Put simply, there IS no after-life!
If we are alive forevermore, for eternity, can there be anything after this, can there be life after death if there is no more death?
Is it really that simple?
Most people, Christians especially, have gotten hung up on the misplaced, disjointed hope of 'Heaven when I die'. Several reasons for this are that Christians of all sorts have clung to the false hope of a biological resurrection of individual bodies. This plus the fact that they believe passages like I Corinthians 15 and Roman 6-8 speak of a day when the whole of ( biological ) creation will be delivered from the 'bondage of corruption' ( Romans 8:21 ).
Admittedly, it IS a pleasant thought: can you 'imagine' living without having to worry about the ravages & temptations of physical sin, no poisonous animals ( snakes, scorpions ) to worry about, no threat of wild animals tearing your flesh, and best of all, those with physical disabilities or deformities not having to deal with those difficulties & frustrations anymore; sounds heavenly, no?!
It also sounds escapist and downright irresponsible!
Now, before you get too bent out of shape, I'm not saying that to wish to be free of physical disabilities is irresponsible ( although........)! Personally, I like to think of all the things that I could do with my life if only I hadn't been 'saddled' with this responsibility, but I know that our Heavenly Father gave me this 'gift' for a reason, and it IS somewhat irresponsible to long for a 'normal' existence! In fact, if I were able to lead a 'normal' existence, I probably wouldn't be where I am today, much less doing what I do!
Does not Scripture promise us that 'They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain' ( Isaiah 11:9a ) and that 'they[b] will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them' ( Mark 16:18 )? Did not Jesus say 'Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you' ( Luke 10:19 )?
Jesus said all these things and more, but when we single these passages out, and wrest them from their historical and covenantal contexts, we end up doing harm not only to ourselves, but to the Gospel itself! One only has to look at the schisms within Christianity and at the alarming rate at which not only teenagers, but adults as well are leaving the fold of orthodox Christianity in droves, to see how harmful this literalistic & individualistic hermeneutic is!
The Gnostics, Plato most famously, believed that the biological body was evil, 'a prison-house for the soul'. 'The material world is evil; it is only the spiritual which is truly good!' This kind of ideology sounds a lot like what we are hearing from most if not all corners of Christianity today! If we can only truly be redeemed or saved by departing from this biological body ( Ecclesiastes 12:7 ), then this is exactly what many Christians are saying! Granted, many of these will tell you that this will not occur until Jesus comes back and destroys ( biological ) death forever! That, however, is 'old news', and neither here nor there!
It IS a Simple Truth! Jesus told Martha 'whoever lives and believes in Me will never die' ( John 11:26a )! Even though we know that this was an eschatological statement aimed at Martha directly to comfort her over the physical demise of her brother, we can also glean Great Assurance from it as well, being confident that WE will never die! Though our biological bodies will, at some point, run down, and become fertilizer; we will not see corruption; our spirit perseveres in the Presence of our Heavenly Father. Maybe this was partially what David meant in Psalm 16, when he wrote, 'For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.'
No after-life, huh? Well, Heaven's gotta be better than this!
Looking at all the degradation around us & the evil that besets us, it's easy to think, 'well, Shirley, this can't be all there is!' ( see above ) Reading the newspaper headlines about bad things happening to good people, and watching and hearing about all the violence in the Middle East, one could almost believe all the bible prophecy pundits that exclaim 'the end is near!' I remember the apostle Peter saying something like that about 2,000 years ago ( I Peter 4:7 ); I believe we should trust his Inspiration rather than some nut-job whose Christianity is questionable, at best!
It might be argued, on the other hand, that we have an influence on our environment ( if we don't, then maybe we ARE dead while we live ), that whether positive or negative, we can influence society around us to a certain point! You probably have heard the saying that 'Life is what you make it'; well, to an extent, that's true! There are variables & uncertainties in this human existence, and it usually depends on how we face those uncertainties & variables that determines the effect they have on us & vice-versa!
The Presence of our Heavenly Father in His Kingdom is about as invariable as you can get! ( To Infinity ) That is an indisputable fact, and if one is willing to see it, One much in evidence! If that one is willing to see it, that one has accepted this Fact, and if they thus commune with their Heavenly Father & the Body of His Son, that one will enjoy the Blessings of Heaven! If, however, that one does not see & accept this Fact, and thus does not commune with their Heavenly Father and enjoy necessary communion with the Body of His Son, that rebellious one may feel like they are in 'Hell', much of the time!
So, the question 'is there life after ( biological ) death?' may be answered with a resounding 'YES!' The Life that we now Live in the Presence of our Heavenly Father will never end; our existence will continue on with Him after this biological construct perishes!
While many Christians like to engage in vain, escapist speculation about some future utopian dream called 'Heaven', and some capitalize to rather silly extremes by writing about their 'experiences': I believe that there is nothing better ( past, present or future ) than the Presence of our Heavenly Father, and to seek something else is nothing less than irresponsible escapism!
We can change our environment! Yes, it's going to take a long time ( relatively ), with hard work and perseverance; it's taken a long time for things to get to this point, and it will take a long time to get things back to where they should be! Some things will take longer than others to set to rights, and other things will more easily 'fall into place'; there are areas in which we can have more influence, some less, but if we persevere with the Strength in us, we WILL bring about that necessary Change!
Let's stop worrying about some 'after-life', and whether we'll go to some place called 'Heaven' when you die; let's live while we're alive!
Charles Haddon Shank
Monday, April 14, 2014
Friday, April 11, 2014
The Truth of the Resurrection
Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Romans 6:4
The nature and scope of the Resurrection is likely one of the most disputed facts in theology today! The question of what type of Body we will receive at the Resurrection is not a new one, either. In I Corinthians 15:35-49, the apostle Paul answers the question, 'How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?' by launching into a metaphorical and very natural explanation of how a body is resurrected, and how it appears once resurrected.
Jesus said, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die'. One major problem in the Church today is the belief that one's biological body must die in order for it to be resurrected! This stems almost wholly from the belief that the Resurrection is about individual, biological bodies being raised from the physically dead!
To be in Christ is to partake in the Resurrection! The point of the Resurrection was that the dead Body of Israel might live to serve the Purpose for which She was born; to bring Heaven to Earth! The Purpose of the Resurrection is not to take individual, biological bodies from Earth to Heaven. Jesus taught His disciples to pray, 'Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as [ it is ] in heaven'. He Himself prayed, in the Garden of Gethsemane, 'I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.'The Purpose of Creation, as Re-Creation was always to bring Heaven to Earth; the Marriage of Heaven & Earth, you might say!
Many Christians today, it would seem, believe and teach that Salvation, not unlike Resurrection, is 'going to Heaven when you die'. This could not be further from the Truth! To begin with, both concepts are related in the context of a Corporate Body, that of Israel who had died a separational & covenantal death and needed to be redeemed in order to fulfill Her Purpose! Furthermore, as we have seen the Purpose of both Salvation & Resurrection was to bring the Rule of Heaven to Earth, not to snatch Man from Earth to Heaven!
As Christians realize this Glorious Truth ( of the Resurrection ), I believe that we will see, more and more, the evidence of the Rule of Heaven throughout the Earth! This Rule, whether we acknowledge it or not, whether we accept it or not, is preeminent, but as we acknowledge and follow this Rule in our own lives, the Rule & Reign of Heaven will shine out through our Holy Lives, bringing Light, Resurrection & Life to the dark & dying world around us!
Since we partake in the Resurrection, then, let us Live as if we will never die; Death is defeated!
In Heaven, the Presence of God & Eternally Alive,
Charles Haddon Shank
Wednesday, April 09, 2014
The Story of Israel; the Marriage of Heaven & Earth
Thus says the Lord God to Jerusalem: your birth and your nativity are from the land of Canaan; your father [ was ] an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. [ As for ] your nativity, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed in water to cleanse you; you were not rubbed with salt nor wrapped in swaddling cloths. No eye pitied you, to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you; but you were thrown out into the open field, when you yourself were loathed on the day you were born.
And when I passed by you and saw you struggling in your own blood, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ Yes, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ I made you thrive like a plant in the field; and you grew, matured, and became very beautiful. [ Your ] breasts were formed,
your hair grew, but you [ were ] naked and bare.
Ezekiel 16:3-7
As we read throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, Israel 'according to the flesh' was infamous for her rebellions harlotry! Though her God had proven time and time again that it was only through His strength that she could stand, she showed time and time again her weakness and the rebelliousness of her wicked heart!
In Ezekiel 16, God recounts, through the prophet, and in metaphorical language, how He had taken Israel from among the nations and made her holy unto Himself. Furthermore, we read in this account, in very graphic and suggestive language, how she turned from the safety of His wings and sought the lewd embraces of other gods. We need not read very far in Scripture, even during the Exodus from Egypt, how she spurned the blessings of His Presence and lusted after the sin of her own concupiscence!
From the Beginning, when 'God planted a garden eastward in Eden' ( Genesis 2:8 ), the man He had created strove with Him, forever testing his will against the Will of God! Several times throughout the History of His Creation, God caused great calamity to fall upon them because of their rebelliousness and wickedness, most notably in the Great Flood of Noah's day. Through the Divine Long-suffering, though, they were never totally destroyed; there was always a Remnant!
Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.
And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
Genesis 2:24 & 25
And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
Genesis 3:8
The History of Creation, and specifically, the History of Israel, is all about how God brought Heaven to Earth, first, in the form of a Garden planted ( Exodus 15:17-Amos 9:15 ), and then in the Tabernacle & Temple. Finally, at the Consummation of the Ages, He sent His Son to redeem & marry His People, and reveal Him ( and Them ) as His True Temple; this was the Reconstitution of Israel!
Our Heavenly Father formed His human creation in order that their union might be a picture of the union that He wished to experience with His People! In his letter to the Church at Ephesus ( Ephesians 5:31 ), Paul reasserted the words of God in Genesis 2:24, then explained, 'This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church'. The first marriage on record was not just the union of two souls; it was ( and is ) a picture of the Marriage of Heaven & Earth!
As the Offspring of this Marriage,
Charles Haddon Shank
Tuesday, April 08, 2014
The Likeness of His Resurrection ( How Shall We Then Live? )
Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Romans 6:4
Many today today who claim the Name will tell you that to partake in the likeness of His resurrection is to be restored, after biological death, as in Jesus' case, to biological life! If indeed, the likeness of His resurrection has reference to biology, then it is true that the Resurrection is yet future, we are not 'sons of the resurrection', and Jesus, Paul, and the apostles were mistaken concerning their expectations for Resurrection in the first century!
We, however, know that Jesus told Martha, when faced with her faithful ( but slightly misplaced ) hope, 'I am the Resurrection & the Life'! Martha, as a good & faithful Jew, had an eschatological hope that a Redeemer, a Messiah would appear at the end of all things, and raise His People from the grave. Jesus, not denying her hope, revealed to her that, not only was He the Messiah that she and Israel hoped for, He also embodied the Promised Resurrection!
One might ask the question, at this juncture, 'Then where are all the saints that were 'raised with Him' ( Matthew 27:52 ); where is Jesus Himself, if He was raised bodily?' Why is Lazarus not with us since Jesus told his sister that he would die no more ( forever )?
Those who believe that 'Heaven' is out there, might tell you that Jesus inhabits that 'realm' ( in His biological body, no less ), and that He will come, sometime in the future ( however near or far ), bringing His saints with Him, wreaking judgement & destruction upon those who do evil, and rendering a Judgement of Blessing & Resurrection to Life upon those who do good! Lazarus, we may assume, would be among those saints.
If we are yet to be resurrected, we have no hope prior to physical death, for how can one be raised from the dead unless he ( or she ) IS dead?! Paul talked about a 'change' ( I Corinthians 15: 51 & 52 ) that 'we who are alive' at His Parousia would experience. That 'change' presumably includes an incorruptible ( biological? ) body, one in which we will inhabit eternity in the Presence of our Heavenly Father!
Paul takes a slightly different tack, however, than those Christians who look for ( and teach ) a future biological resurrection of individual bodies! In the passage above, from his letter to the Romans, he tells us, in what should be very plain language, 'Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts' ( because of the Resurrection ) He is speaking to individuals, yes, but only as they are part of 'the body politic'. Later in this same letter ( 12:1 ), he tells us, 'present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God'.
Paul was not speaking, first, of 'going to 'Heaven' when you die', nor, secondly, was he speaking of a future resurrection of biological bodies; he was instructing them how they should live because of the Resurrection! This was the 'change' that Paul wrote about, not of a renewed biological body, but of a renewed spirit within that body, and more importantly, the fulfillment of the prayer of David in Psalm 51, 'Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.'
Paul understood, as a true & faithful Israelite, and 'a Hebrew of the Hebrews' ( Philippians 3:5 ) that it was the Body of Israel that had died ( Matthew 24:28 ) and needed Resurrection; the history of Israel through the writings of the Law & the Prophets showed this deplorable fact quite well! Taken out of the context of the Story, or 'meta-narrative', one may well defend the position of a future & biological bodily resurrection, but taking Paul's writings as a whole in conjunction with the Story of Israel, it is plain to see that Paul taught, rather than a future, biological change, a change of heart, or a spiritual 'change' to the Body of Israel, and a move from 'Death to Life'!
How Shall We Then Live?
We, as the spiritual offspring of the 'Union of Heaven & Earth', as a dear friend stated the other day, should not, as some do, stand at the 'Wailing Wall', bemoaning the destruction of the Jewish temple and praying for its reconstitution; instead, we should live our lives in the realization that we ARE the Reconstituted Temple!
As Paul wrote to the Romans, we should present our bodies a living ( not dead ) sacrifice! He wrote to the Church at Colosse, 'If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.' Paul taught his 'congregation' that they had been raised, or resurrected; they had risen like a phoenix from the spiritual ash-heap of Israel! He taught them, not to look for a future resurrection of individual, biological bodies, but rather to accept the 'change' that had been made, and to live their Lives in thankfulness & praise for the Gift they had been given!
In the midst of his famous treatise on the Resurrection, Paul wrote 'Awake to righteousness, and do not sin' ( I Corinthians 15:34 ). The focus of the Resurrection was not receiving new biological bodies ( however tempting that might sound ); the point of the Resurrection was a 'changed' life, one lived in accordance with the Law of God, unlike Israel of old!
In the likeness of His Resurrection, let us live our Life in this Joyous Reality, seeking the advancement of His Kingdom, and rejoicing in His Blessings in our lives as we share these Joys with those around us!
Charles Haddon Shank
Deliver Us From Evil
'Deliver us from the evil one', like the rest of this model prayer, must be understood in both its original context, and within the greater context of what might be called 'The Meta-Narrative'.
When Jesus taught His disciples to pray these words, He knew that, first of all, their thoughts would immediately turn to those who would persecute them. Israel had a long and storied history of dealings with 'the evil one'. From the Fall of Adam & Eve in the Garden ( Genesis 3 ), and through the several 'falls' throughout Her history ( Noah, David, etc. ) up to the time of the Christ Himself, Jesus knew first-hand the temptations that they would have to deal with at the hands of 'the evil one'!
'Evil', as we have previously witnessed, is the polar opposite of 'good'. From a human standpoint, this often seems to be, or is treated as a relative truth. What is 'good' for one may be 'evil' to another and vice-versa; what may seem 'evil' to one, because our conscience has been cleansed by our Heavenly Father, is rendered 'good' to these. However, Truth, as we know, is absolute! One plus one will always equal two, two plus two will always equal four, etc., etc.
In the human experience, many things will occur that seem 'evil' to us, and likewise, others will seem 'good' to us, but just because they seem so, they are not always so! As Micah, and every other true prophet of Israel saw, our Heavenly Father had defined to His People what was right, and just and good, whereas the opposite would be wrong, unjust, and evil!
In this life, we are presented, just as Israel of old, with many challenges & opportunities to do right or wrong, 'good' or 'evil'. There are those, just as in Israel's day, that will try try to convince us that 'good' & 'evil' are relative, but by the Presence of our Heavenly Father & His Word, and through the blessing of a cleansed conscience, we know by our very nature if what they offer is good, just, and right, or if it is evil, unjust, and wrong!
Daily Communion with our Heavenly Father & His People serves to strengthen within us the knowledge of 'good & evil'! We have the confidence, in knowing His Truth, to avoid the 'evil' and to choose the 'good', because the Hope of Israel is fulfilled in us! The Messiah of Israel delivered His People from the sin of Adam, and thus was fulfilled the prayer, 'deliver us from the evil one'!
As we live, day by day in the Blessed Reality of this Great Deliverance let us ever be thankful to our Heavenly Father, let us live in the Joy of His Presence, knowing that we have been freed to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God!
We have been delivered, as the Body of Christ, and we are delivered every day from the 'evil' that surrounds us! May we ever live in thankfulness as experience the fullness of His Mercy & Grace, and shed abroad His Truth & Love!
Let us praise,
Charles Haddon Shank
When Jesus taught His disciples to pray these words, He knew that, first of all, their thoughts would immediately turn to those who would persecute them. Israel had a long and storied history of dealings with 'the evil one'. From the Fall of Adam & Eve in the Garden ( Genesis 3 ), and through the several 'falls' throughout Her history ( Noah, David, etc. ) up to the time of the Christ Himself, Jesus knew first-hand the temptations that they would have to deal with at the hands of 'the evil one'!
'Evil', as we have previously witnessed, is the polar opposite of 'good'. From a human standpoint, this often seems to be, or is treated as a relative truth. What is 'good' for one may be 'evil' to another and vice-versa; what may seem 'evil' to one, because our conscience has been cleansed by our Heavenly Father, is rendered 'good' to these. However, Truth, as we know, is absolute! One plus one will always equal two, two plus two will always equal four, etc., etc.
He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6:8
In the human experience, many things will occur that seem 'evil' to us, and likewise, others will seem 'good' to us, but just because they seem so, they are not always so! As Micah, and every other true prophet of Israel saw, our Heavenly Father had defined to His People what was right, and just and good, whereas the opposite would be wrong, unjust, and evil!
In this life, we are presented, just as Israel of old, with many challenges & opportunities to do right or wrong, 'good' or 'evil'. There are those, just as in Israel's day, that will try try to convince us that 'good' & 'evil' are relative, but by the Presence of our Heavenly Father & His Word, and through the blessing of a cleansed conscience, we know by our very nature if what they offer is good, just, and right, or if it is evil, unjust, and wrong!
Daily Communion with our Heavenly Father & His People serves to strengthen within us the knowledge of 'good & evil'! We have the confidence, in knowing His Truth, to avoid the 'evil' and to choose the 'good', because the Hope of Israel is fulfilled in us! The Messiah of Israel delivered His People from the sin of Adam, and thus was fulfilled the prayer, 'deliver us from the evil one'!
As we live, day by day in the Blessed Reality of this Great Deliverance let us ever be thankful to our Heavenly Father, let us live in the Joy of His Presence, knowing that we have been freed to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God!
We have been delivered, as the Body of Christ, and we are delivered every day from the 'evil' that surrounds us! May we ever live in thankfulness as experience the fullness of His Mercy & Grace, and shed abroad His Truth & Love!
Let us praise,
Charles Haddon Shank
Friday, April 04, 2014
The People of the Presence: Heightened Consciousness & Answered Questions
'Do you believe there is terror in heaven? sin? sickness? answered questions? face to face interaction with God?'
This question was posed to me recently, and it's gotten me to thinking ( again )!
If 'Heaven', as I believe, is simply the Presence of God, then will we eventually get to the point where we will know everything that's knowable, understand everything that's understandable; will we eventually be free of sin & sickness, will there be the terror of death in 'Heaven'?
Starting with the last one first; no, there is no terror in biological death for the one who follows the heavenly pattern set for us by the Son of God, our Brother, Jesus who was the Christ, or Messiah of Israel! Secondly, as for the sin of Adam, yes, we have been freed from the sin & the death of Adam; we have, corporately, as the Body of Christ, been brought back into Blessed Communion with our Creator, our Heavenly Father!
Finally, to answer the question of whether unanswered questions will be satisfied in 'Heaven'; I believe that there are things knowable to God alone, and that it will always be that way! ( Some things should probably be left unanswered anyway ) Many questions, as knowledge increases are beginning to be answered through study in the area of fulfilled, realized, or covenant eschatology, for example, and we're just getting started!
Will we ever fully understand the Nature of God? What does it really mean that He is the Creator of all things; does that mean that He is the Author of Evil? To a point, we understand the Nature of God well enough to know the answer to the question of the Author of Evil, but as to the question of the Nature of God, and what it really means that He is the Creator of all things, I believe that it is entirely possible, and as we eternally commune with our Heavenly Father in this, His New Temple & Dwelling Place, that things will become clearer to us as His Presence increases our knowledge & understanding!
'Face to Face' with our Creator?! ( talk abut 'terror'-oh, wait, that was under that first covenant! ) Speaking of the Nature of God, has His Nature changed at all from what we read about in the Hebrew Scriptures? I would say no! Scripture tells us in various places of the immutability of our Heavenly Father, but many people who claim to be followers of the Heavenly Vision would say yes, that the God of Israel is not the kinder, gentler One that we read about in the pages of the Greek Scripture! The old God of Israel was a cruel & vindictive ( even petty ) God, but His Son came along in the New Testament and tamed the Savage Beast! However, we know that Scripture says ( Hebrews 12:29 ) that 'our God is a consuming fire'!
One might speculate, as I have in the past, that when our biological processes finally shut down and our physical body expires and returns to the dust, we will be purely spirit, and more clearly able to interact with our Heavenly Father, who is the Spirit. Whether this is plausible speculation or not, does not Scripture tell us in various Scriptures that we are 'a dwelling place of God in the Spirit' ( Ephesians 2:19-21 )? How about my favorite, John 14:23; 'If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him'? If we are the Dwelling ( place ) of God in the Spirit, would you not think that as we share in communion with Him & with His Body, that we ARE 'Face to Face' with our Heavenly Father?!
As we dwell in His Presence ( as He in ours ), let us put aside speculation about some future 'Heaven', let us cease bludgeoning each other because this one believes that about some fabled after-life, the other believes that about this 'after-life', and yet another believes that there is no 'after-life'; this is all there is!
Let us focus instead on the Life we have been given, and cease lusting & longing after 'something better'! Is the grass greener on the other side of the fabled fence? Doubtful, and most probably not, unless our neighbor does a better job of keep his lawn water than we do!
We are Living in the Here & Now, and better yet, we have the Presence of God; what more could we ask for, what more could we want?! A Closer Communion with our Heavenly Father & with His People, His Temple, yes, but how do we do this?
Not by dying, but by Living!
In Communion,
Charles Haddon Shank
This question was posed to me recently, and it's gotten me to thinking ( again )!
If 'Heaven', as I believe, is simply the Presence of God, then will we eventually get to the point where we will know everything that's knowable, understand everything that's understandable; will we eventually be free of sin & sickness, will there be the terror of death in 'Heaven'?
Starting with the last one first; no, there is no terror in biological death for the one who follows the heavenly pattern set for us by the Son of God, our Brother, Jesus who was the Christ, or Messiah of Israel! Secondly, as for the sin of Adam, yes, we have been freed from the sin & the death of Adam; we have, corporately, as the Body of Christ, been brought back into Blessed Communion with our Creator, our Heavenly Father!
Finally, to answer the question of whether unanswered questions will be satisfied in 'Heaven'; I believe that there are things knowable to God alone, and that it will always be that way! ( Some things should probably be left unanswered anyway ) Many questions, as knowledge increases are beginning to be answered through study in the area of fulfilled, realized, or covenant eschatology, for example, and we're just getting started!
Will we ever fully understand the Nature of God? What does it really mean that He is the Creator of all things; does that mean that He is the Author of Evil? To a point, we understand the Nature of God well enough to know the answer to the question of the Author of Evil, but as to the question of the Nature of God, and what it really means that He is the Creator of all things, I believe that it is entirely possible, and as we eternally commune with our Heavenly Father in this, His New Temple & Dwelling Place, that things will become clearer to us as His Presence increases our knowledge & understanding!
'Face to Face' with our Creator?! ( talk abut 'terror'-oh, wait, that was under that first covenant! ) Speaking of the Nature of God, has His Nature changed at all from what we read about in the Hebrew Scriptures? I would say no! Scripture tells us in various places of the immutability of our Heavenly Father, but many people who claim to be followers of the Heavenly Vision would say yes, that the God of Israel is not the kinder, gentler One that we read about in the pages of the Greek Scripture! The old God of Israel was a cruel & vindictive ( even petty ) God, but His Son came along in the New Testament and tamed the Savage Beast! However, we know that Scripture says ( Hebrews 12:29 ) that 'our God is a consuming fire'!
One might speculate, as I have in the past, that when our biological processes finally shut down and our physical body expires and returns to the dust, we will be purely spirit, and more clearly able to interact with our Heavenly Father, who is the Spirit. Whether this is plausible speculation or not, does not Scripture tell us in various Scriptures that we are 'a dwelling place of God in the Spirit' ( Ephesians 2:19-21 )? How about my favorite, John 14:23; 'If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him'? If we are the Dwelling ( place ) of God in the Spirit, would you not think that as we share in communion with Him & with His Body, that we ARE 'Face to Face' with our Heavenly Father?!
As we dwell in His Presence ( as He in ours ), let us put aside speculation about some future 'Heaven', let us cease bludgeoning each other because this one believes that about some fabled after-life, the other believes that about this 'after-life', and yet another believes that there is no 'after-life'; this is all there is!
Let us focus instead on the Life we have been given, and cease lusting & longing after 'something better'! Is the grass greener on the other side of the fabled fence? Doubtful, and most probably not, unless our neighbor does a better job of keep his lawn water than we do!
We are Living in the Here & Now, and better yet, we have the Presence of God; what more could we ask for, what more could we want?! A Closer Communion with our Heavenly Father & with His People, His Temple, yes, but how do we do this?
Not by dying, but by Living!
In Communion,
Charles Haddon Shank
Tuesday, April 01, 2014
Men are Like Clouds
'Heaven is my home, I'll get there 'by and by'.
Till I get there, I'll be workin' towards that 'great gig in the sky'!
You've prob'ly heard these words before,
maybe even tried to guess the score;
But the score was written before time began,
and though many have guessed at it, no one can!
Men are like clouds, they're chock full of rain,
but try as they might, it's all done in vain!
The wind, as the Spirit, blows it's powerful gale,
and so we know that He will always prevail!
The Spirit, like the wind, blows where He will,
and like it or not, His purpose fulfill!
We always complain, when things go awry,
but all is done well, in 'the sweet bye and bye'!
Blown by the Spirit, men are but clouds,
and will they or won't they, His will always prevails!
Like it or not, we're blown by the Wind,
and ever we know it, He's always our friend!
The Scriptures will tell us that clouds signal judgment,
and that's universally true,
But when He cried 'It is finished', the judgment was passed;
Adam was dead, we're into the Blue!
Charles Haddon Shank
For the Beauty of the Skies
Scripture tells us 'the heavens declare';
For though we are but men, we shine forth His glory!
We often forget, as well, the natural creation,
in our dreary day to day;
The busyness of life often drives from our mind,
that we are not alone in our profession!
The skies above, the earth beneath
declare His praise as well!
Though in tongues they may not speak,
in tongues unknown His Love they prove!
We all witness to His Love,
And shine forth His Glory!
Charles Haddon Shank
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Animal 'Crackers'
You may have heard rumors floating around out there that the Story of Noah's Ark, with the animals congregating in the Ark, whether 'two by two' ( unclean ) or seven ( a complete number ) of the clean animals, was simply an allegory for Gentile peoples. Whatever the case may be, there is definitely more to this Story than first meets the eye!
Depending on which version you read, and I'll be the first to admit it, this IS a presuppositional statement, Scripture seems to be pretty clear that there were only 8 people aboard the Ark! Genesis 7:7 ( interestingly enough ) says, 'So Noah, with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives, went into the ark'. Pretty simple, right?
Covenant Creation, which I fully ascribe to, says that the previous chapters, in particular 1 & 2, refer, not to the creation of the physical universe, but to the institution of covenant, or a personal relationship between our Heavenly Father and His Creation! Whether the animals described in short in Genesis 1:24 & Genesis 2:19 were actual, literal animals, or whether they were simply allegorical representations of Gentile peoples is really somewhat beside the point when it comes to the Story of Noah!
The whole point of the Story was to prefigure salvation in Christ. If indeed the animals that were brought onto the Ark were just Gentile peoples, or those outside the Covenant of Faith, this would almost seem to make sense, because it would prefigure the entrance of Gentiles into the Covenant! This seems to work well with the doctrine of the Sovereignty of God, in that it is He that brings individual people to salvation, according to His will!
The Scriptures though, as we have seen, tell us clearly that it was animals, both clean & unclean ( clean for sacrifice & unclean to repopulate the land ), that were brought to the Ark. Peter's vision in Acts 10 does tell us that the Gentile nations had been cleansed, or prepared for relationship with their Creator, but it does not necessarily follow that the Story of Noah did not involve animals.
Non-human creatures were doubtless part of the original creation! There should be no doubt that they were brought onto the Ark ( unless you want to believe that it's just a story ), and while they were significant of the Gentiles entrance into the Covenant, they were just animals, nonetheless!
It could well be argued, maybe, that is Covenant Creation views that have lead to this ( Gentiles 'animals' on the Ark, etc. ), but as with so many other doctrinal views, it is not Covenant Creation itself that leads to error, but merely human reasoning! Presuppositions have a large part in constructing our world-view, as well as adding unnecessary baggage. If we are of the notion that the Story of the Flood is simply an allegorical story, significant of salvation in Christ, then we could easily put two & two together, and 'see' that there were no actual non-human creatures on the Ark! In fact, there was no Ark; it's all just allegory!
To get back to the Story, though, in which we partake; the Ark, which WAS symbolic of Christ, literally saved 8 real people from the Flood of Noah's Day. This was significant of our Heavenly Father, through His only begotten Son, saving His People ( Israel ) from their sin, as we have seen! To say that the 'animals' on the Ark were actual Gentile peoples is really to fly in the face of Covenant Creation, and its insistence that the Flood of Noah's Day was localized rather than universal, or world-wide. More importantly, it wreaks havoc with the symbolism employed by Gospel writers and theologians alike that the Story was significant of Salvation in Christ!
Why, if the animals, in particular the unclean ones, were Gentile humans, why is it that only two of each were saved, while the rest perished outside the Ark? For that matter, if the clean animals were merely representative of the Sons of God, why does Scripture record that there were 7 of each, besides 'Noah, with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives?
In conclusion, though more could doubtless be said here on the subject, let us just remember that although it is important to know that these animals, both clean & unclean, symbolize the People of God, both Jew & Gentile, it is more important to live as those who have been freed from the tyranny of sin & death! Because of the Salvation of those in the Ark, countless generations have been freed from that awful tyranny!
As we live in that Freedom, let us always be thankful to our Heavenly Father that we were included in the company of those that 'God has cleansed'!
Amen & Amen!
Charles Haddon Shank
God did not spare the ancient world, but brought the flood on the world of godless people; the only ones he saved were Noah, who preached righteousness, and seven other people.
II Peter 2:5- GNT
Depending on which version you read, and I'll be the first to admit it, this IS a presuppositional statement, Scripture seems to be pretty clear that there were only 8 people aboard the Ark! Genesis 7:7 ( interestingly enough ) says, 'So Noah, with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives, went into the ark'. Pretty simple, right?
Covenant Creation, which I fully ascribe to, says that the previous chapters, in particular 1 & 2, refer, not to the creation of the physical universe, but to the institution of covenant, or a personal relationship between our Heavenly Father and His Creation! Whether the animals described in short in Genesis 1:24 & Genesis 2:19 were actual, literal animals, or whether they were simply allegorical representations of Gentile peoples is really somewhat beside the point when it comes to the Story of Noah!
The whole point of the Story was to prefigure salvation in Christ. If indeed the animals that were brought onto the Ark were just Gentile peoples, or those outside the Covenant of Faith, this would almost seem to make sense, because it would prefigure the entrance of Gentiles into the Covenant! This seems to work well with the doctrine of the Sovereignty of God, in that it is He that brings individual people to salvation, according to His will!
The Scriptures though, as we have seen, tell us clearly that it was animals, both clean & unclean ( clean for sacrifice & unclean to repopulate the land ), that were brought to the Ark. Peter's vision in Acts 10 does tell us that the Gentile nations had been cleansed, or prepared for relationship with their Creator, but it does not necessarily follow that the Story of Noah did not involve animals.
Non-human creatures were doubtless part of the original creation! There should be no doubt that they were brought onto the Ark ( unless you want to believe that it's just a story ), and while they were significant of the Gentiles entrance into the Covenant, they were just animals, nonetheless!
It could well be argued, maybe, that is Covenant Creation views that have lead to this ( Gentiles 'animals' on the Ark, etc. ), but as with so many other doctrinal views, it is not Covenant Creation itself that leads to error, but merely human reasoning! Presuppositions have a large part in constructing our world-view, as well as adding unnecessary baggage. If we are of the notion that the Story of the Flood is simply an allegorical story, significant of salvation in Christ, then we could easily put two & two together, and 'see' that there were no actual non-human creatures on the Ark! In fact, there was no Ark; it's all just allegory!
To get back to the Story, though, in which we partake; the Ark, which WAS symbolic of Christ, literally saved 8 real people from the Flood of Noah's Day. This was significant of our Heavenly Father, through His only begotten Son, saving His People ( Israel ) from their sin, as we have seen! To say that the 'animals' on the Ark were actual Gentile peoples is really to fly in the face of Covenant Creation, and its insistence that the Flood of Noah's Day was localized rather than universal, or world-wide. More importantly, it wreaks havoc with the symbolism employed by Gospel writers and theologians alike that the Story was significant of Salvation in Christ!
Why, if the animals, in particular the unclean ones, were Gentile humans, why is it that only two of each were saved, while the rest perished outside the Ark? For that matter, if the clean animals were merely representative of the Sons of God, why does Scripture record that there were 7 of each, besides 'Noah, with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives?
In conclusion, though more could doubtless be said here on the subject, let us just remember that although it is important to know that these animals, both clean & unclean, symbolize the People of God, both Jew & Gentile, it is more important to live as those who have been freed from the tyranny of sin & death! Because of the Salvation of those in the Ark, countless generations have been freed from that awful tyranny!
As we live in that Freedom, let us always be thankful to our Heavenly Father that we were included in the company of those that 'God has cleansed'!
Amen & Amen!
Charles Haddon Shank
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
The Blessed Hope of Israel: Fulfilled
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son
That whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 3:16
Too many Christians today believe that Jesus came so that His People could go to 'Heaven' when they die; not only does this water down the Gospel message, or rather, their understanding of it, it is totally unbiblical! Jesus never told anybody to 'get saved so you can go to Heaven when you die'! He DID tell them that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand, and that they needed to be born again to enter it!
According to most Christians today, even some who claim to believe in a Fulfilled Gospel, one does not enter Eternity till their physical bodies perish and they become a free spirit.This is likely purported because these preterists want to maintain a certain level of orthodoxy; this is, after all what the mainstream church has taught for centuries! Most Christians, futurists especially, believe this for several reasons, two of which are that here is a bit of gnosticism in their 'baggage', and many have simply accepted what their pastor told them or what their parents and grandparents believed!
Jesus died so that we, His People, the 'Israel of God' might live; He did not suffer on the cross so that we could go to 'heaven' when we died! he promised His disciples in John 14:23, 'If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him'. This is undoubtedly fulfilled, and being so, Paul's words in I Thessalonians ( 4:17 ) are undoubtedly true as well; he told the Thessalonikan believers, 'Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord'. Paul never told anybody that their being with the Lord necessarily involved dying, and he most certainly did not say here that if they were alive at the time of His Parousia they would die!
Jesus promised that those who believed in Him and loved Him would not die; they would live forever. Obviously, He was not speaking of physical existence, because we who love & believe in Him still lose our biological presence; it becomes worm-food, it was never meant to last forever! Our spiritual 'body' however, continues on after it is separated from its biological host; like Jesus said, 'we' will never die!
One problem with Modern Christianity, and indeed, much of ancient Christianity as well, was the whole idea, or notion that these promises in Scripture were primarily made to individuals. A careful study of the Greek usage here ( tenses, etc. ) will reveal that, for instance, in John 3:16, Jesus told Nicodemus, as a representative of Israel, 'you ( all ) must be born again'. Although much of the Greek Scriptures do have an individual aspect to them, it is to the corporate body of Israel, who was dead ( in sin ) that the promises were made; Ezekiel 37 is probably one of the clearest examples of this in the Hebrew Scriptures.
We were not quickened ( made alive ) so that we could enjoy the Presence of God when we died; we ( corporately ) were 'born again' so that we could live IN His Presence ( remember all that stuff ( Leviticus 21:11, Numbers 6:6 ) about not going near a dead body, in the Old Testament? )!
As we live forever in the blessedness of His Presence, let us rejoice in the fact that we do not have to experience physical death in order to enjoy Communion with Him; our, or rather 'their' Blessed Hope is fulfilled!
Amen & Amen!
Charles Haddon Shank
Lead Us Not Into Temptation
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
Matthew 4:1
Does God lead His People into temptation?
From just a cursory reading of the history of Israel, it would seem that He does! From the record of the Exodus from Egypt it looks like Israel was led into temptation many times! King David was 'led' to witness Bathsheba's 'private' moment on the roof, and later, because of this glimpse, to commit adultery, deception, and finally murder! In I Samuel 24:1, we read, 'Again the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, “Go, number Israel and Judah'. And, after all, our Heavenly Father planted the Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil in the midst of the Garden! Why would He do this? And why would Jesus teach His disciples to pray that He would not?
James stated ( 1:13 ) that 'God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone', almost in seeming contrast to the temptations that we have witnessed throughout Scripture. In the next verse, though, he clears up any seeming contradiction by saying, 'But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed'. The temptation is there, but it is when we ( personally ) give in to this temptation that we ( personally ) that we fall into temptation!
When Israel was led into the wilderness and started to run low on food & water, they had a choice; trust that the One who led them, by the hand of Moses, out of the slavery of Egypt, or trust their own eyes & understanding, and complain & rebel against His good providence! When David saw Bathsheba as she bathed on the roof, he had a choice to make; he could either avert his eyes and forget that he had ever witnessed he 'private' moment, or he could take advantage of his position, let his desire lead him into grave sin, and finally, into murder! Later, this same pride of position led him to unlawfully take a census of Israel, a decision which led to great loss in Israel!
All these examples, to say nothing of the Temptation & Fall in the Garden ( of Eden ), might lead us to believe that the God of the Old Testament was petty & vindictive, that He placed temptation in the path of His children so that He would have an excuse to punish them when they sinned!
Naturally, being human as we are, we like to blame our problems on everyone & everything but ourselves, but we should realize, if we are honest with ourselves, that it is because of the choices we make that we fall into these temptations! The temptations are there, but when we choose to follow their lead, all manner of evil results.
Why then would Jesus instruct His disciples thusly: is it our Heavenly Father or our own naturally rebellious hearts that lead us into temptation?
Again, looking back at the history of Israel, from the Fall of Adam ( in the Garden ) to the Temptation of Jesus ( in the wilderness ), we should understand that Jesus' instruction here, as in every aspect of this model prayer, was meant to remind His disciples of their history! The present situation of Israel ( in Captivity ), and the temptations that surrounded them were what Jesus no doubt had in mind when He instructed them so. He wanted them to learn to rely, not on their own strength, as Israel of old had, but on the Grace that He had shown throughout their history!
Knowing our weakness, as He does so well, Jesus instructed His disciples with two-fold purpose to pray this prayer. First, prayer is a necessary part of our Communion with our Heavenly Father, and second, we understand that it is through His strength that we refuse to fall into temptation!
Should we use these words as a model for prayer today? There is certainly no harm in it; we still face many temptations in today's world! While we should understand that, historically, Jesus meant for His disciples to remember their history, we should also realize that we face our own temptations today. Though the temptations that they faced were of a somewhat different caliber, living as they were, under the captivity & condemnation of the Old, or first covenant, we, under the New Covenant, face temptation as well!
There is one advantage that we have over those first-century disciples, who first received Jesus' instructions: unlike them, we have the Law written, not on tablets of stone, but on our hearts! Our Heavenly Father has taken up position with us once more, and now dwells with ( in ) us, not in a temple made with hands, but in the Temple made without hands, One of His own building!
Let us thank our Heavenly Father that He delivered His People from the temptations of that old system, into the blessedness of eternal Communion with Him! Let us continually thank Him for the Strength He daily grants us to refuse the temptations that surround us!
As we Commune with our Heavenly Father, let us always remember, in thankfulness, the temptations of our spiritual ancestors in the wilderness, and the deliverance that we witness in the pages of Scripture. Because of the deliverance from Sin & Death that Jesus wrought on the cross, His People no longer face the temptation they faced under that first covenant, let us forever thank Him for this deliverance, and Live eternally with an attitude of gratitude in daily Communion with our Heavenly Father and with His People, His Temple!
Amen & Amen!
Charles Haddon Shank
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Reflections on the Old World
How long will you gad about, O you backsliding daughter?
For the Lord has created a new thing in the earth— A woman shall encompass a man.”
(Jeremiah 31:22 NKJV)
At face value, we read that 'the Lord has created a new thing in the earth'. This comes with the context of 'a new covenant', 'not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt'. This was something different, something that had been in the Mind of our Heavenly Father since before Time began, but hidden to the eyes of man, a mystery!
You may well ask, 'what does He mean that 'A woman shall encompass a man'?' This question has no doubt been on the mind, at least for a little bit, of everyone over the ages who has stumbled upon this enigmatic phrase! For something to be encompassed, or compassed about ( surrounded ) could carry several connotations! To be surrounded by something, as in Revelation 20:9,we see that the saints of the Lord were besieged by the Enemy that surrounded them! However, in the Book of Job, as well as in Psalm 139:5, we read that the Lord surrounds His people with a 'hedge' of protection!
In context, Jeremiah 31 is the most famous revelation of the New Covenant in the Hebrew Scriptures that we have. The first part of this chapter in Jeremiah's revelation shows our Heavenly Father's Promise to Redeem & Restore His People, and throughout, but especially toward the end, He gradually unveils His New Covenant as the means by which He will accomplish the Salvation of Israel!
We should think immediately, when reading that 'A woman shall encompass a man', of the Wife of our Heavenly Father protecting His glory, much as an earthly ( human ) wife, a good one anyway, will defend her Godly husbands honor ( and life, if need be )! The apostle Paul wrote, in Ephesians 5:23, 'the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church'. Just as in this grand adventure that we call life; the Body of Christ protects the Head. Physically speaking, the body, when falling, will do almost anything to protect the head, and thus it is with the Spiritual Body, it will protect its Head at all costs!
That 'Old World' better known as the Old Covenant ( age ), was ready to pass away, according to the writer of Hebrews! With it would perish the elementary principles of that first 'world' ( II Peter 3 ), one of which was the earthly tabernacle, or Temple made with hands, where our Heavenly Father dwelt among His People. At the Consummation of the Ages, He would finally marry His people, and dwell with them, as One, in a New Temple, One not made with hands, but One of His own building!
This New Temple, which the Son of God prepared for His Dwelling, as described so mysteriously, yet plainly, in John 14, was His People, the Wife for which He had worked those many years! As His Wife, Israel, as the Body of Christ, the Church, we now encompass our Head, and surround Him with a protective barrier from the stain of dishonor!
Yes, as the Children of our Heavenly Father, we often fail to protect Him as we should, but glory be; He is our greater Protector! Though we are no longer children, and here I'm speaking of the corporate Body of Christ, not individually, we have matured to the point that we are fit to house the Holy Spirit in toto, we individually have a long way to go! We are not the protectors that we should be, maybe, but we are the Temple of the Holy Spirit, nonetheless!
Under that first covenant ( which might better be termed 'a betrothal contract' ) the children of God were mere reflectors of His Glory, they were, in essence, like the physical Moon, which orbits our planet, reflecting the smallest bit of the Sun's light on a sleeping world. In the New Covenant, as we are, we no longer reflect the Glory of our Heavenly Father onto and into a darkening, sleeping world; we, in essence are the Glory of our Heavenly Father, shining His ever-present and all-powerful Light into an awakening world, a world that is only dark because we have failed, corporately to shine His Light!
To the extent, however, that His people do shine, and have shone that Light, the effects have been that to transform that part of the world into 'Heaven on Earth'! Are there still dangers, yes! Do people still weep? Is there still biological death? Yes, to both of these and more, but as we continue to persevere in shining His Light into this Brave New World, we will gradually transform our 'world' into 'Heaven on Earth!
Biological death is a part of biological life! If we were meant to exist forever in these bodies that we now inhabit, our Heavenly Father would have constructed them quite differently! If there was no danger, there would be nothing to protect or be protected from! Some would say that if there was no Darkness, the Light would not shine; although this is true, the Light manifests itself best in the Dark, our Heavenly Father, who alone is immortal, will forever shine through His people, for we are His New Temple, where He has taken up Permanent Residence!
Glory Be!
.
Charles Haddon Shank
Bara'; the Creation of Covenant
And He said: “Behold, I make a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among whom you [ are ] shall see the work of the Lord.
Exodus 34:10
Traditionally, Genesis 1 & 2 refer to the creation of the known universe, or at least the physical globe on which we stand, and the Sun, Moon & Stars which give us Light. The fact that no planetary orbs besides the Earth, Sun & Moon are mentioned in the account should give us pause, first of all, because they are part of God's Creation, just like the others, and second, because if the Divine Author had meant to give us a physical cosmology lesson, He most certainly would have included them in this account. Obviously, He didn't think they were important enough to mention, although the writers of Scripture made numerous mentions of constellations and such. ( II Kings 23:5, Job 9:9, 38:31, Amos 5:8 ) Also, the Moon is spoken of as 'the lesser light' ( Genesis 1:16 ) Scientifically, we have discovered that the moon is not a light at all, but simply reflects the Sun's light!
Paying close attention to Gesenius' Hebrew/Chaldee Lexicon, we can see that the word translated 'create' or 'created', most often in Scripture, 'bara'' is tied very closely to the word most often translated 'covenant', 'bĕriyth'. The former word is also used to describe the cutting down of trees ( Joshua 17:15-18 ), filling oneself with the meat of sacrificial offerings ( I Samuel 2:29 ), choosing or appointing ( Ezekiel 21:19 ), and for literally slaying ( cutting ) with the sword ( Ezekiel 23:47 ).
As we have noted before, the Hebrew 'bara' literally means 'to cut, to carve out, to form by cutting'; on the other hand, 'bĕriyth', which itself formed from the root of the former word, means ' covenant ( from the idea of cutting )'.
The Cosmology of Creation
As we have also noted before, the phrase 'heavens and earth', in various iterations, is used throughout Scripture in a very peculiar way. While it seems most often to refer, especially with a presuppositional bias, to the physical elements of this world in which we live, but, particularly in the prophetic, or apocalyptic Scriptures, this phrase, in it's various iterations, is used in a uniquely literary way!
In Deuteronomy 32, for instance, as Moses is giving his farewell speech to the Israelites he refers to them as the 'heavens and earth.' The first chapter of Isaiah, almost word for word, echoes this admonition, and David, in Psalm 50, uses similar terminology to refer to His people, in one of many examples of what may be called Biblical Parallelism. Psalm 96 also contains this kind of literary genre to refer to His human creation. The Book of Isaiah is full of these references, with 13:13 announcing the coming judgment on Israel as a result of her unfaithfulness. 44:23 records another command like the previous ones in Deuteronomy 32 and Isaiah 1, except this time, in exultation of Her just judgment! 49:13 contains another such adjurement! In Isaiah 51:16, we find another example of that Biblical Parallelism, where our Heavenly Father refers to His special People as the 'heavens and earth'. Jeremiah 4:23 again echoes Genesis 1:1, where Israel is warned of imminent invasion & destruction. Finally, we find in Zechariah 12 yet another example of this literary style that David uses so well in his Psalms!
Previously, we have seen, that though there are these and more passages that speak of our Heavenly Father's Covenant Creation, there are those as well that seem as clearly to point to the physical creation, or speak of an earthly cosmology. It is clear that the Creator of Heaven & Earth made everything that is! The universe, which we have only begun to discover, is infinitely full of possibilities, and man will most likely never reach its limits!
This Is Our Father's World!
Heaven & Earth, while in a purely covenantal sense, refer to the creation of covenant ( relationship ) with His good creation, also refer to the relation between man & woman! In Joseph's second dream, recorded in Genesis 37:9 & 10, his father understood immediately that his son's dream of the Sun, Moon & Stars referred to himself, his wife, and his sons.
The Moon reflects the light of the Sun, and shines a mere modicum of its brilliance, its glory onto the inhabitants of the night-time world. This is a perfect picture of the glory of the old, or 'first' covenant! As the Moon, or the Betrothed of Yahweh in that first 'heavens and earth' ( II Peter 3:5-7 ) shone His Glory into a darkened world, so now the Son of God shines His Light in blessing on the Marriage of Heaven & Earth!
The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, says the Lord of hosts.
Haggai 2:9
For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house.
Hebrews 3:3
Paul wrote to the Church at Corinth ( II Corinthians 3:9 ) in reminder that, while 'the ministry of condemnation' was itself glorious, 'the ministry of righteousness' was much ( infinitely ) more so! The Creation of the Covenant had finally matured, and now would spread like the True Vine it was over all of God's good Creation! His Covenant would finally reach its Consummation; Heaven & Earth would become One, and, because of the Glory of His New Creation, there would be no need for the Sun or the Moon, for 'the glory[k] of God illuminated it. The Lamb [ is ] its light'!
As we Live & Love in this New Creation, let us forever celebrate the glorious fact that our Creator & Heavenly Father loved His Creation so much that He divested Himself of His Glory, took upon Himself the common clothing of man, and died for the sins of Man so that He could have a relationship with His Creation!
Let us forever enjoy, not only this infinitely glorious fact, but also the physical Creation that He has so graciously placed us in & among!
Charles Haddon Shank
Friday, March 21, 2014
Preterism; It's About Time ( TO GET OVER IT )
Enough already!
Yes, the long-awaited Parousia occurred, being finalized in the events including the destruction of the Jewish Temple in AD70, and the 'lat days' judgment, the 'coming on the clouds' that so many Old Testament saints prophesied ( Psalm 96:13, 98:9, Isaiah 26:20, 62:11, Jeremiah 9:25, 30:3, Ezekiel 39:8, Daniel 7:13, Joel 2, Micah 1, Zephaniah 1:15, Zechariah 2:10, 14:1, Malachi 3 & 4 ) Yes, that 'Day' came & went, along with it's accompanying blessings & cursings!
Probably the greatest controversy among preterists today, full or so-called partial ( futurist ), centers around the resurrection. 'Did it happen in AD70, and if so, where's the proof?' 'Was it an individual ( biological ), or corporate/corporeal ( spiritual ) event?' 'Jesus was raised physically, so must we be!' 'If we are partakers in the resurrection, then we do we still die, why do we still have pain; why do we still cry?'
The questions/speculations & debates are seemingly endless and it usually ends up feeling like you're beating a dead horse ( or being beaten with one )! Why do we proffer & suffer such abuse? Are we not all One Body; do we not all serve One Master? Do we not all have the same Father?
Well, you would think so, but just like many siblings, we each have our own agenda, we want things our way, and when things don't go our way, we're not happy!
Many 'preterists' out there are looking for something new; something that no one has thought of before ( 'there is nothing new under the Sun' ), and when they believe they've found it, they want to make it their own, and selfishly tell others that they can't use it without their consent ( 'It's mine, my own, my precious' ) by copyrighting it or simply giving it their name. Sometimes they simply want the recognition and '15 minutes of fame' ( did you know that when you point your finger at someone, four more are pointing back at you?? )
The point is, all this arguing debating seems to serve no other purpose than to puff some up and put others down! 'Well, he/she believes this or that, yet doesn't believe this or that; how inconsistent is that ( what a dumbass! )?!' 'They just don't see it!' Well, they will continue to be inconsistent, and fail to see it, as long as they fail to see in you the applications of the implications! If they see that, for all your superior knowledge & wisdom that you are, after all, no less a dumbass than they are, then why should they bother themselves to switch gears and try a paradigm shift? Especially when a paradigm shift will most likely bring nothing but pain & heart-ache; on top of that, the loss of livelihood is very likely, along with broken relationships of all sorts!
If, however, we as believers in a fulfilled eschatology would begin to make more application of the implications, instead of fighting like cats & dogs over what exactly those implications themselves imply, then maybe we would have more of a positive, rather than negative effect on our 'world! Trust me, we are having an effect on the world around us, but it's not always a good, or positive one, especially with all of our bickering & dickering!
Okay, the People of God have been Resurrected; as Jesus told Martha, just before He symbolically raised her brother from the dead, 'whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die'. Whether you believe that Lazarus is alive today or not, this is what Jesus told Martha, and she believed Him! Does it matter whether or not one believes that we are in Eternity now, or that we don't enter Eternity until we exit this biological body ( gnosticism? ) Does it matter whether we have been or will be resurrected individual or as a corporate Body?
'Is this all we have to live for; is this all there is?'
In a manner of speaking, this is all we have to live for! But oh ( heavenly chorus ), what a Life! Yes, we still have aches, we still have pain, our biological bodies still perish, and when they do, there are plenty of tears to go around! Jesus said though, that we will never die, and that if we believe in Him, and trust the Wisdom from Above, that we will never lack any good thing! We are a New Creation; in Communion with our Heavenly Father, we have everything we need, both for our physical & spiritual existence!
Why do we have to make Life harder and more complicated than it really is? Can't we all just get along? Can't we all Love without believing the same things? Even if we don't see our Father, Mother, Sisters, and Brothers in the same Light ( and we're not going to, that's what makes Life interesting ), we can still Love each other, like the siblings we are, and Live the Life that we have been given!
Live & Let Live is a good motto to live by! If there was more Living, there would be less Dying ( metaphorically speaking, anyway )! It has been proven over and over that a person who has more to Live for will usually have more of a spirit for fight physical ailments ( it's not all in our heads, but a greater part of it is ) The choices we make have a great ( positive or negative ) effect on our biological bodies as well. Good choices coupled with a positive attitude most often lead to a longer physical existence, whereas poor choices along with a poor attitude most often lead to a shorter time on this earth!
If we believe that we are partakers in the Resurrection, then let's Live like it! Since we are a New Creation, let's Live like it! 'Old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new'; why are we still tearing at each other, dragging each other down, refusing the Communion that our Father has blessed us with, and scrambling for every last scrap we can call our own?
Let's stop debating and start Living! If we want to get together every so often for some good Fellowship & Communion, let's take over the local bar, throw back several tall, cold ones ( or warm ones, as the case may be ), or just go for a good long or short retreat in the beautiful mountains of Montana!
Other than that, let's just live in application of the implications! Let's take the principles of fulfillment ( preterism ) and apply them ( consistently ) to every area of our lives! Doing this will have a much better, positive & lasting effect on our Lives and the Lives with which we come in contact every day!
Amen; let it be!
Charles Haddon Shank
Yes, the long-awaited Parousia occurred, being finalized in the events including the destruction of the Jewish Temple in AD70, and the 'lat days' judgment, the 'coming on the clouds' that so many Old Testament saints prophesied ( Psalm 96:13, 98:9, Isaiah 26:20, 62:11, Jeremiah 9:25, 30:3, Ezekiel 39:8, Daniel 7:13, Joel 2, Micah 1, Zephaniah 1:15, Zechariah 2:10, 14:1, Malachi 3 & 4 ) Yes, that 'Day' came & went, along with it's accompanying blessings & cursings!
Probably the greatest controversy among preterists today, full or so-called partial ( futurist ), centers around the resurrection. 'Did it happen in AD70, and if so, where's the proof?' 'Was it an individual ( biological ), or corporate/corporeal ( spiritual ) event?' 'Jesus was raised physically, so must we be!' 'If we are partakers in the resurrection, then we do we still die, why do we still have pain; why do we still cry?'
The questions/speculations & debates are seemingly endless and it usually ends up feeling like you're beating a dead horse ( or being beaten with one )! Why do we proffer & suffer such abuse? Are we not all One Body; do we not all serve One Master? Do we not all have the same Father?
Well, you would think so, but just like many siblings, we each have our own agenda, we want things our way, and when things don't go our way, we're not happy!
Many 'preterists' out there are looking for something new; something that no one has thought of before ( 'there is nothing new under the Sun' ), and when they believe they've found it, they want to make it their own, and selfishly tell others that they can't use it without their consent ( 'It's mine, my own, my precious' ) by copyrighting it or simply giving it their name. Sometimes they simply want the recognition and '15 minutes of fame' ( did you know that when you point your finger at someone, four more are pointing back at you?? )
The point is, all this arguing debating seems to serve no other purpose than to puff some up and put others down! 'Well, he/she believes this or that, yet doesn't believe this or that; how inconsistent is that ( what a dumbass! )?!' 'They just don't see it!' Well, they will continue to be inconsistent, and fail to see it, as long as they fail to see in you the applications of the implications! If they see that, for all your superior knowledge & wisdom that you are, after all, no less a dumbass than they are, then why should they bother themselves to switch gears and try a paradigm shift? Especially when a paradigm shift will most likely bring nothing but pain & heart-ache; on top of that, the loss of livelihood is very likely, along with broken relationships of all sorts!
If, however, we as believers in a fulfilled eschatology would begin to make more application of the implications, instead of fighting like cats & dogs over what exactly those implications themselves imply, then maybe we would have more of a positive, rather than negative effect on our 'world! Trust me, we are having an effect on the world around us, but it's not always a good, or positive one, especially with all of our bickering & dickering!
Okay, the People of God have been Resurrected; as Jesus told Martha, just before He symbolically raised her brother from the dead, 'whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die'. Whether you believe that Lazarus is alive today or not, this is what Jesus told Martha, and she believed Him! Does it matter whether or not one believes that we are in Eternity now, or that we don't enter Eternity until we exit this biological body ( gnosticism? ) Does it matter whether we have been or will be resurrected individual or as a corporate Body?
'Is this all we have to live for; is this all there is?'
In a manner of speaking, this is all we have to live for! But oh ( heavenly chorus ), what a Life! Yes, we still have aches, we still have pain, our biological bodies still perish, and when they do, there are plenty of tears to go around! Jesus said though, that we will never die, and that if we believe in Him, and trust the Wisdom from Above, that we will never lack any good thing! We are a New Creation; in Communion with our Heavenly Father, we have everything we need, both for our physical & spiritual existence!
Why do we have to make Life harder and more complicated than it really is? Can't we all just get along? Can't we all Love without believing the same things? Even if we don't see our Father, Mother, Sisters, and Brothers in the same Light ( and we're not going to, that's what makes Life interesting ), we can still Love each other, like the siblings we are, and Live the Life that we have been given!
Live & Let Live is a good motto to live by! If there was more Living, there would be less Dying ( metaphorically speaking, anyway )! It has been proven over and over that a person who has more to Live for will usually have more of a spirit for fight physical ailments ( it's not all in our heads, but a greater part of it is ) The choices we make have a great ( positive or negative ) effect on our biological bodies as well. Good choices coupled with a positive attitude most often lead to a longer physical existence, whereas poor choices along with a poor attitude most often lead to a shorter time on this earth!
If we believe that we are partakers in the Resurrection, then let's Live like it! Since we are a New Creation, let's Live like it! 'Old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new'; why are we still tearing at each other, dragging each other down, refusing the Communion that our Father has blessed us with, and scrambling for every last scrap we can call our own?
Let's stop debating and start Living! If we want to get together every so often for some good Fellowship & Communion, let's take over the local bar, throw back several tall, cold ones ( or warm ones, as the case may be ), or just go for a good long or short retreat in the beautiful mountains of Montana!
Other than that, let's just live in application of the implications! Let's take the principles of fulfillment ( preterism ) and apply them ( consistently ) to every area of our lives! Doing this will have a much better, positive & lasting effect on our Lives and the Lives with which we come in contact every day!
Amen; let it be!
Charles Haddon Shank
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