New Creation

Thank you again for letting me teach the Bible study - thank you for your kind attention and for putting up with me again this year.

The messages and songs and testimonies have been feeding my soul

This Bible study has been a little different study than what I normally do but it is what I felt on my heart for this year.

We have looked at Eden and man’s longing and yearning for Eden

Because of the Eviction/Exile

I had somehow in all of my study missed one of the best quotes for this by C. S. Lewis (one of my favorite authors by the way - and yet I still missed it) But Shara Splean and Jessica Baber reminded me of it:

“If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” C.S. Lewis

Man has attempted to fill that longing and yearning with all types of things but have only been disillusioned and disappointed.

But when He came:

That image-bearing that Adam and Eve were to do - was again made possible

The New Testament writer put it - we become partakers of the divine nature

The woman at the well - longing for wholeness and completeness - left her bucket at the well and went running into town saying “come see a man who told me everything I’ve done” that was the thing she was looking for - and it sparked a revival in Samaria

Or the woman with an issue of blood - so weak, frail, discouraged, disillussioned - spend money all she had on doctors that had promised results but were all failures - but she thought “if I can but touch the hem of his garment”

she struggled out of bed - I can almost see Christ -perhaps it didn’t happen this way but - seeing her struggle out of bed that morning - and said to himself - this is the last time she will have to do that -

and he heads out with a mission - If he was like me and he is waiting on someone we think- they should be here by now - but she was hobbling along weak from the loss of blood, taking the side streets and back alleys so she wouldn’t cause a scene but the people were too much

I wonder if she almost gave up - there is just too many people - but Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to encourage her - she presses her way - and reaches out a trembling hand and grabs a little handful of the hem - but it was enough

She wasn’t touching just the HEM she was touching HIM and the healing came the restoration

Jesus talked to Nicodemus about the possiblity of being Born Again

Paul uses terminology like NEW CREATURE in Christ Jesus

where God can take our sinfulness and create in us something that is beautiful and wonderful

I have a recording of Bro. Elliot Hodge singing that old Herbert Buffam song:

The Lord gave me beauty for ashes, and for sorrow He gave to me joy I was sad and opprest, I exchanged it for rest and a peace that the world can’t destroy

I traded my sin for salvation I traded my load for relief I obtained peace for my condemnation And the joy of the Lord for my grief I traded a life that was wasted A temple to dwell in God made What I go was so much more than what He received, That I sure got the best of the trade.

We could spend hours here telling about how Christ redeemed us we could go around and all share our testimonies

I remember reading in Bro. Floyd Martin’s book that one Sunday night he had an Experience Meeting where every Christian was to tell their testimony of how they got saved.

I think the meeting lasted until after midnight and he never did that again - but oh the stories we have to share of the grace of God

The redeeming power and grace of God

But until that moment there was a yearning a longing an emptiness in our lives and hearts -

Until there was Emmanuel - there is something about that Advent Carol - O Come O Come Emmanuel

I get a little picky with Christmas music - I told you earlier in the study that I nerd out, geek out, I was corrected and told I should say get passionate about music -

We sometimes classify all things Christmassy as Christmas Carols - that is not true

You have Advent Songs, that you sing before Christmas

O Come O Come Emmanuel is one of those Advent songs - that speaks of the longing the waiting, the anticipation of Emmanuel -of God with us

O come, O come, Immanuel, and ransom captive Israel that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear.

O come, O Branch of Jesse's stem, unto your own and rescue them! From depths of hell your people save, and give them victory o'er the grave. Refrain

5 O come, O Key of David, come and open wide our heavenly home. Make safe for us the heavenward road and bar the way to death's abode. Refrain

Each verse of the hymn begins with a plea—“O come…”—followed by a messianic title and a description of Israel’s longing for the Messiah. The refrain is a call to rejoice because Emmanuel “shall come”, fulfilling prophecy.

The hymn’s minor key reflects the sorrow of exile and brokenness, but the refrain’s joy anticipates the coming Deliverer.

Personal Application: It gives voice to the believer’s own longings for God’s presence, justice, and peace in a broken world—and the assurance that God has come and will come again.

This is one of the beauties of ADVENT - there is what some have referred to as THE SECOND ADVENT

This is what we are hoping and anticipating as Christians now - when Christ comes again

We refer to this coming again of Christ to last things

The future is presented to us in Scripture in terms of “last days” and “last things”

Theologians like big words and so they call it Eschatology -

Then they like to subdivide those big words and topics - which they do with this one into at least two:

Corporate Eschatology -that has to do with what is going to happen to the whole world at the end of history

Personal Eschatology - what is going to happen to us as individuals at the end of our lives.

At least as far back as the Middle Ages - Christians have spoke about personal eschatology in a fourfold way

While the words aren’t necessarily comfortable, and may send a little shiver up our spines, we may even be quite resistant to them- yet they are important

The fourfold personal eschatology deals with

Death

Judgment

Heaven

Hell

I want to look at each of these briefly:

Death: Hebrews 9:27

“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.”

This verse is the bedrock of personal eschatology.

It tells us two things:

death is certain, and judgment is coming.

You might say something like - people are living longer than they used to due to miracles of science

But the death rate wasn’t any higher in the seventeenth century than it is in the twenty-first century? It’s still 100 percent.

But that is not only reason Christians are encouraged to think about death - look at how often the Bible itself refers to it.

At least one thousand times death is referenced in some form in the Bible.

We are told that death is final

No reincarnation, no do-overs. Just one life, then the tribunal of Almighty God.

death comes for the rich and poor, young and old, and none can reschedule it.

2. Judgment – 2 Corinthians 5:10 (KJV)

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”

Every man, woman, and child will stand before the Lord Jesus Christ.

No one can send a lawyer. No one can plead ignorance. The Judge knows it all.

Judgment is “The Day When Secrets Are Shouted”—a sobering look at accountability before the throne.

3. Heaven – John 14:2-3 (KJV)

“In my Father's house are many mansions… I go to prepare a place for you.”

We can rejoice that this world is not their final address.

4. Hell – Luke 16:23 (KJV)

“And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments…”

This is the story of the rich man and Lazarus. A text soaked in eternal truth. No purgatory. No parole. Just torment, fire, and regret. Preach it as “Eyes Lifted Too Late”, warning the unrepentant that hell is real, and it's final.

Christians are also encouraged to think about last things as it helps shape and form our ethics and behavior.

Also, meditation on the four last things helps transform us from being this world oriented,

C.S. Lewis once famously commented, “The Christians who make most impact on this world are usually the ones who think most of the world to come.”

Thinking of Corporate Eschatology -

The four main eschatological systems—Amillennialism, Postmillennialism, Historic Premillennialism, and Dispensational Premillennialism—each interpret current events, including Middle Eastern conflicts like a skirmish between Israel and Iran, through different theological and prophetic lenses. Here's how each system might generally understand or respond to such a conflict:

1. Amillennialism

Overview: Sees the "millennium" of Revelation 20 as symbolic of the current Church Age, where Christ reigns spiritually from heaven.

There is no future literal thousand-year reign on earth.

Prophecies in Revelation and the Olivet Discourse are largely fulfilled either in Christ's first coming or symbolically through Church history.

View on Israel–Iran Skirmish and other current events

Not prophetically significant in a direct sense.

Views geopolitical conflicts as part of the general turmoil and "wars and rumors of wars" Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24:6, reflecting the broken state of the world, not signs of the end.

Israel as a nation is not central in God's eschatological plan; the Church is the "new Israel." (Someone attempted to try to draw me into a replacement theory debate the other day - that I was not prepared for and still don’t feel I am adequately prepared for - but as I understand the Bible now - I still reject - as I read Revelation there is room for both the CHURCH and for ISRAEL)

May see the current events as a reminder of the need for gospel witness, peacemaking, and the groaning of creation awaiting final redemption (Romans 8).

2. Postmillennialism

Overview: Believes that the world will gradually improve through the spread of the gospel, culminating in a "golden age" or millennium of righteousness before Christ returns.

View on Israel–Iran Skirmish: and other current events

Likely sees it as a temporary setback in a long upward trend of global Christian influence.

Would not assign prophetic significance to the modern state of Israel or Middle Eastern politics.

Conflict is seen as the result of sinful nations, but not part of a predetermined end-times timeline.

Some may interpret it as a challenge for the Church to redouble efforts in missions, justice, and reconciliation.

3. Historic Premillennialism

Overview: Teaches that Christ will return before a literal millennium, but does not divide history into dispensations like Dispensationalism does. The Church goes through the Tribulation.

View on Israel–Iran Skirmish and other current events

May see such events as part of the "birth pains" leading to the Great Tribulation.

Some historic premillennialists believe Israel has a role in God's future plans, especially in their national turning to Christ (e.g., Romans 11).

Could interpret the skirmish as foreshadowing increased conflict that escalates toward the final events.

Less likely to link every news headline to prophecy, but may remain alert to how global events align with Scripture.

4. Dispensational Premillennialism

Overview: Distinctly separates Israel and the Church in God's plan. Believes in a pretribulational rapture of the Church, a literal seven-year Tribulation, and a literal thousand-year reign of Christ on earth.

View on Israel–Iran Skirmish: and other current events

Often sees modern Israel as prophetically significant—a fulfillment of God restoring the Jews to their land (Ezekiel 36–37).

May view Iran (possibly associated with Persia in Ezekiel 38) as part of the coalition of nations that will attack Israel in the last days (e.g., the Gog and Magog war).

Such a skirmish is frequently interpreted as a precursor to the Tribulation or a step toward the fulfillment of end-times prophecies.

There may be strong interest in tracking these events as signs of the imminence of the rapture or the return of Christ.

Wherever you find yourself on that hastily drawn verbal map - I think we all understand, even as seen in all four of these, there is One who will reign - a Ruler - a Restorer the one who will redeem.

So in a few months when you sing Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel - think about Israel waiting for their Messiah - but also think about our soon coming King - the restorer.

in Genesis, we find a fall and mankind becomes broken and twisted by sin.

The remainder of the Bible seems to be a narrative of what God intended to do with this fallenness.

When you arrive at Revelation, you find a restoration and redemption as God intended.

As Dr. Chris Lohrstorfer so eloquently stated in a class lecture, God’s purpose in redemption is that “he’s redeeming us fully... to the place where technically we were intended to be.”

Wright in a beautiful and poetic description says “final redemption will be the moment when heaven and earth are joined together at last, in a burst of God’s creative energy for which Easter is the prototype and source” (Wright, 2007, p. 135).

This culmination includes a restoration of the body with a reunion with the spirit/soul.

The eschaton is also so much more than just bodily resurrection, it brings us to a place of Christlikeness that we could not experience on this earth.

John defines for us how that happens. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be:” He continues with a faith statement, “but we know that, when he [Jesus] shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2 KJV).

John is talking to those in Christ. Those in Christ will be walking as Christ wants them to walk. So, this “like him” must be more than just “being transformed by the renewing of the mind.”

It must include a transition from earthly to spiritual.

Paul in another place calls it a “change” (1 Cor. 15:52). Again, Paul says that our vile bodies will be changed, “that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.” (Phil 3:21).

Oden cautions against the super spiritualization of the body. While it is changed to spiritual the passage “does not imply that it has become so etherealized as to be no longer a body” (Oden, 1992, p. 405).

It will be a body that moves and yet is distinguishable from our current fleshly bodies.

Here Paul reasserts that yes, our bodies will be changed, but there will also be a “change” to the world and creation as we know it. Jesus is going to bring all things to where they were intended to be.

THE EVICTION OF SATAN -

Now just as man was evicted from the Garden - there must be an eviction from this earth -

If you turn to Revelation 5 - I hadn’t mentioned this chapter as I wasn’t sure I would use it until this morning -

But Revelation 5 is a powerful chapter - I understand that depending on where you see yourself on the eschatological spectrum you may disagree with some of my interpreting of this passage - but you stay with me and perhaps we can agree on something

John the Revelator has been ushered into the throne room of God and an interesting event occurs:

Revelation 5:1–4 KJV 1900

1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? 3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. 4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.

This “book” is no doubt more of a scroll that was sealed along the edges in very similar fashion to how they would seal important documents in that day.

From the sounds of it - it was a transactional document that appears to be an inference to a Title Deed of sorts -

As a Title Deed it would be a legal document outlining ownership and the conditions required to reclaim or transfer it.

In ancient Jewish and Roman custom, deeds or wills were written on both sides and sealed (cf. Jeremiah 32:6–15).

Jeremiah 32:6-15 there is an interesting occurence of this custom:

God tells Jeremiah (who is in prison) that his cousin Hanamel will ask him to buy a field in Anathoth (their hometown in Benjamin).

Despite the fact that Babylon is about to take over - and Jeremiah knows this - and the land’s impending destruction, Jeremiah obeys.

He buys the field, signs the deed, and seals it, placing it in a clay jar for long-term preservation.

Here is how the Bible puts it: Jeremiah 32:10-12

Jeremiah 32:10–12 KJV 1900

10 And I subscribed the evidence, and sealed it, and took witnesses, and weighed him the money in the balances. 11 So I took the evidence of the purchase, both that which was sealed according to the law and custom, and that which was open: 12 And I gave the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, in the sight of Hanameel mine uncle’s son, and in the presence of the witnesses that subscribed the book of the purchase, before all the Jews that sat in the court of the prison.

The seals signify that only an authorized or worthy person could open and claim the rights it holds.

Jeremiah would never make it back to reclaim his property, in fact we are never given any evidence that Jeremiah’s property was redeemed by his family or next of kin.

But the idea wasn’t one of personal gain or investment - it appears to have been one of promise -

It’s a symbol of hope in the middle of despair — that restoration will follow judgment.

Jeremiah 32:15 “15 For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land.”

But did you notice the two scrolls?

One was sealed and placed in a depository of documents

The other was left open -

The first one - the sealed one - was to be placed in a place of authority and government

the other was to be kept as proof that you were the owner and could come back and claim the right to open the sealed document,

This book or scroll in in the right hand of him that sat on the throne seems to be one that represents the right to reclaim dominion over the earth — the authority to rule, judge, and restore.

The search was on to find the one who was able to open the sealed scroll - it was time to redeem to buy back the lay claim to the property

And we read in Rev 5:3

Revelation 5:3 KJV 1900

3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.

Now I don’t want to read more into this than is intended - but it appears that they went through the litany of people

Adam, Seth, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, David - no one was found worthy

It was so distressing, and important a fact to John the Revelator - this was so necessary to find someone who could open the title deed to earth -

He is distraught - and John says, :

Revelation 5:4 KJV 1900

4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.

Then one of the elders taps him on the shoulder and hands him a tissue and says:

Revelation 5:5 “... Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.”

The Elder saw a Lion - but John sees a Lamb

Revelation 5:7 KJV 1900

7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

And for the next few chapters the opening of the seals and all the events and happenings that occur from that I see as God going through the eviction process of Satan and his evil from the earth.

I have an acquaintence who was attempting to do a good deed, he saw a man who needed some help on the street and he offered him food, and a bed to sleep on - before it was over with - the man had taken over his house and kicked him the home owner out - finally through a process hoops, and jumps, and legal wranglings they were able to bring up a past warrant and get him out of the house on a technicality

But the home owner was not even legally allowed to go back to his own house while the other man was there - he became a squatter with rights more rights than the legal owner of the house

This is what I see going on in the world today - when Adam and Eve at the forbidden fruit they allowed in an unwelcomed guest who has made himself the ruler of the world - He is called the Prince of the Power of the Air

but there is coming a day of reckoning - and Christ will reclaim his proper ownership of the earth -

After all of those events - which some sound frightening and horrible

I love that little verse in Revelation 21:6 “6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.”

What is done:

We find that in the first few verses of Revelation 21

Revelation 21:1 “1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.”

What is he talking about? Revelation 21:5 “5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.”

This newness this making all things new - is a going back - I would say to an even better EDEN than before

It is a replacing of all that was tainted by the curse and the fall

Revelation 21:2–4 KJV 1900

2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

There is the beautiful description of the New Jerusalem

Rev 22 we see the river of water of life, clear as crystal

we see the tree of life - not just one tree but on either side of the river bearing fruit every month

Revelation 22:3 “3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:”

Revelation 22:4–5 KJV 1900

4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. 5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.