We now hear of the Maccabeans who have left Jerusalem as it
goes into apostasy. Remember earlier
this week we were reading in Revelation about those who were called out of Babylon
the Great and refused to come and were therefore destroyed with her. Those who remained in the city of Jerusalem,
both Jews and Gentiles alike, were allowed to remain so long as they accepted
the new religion. Jerusalem was the city
of God and therefore once the temple was desecrated and offerings to other gods
were made there it was deemed by these Maccabeans to be a place under God's
judgment. It was no longer safe to be
there now that God was gone. They had
gone out to another place and yet the edict was that all were to accept this
new religion, no matter where in Epiphanes' empire they might be. The family refused and one of the Jews tried
to use the altar they had set up to offer sacrifice and the pater familias,
Mattathias killed him in righteous anger.
Knowing this would set off persecution like they had seen in the city,
they fled to the hills imploring all like-minded Jews to join them. Obviously there was going to be a showdown.
Peter, the very one who had received affirmation moments ago
for his confession of Jesus, the one on whom Jesus said His church would be
built, now testifies that while Jesus may be Messiah there are some gaps in His
understanding of what that means. Jesus speaks
of His death and Peter reminds Him that Messiahs don't die. The rock (which is a similar word to Peter's
name) is now referred to as satan. I don't
know if it is possible to go much further in an opposite direction as Peter did
in the span of a few minutes. It is a
stinging rebuke but that is because what Peter is offering Jesus is exactly
what satan offered in the first temptations, a kingdom without a cross, no
suffering, the kingdoms of the world. God
may have revealed some things to Peter but other things were yet to be
revealed. Further, not only would Jesus'
kingdom require a cross, so would His followers need to take up their own. There is no crown without a cross. If you're expecting the good life now you're
not listening to Him, you're listening to someone else, just like Peter.
Several days ago we read about the dragon being thrown from
heaven down to earth where he wreaks havoc.
The purpose of the coming of the one on the white horse is apparent, to
destroy the dragon and remove him not only from heaven but also from earth and
thrown him, bound, into the pit. When
this work is complete the thrones appear and those who have the authority to
judge are resurrected. These are the
ones who did not worship nor take the mark of the beast. For a thousand years they reign on the earth
with Jesus. The passage says that only
they are resurrected at this time but who are they? How are they identified? In that first passage today we see how plain
it was for the Maccabees to refuse to identify with the king. I have to assume that it will be similarly obvious
for those who live in those days that they are abandoning the faith.
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