Psalm 45; Zech. 2:1-13; Rev. 3:14-22; Matt. 24:32-44
A man sets out to measure the city of Jerusalem and the prophet wants to know why. We see these measuring lines in several places, such as Ezekiel and the Revelation. It seems in the end that the dimensions are meaningless in that Jerusalem will be as a village without walls because the Lord will be within her and she will be guarded by a hedge of angelic protection all around as the tree of life is guarded in Genesis 3. The only place of safety will be Jerusalem and the Lord sends out the word to all the exiles to return to her. The judgment of God against those who have plundered His people is that “he who touches you touches the apple of My eye.” What a wonderful thing to hear! We who are in Christ Jesus share that identity and we know that we are indeed chosen to share in that eternal reward.
Jesus likens the end times to the time of Noah. Can you imagine what it would have been like for the rains to come without ceasing and the waters to begin to rise and then those who lived near Noah, who had surely thought the man had gone round the bend, to recall that indeed there was perhaps a way out in joining Noah and his family on the ark? It would have been too late by the time anyone thought this would be a cataclysmic flood. The old analogy of the frog in the kettle is apt here. It seems logical that people would have come to Noah before it was too late but why would they have reason to believe that such a thing would actually happen. Even now, with Christ’s coming delayed for such a long time, there are those who scoff and pay no heed to Him and we surely see the signs of the end coming upon us. Are we sounding the alarm by our lives and our proclamation?
Self-awareness is not our strong suit. I worry a good bit about this issue of the church being lukewarm. I wonder what Jesus would say about the church I pastor or the denomination in which I serve, much less the state of the church in the western world. I wonder if we even know how to take our own temperature as people of God. Are our lives committed to Him completely? Do we burn within over the things that touch God’s heart or are we blind and deaf to those things? I want more in my life than I have of Him. I want to know where God weeps and rejoice where He rejoices. I want my life and my church to be so in tune with the heart of God that we speak and act in accord with Him, that we become passionate about Him and about His kingdom.
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
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