Many today are saying that Christians must live in sync with "God's calendar".
But what is God's calendar?
We know He has appointed a day in which the world shall be judged - but no-one knows the day, hour, season, time nor times when that shall be - no angel knows, not even the Son of Man knows - only the Father. It's not for us to know, Jesus said.
God gave Jews, while they were still under the Old Covenant. a calendar. They were required to observe a weekly sabbath, plus several feast days throughout the year. But Christians weren't required to observe that calendar. In fact, even Jews weren't required to keep it, once the New Covenant was made with them. And after AD70 it became impossible for anyone to keep it anyway.
So what is on God's calendar for the Church? God calls it, "Today".
Today is the time when the rest of God is available. Today is the time to believe the Gospel and enter into that rest. Every day throughout the whole Gospel era is called Today. Today is the day of salvation. Today is the acceptable time. It's a time to stand free from obligation to a calendar which was never intended for us. We are complete in Him.
Despite inheriting their promised land, the Jews did not experience the true rest of God. That rest remained for a future time. Meanwhile they laboured under the Law. But now Jesus has opened up the true rest of God for us. We cease permanently from our own works, as God ceased permanently from His.
We await the second coming and resurrection, yet inwardly - spiritually - we already enter into rest.
God revealed a prophetic time-sheet for Israel, but with the exception of the second coming and resurrection (which nobody knows), that time-sheet has now been fulfilled. Therefore we now live in a time which is simply called, Today.
In Daniel's time, the angel declared to Daniel that seventy 'sevens' had been determined for his people (the Jews). Seventy 'sevens' likely meant seventy of the Jewish seven-year cycles, or 490 years. The counting was to start from the decree to rebuild the Temple.
Messiah was to come after the 69th week - that is, at the start of the 70th. Knowing the approximate date of King Cyrus' decree to rebuild the Temple, and counting to the end of 69 times seven years after that, would take us up to Jesus' generation - perhaps up to the moment of His baptism by John.
If so, then perhaps that's why Jesus began His ministry by preaching and saying, "The time is fulfilled. The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Repent, and believe the Gospel." Because the end of Daniel's 70 'weeks' may have been approaching.
In the midst of that final and seventieth week, wrote Daniel, Messiah was to be cut off - referring to His crucifixion. Jesus was crucified approximately 31/2 years after His ministry began. That would leave 31/2 years more remaining of the 70th week, which might take us up to the time of Stephen's martyrdom. Stephen's final address reads like the judge's amulet for Israel. Up until that point, the focus of the Book of Acts was exclusively on the Gospel going to Jerusalem and Judaea; but from from that moment the focus went to the Gentiles and remained so. The Gospel went to the Jew first, and afterward to the Greek.
Not that Jews couldn't still be saved. Of course a Jew could, if he continued not in unbelief. Paul (Saul) himself was an example of that possibility. The gifts and calling of God are without repentance. The Jews' privilege was to be the first to receive Jesus and the first to make Him known. Any Jew could still rise to that office, as Paul did.
Now there is no spiritual distinction between Jew and Gentile. The Old Covenant Jewish calendar never applied to Gentile believers in Jesus. It was no longer necessary for Jewish believers in Jesus either. And with the destruction of the Temple and city of Jerusalem in approximately AD70, it became impossible.
Therefore all mankind are free from the Old Covenant calendar. We are in a time called, Today. A time wherein the rest of God is available to all who hear the Gospel and believe it.
Through the cross, the Kingdom of God, the salvation of God, the rest of God, has been inaugurated - we have the seal of the Spirit - now with patience we wait for the consummation - the Day of His coming.
The entire period from the cross to the second coming is called, "Today". It's called both the end and the beginning. Inaugurated, not consummated. Already, not yet.
Today, if you will hear His voice.
But what is God's calendar?
We know He has appointed a day in which the world shall be judged - but no-one knows the day, hour, season, time nor times when that shall be - no angel knows, not even the Son of Man knows - only the Father. It's not for us to know, Jesus said.
God gave Jews, while they were still under the Old Covenant. a calendar. They were required to observe a weekly sabbath, plus several feast days throughout the year. But Christians weren't required to observe that calendar. In fact, even Jews weren't required to keep it, once the New Covenant was made with them. And after AD70 it became impossible for anyone to keep it anyway.
So what is on God's calendar for the Church? God calls it, "Today".
Today is the time when the rest of God is available. Today is the time to believe the Gospel and enter into that rest. Every day throughout the whole Gospel era is called Today. Today is the day of salvation. Today is the acceptable time. It's a time to stand free from obligation to a calendar which was never intended for us. We are complete in Him.
Despite inheriting their promised land, the Jews did not experience the true rest of God. That rest remained for a future time. Meanwhile they laboured under the Law. But now Jesus has opened up the true rest of God for us. We cease permanently from our own works, as God ceased permanently from His.
We await the second coming and resurrection, yet inwardly - spiritually - we already enter into rest.
God revealed a prophetic time-sheet for Israel, but with the exception of the second coming and resurrection (which nobody knows), that time-sheet has now been fulfilled. Therefore we now live in a time which is simply called, Today.
In Daniel's time, the angel declared to Daniel that seventy 'sevens' had been determined for his people (the Jews). Seventy 'sevens' likely meant seventy of the Jewish seven-year cycles, or 490 years. The counting was to start from the decree to rebuild the Temple.
Messiah was to come after the 69th week - that is, at the start of the 70th. Knowing the approximate date of King Cyrus' decree to rebuild the Temple, and counting to the end of 69 times seven years after that, would take us up to Jesus' generation - perhaps up to the moment of His baptism by John.
If so, then perhaps that's why Jesus began His ministry by preaching and saying, "The time is fulfilled. The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Repent, and believe the Gospel." Because the end of Daniel's 70 'weeks' may have been approaching.
In the midst of that final and seventieth week, wrote Daniel, Messiah was to be cut off - referring to His crucifixion. Jesus was crucified approximately 31/2 years after His ministry began. That would leave 31/2 years more remaining of the 70th week, which might take us up to the time of Stephen's martyrdom. Stephen's final address reads like the judge's amulet for Israel. Up until that point, the focus of the Book of Acts was exclusively on the Gospel going to Jerusalem and Judaea; but from from that moment the focus went to the Gentiles and remained so. The Gospel went to the Jew first, and afterward to the Greek.
Not that Jews couldn't still be saved. Of course a Jew could, if he continued not in unbelief. Paul (Saul) himself was an example of that possibility. The gifts and calling of God are without repentance. The Jews' privilege was to be the first to receive Jesus and the first to make Him known. Any Jew could still rise to that office, as Paul did.
Now there is no spiritual distinction between Jew and Gentile. The Old Covenant Jewish calendar never applied to Gentile believers in Jesus. It was no longer necessary for Jewish believers in Jesus either. And with the destruction of the Temple and city of Jerusalem in approximately AD70, it became impossible.
Therefore all mankind are free from the Old Covenant calendar. We are in a time called, Today. A time wherein the rest of God is available to all who hear the Gospel and believe it.
Through the cross, the Kingdom of God, the salvation of God, the rest of God, has been inaugurated - we have the seal of the Spirit - now with patience we wait for the consummation - the Day of His coming.
The entire period from the cross to the second coming is called, "Today". It's called both the end and the beginning. Inaugurated, not consummated. Already, not yet.
Today, if you will hear His voice.
No comments:
Post a Comment