The Feast is Prepared

Posted on by korgrocker

“You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honour me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever”.
Psalm 23:5-6 NLT

The first four verses of Psalm 23 provide an analogy of how the Good Shepherd looks after His sheep, using the model of a shepherd in David’s day. In those days a shepherd ensured that the sheep in his care were protected from predators, were fed and watered, were kept safe from danger, and even regularly examined to ensure that tics and other nasties were removed from their coats of wool. A complete package for the sheep, just as the Good Shepherd, Jesus Himself, totally looks after His sheep, pilgrims such as you and I. 

But now we move on to the future, and David wrote that the Lord is preparing a feast for him. What an invitation! It is great when a friend invites us to have a meal with them, especially when he or she is a good cook, such as one of my friends. We know that there will be an enjoyable time of fellowship over the meal, and we Christians have much to talk about as we share our experiences from our journeys to the Promised Land. But what if we receive an invitation from the Lord Himself? Isaiah wrote about such a feast, “In Jerusalem, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will spread a wonderful feast for all the people of the world. It will be a delicious banquet with clear, well-aged wine and choice meat” (Isaiah 25:6). This verse was part of an End Times prophesy, of which there is more in Revelation 21. But God has always been generous to His people. We think of how He fed them for forty years in the wilderness with a complete food called “manna”. Just for one meal a day for the estimated two million Israelite slaves who left Egypt, that adds up to nearly three billion meals! The God we worship is anything but stingy! God then brought His people into a land flowing with milk and honey, signifying a land capable of providing all the food needed for the Israelites. But David wrote that there is another feast being prepared, and Jesus provided more details.

In Matthew 22:2 we read, “The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a king who prepared a great wedding feast for his son“. We pilgrims know, of course, that the “Son” is none other than Jesus, and the wedding will take place between Jesus and the church, His bride. We read about it in Revelation 19:7-9, “Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honour to him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself. She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.” For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he added, “These are true words that come from God””. In Jesus’ parable of the Great Feast in Matthew 22, we read that when the King’s banquet was ready, His servants were sent out to notify those who were invited. But the servants were rejected, violently in some cases, and the invitation was ignored by most guests. So the servants went out again, but this time the King’s instructions were, “Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see.’ So the servants brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike, and the banquet hall was filled with guests” (Matthew 22:9-10). In the parable, Jesus implied that God’s people, the Jews, were invited to the wedding feast, but they had rejected Him. John wrote, “He came to his own people, and even they rejected him” (John 1:11). So the wedding list was expanded to include the Gentiles as well, something we are eternally grateful for.

David was sure that God was preparing a feast for him, because he knew the Lord. He was David’s Good Shepherd, and, as Jesus said in John 10:14, “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me“. There was that relationship there and David, through his faith and trust in God, just knew that something good would happen to him one day. We pilgrims also have that same faith and trust in our gracious and loving God and we too can look forward to the Heavenly wedding banquet. David was going to be a willing participant in the coming feast but the tragedy in Jesus’ parable was that those initially invited had insignificant excuses as to why they wouldn’t come. It wasn’t that they couldn’t come but they chose not to. And that’s a tragedy of the first order for the people concerned because one day they will find out that they had seriously made the wrong choice. But worse than that, for some reason they abused the servants, the messengers holding their personal wedding invitations. It was bad enough that some ignored the invitations, but to then, for some inexplicable reason, kill the servants was a crime so bad that it provoked the King to send out an army to destroy the murderers. It begs the question, why would human beings prefer to make a short term temporal choice at the expense of the eternal blessings of God? An alien looking on would be scratching its head (if it had one) in puzzlement, wondering about the intelligence of the human race.

In the banqueting hall there is unlimited room, and God will wait until He has enough guests to fill it. He is more willing to accept sinners than they to be accepted, it seems. But there is a place laid for each one of us, complete with our names. In the Matthew 22 parable, we read that the banqueting hall was filled with guests, but there was a problem. One of the guests turned up wearing the wrong clothes. It is a fundamental fact about Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins, that when we come to Him in repentance and receive His forgiveness, He takes on our sins and in exchange provides for us His righteousness. So perhaps the man wearing the wrong clothes was dressed in his own righteous, a self-righteous individual thinking he had the right to a place at the wedding feast when clearly he hadn’t. Isaiah 64:6, “We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind”. What arrogance the man had, to think his filthy rags would be enough. Revelation 7:9, “After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands“. In his dirty clothes the man must have stood out like a sore thumb, amongst all those white-robe-clad saints, so no wonder he was unceremoniously ejected from the feast about to take place. Sadly, though, Jesus ended the parable with the statement, “For many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14). 

We pilgrims are heading for our Heavenly home and a great feast with Jesus. The angel said to John,  ““ … Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he added, “These are true words that come from God”” (Revelation 19:9). On the mantel piece behind the clock do we have our invitation to the Great Feast? If not then in faith write one out, because for us pilgrims the only unknown is the date. The feast will be a great celebration for all those who are in Christ, and we wait for that awesome time, trusting in the One who deserves all the praise and all the glory, Jesus Himself.

Dear Father God. Thank You for all Your servants who have invited us to be with You. We accept Your invitations through them wholeheartedly and gratefully. Amen.

A Wedding Celebration

Posted on by korgrocker

“The next day there was a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration.”
John 2:1-2 NLT

John starts chapter 2 of his Gospel with “the next day”, an event right after Jesus’ conversation with Nathanael. A Jewish wedding was a great celebration, and some of them went on for days, with feasting and drinking. Dancing and merriment. But Jesus was there with His disciples, who we know from the previous chapter were Andrew, Simon, Philip and Nathanael. This event is a problem to some Christians, who disapprove of such occasions, and particularly that Jesus would have been there. Would Jesus have been joining in with all that was going on? No doubt in my mind at all.

How do we pilgrims feel about such events in our culture? Some weddings and their receptions can be bizarre, to say the least. Others are more traditional, with a church service and simple meal afterwards. But such events bring together families and sometimes expose fault lines that would rather have been forgotten. Family relationships that perhaps fractured over something quite trivial and were never resolved. But the whole point of a wedding is to dedicate a young couple to God with lifetime vows “’til death us do part”. And families and friends are invited to witness the occasion and share in the couple’s joy.

We pilgrims have another wedding to look forward to, as we read in Revelation 19:7b-9, ” …  For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself. She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.” For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he added, “These are true words that come from God””. These verses describe the celebration, that followed the commitment made by believers to their Lord and Bridegroom, Jesus Christ. A wonderful picture of the time one day when we will all be united with Christ forever.

So the next time we receive a wedding invitation we remember the one still to come. It will surpass anything we have ever experienced before. It will be out of this world.

Dear Lord Jesus. Again we worship You, the wonderful bridegroom and husband to be. We look forward to receiving that invitation, to the Wedding Feast of the Lamb. Amen.

The Lamb of God

Posted on by korgrocker

”The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! He is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘A man is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’ I did not recognise him as the Messiah, but I have been baptising with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.”“
John 1:29-31 NLT

The sacrifice of lambs was an important part of Jewish religious life. We can perhaps remember the story in Exodus of the Passover, where a lamb was killed and its blood wiped over the door posts of the Israelites’ dwellings. The application of blood indicated to the angel of death that he was to “pass over” all those living inside. Also, lambs were offered as sacrifices in the Temple, morning and evening, as part of the offerings for the sins of the people. With the benefit of hindsight, we can see that the Jewish system of offerings all pointed to the coming Messiah, and the people hearing John’s message would have been familiar with the Passover celebrations and the whole purpose of the sacrificial lambs. The prophecy in Isaiah 53:6-7 clearly made the connection between the sacrifice for sin and the role in that played by the Messiah. “All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all. He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.”

Today we pilgrims don’t depend on the slaughter of animals for the forgiveness of our sins. The “Lamb of God”, Jesus Himself, became the perfect sacrifice for our sins. It is only through Him that we can receive redemption. Isaiah wrote, “All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own“. Paul wrote, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23). One of the constants we meet in life is sin, a spiritual disease endemic in every human being. But through Jesus we can be released from the consequences of that sin, and be able to stand before God clothed in the righteousness of the Messiah. So today, and every day, we turn to the “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”.  There is no other way into God’s presence. Jesus made a profound statement, eternal in its reach and consequences. It is timeless and irrefutable. He said in John 14:6, “ …I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me“. We pilgrims burrow our way into the implications of this verse, as we journey towards our goal. The gateway to the narrow path that leads to eternal life starts at the Cross of God’s Lamb, Jesus.

Dear Father God. Who ever heard of a god who became a human being! But Jesus did and we are eternally grateful. Amen.

The 144,000

Posted on by korgrocker

“Then I saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of mighty ocean waves or the rolling of loud thunder. It was like the sound of many harpists playing together. This great choir sang a wonderful new song in front of the throne of God and before the four living beings and the twenty-four elders. No one could learn this song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. They have kept themselves as pure as virgins, following the Lamb wherever he goes. They have been purchased from among the people on the earth as a special offering to God and to the Lamb. They have told no lies; they are without blame.” 
Revelation 14:1-5 NLT

In parallel with the global events under the control of the beasts, John’s vision panned across to Jerusalem, the location of Mount Zion. Jesus was standing there, and there were a lot of His people with Him. 144,000 in fact. They had the name of the Lamb of God and His Father written on their foreheads. Back in Revelation 7:4 we read, “And I heard how many were marked with the seal of God—144,000 were sealed from all the tribes of Israel.” We now also now know what the mark, the “seal of God” was, though it wasn’t clear in Revelation 7. So this event involving Jesus and Mount Zion must be confirming His second coming. Now we know that Jesus ascended into Heaven from the Mount of Olives from Acts 1:12, where Luke recorded, “Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, a distance of half a mile“. And the angels present at that event, as the disciples were straining to see Jesus’ ascent through the clouds, said, ““Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!” So here we are, blessed and encouraged, because Jesus has done exactly what He said He would do – return to earth a second time.

It is interesting that the 144,00 Jewish believers were present as the End Time Tribulation was unfolding (just before the seventh seal was broken in Revelation 7). And in spite of the devil’s best efforts, with all his mayhem setting up the Antichrist and an evil world governmental system and religion, the 144,000 were still there. The devil failed in his attempts to eliminate them. How encouraging is that? They showed that it is possible to stand firm to the end. Also, the Jewish believers must have been followers of Jesus, because they were standing there in Jerusalem with Him. Isaiah prophesied that Jesus will rule and reign from Mount Zion. We read, “Then the glory of the moon will wane, and the brightness of the sun will fade, for the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will rule on Mount Zion. He will rule in great glory in Jerusalem, in the sight of all the leaders of his people“. (Isaiah 24:23). 

Do we pilgrims, not counted amongst the 144,000, feel a bit insecure? The Bible version we have used today, the NLT, records that these Jews were “purchased from among the people on the earth”. Other versions describe them as being the “first-fruits”. But whatever they were, these were God’s holy people with a special mission. Their purity was faultless, they were unstinting followers of Jesus, they had never told lies, and the verses today record them as being a “special offering to God and to the Lamb“. But as for us Gentile believers, where do we stand in the End Times vision? Perhaps we will be counted in the number in Revelation 7:9, “After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands.” But whatever happens, those who stand firm to the end will one day be with our loving Heavenly Father, and His Son Jesus, in Heaven. Jesus’s said to the repentant thief on the cross next to him, “… I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭23:43). God will never reject a truly repentant sinner from entering His presence.

Father God. We bow before Your throne this morning with deeply grateful hearts. Only You have the words of eternal life. Only You hold the keys to eternity. We worship You today. Amen.

No More Tears

Posted on by korgrocker

“… “These are the ones who died in the great tribulation. They have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white. That is why they stand in front of God’s throne and serve him day and night in his Temple. And He who sits on the throne will give them shelter. They will never again be hungry or thirsty; they will never be scorched by the heat of the sun. For the Lamb on the throne will be their Shepherd. He will lead them to springs of life-giving water. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”
Revelation 7:14b-17

Earlier in this Revelation chapter, John saw in his vision a great crowd clothed in white gowns and holding palm branches. And they were shouting out a declaration of why they were in Heaven – solely because God saved them. He saved them from the consequences of their sins. He saved them through His grace and mercy. He saved them so that they could spend eternity with Him. And John is told that this great crowd of souls were wearing robes of white. Not just an earthly white, but these must have been a dazzling white because they had been washed in Jesus’ blood. There would have been no impurities in those robes. They epitomised total righteousness and holiness. And those souls deserved to wear them because they stood firm through such difficult times.

John tells us that this great crowd were standing in front of God’s throne, serving Him continually in His Temple. But then comes the really compassionate and poignant bit. However, to really appreciate what John saw about these souls, we have to remember what they had been through. They had all lived through the consequences of the six seals revealed in the precious chapter in Revelation. So from the first seal, they would have been involved in many battles. The second seal brought war and slaughter, and some of the “great crowd”would have perished here. The third seal led to desperate times of famine, when hunger and thirst would have been the norm, and people would have died from malnutrition. The fourth seal brought more hunger, along with summary executions and disease. The fifth seal revealed God’s people who had been martyred for their faith. And finally, the sixth seal destroyed their homes through an unprecedented series of natural disasters, rendering them homeless. But here’s the thing. Our wonderful Heavenly Father gave them shelter. Never again were they to be hungry or thirsty. Jesus was going to look after them, and provide for all their needs. And all the tears that would have become common place, would never return, because God had wiped them all away.

We don’t understand why God’s people will be caught up in the Great Tribulation. Some will resent the fact that God won’t take them away from the earth before He exercises His judgement on all those who remain. One day we will find out why, but in the meantime, we pilgrims carry on through our lives, trusting in the One who gave us life in the first place. 

Dear Father God. We have so many questions. But with unshakeable faith and trust in You we offer you our grateful thanks for helping each one of us on our journeys. You stand with us through the hard and difficult times. You lead and guide us when the way forward seems confused. And we thank You that one day You will bring us to pools of life giving water, sustaining us through eternity. Amen.