More Than A Prophet !
When people began to make opinions about Jesus saying
he was Elijah or Jeremiah or one of the prohets the Lord Jesus asked
the disciples what they thought who he was and one of them replied,"You
are the Christ the Son of the living God." Jesus replied to him,
"Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you
by man, but by my Father in heaven"Mahthew;16;16,17 Jesus said he could
do all the things God the Father did.No man,not even the greatest
prophets could ever say something like this that they could do anything
thatAlmighty God did..But Jesus said "Whatever the Father does the Son
also does." John;5;19 Then Jesus said,"For just as the Father raises
the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is
pleased to give it."John;5;21While he was on earth Jesus did the works
no one else has ever done and spoke the words no one else could ever
speak.When Jesus got out of water after baptism a voice was heard from
heaven saying;"This is my well beloved Son in whom I am well
pleased."Mathew;3;17 This was God the Father testifying concerning His
Son.Lord Jesus told his disciples that where two or three are gathered
in His Name he would be in their midst.Mathew;18 Then Jesus said " I am
with you always,Even to the end of the age"Mathew;28 No human being can
be present many different places at the same time.This proves Jesus is
God.No poltical leaders or kings or great men ever promised their
families or nation that after their departure from the world they would
be with them forever.But Lord Jesus promised that.This proves the
divinity of Jesus.When the High Priest asked Jesus;"Tell us if You are
the Christ, the Son of God!" Jesus said to him, "Hereafter you will see
the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on
the clouds of heaven."Mathew;26;63,64 What Jesus meant was that after
the resurrection he would sit on the throne of God in heaven.Now listen
to some of the words Jesus himself spoke;"For God so loved the world
that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should
not perish but have everlasting life.For God did not send His Son into
the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be
saved."John;3;16,17 Yes Jesus said he was God.Jesus Christ was God in
human form.His disciples worshiped him as God for this
reason.saying,"We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only
[Son], who came from the Father, full of grace and
truth."John;1;14 The disciple stated that they saw the glory of
Jesus Christ as the glory of the one and only Son of God."No one has
ever seen God, but the one and only [Son], who is himself God and is in
closest relationship with the Father,has made him known."John;1;18
Jesus Christ said."I and the Father are One."John;10;30 "Anyone who has
seen me has seen the Father."Lord Jesus Christ was the Word [Word or
Logos in Greek.Is the reason for all creation] In other words Jesus was
God in flesh or in human form.John;14;9 Jesus came down from heaven and
he went back into heaven.Jesus Christ is the only Son of God born of
the Spirit from a woman.God sent angel Gabriel to virgin Mary and spoke
these words to her,"Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with
God.You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him
Jesus.He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High."and
when Mary wondered how this could be because she was a virgin the angel
again told her,"The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the
Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be
called the Son of God." Luke;1;26-32-35.Jesus Christ is the only Son
whom God exalted to His right hand sitting on the throne of God in
heaven.
The Son Of God Theory !
You are my Son. Today I have begotten You.” Psalm; 2 :7. In this scripture here, God speaks about a Son whom He has begotten. There are many who think that this scripture is about King David because David wrote this Psalm.It was Jesse who begot David and not God.There is no reason to believe that it is about David because it doesn't make any difference in his life. David had a natural birth and he lived and died like any other Patriarch or Prophet.But like in many other Psalms [ 2,8,16,22,40,68,110 etc] David here, is prophetically speaking about the Messiah.who
is to be begotten of God.It is Jesus Christ who was conceived by the
Holy Spirit of God, in the womb of a virgin, and later
raised as God's first-born from thedead.Again the scripture
says,"Unto us a child is born,unto us a Son is given,His name shall be called..Wonderful ‘Counselor’, Mighty God, Everlasting Father. ” Isaiah ; 9:6.This child is the same as spoken by Isaiah in the previous chapter ”Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son ,and shall call His name ‘ Immanuel’.[Which Means God With Us] ” Isaiah;7:14.Who is this child or Son the scriptures talk about? How can a child born in the land of Israel be
called ‘Mighty God and Immanuel’? Another scripture tells, ” But you
Bethlehem,Ephratha, though you are little among the thousands of
Judah,yet out of you shall come forth,The One to be ruler in Israel.
Whose goings forth have been from everlasting.”
Micah;5:2 All agree this is a Messianic scripture.We read in
the gospel of John, ”In
the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was
God.And all things were made through Him.” And this is exactly
what Micah says “His goings forth are from everlasting.” The word
became flesh and dwelt among us” John;1:14. All these prophetic words were fulfilled in Jesus Christ . He was born to a virgin by the name of Mary,
When He grew up,He became a powerful Prophet in Israel,and did miracles
and signs no one else has ever done.And He spoke the words no one could
ever speak.What is written in Isaiah 61 “ The Spirit of
the Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good
news [Gospel Means Good News] to the poor. He has sent me to bind up
the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release
from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the
Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who
mourn," was
fulfilled through Jesus when He came to the
earth.
Another
scripture says,” For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor
will you allow your Holy One to see corruption” Psalm;16:10.It is clear
that David who wrote this Psalm died and was buried,therefore saw
corruption.But Jesus about whom this was written didn't
see corruption,because when Jesus died, God raised Him from the
dead, and seated Him at His right hand .This is what David speaks about
in another Place ” The Lord said to my Lord Sit at my right hand till I
make your enemies your foot stool ”.Psalm ;110;1 David foresaw
this event in the Holy Spirit and he called Him
Lord, even though He was his son, according to the flesh. Who else is
worthy to be seated at the right hand of God other than this Person
whom God raised and gave all authority in heaven and
earth ?
Lord Jesus did not pop up like any other religious or political leader.
Jesus Christ came according to the scriptures. The world was
waiting for him.When his star appeared in the sky wise men came from
the east looking for the newborn king of Israel.They knew this was
extra ordinary child.Many kings and prophets spoke about his coming and
they wanted his to happen in their lifetime.John the Baptist
sent his disciples and asked Jesus, 'Are you he who is to come, or
shall we look for another ?'" Luke;7:20 Martha confessed saying,
"Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, he who
is coming into the world." John;11:27.When Philip met Lord Jesus he
brought Nathaniel to him saying,” We have found him,of whom Moses in the law,and the prophets, wrote." John;1:45 Abraham
rejoiced that he would see his day and he saw it and was
glad.[John;8;56] Moses wrote about him.[ John; 5;46] David called him
Lord.[Mathew ; 22;45] Isaiah saw his glory.John;12;41John the Baptist saw him and testified that He was the Son of God. [John ;1;34]
WHAT MAKES JESUS THE SON OF GOD ?
When
Jesus came to be baptized by John the Baptist in Jordan, heaven opened
and the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove came down and stayed on Jesus
and a voice was heard from heaven, ”This is my beloved Son in whom I am
well pleased”Mark;1:10,11 God testified from heven causing his voice to
be heard saying,"This is my beloved Son."
When
Jesus was on the Mount with Peter James and John Elijah and Moses
appeared to them and the same voice was heard from the cloud one more
time saying,” This is My beloved Son; listen to Him!”.Mark ; 9:4-7
Lord
Jesus himself spoke these words, ”God did not send his Son into the
world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be
saved.”John;3:17
Claiming to be the Son of God was the only reason the Jews found to hand Jesus over to Pilate. After Jesus was arrested The High Priest before the council asked him,
“Are You then the Son of God?" So He said to them, "You rightly say that I am." Luke;22:70
When
the Jews brought Jesus before the governor they accused him saying, "We
have a law, and according to that law He must die, because He made
Himself the Son of God." John;19:7
And Jesus did not deny the charge.
Witnessing
the earthquake and the darkness and all that happened at the time of
the crucifixion, the Roman centurion said,”This was truly the Son of
God.”Luke:23:47
Jesus
was different from all other human beings for this reason because He
came from God.It cannot be said about Adam that he was from
heaven.Adam was made out of dust.All other humans have descended from
him and hold the Adamic nature.Only Jesus Christ is the
exception."IIn the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.Through him all
things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In
him was life, and that life was the light of men" John;1;1-4. And this
Word who was God and by whom all things were created 'became flesh, and
dwelt among us,' [John;1;14]
Jesus Christ was God in human form.
Could Jesus Be The Messiah The Jews Have Been Waiting For ?
Jews are waiting for a Messiah who would do these things.
1] Who would bring back the Jews to the home land
2] Build the Temple.
3] Make world peace.
4] Messiah will spread the knowledge of God.
These are the things the Jews expect the Messiah to do for them.
But there are more things about the Messiah that the Jews are not aware of or ignore..
David and Isaiah were the two prophets who spoke about the coming of the Messiah.
more than all other prophets combined.After the revelations these two men received the mystery concernig the Messiah became more clear and universal .The knowledge about the coming of the Messiah became so
universal that even the Gentiles knew about the coming of the
Saviour and waited forhis coming. It is evident from
the words of the Samaritan woman who told Jesus “"I know that Messiah is coming.When He comes, He will tell us all things.".”John;4:25
It is a universally accepted fact that the Messiah would be the Son of David.
Not too long after David and Isaiah spoke these things, it was Daniel who made another important prophecy concerning
the time of Messiah’s arrival.It was revealed to Daniel as he was
fasting and seeking God’s favor..[Remeber that at this time there were
no king on the throne of David and the temple had been destroyed and
the Israelites were exiles in Babylon.] God revealed to Daniel all his
great and marvelous plans even to eternity including the rise and fall of future empires,Return of the exiles,Building of the temple.The restoration of Israel.The resurrection of the dead.etc etc
Do you think God would leave the Messianic
facts altogether when he had made him known everything
else ? Of
course Daniel was told about the Messiah Prince. Daniel declared
the exact time of the Messiah's arrival. Daniel declared when the
Messiah would come and what would happen to him. According to
Daniel Messiah was supposed to come when
the second temple stood .It was 62 weeks [434 years] after the command
from Cyrus the king to build the temple went forth "From the issuing of
the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince
will be seven weeks and 62 weeks. It will be rebuilt with a plaza and a
moat, but in difficult times. After those 62 weeks the Messiah will be
cut off and will have nothing.The people of the coming prince will
destroy the city and the sanctuary.".Daniel;9:25-27 This was a very
important aspect in the prophecy of Daniel.
Daniel said that the Messiah will be cut off but not for himself.
Messiah was cut off -crucified before the destruction of the
temple as Daniel prophesied.
According to Zechariah [the prophet after the exile] the Messiah was supposed to come
into the second temple.He says, "Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!Shout
in triumph, Daughter Jerusalem ! See, your King is coming to you;He is
righteous and victorious,humble and riding on a donkey,on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ Zechariah :9:9 Note that if a Messiah came today this would not have happened .He would choose a modern vehicle not a donkey .[About
forty years after the Messiah was cut off the Temple in Jerusalem was
destroyed by the Romans as we read in Daniel chapter 9:27. Jesus also had prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple ]
The temple Christ built was spiritual.It is the church of the Living
God..He said,"The gates of hell shall not prevail against
it." Unlike the second temple no one can destroy the church of
Jesus Christ. He spoke about a people who would worship God the
Father in spirit and in truth.That is the kind of worshipers
God seeks to worship Him.[John;4]
Then, about spreading the knowledge of God. Did Jesus spread the
knowledge of the Lord ? After his resurrection the Lord Jesus commanded
his disciples to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have
commanded you.” Mathew ;28:19,20 For the last two thousand years his
disciples have been teaching the nations. Is there any other
Israelite who did this more than Jesus Christ? Jesus sent his
disciples to teach all nations and make them disciples who caused the
knowledge of the God of Israel to spread through out the
whole earth. Isn't it because of him the nations call
up on the Name of the God of Abraham. Barbarians ,tribal people
and even cannibals were taught and brought to the knowledge of God. The
knowledge of the Lord brings salvation also.Thus what God promised
Abraham,”In your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed.” Is
being fulfilled. Those Jews who reject the Messiah didn't do this
job.But Jesus and his disciples did this.Even cannibals and tribal
people became civilized and serve the living God because of the
missionaries and the evangelist.They turn from idols to the Living
God..This was accomplished through the gospel of Jesus Christ.So Jesus
Christ the Messiah filled the earth with the knowledge of the glory of
the Lord.
More About The Messiah [ Which The Jews Are Not Curious About]
Jeremiah
speaks about a New Covenant."The time is coming," declares the
Lord, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of
Israel and with the house of Judah." Jeremiah ;31;31 When a new
covenant is made lots of things need to take place. The old
covenant was made through Moses.He was the mediator of the
old covenant .Moses told the Israelites,"God will raise up a
prophet like me from your midst you must listen to him. '
Deuteronomy;18;15 As Moses gave the law to the Israelites Jesus
was raised to make a new covenant. Moses was the mediator of
the old covenant ,Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant
Moses led the Israelites as a shepherd leads his flock
Jesus came as the good shepherd.This is why Jesus is like Moses.Now,
when there is a change in the covenant priesthood also had to
be changed as well.That is why a Priest like Melchizadek
arose.
The One Who Comes In The Name Of The Lord !
I
am the Lord that is my Name. I will not give my glory to another.nor my
praise to the carved images.” But sometimes God put His Name in someone
and authorize him to represent Him, [ See Exodus; 23:20-22 ] "Behold,
I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into
the place which I have prepared. Beware of Him and obey His voice;
do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions; for My
name is in Him. But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I
speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your
adversaries.”The angel in whom the Lord’s Name was in was sent to deliver protect and guide the Israelites to the promised land.The Scriptures speak about One who comes in the Name of the Lord Psalm;118:26 Some One had to come in the name of the Lord.Authorized by the Lord representing Him,Israel was waiting for Him.The night Jesus was born in Bethelemem angels appeared to shepherds out in the country side and
told them, "Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great
joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day
in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke;2:10,11
John the baptist who was sent before Jesus testified about himself,
“I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,' John;1:23
John came to walk before the Lord.To make his path straight.Peter said, Jesus was a man attested by God, Acts;2:22 God the Father had set his seal on Jesus John 6:27 .God sent Jesus in his own name and authority.He is David’s son the King of Israel.The Messiah ,David called him Lord.When Jesus came to the Temple in Jerusalem on a donkey some people welcomed him crying out “Hosanna! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!' The King of Israel!" John;12:13 Lord Jesus came in the Name and authority of the Father according to the scriptures to deliver and to guide and to protect God’s sheep. But unlike the Angel in the wilderness we see Jesus as compassionate and forgiving.He is the good Shepherd.
This
is the same Lord David calls Lord.The Lord said to my Lord,” Sit at my
right hand until I make your enemies your foot stool.”Psalm;110:1 After
the sufferings and the death on the cross God raised him from the dead
and glorified him giving all authority in heaven and on earth.It is to
this Lord Jesus whom God raised to His right hand in heaven The Lord said,.” Sit at my right hand.” Psalm 110:1 But the Jewish nation as a whole rejected Jesus as their Messiah and still they do.The Holy Bible clearly states the Jews will not see the Messiah unless and until they Say .”Blessed is He [ Jesus] that comes in the name of the Lord ”
ISAIAH 53 ;5 IS ABOUT JESUS !
The Jews say ,Isaiah 53;5 was not written about Jesus. If it is not, who is it about?.And
they
say it is written in past tense so Jesus had nothing to do with it.“He
was wounded for our transgressions ,He was bruised for our iniquities,
And the chastisement for our peace was upon him. And by His stripes we
are healed.”Isaiah;53:5.
If so,
who ‘are’ healed? Or who ‘were ‘healed ? The Prophet and his family?
Healed of what? When were they healed?.Why did they have to go into
exile to Babylon and beyond few years after the prophet wrote this -if
they were healed by somebody’s stripes? If the prophet wrote this in
the past tense when did the healing take place and how? After,
Isaiah wrote this, again Hosea wroite “Come let us return to the Lord;
For He has torn, but he will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind
us up .
”Hosea; 6:1.After these ‘two healings’ why the whole Israel had to go into exile
for many centuries among other nations, which was not a sign of healing, but a sign of
sin
and rebellion as Moses had warned them.Surely, Isaiah and his
contemporary Hosea were not talking about a healed Nation .But a nation
that needed healing. Isaiah begins his writings, describing a sick
nation. Isaiah;1:1-6. ‘a sinful nation, ‘sick from head to the foot of
sole.’ Hosea talks about a People,’ torn by the Lord’, and calls for
healing. The book of Hosea, is an account of Isreal’s sins and backslidings since the beginning of that nation.
Again
listen to what Jeremiah had to say ,after these two prophets, ”Your
afflicion is incurable,your wound is severe You have no healing
medicines.” Jeremiah ;30:12,13. It is clear that after Isaiah wrote
this healing did not take place, instead we see a stricken and wounded
nation. Then, when did this healing in, Isaiah 53:5 take place?Looks
like whoever the Jews claim to have healed them, didn’t do a good
job.They think it is about Israel vs:5 is all about. If so you have to
say “By Israel’s stripes Israel was healed .”That doesn’t make any
sense. It is ”By His stripes we are healed. ”Here some one died ,cut
off, ”He was cut off from the land of the living. For the transgression
of my people[That is Israel] He was stricken:[vs;8]He died for the
transgression of the people of Israel.
[Vs:8.] as well as the for the healing of nations.Another argument is
that –A person cannot be sacrificed for sins Then what
is
it written “when You make his soul an offering for sin.”Isa;53:10.
Notice here the tense changes. “when you make his soul an offering for
sins ”And verse eleven makes it clear that it is not about a nation but
it is about a person ,’the Servant’, and it was for a future time.Did
this healing ever take place in history? Not yet. Look at Jerusalem and into the land of Israel. The healing Hosea wrote about ch:14:4 is yet to come. And if Isaiah 53:5 is about Jesus Christ, that healing would only come through Him.
Now it is about JESUS, people all over the world testify, that” By His stripes
we
are healed .”Jesus died for both the Jews and the Gentiles. A whole
nation can be represented by one Person.And one person can represent a
whole nation .Jesus was of course called Israel- God’s servant. In that
sense it can be stated that Isaiah ;53;5 is about Israel-Jesus the Israelite.Israel has not been gathered yet. Jerusalem has not been cleansed according
to the scriptures.There is no peace in the city of Jerusalem.So the
nation of Israel needs to be restored and healed as it is written
in the Book of Isaiah ; 53;5
More About The Messiah The Son Of God !
For unto us a Child is born , unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: And His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, The Mighty God,The Everlasting
Father ,The Prince
of Peace.Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no
end, upon the throne of David,and upon His kingdom ,to order it and to
establish it with judgment and with justice from this time forth and
for ever more. The zeal of the Lord will perform this.Isaiah ;9: 6,7.
Here
a Child is born ,A Son is given. To rule ,because it says “the
government shall be upon His shoulder.” Where is He going to reign?
“Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom.”So this
Child or son who is born to us [ to the Jewish nation or in the land of Israel ] is the Ruler of Israel.
“Of
the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end.”So this
is an everlasting kindom, without end. So shall be the Ruler also.Read
the verse 6 carefully,“ The government shall be upon His shoulder and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, The Mighty God ,The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
Vs.6 This Child born in the land of Israel, who is to rule upon the
throne will be called by these names .He is Wonderful Counselor and
Mighty God.How could this happen ? As is the Kingdom so is the
Ruler.Only such a Ruler can do The things said above. This Ruler cannot
appear out of no where one morning. He has To be born as a human child in the land and raised as a son and grow up to sit on the Throne of David. Remember what God promised to David.
Hezekiah
is not the one the Prophets speaks here.If he established the kingdom
of David with judgment and justice from' then to eternity. 'The Prophet
would not have gone to him and said later toward the end of his reign
,"Behold the days come all that is in thy house and that which thy
fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to
Babylon. nothing shall be left.And of thy sons......shall they take
away and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of
Babylon.Isaiah; 39:6-8.When Hezekiah heard this he said," Good is the
word of the Lord which though hast spoken. For there shall be peace and
truth in my days. Amos who lived before Hezekiah, speak about the
fallen tabernacle of David.9:11. Even bfore it falls ,how can somebody
order and establish it ,for ever? Hezekiah’s reign came to an end with
word from God that all the wealth in his palace and some of his
descendants will be carried into Babylon in the near future.Micah also
prophesied about the destruction of Jerusalem. It had not yet happened
at the time of Hezekiah. Isaiah was also speaking about the same
incident, here.That is the fall of the kingdom and the end of Davidic
reign.Some kings ruled in Jerusalem and Judah many years later.But they
were not of Davidic line.Then how can what is written by the prophet in
Isaiah;9:6,7 be fulfilled by Hezekiah.What the prophet says is,”of the
increase of his government and peace there shall be no end.’ To order
and establish the kingdom of David from now to eternity.? Any one can easily understand that this is a Messianic prophecy, according to the promise God made to David.
The
night Jesus was born angels, appeared in the sky,” For unto you is born
this day,in the City of David a Savior which is Christ the
Lord.”Mathew;2:11.
THE STONE IN THE SCRIPTURES IS JESUS CHRIST.
“The
stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the
corner. This is the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.’
Psalm ; 118;22,23 The
stone which the builders rejected is Jesus Christ .The builders were
Jewish leaders Their chief priests and law experts as we see in the in NT.They
rejected Jesus as the Messiah.[As the One who was to come in the Name
of the Lord ] But this Stone which the builders rejected became the
chief corner Stone.Just as Isaiah spoke, ."Behold,
I am laying in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tested stone, a
precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: 'He who believes will not
be in haste.' Isaiah ;28:16 This is the same stone we see in Isaiah
chapter 8.” And
he will become a sanctuary, and a stone of offense, and a rock of
stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the
inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many shall stumble thereon; they shall
fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken." Isaih 8:14,15
Apostle Peter also agrees with Isaiah saying ,
“To those who believe, he is precious, but for those who do not
believe, "The very stone which the builders rejected has become the
head of the corner,"And "A stone that will make men stumble, a rock that will make them fall"; 1 Peter;2:7,8
This is the very same thing Isaaih said that “He will be for a sanctuary but a stumbling stone for both the houses of Israel.” Isaiah ;8:14"And
whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever
it shall fall, it will grind him to powder." Mathew ; 21:44 The Jewish
nation fell on this rock and were broken to pieces.After rejecting Jesus
of Nazareth and the apostles whom he sent, the Jewish nation was
scattered through out the world. And this Stone fell on the Roman
Empire and crushed it.
Daneil explained this stonewhich Nebuchednessar saw as the One which crushed the statue in his dream..The image
King Nebuchednessar saw was representing four earthly empires.The
fourth one was obviously the Roman empire.At was at this period of
history Jesus came preaching the kingdom of God.To the Roman governor
who asked him “Are you a king then ?,”Jesus repled.” My kingdom is not of this world,”John;18
“
A stone was cut out by no human hand, and it smote the image on its
feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces; then the iron,
the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were
broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing
floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them
could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great
mountain and filled the whole earth.” Daniel;2:34-36
"The
image King Nebuchednessar saw was representing four earthly empires.The
fourth one was obviously the Roman empire.At was at this period of
history Jesus came preaching the kingdom of God.To the Roman governor
who asked him “Are you a king then ?,” Jesus repled.” Now ,My kingdom
is not of this world,”John;18
“A
stone was cut out by no human hand, and it smote the image on its feet
of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces; then the iron, the
clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in
pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and
the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found.
But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled
the whole earth.” Daniel;2:34-36
Daniel
spoke to Nebuchednessar saying, “And in the days of those kings the God
of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor
shall its sovereignty be left to another people. It shall break in
pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand
for ever; just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by
no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the
clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king
what shall be hereafter. The dream is certain, and its interpretation
sure." Daniel;2: 44-16
Jesus Came As The Second Adam !
The
First Adam and the Second Adam are two unique creations of God.No one
else was formed like these two Individuals.They are two great
representatives of all mankind. The first man Adam was made out of dust
and God breathed life into him."He became a living soul."All human
beings are made in his image. Everyone belongs to the human race bear
his image. Scriptures and prophets were speaking about the coming of a
Second Adam for many centuries eversince.And the Second Adam who is
Jesus was born by the Spirit of God,unlike any other man.This also was
unique.Just like all the mankind put on the image of the First Adam all
who believe in Jesus Christ will be transformed into the image of Jesus who
was raised from the dead.Now, the coming of Jesus Christ into the world
was prophesied about seven hundred times by various prophets lived in
different centuries.Where
Christ is to be born?What things he will do when he grow up?What kind
of death he will face?All these were written beforehand. Jesus died and
rose again according to the scriptures.What was the need of a second
Adam?The first Adam disobeyed and sinned against God.The result was a
sinful world and death because of sin.Adam listened to the Devil and
Satan got control over him.On the other hand the Second Adam was
sinless and was obedient to the point of death.The same Satan who
deceived Adam came to tempt Jesus but he did not succeed. Jesus turned
him back.The result was remedy to sin and resurrection from the
dead.The Second Adam came with remedy to the failures caused by the
First Adam.
The first Adam disobeyed
The Second Adam obeyed [even to the point of death on the cross ]
The first Adam sinned
The Second Adam was sinless.
The first Adam was deceived by the Devil.
The Second Adam crushed Satan’s head.
The first Adam was cast off from the presense of God.
The Second Adam was received up into the presence of God.
The earth was cursed because of the second Adam.
The earth got blessed by the Second Adam.
The first Adam died.
The Second Adam was raised from the dead.
The first Adam lost the glory God gave him.
The Second Adam put on glory and honor.
Sin entered the world because of the first Adam’s disobedience and rebellion..
Righteousness came because of the obedience of the Second Adam.
Death came through the sin of the first Adam.
Eternal life came through the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
The first Adam lost the power and authority because of his rebellion.
The Second Adam received all the authority in heaven and on earth.
When
Adam disobeyed and sinned,God cast him out of his presence and he
died as God had warned him.But Jesus the Second Adam did
what was pleasing to God.God raised him from the dead and gave him
all authority in heaven and on earth.God put all things under his
feet.Jesus is now crowned with glory and honor."For since death came
through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a
man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made
alive." 1 Corinthians;15;21-22 Apostle Paul continues saying; "The
first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam, a life-giving
spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and
after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the
earth, the second man from heaven. As was the earthly man, so are
those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are
those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the likeness of
the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from
heaven. " 1 Corinthians;15;46-50
The Branch !
Who is this Branch Zechariah and other prophets spoke about ? A Priest On His Throne !
Who
will build the temple of the Lord. Zechariah in
chapter 4 said,"The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the
foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. "Zechariah
;4;9.
Then
again in chapter 6 he says ,'Here is the man whose name is the Branch,
and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the Lord."It
is he who will build the temple of the Lord, and he will be clothed
with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he will be a
priest on his throne.Zechariah;6;12 ,13 The Levite
priests don't sit on thrones.This is about another kind of priesthood
as we see in Psalm;110;4 " You are a Priest forever in the order
of Melchizadek."God appointed another Priest by saying this It is to
the same person God is telling ,"Sit at my right hand until I make
your enemies a footstool for your feet." 110;1 This
Priest we see here as a Branch in Zechariah is the same as in the
book of Jeremiah "The days are coming," declares the Lord, "when I will
raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely
and do what is just and right in the land." ch;23;5 This Branch we
see as both King and Priest in Psalm ;110 and Zechariah;6
Is the scripture talking about a physical temple ? God spoke about
another temple to Zechariah just after the foundation of the
the second temple had been laid.["The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the
foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it."4;9]Then
again in the next chapter he speaks ,'Here is the man whose name
is the Branch, and he will branch out from his place and build the
temple of the Lord."It is he who will
build the temple of the Lord, and he will be clothed with majesty and
will sit and rule on his throne. And he will be a priest on his throne.Zechariah;6;12
Even
though Jeremiah didn't speak anything about a new priest he
spoke about a new covenant .This new Priesthood is according to that
new covenant. David's tent fell Israel had been with out king and with
out priest and temple service, since the time of Jesus.
"A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit."Isaiah;11;1 and " I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, " Jeremiah;23;5
No
question about the origin of the Branch.The Branch is David's
descendant,both a king and a priest. This the One the gentiles
will seek and set their hope as it is written, "And in that day there shall be a ,root of Jesse, Who
shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him,
And His resting place shall be glorious."Isaiah;11;10 Jesus Christ is
the Israelite the Gentiles seek for the last 2000 years.He was
raised from the midst of the children of Israel as prophet like
Moses.To make a new covenant and to be the mediator of that new
covenant.God raised him to His right hand.He was Horn of salvation God
raised up in the house of his servant David.[Luke;1;This is the Lamp
"Here I will make a horn grow for David and set up a lamp for my
anointed one." Psalm;132;17 This is the lamp which gives light to
the world. David never worshiped in a temple.But he was a spiritual
worshiper.
The temple Jesus built was spiritual.He came as a teacher from God
and he said,"A time is coming when you will worship the Father
neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. The true worshipers will
worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of
worshipers the Father seeks.God is spirit, and his worshipers must
worship in spirit and in truth." John;4;21-25 Paul says the
believers are joined together as a spiritual building having Jesus
as the Corner Stone Jesus is the Living Stone.He is the Branch.He
is the root of Jesse and David. He made the New Covenant. Jesus
is the Mediator of the New Covenant.He is the Priest
according to the order of Melchizadek. God raised him from the
dead and gave him all authority in heaven and on earth and seated him
at his right on the throne in heaven.
