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I Thessalonians 1:8 – For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything,

The believers at Thessalonica held fast to their faith, despite furious opposition from the Jews.  Although their salvation was an invisible, inward change, it manifested in their lives through works of faith, labors of love and hope (present and future). 

They had received the gospel with much affliction, but their troubles were mitigated by the joy of fellowship with Holy Spirit and the hope of the gospel.  Their continued spiritual life and growth made them an example to other believers on a national level.

In fact, Paul says their testimony ‘sounded forth’ to the nation.  The word rendered ‘sounded out/forth’ refers to the sounding of a trumpet. 

This tells us that their testimony of faith was not something that was quiet/still which went unnoticed.  The gospel message they proclaimed was rich, full and vibrant; it had life changing power and it commanded attention, just like a strong trumpet blast.

Let’s take a brief look at the significant role of trumpets in the history of Israel.

There were two main types of trumpets in ancient Israel. 

The first type was made of beaten silver.  Way back in the day, God commanded Moses to make two trumpets of beaten silver which were used to call the Israelites together when they were about to move camp (Numbers 10:2).  Later, silver trumpets were used exclusively by the priests for announcing the approach of certain festivals and in giving signals of war.  They were also used during times of praise and worship at the temple.

The second type of trumpet, the Shofar (or Shophar), was made from a ram’s horn (Joshua 6:8).  Unlike the silver trumpets used in the temple, these trumpets could be blown by any Jewish male.  They were blown before battle, so the Lord would remember his people and fight on their behalf.  They were sounded at special festivals and used to herald the arrival of special seasons. 

For example, trumpets were used to proclaim the beginning of the civil year, the beginning of the sabbatical year (Leviticus 23:24, Numbers 29:1), and the beginning of the jubilee (Leviticus 25:9-10, II Kings 11:14). 

In fact, one of the seven feasts that God commanded Israel to observe each year (see Leviticus chapter 23) was the Feast of Trumpets also called Rosh Hashanah.  

Leviticus 23:24 – Speak to the children of Israel saying, “In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation.”

Based on this scripture, we must ask ourselves two questions: What was the purpose for blowing the trumpets, and what did the trumpet blasts memorialize or proclaim?

Scripture does not give us a great deal of detail about this feast; however, Jewish tradition provides a wealth of information.

The Feast of Trumpets or Rosh Hashanah marks the first day of the Jewish New Year, the first of Tishri.  This month would fall from mid-September to mid-October on our calendars.   

[Did you know that it is traditional for Jewish families to eat apples dipped in honey on that day?  The thought/expectation is that the New Year will be as sweet as the fruit they have just eaten!]

The Jews have several other names for Rosh Hashanah:

• Yom Teruah, which means ‘Day of Awakening Blast or Resurrection’
• Yom Hadin, which means ‘Day of Judgment’
• Yom Zikaron, which means ‘Day of Remembrance’
• Yom Hamelech, which means ‘Day of Coronation of the King’

As Christians, it is easy for us to see that all these names point to the second coming of the Messiah.  We can conclude that one of the purposes of the Feast of Trumpets is to proclaim or remind God’s people that at the appointed time, he will return to earth to claim his bride (the church) and bring her to heaven.  

But wait – there’s more!

According to Michael Norten in his book ‘Unlocking the Secrets of the Feasts’, there are four distinct types of trumpet blasts sounded during the Feast of Trumpets:

Tekiah – This consists of one longer blast (a three second sustained note) and signifies an alarm.  Tekiah literally means ‘to be struck’ or ‘to stop and pause’.  It is a sound associated with the coronation of a king.  This trumpet blast calls us to stop and consider or appreciate who God is.

God uses this trumpet blast to get us to focus or ‘lock in’ on him. 

Psalms 46:10 - Be still and know that I am God.  I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.                                                                                                                                        

Sometimes we are so busy, we squeeze God out of our thoughts.  It would be beneficial for us to take some time to stop and meditate/remind ourselves just who God is – He is all powerful, all knowing, omnipresent and immutable (unchanging). 

He is the Alpha and the Omega; the beginning and end.  He is the creator, sustainer and King of the universe.  We are his children, and he is our Father.  He loves us beyond measure, but like any good Father, he has given us jobs to do, and we need to be about his business.  

Remembering who God is helps us in a number of ways:

• It builds up our faith so we can claim the promises found in his word. 
• It causes us to live holier lives here on earth. 
• It becomes natural to tell others about him.
• It reminds us that we have been given gifts which we must steward.
• It reminds us that we must be about the Father’s business.

Shevarim – This sound consists of three medium blasts and signifies wailing or sobbing.  According to Jewish tradition, it represents a cry of the heart reaching out to God from the depths of the soul.  When this blast is heard, one should remember that we stand before God with nothing hidden:

Hebrews 4:13 – And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.                                                                                        

Shevarim literally means ‘to be broken’ and it signifies a time of repentance and asking for forgiveness. 

Teruah – This sound consists of nine quick blasts in short succession (about three seconds).  It resembles/represents an alarm clock, arousing one from spiritual slumber.  This shofar blast brings clarity, alertness and focus to the hearer. 

The Jews say that on Rosh Hashanah, they need to wake up and be honest and objective about their own lives.  It is an opportunity to examine who they are, where they’ve been and where they are headed.  This makes sense, as Rosh Hashanah is the first day of the Jewish New Year.  Even in our day, people ‘take stock’ of their lives at the new year.   

The overall thought is that the hearer needs to prepare to receive the king; they need to be alert and active because the king’s arrival is imminent.

Tekiah Hagedolah – This sound consists of a long (as long as you can, but a ten second minimum) and very loud blast.  It is the final blast in the series of sounds blown during the Feast of Trumpets (see below). 

Tekiah Hagedolah literally means ‘big Tekiah’ and it signifies a call to come forth or arise.  This is the trumpet blast which announces the arrival of the king. 

Michael Norten goes on to tell us that there is a specific pattern to the ceremonial trumpet blasts that take place during the Feast of Trumpets.  This pattern never varies from year to year.  The pattern is as follows:

Tekiah, Shevarim, Teruah, Tekiah, Tekiah, Shevarim, Tekiah, Tekiah, Teruah and finally Tekiah Hagedolah. 

Now let’s look at some math.  Each Tekiah sound consists of one blast.  Each Shevarim sound consists of three blasts.  Each Teruah sound consists of nine blasts and Tekiah Hagedolah is one long blast.  Therefore, the series of these sounds equals 30 distinct blasts of varying length.    

During the Feast of Trumpets, the musician will repeat the sequence three times, for a total of 90 blasts.  This is followed by a series of 10 blasts which close the service, making the total number of trumpet blasts an even 100.

Question:  What do the trumpet blasts memorialize or proclaim?

Answer:  They are an abbreviated version of the gospel!

Christians can’t help but notice the mandate to stop and focus on who God is and where we are in our relationship with him.  This will inevitably lead us to repentance and recommitment to God and his ways. 

The sound of the ‘alarm clock’ certainly reminds us to redeem the time that we have here on earth; we need to prepare for the return of our King!  And the final trumpet call reminds us that one day, God will return to gather us up and take us to our heavenly home!

I Thessalonians 4:16 – For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God.  And the dead in Christ will rise first.

Isn’t that amazing!  Our God is so awesome!

Here is something else you might find interesting about the shofar: When the horn is removed from the ram, it is hollowed out.  The sound of the blasts can only be produced when wind/air is blown into it. 

Each individual Christian can be said to function as a shofar – we are spiritually empty until we are filled with the breath of God. 

As Holy Spirit fills us/moves within us we become his voice, spreading the gospel message far and wide, sounding the alarm of repentance and encouraging people to be ready for the coming of the King.

Matthew 10:20 – For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.                                                                                                                                                                         

Now let’s circle back to our original text.  When Paul writes that the ‘word of the Lord sounded forth’ from the Thessalonian believers, he wasn’t just using random words.  This was no meaningless metaphor; there can be no doubt that in his mind’s eye, he was picturing the Jewish Feast of Trumpets. 

He was commending the church of Thessalonica for trumpeting the gospel message to a lost and dying world!  

I Thessalonians 1:9 - …for they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,

‘They themselves’ refers to anyone that Paul spoke to about the Thessalonian church.  Those who had anything to say about them confirmed their great piety and faithfulness to Jesus and the gospel.  Everyone was fully aware of how the majority of the church members (Gentiles) had forsaken false idols and dedicated themselves to God alone.

Paul reasons that the fruit exhibited by the Thessalonian Christians (their works, their spreading of the gospel, their decision to forsake false/dead idols, etc) is proof that Paul and his companions were sent by God to be their spiritual fathers. 

Paul probably felt the need to make this point clear, because many of the unrepentant Jews were accusing Paul and his companions of being anarchists who were intent on subverting the rule of Caesar by ‘turning the world upside down’ (Acts 17:8). 

These false accusations were dispelled by the amazing work that Jesus had done among the Thessalonians.  After all, how could imposters and deceivers produce the peace, freedom and joy experienced by this church?

I Thessalonians 1:10 - …and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

Having forsaken false idols, the true believers in Thessalonica are how serving the Lord and anxiously awaiting the return of Jesus.  Paul takes this opportunity to highlight two very basic yet significant gospel truths:

One, the wrath of God is set to fall on the entire human race, for all of us have broken his law.  We are deserving of eternal death.

Romans 3:23 – For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.                                                                                                                                       

And two, because of his great mercy, God has made a way of escape through the sacrifice of his Son Jesus. 

Jesus willingly set his glory aside to clothe himself in a body of flesh.  He came to this earth to fulfill the Law, to show us the Father, and to make atonement for our sin by laying his life down on the cross. 

But, hallelujah, he did not stay there!  On the third day, God raised him from the dead and now he is at the right hand of the Father, making intercession for us.  By his blood he has delivered us from the wrath of God which will fall on the wicked in the day of judgment.

All Christians are waiting for the Son to come from heaven.  In other words, we expect/await a future state of glory in which our bodies will be resurrected and changed.  Jesus was the first fruits of the resurrection, and all those who trust in him will also be resurrected to eternal life.  (We will examine this concept in depth later in our study of Thessalonians.  However, we can’t help but notice that the topic of the resurrection is evident throughout this wonderful book.)

Once he returns to earth to claim us (the church, his bride) we will be taken to dwell with him forever in heaven.  These are glorious truths which inspire every Christian to be ready for his return!

Let me offer you some encouragement and some relief:

In today’s post, we took a closer look at how the gospel message was ‘sounded out’ during the Feast of Trumpets. 

The four basic trumpet blasts represent a time to stop and consider God (and our relationship with him), the act of repentance, a wake-up call to get busy in the service of our King, and the expectation of the final triumphant return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

This week, instead of focusing on the things that are wrong in your life (which will undoubtedly produce complaining and grumbling), why not focus on these four sounds?

Let’s spend some time meditating each one and see how they affect both our actions and our words!

Let me offer you some strength:

How does a Christian ‘sound forth’ the gospel message?  Here are a few points to ponder:

1. God could have simply left his written word for mankind to read and left it at that.  But he didn’t – his will is for each of us to be filled with the wind/breath of Holy Spirit and to proclaim his glory to those who have not yet repented. 

If you are still living and breathing on this earth, then you still have purpose in the kingdom of heaven!  God wants to use you to sound forth the message with your words.  He wants to use you to enforce his kingdom on this earth through prayer and by declaring the scriptures.       

2. God desires for each one of us to be an example of his grace and mercy; a living epistle that can be easily seen by the lost.  The clearest, loudest and most eloquent proclamation of the gospel comes from the changes in our own lives. 

Perhaps you’ve been delivered from some grievous sins.  If that is the case, don’t be embarrassed.  The profound changes that Christ has made in your life sound forth a message of hope to those who are still seeking deliverance.

3. The truth, peace and joy of the gospel can be sounded forth even in the midst of trouble and affliction.  The troubles of the Thessalonians tested their faith, making it stronger and purer, which in turn led to a fuller, deeper and richer proclamation of the gospel.  

Are you in the midst of a trial right now?  Are you currently experiencing an affliction?  If so, remember that your actions and words during this time can sound forth the gospel to those around you.

 

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I Thessalonians 1:5 - …because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.  You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.

Paul is writing to the Thessalonian church.  He confirms that they are a true member of the body of Christ who enjoy all the same spiritual privileges as the converted Jews, without being circumcised or following the rituals of the Law.  Clearly, the Thessalonian church has been elected or chosen by God.  This election is clear to Paul based on their displays of faith, hope and love (see our prior posts). 

Paul goes on to point out further evidence of their election by God - the gospel came to them in power, not in word only.  What does that mean?  Let’s take a closer look. 

The first thing we notice is that Paul speaks of ‘our’ gospel.  Obviously, this does not mean that Paul and his companions were the authors of the gospel.  Salvation comes solely from God; it is a product of his wisdom, grace and mercy, revealed and manifested through his Son Jesus Christ and empowered by his Spirit:

Ephesians 2:8-9 – For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.                                            

Paul, Silas and Timothy had already fully embraced the gospel (which made it theirs), and now they were fulfilling the commission given to them by God – they were moving about the known world, going where the Spirit led them, and establishing new churches.

So, we find that Paul uses the phrase ‘our gospel’ in the sense that when he and his companions first came to Thessalonica, they were bringing the gospel with them as a precious gift to be given to all who would hear and believe (Greeks/Gentiles as well as Jews).  Paul uses this same phraseology in his other epistles as well (II Thessalonians 2:14, II Timothy 2:8, etc).  These ministers were happy share the good news so that the Thessalonians could consider the gospel theirs too.

The gospel was obviously preached to them with words, but the message wasn’t vain babbling that went in one ear and out the other.  When the gospel was preached, the message came in power.  What does that mean?

Well, we can certainly assume that Paul preached powerful sermons, because he was a devout Jew, highly educated and well versed in the scriptures.  In fact, he had studied under Gamaliel, a noted religious leader of that day (Acts 22:3).  He had also been touched by Holy Spirit and his mind was opened to the truth/fulfillment of the Old Testament prophesies which spoke of the Messiah. 

We can also assume that Paul preached in a powerful manner.  He was a skilled orator who preached the gospel to countless people, including governors and kings (Acts 25:14 – 26:32).

But no matter how eloquently Paul spoke, he did not have the power to convict men and women of sin and lead them to faith in Christ.  That is the exclusive work of Holy Spirit, and that is the power Paul is referring to in this verse.

As the gospel was preached, Holy Spirit enlightened those who were dead in trespasses and sin.  The Spirit opened their blind spiritual eyes, unstopped their deaf spiritual ears and softened their hearts of stone to allow the gospel message to take root in their hearts and minds.  Thus, Holy Spirit delivered them from the bonds of sin/death and gave them new life through Jesus Christ.   Now that’s power!

The power of Holy Spirit was also on display when he confirmed the gospel message with miraculous signs and wonders.  This was a common occurrence in the early New Testament church:   

Mark 16:20 - And they [the apostles] went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.  Amen.                                                    

When people are miraculously set free from demonic oppression, healed of diseases or otherwise restored to health (mental, physical or emotional), it awakens faith in that person and those who witness the healing.  This in turn confirms the truth of the gospel and draws people to salvation.   As we have noted before, God chooses to work in partnership with us – when we are faithful to share the gospel, he provides the power for people to be saved and transformed.   

But, hallelujah, Holy Spirit doesn’t stop there.  Once a soul comes to Christ, he then proceeds to sanctify the believer, making him over into the image of Christ.  The Spirit works with us to produce spiritual fruit within us; he implants his graces of faith, hope and love into our lives.  Now that’s power!

I Corinthians 2:4-5 - And my speech and my preaching were not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.   

On the other hand, there were many false teachers during this time who tried to win converts solely on their oratory skills:

I Corinthians 4:19-20 – But I [Paul] will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but of their power.  For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.

One way to discover false teachers is to examine their lives for evidence of the power of Holy Spirit.  If that is missing, it should raise red flags!

Fortunately, in the case of the Thessalonians, the genuine gospel was received with ‘full conviction’ or full persuasion of its truth.  In other words, there was no doubt, uncertainty or skepticism in their minds about the truth and validity of the gospel. 

They not only fully believed it, they also fully embraced it ‘heart and soul’.  In fact, this whole chapter indicates that the Thessalonians accepted the gospel with an uncommonly strong conviction.  It completely changed their lives.  This is further evidence that they had been chosen/elected by God.

Paul’s next point is that the Thessalonian believers are well aware of ‘what kind of men we proved to be among you’.  Paul often appeals to his converts as true/competent witnesses of his own conduct and character.

Unlike false teachers who only serve themselves and seek their own glory, Paul and his companions overcame difficulties, suffered abuse/persecution, endured hardships, paid their own way and yet were continuously faithful to minister day in and day out.  Their actions were consistent with the gospel they preached.  For this reason, the Thessalonians could be sure that Paul was a true minister of the gospel, sent by the Lord for their good. 

I Thessalonians 1:6 – And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit,                                                                                     

Here is another way that Paul knows/recognizes that the Thessalonian believers are chosen or elected by God – they imitated Paul, Silas, Timothy and the Lord.  What does that mean?

I Corinthians 11:1 – Be imitators of me [Paul] as I am of Christ.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

First, let’s examine the word ‘imitate’.  One of the definitions of ‘imitate’ is to produce a semblance or likeness of something in form, color, character, conduct or manners; to counterfeit or to copy.  

For most of us, that word has a negative connotation; we associate it with something false or deceptive.

For example, you can buy various foods at the store which are imitation.  Imitation crab meat looks very much like the real thing.  It is of similar color, form and even taste.  But it isn’t crab – it is made from minced white fish combined with sugar, starch, flavoring and other additives. 

The same could be said of imitation cheese, which is made from non-dairy ingredients like vegetable oil, protein, emulsifiers and flavoring.  (Personally, I am not convinced this is really food… perhaps we should rename this product ‘phony cheese’!)  

And of course, we have all heard stories of counterfeit money – fake currency that is designed to resemble real money in color, form and quality, but is completely worthless. 

My point is that based on this common definition of the word imitate, we might be tempted to think that it would be a bad thing for the Thessalonian Christians to imitate Paul and his companions.  We might get the idea that their walk with Christ was phony or fake. 

But ‘imitate’ has another definition – one that is a bit less common.  Imitate can also be defined as ‘to follow a pattern, model, or example; to strive to copy in acts, manners, etc.’. 

If the Thessalonian Christians are imitating Paul, Silas and Timothy in this way, then they are striving to live their lives in a holy manner.  They were witnesses to the kind of men these ministers were, and they strove to follow their examples or patterns.

In general, we surmise that these former idol worshipers are now casting aside their old ways.  They no longer bow down or sacrifice to idols, observe new moon festivals, or utilize cult prostitutes.  They are leaving behind such sins as unforgiveness, envy, lying and stealing.  They are probably speaking in a manner which shows mercy and grace to others without using detestable language.  

They no doubt observed how their spiritual leaders responded when contradicted and confronted by ungodly men or unrepentant Jews.  They saw examples of how to handle persecution and suffering.  These examples were of infinite value to the newly established church in Thessalonica. 

Although Holy Spirit is working within the Thessalonians to prompt these changes, they were looking at their spiritual leaders/teachers as an example of what to do and what not to do.

Specifically, Paul makes mention of three areas in which the Thessalonians imitate their leaders:

• Receiving the word in much affliction.
• Experiencing the joy of Holy Spirit.
• Becoming an example to other believers.

Receiving the word with much affliction:  Based on what we read in our introduction, we know that these men and women became believers in a city where Christians were generally harassed and persecuted (See Acts 17:4-10). 

At a time when some people abandoned the gospel out of fear or intimidation, there were men and women in Thessalonica who still received the gospel.  They were willing to follow Christ no matter the cost!  They found the ‘pearl of great price’ (Matthew 13:45-46) and no amount of suffering or affliction was going to stop them from being a child of God! 

How then, were they to handle affliction/persecution? 

From their spiritual leaders/examples, they saw how to walk a fine line – to be courageous for the gospel, but not to put themselves in harm’s way unnecessarily.  For example, Paul was forced to flee the city of Thessalonica, however, Silas and Timothy were able to stay.  They continued the work of establishing the church and standing for truth without being antagonistic to those who opposed them.  

We know that the civil authorities were involved, so legal charges were going to be filed against some of them, including Jason, Silas and Timothy.  We see the leaders paying the required fee and they no doubt appeared for the hearings.  In other words, they did not promote civil disobedience, even though they were speaking the truth.

Matthew 10:16 – “Behold, I [Jesus] and sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”                                                                                                  

When we arrive at a moment of affliction/persecution, we should use the wisdom God has given us for our particular situation.  We can also rely on Holy Spirit to lead us and give us examples to follow. 

Experiencing the joy of Holy Spirit:  The affliction/suffering/persecution of the Thessalonian Christians was bearable because of the joy of the Lord which was given to them through the Spirit. 

Joy is the natural outcome when our spirit is united with Holy Spirit:

Acts 13:52 – And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Romans 14:17 – For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.                                                                                                

Romans 15:13 – May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.                                                                              

Have you noticed that the gospel does not prevent trials, tribulations and afflictions?

Though the gospel is good news which brings joy and gladness, it often comes to us along with great storms and/or periods of suffering in this life.  This should be expected, as our enemy tries to retaliate against us for becoming children of God. 

God does not promise us a life free of difficulty (John 16:33).  What he promises is something much, much better – his continued presence during those times.  When our Father chooses to allow trouble to touch us, he will also give us joy, peace and gladness which will counteract it.   

Clearly, the joy that was experienced by the Thessalonians was a result of their relationship with God, not their outward circumstances.  The same is true for us.  For this reason, our joy can never be taken from us by the devil.  The only way he can get our joy is if we let him steal it!

I Thessalonians 1:7 - …so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.                                                                                                                                                                     

Becoming an example to other believers:  The Christians of Thessalonica were met with swift and harsh persecution almost immediately after receiving the gospel.  In other cities the apostles often took the brunt of this persecution while the converts were spared, but here the full assault fell upon the infant church. 

In the midst of that situation, they followed the examples of their spiritual leaders and in turn became an example to others.

The word ‘example’ is from the root word ‘type’.  It denotes anything produced by means of blows as in a mark/print/impression made by a stamp or die.  Thus, the stamp or print produces a resemblance, a pattern or an example – essentially a model.  The Thessalonians became a model or pattern which other believers should follow. 

Paul clearly indicates that their example/influence went beyond the borders of their own city.  Remember, Thessalonica was a thriving seaport.  The Christians of that city were in a perfect position to spread the gospel to foreigners as they encountered them in daily life.  In this way, the gospel crossed national boundaries, spreading to the nation of Greece. 

When Greece was overtaken by the Romans, it was split into two provinces. 

One province was Macedonia, which was the northern portion.  The chief city of that region was Philippi.  The other province was Achaia, which was the southern portion.  The chief city of that region was Corinth. 

Paul credits the Thessalonian believers for providing living examples to the new believers in these other regions/nations.  As you well know, Paul eventually established churches in both of those major cities, and we are still reading/studying his letters to the Philippians and Corinthians today!  Isn’t it awesome to think that the believers in Thessalonica were a positive, encouraging influence on other churches?

Let me offer you some encouragement:

The life of Paul, Silas and Timothy matched up with the gospel message they were preaching (and Holy Spirit was confirming by his power). How they preached is how they lived.  They provided an example for other believers to imitate/follow.

With that in mind, let’s ask ourselves a question:  If new believers were imitating us, would they be living holy lives? 

Would they be praising or complaining?  Would they be stingy or generous?  Would they be trustworthy or unreliable?  Would their lamps be empty or full? 

Now is a good time to remind ourselves that whether we realize it or not, we are often being watched not only by the world, but by other Christians.  By biblically handling things like personal tragedy, severe trials and unforeseen crises, we can be an encouragement and a powerful example to other Christians. 

Let me offer you some relief and some strength:

In today’s world, many sinners are searching for happiness.  The problem is that happiness is based on outward circumstances.  If we get what we want (like a promotion), or we avoid what we don’t want (like an illness), that equates to happiness.

So, by default, we can only make ourselves happy to the extent that we can control all our outward circumstances!  Since that is impossible, we can never guarantee our own happiness.

Christians, on the other hand, should be seeking joy.  Joy does not come from the world around us; it has a divine source – Holy Spirit.  Because it comes to us from God, it can never be taken away from us.  Because it is not based on outward circumstances, we can experience God’s joy no matter what situation we are in. 

In fact, trouble/affliction actually help us attain greater joy, because they cause us to turn to God for comfort.  When we do, Holy Spirit is right there to sustain us by his comfort, strength and joy!

 

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I Thessalonians 1:4 – For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you…                                                                                                                                                                                                    

In today’s installment of our study, we find that Paul (along with Silas and Timothy) continues to encourage and exhort the Thessalonian believers.

For we know:  Paul does not hesitate to say that he knows, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that God loves and has chosen the Christians at Thessalonica.  How does he know?

The answer to this question is simple and straightforward. As we discussed in our last post, the gospel message caused an internal, invisible change within the lives of the Thessalonian believers.  This change then manifested itself in their outward visible actions.     

So, Paul ‘knows’ the gospel has taken root in their lives because of the evidence he can see – their works of faith, their labors of love and the hope which influenced their everyday individual lives.

Brothers loved by God:  Paul goes on to make a statement that seems perfectly ordinary to us but was actually very contentious and even explosive at the time.  In order to fully understand its significance, we need to review a bit of history.

As you are well aware, when God called Abram out to become the father of the Jewish nation, he made three great promises to him.  He would make his offspring into a great nation, the nation’s population would be as vast as the stars of heaven (innumerable), and they would be a blessing to all the nations on earth:

Gensis 12:2-3 – And I [God] will make of you [Abram] a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

In accordance with his promise, God made Israel into a great nation.  He called them his chosen people, established a covenant with them, and gave them the Law (aka, the Law of Moses). 

Nevertheless, Gentiles were not 100% excluded from serving God.  All throughout the history of Israel, Gentile men and women could choose to become proselytes to the Jewish religion.  In other words, they would forsake all heathen religions and the worship of multiple gods/idols.  They would live with the people of Israel and worship only the Lord.  They agreed to be bound by all the laws of the covenant, including circumcision. 

Once they did so, they were considered Israelites.  They could enjoy all the benefits of being one of God’s people.  This included the right to celebrate Passover, the event that foreshadowed the work of Jesus the Messiah:

Exodus 12:48 – If a stranger shall sojourn with you and would keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised.  Then he may come near and keep it; he shall be as a native of the land.  But no uncircumcised person shall eat of it.

This was the dynamic between Jews and Gentiles for hundreds and hundreds of years – the Jews despised the Gentiles as heathens, however, if you were a Gentile, you could become one of God’s chosen people by converting to Judaism.  

This dynamic was in full force when Jesus came to earth in the flesh.  Even during his incarnation Jesus ministered primarily to the Jews, because he was still in the process of fulfilling the law. 

For example, in Mark chapter 7:24-30, a Gentile woman asked Jesus to cast a demon out of her daughter.  Jesus’ reply was that the children (the Jews) should be filled first; it was not right for their bread to be given to the dogs (Gentiles).  Because of her great faith, Jesus did heal her daughter, but the point is that until the resurrection of Christ the Law was in full effect and Gentiles were expected to become Jews if they wanted to be considered a child of God.

However, once Jesus fulfilled the law by his death and resurrection, the new covenant of grace came into effect.  It would be a epic understatement to say that grace was a real game changer!!

Jesus had broken down the wall of separation between the Jews and Gentiles; all people could now enter the kingdom of heaven through the sacrifice of Christ.

Ephesians 2:14-16 – For he himself [Jesus] is our peace, who has made us both [Jews and Gentiles] one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross…

 That was good news for the Gentiles.  They could leave their heathen ways behind and be reconciled to God through Christ Jesus, without having to become converts to Judaism!

But things were a bit more difficult for the Jews.  They simply could not grasp the concept that the law had been fulfilled and subsequently replaced.  At the time Paul penned his first epistle to the Thessalonians, it had been fifty years since Christ had risen and many, if not most, of the believing Jews STILL had the mindset that Gentiles had to become Jews (particularly through circumcision) before coming to Christ (Acts 15:5).

Acts 15:5 – But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.” 

This was an enormous controversy within the new body of Christ; it was a major stumbling block for many within the church.  Eventually, the apostles and other church fathers had to get together and decide which rules (if any) the church was to follow. 

This event was called the Jerusalem Council, and you can read about it in Acts 15:1-35.

Now let’s circle back to our text.  When Paul addresses the Thessalonian church as ‘brothers loved by God’ he is affirming that they are true children of God.  Regardless of the opposition without and/or within the church community, they were not second-class Christians or Gentile dogs. 

In the age of grace, there was no difference between Jew and Gentile believers – all were equal, genuine members of the kingdom of heaven.  They were spiritual brothers and sisters of the believing Jews as well as co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17).

There is no doubt that this one single phrase (brothers beloved by God) was a great encouragement to the believers of that day, who were sometimes looked down upon by other Christians.

Consider this:  Scripture tells us that our words have the power of life and death:

Proverbs 18:21 – Death and life are in the power of the tongue…                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Can you remember a time in your life when someone gave you a word of encouragement that meant all the difference in your situation?  Do you remember how that word caused hope or strength or resilience to rise up within you and instead of quitting you were victorious?

Isn’t it amazing how powerful a sincere word of encouragement can be to someone?

Does that realization make you want to encourage someone else right now?

Since words of encouragement are both free and life changing, why aren’t we giving them to others on a regular basis??  Are you speaking words of encouragement into the lives of your children, your relatives, your friends and your church family?  If not, why?   

God has chosen you:  Paul goes on to say that God had chosen (your translation may say ‘elected’) the believers of the Thessalonian church.   What does he mean by that?

Well first off, we should make mention of what it does NOT mean.  God did not choose the Gentiles to the exclusion of the Jews.  It is God’s will that ALL people become his children through the atoning sacrifice of Christ:

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.                                                                                                         

Every true believer can be described as ‘chosen by God’.  After all, man did not choose God; it was God who chose us by an act of his will before the world began. 

Ephesians 1:3-5 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.  In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will…

Our righteousness and justification spring from God’s sovereign will as manifested through Jesus Christ our Savior.  Salvation flows to us not because of anything we have done, but by his immeasurable love and favor towards us.

Furthermore, the gospel would have been fruitless unless Holy Spirit quickened the message in the hearts of the lost.  Once the message takes root in the heart of a believer, he or she will still need Holy Spirit to empower them in their spiritual walk, to seal them until the day of redemption, to give them spiritual gifts, to bring the word to their remembrance, and a host of other things.  In short, when we consider the work of Holy Spirit, it is evident that God chose us, we did not choose him. 

Now let’s consider the church for a minute.

     * Every true church proves that they are chosen by God when they display a zeal for righteousness while practicing self-denial, when they freely give of their material possessions, and when they  do everything in their power to further the kingdom of God.

     * Every true church proves they are chosen by God when they exhibit faith, love and hope as discussed in our last post.

     * Every true church proves they are chosen by God when the Spirit attends their services.  While Holy Spirit remains invisible to our naked eyes, his presence can easily be felt; his gifts will also be in operation whenever believers gather together.  It is the presence of Holy Spirit which distinguishes the true church from false churches or from other clubs/associations of people.     

Let me offer you some encouragement:

You may be familiar with the old adage ‘No man is an island unto himself’.  This is a true saying, especially in the kingdom of heaven. God never intended for believers to walk through this world alone.  In fact, he commands us to assemble together with other like-minded believers (Hebrews 10:25).

We can strengthen and encourage other believers by simply speaking a word of truth and victory into their lives. 

Is someone in your church facing a health issue?  Proclaim that they will live and not die and declare the word of the Lord (Psalms 118:17).  Remind them that Jesus bore all of our sicknesses and diseases (mental, spiritual, physical and emotional) to the cross; by his stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5). 

Is someone in your church having a financial crisis?  Remind them that it is God who gives them the power to get wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18).   He is the one that blesses the work of their hands (Malachi 3:10). 

We could give example after example, but I think you get the point – ENCOURAGE SOMEONE TODAY.  In fact, why not make it a point or a goal to encourage someone every single day?

Let me offer you some relief:  

Do you realize that YOU have been chosen by God?  Do you realize that YOU are his child, and he adores you?  Do you know that your heavenly Father has amazing plans for YOUR life? 

Perhaps you have experienced a fall or a setback recently and you feel anything but loved and chosen by God.  If that is the case, let me give you some relief – feelings have a tendency to ignore the facts!  Feelings are fickle and they frequently do not line up with what God says about us. 

In fact, Satan will often use feelings to try and place an unnecessary load of guilt upon us, hoping to drive a wedge between us and the Father.  Don’t fall for his tricks!

If you have failed in your Christian walk recently, that doesn’t mean that God has given up on you or expelled you from his kingdom.  You are still chosen by him!  Take a few minutes to repent.  Then, pick yourself up and get back to kingdom work!  Don’t believe your feelings; believe what the word of God says about you!

Let me offer you some strength:

Do you feel needed in your church body?  If not, this may be an indication that you need to be more involved.  Remember, God has not just chosen you out of the world, he has chosen you to be in his service. 

What is your ministry?  If you don’t have one, it’s time you picked one up.  You can start by looking for opportunities to serve in your local fellowship.  You can volunteer to assist in children’s ministry or worship.  You can host a small group in your home or send encouraging cards to those who are sick.  You could administer communion to someone in the hospital.  The list of possibilities is endless. 

You can also look for opportunities in para-church organizations such as the Gideons, a soup kitchen/pantry or a local crisis pregnancy center.  It is God’s will for you to be a strength to others, so take a cue from the Thessalonian church and get involved!  

 

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I Thessalonians 1:3 – …remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.                                                                          

Welcome back, dear readers!

We are currently studying the letter which Paul (along with Silas and Timothy) wrote to the church at Thessalonica.  One of the main reasons for the letter was to encourage these believers who had received salvation in the midst of fierce opposition.

Immediately after his greeting, Paul commends the Thessalonian church for their faith, love and hope.

These are the three great abiding principles of the true Christian life, which Paul constantly mentions throughout his epistles:

I Corinthians 13:13 – So now faith, hope and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.                                                                                                                                                                 

Work of Faith:  Faith is belief in a statement or truth declared by another, which rests solely and implicitly on their authority and veracity (truthfulness).

In the present case, we might say that faith is a belief in the gospel message as declared by Jesus Christ the Messiah, the one who is the source of all divine truth and the one who possess all authority.  

In other words, as Paul preached to the sinners in Thessalonica, they became fully persuaded that the gospel message of Jesus Christ was true - in their minds and hearts they believed and accepted that Jesus Christ was the Messiah, the Son of God, who came to earth and died as the atonement for their sin.  They were absolutely convinced that through Christ they were reconciled to God the Father and that Holy Spirit lived within their hearts, sealing them until the day of redemption (Ephesians 1:13-14). 

Obviously, they received salvation the same way you and I did – by faith in Jesus Christ.  But our journey of faith doesn’t end there.  In fact, salvation is only the beginning.

One of the most basic principles of true biblical faith is that it is active/actively working in us.  True faith will always have an influence upon our hearts and lives:  

• Faith will affect the things we say and the things we do. 
• Faith will rearrange our priorities. 
• Faith will change our relationships. 
• Faith will impact the way we treat others. 
• Faith will enable us to ‘move mighty mountains’ (Matthew 21:21-22, Mark 11:22-24). 
• Faith will urge or impel us to work for the glory of God. 
• Faith motivates us to ‘work out’ our own salvation with fear and trembling.

The apostle James puts it this way:

James 2:26 – For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.                                                                                                                                                            

In other words, active faith (which is inward and invisible) produces fruit which is outward and visible in this world.  Paul knew that true faith was working in the lives of the Thessalonian believers because it manifested itself in outward actions or ‘works of faith’.

For example, faith caused these believers to abandon their worship of false idols.  Instead, they joyfully offered sacrifices of praise and worship to Christ. 

Faith prompted them to turn away from sin (envy, lust, pride, drunkenness, etc) and embrace righteousness and holiness.      

Faith motivated them to share the gospel with others (even in the face of persecution) and thus expand the kingdom of heaven.

Faith allowed the Thessalonians to receive gifts from Holy Spirit, which assisted them in completing the works they were called to accomplish.

We could go on and on, but I think the apostle James said it best:

James 2:18 - … I will show you my faith by my works.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

So, let’s pause for a moment and ask ourselves this question:  What evidence do we have of active faith in our own lives?

Each one of us will have a unique answer to this question because we’ve all had unique journeys through life.  Some of us came to faith in Christ early in life, while others were older.  Some of us came from the throes of sin and addiction, while others did not.  Some came to faith from false religions, while others were brought up in Christian households. 

While individual details will differ, the same Holy Spirit works in the life of every believer, and thus we find some general principles of faith that will be common to us all.  

• In conjunction with Holy Spirit, faith prompts the Christian to search the scriptures, find the promises of God and lay hold of them.
• Faith allows us to keep a grip on those promises, holding them tightly until we see them come to pass.
• Faith is the basis of all prayer – we can’t see God or his throne room, but we know our prayers are funneled to him through Christ our mediator.  
• Faith is importunate, which is to say it allows us to earnestly and persistently enter the throne room of grace in our time of need. 
• Faith calls things that are not as though they are. 
• Faith marches forward to share the gospel, to defeat the devil and to stand firm in the face of adversity. 
• Faith makes it possible to receive pardon when we fail and to get up once again.
• Faith empowers us to patiently and cheerfully be obedient to God’s commands.
• Faith keeps the promise of heaven continually in our hearts and minds.

So again, I ask you: How is faith working in your own life right now?

Labor of Love:  Let’s be honest… in many instances, love requires labor!

It’s easy to love people that you admire or respect.  It’s easy to love people that have the same ideas and opinions as you do.  It’s easy to love people who shower you with gifts and compliments. 

But it’s much harder to love those who are the opposite of you in every respect.  What about people who annoy you?  What about the people standing on the corner asking for money?  What about the homeless people who haven’t bathed for a month, and reek of alcohol?  What about those who despise you and make your life miserable every chance they get?

I have colleagues at work that have spiritual and moral viewpoints that are the complete opposite of mine.  Every day, I must work to find common ground with them.  I have to be careful what I say, so that I don’t agree with them, but I don’t alienate them either; I have to show them the love of Christ.  My guess is that it’s not just me - every one of us have people in our life that we must labor to love.   

In the gospel of Luke, Jesus laid out some really tough and non-negotiable commands about loving others:

Luke 6:32-35 – “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you?  For even sinners love those who love them.  And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you?  For even sinners do the same.  And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you?  Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount.  But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.”   

If we were left to fulfill this mandate in our flesh, we wouldn’t last one day!  In fact, I doubt I could last even an hour, unless I was home alone! 

But thankfully, Jesus never sets us up to fail.  He gave us the command to labor in love, and he also gave us his indwelling Holy Spirit who makes this possible.

Holy Spirit empowers us to show kindness and compassion to those who seem unlovable.  Through him we can provide the necessities of life to the poor, and in showing them love, we can present the gospel to them.

Through Holy Spirit, we can be kind to those who mistreat us and in showing them love we will make an impact upon them; we will earn the opportunity to share the love of Christ. 

Through Holy Spirit, we can love people while hating their sin.  We can afford to be merciful, compassionate and kind, because Christ has been merciful, compassionate and kind to us!  As we labor to love those who oppose us or those who are difficult to love, Holy Spirit will anoint us to bring the message of salvation into their lives.

As a whole, the church of Jesus Christ has always labored in love.  She has been persecuted, hated, constrained, smeared, condemned, mocked and in some cases martyred.  But nevertheless, God has chosen to spread the gospel message through his church, and she continues to be an example of Christ’s all-encompassing love in every generation. 

Clearly, Paul was able to identify the ‘labors of love’ in the Thessalonian church, because these labors were outward visible signs of their relationship with Christ.  How are you outwardly living out ‘labors of love’ in your own life?

Steadfastness of hope (your translation may say patience of hope):  Hope is a feeling of trust or expectation that something we desire will happen.  Along with faith and love, hope is an indelible part of the Christian life. 

For the Christian, hope is always based on the firm, unwavering knowledge that God keeps his promises. 

Jeremiah 1:12 – Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over my word to perform it.”                                                                                                                                                     

Numbers 23:19 – God is not a man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind.  Has he said, and will he not do it?  Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?                  

However, it should be noted that God’s timing is not always the same as ours!  He alone is in complete control of all things; he knows the exact right moment to fulfill the promises he has made.  Because of this, patience will always be a component of hope in the Christian life. 

Fortunately for us, God knew this, and he has already made provision for our weak natures by making patience one of the fruits of the Spirit:

Galatians 5:22-23 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.                                           

Now, what promises do you suppose the Thessalonian church was waiting for?  My guess is that they were waiting for the same things we are waiting for:

• We wait for revival to break forth on our loved ones, in our cities and on our nation. 
• We wait for the conclusion of trials and tribulations, knowing that our ‘test’ will give us a ‘testimony’ to share in the world. 
• We steadfastly wait for the return of Christ and the end of evil in this world.

Basically, patience of hope means that no matter what happens in this life, no matter what circumstances we face or what lack we endure, we remain victorious in Christ.  We are unconquered by adversity, grief or suffering because our hope is not fickle or temporary, it is steadfast and sure.  We know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that God will be faithful to keep his promises and bring us to the hope we have…

In Our Lord Jesus Christ:   Jesus is our Rock and our Redeemer; our hope is founded on him alone as our Savior.  I don’t know about you, but this truth makes me burst with joy!

Just think of it – in this life, we are never alone!  Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts, helping us to stretch/exercise our faith as we perform our labors of love.  He gives us the unwavering assurance that at the proper time, all of God’s promises will come to pass!  There is NO WAY we can lose in this life, unless we give up.  And why would we do that, when we know our hope in Christ is never in vain? 

Our hope differs from the hope of the lost.   They sit around fretting, because their hope has no solid foundation.  They hope for the best but prepare for the worst because that is exactly what their father the devil will give them. 

By contrast, our hope is rock-solid and secure, because it is based on the Lord Jesus Christ (I Timothy 1:1), who never fails and never changes! 

Hebrews 13:8 – Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

And then there is the world to come – our everlasting existence in the presence of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit!

Scripture tells us that each person will face a day of reckoning after this life. 

Hebrews 9:27 – And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment…                                                                                                                                                                           

For the Christian, this will be a joyous day because Jesus has already made payment for our sin.  In fact, he has allowed us to earn heavenly rewards (I Corinthians 3:14, Matthew 10:42) and crowns (I Peter 5:4, Revelation 3:11) for our service to him on earth.  He will welcome us into his kingdom with love and open arms; we have absolutely no reason to fear our meeting with him.  Hopefully, we have been diligent servants who will hear him say, ‘Well done good and faithful servant’. 

Such is not the case for sinners.  They will stand before God’s throne to be judged by what is recorded in God’s account books (Revelation 20:12, Daniel 7:10).  For them, this will be a dreadful day like no other. 

Hopefully, the thought of anyone being in such a position hurts your heart.  Hopefully, at this very moment Holy Spirit is causing you to experience godly sorrow for those who do not yet know Christ. 

Holy Spirit wants to use that sorrow to motivate or spur you on in exercising your faith, continuing in labors of love and remaining steadfast in your commitment to Christ.   We must remain faithful and diligent in his service, allowing him to work through us for the salvation of others. 

Let me offer you some encouragement:

In today’s post, we spoke about our individual journeys of faith.  I want to encourage you to stop for a moment and consider your own path to salvation. 

What events happened that put you in the right place and right time to hear the gospel?  What bondages did God break for you?  If you were raised in a Christian home, what impact did your parent’s belief have on you?  How did their everyday witness affect your decision to serve Christ?

How did you feel when your sins were first washed away? 

Where are you at in your journey of faith today?  How far has Holy Spirit taken you?  What vision or goal has he given you for the future?

These considerations should bring you encouragement because God has promised to continue working in you until the day he calls you home to heaven:

Philippians 1:6 – And I [Paul] am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.                                                                                                     

Let me offer you some relief:

God ALWAYS keeps his promises!  As a Christian, I am sure that you have certain scriptural promises that you are clinging to.  Perhaps it seems as though the answer is taking forever.

In those cases, you will be relieved to know that God is never late.  Even when we are unaware of it, he is working behind the scenes to orchestrate the fulfillment of our promise.  We can continue unwavering in our faith, because our God is both perfect and loving.  In fact, we can praise him now, for the answers we expect to come!

Let me offer you some strength:

When Paul speaks about faith, love and hope the order isn’t random – it is sequential. 

Faith is the path we take to salvation; it opens the gate to our spiritual life.  Once we have entered by faith, we can proceed to walk the paths of life, engaging in labors of love all along the way.  These labors of love manifest as good works, which bear fruit for the kingdom of heaven and please the Lord.

Colossians 1:10 – So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.                                                              

 Meanwhile, we walk with confidence and assurance, knowing that at the end of our journey, we will find the ultimate fulfillment of the hope we have carried all along the way - an indescribable eternity spent with the Father, Son and Spirit!  

Take the time to strengthen and encourage yourself as well as your brothers and sisters in Christ, because salvation is not the ‘end game’ of our spiritual life.  It’s actually the beginning of an exciting and amazing adventure!

 

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I Thessalonians 1:1 – Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy.  To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Grace to you and peace.

As we noted in our introduction, Paul and his companions had been chased from Thessalonica by an angry mob of Jews.  Scripture tells us that this happened after Paul preached at the synagogue on three successive weeks.  This might lead us to the conclusion that Paul was in the city for less than a month.

However, there is much evidence to suggest that there was a significant gap of time between his preaching and the riot. 

Remember, it was always Paul’s custom to preach to the Jews first (which he obviously did for at least three weeks).  But when/if the Jews rejected the gospel, Paul would immediately turn to the Gentiles.  For example, this is what he said earlier to the obstinate Jews at Antioch:  

Acts 13:46-47 – And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you.  Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.”  For the Lord has commanded us, saying, “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.”

In this case, the most likely scenario is that after three weeks, Paul left the synagogue and sought out the Gentiles. 

This assumption is further supported by verse 9 of chapter one, which reveals that many of the true believers in Thessalonica were Gentiles/former idol worshippers.  Obviously, these people would not have heard the gospel in the synagogue.  Therefore, Paul must have spent a considerable amount of time ministering in other places where the Gentiles gathered. 

Here is another point to consider: The traditional Jews who clung to the law regarded the Gentiles as unclean ‘dogs’.  In their opinion, you couldn’t have any lower standing than being a filthy heathen.  Never in a million years would these Jews have accepted the Gentiles as their spiritual equals.    

But when Paul preached, he made it very clear that God had broken down all barriers in the spiritual realm; there was no longer any difference between Jews and Gentiles.  According to the gospel, all people are born into sin, and all people are saved by the blood of Christ:

Galatians 3:28 – There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

It is easy to imagine that this type of teaching (equality of Jews and Gentiles in the sight of God) would cause the traditional Jews to become more and more enraged as time went on.  This demonically inspired rage was eventually directed at Paul and his companions, because Satan wanted to stop the spread of the gospel.  This is what eventually led to the riot which chased Paul out of the city.

Furthermore, in chapter two (I Thessalonians 2:5-12), Paul gives a somewhat detailed description of his life in the city, which would be ridiculous if he only stayed there a maximum of three weeks.

These (and other considerations) point to the fact that Paul was undoubtedly in Thessalonica much, much longer than just three weeks.  He had formed clear and strong bonds with the believers in that city.  God had worked through him to form and establish a true church.

When Paul and his companions were finally chased off by the riot, they went on to preach in Berea, where the traditional Jews (those who rejected the gospel and clung to the law) once again opposed them.  At that point, Paul left for Athens while Silas (Silvanus) and Timothy remained in Berea sharing the gospel both there and at Thessalonica.

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy - Eventually the three companions were reunited in Corinth.  Soon after, Paul decides to write a letter of encouragement the church at Thessalonica. 

Although Paul is the author of the letter, Silas and Timothy definitely had some input.  As Paul’s fellow laborers, they faithfully and diligently ministered to the Thessalonians and they were dearly loved by the people there.  It was their updates (along with the wisdom of Holy Spirit) which gave Paul the insight he needed to write an effective letter. Therefore it was fitting for this letter to come from all three men.  

As you may have noticed, the simple greeting in this letter differs from the greeting found in some of Paul’s letters to other churches, where he specifically describes himself as an apostle or servant of Jesus Christ (Romans 1:1, I Corinthians 1:1, Galatians 1:1, etc).  Why do you suppose Paul fails to mention his apostleship in his correspondence with the Thessalonians?

When writing to some of the other churches it was necessary for Paul to use his title of apostle to claim authority for himself.  Let me explain.  The Christians in some of the other churches did not want to submit themselves to the commands and doctrines given by Paul. 

Therefore, Paul had to remind them that he was specifically appointed by God as their overseer.  It was his job to deliver correction and instruction to them, so they might grow spiritually.  The commands and doctrines Paul gave them were to be diligently observed because they came directly from Christ, through Paul, under the anointing of Holy Spirit. 

However, in the case of Thessalonica (and Philippi), it appears that the Christians had no issue with Paul’s authority.  They willingly rendered to him the respect and honor that he deserved.  They acknowledged his spiritual authority over them and they were willing to be taught and corrected by him.  Therefore, there was no need for Paul to assert his position as an apostle.

To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ - Paul’s address to the church classifies them as being ‘in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ’. 

Why is that significant?

Well, let’s face it - Any group of like-minded people can call themselves a church.  They can gather on Sundays, donate money, enjoy music and even do good works, but none of these things create a true church.  (If that was all it took, your local Eagles club would be a church!) 

A church is truly a church only when it is founded upon God, established by Christ and guided by the Spirit.  Gathering together, doing good works, and donating money are the natural results of a life dedicated to God; they are not the causes of salvation.  Good works do not produce a true church.  

So we see that Paul’s assertion that the Thessalonian church is ‘in God and the Lord Jesus Christ’ is an acknowledgement of their true faith.  Through the work of Christ and the bond of the Spirit, they are securely established in knowledge, faith, worship and obedience to God the Father.  They recognized Jesus as their head; they functioned as the members of his body in Thessalonica.

Grace to you and peace – This salutation is present in all the letters of Paul.  Under the Old Testament, the Jew’s usual salutation was ‘peace be to you’, but in the New Testament Paul changed this to ‘grace and peace be to you’.  Peace includes all of the blessings of God, as well as inward tranquility of mind, heart and conscience.  Grace includes all of the favor of God, as well as the grace by which we are saved.

God bestows grace and peace upon each individual that trusts in him.  If you feel like you are lacking in peace or grace right now, get into the presence of God through worship and ask him to fill you!  

I Thessalonians 1:2 – We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers…

As we noted in the introduction, one of the reasons Paul wrote this letter was to comfort, strengthen and encourage the Christians in Thessalonica. 

He begins by saying that the believers in Thessalonica are a source/reason for him to offer thanksgiving to God.  Paul is thankful because his labor among them has not been in vain – he has witnessed their genuine conversion from sin and idolatry to true Christianity, in the midst of some very grievous circumstances.  He is thankful for the gifts bestowed upon them and the Christian disciplines/graces evident in their lives.

Notice that Paul does not take credit for this.  Neither does he give credit to the Thessalonians.  He rightly acknowledges that salvation is a gift of God, administered through his spiritual priests under the anointing of Holy Spirit:

I Peter 2:9 – But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own; that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness and into his marvelous light… 

For reasons we do not fully comprehend, God chooses to spread his kingdom on this earth through a partnership with mankind.  Once we are saved, God makes us priests in his kingdom – people who can stand in the gap between sinners and himself. 

We minister to the lost by sharing the gospel and doing good works.  Holy Spirit works through our words and actions to convict the sinner and bring him or her to repentance and faith in Christ.  So, there was a lot to be thankful for – God was blessing the ministry of Paul, Silas and Timothy, the kingdom of God was expanding in the world, and God was adding more and more workers to the ranks!

Here is an additional reason to be thankful – God desires to do the same thing today, through you and me! 

Paul, Silus and Timothy reached the people of their generation.  You and I must do the same.  Don’t assume that your pastor or one of your elders will reach everyone in your community.  Each individual believer, including you, has been made a priest in the kingdom of heaven.  You can reach people with the gospel that no one else can, so ask Holy Spirit for the boldness to speak out.

Next, Paul notes that he constantly makes mention of the Thessalonians in his prayers.  The Thessalonian believers had experienced a lot of spiritual growth, but they weren’t mature believers just yet.  They still had things to learn and understand; they still had some sins to conquer.

This is true for us as well.  No matter how far we come, there is still more growth that needs to happen in our lives.  Thankfully, Holy Spirit is working with us on a daily basis to make us over into the image of Christ (II Corinthians 3:18).      

Therefore, as often as Paul entered into the throne room of God through prayer, he lifted up the Thessalonian believers before the throne of God.  It was Paul’s desire that the church continue to grow and mature and disciple new believers.  He no doubt prayed that the church would receive spiritual gifts, power, faith and perseverance to continue their spiritual journey. 

Philippians 1:6 – Being confident of this very thing, that he who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Christ Jesus. 

Although we don’t know for sure, we can speculate that Paul prayed for the church to avoid many of the common pitfalls that people tend to fall into – pride, self-reliance, carelessness and spiritual laziness.

One thing, however, is very clear - Paul believed that God had big plans for the Thessalonian church; he would finish the good work he had begun in these Christians, bringing them to full maturity in Christ.

God will do this for you and your church as well!

Let me offer you some encouragement:

In today’s post, we mentioned that the Christians of Thessalonica had definitely experienced some spiritual growth, but they still had more work to do.  In this regard, we can all identify with the Christians in Thessalonica. 

From time to time it is beneficial to look back on your life and see just how far Christ has brought you.  We can all rejoice and praise the Lord for delivering us from our wicked ways and sinful habits.  I encourage you to take a few minutes right now and rehearse the specific deliverance(s) God has performed in your life.

[Incidentally, this kind of review will assist you in forming a testimony to share with the lost.]

If you’ve been a follower of Christ for any length of time, you can also look back and identify areas in your life where you have matured.    

Now take a few more minutes and give the Father, Son and Spirit the glory for these changes!

Let me offer you some relief:

As you look back upon your life, you will no doubt remember some instances in which you failed – you lost your temper, held on to unforgiveness for a time, or you spread some gossip which you later regretted. 

 If you feel some shame right now because of something in your past (or even your present), let me give you some relief:  Being saved, doesn’t automatically make you perfect. 

The Christian walk is a journey that you embark on every single day.  Sometimes you will stumble and fall.  The key is to get back up, ask Jesus to cleanse you, make the situation right with anyone you have sinned against, and learn your lesson.  Ask Holy Spirit to help you get control of that area of your life again.

Proverbs 24:16 – For a just man falls seven times, and rises up again… 

Strange as it may seem, there is an upside to failing – it helps keep you humble, and it gives you mercy for others!

Let me offer you some strength:

Part of the assessment of your spiritual life should include some future goals.  Scripture says this:

Proverbs 29:18 – Where there is no vision, the people perish…

What vision do you have for your life?  The obvious answer is that we want to please Christ in all we do.  That is a great answer.  But you should be looking for something more practical.

What do you specifically see yourself doing, which will result in pleasing Christ? 

Do you want to become more effective in your prayer life?  Are you seeking a spiritual gift?  Do you want to memorize scripture?  What about sharing your faith with your family and friends?  Do you want to teach a kid’s class or become involved in the local school district?  What about planning a session of vacation bible school or paying for some kids to go to church camp?

Have you had a dream or vision of ministry that has not yet come to pass?  Did someone prophesy over you at some point, but that word has not yet come to fruition?  If so, you need to pray into that word, set a course of action, and move out in faith. 

The point is, just as you have goals in the natural realm, you need to have some goals in the spiritual realm. 

Some of you will say that you don’t want to pursue a goal, because it might not be the Lord’s will for you.  Well, let me just tell you that it’s much easier to change the direction of a ship in motion than it is to get that ship moving in the first place! 

In other words, SET A GOAL AND GET STARTED!  If God wants you to move in another direction, he will communicate that to you.  Too many people wait around to ‘hear from God’ and end up doing nothing in his kingdom.  Don’t be that person!

Remember this old proverb: It’s better to aim at something and miss than to aim at nothing and hit the target every time! 

 

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I THESSALONIANS:

INTRODUCTION: The city of Thessalonica was located in what is now modern-day Greece.  Ancient sources tell us that it was not only situated on a major east-west trade route (the Via Egnatia), it was also a thriving seaport.  It was a free/independent city.  

As we would expect, Thessalonica was bustling, energetic and vibrant.  It was an amalgam of different cultures and nationalities.  Spices, works of art, luxurious goods and exotic animals passed through the city on a daily basis.  The businessmen and leading citizens of the city were very prosperous.  However, as in most large cities, there were also lower classes of poor people as well as slaves.  

While Thessalonica had many pagan temples and altars, scripture tells us that it also had a sizable Jewish population - enough to sustain its own synagogue. 

During his second missionary journey, Paul stopped in Thessalonica.  As was his custom when arriving in any city, Paul went straight to the synagogue and made contact with the Jewish leaders.  He was given the opportunity to speak and for three consecutive weeks, he preached the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Acts 17:1-3 – Now when they [Paul and Silas] had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica where there was a synagogue of the Jews.  And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.”

Scripture tells us that some Jews, a large number of Gentiles, and even some women of prominent standing in the community responded to the gospel message and became Christians.

Acts 17:4 – And some of them [the Jews] were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.

However, the majority of the devout Jews rejected the gospel.  Why was that?

One of the problems was their intense national and personal pride. 

The Jews were fiercely proud of their heritage as the chosen people of God.  They considered themselves superior to the Gentiles, because they had the law and the promises of God.  In order to accept the gospel message, they would have to set aside their national identity and blend into the church along with the Gentiles.  But in their eyes, it was practically blasphemy to consider Gentiles equal to themselves; their pride would not allow this to happen. 

Another issue was that the Jews refused to accept a Messiah that did not fit into their traditional beliefs (or preconceived ideas) about him. 

For example, the Jews had a long-held belief that the Messiah was a conquering hero (Isaiah 42:13, Isaiah 52:13).  Obviously, we also accept this as truth; Jesus is head over all things and one day every knee will bow before him.  At the appointed time, he will defeat all his enemies (Philippians 2:9-11, Revelation 19:11-21, Hebrews 10:13, etc) and reign forevermore.  

However, the Jews completely ignored any scriptures that described the Messiah as a suffering servant, or that spoke of his death on behalf of mankind (Isaiah 53). 

Consequently, Jesus was rejected by most of the Jews because he did not fit their idea of a national champion/deliverer who would raise an army, defeat Rome, assume rulership over Israel and usher the Jewish nation into a new ‘golden era’ which far surpassed the glory days of David and Solomon.

The devout Jews of Thessalonica were so bound by their traditions (and so blind to the truth), they actually became enraged when Paul suggested that Jesus was the Christ.  

Scripture tells us that they responded to the gospel with violence - they engineered a riot and attempted to have Paul and Silas brought before the mob, who would have surely stoned them.  (Thus, those who had suffered much religious persecution themselves were now the persecutors!)  Their actions are eerily similar to what the religious leaders did to Jesus about 50 years earlier.

Acts 17:5 – But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attached the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd.

The crowds were so agitated, Paul and Silas were forced to flee to Berea (about 50 miles away) in the dead of night. 

Soon after their arrival in Berea, they commenced preaching the gospel.  But when the men of Thessalonica heard about it, they immediately dropped everything and traveled to Berea.  Once again, they did everything in their power to stir up the crowds and silence the gospel through violence.

For his own safety, Paul was forced to move on to the city of Athens, where he waited for Silas and Timothy to join him. 

The point of all this discussion is to show that the church of Thessalonica was established in the midst of fervent opposition and that wasn’t likely to change.  The members of the synagogue were going to continue to hinder the growth of the true church.  They would continue to show open animosity/hostility toward the Christians whenever possible.

WHO:  As you probably already know, the Apostle Paul wrote the books of I & II Thessalonians.  He clearly identifies himself in the letter’s introduction.

WHEN:  Paul most likely wrote his letters to the Thessalonians shortly after he arrived in the city of Corinth (Acts 18:1-5).  This would put the date of writing for I Thessalonians at about 51-52 AD.  The second epistle was written also written at Corinth, later that same year.     

WHY:  Why did Paul write to the church at Thessalonica?

There appear to be three main purposes in his letters:

First, he wanted to encourage the new believers to persevere in their faith, despite the intense opposition they faced.

Second, he wanted to correct some false rumors that were circulating about himself and his fellow missionaries. 

Third, he wanted to give the Christians at Thessalonica some further teaching, which would contribute to their spiritual growth. 

Throughout I & II Thessalonians, Paul reveals some very important theological revelations concerning future events, particularly the return of Christ for his bride (the rapture).  He also discusses some of the moral and ethical implications we should consider, knowing that Christ will soon return.

I think our study of Thessalonians is going to be exciting, encouraging and beneficial.  Feel free to jump in and read both books; it won’t take you long.  I hope you will join me next week for part one!   

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Zechariah 14:17 – And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, there will be no rain on them.

Our last post was a review of the Feast of Booths, also called the Feast of Tabernacles or the Feast of Ingathering.  I hope you took the time last week to acknowledge the blessings of the Lord in your own life and to offer him praise and worship.

In this week’s post, we find that the nations who refuse to send representatives to Jerusalem to worship the Lord during the Festival of Booths as commanded, will suffer punishment.  Specifically, we are told the Lord will withhold rain from these nations. 

As we seek to understand this prophesy, keep in mind that Zechariah is using Old Testament images (which is all he had) to try and convey the truths of the New Testament gospel dispensation.  In other words, he is describing the future blessings and judgments of God using terms and ideas that were familiar to the Jews of his day.  In order for us to understand them, we need to filter them through our Old Testament knowledge. 

The prophesy found in Zechariah 14 speaks of a time (that day) when the worship of God is virtually universal.  However, it also indicates that there will still be some people who choose to live in rebellion against God.  These people are generally split into three groups:

Group #1 are people who stubbornly reject salvation; they steadfastly refuse to acknowledge Jesus as Lord, Savior and King (Mar 4:3-4).

Group #2 are people who initially pledged loyalty to Christ but then turned aside from following him (Mark 4:5-6).  They will worship and serve all manner of false idols/gods or they will attempt to mix the worship of Jehovah with other gods/religions.

Group #3 are people who accept Christ but allow the things of this world to ‘choke out’ their service to God (Mark 4:7).  This group also includes people who are lazy and ‘cold’ in their relationship with God:

Matthew 24:12 - And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall grow cold.

It is interesting to note that ‘there is nothing new under the sun’.  In other words, these are the same three groups revealed in the parable of the Sower (Mark 4, Luke 8, Matthew 13).  They have always existed in the world and they will continue to do so, even on ‘that day’. 

In this verse, God makes it very plain that his blessings are reserved for those who love and serve him.  Therefore, regardless of the root cause of their rejection or disobedience to Christ, all rebels will suffer the same curse - God will withhold rain from the people or nations who refuse to worship him at the yearly Feast of Booths.

Literal Interpretation: 

Rain was (and is) God’s most essential temporal gift for the wellbeing of his people.  Plants, crops, animals and livestock all flourish when water is readily available.  In addition, when clean water (and food) is plentiful, people multiply more quickly and live longer, healthier lives. 

As you already know, the timing of rainfall is critical to a bountiful harvest of crops.  Cultivated plants/crops require an abundance of rain just after planting to ensure that the seeds sprout and grow.  This is often referred to as the ‘former rain’. 

Another burst of moisture is needed as the crops produce the actual grain or fruit.  This is often referred to as the ‘latter rain’.  God has promised to give the perfect amount of rainfall to his people when they live in obedience to him:

Deuteronomy 11:13-14 – And if you [Israel/God’s people] will indeed obey my commandments that I command you today, to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, he will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain, that you may gather in your grain and your wine and your oil. 

As we would expect, those who obey God’s commands live under his blessings.  Those who rebel or disobey live outside of God’s mercy and blessing; they place themselves under a curse. 

In the literal interpretation, God would literally prevent rain from falling in the nations/lands of those who refuse his salvation or turn aside from worshiping him:

Deuteronomy 11:16-17 – Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them; then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and he will shut up the heavens, so that there will be no rain, and the land will yield no fruit, and you will perish quickly off the good land that the Lord is giving you.

Anytime we find drought occurring in the world, we also find crop failures which result in famine or scarcity, pestilence, death of livestock and widespread distress.  All these factors result in decreased birth rates in animals and people.  The final outcome is that both the people and their land will become barren.

In modern day terms, we could say that a prolonged drought will occur in the nations who refuse to repent and accept the salvation of God.  These nations will then experience all the evil outcomes associated with a severe lack of water.

Spiritual Interpretation:

As we studied in one of our prior posts, water and rain are often used in scripture to describe spiritual blessings and the work of Holy Spirit.

Hosea 6:3 - …let us press on to know the Lord; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.

Isaiah 45:8 – Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit; let the earth cause them both to sprout; I the Lord have created it.

John 7:38-39 – Whoever believes in me [Jesus], as the scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’  Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were yet to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

The spiritual interpretation of this verse maintains that any nation who refuses to send representatives to Jerusalem once a year to worship at the Feast of Booths, has placed itself under a spiritual curse/drought in which the work of Holy Spirit will essentially dry up.

This would be a spiritually deadly curse, because Holy Spirit is the person who is responsible for our spiritual growth and blessing. 

• He convicts sinners and leads them to salvation.
• He quickens the word of God to our hearts and minds so we can understand it. 
• He aids the believer in changing his or her life to confirm to the image of Christ. 
• He assists us in growing spiritual fruit (love, joy, peace, meekness, etc – see Galatians 6) in our lives. 
• He pours spiritual gifts upon the church.
• He assists us in all of our spiritual labor.
• He comforts us in times of grief. 
• He illuminates our path. He is our spiritual guide for our earthly journey.

Without all of the benefits and gifts of Holy Spirit, the churches within these rebellious nations would soon wither and die.

As bad as that is, more spiritual death would follow.  Keep in mind that it is the job (privilege) of the church to sow the gospel into the hearts and minds of the lost.  Once that is done, Holy Spirit waters or quickens that word, which sprouts/grows and eventually that soul is ‘harvested’ or added to the kingdom of heaven.  Without the water of Holy Spirit, there would be no spiritual harvest.

In modern day terms, we could say the nations (or people groups) who refuse to send representatives to Jerusalem for the annual Feast of Booths are living in disobedience to God’s commands.  This disobedience will result in a curse – the curtailment of the work of Holy Spirit in their lives. 

This curse will eventually result in spiritual death for individual believers.  It will also bring about a spiritual ‘crop failure’ – the lost of their generation will remain under the bondage of sin and eternal death.

Zechariah 14:18-19 – And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain; there shall be the plague with which the Lord afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths.

Why is the nation of Egypt specifically mentioned here?  In order to find the answer, we must filter this statement through our knowledge of the Old Testament.

First, as you are probably aware, Egypt is the long-standing enemy of Israel.  Israel represents the children of God and the kingdom of heaven on earth.  Jesus rules this kingdom and he gives salvation (freedom from sin and its penalties) to all those who are a part of his kingdom.  Citizens of his kingdom receive life and blessing.

Egypt is symbolic of the kingdom of darkness.  Satan rules this kingdom and his goal is to keep as many people in bondage to sin as he can.  Those who are part of his kingdom can expect spiritual death and destruction, which are the natural outcomes of sin. 

So, in this verse, Egypt may be mentioned as the standard representation of satan and rebellion against God. 

With that in mind, the meaning of the verse is this:  Despite God’s revelation of himself to the world and the outpouring of his Spirit, there will still be people who choose to reject his offer of salvation.  Those who chose to embrace satan as lord place themselves under the curse of sin, which in this case is a literal or spiritual drought. This is essentially a reiteration of the prior verse.

Now let’s look at this verse from another angle.

When Israel entered the Promised Land, they were wholly dependent upon the former and latter rains to water their crops and fill their wells.  The timing of these rains was just as critical as the rains themselves.  In other words, their survival depended upon these life-giving rains and they knew it.  They acknowledged a direct correlation between the God-given rain and life.

However, this was not the case for ancient Egypt.  The Egyptians relied on the Nile River to supply water for the nation and to irrigate their crops.  The river flooded and receded, but water was always available. Of course, we know that it was the God-given rains which filled the lakes and streams that flowed into the Nile, but in their eyes, there was no direct correlation between rain and life.

Their point of view hindered them from acknowledging Jehovah as the only true God of the universe.  Instead, they simply considered him another god who must be served along with Ra, Baal and all the other pagan deities they served.

In a spiritual sense, we might draw the parallel that there will be people (Egyptians) who go through the motions of worshiping God (religion), without having a true relationship with him (salvation through the work of Holy Spirit).  Rather than clinging to the pure word of God (the rain/work of Holy Spirit), they simply adhere to the traditions of men (the Nile water). 

Because they exist without the pure gospel of Christ, they will eventually experience the same spiritual drought/famine of those in open rebellion against God.  So we see that through the prophet Zechariah, God is warning the coming generations against false religious traditions. 

Another warning could also be drawn from this verse – each one of us must recognize that we stand by faith alone (the rain of Holy Spirit).  If we try to stand in our own power or capabilities (the Nile water), we will fall:

1 Corinthians 10:12 -Therefore let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

One way to keep ourselves on the right track is to continually recognize the gifts of God and offer him praise/worship for these blessings.  These actions are symbolized by mandatory participation in the feast of booths.

This brings up a very important point:  God does not command us to worship him because he is insecure and needs our affirmation, or because he is having a ‘bad day’ or because he is a narcissist.  He commands us to worship him because it results in our own good! 

For instance, praise and worship remind us of all the amazing things he has done for us, which in turn makes us thankful and keeps us from the sins of complaining, doubt and fear.

Praise and worship remind us just how big, how perfect and how powerful God is, which in turn builds our faith.

Praise and worship usher us into the presence of God, which is where miracles and answers are found. 

We could go on and on about the benefits we receive from praise and worship, but I have a better idea – why not take a week or so to make praise and worship a focus of your life and discover the benefits yourself!

Zechariah 14:20 – And on that day there shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses, “Holy to the Lord”.  And the pots in the house of the Lord shall be as the bowls before the altar.

Once again, we find Zechariah speaking in terms/imagery drawn from the ritual customs of the law, which was the only spiritual revelation he had.  Let’s examine those rites and see how they apply to the gospel dispensation. 

On that day:  ‘That day’ refers to the time when the nations of the world are converted to Christianity, after an unprecedented move of Holy Spirit, as discussed earlier in this chapter of Zechariah (verses 8 and 16).

There shall be inscribed on the bells of the horses:  Before and during the time of Zechariah, bells were hung on the bridle or collar of horses (and camels) for a number of reasons. For example, when caravans traversed desert, it was not uncommon for the members of the group to get separated, because there was no firm beaten-down track.  Bells were attached to the animals to signal their positions so the caravan stayed together.

Many bible commentators point out that horses enjoy the tinkling sound of certain bells; the noise seems to inspire them to keep working/moving.

Other types of bells were used for training war horses, which is the context that applies to our study.  Bells were hung on the bridles of the animals to see how they would react to sudden raucous noises. 

Apparently, some animals become nervous when hearing these sounds, and tend to bolt in fear.  Others can bear the noise (and thus the tumult of war), so they can be trained to bear riders in the heat and confusion of battle. 

It is commonly believed that Zechariah was referencing war horses in this verse. 

‘Holy to the Lord’:  Zechariah tells us that this phrase was inscribed on the bells of the war horses.  The phrase is probably familiar to you; it was inscribed on the miter or head dress of the high priest during the era of the law:

Exodus 39:30-31 –They made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote on it an inscription, like the engraving of a signet, “Holy to the Lord.”  And they tied to it a cord of blue to fasten it on the turban above, as the Lord had commanded Moses.

In Exodus 28:35-38 we are told that the turban or miter always had to be upon the head of the high priest as he ministered before the Lord, so he could be accepted in God’s sight, and thus perform the work he was required to do.  (We discussed the significance of this phrase when we studied Zechariah 3:1-8, please see those posts for review).

So far, we see that the war horses are considered ‘Holy to the Lord’, just as the high priest under the law was ‘Holy to the Lord’.  What exactly does that mean?  Not surprisingly, different answers have been given.

One explanation says that the gospel is a system of holiness; it produces holiness in those who believe.  On that day (and even now to some degree), this holiness will be evident in everything a Christian says and does.  This includes his labor/vocation, his entertainment, his conversation, his relationships, his decisions, etc.

Proponents of this interpretation point to the words of Paul:

1 Corinthians 10:31 - Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Furthermore, because the Christian is consecrated to God, everything that he owns, uses or does is considered consecrated as well.  In this interpretation, the horses represent labor, vocation and possessions.

In modern terms, we might say that since Christians are holy, everything they own (cars, homes, artwork, etc) as well as their jobs (home maker, teacher, electrician, etc) and anything else they labor over (hobbies, sports, etc) are all holy before the Lord as well.

One additional point should be made regarding this theory.  Those who hold this view are not implying that sacred things should be lowered to the same level as common things.  They believe that ordinary things become sacred (set apart for God) when they are used or possessed by holy men and women of God.

A second similar interpretation says that ever since the coming of the Messiah and the establishment of the church, all Christians are now kings and priests before God:

Revelation 5:10 - And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

(See also Revelation 1:6, I Peter 2:9).  Since we are now all spiritual priests before God, then even the most common things we own are sacred before the Lord, not merely the things which were sanctified under the Old Testament law.

A third interpretation maintains that because salvation has spread across the world and Christ rules in the hearts of most people, there will be universal peace.  Therefore, the bells of the horses (which represent anything used in war) should be re-purposed or converted to a sacred use. 

Those who hold this view see a similarity to re-purposing spears and swords:

Isaiah 2:4 - And he [God] shall judge between the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

And the pots in the house of the Lord shall be as the bowls before the altar:  The temple had a large number of different vessels in it.  There were pots, shovels, basins, spoons, plates, bowls, wick trimmers, flasks and forks, just to name a few.  Some of these utensils were made of bronze, some of silver and some of gold (II Kings 25:14-15). 

Under the temple era (the Old Testament covenant) some of these utensils were used for sacred purposes.  For instance, the bowls of sprinkling which caught the blood of the sin offerings were considered sacred.  Other items, like the shovels and receptacles which collected the ashes from the brazen altar, were not considered sacred.

However, on ‘that day’ which occurs during the gospel dispensation, all utensils within the house of the Lord are considered sacred – the shovel used in cleaning the altar would be just as sacred as the bowls of sprinkling. 

Now ask yourself this question:  What is the New Covenant equivalent of an Old Covenant vessel in the house of the Lord?

Answer:  People/Christians are the vessels which serve in the church/house of the Lord during the gospel dispensation:

Romans 9:23-24 - And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had before prepared unto glory, even us, whom he has called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

Under the New Covenant, you and I are the vessels which are used to carry the gospel message to the world.  We all have different jobs or ministries within the church, but we are all working together for the glory of God. 

Think of it this way - in order for the temple to function properly, all of the different vessels and utensils had to be present.  In order for the church to function properly, all Christians must be present and performing the function God has appointed for them:

Romans 12:4-6 – For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.  Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them…

So, in modern terms, we could say that all Christians are priests/servants of God; all of us carry the gospel message to the world.  Each of us has an individual task to perform as assigned by God, but we are all the body of Christ.

Here is something else to consider:  Currently, not everyone in the church is a true believer in Christ (sad but true).

Thus, Zechariah could be using Old Testament language to say that ‘on that day’ there would no longer be any hypocrites or unbelievers in the church; everyone would be a true Christian or vessel of honor in the sight of God. 

Since that is the case, then all of God’s people will direct their thoughts and actions to the glory of God.  The logical outcome would be that the holiness of the church on ‘that day’ would exceed the holiness found there in the former times (the pots shall be as the bowls before the altar). 

In addition, Zechariah is saying that on that day there would no longer be a distinction between Jews and Gentiles; all will be considered sons and daughters of God.

Zechariah 14:21 - And every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holy to the Lord of hosts, so that all who sacrifice may come and take of them and boil the meat of the sacrifice in them.  And there shall no longer be a trader in the house of the Lord of hosts on that day.

This verse speaks of boiling the meat of the sacrifice.  This is a reference to the Old Testament peace or freewill offering.  When a peace offering was brought to the temple, the right shoulder and the breast were given to the priest, the fat was burnt upon the altar, the blood was poured out at the bottom of the altar and the remainder of the flesh was returned to the person who made the offering.  This meat was often boiled in a pot at the temple. 

So, the situation being described in this verse is this: When the fulfillment of this prophesy occurs, there will be such a great number of sacrifices/offerings that the number of pots in the temple won’t be sufficient to process or cook them all.  But that will be okay, because every pot in the city of Jerusalem and in the country of Judah will be sanctified and devoted to holy use, so they too can be used to process the sacrifices.

What is the equivalent of a freewill sacrifice in the age of grace?

Psalms 54:6 – I will freely sacrifice unto thee: I will praise thy name, O Lord; for it is good.

Hebrews 13:15 – By him [Jesus] therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

In the dispensation of grace, freewill offerings are synonymous with praise, worship and prayer, which are always found in the house of God.

With this in mind, the modern-day interpretation is that on ‘that day’ the number of worshipers will be so great that true praise, worship, prayer and fellowship with God cannot be contained within the church walls.  People will worship literally anywhere and everywhere, and at all times. 

This verse goes on to say that there would no longer be a ‘trader’ in the house of the Lord.  Your translation may say ‘merchant’ or ‘Canaanite’ (a non-Jewish person; by default an unbeliever).

Scripture tells us that even during the time of Christ there were dishonest merchants/traders who were in the temple buying and selling oxen, sheep, doves, etc which were used for sacrifices. 

Jesus declared that these men turned the house of God into a ‘den of thieves’.  In his fierce anger, he made a cord of whips and drove these traders out of the temple (Matthew 21:12-13, Luke 19:45-46, etc).   

Under the dispensation of grace, these traders or unbelievers are false teachers who make a living by deceiving the very people they claim to be helping!  But during the time this prophesy is fulfilled, there will no longer be any false teachers, hypocrites or impure/ungodly persons in the church of Christ. 

Let me offer you some encouragement:

In today’s post we noted that God commanded the Gentile nations to attend the yearly Feast of Booths.  Part of that celebration included freewill offerings/sacrifices to the Lord. 

In our generation, those freewill offerings/sacrifices are equivalent to praise, worship and prayer.  Do you know why these things are considered sacrifices or offerings?  It’s because they cost you something.  That something could be time, effort, sleep, work, recreation, etc. 

But let me assure you, it is well worth the price!  When you begin to engage with God through prayer and worship, you are spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically renewed.    

So, if you find yourself in a place where you have neglected these important tasks, I want to encourage you to take them up again – today!   You’ll be glad you did!

Let me offer you some relief and some strength:

In today’s post the nations who obey the commands of the Lord (attend the yearly festival) are blessed.  Those who choose to disobey remove themselves from under God’s umbrella of protection/blessing and consequently, they will suffer for it.  This principle can be found throughout the scriptures, in both the old and new covenants. 

Each one of us would be wise to stop and take an honest look at our own lives.  Are there areas in which we have chosen to disobey the known commands of God? 

Here are a few examples:

Are we engaging in sexual sins and justifying the practice because it is common in our culture? 

Scripture commands the church to assemble on a regular basis (Hebrews 10:25) for a number of reasons (to encourage each other, to prophesy, to lay hands on the sick, etc).  But many people who stopped attending church during the Covid outbreak have never returned.

Jesus does not suggest that we forgive others, he commands it.  Yet, many Christians refuse to follow his directive. 

Let’s be honest for a minute.  If you are living in disobedience in some area of your life, it will likely be uncomfortable or even painful to make a change.  But in the end, it will always be worth it. 

God’s commands are not there to ‘spoil our fun’, they are in place to give us freedom, joy, and prosperity.  We will live our best lives by being obedient to all he commands.

Here is something to keep in mind.  God would never command us to do the impossible (only he can do that).  This means that if you truly desire to change and place yourself in obedience to his commands, he will make it possible for you to do so.  Holy Spirit will walk with you, guide you, comfort you and empower you as you go through the process of cleaning up your mess.

Other Christians in your local church will also be there to help you.  If you want some relief from bondage and strength to continue your spiritual walk, place yourself in obedience to God today.  

Well, we have reached the end of our study of Zechariah.  I hope you found it to be beneficial as well as interesting.

Way back in our introduction to this prophetical book, we clearly stated that we would not understand every single facet of this book - and we were right!  Nevertheless, I believe our study has been worthwhile.  Speaking from a personal perspective, I know more about this book now that I ever did in the past.  I hope that is the case for you too.

We will be taking a break for a few weeks, in order to gear up for our next study.  I hope you will come back and join us!

 

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Zechariah 14:16 – Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths.

Welcome back, readers!

Earlier in this chapter we discovered that a multi-nation confederacy would surround the city of Jerusalem and lay siege to it.  Although this army was superior in numbers, arms and strategy, God fought on the side of Israel.  He not only made a way of escape for the people in Jerusalem, he inflicted horrible wasting diseases upon the enemies of his people.

At some point, God’s people (the Jews and/or the church) would join the fight against these enemy nations and Jerusalem would be rescued.  This victory is achieved through a partnership between God and his people.   

Although the vast majority is slain, a remnant of these pagans will survive the war.  This remnant, which God preserved for himself, is humbled to the point of willing submission to his authority.

At that point, every single one of these pagan (or formerly pagan) nations will send a group of representatives/converts to Jerusalem on a yearly basis for the purpose of publicly worshiping the Lord and observing the Feast of Booths. 

Let’s take a moment to review what we know about this important feast.

The Israelite males were to appear at the temple (before the Lord) three times a year – at Passover, Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles (II Chronicles 8:1, Deuteronomy 16:16, Exodus 23:17). 

The Feast of Tabernacles is also referred to as the Feast of Booths or the Feast of Ingathering.  (You can review the specifics in Leviticus 23:33-43.)  It was celebrated immediately after the harvest, in the month Tisri (mid September through mid October).  The festival lasted eight days – seven days plus an additional day for a holy gathering (Deuteronomy 16:13).

During these eight days, special sacrifices were made at the temple (Numbers 29:13-38).  The burnt offerings of this feast were far more in number than those offered at any other festival.  Every day two rams, fourteen lambs and a young goat were to be offered.  In addition, a different number of bulls were offered each day.  By the end of the feast, a total of 70 bulls were sacrificed.

This festival had an unusual component - for seven days the people left the comfort of their homes and lived in booths or huts.  These were temporary structures built from tree branches.  It was common to construct the booths using branches of pine, myrtle and palm. 

This festival commemorated two great things.

One, it was to be a memorial of the wilderness wanderings: 

Leviticus 23:42-43 - You shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are born Israelites shall dwell in booths: that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

In other words, the people were to remind themselves that their ancestors rebelled against the Lord by refusing to enter the Promised Land.  As a result of their unbelief and disobedience, they were forced to wander through the desert, moving from place to place for 40 years, until the men of the unbelieving generation died (Numbers 32:13).  During this time, they frequently erected these temporary booths for shelter.   

Second, the festival was a celebration of thanksgiving for the harvest.  The timing of this festival coincided with the gathering of the corn, wine and oil.  It was a time of great joy and a time of rest which came after their labor was finished.

At some point later on (after the time of Zechariah but before the time of Christ), the Jews made two additions to their celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles. 

First of all, on the final day of the feast, the people would gather in the temple at the time of the morning sacrifice.  Once the sacrifice had been prepared and placed upon the altar, one of the priests would get water from the pool of Siloam. As he entered the temple and ascended up to the altar, trumpets were sounded.  The water was poured into a silver basin with a small opening at the bottom, so that the water slowly flowed onto the sacrifice as it burned. 

This ceremony served as a remembrance of the time when God made water to flow out of the rock at Horeb (Exodus 17:6).  Had he not done so, the Israelites would have perished/died from thirst on that very spot.

This ceremony served as the background for the words of Jesus regarding the work of Holy Spirit:

John 7:37-39 - In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.  He that believes on me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.  (But this spoke he of the Spirit, whom they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Spirit was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

The second tradition added to the feast of Tabernacles was to place a great display of lights in the temple, in the court of the women.  The purpose of the lights was to commemorate the pillar of fire/cloud which led them through the wilderness at night.  The fire illuminated their way, kept them safe from predators and provided warmth/heat. 

What are the spiritual meanings of the Feast of Booths/Tabernacles?

The practice of dwelling in temporary booths is a picture of the incarnation of Christ, who was made flesh and ‘tabernacled’ or lived among us for a time.  To celebrate this feast is to acknowledge that Jesus came in the flesh for the purpose of securing our salvation through his death and resurrection. 

It has also been pointed out that the wilderness wandering is symbolic of a life of sin – it leads nowhere and ultimately results in death.  Only Christ (the pillar of fire which illuminates the way to salvation) is able to lead his people to the Promised Land of salvation/the kingdom of heaven. 

Furthermore, the water which poured from the rock and Horeb as well as the commemorative water poured from the pool of Siloam, both affirm the life-giving work of Holy Spirit in the lives of believers.

Meanwhile, the ingathering of the harvest indicates the salvation of the Gentile nations.

It makes perfect sense for the nations to send representatives to Jerusalem to worship the Lord and celebrate this festival, because ALL nations will be the receipients of the blessings of the Festival of Booths!

Let me offer you some encouragement, relief and strength:

The Old Testament feasts were not just random, insignificant ceremonies.  Each one has significant meaning in the spiritual realm. 

The Feast of Booths/Tabernacles celebrates both temporal blessings (the harvest of crops) as well as spiritual blessings (freedome from sin; salvation for all).  In fact, this feast touches on our past, present and future.

Past – As sinners saved by grace, we are reminded that at one point we were wandering in the desert of sin with no means to save ourselves.  However, Jesus came and provided the light of the gospel, leading us out of darkness and into his glorious light. 

Take a moment to reflect on your own salvation experience, and give Jesus the glory for it.  

Present – The Feast of Booths is joyous celebration of the harvest.  It is a time to try and count the myriad of blessings that God has given to us. 

Think about this:  If salvation was the only benefit God gave us, that would be extraordinary enough.  But he has given us so much more!  He has given us fellowship with Holy Spirit.  He has given us his word and his authority in the spiritual realm.  He has promised us that he would never leave us.  He tells us (over and over) that there is no reason to fear.  He is our leader and he has never lost a battle yet! 

He heals, restores, resurrects, provides, leads and performs the miraculous.  He chooses to partner with us in this life. 

But wait - there's more!  God provides us with an abundant supply of earthly blessings as well.  

What are some of the incredible things God has done for you spiritually?  How about materially?

Future – Once our victorious life on earth is finished, God takes us to heaven where we will dwell with him forever.  There we will see, hear and experience things that are so incredible, we can’t even imagine them!!

As you remind yourself of the many blessing of the Lord, allow praise and worship to rise from the deepest part of your soul and ascend into the throne room of God!

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Zechariah 14:12 – And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem: their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.

In our last post, we studied the deliverance, restoration and blessing that God’s people (the Jews and/or the church) would experience at the time appointed by God.  Here are the highlights:

• Jerusalem would be the source of ‘living water’ which flows throughout the world.  In other words, Holy Spirit will flow from Jerusalem to the uttermost ends of the world, convicting sinners and leading them to salvation. 
• Every obstacle to the spread of the gospel (summer and winter) will be removed or overcome. 
• The end result is that nothing can stop the revival that ensues. 
• Although Jesus is sovereign over all the earth right this minute, he has chosen to give free will to mankind and currently he does not reign in the lives of sinners.  After the revival that Zechariah speaks of, that will change.  Jesus will be acknowledged by most of mankind as sovereign over all people and things; people will willingly and joyfully submit to his authority.
• Christ’s kingdom will be a united kingdom; there will be only one Lord and mankind will worship him only.  False gods and idols will be tossed aside; false worship will be abolished.  God will unify his people and be the center of their existence.
• The Jews and/or the church will no longer have any reason to fear, because God guarantees safety and divine protection for his people.

Today’s post is not nearly as joyful; it focuses on the judgment and destruction of those who persist in being enemies of God.

Despite the great move of Holy Spirit described in our last post, Zechariah’s prophesy indicates that there will be some people who still stubbornly reject Jesus as Lord and King.  They will continue to seek the destruction of the Jews and/or the church.   

But what they don’t seem to realize is that those who fight against God’s people are essentially fighting against God himself, and no mortal man can oppose him and hope to be victorious.  This is clearly evident when God (not man) strikes them with a plague.

A plague can be defined as a contagious bacterial disease which spreads rapidly and kills many people.  Examples of this would be the bubonic plague, septicemic plague or even Covid. 

A plague can also be defined as a thing which causes continual trouble or distress to a person or a group; any widespread affliction, calamity or evil, especially one regarded as a punishment from God.  Examples of this would be the 10 plagues (frogs, lice, darkness, etc.) that God sent upon the Egyptians when they refused to set the children of Israel free from slavery.  These types of plagues cause men to recognize the Lord and give them an opportunity to change their ways.

But sometimes a plague is worse than just an affliction or punishment, no matter how severe.  Sometimes God brings sudden, irreversible judgment upon people, which results in their physical death. 

For example, when God was bringing the children of Israel into the Promised Land, Moses sent 12 spies out to survey the land.  When they returned, 10 of the men gave a report of unbelief and they caused the Israelites to rebel against the Lord.  God pronounced judgment against them, and they died as the result of a plague:

Numbers 14:36-37 – And the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing up a bad report about the land - the men who brought up a bad report of the land - died by a plague before the Lord.

(For other examples see Numbers 11:33, II Samuel 24:21, etc.).  The plague predicted by Zechariah is a judgment from God that eventually results in physical death.  We are given three distinct characteristics of this plague. 

One, the plague will affect the eyes of God’s enemies, causing them to rot in their sockets.  The term ‘rot’ (your translation may say ‘wasting away’ or ‘consume away’) suggests an appalling picture – normal, healthy eyeballs will begin to decay and dry up (or worse, putrefy and leak), resulting in total blindness.  As this plague spreads through the enemy forces, more and more soldiers will leave their duties and be placed into isolation or quarantine.   

Why would God specifically target their eyes?

Well, scripture compares sin to the lust of the eyes:

I John 2:16 – For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world.

The enemies of Christ who ‘wink at’ or cling to their sin and refuse to repent (Psalms 5:19, Job 15:12-13) have rejected all offers of mercy and grace.  Therefore, we might say that they are merely reaping what they have sown; the sin (lust of the eyes) they chose to embrace brought about the disease that is now manifesting in their physical eyes.   

Scholars also suggest that the same people who looked upon Jerusalem (the Jews and the church) with contempt and rejoiced in her misery are now repaid with the loss of those same eyes: 

Micah 3:11-12 – Now many nations are assembled against you, saying, “Let her be defiled, and let our eyes gaze upon Zion.”  But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord; they do not understand his plan, that he has gathered them as sheaves to the threshing floor.

Secondly, we are told that the plague will also affect the tongues of God’s enemies, causing them to rot in their mouths.  Let your imagination dwell on this for just a moment.  Clearly, you don’t need any commentary from me, because your own mental picture of this event is disturbing and disgusting enough.

If the tongue of an individual is withered or rotting away, it would be difficult or impossible to eat, drink, swallow or speak.  So, those who formerly used their tongues to blaspheme God and curse his people are repaid with the loss of these same tongues; again, they are reaping exactly what they sowed.    

Psalms 12:3-4 – May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that makes great boasts, those who say, “With our tongue we will prevail, our lips are with us; who is master over us?”

Now picture the vast coalition of armies that continue to stand against God and his people.  When the plague hits, they will begin to lose their sight.  As their tongues are affected, they will be unable to eat and drink which contributes to the overall decline of their entire physical bodies.  They will be unable to effectively communicate, which will cause a breakdown in military discipline resulting in confusion and possibly chaos. 

Three, the plague will cause the flesh of God’s enemies to wither or rot.  As they once rejoiced in the ‘lust of the flesh’, they will now pay the penalty of that sin in their own physical bodies, which will decay as they ‘stand on their feet’ or go about their daily lives.  This is a very gruesome picture.  It suggests a living death - live people who are decaying (and smelling) like a corpse, blindly groping their way around, terrified, and unable to speak.  It almost seems like a modern-day type of zombie.

The end result is that no matter how many soldiers they have, or how many bombs, planes, drones and tanks they possess, they will be rendered powerless to harm God’s people. 

Let’s pause here and make a couple of observations. 

First, let’s look back at Zechariah 14:11 which says that Jerusalem will be safely inhabited.  The point I want to make is that the citizens of Jerusalem won’t be safe because they have no enemies.  They are safe because God fights on their behalf and brings judgment upon their foes (as we see in verse 12). 

This principle applies to us as well.  God will never allow the enemy to destroy the Jews or the church (Matthew 16:18).  However, this does not mean that we have no enemies.  Rather, it means that God is watching over his church to protect it in the midst of danger. 

The neat thing is that God does not act independently from us.  His plan is for us to partner with him to bring his kingdom to the world.  As we place our faith/trust in him and use the weapons of spiritual warfare he has given us, we are essentially partnering with him to ensure that his kingdom comes, and his will is done on earth as it is in heaven.  When we do this, God will stand with us, doing whatever is necessary to ensure our victory. 

If we learn to listen to Holy Spirit, he will reveal to us the ‘battle plan’ for our generation – the ways in which we can effectively bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who are being held prisoner by the forces of darkness.  What a remarkable and astonishing opportunity God is giving us!

The second observation I want to make is this:  The description of God’s foes (those who cling to their sin) is disgusting and appalling.  They are like zombies - dead even while living.  May this mental picture be a striking reminder to each one of us that our sin is just as filthy and loathsome. 

Even Christians have sin in their lives.  If we could see into the spiritual realm, would we find pockets of sin disfiguring our spiritual selves in some repulsive manner?  Is this sin making us unusable or unproductive in the kingdom?  Are we willing to rid ourselves of this sin, or, like the enemies in this prophecy, will we stubbornly cling to it?

Zechariah 14:13 – And on that day a great panic from the Lord shall fall on them, so that each will seize the hand of another and the hand of the one will be raised against the hand of the other.

On ‘that day’ – the day when God punishes those who seek to destroy his people – great confusion, chaos and fear will erupt among the enemies of God as a result of the plague.  This will immediately end any loyalty, discipline or unity that might still exist in their ranks.  Fear and suspicion will cause the troops to turn and destroy/kill each other. 

This is a tactic that God used multiple times in the history of Israel:

• The Philistines fell into confusion/chaos and destroyed each other after Jonathan’s capture of the garrison at Michmash (I Samuel 14:14-20).  
• The countless swarm of the Midianites eradicated each other when Gideon and his 300 men blew their trumpets and broke their pots (Judges 7:22). 
• The Moabites and Ammonites slew each other as well as the people of Mount Seir, when King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah began singing praises to God on the morning of the battle (II Chronicles 20:10-23).

We would expect something similar to occur among the ranks of God’s enemies.  Fear, confusion and/or suspicion will cause them to distrust one another.  Their coalition will break apart and result in civil wars or each individual man will attack those around him. 

This will open a door for the men of Israel to defeat their enemies.

Zechariah 14:14 – Even Judah will fight at Jerusalem.  And the wealth of all the surrounding nations shall be collected, gold, silver, and garments in great abundance.

Here again we see evidence of the partnership between God and his people.  Although Israel’s enemies were once powerful and numerous, their ranks have been decimated by pestilence and internal conflicts.  As God throws them into panic and confusion, the people of Judah (God’s people living near but outside of Jerusalem) will step in and fight for the deliverance of the city. 

There can be no doubt of the outcome of this war, because when God fights for his people they are always victorious.  After their victory, the Jews/church will gather all of the spoils from the battle.  This will be an immense hoard of treasure.

Proverbs 13:22 – …the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.

Part of the wealth that is taken by God’s people will be what was recently taken from Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:2).  The rest are riches that the invading coalition of armies brought with them. 

This situation reminds us of the time when God enriched his people by giving them the spoils of the Egyptians:

Exodus 12:35-36 - And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they requested of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and clothing: And the LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they gave unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.    

In case you haven’t noticed, the wealth of this world is fickle and fleeting; it is often here today and gone tomorrow! (Just ask the Egyptians.)  A change in the stock market or your job situation, an inheritance or even a natural disaster can change your financial fortunes in a single day.  How foolish it is to pursue the wealth of the world for its own sake!  It will surely slip through your hands like water!  

That being said, what is the proper relationship between Christians and money?  This is a complex and interesting topic, which we cannot fully study here.  However, let me make these brief suggestions:

• Pursue God first in all areas of your life (Matthew 6:33). 
• Consider yourself a steward of money, not its owner (Matthew 25:14-30). 
• Follow scriptural guidelines for managing earthly riches.

Zechariah 14:15 – And a plague like this plague shall fall on the horses, the mules, the camels, the donkeys, and whatever beasts may be in those camps.

The plague and destruction which falls upon the enemy armies will also affect their possessions, including their animals.  The animals will either die or be rendered useless (and become a burden) to their owners. 

This offends the people of our culture, because they believe these animals are innocent bystanders.  While this may or may not be true, it does not change the fact that animals suffer for the sins of their owners.  This is a principle found throughout the Old Testament:

Deuteronomy 13:15 - …you shall surely put the inhabitants of that city to the sword, devoting it to destruction, all who are in it and its cattle, with the edge of the sword.   

We can point to many instances when this occurred.  For example, when Achan sinned against the Lord by taking things that were devoted to destruction, he was annihilated along with his family, his possessions and his livestock (Joshua 7:24-26).

Similarly, Korah and his followers along with all their possessions (including livestock) were swallowed up by the earth when they rebelled against God (Numbers 16:32-33). 

The Egyptians lost cattle/livestock during the plague of murrain (Exodus 9:1-4), the plague of hail (Exodus 9:13-26), and the plague of the death of the firstborn (Exodus 12:29).  The death of all these animals was due to Pharaoh’s stubborn decision not to let Israel leave Egypt. 

When Pharaoh finally did let Israel go, he changed his mind and summoned his army to pursue them across the Red Sea.  When they did, all of the warhorses drowned along with their riders.

Bible commentators believe animals (and possessions) are destroyed for one of two reasons.  One - as a punishment to their owners.  Two – so these animals can no longer be used to against God’s people. 

In the book of Romans, the apostle Paul tells us that all of creation (including the animal kingdom) is subject to vanity (the quality of being futile, worthless, pointless or without purpose): 

Romans 8:20-22 – For the creation was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who has subjected the same in hope, because the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.  For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now.

Why are animals under such a curse?  Because of the sin that mankind brought into the world!  In fact, all of creation is under a curse at the present time.  But one day, when Christ returns, creation will be set free from the bondage of sin, corruption and death, just as we will be.     

Spiritual interpretation of this passage:  Clearly, we have been discussing a literal interpretation of this portion of Zechariah.  And as you probably already guessed, there is a spiritual interpretation as well.

Verse 12 speaks of a plague that falls on the enemies of the Jews/the church, which ‘rots’ their eyes, tongues and overall bodies.  Spiritually speaking, this means that the eyes of their spiritual understanding are permanently blinded; at this point those who still oppose God will be forever lost, unable to accept the pardon of Christ. 

Their ‘tongues’ have also rotted away which indicates they have no power or means to pray a prayer of repentance.  Again, the thought is that they have crossed a line or reached a point of no return, and are no longer capable of repentance.   

This host of evil men and women will continue a spiritual war against God’s people and the spread of the gospel. However, God will cause a panic to descend upon them, and they will turn upon each other. 

The end result is that the forces of hell will be defeated; the great river of Holy Spirit revival will spread from east to west and cover the earth.  Untold numbers of people will accept Christ as Lord and Savior, acknowledging him as Lord.

Habakkuk 2:14 – For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. 

Verse 14 speaks of a transfer of wealth (gold, silver, garments, etc) to God’s people.  In the spiritual interpretation, this wealth refers to wisdom, learning, eloquence and understanding in all areas of life such as art, science, mathematics, philosophy, etc.  This interpretation claims that as the lost sinners of the world are converted, they bring their worldly knowledge into the church, and thus enrich it.    

Another spiritual interpretation sees this portion of Zechariah as a figurative description of the punishment of sin.  The following points are made:

• The rotting of the eyes and tongue speak of the corruption of sin on the human soul; the image of rotting flesh gives a vivid picture of the state of man where the death of sin clings to (and operates in union with) the soul.  Sinners are acutely aware of the loathsome corruption of their eternal souls.
• The mutual hate and contention described in verse 13 (where the panic stricken army frantically grabs and strikes their closest neighbors) is symbolic of a spirit of hate and contention, which is responsible for all of the lies, quarrels and wars on earth. 
• Verse 14 speaks of the loss of blessings previously enjoyed, as represented by God’s people taking the spoil (gold, silver, garments). These blessings would include health, wisdom, peace, joy, strength, spiritual life, etc.  Remember, every good gift comes from God and every good gift will be withheld from his enemies.

Let me offer you some encouragement and relief: 

Today’s post speaks about the transfer of worldly wealth. 

Many people try to support the theory that Christians should be poor.  This theory is often based on the fact that Jesus did not gather money or possessions during his time on earth.  While that may seem to make sense on a superficial level, it doesn’t add up if you dig deeper. 

Jesus gave his church a job:  We are to spread the gospel message to the ends of the earth, make disciples of all nations and baptize believers.  Well guess what – it’s going to take money to make that happen!

The good news is that just as God allows each one of us to partner with him in defeating evil forces, he allows each of us to partner with him to finance kingdom work. 

God begins the process by giving each one of us the ability to work and earn money:

Deuteronomy 8:18 - But you shall remember the LORD your God: for it is he that gives you power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he swore unto your fathers, as it is this day.    

Then, he asks/commands that each one of us return to him a tithe or 10% of that wealth.  This money (along with voluntary offerings) paves the way for the gospel to flow around the world.

Obviously, this is an over-simplified explanation of kingdom finances, which is all we have time for right now.  However, I’d like to leave you with one final thought:

The currency of this world is unstable, transitory and essentially worthless because it will pass away at the end of the age.  In other words, our American dollars have no eternal value in and of themselves. 

However, if we put those dollars to work in the kingdom of heaven here on earth, they will assist the church in bringing salvation to the lost, which means they can have an eternal effect in the lives of people.  This is what makes money valuable.  

So, I encourage you to steward your money just as carefully and methodically as you steward your time and talents.  

Let me offer you some strength:

Many times when we look at the world we see only corruption, sin and evil.  But this passage of Zechariah offers us hope – God already has an appointed day in which final victory and deliverance will manifest for the Jews/the church!  So don’t give up – keep on fighting the fight of faith!

And as you fight, remember there is no reason to fear; God is in control.  He will fight on our behalf:    

Isaiah 35:4 - Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you.

God is always faithful to the church and to us as individuals.  He is at work in every generation, dispelling the darkness and bringing salvation to the lost.  What evidence do you see of God at work in your community?

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Zechariah 14:8 – On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea.  It shall continue in summer as in winter.

In our last post, we discussed that God was going to bring about a great deliverance for Israel, just when it seemed as though her enemies would finally destroy her.  This deliverance may be literal or spiritual.

In either case, once that deliverance has manifested itself, ‘living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem’.

Although there may literally be new streams or rivers formed during a literal earthquake, this portion of the prophesy has an obvious spiritual component.

This is made clear with the phrase ‘living waters’.  You probably remember reading or hearing this phrase, because it was used by Jesus to describe Holy Spirit:

John 7:38-39 – “Whoever believes in me [Jesus], as the scriptures has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”  Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Why is Holy Spirit compared to water in the scriptures? 

God does this in order to assist our understanding of him and his ways.  Among other things, Holy Spirit performs the two offices of cleansing and watering. 

In order to receive salvation, we need Holy Spirit to convict us of wrong.  Once we feel that conviction, he will lead us to the blood of Christ, where we obtain forgiveness.  We often refer to this process as being ‘washed’ or ‘cleansed’ from sin.

But the work of Holy Spirit doesn’t end there.  As you know, Holy Spirit is the author of the bible (II Peter 1:21) and he uses the scriptures to ‘open our eyes’ or make us aware of areas in our lives that need to be renewed or transformed.  As we meditate on the word, he assists us in changing the way we think.  This process is known as renewing our minds (Romans 12:2). 

Once our minds have been renewed by the word, we are able to bring our thoughts, words and actions into alignment with the holy ways of God.  This process is referred to as being washed or cleansed with the word:  

Ephesians 5:6 – That he [Jesus] might sanctify and cleanse it [the church] with the washing of water by the word.

When we read/study/meditate on the word of God, we are submitting our minds and hearts to Holy Spirit for cleansing. Through this cleansing process, we become more and more like Christ in our thoughts and actions:

II Corinthians 3:18 – But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Thankfully, Holy Spirit continues this cleansing process as long as we are on earth. 

Here is something to keep this in mind: Spiritual change comes as we partner with the Spirit in the cleansing process.  Therefore, the importance of reading and studying the word of God can’t be overstated.  Let me repeat that:  The importance of reading and studying the scriptures cannot be overstated!  Be sure you are making room for it in your life.

In addition to cleansing us, Holy Spirit also ‘waters’ us.  When we are saved, we are like a spiritually barren and dry land.  The seed of the word cannot sprout and grow in our lives until it is ‘watered’ or energized by the Spirit.  Just as the earth needs continual watering to produce plant life, our hearts need to be continually watered by the Spirit, so we can produce fruit in the kingdom of heaven. 

Now let’s circle back to our text.  Zechariah tells us that once the Lord accomplishes his great deliverance of the Jews, ‘living water’ or Holy Spirit will flow freely from Jerusalem.

In other words, at that time there will be a remarkable outpouring of the Spirit which will bring salvation, spiritual growth, and other spiritual gifts to the people of this region.  The Spirit will deliver this cleansing/washing flood through the preaching and sharing of the word by apostles, preachers and ordinary folks like you and me! 

Other prophets have spoken of this event as well:

Joel 3:18 – And in that day the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the streambeds of Judah shall flow with water, and a fountain shall come forth from the house of the Lord and water the Valley of Shittim.

Isaiah 44:3 – For I [God] will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.  

(See also Ezekiel 47:1-2, Jeremiah 2:13, John 4:10, Isaiah 55:1, etc).

We are told that the flow of Holy Spirit salvation will travel to the eastern sea (the Dead Sea) and the western sea (the Mediterranean Sea). 

In scripture, ‘seas’ are often used as a metaphor for nations (Daniel 7:3).  Therefore, these two seas represent the nations extending to the east and west of Jerusalem.  The meaning is that the copious, life-giving river of the Spirit will speedily flow both east and west until the whole world is watered with the gospel.

In the natural realm, ordinary streams and rivers are greatly reduced or dried up during the summer months or times of drought.  They are also in accessible in winter due to ice or other conditions. 

These summer and winter conditions represent times of spiritual lack/deficiency/indifference in the nations and people groups surrounding Jerusalem.  But once God releases his Spirit, the flow of salvation will be perpetual and inexhaustible; nothing will be able to stop or hinder it.  Jews and Gentiles alike will acknowledge Christ as Lord and Savior.

So, from that day forward, the river of spiritual awakening will continuously flow no matter what is happening politically or culturally.  Thus, a world which was spiritually parched will now be fully watered and spiritually satisfied (Isaiah 35:4-7).  

Zechariah 14:9 – And the Lord will be king over all the earth.  On that day the Lord will be one and his name one.

You and I know that God is already King over all the earth.  However, because he chooses to give men a free will, millions of them do not acknowledge his lordship.  They foolishly (or ignorantly) choose to serve false gods or to believe in nothing at all.

However, due to this great move of Holy Spirit, untold numbers of both Jews and Gentiles will be saved.  The net result is that the true triune God (God the Father, Jesus the Son and Holy Spirit) will be accepted, served and acknowledged by all of mankind as their King.  His kingdom will extend from sea to sea or from east to west and his dominion will reach the ends of the earth.  Every knee will bow to him and every tongue will confess that he is Lord.

This verse has implications for the church as well.  All believers are one in spirit, even as God is one (Ephesians 4:3-6).  Nevertheless, we have external divisions: Baptist, Pentecostal, Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, etc.  On the day his ‘name is one’ we would expect our understanding of him to be greatly increased so that these man-made divisions will disappear (John 17:21-23).     

Zechariah 14:10 – The whole land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem.  But Jerusalem shall remain aloft on its site from the gate of Benjamin to the place of the former gate, to the Corner Gate and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s winepresses.

Good news:  When we break this verse down, it isn’t as complicated as it seems. 

First, let’s consider the literal point of view. 

We know that the city of Jerusalem and the surrounding areas are mountainous.  But on the day prophesied by Zechariah, the mountains will be leveled out and become a plain.  This plain will extend from Geba to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem.

Geba:  Geba was a Levitical city (Joshua 21:17) located on the northern boundary of the territory of the tribe of Benjamin (Joshua 18:24), near the mountain pass of Michmash.  It is approximately six miles from Jerusalem. 

The city was occupied by the Philistines at the beginning of Saul’s reign (I Samuel 13:3), but was retaken for Israel by Saul’s son, Jonathan (I Samuel 14).  Later, during the reign of King Asa, the city was fortified (I Kings 15:22) because it was located on a key route to Jerusalem (Isaiah 10:28-29).  The modern day name of this city is Jeba or Jeva.          

Rimmon:  There are multiple locations with this name.  There was a Rimmon in Galilee, which was north of Nazareth (so obviously north of Jerusalem - Joshua 19:13).  There was also a location known as the Rock of Rimmon, also located north of Jerusalem.  This was one of the places the Benjamites fled to when they were routed in battle by Israel (Judges 20:45). 

But Zechariah’s prophesy clearly identifies Rimmon as being the city south of Jerusalem.  This city of Rimmon was located in the extreme southern section of Judah (Joshua 15:21,32), and it was later given to the tribe of Simeon (Joshua 19:7).  It was located about 10 miles north of Beersheba.

Rimmon’s close proximity to Beersheba is significant.  Beersheba was the southernmost city in the limits of Israel.  When ancient Israelites spoke about the entire expanse of Judah, they commonly used the phrase ‘from Geba to Beersheba’:

2 Kings 23:8 - And he [King Josiah] brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beer-sheba…   

We therefore conclude that in the prophesy of Zechariah, the phrase ‘from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem’ refers to the northern and southern borders of the kingdom of Judah.  It is symbolic for the entire north to south boundaries of Judah.

According to the literal interpretation of this prophesy, that entire parcel of land (which is now mountainous) will experience a shift (possibly during the earthquake discussed in verse 14) and become a level plain of ground.

However, the actual city of Jerusalem will remain ‘aloft on its site’.  In the literal interpretation, this means the actual city of Jerusalem will be elevated above the surrounding plain.  It will be easily visible to anyone and everyone in the region.  Furthermore, it will be rebuilt on the exact same spot of ground which it occupied in former days.

Specifically, Zechariah tells us that Jerusalem will encompass the area ‘from the gate of Benjamin to the place of the former gate, to the Corner Gate and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s winepresses’.  That description probably made sense to the people alive during Zechariah’s day, but not so much for us today!

Gate of Benjamin:  Jerusalem had a number of city gates (in Nehemiah chapter three, 10 different gates are mentioned).  Scholars tell us that the gate of Benjamin (Nehemiah 12:39) was a gate leading from the city to the territory of Benjamin.  It is the same as the gate of Ephraim (II Kings 14:13), which was the on the northern boundary of the city.         

Former Gate:  The Former Gate is also known as the First Gate or the Old Gate (Nehemiah 3:6), which was located on the west side of the city.  

Corner Gate:  This gate was on the corner jointing the north and west parts of the wall.  Some scholars believe ‘corner’ refers to the towers which were built where the walls came together.

Tower of Hananel:  This tower is located south of the city, near the Sheep Gate (Nehemiah 3:1, 12:31). 

King’s winepresses: There is some difference of opinion on where these were located; they appear to have been on the interior of the city in the south, near the king’s gardens (Nehemiah 3:15).

The bottom line is that these points are given to signify that Jerusalem will again occupy as much space as it did during the height of its best days.  A very similar prophesy is given about Jerusalem in Jeremiah 31:38-40. 

Overall, we can say that the places mentioned in this verse tell us that the territory of Judah will become a flat plain, while the space which Jerusalem occupies will be at least as big as it was during the peak of its existence.

Now let’s consider this verse from the spiritual point of view.

This interpretation says that when the area surrounding Jerusalem is made a plain and Jerusalem itself is lifted up, this figuratively speaks of the religious prominence of Jerusalem. 

We know that Jerusalem is the city which God chose for himself.  It is the site of the Old Testament temple and it was the place where Jesus ministered, sacrificed himself for our sin and rose from the dead.  Jerusalem is the birthplace of the church; the gospel spread from the epicenter of Jerusalem to Judea, Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the world.  Therefore, Jerusalem is the fountain head of all true religious/spiritual knowledge.

This interpretation says that for a time the church, which began in Jerusalem, was abused and persecuted throughout the earth, but it will again take prominence (be lifted up) in the world when this prophesy is fulfilled.  At that time, the church will be comprised of people from all nations of the earth (Isaiah 2:2).

As we already mentioned, the gates, towers and winepresses mentioned in this verse seem to correspond to the north, south, west and east boundaries of Jerusalem.  In the spiritual interpretation of this verse, this represents the spread of the gospel and the establishment of the church throughout the world. 

We might say that this verse illustrates the growth, stability and maturation of the church by comparing it to the growth of Jerusalem.   

Another spiritual interpretation says that in scripture, mountains and crooked places refer to obstacles that prohibit the spread of the gospel.  Therefore, when the land surrounding Jerusalem (the epicenter of the gospel) is ‘made a plain’ it means that all hindrances to the spread of the gospel will be removed and the earth will be filled with the knowledge of God:  

Luke 3:5-6 - Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.  

Thus, the size of the church will be greatly enlarged and contain people from every tongue, tribe and nation.

Zechariah 14:11 – And it shall be inhabited, for there shall never again be a decree of utter destruction.  Jerusalem shall dwell in security.

Literal Interpretation:  Despite the events leading up to this moment (Zechariah 14:2, 5), God will cause the city of Jerusalem will be rebuilt/restored.  It will be full of people; it will be a thriving, populous city as great (or greater) than it has ever been.

God also promises that after this restoration, Jerusalem, will never again be destroyed or desolate.  The literal interpretation from Hebrew says there will be no more curse.  This indicates a cessation of war and killing.  It also implies there would be no more religious apathy.  Every generation from that point onward will live in complete peace and safety.   

Spiritual Interpretation: The church or the kingdom of God will never be destroyed.  There will be no more destruction or curse because there will be no more sin.  Temporal blessings and spiritual prosperity will manifest at that time. 

These blessings will take the form of long life (Isaiah 65:20-22), peace (Isaiah 2:4), honor (Isaiah 60:14-16), and righteous government (Isaiah 54:14, 60:18).  

Note:  Scholars hotly debate this spiritual interpretation.  Detractors of this view point out that the church/kingdom of God has never been under a curse.

However, there is another interpretation.  It maintains that the church will never again have a reason to run from a victorious enemy (as they did in verses 2 & 5).  When it is said there will never again be a decree of ‘utter destruction’ or ‘curse’, it means the inhabitants of Jerusalem would not incur the former curses which were inflicted on the cities of sinners and idolaters under the Law. 

In other words, Jerusalem (the church) will be safe because when sin is removed, there is no more occasion for chastisement or judgment.

Let me offer you some encouragement:

Today’s post speaks of summer and winter.  Here in Ohio, we have the privilege of experiencing all four distinct seasons.  In summer we may enjoy boating, swimming or water skiing.  But once winter makes its appearance, we switch over to sledding or ice skating.  Fall is a great time to get outside for a hike, while spring finds us working hard on our landscaping and gardens. 

Our lives go through different seasons as well.  There are periods when we may find ourselves alone, while at other times we have the responsibilities of a spouse and/or children, or we are caring for aged adults.  There are seasons when we are constantly working or attending school full time.  But there are also seasons where we have fewer responsibilities and more free time (retirement, kids are grown). 

While the seasons of our lives change, we can rest assured that the work of Holy Spirit is constant.  At every stage of our lives, he is actively at work, pruning away old habits and thoughts, and cultivating our hearts so we can receive new revelations from him.  He accomplishes this through the truth of the scriptures.

If you are having trouble establishing a solid routine of bible reading, I encourage you to search for an app (or a book or a list) that gives you a specific bible reading for every day.  Many of these programs or apps will assist you in reading the bible through in a year, which will be of great benefit to you. 

Let me offer you some relief:

In today’s post, Zechariah speaks of several miraculous events which are so astonishing, we can’t fully comprehend them.  But that is actually a good thing because it reminds us that we serve a God who does the impossible!

Let me put it this way:  If God can stand upon the Mount of Olives and cause an earthquake to form a valley which becomes a way of escape for the Jews, then don’t you think he can take care of your situation too?

Whatever obstacle you are facing today, place your faith in Jesus and stand upon his promises.  Remember, he will never leave you or forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:8); he will work all things out for your good (Romans 8:28).

Let me offer you some strength:

We know that Holy Spirit will spread the gospel message to the ends of the earth – and that he will use us to help him do it!  What an honor!  

Let’s strengthen and prepare ourselves to help him:  

• Know the word.
• Pray for Holy Spirit boldness.
• Be ready and willing to share your personal testimony.
• Ask Holy Spirit to give you a burden for the lost.
• Listen closely for his leading throughout the day.
• As you begin your day, ask Holy Spirit to use you to minister to someone.