From the Introduction to Jacob’s trouble – the last sifting of Israel. The role of the Church in the drama at the threshold of the Messiah. By Lars Widerberg (03) The End Time scenario To make it plain upon tables: Pretention will always oppose spiritual authenticity. Many of us take great delight in reading the Psalms of David and his prophetic band of singers. Do we recognize the fact that the royal “I” in these Psalms personifies the weak and needy of the nation, the nation of Israel? The otherness of this man – a man after the heart of God, the “davidicness” presented in the Psalms is no other than a royal heart reaching out for heavenly intervention for the nation in times of trouble. It matches God’s own heart, in His intention for Zion. Davidicness, heavenliness is forever bound up with God’s thought for Zion – expressed also as an apostolic thought: “There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob”. Our reaching out for the Redeemer to come, for the King to return for the finalization of redemptive purposes, ought to be of the same nature as David’s, as we are intended to live and exist as a royal priesthood. Acts 2:30, Ps 2, Rom 11:26, 1 Sam 13:14, Ps 14:7, Ps 20:2, Rev 1:6 To make it plain upon tables: Pretention will always oppose spiritual authenticity. The Church, the gathering of Saints before the Lord, are brought together for the travail for Zion. Theirs is a rejoicing in the righteousness represented by Zion. The Church is to be recognized as the gathering of Saints only when it behaves as a gathering of Saints – and Saints are made able to take part in the “On-High calling”, the toilsome task set before the Son. The redemptive work was His, and His alone – make no mistake. But, He is praying at all times for the redemptive work to reach its fullness among men – and, especially, with the old nation, who heard the announcement of the New Covenant first among nations. Spiritual authenticity comes with the burden of the Lord. Spiritual authenticity anchors among the Saints when they begin to seek to understand and to take part in the purposes of Zion. Ps 97:8, Hebr 3:1, 7:15 To make it plain upon tables: Ours is an effort to unwrap and open the issue of the “Day of vengeance”, the matter of Zion’s travail and the sifting of Jacob – and to be doing so from the inside. The matter of Zion, the role of the chosen people in the purposes of God in His creation, holds the interpretive key to the end time scenario, to things which in an extra-ordinary sense are relevant to the fellowship of the Saints. The opening of the “mystery of the Gospel” from the inside, involves a reading and considering of texts which will bring solid correction as to certain fatal views in that which we call “Church”. Eph 6:19 The first text – Jer 31:31-33, is the announcement of the coming of a New Covenant, a covenant which envisages a redeeming work, not based on man’s effort, but on what God offers by radical mercy, first to the Jew and then to the Goyim. The second is Zech 12:10, in which the Lord gives the Holy Spirit a specific role for the last days – becoming in a special manner the Spirit of grace and supplication to be poured out for the revealing of the “Pierced One” among all Jews for their returning to the Lord. In this vital drama, the longer text by the Apostle’s pen becomes fundamental as to content and consequence – Rom 9-11, his shorter note on the coming of an apostasy and the “son of perdition” settles the case for the Saints as to their work in prayer and service before the Lord unto the Jew – the Saints will learn to cooperate with the Spirit of grace and supplication during His staying among the Jews amidst their last sifting. “Make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.” Hab 2:2 The prophetic word, especially the prophetic texts regarding the last days are divided into two major realms of operations. One is meant to engage the reader and inquirer in a struggle for the formation of an understanding of the purposes of the Lord. A dear master of the prophetic information given, calls this part of the operation “apocalyptic evangelism” – a knowing of things to come for the sake of giving precise orientation amidst turmoil, an informing for the sake of choosing that which belongs to the Lord, the choosing to repent and to receive grace amidst gravest oppression. Dan 12:3-4 The other realm of operation is, with greatest significance, linked to the work of the Spirit of grace and supplication. It is summarized by “priestliness” – friendship and cover offered to the Jew. It is a hidden work – a work in prayer chambers and in houses of prayer, it is a solemn work under the hand of the Holy Spirit. Along this priestly path of intercession and identification, a prophetic measure of hope may be obtained and then presented to the ones who have no hope, who defines themselves as having no hope at all. The words of Isaiah reach its foremost application in this priestly setting: “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry to her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned”. Zech 12:10, Eze 37:12-14, Isa 40.1-2 -- -- -- Further reading to be found at: One final Sifting - Israel and the Church during Jacobs trouble Via Widerberg’s FB wall
Posted on: Thu, 02 Oct 2014 09:31:56 +0000
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