Minister of the Sanctuary

Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.

Hebrews 8:1-2

Many ministers are overpaid and under-worked!...or at least that's what some people think. They see the preacher give two or three half hour sermons each week and a few times a year speak at a wedding or a funeral. They think that is all they do and they wish that they had it so easy. 

Although there are lazy people in any profession, preaching is just the tip of the iceberg for most Christian workers. Most of what a true servant of God does  never comes into the public view. Hours are often spent discipling others, making phone calls, and visitation. More time yet is spent in prayer, meditation, and Bible study. What ministers do to be holy is the key to what they do, even if it isn't seen or appreciated by others. 

Christ Jesus, in His capacity as High Priest, atoned for the sins of every believer on the cross. He continues to intercede on their behalf and separate each believer for service for God. After this world is dissolved the Lord will become Minister of the sanctuary in the New Jerusalem. What exactly He'll be doing isn't revealed but Jesus isn't lazy and there will be much to do. Worship will be a constant activity and the True Tabernacle will be up and running. Whatever that is done there was foreshadowed in the books of Exodus and Leviticus regarding Moses' Tabernacle of meeting. A lot of the imagery of the Old Testament will finally make sense then and up there.

In heaven we'll be able to see the Throne of Grace, streets of polished gold, and real-live cherubim. We'll also see our glorified Lord and Savior there serving as the Minister of the Sanctuary. 

Judge of Israel

Now gather yourself in troops, O daughter of troops; He has laid siege against us; They will strike the Judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek.                  

     Micah 5:1

         This title is exceedingly sad. I wish it wasn't there. But, the prophesy is there and the Jewish people who have rejected their Messiah will be condemned by the Judge of Israel whom they struck down with a rod.

Today, if you disrespect a sitting judge, he could throw you in jail for a week and hold you in contempt of court. What would he do if you threatened him with physical force or actually hit him? It certainly wouldn't be good. 

The Jewish people have suffered greatly because they crucified the One that God made both Christ and Lord (Acts 2:36). Soon and very soon the Lord Jesus will come again to this planet and at that time many of His titles will be fulfilled. Many sons of Israel will look upon Him Whom they Pierced (Zachariah 12:10) and acknowledge Him as Savior. He will finally be received as the "Mashiach" (Messiah) and as Shepherd of Israel. Those who still harden their hearts at His coming will find Him to be the Judge of Israel. 

Yes, it is true that on that day, Satan, the Antichrist, and the unbelieving Gentile nations will also be judged, but I don't feel sorry for them. Israel and the Jewish people have always been the apple of God's eye and God longs to re-establish fellowship with them.

Christ wants to be the "Shalom" (peace) of Israel not the Judge of Israel. Please pray for revival to come to the Jewish people.

Shepherd of Israel

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth!

Psalm 80:1

The Lord Jesus is the Shepherd of Israel. The chief priest and scribes said so much when the wise men came to King Herod seeking the Christ child: "But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you shall come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel” (Matthew 2:6). 

Even though the Savior healed the demon-possessed daughter of the Canaanite woman, He first stated, ""I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." (Matthew 15:24). Coming as the Root of David, He came to shepherd the flock, before He could reign as king. But the flock of Israel refused to follow the Christ. Even so, this Good Shepherd gave His life for the sheep (John 10:11). 

With less than a week before the crucifixion, the Lamb of God still desired to lead His flock although He used a different metaphor: "...How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings...” (Matthew 23:37). 

Before the Shepherd of Israel could lead His sheep to the still waters, He was struck down and the flock was scattered (Matthew 26:31). That means that the title has yet to be fulfilled. Before the Jewish Messiah can bring peace and reign over Israel, the children of Jacob must acknowledge the sin of rejecting the Shepherd who came to save them. 

450 years of idolatry led to 70 years of the Babylonian captivity. But rejecting the promised Messiah resulted in nineteen and a half centuries without a Temple or means for atonement. The nation of Israel today still rejects Yeshua (Jesus) as Maschiach (Messiah) so lasting Shalom (peace) is not possible. 

Please pray for the Peace of Jerusalem and that the Jewish people can finally receive the promised Shepherd of Israel. 

Branch of the LORD

In that day the Branch of the LORD shall be beautiful and glorious; And the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and appealing For those of Israel who have escaped.
Isaiah 4:2

Prophesy scholar I am not. It's hard to sort through all the pieces and get them in their proper place. It could be compared to finding a bunch of little animal bones in a field and then taking them home to discover what they are. For me, analyzing and interpreting prophesy is just that kind of challenge, although I would much prefer re-articulating a mouse skeleton any day of the week. 

That having been said, I've had to search out and study the Old Testament prophets in search of titles of Christ. Many times it is not immediately apparent if the name is Messianic or refers to God the Father. The Branch of the LORD, however, is one of the very easy ones. It is like it has a neon sign beside it saying, "This is the Messiah." 

Isaiah prophesied at a time when the nation of Judah was in decline. The Assyrian empire had conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel and laid waste most of the land around Jerusalem. The prophet looked forward to a day when the land would flourish again, when God's anointed would come.

Just as a branch grows out of a tree, the Branch of the LORD is just an extension of God that comes out of Him and produces fruit on the earth. The title is a very strong affirmation of the deity of the Messiah and was given to bring hope and faith to God's people in a time of desperation.

In Jesus' teaching of the true vine, believers are compared to branches that draw strength and sustenance from Christ Himself. When examining a tree, it's observed that a branch forks and divides and then forks and divides again. Young Christians receive spiritual nourishment from more mature disciples that serve as channels of grace from the Savior who is the Branch of the LORD. 

Lion of the Tribe of Judah

But one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals."
Revelation 5:5

Surprisingly, this well-known title of Christ occurs only once in scripture. The popularity of this phrase is due to the images of power and agility that it brings to mind. The Lion is the king of beasts and a king with a lion title (such as Richard the lion-hearted) is known for courage and strength.

The Apostle John had a vision of happenings in heaven that are yet to come. He saw a great multitude of celestial creatures waiting for judgment to fall on the sinful planet. The Son of God had just been crucified and earth and the human race had never been brought to justice. The judgments had been written and sealed and were awaiting someone to execute the Holy Writ. Sadness fell on the crowd when it was clear that no one there was worthy to bring about such severe judgment.

Suddenly, everything changed. The Lion of the Tribe of Judah appeared; He was worthy.

In Christ’s first advent, He came as the Son of Joseph, the Suffering Servant. In His next appearing, He will be seen as the great, conquering King. In Jacob’s blessings to his sons he said, “the scepter will not depart from Judah,” prophesying that Judah would be a kingly tribe.

However, it almost appears that the scepter has departed from Judah, because Jerusalem was destroyed and a descendant of David hasn’t been on the throne for over 2,000 years. It seems that this prophesy isn’t true but, of course, it really is.

Jesus came as the King of Glory, but His own people rejected Him and the scepter has been in heaven ever since. When the time is right, Christ will come back with a roar. He will show Himself as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah to execute judgment.

Light to the Gentiles

"I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness, and will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles”
Isaiah 42:6*

God promised Israel that He would send His Anointed to them. Many details were given about the Messiah, so God's people knew what to expect. Born of a virgin, He would be Immanuel, "God with us" who would reign forever on the throne of David in Jerusalem. One additional fact was repeated a number of times; He would be a Light to the Gentiles.

Hundreds of years went by without the prophesies being fulfilled. Many of the Jewish people gave up waiting and re-explained the scriptures to mean other things., Gentile nations occupied and controlled Jerusalem without allowing a descendant of David to reign there. The prophesy seemed impossible to fulfill.

However, one curious bit of ancient history was playing out that no one expected. Ptolemy I, a general under Alexander the Great, ruled North Africa and commanded a Great Library be built in Alexandria, Egypt. He wanted a Greek translation of every book that existed in the world. Seventy Hebrew scholars translated the Old Testament. It was called the "Septuagint" which means "seventy". After that, this translation made its way into every synagogue of the Ancient Greek-speaking world.

Curious Gentiles read the prophesies of the Jewish Messiah, but the word that was used in Greek was "Christos" or "the Christ." Educated Greeks knew that this Christ was to come and huge numbers responded when they heard the message of the gospel, recognizing that Jesus of Nazareth was the promised one of God.

Paul and Barnabas saw this supernatural response of the Gentiles and paraphrased Isaiah's prophesy when they preached in Antioch of Psidia: "For so the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.’”(Acts 13:47).

The Jewish people had rejected their Messiah as king, so He'll come at a later time to reign. The part of the prophesy that has been clearly demonstrated already was that the Lord's Anointed became a Light to the Gentiles.

*Isaiah 9:1-2; 49:6; Luke 2:32, Acts 26:23.

King over All the Earth

For the LORD Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth.

Psalm 47:2

Scary! That's what it felt like to grow up in the early 1960's. The Cold War was at it's height; the media focused on nuclear annihilation, and Communism seemed to be an unstoppable force. Cuba exported revolution to every country in South America and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev vowed to take over the world.

That, of course never happened and sometime in the early 1990's the Soviet Union quietly dried up and blew away. Today, there are whispers about the Illuminati clandestinely taking over the planet and radical Islam would also like to take a stab at world domination. Just like emperors and despots of the past there is no end of candidates who want to attain the status of king over all the Earth.

The book of Revelation does foresee that this New World Order is coming, but it won't be the utopia that many people are hoping for. A terrible and cruel world leader that the Bible labels as "the Beast" will control the wealth and souls of the planet and witness the death of 3/4ths of the human population in a seven year period.

All opposition to the Beast will be crushed and world religions extinguished, because the Antichrist will become king over all the earth. The good news to this is that the demise of this evil world leader is just as sure as his ascension to power. When all human resistance is gone, and hopelessness grows to record proportions, the Lord of Hosts will descend from heaven with a huge army of warrior angels to defeat forever the Beast.

The real New World Order will begin. King Jesus will reign in Jerusalem and all creation will acknowledge Him as King over All the Earth.

Consolation of Israel

And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
Luke 2:25

It could have been worse, but then again it could have been a whole lot better. The year Jesus was born, most of the Jewish people were living in part of the pagan Roman Empire, and those living Jerusalem were under the control of the wicked King Herod. He was an Edomite, a descendant of Esau whom God had cursed, and not of Jewish ancestry. He had allied Himself with Marc Anthony during the Parthian war, so the Roman Senate declared him king and gave him soldiers to seize the throne. Herod was paranoid of losing his power and executed a number of his sons, which he suspected of plotting against him. The Emperor Augustus once joked, "It is better to be Herod's pig than son."

The glory years of Israel were a millennium in the past and there hadn't been a descendant of David on the throne for six hundred years. The Jewish people felt forsaken and forgotten by God.

But God hadn't forgotten His people and took note of a man named Simeon who was actually actively praying and waiting for the Lord's Christ,the       Consolation of Israel. He wasn't satisfied with the status quo and was ready for God to do something. The Lord was also ready to radically change things so He allowed Simeon to see and hold the baby Jesus, the promised Messiah.

The Savior came to His own, but He became a rejected king. Another two thousand years have gone by without the promises of God to the Jewish people being fulfilled. It is true that the nation of Israel has been reborn, but there is no peace in Jerusalem. Terrorism and the threat of nuclear annihilation make many still long for the Consolation of Israel.

The Jewish people cannot really be consoled or comforted until they acknowledge Jeshua (Jesus) as their Mashiach (Messiah). Christians need to be continually in prayer for the peace of Jerusalem and the salvation of the Jewish people.

Faithful Witness

...And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,
Revelation 1:5

The book of Revelation is a gold mine for names of Christ. Not only are there many unique titles found nowhere else in scripture, but verses often contain many of them in a row. Often these titles are very different from each other and focus on distinct aspects of the Lord. To understand them, each should be studied separately.

The last book of the Bible was written roughly 100 years after the birth of Christ and reveals not only a view of church history that has been completed, but presents a detailed account of events that are still to come. Verse one of the book states “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants --- things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John.” The Lord Himself is taking the time to explain this.

It’s obvious that the Apostle John wrote the book, but it's not his revelation. If we were getting this information from John, it would be unreliable since the former first century fisherman would be describing the digital age with a pre-analog brain. The bias of his culture and limited worldview would misinterpret much of what still has to take place. For this reason, Jesus took charge and took over. So then, John didn’t just describe what he saw, he wrote down what his Messiah told Him to write.

The very first descriptive phrase of Christ in the book is Faithful Witness. In Revelation 3:14 He’s called the “Faithful and True Witness” and in Revelation 19:11 He’s called simply “Faithful and True.”

So why the repetition and emphasis in Christ’s veracity? Everyone knows that the Lord doesn’t lie, right? Yes, but people for centuries have been explaining away all the prophesies in Revelation into a gobbledygook of double speak and figurative language. They tell us none of this means what it says. Wait a minute, I believe exactly what it says. After all, Jesus said it and He is the     Faithful Witness. 

Prince

Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks;
the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times.
Daniel 9:25

The verse today comes from the famous 70 weeks prophesy in Daniel. The short explanations of this portion is that 69 weeks of years (i.e. 483 years) after King Cyrus' declaration to rebuild Jerusalem, the Messiah would be cut off. After Christ's resurrection, early Christians did the math and discovered that it came out to the very week the Savior was crucified. The detail and precision of this Old Testament prophesy convinced many that Jesus was in fact the Son of God in the early centuries of the Christian church.

By adding Prince to the Messianic title, the emphasis is on the Lord's nobility. Christ came from the seed of David and the root of Jesse. Being born in to that family made Him a Prince. Jesus' genealogy in the Gospel of Matthew proved that He would have been in line to the throne of David if Romans were not in power. A king in waiting by definition is a prince.

Kings without kingdoms have no palace, army, or right of decree. As time and generations go by, those would-be kings need day jobs to survive until the political pendulum swings back in their direction. Joseph, Christ's adoptive dad, could trace his birthright back to David, but did carpentry work to pay the bills. He and his wife Mary were so poor when they started out that their little Prince was born in a stable.

Jesus preached of His kingdom, but few bowed the knee before Him. Pilate brought him before the mob and declared, “Behold your king,” but the crowd shouted Him down screaming, “Away with Him! Crucify Him!” (John 19:14,15). The rejected king was still a Prince.

Peter reminded the chief priests of their rejection when he addressed the Sanhedrin: “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior (Acts 5:30,31).

Very soon, Christ will return to Earth with an army of mighty angels to claim His throne and kingdom. He will be hailed as the King of Glory and will lay aside the title of Prince.

King of the Jews

Then Pilate asked Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?" He answered and said to him, "It is as you say."
Mark 15:2

The Old Testament prophesied repeatedly that the Messiah would come to sit on the throne of Israel as a descendant of King David. For this reason, early Jewish scholars used “Son of David” as a Messianic title. The New Testament declares and affirms 17 times that Jesus was, in fact, the King of the Jews.

The wise men from the East sought the newborn King and even had a supernatural appearance of a star to confirm their faith assumptions, but they never actually saw the fulfillment of the title (Matthew 2:2).

Roman soldiers mocked the Savior and bowed the knee feigning honor and respect to the King of the Jews. However, their insincerity and unbelief didn’t annul that the title was correctly given (Matthew 27:29).

At His first coming, the chief priests and Jewish leaders rejected Him as their leader and delivered Him up to Roman authorities to be crucified. They protested when Pilate wrote on the sign posted at the cross that He was King of the Jews (John 19:21). They resembled the crowd in Jesus’ parable of the minas who said, “We will not have this man to reign over us” (Luke 19:14).

They were wrong. He was their king and will one day reign on the throne of David in Jerusalem and fulfill all the promises of God made to the Jewish people.

Most Christians are also wrong. It’s not all about us. The promises of an earthly kingdom centered in Jerusalem is for the Jewish people. True, there will be other kingdoms during the millennium all subject to the King of kings, but first and foremost, Jesus is the King of the Jews.

Refiner

"But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire And like launderers' soap. He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the LORD An offering in righteousness.”
Malachi 3:2-3

Before the industrial revolution and mass production, everything was done in small home workshops. Every town would have had a blacksmith and all would have seen the refiner at work and would have understood the process.

Small furnaces would be dug into the earth and lined with bricks. Coal or very hard wood would fill the chamber along with silver ore. Air would constantly be pumped in at the base with to make the fire intense. In the fervent heat, impurities would be burnt off and the liquid metal would pool at the bottom of the furnace. A brick would be removed and the molten silver would pour out usually into molds. Ash floated as a powder over the glowing metal and tin or copper would separate from the precious elements.

Most people don't realize how intensive the work of the refiner was. Besides working the bellows almost non-stop, fuel would have to be added frequently to maintain the extreme temperature. Although the workshop would be hot, the refiner had to wear the ancient equivalent of long sleeves. The refining process throws off UV-radiant energy many times that of the sun. The whole process had to be repeated several times in order to get pure silver or gold.

The refining process is an illustration of God's discipline in the life of a believer. “If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?” (Hebrews 12:7).

Too often we focus on what we have to suffer in order to be purified for Christ. The emphasis should be the effort, energy, and endurance the master puts into us to carry out His role of Refiner. 

Lord of Lords

These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.
Revelation 17:14

Lord of lords. The idea is that Christ is the leader of all the world leaders, the boss of all the big bosses.

Actually, this title is true in two very different ways. The verse above demonstrates that Jesus is going to bring down all the proud and mighty demigods on earth. They will be brought low, broken, and forced to bow the knee before the Lord of lords.

The second application is better seen in Revelation 19:16: “And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” The scene is after the battle of Armageddon and the Lord is ready to reign on earth with a newly appointed group of kings and lords and they're all good; they're the saints of God that suffered and even died for the name of Christ.

The millennial reign of the Lamb of God will be 1,000 years without war, injustice, and oppression. We would come to expect that, if Christ is in charge, but all the national and local administrators will also be holy and just. Coming from a day and age when the term “honest politician” is an oxymoron, it is hard to believe that they'll be public servants that actually serve the public.

Not everyone who is saved will reign with Christ. He gives that responsibility to those who showed themselves faithful in little. In the Parable of the Minas (Luke 19), the Lord said to the servant whose mina earned nine more, “Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.”

I take seriously the promises of Christ, so I want to be faithful to His will for me now, so that I can reign with Him in His kingdom. If He someday makes me a lord, let it be known that Christ is already my Lord of lords.

Salvation

“For my eyes have seen Your salvation...”
Luke 2:30

Simeon waited all his life for God's promised Messiah. He'd ask God about it everyday. "How long O Lord until your Anointed will come?" "How long until we see the Consolation of Israel?" "Lord, will it be today?"

In these daily conversations, Simeon demonstrated a faith in God's promises that was extremely rare in his day. He expected an answer from God, so the Almighty didn't disappoint him. The Holy Spirit revealed to him in a way as clear as any message received by Abraham or Daniel that he would see the Messiah before he died. Simeon was encouraged; he was old and ready to die; He wouldn't have to wait much longer.

God's timing is always perfect. Christ came at just the right moment in human history and He made sure that Simeon was at the right place and the right time to be part of it. Mary and Joseph brought baby Jesus to the temple to be dedicated and God's Spirit made sure Simeon was there.

The Babe's Hebrew name was "Yeshua" which means "Salvation." The old man picked up the baby and began to prophesy:

"Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation 
Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel."
(Luke 2:29-32).

God not only kept His promise to Simeon to show him the Messiah, He showed Him the Savior of the World.

In this day and age, another of God's promises remains incomplete, Christ's second coming. While the world mocks at this and even some Christians have given up waiting, a few devout and righteous believers still ask, "Lord, is He coming today?"

God is waiting for just the right time, so with their own eyes they will see the revealing of God's Salvation.

Shiloh

The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.
Genesis 49:10

This curious title of Christ is taken from Jacob’s blessing of his sons shortly before his death. In affirming Judah, the patriarch promises that he’ll give rise to the kingly tribe and that position will continue until the coming of Shiloh, the peacegiver. Long before the coming of Christ, ancient rabbis acknowledged that this single reference to Shiloh was a messianic title.

The word, however, does appear repeatedly in the Old Testament, but in a very different context. Shiloh was the resting place of the tabernacle after the conquest of Canaan. Burnt offerings were given there and Days of Atonement observed. However, the supposed place of peace was given over to immorality and idolatry so God cursed it (Jeremiah 26:6). The destruction of Shiloh was so complete, that its location was forgotten for about 2,500 years. It was rediscovered by archaeologists in the 19^th century, but that Shiloh never brought peace.

Since Shiloh is an unusual title of Christ, Christians found it an interesting name to give to their churches. The most famous of these was the Shiloh Methodist Meeting House of Pittsburgh Landing, Tennessee. For two days in April 1862, Union and Confederate troops fought around the grounds of the little log cabin church. 24,000 men were either killed or wounded in what was the most tragic battle fought in the Civil War up to that date. That Shiloh also brought no peace.

When the true Shiloh came to His own people the first time, He was rejected; His own wouldn’t receive Him. They cried out for the crucifixion of the Prince of Peace and refused to let Him rule over them. At that point, the scepter and the lawgiver departed from Judah. The Middle East has been without a peacegiver for two millenia. Israel, the church, and the world still wait.

Even so, come Lord Jesus. Come Shiloh, come.

Scepter

"I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel, And batter the brow of Moab, And destroy all the sons of tumult.”
Numbers 24:17*

Ol' Balaam was a nasty guy; he sold knowledge of the true God for a price and showed King Balak how to bring a curse on Israel through seduction by the women of Moab. I really don't expect to see him in heaven.

That having been said, he was still a prophet of the LORD and he spoke words that God gave him. God does that sometimes, reveals His word and will to unbelievers. Both Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar had dreams from the Almighty that revealed the future. Caiaphas plotted to crucify Christ, but prophesied in his capacity of high priest: “it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish" (John 11:50).

Balaam had the reputation that those whom he blessed were blessed and whom he cursed were cursed. His words were probably recorded and they may be what clued the wise men into searching the heavens for a star.                                                                                                                                                                                                            When that star did appear in the East, they recognized that the Scepter would rise out of Israel and they were ready to greet the King of the Jews (Matthew 2:2). Herod tried to destroy the Christ Child, but God preserved Him. The king is long since dead and his dynasty eradicated, which points out a part of the prophesy that is seldom mentioned.

This Scepter that would come out of Jacob would battle the bad guys and destroy the evil doers. As the Righteous Judge, Christ will sit on the Great White Throne and pronounce judgment on the proud and powerful that reigned on earth. Righteousness will have its final victory over "wrongeousness".

*see also Hebrews 1:8

Ruler

"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting."
Micah 5:2*

When Herod the Great discovered that the wise men from the East wanted to worship the newborn Jewish Messiah, he called up Bible scholars to find out what prophesy had to say. The chief priests and scribes knew that the Christ was to be born in “Bethlehem in the Land of Judah” (Matthew 2:6).

There is no doubt that this passage refers to Jesus because it is quoted in Matthew concerning His birth. There is also no question that this verse is linked to the anointed of the LORD, because it states that He was pre-existant before His birth in the stable and even before the prophesy was given somewhere around 700 B.C.

Like most visions of the future, this prophesy is a two dimensional snapshot of events with no depth of focus. Many prophesies lack chronological order as this one which lumps both advents of Christ in the same verse. The fact remains that the babe of Bethlehem has not yet become the Ruler of Israel.

The promised Son of David who was supposed to reestablish the throne in Israel never had the chance to reign. “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him (John 1:11). Even the chief priests who handed over the Messiah to their Gentile overlords declared, “We have no king but Caesar!” (John 19:15).

All that will change in the twinkling of an eye. Jesus will soon return with an army of angels to reclaim what was denied Him almost two thousand years ago. He will not only be hailed as Ruler of Israel, but as king of the whole earth.

*see also Matthew 2:6

The Prophet

For Moses truly said to the fathers, "The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.
Acts 3:22,23*

Shortly before Moses died, he prophesied that another Prophet would come after him that would be on the magnitude of Moses himself. This meant the ability to do signs and wonders at the level that Moses was able to do them, not to mention leading the people of God. Even before “the Babe” was born in Bethlehem, Jewish sages recognized that Moses was referring to the Messiah.

Synagogue leaders would have taught this in the Sabbath services, so by the time Christ taught and performed His wonders the title “The Prophet” was generally acknowledged as a title for the Lord’s Anointed.

After Christ miraculously fed 5000 men with only five bread rolls and two sardines many remarked, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world” (John 6:14). On another occasion Jesus stood up to the Pharisees and chief priests so that the crowd marveled and exclaimed, “'Truly this is the Prophet'. Others said, 'This is the Christ'" (John 7:40-41). Even King Herod’s advisors discussed who Jesus was. The king feared Jesus was John the Baptist come back to life, but some of his counselors speculated that. “It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets” (Mark 6:15).

The verses at the beginning of this meditation come from Peter’s sermon in the temple after the healing of the lame man. Again, a major miracle was performed and still some people argued rather than coming to a conclusion of faith in the Messiah. Peter reminded them that these very people had seen the fulfillment of the Prophet coming, but they crucified Him instead of giving Him glory.

The bottom line is that some people repented and embraced the Savior while others rejected the Prophet and were utterly condemned, just like people today.

*see also Deuteronomy 18:15,18; Mark 6:15; John 6:14, 7:40

King

Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."
John 18:37

The idea of kings and kingdoms goes back a long time, way back to the dawn of civilization. Presidents and prime ministers on the other hand, are the newbies to world history; they’ve been around for just a couple of hundred years.

Belief in the divine right of kings is also ancient in origin. People honored and obeyed the king, because they believed that either God or a pantheon of gods put him into power and to rebel against the king was to fight the will of Deity. The whole concept of monarchy was God’s, because one day Jesus Christ will be the “great king over all the earth” (Psalms 47:2).

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9).

“And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles” (Zechariah 14:16).

“Behold, the days are coming," says the LORD, " That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth” (Jeremiah 23:5).

In the not so distant future a true new world order will transform the planet we live on. A benevolent world leader will govern all nations with equity and justice for all. No longer will billions of dollars be wasted in divisive political campaigns nor trillions lost in bureaucratic mismanagement. Politicians won’t make deals in back rooms, nor will special interest groups push through laws that exploit the majority.

The Lord Jesus Christ will bring lasting peace to earth. He won’t be a political activist, a community organizer, or career politician. He will be King.

Thief in the Night

For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.
1 Thessalonians 5:2*

I really don’t like thieves but then, no one really wants their belongings taken from them. In my lifetime, I’ve had our car stolen and our home burglarized and both times I felt a sense of helplessness. Not only was I upset with the thieves, I has upset with myself; I should have done more. I could have and should have locked the doors.

In the verse above, it is actually the Day of the Lord that is called the Thief in the Night. However, when Christ addresses the church in Sardis, He says, “I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you” (Revelation 3:3). Later in the book, the Lord again speaks: “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches” (Revelation 16:15). Therefore, since Jesus is the one who is coming on the Day of the Lord as a Thief in the Night, it is a legitimate name of Christ.

The Savior made it clear that he didn’t come to earth to steal or kill but to give abundant life (John 10:10). Although He warned people repeatedly of His return, most haven’t believed and aren’t prepared. Just like the aftermath of a home invasion, many will feel unprepared and helpless on the Day of the Lord. For them, Christ will have come as a Thief in the Night.

That is not the case for believers. The Apostle Paul says, “But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief” (1 Thessalonians 5:4). For Christians who are watching and expecting the rapture of the church, Jesus comes wearing the titles of the Lord of Glory and King of Kings. It is only to the Christ rejecters and scoffers of His second coming that He will be seen as a Thief in the Night.

*see also 2 Peter 3:10