A most radical change The old prophets challenged the people of God, the national entity generally called Israel, with words of profound significance. Jeremiah heralded a new covenant to take effect in the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Ezekiel was led into an elaborating on the same issue, and he delivered a vivid description of what was, or, rather is, going to happen to the corporate body of Jews – before the eyes of startled Gentiles. The work of the Lord, which still lies in the future, will be characterised by comprehensiveness – the whole ethnic group will come to point in time when they all will be brought to a considering of the corporate rejection, throughout history, of the crucified God, the suffering Servant, the Messiah, and the results thereof. (Zech 12:10-14) They will be brought to a point, at which a spiritual conversion and an inward change will occur – by the intervening Messiah – which will surpass any earthly evangelistic effort. This will be the reviving of the Nation, under the hand of the Lord, which all the old prophets indicated by segments of revealed heavenly intention. In that day, a fountain will be opened for them all, in which they all will be cleansed and every trace of iniquity will be taken away. (Zech 13:1). Hearts of stone will go, and new hearts will begin its steady, heavenly, beat. And, above all, all men and women, young and old will be made able to carry and show forth the Spirit of the Lord. There is a small dilemma in the regarding of and expecting these things to come. The Church is meant as a tool in the hand of the Lord – certain elements of provocation unto jealousy lies hidden, not yet possible for the Jew to recognize and react to… (Rom 10:19, 11:11, 11:14) What will these things mean to us as a part of the people of God? Not many – indeed only a remnant – are able to show forth anything which comes close to the New Covenant change of hearts, which the old prophets were able to see and recognize as true spirituality in Christ, the Messiah, to be revealed in among the Jewish nation. What will these things of the Lord mean to us? When He returns to Zion, as the Redeemer, will He find a people of God who, indeed, has appropriated the essence of the New Covenant – the Covenant which was displayed before the eyes of the old prophets? Jer 31:31-33, Eze 36:24-28 What will these things of the Lord mean to us? Are we ready to begin to serve Jews and Gentiles alike in a display of the Hope of Glory – Christ, the Messiah, within…? Col 1:27 What will these things of the Lord mean to us? Are we ready to be brought beyond, far beyond our spiritual experience of today, into a serving according to the statutes and stature of the New Covenant? Lars Widerberg “I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.” Eze 36:24-28
Posted on: Mon, 02 Dec 2013 17:41:10 +0000
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