|
BACKGROUND
DEFINITION OF TERMS (For Serious Students)
COVENANT
LAW
LAW
I. In the Old Testament
II. In the New Testament
GRACE
GRACE, MEANS OF
KINGDOM OF GOD
KINGDOM OF GOD, KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
I. In John the Baptist
II. In the teaching of Jesus
III. Kingdom and church
IV. In the rest of the New Testament
V. In theological thought
The
full background to this teaching is available online at this link
<b>DEFINITION OF TERMS</b> (For Serious Students)
|
Online links to scriptures (New International Version [NIV] unless otherwise stated) are shown in blue
|
|
Indeed, a key to understanding for me.
If only it were so easy to live!
|
| THE 'OTHER' SIDE |
|
___________THE THREE KINGDOM AGES__________
THEME______PATRIARCHS__PROPHETS___PEOPLE___
_______________Creation_____c.1500BC______c.5BC___
_______________c.1800BC_____c.432BC___Jesus Return
SOCIETY_______Nomadic_____Agrarian___Developmental
REACHING_______Family_______Nation________World
SALVATION___Righteousness____Law_________Grace
PRIESTHOOD__Melchizedek_____Aaron________Jesus
SUCCESS BY_Reproduction____Prosperity____Sacrifice
SACRIFICE______Isaac________Animals________Jesus
PROMISE_____Edenic Cvt.__Abrahamic Cvt._New Covenant
PERSONIFIED_Abraham (Seed)_Moses (Guide)_Jesus (The Way)
GOVERNED____Patriarchal___Authoritarian____Relational
TEMPTATION__Serpent___Other Nations__Humanism
|
| CHOICE IS ESSENTIAL TO FREEWILL |
|
 In order to exercise freewill, there must be a choice between alternatives. So in Christianity, we have the choice between good and evil, between following God, or following satan. Satan is not simply a rebellious angel. His fall from God's grace was a necessary part of God's plan, in providing an alternative, so that we might be able to exercise freewill.
Satan, the devil, the evil one, whatever name you prefer, encourages us to walk away from God. He is much too cunning to appear in person. Anyway, he can only be in one place at one time! He adapts his plan of attack to the times, setting up a counterfeit system of the one God is using to relate to His chosen people at the time. Hence satan takes a different form and approach during each kingdom age.
|
| THE SERPENT |
|
In the Garden of Eden before the fall, God, in some form or presence, physically walked with Adam and Eve, for they had no sin in them.
Genesis 3:8a
|
|
|
 So satan too, needed to appear in a physical form, for that is what Adam and Eve were used to and understood. He didn't appear as himself, for they would have seen through that straight away. Ever the deceiver, he took the form of and inhabited, the crafty serpent, in order to tempt them away from God. And of course, he worked through deception rather than outright lies.
Genesis 3:1
|
|
|
 No longer could Adam and Eve come into God's presence.
Genesis 39-10
|
|
|
From then on, humans were restricted to seeing God spiritually, for sin cannot exist in the presence of God. Not even Moses could see Him fully!
Exodus 33:18-20
|
|
|
The effects of the serpent's actions, and mankind's response to them, were illustrated through the actions of men and woman during the remainder of the first kingdom age. The wickedness of the people of Noah's time___
Genesis 6:5-7
|
| 'GRASS IS GREENER' SYNDROME |
|
 The focus during the second kingdom age was on the nation state of Israel, that of possessing the Promised Land. Therefore it is not surprising that the alternative now, is the temptation of other nations.
The story of the exodus starts with the promised delivery from captivity in Egypt, as God said to Moses:
Exodus 3:7-8
|
|
|
 The ups and downs of the claiming, occupation and loss of the Promised Land, is what most of the Old Testament is about. Ending of course in hope, with a partial resettlement, although under foreign domination.
The focus of the nation's religious life, and God's presence, was firstly upon Moses Tabernacle, then Solomon's Temple. The Temple was finally destroyed by the Babylonians and rebuilt, less grandly, by the returning remnant.
Exodus 25:3
|
|
|
The nation itself was to be holy, set apart to God, by following His instructions.
Exodus 19:5
|
|
|
 In light of this focus upon the nation, it is not surprising that satan used other nations to seduce the people away from their inheritance, by using 'the grass is greener on the other side of the fence' syndrome. One which is still alive and well today! The actions and state of the nation were patterned on and determined by those of their leaders. The leaders almost totally represented the nation in a way not seen today.
After Joshua, through the eras of the Judges and the Kings, the leadership and the people were constantly tempted to intermarry and adopt the lifestyles of the surrounding nations.
Samson was an example of a Judge who finally paid for his sin with his life. His parents realized he was doing wrong, but like many of us, he wouldn't listen.
Judges 14:1-4
|
|
|
 And the most infamous of all was King Solomon, whose actions ended up splitting the nation into two under his son, the precursor to the final destruction of the divided nations by the Assyrians and Babylonians.
1 Kings 11:1-13
|
|
|
Even the returning exiles made the disastrous mistakes of their forbears. Until Ezra realized what was happening and challenged them to put the situation right.
Ezra 10:1-4
|
|
|
 The other ongoing temptation was that of foreign religions. Early on in the possession of the Promised Land Joshua warned the people about this.
Joshua 24:19-20
|
|
|
Jeremiah summed up the situation of Israel forsaking God, really well.
Jeremiah 2:23-5
|
|
|
And in the end God used other nations to punish Israel for abandoning Him as a nation. The Assyrians overran the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
2 Kings 17:5-6
|
|
|
 God used King Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian nation to capture the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
Jeremiah 25:8-11
|
|
|
 But Babylon too, would finally be punished for her sins. And a remnant of Jews would return.
Jeremiah 25:12-14
Yes, during the second kingdom age, the both the physical and spiritual battles were waged between nation states.
|
| THE SEDUCTIVENESS OF HUMANISM |
|
 The Greeks introduced Humanism, a system based upon human interests, into worldly thought, during the intertestmental period. Greek thought continues to dominate worldly philosophies through to this day.
It is the third kingdom age counterculture to the personal relationship to the Father, made available to us through the death of Jesus.
Ephesians 1:3-6
|
|
|
Through Jesus, a personal relationship is required, so satan's counterculture also moves to a personal level. He attacks like with a counterfeit like, as we have seen with the serpent during the first kingdom age and the nations in the second.
Satan set the scene for what was to come by tempting Jesus in the desert at the start of His ministry, offering Him all the good things of the world, if only He would worship Him.
Matthew 4:10
|
|
|
 There is now a direct battle for the lives of each and every individual between Jesus and satan.
Matthew 12:25-28
|
|
|
An example was when Peter, in his enthusiastic humanity, denied the necessity for the cross.
Matthew 16:22-23
|
|
|
 It is based upon lies and deceit, the putting of ones self first, as shown in the example of Ananias and Sapphira.
Acts 5:3-5
|
|
|
 Humanism can appear very good to us. After all, this was the basic choice Adam and Eve made when they ate the forbidden fruit. So we can easily be misled into believing the deception, if we are not careful. We need to test everything and everyone in the light of Scripture, even within the church.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15
|
|
|
Timothy summed up today's humanistic world accurately when he wrote:
2 Timothy 3:1-5
|
|
|
 However, as believers, we are to take on the nature of Jesus by developing the 'fruit of the Spirit' in our lives. To crucify our old self-centered life and become like Jesus.
Galatians 5:22-26
May we not be deceived!
|
| <i>NEXT WEEK</i> A REVELATION OF....... 3 KINGDOM AGES
NEW TESTAMENT REVELATION |
|
 Each of the New Testament triad of hope, faith and love actually represents the particular focus of a kingdom age.
It's amazing how God works!
|
| A NOTE FROM DAVID |
|
 Satan's basic approach through the ages hasn't changed. For he always appeals to our selfish nature.
However it is important to understand that his strategy has altered to appeal to the times of the world in which we live.
But the enemy is still the same and the battle continues to be fought through every generation. But we are promised that we are on the winning side!
WOMEN'S HEAD COVERING
Illustration of a Head covering for women in ancient times.
Source: http://www.bible-history.com
|
So until next week.......
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD!
His servant and yours
Learn more about us at...
www.wwj.org.nz/about.php
|
A DAVID'S DOODLING
722. The devil takes, the Cross gives.
David Tait
|
Check
out the WWJ website for….
More David's Doodlings: www.wwj.org.nz/dd.php
Just jokes: http://www.wwj.org.nz/jokes.php
Waxing Lyrical: http://www.wwj.org.nz/waxing.php
If Only I'd Thought of it: http://www.wwj.org.nz/thought.php
Laughing at Ourselves: http://www.wwj.org.nz/laugh.php
|
___and the evils of Sodom and Gomorrah are two prime examples.