August 5: OUR GOD WILL SHINE FORTH
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God will shine forth. Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent; A fire shall devour before Him, And it shall be very tempestuous all around Him. Psalm 50:2-3
Prophetic descriptions of the sheer power, majesty, and shining glory of the second coming of the LORD captured the attention of the nation of Israel before His first coming. Who among us cannot sympathize with the yearning in their hearts for the arrival of their long-awaited Messiah, especially after the rise in 168BC of the fourth beast prophesied in Daniel 7:7,19,23? They had correctly recognized that fourth beast as Rome, the nation of iron, symbolized by the eagle (Deuteronomy 28:49) who ran roughshod over every other nation in the known world at that time. They were also correct in seeing Rome as the world’s last worldwide kingdom, all the way up to the great day of judgement (Daniel 2:44).
However, the numerous prophecies detailing His first coming – His humble birth, life of servanthood, and ignominious death – including those things He said about Himself (Isaiah 7:14; 42:1; Jeremiah 23:5a; Micah 5:2; Mark 10:45; Luke 22:27; Philippians 2:7; Psalm 22) were disregarded. These things were not befitting of the mighty Savior who would conquer the Romans and establish His everlasting kingdom upon the earth.
Another oversight that tripped up the children of Israel was their view of themselves. Unfortunately, they were not the perfection of beauty as Scripture states, for this description of God’s people was and is yet future. The accurate words regarding all people for whom the Messiah came (including the chosen nation of Israel) are: while we were still sinners…. (Romans 5:8)
Because of these oversights, even among the highest leadership in Israel, God’s chosen people, as a nation, rejected the Messiah. Though God’s prophets of the past had faithfully written every word given them by the Holy Spirit, the exclusive study of their favorite selected passages created a blind spot so large that they failed to recognize the promised Savior. The Lord Himself spoke face-to-face with them to correct their errors, but they resented the corrections to the point of harboring murder in their hearts.
The first coming of Jesus – as a precious Babe in a manger – was quiet and humble, but His second coming will be the most climactic, spectacular, and glorious event in the history of the world. Even the earth itself will tremble under the weight of sin. Incredibly, Satan has influenced many modern seminaries to teach that the Lord’s second coming will be silent (even secret) whereby He will quietly “steal away” His faithful people leaving the unfaithful behind to get their act together for another seven years (as if they are still alive). Oh, Lord, grant us wisdom!
I beheld the earth, and indeed it was without form, and void…all its cities were broken down At the presence of the LORD, By His fierce anger… And at that day, the slain of the LORD shall be from one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth. They shall not be lamented, or gathered, or buried; they shall become refuse on the ground. Jeremiah 4:23a, 26b; 25:33