Mark 8:29 …whom say ye that I am

Mark 8:29 …whom say ye that I am?

Ward Fenley

One of the greatest questions Christ ever asked to His disciples, and certainly humanity, is found in the Gospel of Mark, which question was specifically directed to Peter:

The question raised should invoke the greatest of searches and pursuits, that is, to know who Jesus Christ is. Many say He was a prophet or a teacher of great moral values, and some would even argue that He was master politician, showing a way to usurp the government by means of faith and love. An even greater realization is that he was the divine Son of God, God manifest in the flesh, come to save His people from their sins. In contrast, there are some who would say He was a cult leader, a rogue mystic, even a blasphemer, a simple predecessor to men like Jim Jones or David Koresh.

But at the time of Christ the group of people who witnessed so many of His miracles, the Jews, had specific questions about Christ pertaining to what they knew as Old Testament (O.T.) prophecy. Many of these Jews were acquainted with Messianic prophecies, i.e. prophecies that spoke of a time that would come where the Messiah, the anointed One would bring in a kingdom that would bring peace, joy, righteousness, safety, healing, deliverance, and freedom; a land flowing with milk and honey where there would be no more hunger or thirst; a land that would have God in their midst as their Messiah and Shepherd and Protector. The Jews' question was asked in many different ways, some of which were asked in genuine sincerity and yet others asked in contempt and doubt of Jesus, even so contemptible as to demand a statement that would condemn Him:

Matthew 26:63…and the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.

One woman, after having received information from Jesus about herself actually asked the rhetorical question to those in her city:

John 4:29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?

In a lengthier text we find the locals considering the claims and works of Christ:

John 7:25-31 Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill? {26} But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ? {27} Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is. {28} Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye

know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not. {29} But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me. {30} Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come. {31} And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done? John 7:40-42 Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet. {41} Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee? {42} Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was? John 7:52 They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet. John 10:21 Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind? John 10:24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. John 12:34 The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man? John 18:37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then?

"Is this not He…?" "Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?" "When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?" "Shall Christ come out of Galilee?" "Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?" "Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet." "Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?" "How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly." "Who is this Son of man?" "Art thou a king then?"

To many of these questions Jesus gave an answer, either with simplicity or with a more detailed explanation.

There was, however, one question given to Jesus that did not merely ask whether He was the Christ. While awaiting his execution in prison, John the Baptist had heard of the incredible miracles of Christ. Apparently, two of John's disciples had come to visit him in prison. John would then have the disciples convey two significant questions to Jesus:

Matthew 11:3 And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?

His first question was very similar to the questions of others, many of whom had seen the actual miracles of Christ. He wanted to know if this was the Christ, the Messiah promised in the O.T. Scriptures. He wanted to know if this indeed was the Christ who would bring in the kingdom promised so many times throughout the various messages of Moses, the Psalms, and the Prophets. John was described by Jesus as the greatest of all the prophets:

Matthew 11:11 Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist:

We must assume that John was deftly familiar with the O.T. Scriptures, especially considering the fact that he understood himself to be the fulfillment of a prophecy in Isaiah:

John 1:23 He said, "I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,'" as the prophet Isaiah said.

Isaiah 40:3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. This, of course, makes the second question or second part of John's question doubly significant:

"Do we look for another?"

Jesus could have simply told John's disciples to reply with a yes, indicating that He was indeed the Messiah who was to come. But Jesus makes a statement that would give John the indisputable proof he needed to be persuaded that Jesus was the promised Savior:

Matthew 11:4-5 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see: {5} The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

Luke's gospel reads similarly:

Luke 7:20-22 When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another? {21} And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight. {22} Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.

There was no need to explain how this was being fulfilled or the nature of those things being fulfilled. Jesus simply stated that these miracles were taking place, and by implication He knew that this would be enough for John. The question at this point must be: How would John know that these miracles were proof that Jesus was the Christ? The only possible way that John could know that these miracles proved that Jesus was the Christ is for those miracles to have been prophesied in the O.T. in reference to the Messianic kingdom.

It is at this point that we must examine the contexts of those prophecies and ask two fundamental hermeneutical questions: 1) What other prophecies are addressed within those O.T. contexts that were also to take place when Messiah and His kingdom would come? 2) If Jesus Christ's answer to John clearly implied that He is the Messiah by the performance of those miracles predicted, then how is that fulfillment to be interpreted with regard to present-day expectations of a future Messianic kingdom?

Our assumption that John the Baptist was well-acquainted with the prophecies in Isaiah is critical when contemplating Christ's response to Him. Jesus knew John was familiar with Isaiah and perhaps every prophecy concerning the Messianic kingdom. But considering the fact that in Isaiah's prophecies are found the predictions which Christ told John were fulfilled, we then gain a greater appreciation for John's mindset as he would recall the fulfilled prophetic elements of which Christ spoke. The context is Isaiah 35. Here is the Messianic kingdom prophecy which Christ said was fulfilled:

Isaiah 35:5-6 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. {6} Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.

And then here is Christ's declaration that these were fulfilled:

The prophecy in Isaiah 35 must now be viewed in its context in order to see the other elements that would be fulfilled at that time:

Isaiah 35 The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. {2} It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God. {3} Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. {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. {5} Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. {6} Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. {7} And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. {8} And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. {9} No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: {10} And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Christ told John that vv. 5 and 6 were fulfilled. It would seem inappropriate and eisegetical at best for John to say within His heart, "Jesus said that the events of verses 5 and 6 were fulfilled but not the rest of the context." It is highly probable that John had an enormous respect not only for the word of God but also for studying the word of God in its context. Therefore it is unlikely that John would employ a hermeneutic that separated vv. 5 and 6 from the rest of the passage and then assume that the rest of the passage would take place perhaps thousands of years in the future as so many affirm today. Here are the events listed in sequence to elucidate exactly what was to be fulfilled when Messiah would arrive:

1. The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them 2. The desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. {2} It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing 3. The glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it 4. The excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God 5. God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense 6. He will come and save you 7. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened 8. The ears of the deaf shall be unstopped 9. The lame man leaps as an hart 10. The tongue of the dumb sing 11. In the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert 12. The parched ground shall become a pool 13. The thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. 14. An highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. 15. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there 16. The redeemed shall walk there 17. The ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads 18. They shall obtain joy and gladness 19. Sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

There is not much disagreement about events 7-10, since Christ said those were fulfilled. However, the disagreement comes when examining the rest of the context. For example, many would say that certain of these elements are not fulfilled:

God will come with a vengeance No more lions or ravenous beasts The parched ground becoming a pool The redeemed walking on the highway of holiness The ransomed of the Lord coming to Zion Sorrow and sighing shall flee away

Since this article is not intended to be a detailed treatise on how these events were fulfilled, here are some brief explanations for the above events. First, we must ask the question: When Jesus Christ performed a miracle, was there a greater fulfillment of each miracle? For example, consider this healing:

Matthew 9:6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.

Here was a man unable to walk. The prophecy in Isaiah spoke of the lame leaping. Even Peter was able to give this sort of healing to a man by the power of God:

Acts 3:6-8 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. {7} And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. {8} And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.

But again, is the greater miracle in the Matthew account and the Acts account the physical healing or the forgiveness of sins, i.e. the salvation from sins? Physical healings are always temporal, but the inward healing of spiritual blindness, deafness, crippling, death are the eternal and far more significant healings. Christ said this: Matthew 9:5 For which is easier to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?

It is much easier to say, "Thy sins be forgiven." Why? Because forgiven sin is not something that is tangibly or sensually provable. For the person relying on sensual experience for a verification of truth, it is much more difficult to say, "Arise, take up thy bed and walk." For this would require a manifested and outward proof. But Christ's presentation of these two miracles obviously implies that the greater miracle is forgiveness of sins. But in order to prove to them that He could forgive sins, i.e. perform the greatest of the two miracles, He brings physical healing (the lesser of the two miracles) to the man. Therefore, what we see is the fulfillment of both miracles. But it is vitally important in acknowledging the greater unseen reality of the kingdom of God to see the forgiveness of, or salvation from, sins as the greater and eternal miracle.

A perfect example is the subject of blindness. Jesus physically healed many blind people. But emphasis on the physical healing of blindness was minimized in comparison with the greater reality of the healing of spiritual blindness. One need only consider the weight Christ places on the physical miracles in contrast to the weight He places on spiritual healing. Rarely, if ever, does Christ elaborate on the significance of physical miracles. With the exception of imploring those watching to believe on Him as a result of seeing these miracles, Christ never once engages them in theological dialogue regarding the importance of physical miracles. However, it is in relation to spiritual healing that Christ conveys the infinitely more remarkable issue, and effects, of the infirmities of spiritual blindness, deafness, lameness, and death. Consider these statements:

Matthew 23:16-19 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! {17} Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? {18} And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. {19} Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? Matthew 23:24-28 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. {25} Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. {26} Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. {27} Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. {28} Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

Christ focuses on the inward problems of the Pharisees, specifically the spiritual infirmities of blindness and death.

To show that the significant message of the kingdom was not merely that physical healings were being performed, Christ even told a man he healed of blindness to not tell anyone:

Mark 8:26 And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.

However, Christ openly taught in theological discourse the tragic predicament of spiritual blindness. In John's gospel we read the account of the man who was born blind and whom Jesus healed from that blindness. After the man's lengthy discussion with the Pharisees, they cast him out. Jesus found him and expounded upon this topic of spiritual blindness:

John 9:35-41 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? {36} He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? {37} And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. {38} And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him. {39} And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. {40} And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? {41} Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

Here, Jesus equates blindness with being in sin. He also equates sight with having no sin. The prophetic context in Isaiah spoke of the time when blindness would be healed, but also spoke of salvation:

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.

Christ fulfilled this:

Matthew 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Most scholars equate salvation with redemption and ransom. The context of Isaiah 35 speaks of redemption, ransom, and salvation as being a part of the fulfillment of the Messianic kingdom:

Isaiah 35:9-10 No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: {10} And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

The New Testament abounds with passages testifying that ransom and redemption are fulfilled in Christ:

Matthew 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. 1 Timothy 2:5-6 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; {6} Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. Luke 1:68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, Galatians 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: Galatians 4:4-5 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, {5} To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. Titus 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. 1 Peter 1:18-19 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; {19} But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

Therefore we can conclude that the Messianic kingdom elements of redemption and ransom are fulfilled and that that ransom and redemption refers to the spiritual ransom and redemption from the power of sin and death as opposed to physically redeeming Israel from the power of the nations surrounding her. At the time of Christ their hope was for a physical redemption from the power of the Roman Empire. But Christ specifically said that His "kingdom is not of this world," which is why Christ spoke concerning the nature of the kingdom of God:

Luke 17:20-21 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: {21} Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Christ could not have made a clearer statement. He certainly could have brought in a physical kingdom, but a physical kingdom would consist of outward physical (and therefore temporal) realities. But throughout the ages God has spoken, "For God looks not on the outward but on the heart." It was never Christ's intent to have the eternal Messianic kingdom fulfilled physically. Even Abraham "looked for a heavenly country." (Hebrews 11:14-16) Christ had already given Israel a physical kingdom and they abused it. Christ saw their greater need of spiritual rebirth, life, healing from the sickness of sin. Many today ask the question, "If we are in the kingdom now, then why are we still sick and why is their still sorrow?" Isaiah 35 not only prophesied of a fleeing sorrow and sighing in the passage at hand:

Isaiah 35:10 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Isaiah also predicted and spoke of the nature of that sickness and sorrow, and that the Messianic kingdom was not about the eternal removal of physical sickness and sorrow but rather about the eternal removal of spiritual sickness and sorrow:

Isaiah 33:24 And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.

Isaiah equates healing of sickness with forgiveness of sin. Perhaps the greatest chapter detailing the cross is Isaiah 53. In that chapter we understand these things to be fulfilled:

Isaiah 53:4-5 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. {5} But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

The removal of sorrow and grief is clearly referring to a spiritual sorrow; a spiritual grief, and a spiritual healing. Even Peter cites this verse as being fulfilled in Christ:

1 Peter 2:24-25 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. {25} For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. Again, we must keep this truth at the forefront: physical healings were always a d shadow of, and inferior to, spiritual healings from sin and separation from God.

Peter tells us that the healing of Isaiah is referring to that which is procured through Christ and that it is fulfilled in Him. Peter also speaks of their being "returned to the Shepherd…" Our context in Isaiah 35 speaks of this return:

Isaiah 35:10 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Isaiah predicted that the ransomed would return (fulfilled in Christ) and that they would come to Zion. Some may ask, "But how is that fulfilled?" The author of Hebrews contrasts the Old and New covenants and expresses the contrast between two mountains, Mt. Sinai (where the O.T. law was given) and Mt. Zion (where the N.T. law was given), which was prophesied in Isaiah and Micah:

Isaiah 2:3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

Micah 4:2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

This is precisely why the writer of Hebrews exclaims:

Hebrews 12:22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels…

Unfortunately, there are some who would argue that the people of God have not come to Zion, but that it remains an unfulfilled prophecy. Again, here is the prophecy in Isaiah and the fulfillment in Hebrews, respectively:

Isaiah 35:10 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion Hebrews 12:22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels

The ransoming or redemption, says the writer of Hebrews, was obtained through Christ:

Hebrews 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

What so many students of the Bible fail to do is recognize that the Bible is about two covenants, not two physical kingdoms, physical nations, physical worlds, and physical universes. (For an exposition on the topic of the "heavens and earth" passages, please see Heaven, Earth, and Sea). Yet Hebrews is explicitly clear that the two worlds, two Jerusalems and the two mountains are referring to the two covenants. Here is the context in its entirety:

Hebrews 12:18-28 For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, {19} And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: {20} (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: {21} And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:) {22} But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, {23} To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, {24} And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. {25} See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: {26} Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. {27} And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. {28} Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

The shaking of heaven refers to the gradual process of the removal of the Old Covenant. This is why the writer of Hebrews uses the present tense of the word "shaken" in verse 27. It should read:

"And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain."

The writer is conveying the covenantal reality that the Old Covenant was being removed and was being shaken. This is not the literal shaking of the physical cosmos, otherwise we would presently be shaking. Is is speaking about the transformation from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant, the O.C. being those things that were "being shaken" and the N.C. being those things that "cannot be shaken" and that "remain." Some would say that the Old Covenant was completely done away at the cross, but the writer of Hebrews teaches that this was a process about to be completed at the destruction of the Temple in AD 70:

Hebrews 8:13 In that he says, A new covenant, he has made the first old. Now that which is decaying and waxing old is ready to vanish away.

The writer is referring to none other than the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by God through the Roman armies:

Hebrews 9:8 The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all is not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle is still standing:

Jesus predicted this destruction in their generation:

Luke 21:20-22 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. {21} Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. {22} For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. Luke 21:20-32 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. {21} Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. {22} For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. {23} But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. {24} And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. {25} And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; {26} Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. {27} And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. {28} And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. {29} And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; {30} When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. {31} So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. {32} Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. (Please see, The Audience of Jesus for a greater examination of the Olivet Discourse).

This may seem like a tangent from our comparative contexts of prediction and fulfillment in Isaiah 35 and Matthew 11 respectively; the focus being that all those predictions in Isaiah have been fulfilled in Christ. However, when one sees that Christ and the apostles were concerned with the imminence of Christ's return in judgment and glory (Matthew 16:27-28), the concept of covenantal change and transformation becomes evident, as opposed to the imaginary concepts of a future physical demise of the cosmos.

Based upon the information above we have gained greater insight into the question of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ's subsequent response to that question. (For an analysis of the life and meaning of John the Baptist and his relationship to the imminence of the Messianic kingdom, please see The Signal of John the Baptist). There was only one Messianic kingdom predicted. Either Christ has fulfilled it or He has not. The Savior, the Messiah, the Prince of Peace, The Shepherd, Jesus Christ has come and brought in the everlasting kingdom. Some might sarcastically ask, "Did we miss it?" Perhaps they have. Is it possible that we are waiting for another, an imagined another that is not coming? Are we content with Christ's resounding answer to John the Baptist?

Did Christ's physical miracles happen for no reason? Were they not to show the greater miracles of spiritual life? Doesn't Christ depict Himself as the Living Waters? Didn't Isaiah predict life-giving streams?

Isaiah 35:6 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.

We must acknowledge the carnality of restricting this to a literal stream in the desert. The desert represents the dry and barren land of Israel, which brought for only wind but no life (Isaiah 26:18). The waters represent Christ flowing through the church for the healing of nations (John 4:10-14; 7:35-38). The dumb have sung, the lame have leaped, the dead have indeed risen.

Paul writes:

2 Corinthians 1:20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

Do we believe that only some of the promises of God are fulfilled in Him? Is our expectation for Christ to go from the physical, to the spiritual, and then return to the physical? That seems to be a fleshly, human-centered view of the kingdom of God. The physical was designed to be the lesser type to show forth the greater reality. Which of these greater realities do we believe are fulfilled in Christ? If we believe all of the greater realities are fulfilled in Christ, and are yet expecting a physical performance, are we not desiring to go from the greater to the lesser?

Hebrews 11:35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:

Are we longing for an inferior resurrection, or are we content with the resurrection Christ taught:

John 11:25-26 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: {26} And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

Most Christians apply this passage in an evangelical sense toward unbelievers. But perhaps this passage needs to be preached to those who already believe in Christ so that they may understand that in Christ we never die. Is this the physical reality or the greater spiritual reality? If we argue that it is the greater spiritual reality, then for what are we hoping? To descend to the lesser reality of an inferior physical resurrection? Or are we content to understand ourselves to be partakers of the greatest possible spiritual reality, and that is life in Christ. Paul seemed to be consumed with his place in the heavenly kingdom, not a place far off to which we must ascend, but a place within the heart of the believer:

Romans 10:6-9 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) {7} Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) {8} But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; {9} That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Where is heaven? Where is righteousness? Paul asks the question: "who shall ascend to heaven?" Is that what we have to do? No. On the contrary. The word, Christ, is in our mouth, in our heart. The tabernacle of God is with men. We need not look for the physical inferior realities. We must be content and glory in the spiritual, superior realities and shun the idea that we must wait for a physical kingdom to come when we have all that Christ intended for us to have…in Him. In our hearts, we must intimately ask God: Art thou He that should come, or do we look for another? And the answer He gives brings comfort during those times of discouragement with physical realities:

1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

Hit Counter as of 4-2-2005