That Prophet
That
Prophet Promised to Israel by Moses
Moses, who lead the children
of Israel out from the bondage of their Egyptian taskmasters, promised that one
day God would raise up a prophet from among them that they were to obey. Most
have assumed that Jesus Christ was that prophet, yet when the people tried to
identify Jesus as “that prophet” he would not accept the title. In the Biblical
context of this record, Jesus asked Peter who he thought that Jesus was. Peter
said to Jesus that he was “the Christ” and Jesus told Peter that he was correct
in identifying him as “the Christ.” In addition, when the record of John’s
gospel, in chapter seven, is read, it is obvious that the people were aware
that the Christ and that prophet were not to be the same individual.
Many
of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is
the Prophet. Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come
out of Galilee? Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh out of the seed
of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem where David was? So there was a
division among the people because of him. John 7:40-43
If Jesus was not
specifically “that prophet” Moses promised then who is “that prophet?”
Since the time of Moses the
Lord had sent hundreds of prophets to Israel, yet in 29 AD they were still waiting
for that one prophet foretold by Moses. From the time of the last prophet
Malachi, they suffered as they anticipated the promised coming of “that
prophet” and three others. The four distinct people to come, in given order,
were the messenger, the Christ, that prophet and Elijah. Each was to be
identified by prophecies given centuries before. (John 1:19-23)
John the Baptist denied
being the Christ, that prophet or Elijah and properly identified himself as the
messenger when he quoted the prophesy of Isaiah.
I am the voice of one crying
in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet
Esaias. John 1:23, Isaiah 40:3
Although there were hundreds
of prophecies regarding the details of the Messiah’s coming, debates and
arguments surrounded the answer to the question of Jesus’ identity.
Understandably so since it was and is the most important and fundamental of all
questions. Jesus authenticity as the Christ was obscured from the multitudes
when his family relocated from Bethlehem to Nazareth of Galilee. As a result
the multitudes debated whether Jesus was the Christ or that prophet. Nicodemus
could only go so far as to say that he was sent from God. The religious leaders
were astounded that anyone could believe that he was the Christ because of the
character of his family. Eventually Jesus, through probing questions, allowed
the Father to reveal who he was through Peter.
When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, “Whom do men say that I the son of man am?” And they said, “some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elijah; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” He said unto them, “But whom say ye that I am?” And Simon Peter answered and said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered and said unto him, “Blessed art thou Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 16:13-17
At this point, once the Father revealed His
identity, all the Old Testament prophecies regarding His coming became evident
to those who were hungering and thirsting after righteousness.
The Old Testament prophecy about the return
of Elijah who brought the entire nation of Israel to unified repentance by
commanding fire from heaven to consume the pagan altar built by the priests of
Baal is recorded in Malachi.
Behold, I will send you
Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:
and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of
the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth. Malachi 4:5,6
Even so it is was Moses, the sanctifier of Israel
through the law, who prophesied of the coming of “that prophet” through whom
the Lord God would speak unto all Israel.
The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet
from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall
hearken; according to all that thou desiredst of the Lord thy God in Horeb in
the day of the assembly, saying, “Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord
my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.” And the
Lord said unto me, “They have well spoken that which they have spoken. I will
raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put
my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto the all that I shall command
him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words
which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. But the prophet, which shall presume to
speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall
speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. And if thou say
in thine heart, ’How shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken?’ When a prophet speaketh in the name of the
Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the
Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.” Deuteronomy 18:18-23
Was Peter “that
prophet”? The answer can be summed up
in Jesus’ response to the apostles with whom he was meeting immediately prior
to His ascension to be seated beyond the heavens at the Father’s right hand.
They asked Him if at that time He was going to restore the kingdom to Israel.
He responded and said, “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons,
which the Father has put in his own power. But ye shall receive power after
that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in
Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the
earth.” (Acts 1:7, 8) Peter knew that he was an apostle to bring forward the
light of all that Jesus had said and done. He now knew that he was not “ that
prophet” to know the times and seasons for Israel but he did know “that
prophet” would later be risen up to bring the message for the restitution of
all things and spoke to the people of him after Pentecost in his second message
to Israel.
Repent ye therefore, and be
converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing
shall come from the presence of the Lord; and he shall send Jesus Christ, which
before was preached unto you: whom the heaven must receive until the times of
restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy
prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said unto the fathers, a
prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto
me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it
shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be
destroyed from among the people. Acts
3:19-23
If Peter was not “that
prophet” for Israel who was it or who will it be? The primary candidate is a
man named Saul; Saul of Tarsus, that is. Yes this man, a Hebrew of the Hebrews
who was raised up to take the Lord’s prophetic light to Israel, was and is the
same as Paul who was next sent to the Gentiles as an apostle to call them into
the light.
To verify this we need to
look at Paul’s history in the book of Acts and subsequent secular history and
compare both with Moses’ prophecy. We need to understand the progression of
growth as he was raised up. For this we need to consider his ministry through
the chronology of his letters and his relations with Israel. As one wonderful
teacher once challenged me with this simple statement, “you’ve got to know the
story!” I would likewise challenge you, the reader. Here, we will touch on four
points and elaborate on three other pieces of evidence that I consider most
salient.
First, Paul was identified
in Acts chapter thirteen as being one of the prophets and teachers gathered in
Antioch of Syria. He was also identified as a prophet in Acts chapter fifteen
verse thirty-two when Judas and Silas are compared to him as also being
prophets. Secondly, he did know the ages to come. Hadn’t he been caught up to
the third heaven and earth to view the dynamic span of all spiritual history
from its culminating point? And later by the time he wrote Romans as a call to
the saints and faithful in Christ Jesus from Israel he knew that eventually all
men would be judged by Jesus Christ according to his gospel. (Romans 2:16) It is also in Romans that Paul writes the
first of his two major prophetic statements regarding Israel. (Romans 9:1ff)
* * *
Would God allow the murder
of one of his precious saints in order to gain the attention of just one
vengeful man? It seems so in the case of the encounter between Stephen and Paul.
As Stephen spoke to the high priest and council of Israel the young man Paul
listened intently to find more openings where he could break down and discredit
this message that had become a menace in Israel. He, of course, as the most
zealous of the Pharisees had willingly accepted the assignment to persecute
this new sect. He heard Stephen repeat Moses’ prophecy saying, “A prophet shall
the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall
you hear.” He heard him say that God did not dwell in temples made with men’s
hands and that the leaders were resisting the Holy Ghost as their fathers who
killed the prophets had done. He saw the steadfast angelic expression on
Stephen’s face when he looked up to see the glory of God and Jesus standing on
His right hand. At these words Paul was filled with wrath and sent his men to
grab Stephen, drag him out of the city and stone him. Then he heard Stephen
with his last breath speak out to this Lord Jesus asking that this sin not be
laid to his charge.
That night when Paul was
alone with himself must have been most difficult. He had just executed a man
that was bigger than himself: a man who without a quiver in his voice had just
confronted the most feared body in all Judaism and a man who without one
utterance of regret or malice had give up his life for what he believed. As his
jealous nature was, Paul woke the next morning with a renewed vengeance to
prove himself right. He was now more determined to eliminate this sect.
Finally, after many of the
disciples of the Lord had been scattered from Jerusalem for fear of Paul’s
persecution the Lord Jesus could wait no longer for this chosen vessel to
respond of his own accord. He knocked Paul down, blinded him with His radiant
glory and spoke to him from heaven as he was traveling to Damascus to persecute
more saints. Paul was stunned and asked, “Who art thou Lord?” He must have been
shaken to the core of his soul as the Lord identified himself as the same Lord
Jesus whom Stephen had seen standing in the glory of the heavens on the right
hand of God just before Paul had him stoned. Paul was led blinded into Damascus
and spent three days in darkness considering what had happened to him.
Assuredly the words of Stephen’s confrontation came back to him. The question
must have been asked: “Who is that
prophet that is to be raised up for all Israel to hear?”
* * *
We in this study need to ask
the question: “If Peter was not that prophet given to know the times and
seasons for the restoration of all things how, in his letters, did he write of
the future salvation of the Israel of God at the Lord’s appearing?” The answer
first lies in the facts that Peter writes more explicitly than what was spoken
to him by the Lord Jesus as recorded in the gospels and that both of his
letters were written near the end of his then present life and ministry.
Peter’s first letter was
written from Babylon where the largest population of Jews lived outside the
land of Israel. It seems evident that by the end of the Acts period Peter was
no longer ministering from Jerusalem. When Paul made his final visit to
Jerusalem in Acts chapter twenty-one, in contrast to his previous visits, there
is no mention of Peter or any of the other eleven apostles being present.
In Peter’s second letter it
is made clear that his life is to end shortly.
Knowing that shortly I must
put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me. II Peter 1:14
Peter was now old. Although
Jesus had given Peter the responsibility for nurturing the young male and
female sheep and ruling over the immature flock when he was young, he had also
told him that when he was old another would strengthen him and carry the flock
where he was not able.
Verily, verily, I say unto
thee, when thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkest whither thou
wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands and
another shall gird thee and carry [thee] whither thou wouldest not. John 21:18
Here we ask several
questions within the answer to the previous question of how Peter wrote of
times of Israel’s restitution: “Could Paul be the other to gird Peter?” and
“Could Paul have been the one to minister to and through the male sheep when
they became adults?” (John 21:15-18)
To answer the first of these
questions and also to see a bit further as to how Paul was raised up we need to
observe the relationship between Peter and Paul in Galatians chapters one and
two. After Paul’s conversion experience
on the road to Damascus he went to spend fifteen days with Peter. He went, I
believe, to partake of Peter’s apostleship and learn more about what Jesus had
said and done so that he could more effectually understand and prove that this
Jesus was the very Christ. This is born out by the fact that on this visit to
Jerusalem he also spent some personal time with James the Lord’s brother.
Then fourteen years later in
the record Paul came again to Jerusalem to meet with Peter, James and John.
This time though he came in a revelation as it can be translated and as, I
believe, it should be translated from the Aramaic and Greek texts. What was the
revelation within which he came? He had recently written Romans, which reveals
the spiritual gift of the maturation of the faithful in Christ Jesus and the
high calling of the saints within the mystery. The followers of Peter, James
and John in Jerusalem initially attempted to constrain Paul within the original
apostolic message of the twelve. Then when meeting with Peter, James and John,
Paul, out of deep love and respect, accepted their decision that he could
preach his message among the Gentiles but they would continue with their
message to Israel. (Later when Paul writes of this incident he uses a bit a of
sarcasm when he describes Peter, James and John as ones who “seemed” to be
pillars of the church.)
Shortly after this we see
Peter at the center of the Gentile outreach in Antioch of Syria sitting at the
common table and rising to eat only with Jews as the followers of James walk in
the door from Jerusalem. We see Paul rise and confront Peter before the entire
assembly. If Peter himself was no longer keeping the Old Testament law why did
he validate it by removing himself from the Gentiles when the believers who
were still zealous for the law arrived. Had Peter’s convictions been weakened
by his fellowship with legalists in Jerusalem? If so this was Peter’s wake-up
call. This event most likely gave impetus to Peter’s decision to move out of
Jerusalem and, in such, deepened his love and respect for Paul even to the
point of recognizing Paul as “that prophet”, the one sent to gird him when he
was old. Now Peter’s heart was open to hear from Paul those things of Israel
that pertained to the restitution of all things.
Now when old, Peter writes
from Babylon his two letters concerning the future salvation of the Israel of
God. Silas, who had earlier traveled with Paul on his missionary journeys, is
now with Peter. In his second letter Peter gives Paul credit for confirming
some of the things he was writing yet acknowledges that some things Paul was
writing were hard to understand especially for those unestablished in his
gospel. These things were hard for Peter to understand because Paul was given
the scope of all the parts of the Father’s synergistic plan of salvation while
Peter at that time was given to understand only the part relating to Israel. As
Peter gave Paul credit, Paul, likewise, in the introduction to his prophetic
book of Hebrews, gives the apostles credit for their part in confirming the
Lord Jesus through signs, miracles and wonders. Here in the fellowship between
Paul and Peter we see in a glimpse the relationship between the foundational
gospel of the apostles and the ascendant gospel of Paul. It takes the first
gospel to raise up the second and then it takes the second to gird up the
first. Thus, in a sample, the saying of our Lord Jesus is fulfilled: “ But many
that are first shall be last; and the last first!”
* * *
The third piece of evidence
to be elaborated upon is a dreadful tragedy that is known of throughout the
world yet is generally obscured as to its full meaning and impact.
To begin we go back to prior
years. Paul had written his invitation to the saints and faithful in Christ
Jesus first in Romans from a Jewish perspective and then in first and second
Corinthians with a Gentile emphasis. He had gone in that revelation to Peter,
James and John. As elders he had accepted their decision knowing that his
gospel was one of invitation and not by coercion. While he stood by preaching his gospel among the Gentiles he saw
the situation in Israel deteriorate. The Jews who believed yet were still
zealous for the law were strengthening their position and enlarging their
numbers as a counterpoint to his success among the Gentiles. The heaviness and
continual sorrow he felt for the salvation of Israel deepened. They were the
foundation stone chosen of God to take the message of Jesus to the ends of the
earth. Now they were being reduced to impotency by the Old Testament law. He
must go to Jerusalem in the strength of Christ and with the courage of Stephen
as “that prophet” to Israel. Even the fear of death could not dissuade him.
When Paul arrived in
Jerusalem for the feast the crowds teamed with tens of thousands of Jews from
Israel who believed yet were still zealous for the law. To obtain an audience
with these Paul willingly accepted James’ suggestion that he take a vow of
purification. While under the vow and in the temple area he was falsely accused
of bringing a Gentile into the temple with him. In a rage the crowd began to beat him to death. He was only
rescued by the Roman soldiers who were garrisoned nearby. When Paul was led up
the stairs into the garrison he was given permission by the Roman captain to
speak to the crowd below. When Paul spoke the word Gentile in his testimony the
crowd went berserk tearing off their clothes and throwing dirt in the air. They
cried out to have Paul taken away and that Paul was not fit to live. This was
as far as the audience in Jerusalem would allow him to go.
This again must have been
another long night for Paul. He must have anguished over the summation of
events. This time, though forsaken by his brethren, he was not alone. The love
and understanding of Christ were pulsating through his soul. The love of the
Lord Jesus Christ began washing away his allegiances to Jerusalem. He awoke the
next morning with a fresh desire to take the Lord’s revelation of the mystery
to wherever the Lord would grant an audience.
His first audience was not a
welcoming one. On this day he was brought before the high priest and the
council. At his first words the high priest commanded those around Paul to
punch him in the mouth. Paul having been an expert in the law challenged the
high priest with these words, “God smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest
thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the
law?” Those that stood by were astounded and said, “revilest thou God’s high
priest?” Paul’s next statement is most
revealing. He said that he did not know that the man sitting as head of the
council was the high priest. How could he not know? He knew that God’s
authority had been stripped from the fleshly hierarchy of Israel. Yet even more
so, he lived in the revelation that his Lord and our Lord was, and forever will
be, the Apostle and High Priest.
After the meeting of the
council Paul was returned to the garrison where the guards learned of a plot to
take his life. They sent Paul off to the Roman city of Caesarea where over a
period of several years under house arrest he was allowed to present his case
and witness unto the kingdom of God. Eventually he appealed to Caesar’s
judgment seat in Rome rather than being sent back to Jerusalem for judgment. He
had been told by Ananias years before in Damascus during his brief stay that he
was to bear the name of the Lord Jesus before kings. Even the Lord himself on
the night before he was sent to Caesarea told him that as he had testified in
Jerusalem he must also bear witness in Rome. Now the door was opened for him to
make known the kingdom of God before the most powerful ruler on the face of
this earth in that day.
When he arrived in Rome he
made one last attempt to reach back to Israel. He called the local synagogue
leaders together to speak of Jesus, the mystery and the future salvation of
Israel. They as a group could not decide on the words he spoke and left. At
this point in time Paul pronounced the judgment of Isaiah upon the nation of
Israel that has continued until this day.
Go unto this people, and
say, “Hearing ye shall hear and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see
and not perceive:” For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their eyes
have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their
ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted and I should
heal them. Acts 28:26, 27
Now Paul took what he had
first given to Israel as “that prophet” and sent it strictly to the Gentiles as
their apostle.(A residue of Israel from the remnant who had also been faithful
to the twelve’s apostleship came forward with him.) The Gentiles had no
allegiances to the temple and the powerful influences of Jerusalem. They were
unencumbered by generational loyalties to a system corrupted subtly by worldly
influences. Furthermore, the Old Testament law had never been given to them as
a basis for relationship with God.
From house arrest in Rome
Paul sent out fellow workers to the Gentile churches. He wrote letters to the
saints and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. He sent out pastoral letters. He
wrote back, in Hebrews, to the remnant of Israel that had been faithful to the
twelve’s gospel and the residue of Israel who also understood his gospel so
that they might have hope for their brethren in future ages. He taught all that would come unto him in
Rome including members of Caesar’s household. All the vestiges of fear of this
world’s principalities and powers had been washed out of him by Christ through
his experience with those in Jerusalem.
This new burst of activity
was not without additional sufferings. The grievous wolves of whom Paul had
foretold entered into Asia Minor and turned most all away from him unto other
gospels. Some of his closest followers
deserted him. At his first defense only the Lord Jesus stood with him. At his
second defense some rallied to him. John Mark and Paul gave Luke the beloved
physician information necessary for him to compile a chronological account of
Jesus’ ministry, the early work of Peter and the later work of Paul. This was
to be presented, on one hand, as the foundation for his second defense. It was
apparently without avail. The accounts gathered from the leaders in Jerusalem
were given more weight. Paul was sentenced to death. The sacrifice of his life
was to be completely poured out.
As the day approached for
his execution Paul gathered the writings together and sent them through the
generations to you and me and those beyond so that we might know. Paul knew
there would be another more powerful day in which belief would flourish. I
believe that in that last night with the passion of Christ beating in his heart
and the sorrow of the Holy Ghost in his soul Paul did one other thing to keep
us all from destruction. In a lifted voice without a shred of doubt in his
heart and from the power of eternity within his soul, he fulfilled these words
of Jesus Christ. He said unto the
mountain of sin in Jerusalem, “Be thou removed and be cast into the sea.”
Years later in the morning’s
light after the rattle of preparation ceased as in the quiet before an
impending storm on the hill overlooking the temple of Israel, a Roman general
walked from his tent and raised his sword. The Roman standard shot skyward as
the battle trumpets sounded. The armies of Rome sprang forward to slaughter
every inhabitant in the city of Jerusalem. (Here, in one short day, tens of
thousands were sent to the grave to await individual judgment at resurrection)
The temple was dismantled stone by stone and its implements were carried away
to Rome. The city was burned and made a heap of rubble. Its name was blotted
out of all writings and was forbidden to be spoken of throughout the Roman
Empire for sixty years. It was given a Gentile name and only Gentiles were
allowed to resettle the area. Through the mercy of God, John and his followers
had escaped Jerusalem before its destruction and scattered into the Gentile
regions. Those still loyal to Peter’s message in Jerusalem had also departed
and settled in Pella in the northeast near the Jordan River. Thus with the
destruction of Jerusalem the prophecy of Moses reiterated by Peter and Stephen
was, in a fundamental increment as a warning for the future, fulfilled.
And it shall come to pass,
that every soul which will not hear that prophet shall be destroyed from among
the people. Acts 3:22
The nation of Israel, whom
had stumbled at the stumbling stone of faith, was at this time, in a practical
sense, broken from the root of their promised Messiah. (Romans 9:30-33,
11:11-36)
We could say more about Paul’s prophetic ministry
like his calling from the womb and the number of times and the manner in which
he comparatively refers to Moses’ forty-year ministration of temptation and
testing. We could speak again of Paul’s commission to fulfill the word of God.
(Col.1:25-29) Here, though, we will leave it with the impact of Stephen’s
testimony, with Paul’s relationship with Peter, and with the prophetic
destruction of Jerusalem. (Historically, Gentiles have no room to boast. Egypt
was destroyed when Pharaoh attempted to cut off the called soul of the
righteous branch from the seed of Abraham. Likewise the Roman Empire was
destroyed in the fifth century soon after the Roman Emperor sentenced to death
all who would not confess the Nicaean Creed.)
* * *
For centuries
Jerusalem continued in shambles until the turn of this last century. Now in a
short time all the powers of this world have turned their efforts to
establishing the now named Israel. Why? Many in religion are being led to hope
for the building of a temple as a part of a one world religious system that
would be the promised precursor to a new age of world peace. Believing Jews and
Gentiles are being led away in this philosophy being promised that its
accomplishment will usher in the coming of the Messiah. Being ignorant of the
story of Paul’s prophetic ministry they are being carried away towards a most
powerful portion of the mystery of iniquity. We all need to stop and think for
a moment about the prophetic warning of Paul’s ministry in relation to current
events. If in this time once again the Holy Spirit was poured out abundantly at
the turn of the century through the Azuza Street movement in California
wouldn’t the man of sin seek the most powerful of all delusions to choke off
the fruit of its work. We need to stay separate and not turn back to this mind
of that man of sin who by his owns works attempts through law, in antithesis,
to replicate what the Lord will bring to pass supernaturally. Let’s look to our free Jerusalem, the mother
of us all, which is above.
It was Jesus who said that
blasphemy against the Holy Spirit would not be forgiven. It was Stephen who
told the high priest and council that they and their fathers always resisted
the Holy Ghost. As that prophet to Israel it was Paul’s rightful place at the
end of his life and ministry to remove that mountain of sin and cast it into
the sea. Once again like in the time of Moses, the horse and its rider were
cast into the sea when this unrepentant source of oppression where our Lord was
crucified was destroyed in 70 AD.
Although that day’s powerful
seat of sin was eliminated this one act could not compare to the consummate
solution for sin where, on the cross, one man took into himself sin and slew
sin by willingly sacrificing His body and blood. Even so, unless man comes to
know the cross sin will still have its way.
Now without the ministry of
Paul the seed of Christ was scarred and severed by sin through the divisive
working of the knowledge of good and evil. One group labeled themselves good
and the other evil. The one labeled evil thought nothing of the fact they were
label such because they considered themselves the good group and the other
group labeling them as evil in reality the evil group. Another group labeled
evil knew that it was fruitless to attempt to prove themselves good by the
terms of the group labeling them evil and separated themselves. Thus the out
workings of sin took its toll as church after church reverted to a Galantine
enterprise dismembered and eaten up from within as they turned to law for
solutions.
The surface scars on the
seed of Christ were inconsequential when compared to the two cuts made through
the heart of the mystery. One divided the foundational gospel of Peter and the
ascendant gospel of Paul severing the work of the Holy Spirit from the
revelation of Jesus Christ. The other cut separated soul and spirit divorcing
the faithful in Christ Jesus from the saints.
What then shall we do? Is it
a time for more healings, a time for more star reading, a time for more
prophecy, a time for more intellect or a time for more courage? These are all
well and good but unless we come to know the mystery through the unifying
effect of the cross and live by and in that message these all will fail. I
would suggest what has, I believe, helped in understanding the hope of our
calling. Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you as you meditate upon the scope of
Paul’s ministry in the New Testament. Pray the prayers given by the apostle
Paul from the heights of understanding in Ephesians for yourself and others.
The righteous day of everlasting glory could very well be dawning in our midst.
Then the travail of the woman will end as the “one new man” of Ephesians is
brought forth into this world to restore all things for the ultimate new heaven
and earth.
The Forty-Year Bookends of This Present Age
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Copyright, 2001, Steve Santini
All rights reserved