Friday, November 07, 2003 (26)
THE DREAM OF JACOB IDENTIFIED WITH THE SON OF MAN. A man of great spiritual integrity, Nathaniel, granted an immediate revelation as to the true person of the Son of Man. He acknowledged Jesus as Rabbi, or my master or teacher. Nathaniel was also to recognize Him as the Son of God, and the King of Israel. He had just met Jesus, yet he was able to see in the Lord Jesus the hope and desire of Israel. John 1:49 It was to him that Jesus linked Himself with a marvelous event in the life of Jacob. Jacob, in his dream, while using the rejected rock as a pillow, saw the staircase that reached from heaven to earth. So impressed was Jacob that he called the place Bethel, or the house of God. The promises that had been given to his forefathers were also bestowed on him at that time. Jacob need not depend on promises given to his progenitors but now had his very own promise and personal experience with the Lord. Gen. 28:12 Jesus, in essence proclaimed Himself to be that ladder or stair case. For He said, that Nathaniel would see the heavens opened and the personnel of heaven ascending and descending upon the Son of Man. What a mighty revelation showing the powerful position of Jesus as the Son of Man. John 1:51
HE WILL RETURN AS THE SON OF MAN. The heavens will produce the promised sign of His return. The Lord has a principle by which we may be assured of a mighty work being wrought by Him, and that is a visitation of mercy before judgment. As an example, Moses before Pharaoh where a series of signs were given before the judgments that came upon Egypt. The Lord has promised the appearance of the SIGN of the Son of man in the heavens as a warning of the impending judgments on the earth and His coming [Parousia, rapture, advent]. Mt. 24:30 In the beginning, the Lord created the light giving bodies of the universe. He who IS light, created light for this earth on the first day. Gen. 1:4-5 He did not create the light bearing bodies until the fourth day. These were to be for a multiplicity of purposes. Among them is that of being a sign, a signal, an evidence of something to come, an omen. Very positively they were to be the Lords indicators in the sky. Gen. 1:14-17. Joshua’s long day, was an act of the Lord bringing victory to Israel but judgment to the five kings. Josh. 10:12-13 The Lord assured Hezekiah that He would move in response to his prayer by giving a sign, the sun was to return ten degrees on the sun dial, and it did. Isa. 38:8 Among the several signs that were manifest at the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus was a period of three hours of that day when darkness was on the earth. This would have required that the light giving bodies be darkened. Mt. 27:54 This prompted the centurion and his men who were with him to declare that this was truly the Son of God. Mt. 27:54 The Lord is kind, merciful and forgiving but there is an end to His mercies which are constantly being proffered to this world and even to church members. While there are many prophecies pertaining to the Second Coming of Christ being fulfilled today, there are yet some very vital and meaningful signs to come.