The Carpenter's Apprentice
Volume 4, Number 12
December 2003
And
His Name Shall Be Called . . .
For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the
government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful
Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to
the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his
kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From
then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.
(Isaiah
9:6-7)
Isaiah lists but a few of the 226 names of Messiah listed in my Biblical
Cyclopedic Index, but his short list presents a comprehensive summary of all
the others.
Compare this description to the description of the kings
As God prepared the people to possess the land He told them what they would
do, ""When you enter the land which the LORD your God gives you, and
you possess it and live in it, and you say, 'I will set a king over me like all
the nations who are around me. . . ." (Deuteronomy 17:14) Sure
enough, the people, troubled by the injustice of Samuel’s sons, petition Samuel
saying, "Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your
ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations." (1
Samuel 8:5)
Any outside observer would note this was a foolish request. Although God’s
chosen order for the people was subject to the frailties of men, it was His
order and He was in control in spite of appearances. Their real issue was with
God, not Samuel’s sons.
To realize they thought they would get greater justice by following the ways
of the heathen world than by honoring God’s chosen means of governance shows us
just how far they were removed from the faith of their father Abraham.
God consoled Samuel saying, ". . . they have not rejected you, but they
have rejected Me from being king over them." Samuel speaks God’s warning
to the people, "This will be the procedure of the king who will reign over
you: he will take your sons and place them for himself in his chariots and
among his horsemen and they will run before his chariots. And he will appoint
for himself commanders of thousands and of fifties, and some to do his plowing
and to reap his harvest and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his
chariots. He will also take your daughters for perfumers and cooks and bakers.
And he will take the best of your fields and your vineyards and your olive
groves, and give them to his servants. And he will take a tenth of your seed
and of your vineyards, and give to his officers and to his servants. He will
also take your male servants and your female servants and your best young men
and your donkeys, and use them for his work. He will take a tenth of your
flocks, and you yourselves will become his servants. Then you will cry out in
that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD
will not answer you in that day." (1 Samuel 8:11-18) [Any
resemblance to present conditions whereby "we the people" have failed
to obey God by restraining our servants should be an urgent warning to us]
In spite of the warning, the people insisted on doing things their way and
the rest is history. The very system they thought would bring them happiness
became the source of their greatest oppression. It is bad enough when your
enemies abuse you, but there is no pain to compare to that of being abused by
those in whom you have placed your trust.
Such betrayal can be rationalized for a time, but ultimately its nature
becomes undeniable. We won’t detail how all of God’s warnings came to fruition,
but do note it is this reality which fills the hearts of the righteous with a
longing for justice.
In comparison to the kings of earth, the Promised King was described in
terms which stirred the hopes and expectations of the faithful who understood
the nature of the promise.
Those who sought earthly power, used the promise for their own ends,
believing the coming King would lead them in political victory and establish
THEIR authority. They even attempted to make him that king by force, but He
refused.
The Redeemer had plans for a kingdom which reached far beyond the realm of
Old Covenant
In contrast to the kings of old, the reign of God to come would be no
interim measure. It was to last "From then on and forever more."
We’ve talked about the word "olam" (forever) before and noted it
doesn’t necessarily mean eternally. However, in this context it seems to me to
take that meaning ("from then on" or "henceforth").
As a side note, 1 Corinthians 15:24 seems to indicate the throne of David
and it’s kingdom would find consummation and consolidation with the kingdom of
God and that Christ would reign with God as One. All rule and authority would
be returned to the Father in Christ.
Others see things differently, but my best understanding is that "The
zeal of the Lord of hosts" accomplished that work in the first century.
Seeing things in this way has brought more hope and optimism to my outlook for
this world than anything else I have embraced in this life.
"But when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of
a woman, born under the Law, in order that He might redeem those who were under
the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons."
(Galatians 4:4-5)
Paul and his audience did receive their adoption in A.D. 70 and we are among
those who have "wash[ed] their robes, that they may have the right to the
tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city." "And the
nations shall walk by its light, and the kings of the earth shall bring their
glory into it." Joy to the world! The Lord Has Come!
Every Eye Shall See Him
One of the frequent criticisms of covenant eschatology is based on
Revelation 1:7: "BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will
see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn
over Him. Even so. Amen."
There are really two issues here, cloud comings and those who witness the
coming of Christ. We’ll deal with cloud comings another time, but in the
meantime just take out your concordance and see how the scripture uses this
language. You will find God coming with the clouds many times, but you will
never find Him physically, visibly, present. Remember, no one has seen God at
any time.
Moving on, lets consider the matter of the witnesses to this event. Without
question, the language refers to the eye and sight; however, these words are
used figuratively as well (just as they are in English. Do you see what I
mean?) The traditional view has been that when Christ comes everyone living and
dead will witness the event. A closer look at this text suggests otherwise.
Let’s take a look at the relevant text in the KJV to make a comparison,
"...every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced
him..." [my emphasis]. Notice that in the NAS version in the opening
paragraph, the word "even" appears where the KJV has an
"and." Which is correct?
In a literal word for word translation the KJV would be; however, literal
word for word translations are fraught with potential problems and this is a
good example. The NAS properly translates the Greek kaí but the chosen
"even" still leaves room for reader interpretation (which is why I
suspect it was used rather than using language which would give the clear
meaning of the text). For example, by using "even" the reader could
understand the passage to be emphasizing the fact that those "who pierced
Him" would see Him. That fits traditional views and leaves the reader
comfortable, but no more the wiser in regard to the meaning of the passage.
The NAS doesn’t say "and" because this is a special usage of kaí
known as the explicative usage. According to the
Bauer/Arndt-Gingrich lexicon, kaí is used to connect two clauses in a
special way: the clause following the kaí explains or defines the
clause which precedes it.
In other words, "those who pierced Him" tells us who is meant by
"every eye." A clear translation would be "...every eye shall
see Him, namely those who pierced Him." Knowing the context of this
passage is things which are to take place "shortly" leaves us with no
defensible conclusion but that Christ was coming in the first century while
some of those who pierced Him were still alive.
(Matthew 26:64)
Josephus records reports of armies, horses, and chariots in the sky during
the events surrounding A.D. 70. But, even if those reports were false,
"those who pierced Him" still saw Christ come in judgment and fulfill
His words that not one stone of the temple would be left standing on another
Though the obvious meaning of the text point to fulfillment in the first
century, that understanding is not acceptable in traditional circles, so
translational bias clouds the picture once again! But ... now you know better!
When it comes to reading your English Bible, one old saying comes to mind,
"Trust, but verify." To borrow a more recent one, "Just Do
It!"
When Was Jesus Born?
Last time I mentioned a series on the Jewish feasts by David Curtis. One of
the musings of that teaching deals with the timing of Christ’s birth and I
thought you might find it interesting speculation. The short version goes like
this:
Zacharias was chosen by lot to serve in the temple (Luke 1:9) and his family
would have served the second week of Sivan. Curtis assumes
Curtis then posits John the Baptist was born on Passover (the 1st
day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread season) because the people expected Elijah
to come at the Passover. A place was set for him and someone always looked
outside to see if he had come prior to starting the observance. A cup of wine
was added to the table late in the history of this observance and was known as
"Elijah’s Cup."
Since Mary conceived six months after
While it would be unwise to insist on the exact dates with the information
presently available, the precision which we see in God’s dealings certainly
points to conclusions along these lines. Who knows what we’ll learn as the
kingdom grows and God’s people learn more and more of what He has revealed to
us in our history.
In the meantime, the world chooses to pay special attention to the birth of
Christ in this season and I’m pleased to participate. Along the way, perhaps we
can shed light where darkness yet prevails.
From The Mission Field
We recently had the opportunity to hear a report from a missionary family in
Did you realize
As this country rapidly sinks to such dismal levels of faith, the indictment
is not against the culture, but against us as Christians in the culture. If we
will be salt, and leaven and light, God can use us to make a difference.
On other fronts,
While this couple and their co-workers labor to bring relief to the misery
which haunts the land both physically and spiritually, God has blessed their
efforts by opening doors in the most unexpected places. Although 87% of the
people are Romanian Orthodox, that is simply a matter of tradition, not faith.
They are spiritual prisoners of a religious system gone bad and controlled by
the state.
Since the demise of communism, the people see the need for direction in
their affairs. Although few of the missionaries have training other than in
theology, they are being asked to teach in the university master’s programs. As
I recall they are presently offering degrees in political science and social
work. However, both courses of studies are biblically based and are designed to
impart a biblical worldview.
The group also opened a library with a number of training programs for
Christians and the community at large. More and more it is opening doors to
those who have never heard the good news of reconciliation in Christ.
It is tragically ironic our country moves further into the muck of
socialism/communism every day (with the insistence of so-called
conservative Christians who have forgotten their biblical heritage), while
those who have lived in the cesspool of Godless government hunger to govern
themselves aright. Dear God, may we quickly realize what we are doing and
repent!
This couple now claims
Old Folks First!
I’ve never been a fan of "It’s for the children" but I am
absolutely nauseated by recent displays of the elderly. Things really heated up
over the Medicare prescription drug bill and I want to puke every time I see
seniors telling how they got their scooter for free. Well, it cost somebody
something and I know who that somebody is. Latest figures show annual federal
spending amounts to an average of $21,000 per family! I happen to live where the
median income isn’t much more than that. Why do we stand for this outrage?
In 1787, Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor commenting on
"The Fall of the Athenian Republic" over 2,000 years ago said,
"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only
exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the
public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the
candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result
that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by
a dictatorship."
The parade of AARP supporters across the TV screen begging for handouts from
the federal government (i.e. taxpayers) made me so ashamed to be identified
with seniors I wrote all my representatives. I told them I would rather die
under a bridge from the complications of a common cold than steal from my
children and neighbors to pay for my health care. My representative didn’t
vote for it because he is a Democrat and thinks the bill doesn’t rob enough
money from our families. Money which he would like to use to buy votes with
even more benefits. What a racket!
Yes, I realize the government steals money out of our paychecks to pay for
this. But the reality is that few people ever pay in enough to cover their own
expenses, even with the interest it accrues. What’s more, many older Americans
didn’t pay into Medicare in the first place. The program was bankrupt because
there were no funds to sustain it. So a new tax was added to steal even more
from the people and now everyone sees health care as an entitlement (a right).
Health care has never been a right and still isn’t.
The harsh reality is we are entitled only to the health care we can afford.
We should be willing to help one another as God moves our hearts, but the
government has no lawful authority to rob any group of citizens to pay the way
of others for anything.
Yet most Americans, and most Christians, have bought the socialistic bill of
goods and now threaten their representatives if their benefits aren’t
constantly increased. The thought of actually stopping this illicit activity
never crosses their minds.
This country will never be free until the people are willing to make sacrifices.
If I die years early because I can’t afford proper health care, I’ll die
knowing I didn’t use the government to mug other people to pay my way. Yeah, I
know I’m nuts. So be it.
Death of the Church Victorious
For my birthday recently,
I’ve only read a few chapters, but I want to share one passage with you. As
dispensationalism appeared in Christian circles, it was rejected (at first) in
Those who fled the country took the doctrine of defeat to the rest of
It is an interesting and enlightening story but the passage I want to share
is particularly timely because it deals with the ideology behind the French
Revolution, an ideology which has reappeared in our country at this time. Need
takes most of the information directly from Robespierre:
"The religion of Patriotism replaced the church and Christianity:
Patriots were seen as the social changing force rather than preachers
proclaiming the Biblical Christian Gospel of Christ; the ‘Republic,’ France,
became the new god, so accordingly, sin and blasphemy were defined as any move
against the State; the mark of the true Patriot was swearing allegiance to the
new god, the ‘Republic’s’ Constitution; Left, Right and Center became political
terms; ‘purge’ changed from a medical to a political term; poverty was
considered as proof of one’s sincerity and virtue, and thus ‘lack of success
was not due to inability but to injustice’; conspirators were the source of the
nation’s ills, so vague charges of secret conspiracies at work were used to
unite the people to follow those making the changes." (p.17-18)
If you can’t see the similarities in
The Apprentice’s Journal
The grandsons just left after their annual visit to celebrate my birthday
and help us decorate for Christmas. Geren, the oldest, just turned four and he
is really starting to get into the swing of things. Unfortunately, he got sick
while he was here and we really didn’t get to enjoy the time as we have before.
Little Joshua was sick one day but bounced back quickly. He’s getting big
enough to hold his own with Geren and that is a big adjustment for everyone.
Still, they are a delight.
Laura told us how Geren really got into the singing of Majesty! one
Sunday morning recently. He told her later he really liked singing about
"Magic Steve." We all got a chuckle out of that one.
Ah the innocence (?) of youth! Geren has not yet discovered what we as
adults know, namely that sometimes hedging on the truth makes things easier (at
least in the short term). The boys were playing pretty rough one day a few
weeks ago and Laura heard Joshua begin to cry.
When she went to check things out, she asked Geren what happened. He said,
"I decided I didn’t want a little brother anymore so I tried to break
him." Laura assured him Joshua was there to stay and that breaking him
wasn’t acceptable.
When I remember how excited he was at the prospect of a new baby in the
family, I can’t help but reflect on how quickly the allure of something new
fades in our eyes.
This time of year is filled with almost unrestrained desire for things which
by the end of the year will have lost much of their appeal. They will be
casually cast aside as affections are set on something someone else got which
we like better. Will we ever learn to seek that which is of lasting value?
I pray we can use this season as an opportunity to reassess the value of
what we possess. Financially, even the poorest among us in this country have
more than most people who have ever lived in the history of the world, but I
speak of assets of much greater worth.
Immanuel is a simple word of tremendous value. The Jews had the Table of
Shewbread (or Presence, literally "faces") as a symbol of God’s
presence. That Presence, though in symbol, was their assurance of being His
people. They lost it.
What they lost was the world's gain: God with us. We give lip service to the
concept but do we really believe He is present with us right now? Proclaim it:
GOD...WITH...US!
I pray we can see His glorious reign and proclaim for all to hear,
"Glory
to God in the highest and on the earth peace, goodwill toward men."