Quote
Tarry at the promise till God meets you there.
He always returns by way of His promises. -Anonymous
Featured Scripture
Joel 3:16
The Lord roars from Zion and utters His voice from Jerusalem and the heavens and earthquakes. But the Lord is a refuge for His people, a stronghold for the children of Israel.
In this blog post, I wish to disclose the two different manifestations of God’s expression concerning His judgment and wrath on the earth. The first is what the Old Covenant prophets foretold, and the second is what was manifested in the last days during the end of this age. The expression, “end of this age” within the Apostolic Writings communicates future events that have been prophesied after the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.
Grace and Peace
Narrative of the Text
“When that day Comes.”
The God of Israel, roaring in thunder from Zion, in this His mountain in Jerusalem, will raise His voice and the heavens and earth will quake. He boldly reminds the lords, kings, and His enemies of the earth, that only He is God, not a human being, I am the Holy One among you. [Hosea 11:10]
All peoples of every nation, tribe, or ethnic consideration who have a relationship with Him, and know His voice will come trembling from all directions, like a bird they all shall tremble. It is when the longsuffering of God has reached its ending, that He reveals to all humanity the motive of His reasoning and vindication of His people.
Quote
Only love can transform calculating justice into creative justice.
Love makes justice just.
Justice without love is always injustice. -Paul Tillich
The Lord our God, states in My jealousy, in My heated fury, I speak; when that day comes there will be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. The fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the wild beast, all the reptiles creeping on the ground, and every human being there in the land will tremble before Me. [Ezekiel 38:19]
During these last days’ tribulations, as is the case with God’s protection of His people throughout His unfolding plan of redemption on earth, the Lord will be a refuge, a shelter from all danger and falsehood. Those who are in covenant with Him, understand that God is our present, eternal hope, and trust of His people.
The safest place to be for any living soul is in the fear of Adonai. He is our only robust security.
Those who are called by His Holy Name will have Him as their place of refuge. [Proverb 14:26] Our heavenly Father is our sanctuary and vitality, an everlasting comfort in life’s disturbances. [Psalms 46:6] He is a stronghold, our force, and fortress for the Israelites. [see: Jeremiah 16:19; Nehemiah 1:7]
“That time“
Within the prophet Joel’s vision, he depicts the whole course of events happening in the world leading up to the divine providence of the Great Day of the Lord. The actual manifestation of that time is when the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain, and the Lord shall be exalted.
It is only then that the times of restitution of all things will become a reality. God’s people will be brought out of captivity throughout the earth, and vengeance will be divinely executed upon Israel’s enemies. This is the final consummation of God’s plan of redemption on earth. The Nation of Israel is in view in Joel’s prophecy yet all those who are alive during this tribulation who call upon the Name of the Lord, shall be saved.
Before going to the Cross, Jesus spoke about the “abomination of desolation,” He was speaking in the context of a discussion about the “end of the age” (Matthew 24:3, 13-14).
Jesus said, “‘Therefore when you see the “abomination of desolation,” spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place’ (whoever reads, let him understand), ‘then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains’” (verses 15-16).
Many of the Old Covenant prophets received divine revelations or images of the coming Messiah. In the case of Isaiah, he writes, “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes, we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5
Jesus of Nazareth, during this first advent willingly submitted to The Cross as the quintessential spiritual message and requirement that expresses the chosen method in which God publicly expressed His judgment and wrath not upon the sinner, but upon the sinless one, Jesus, the son of Joseph.
Consider the message from Paul concerning the powerful miracle of the Cross and the ministry of reconciliation.
“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:20-21
At the end of this age, He who knew no sin and bore the very wrath of God for sin and the consequences of sin shall return to celebrate His Heavenly Father’s final plan of redemption. [concepts in this section, that time, were gleaned from the article: God’s Wrath and the Cross, Andrew Williamson]
Thy Kingdom Come on Earth as It is in Heaven
I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True…, On his robe and his thigh, he has this name written: King of kings and Lord of lords. Revelation 19:11-16
I encourage you to read the entire context of the above Scripture text, if you have not yet, on your own, for this passage reveals the Gloried and Victorious Christ Jesus. It is He who is the Conquerer mounted upon the White horse, ascending from heaven upon the earth raging the final war against God’s enemies.
What an extreme contrast between His person and presence in the New Covenant Writings which depicts Jesus in His humiliation, rejection, suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension. Within the above text, we see that in His promised return, His triumph, glory, power, sovereignty, and dominion.
Here is the zenith moment in world history, for here is the revealed manifestation of the glorified Son of God in glory and engaging in the final battle and eventual conclusion of all angelic and human rebellion on earth as a result of the Fall in Eden.
As forewarned in future prophecy, for an entire one thousand years of Christ in Jerusalem, there will be peace until God has allowed another rebellion which will be short-lived due to the literal presence of Christ on earth ruling as King of kings on the throne of David.
This is where God’s Kingdom comes to be on earth as it is in the heavens. The redemption of God climaxed as God the Father successfully exalts His Son and places all of His restored creation under Christ’s feet as a symbol of His victory and vindication of all enemies. Psalm 110:6-11
Closing Spiritual Truths
In Revelation 5, Jesus is the long-awaited Lion of the tribe of Judah. John weeps because no one was found worthy to open the scroll of God’s judgment or even to look inside it. Then one of the elders says to John, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals”.
Genealogies in the New Covenant Writings record that Jesus is a descendant of the tribe of Judah. When Jesus is revealed as the promised Lion of the tribe of Judah, it reveals His holy heavenly nature. He is the true king and the One to whom belongs the long-awaited reverence of nations.
Characteristically, it is not His violence or the strength of His power that makes Him worthy. The Lion has triumphed because He became a Lamb. Christ is deserving because He lived a perfect, sinless life and in shedding His blood defeated sin and death.
His death and resurrection have resulted in protection for His people and an eternal kingdom that will honor and worship God. Ruling this future kingdom on a new heaven and earth will be Jesus, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. [Worthy to open the scroll– Revelation 5:4-5; divine genealogies-Matthew and Luke; the triumph of the Lamb– Revelation 5:6-10; cf John 1:29.]
Amen
Grace and Peace
Brother Alonzo
