Seattle, March 01, 2005.
11. A CAUSE FOR EXCEEDING GREAT JOY. When the church awakens to the spiritual possibilities that the Lord has imparted to her, we will see a great harvest. His presence, in full measure, within the body of Christ can only result in the last great and glorious harvesting of the world for Christ. The LORD proclaimed that many nations would join to the LORD in that day. Zech. 2:11 The very nature, the character of the Lord is merciful. He is MERCY, itself. It is a divine principle that before judgment, the Lord visits with mercy. There is no question that the end time judgments of the Lord are about to break upon this world in the fullness of their fury. However, in and with great mercy the Lord has prepared a grand and mighty visitation of the Spirit. There are two harvests presented to us in the book of Revelation. The first is that harvest of the golden grain of the earth. The salvation, the redemption of all who will receive Christ as savior. It will take place prior to the great tribulation. Rev. 14:14-16 The second has its fulfillment at the close of the tribulation and will be the result of the final judgments of the Lord. Rev. 14:18-20 Today is the day of salvation.
THE INHERITANCE AND CHOOSING OF THE LORD. Zechariah wrote of the action of the Lord toward both Judah and Jerusalem. Zechariah was a contemporary of Haggai. Their prophecies concerning Judah and Jerusalem were accomplished in the post-exile rebuilding of the temple and Jerusalem. Ezra 6:14 While so many focus on the natural people and city, the New Testament directs us in a different direction. For instance, “Who is a Jew?” Paul, who was a Hebrew of the Hebrews, a Pharisee the son of a Pharisee. Acts 23:6 Keeping the Law to the best of his ability. One who would possess real and complete knowledge of the question, gives us this answer. Pure and simple, a son of Judah is not one after the flesh but is of the inward man, the spiritual man. The promises now are to the spiritual man and not to the natural. The natural may become a spiritual man at any time. The invitation is still extended to them. Rom. 2:28- 29 Otherwise their house is left unto them desolate. Mt. 23:38
JERUSALEM, NATURAL OR SPIRITUAL? Again, Paul is our source. In writing concerning Jerusalem he made it very evident that he considered the natural city to be comparable to Hagar. A city that is in bondage, spiritually. Gal. 4:22-25 It is no more acceptable to the Lord than any other major city of the world. It is not His favorite. It is not His pet. In great contrast is the spiritual Jerusalem. That which Paul called the spiritual mother of us all. Very obviously, he evaluated spiritual birth to be that which counts with the Lord. Gal. 4:26 Furthermore, he made a great difference between those born of the flesh and those born of the Spirit. Those who are of the Spirit are acceptable to the Lord and will have their part in the New Jerusalem of the book of Revelation. Those who do not participate in the new birth will be cast out. Rough, but every man has his opportunity to receive Christ. Gal. 4:30-31