the new Jerusalem descends from heaven (21:1)

I love the image of ‘heaven standing open’ – what a wonderfully evocative picture of what Christ has achieved for us. What a contrast with the scene in Genesis 3 as the entrance to Eden is barred to fallen humanity – now, through the cross, Christ has opened the gate of eternity.

What a contrast, too, between the final image of Jesus in his earthly ministry – hanging and dying on the Cross – and his glorious appearance as the White Rider. Tolkien picks up this image in ‘Lord of the Rings’ – and if you know the films, this verse is the inspiration for the appearance of Gandalf the White, with the massed troops of Rohan, at the end of the Battle for Helm’s Deep in ‘The Two Towers.’

We have just celebrated the birth of the babe of Bethlehem – an apparently insignificant event at the time, and even now, except to the eye of faith. The return of the Lord of Glory will be the biggest public event in history (Matthew 24:30; 1 Thessalonians 4:16).

Why not spend some time today meditating on the glorious description of Jesus we are given in 19:11-16?

(member of the clergy)

27th Dec

2 Chronicles 32                       Revelation 18              Zechariah 14

We may be shocked by what we read about the end of Hezekiah’s reign. After all he’d done (that’s how the chapter opens), Judah is besieged by an enemy of vastly superior strength. Hezekiah shows strong leadership, acting with human wisdom and spiritual insight. His declaration that the Lord is more powerful than any enemy (7, 8) is a wonderful example of seeing things from God’s perspective rather than simply our own. How often do we succumb to fear or doubt because we look at what is going on around us from the wrong perspective? God answers Hezekiah’s prayer and destroys the enemy. Reference to Sennacherib helps scholars date the biblical record, as independent Babylonian records confirm his war with Judah, the defeat of his army and his subsequent death at the hands of two of his sons. The chapter ends with a warning to leaders about pride, but also the encouragement that repentance leads to instant restoration with our Lord.

Zechariah closes with yet more prophecies that weave through various eras. The opening may find partial fulfillment in the destruction of Jerusalem’s Temple in 70AD, but what follows can only be a reference to the very End of Time. We are given to believe that Jesus himself will stand again on the Mount of Olives. This chimes with the words of the angel to the disciples after the Ascension – ‘This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven’ (Acts 1:11). The events depicted in verses 5b-9 are echoed in Jesus’ own teaching in the gospels and in the book of Revelation, in whose 18^th chapter we now read about the destruction of godless humanism as portrayed symbolically in the great city of Babylon.

The fall of Babylon is

·         dreadfully tragic, for she is not utterly evil (18:22-23a)

·         dramatic, for she arrogantly assumes she will never be overthrown (8:7,8)

·         ironic, for it is the Beast on which Babylon rides which will destroy her (17:16-17)

·         welcomed by heaven (19:1-6)

And how should God’s people respond to Babylon? We are to ‘come out of her’ (18:4). We are, after all, ‘looking forward to the city with foundations’ (Hebrews 11:8-10, 13-16). This does not mean that we cut ourselves off from the world in which we live, but that we live radically distinctive lives, pursuing Kingdom values rather than those of the world.

(member of the clergy)

26th Dec

2 Chronicles 31                       Revelation 17              Zechariah 13: 2-9

Sung worship within the house of the Lord was not enough in Hezekiah’s day – and nor is it in ours. Action in the community (31:1); giving to the work of the Lord (31:2-15); and serving the Lord in some specific way (31:16-21) are all equal parts of our worship. I love the description of Hezekiah at the end of this chapter. ‘In everything he undertook … he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly.’ May that be God’s verdict on our work for him today.

Zechariah’s words in 13:7 are quoted by Jesus (Matthew 26:31 / Mark 14:27) just before his arrest, in explanation of what is to come. Verses 8 & 9 depict a refining process for God’s people. A silversmith knows when the metal he is refining is pure – it is when he can see his own reflection in it. Are we aware of the Lord’s refining work in our lives, as he turns up the heat, burning away our impurities until we reflect him more truly to our world?

As Revelation nears its climax, we see the Lord’s refining work upon the whole earth, as evil and wickedness are systematically tackled. The book ends in a tale of two cities – Babylon and the new Jerusalem; and what a contrast they present.

We need to remember that, throughout scripture, beginning with the first city, Babel, whose people said ‘let us make ourselves a name’ (Genesis 11:4) ‘the city’ is a depiction of human pride, arrogance and sinfulness. Again, our cyclical model helps to avoid the temptation to see Babylon as one particular city or institution. The reference to 7 hills (17:9) would have been a clear sign to John’s first readers that he was thinking of Rome. But Babylon, like the Beast in chapter 13, is a composite image, incorporating numerous OT references – Nineveh (Nahum), Tyre (Ezekiel), Sodom (Genesis), and the literal Babylon (Isaiah & Jeremiah).

Babylon represents humanistic, godless society – the world as it lives in defiance of God. She is characterised by

·         vast international influence (17:1,2, 15; 18:23)

·         a horrifying level of moral decadence (17:4)

·         vast materialistic affluence (17:4, 18:12-13)

In a Babylonian economy, everything is bought & sold, even the ‘bodies and souls of men’ (18:13). Babylon, then, is the epitome of a global market economy. Note that Babylon rides the beast – John foresees a world where money is the supreme power, dominating political systems (‘Babylon is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth’ – 17:18). Babylon is both antiChristian (17:6; 18:24) & doomed (14:8; 17:1,16-18; 18:1-24).

(member of the clergy)

25th Dec

Revelation 15 & 16                

In chapters 6, 8-9 and now 15-16, we are introduced to, respectively, 7 seals, 7 trumpets and 7 bowls. It is common today, especially in America, to view the seals, trumpets and bowls in a successive or linear pattern – i.e. they each follow on from the previous one.

A more ancient – and in my opinion far more helpful – Christian view sees the various groups of 7 (Seals, Trumpets, Bowls) as simultaneous or ‘cyclical’ – each depicts in a different way either part or the whole of ‘This Present Age’ from Christ’s First Coming to his Second Coming.

This view does not rule out the very real likelihood that there will be an increase in the severity of God’s judgment in the very last days. Indeed, the Seals, Trumpets & Bowls suggest just such an escalation – compare the 2nd Trumpet’s effect on the sea (8:8) with that of the 2nd Bowl (16:3).

The value of this simultaneous or cyclical model is in providing a pattern which covers the whole of the middle section of Revelation (chapters 6 - 18). In this pattern, 4 themes are interwoven: -

• God’s Activity (judgment & mercy)
• Satan’s Activity (wrath & deception)
• the fate of the earth (destruction)
• the fate of God’s people (redemption)

In chs 6-18, John’s visions offer different viewpoints of the same events, characters & future, seen from various angles. We see God’s people variously as seen by God, Satan & the inhabitants of earth. We see the inhabitants of earth in their political, religious & economic alliances with Satan. We see Satan himself as he appears to the Church, to the inhabitants of earth and to God. These visions are not intended to fit a date & time sequence. John is not concerned to reveal an exact chronology of “earth’s last days” (as a recent series of novels claims!) but rather to provide a pattern by which to understand our calling as God’s people set against the backdrop of the reality of evil in the here and now and the certainty of Christ’s future Return to earth. John’s visions explain these realities in vivid form in order that we might show ‘patient endurance & faithfulness’ (13.10). In biblical prophecy, the future is only unveiled in order to transform the present.

As a general rule

           

• the Seals, Trumpets & Bowls deal with God’s judgment / mercy & the fate of the earth
• the insertions deal with Satan’s wrath / deception & the fate of God’s people

So it becomes possible to depict the pattern of Revelation 6 – 18 as follows

THE SEALS, TRUMPETS, BOWLS	THE INSERTIONS
6:1–17 = Seals 1 to 6
	7:1–8 = 144,000 sealed
	7:9–17 = A great multitude
8:1–5 = the 7th Seal
8:6–9:21 = Trumpets 1 to 6
	10:1–11 = the angel & the little scroll
	11:1–14 = the Two Witnesses
11:15–19 = the 7th Trumpet
	12:1–13:1 = the woman & the dragon
	13:2–18  = the two beasts
	14:1–5 = the Lamb & the 144,000
	14:6–13 = the 3 angels
	14:14–20 = the harvest of the earth
15:1–8 = 7 angels with 7 Bowls
16:1–21 = Bowls 1 to 7
	17:1–18 = the woman on the beast
	18:1–24 = the fall of Babylon

(member of the clergy)

24th Dec

2 Chronicles 29 & 30                                       Zechariah 11 & 12: 1-13:1

For the Chronicler, successful leadership of God’s people is always a matter of doing what is ‘right in the eyes of the Lord.’ After the disaster of Ahaz’s reign, Hezekiah speaks uncomfortable truth to the people about their sin, and leads them in repentance and a return to true worship, which, as we have seen so many times before, involves sacrifice. The consistent teaching of scripture asks the question – can anything which does not involve sacrifice be called worship? I was struck by the closing words of chapter 29: things had seemed bleak for God’s people – but  now there is rejoicing ‘at what God had brought about for his people, because it was done so quickly.’

Note Hezekiah’s intentionality at the beginning of chapter 30, as he summons the people to celebrate the key act of worship of the Jewish Year – Passover. May the Lord give us grace to heed Hezekiah’s words today

·         return to the Lord … that he may return to you (30:6)

·         do not be … unfaithful to the Lord (30:7)

·         do not be stiff-necked … submit to the Lord (30:8)

·         serve the Lord your God (30:8)

Lest we have any doubt about the Lord Hezekiah is urging us to serve, he repeats one of the Old Testament’s most enduring descriptions of God’s character – ‘the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him.’ The result of Hezekiah’s work is movingly detailed in 30:25-27.

Zechariah also details the Lord’s displeasure at faithless leadership (the false shepherds who have only an eye to personal profit). How often do we heed the Lord’s call in scripture to pray for our leaders? Verses 12 & 13 are quite extraordinary, one of the clearest examples of an Old Testament image being fulfilled, half a millennium later, in the life of Jesus – I can’t help but wonder whether these words echoed in the minds of the Pharisees when they paid Judas his blood money …

From chapter 12, Zechariah’s prophetic vision turns to the coming of the Saviour. In the concertina effect common to biblical prophecy, we find ourselves looking one moment at the earthly life of Christ, and the next into the far future and his return. We learn that Jerusalem will play a key role in the events at the End of Time, but this geo-political reality is dwarfed by what we read from verse 10 onwards, some of the clearest prophecies about Jesus in the Old Testament. 500 years before the coming of the baby whose birth we celebrate tomorrow, God speaks of himself as ‘the one they have pierced.’ There are few clearer indications in the Old Testament that Jesus is indeed God incarnate. Many see the promise of 12:10 being fulfilled in our day as more Jews come to faith in Jesus than at any other time in history. Paul urges us to pray for his people – let us make sure that we do.

(member of the clergy).

23rd Dec

2 Chronicles 27-8                    Revelation 14              Zechariah 10

Jotham (king of the southern kingdom of Judah in the middle of the 8^th-century BC) was the son of Uzziah. That name may well sound familiar, for it was in the year that he died (and his son therefore succeeded him) that Isaiah saw God’s glory filling the temple (Isaiah 6). The theme of God’s coming glory will be our companion in these readings as we complete our year’s journey through the bible.

It’s all too easy to find history boring! Kings and Chronicles (originally both just one long book rather than divided in two) can seem an endless list of long-dead kings and the brief details of their reigns. But the chroniclers are making a very important point. God’s people prosper and flourish – or do not – as a direct result of their response to his Word – faithfulness or disobedience. Note the stark reversal in fortunes for Judah, and the key roles played by the king in each case. Jotham and Ahaz both reign for 16 years, but the consequences of their actions could hardly be more different (27:6 & 28:19). The temptation to compromise on the calling of God is as present today as it ever was.

Zechariah was a younger contemporary of Haggai, and encouraged the Jews returning from Exile to rebuild the Temple. Here, he emphasises the gulf between the one, true God and the false gods to which people so readily turn. There is promise upon promise of restoration, victory and peace for God’s people – some of which was fulfilled in the Return, some of which is fulfilled among God’s people in every age as they return to him in repentance and a true desire for his glory; but the final fulfillment of which awaits the return of Jesus and the establishment of God’s perfect Kingdom – themes which Zechariah will explore more fully in the coming days.

In Revelation 14 John relieves the horror of chapters 12 & 13 by showing us those who do not follow the Beast (the name or mark they bear contrasts sharply with the mark of the Beast). 144,000 is a symbolic number: they are only the ‘firstfruits’ (implies martyrdom) of those ‘purchased’ for God (a clear reference to the price paid by Jesus).

The remainder of the chapter is taken up with a procession of 6 angels of judgement, who warn of the terrible consequences of submitting to the rule of the Beast, which means sharing his fate (20:10 – compare the Christian’s hope ‘in Christ’). The link between wrath, blood & wine throws a poignant light upon Gethsemane (which means ‘wine or oil press’ from a root meaning ‘crushing’). Right at the heart of God’s judgment of our world lies the key to its salvation. Even in the middle of the Book of Revelation, stands the Cross.

Verse 12 (repeating 13:10) is the heartbeat of Revelation, certainly as we apply it to our lives. The Christian life is ‘a long obedience in the same direction’ and no bed of roses. When persecution comes to us, may God grant us patient endurance and faithfulness.

(member of the clergy)

22nd Dec

2 Chronicles 26     Zechariah 9     Revelation 13     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

See, your king comes to you – Zech 9:9

Do you sometimes wonder about why there is so much suffering and unhappiness in our society and in our personal lives, despite us living in a stable society, with peace and unprecedented prosperity?

I read about a group of persecuted Christians in China, who started their regular secret meetings by asking each other: “What were your wounds for Christ this week?” A visiting Western Christian answered: Oh, in the West Christians are not persecuted. The Chinese Christians responded with disbelief: Satan is not active in the West?

It is fascinating to think about possible identities of the two beasts in Rev 13. Whatever or whoever they are, it is clear that they are hostile and dangerous to Christians. The saints are therefore called to patient endurance and faithfulness (v10) and wisdom (v18). Today this is still highly relevant for persecuted Christians worldwide, but also for us, since our enemy, Satan, is always at work against us, prowling “around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Pe 5:8).

In Zechariah 9 we read more detailed prophecy about the Messiah being a gentle and humble Saviour, taking away and breaking weapons, proclaiming peace to the ends of the world and bringing freedom and salvation. In contrast, king Uzziah in 2 Chr 26 is described as being very powerful with a large well-trained army and weapons. God gave him success as long as he sought the Lord, but ultimately his pride lead to his downfall through attempting to perform duties of a priest. Interestingly, in an earlier prophecy of Zechariah we read that the Messiah would be both king and priest (Zech 6:13).

Jesus said of himself: “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” (Matt 10:34). The NIV study Bible commentary explains that this is no contradiction with Jesus being the ‘Prince of Peace’ (Isa 9:6), since although Christ came to bring peace between the believer and God, and peace among men, the inevitable result is conflict, between Christ and the anti-christ.

Heavenly Father, thank you that through our King Jesus Christ, we have peace with you. Please help us to fulfil our calling for patient endurance, faithfulness and wisdom when we face difficulties. Amen.

(friend of Christ Church)

21st Dec

2 Chronicles 25     Zechariah 8     Revelation 12     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not wholeheartedly – 2 Chr 25:2

Do you sometimes wonder what the summary statement of your life might look like? I am sure most of us would like to fall into the category of having done what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but what might doing right wholeheartedly mean?

God never does anything half-heartedly, the entire Bible testifies to this. In Zech 8 the Lord Almighty says: “I am very jealous for Zion. I am burning with jealousy for her.” We then read about his plan to restore his relationship with Zion and about all the blessings he will bring to Jerusalem, which are in accordance with the covenant he made with Moses (Lev 26:3).

However, God’s wholehearted approach to us goes even further: in order to redeem his people he does what he would never ask of anyone else: he sacrifices his only son, Jesus Christ, whose blood seals a new covenant with us (Jer 31:31-34; Luke 22:20). Also, through Jesus’ death on the cross our enemy, Satan, is defeated. In Rev 12 we read what will happen next: he will be hurled to earth, where he will unleash a period of final hostility towards the people of God (Rev 12:12), before he is finally thrown in the lake of burning sulphur (Rev 20:10).

God is always interested in our hearts, not our outside appearance (Hos 6:6). Doing something wholeheartedly means willingly, not forced. In his letter to the Romans Paul writes that simply observing the law doesn’t make anyone righteous in God’s sight, it only makes us aware of sin (Ro 3:20). In contrast, there is a righteousness from God which doesn’t come from obeying the law, but which “comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe” (v22). Wholeheartedly obeying Christ’s teaching means we are set free from sin and become willing servants (‘slaves’) to righteousness (Ro 6:17-18).

Peter further tells us what we have to do, to receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (2 Pe1:3-11): “make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love”.  As we learnt in the Freedom in Christ course: God’s goal for our life, which can never be blocked, is for our character to become like Christ’s.

Heavenly Father, thank you that you have predestined us to be conformed to the likeness of your Son (Ro 8:29). Help us to wholeheartedly pursue your goal for our lives. Amen.

(friend of Christ Church)