NORTHERN STYLE NEWSWATCH 9
CREDO` A set of opinions on a Scriptural subject '
As the distressing news of the events unfolding in Israel during the lastmonth of the so-called Millennium Year continued, we were clearing out some old files andour eyes weredrawn to a transcript of an audio tape we heard several years ago. It wasmade followingthe taking back of the Old City of Jerusalem by the Israeli forces duringthe 1967 war. Theaudio tape was composed of Psalms and verses of Scripture sung in Hebrew andEnglish, andoverlaid onto them were the actual voices of the Israeli soldiers speakinginto their intercomtelephones in great excitement as they advanced into the Old City. Thewords, even allowingfor the crackling and background noises, were very clear and charged withemotion:

"The soldiers are standing very close to the walls. We are marching now on the Via Delarosa. Do you understand this? . . . the Old City . . . we are again withinthe Old City! Al Aska Mosque . . . under the ruling of the Mandate we could notenter here. One moment . . . Straight ahead is the Wailing Wall. Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah! It is hard to express in words our feelings. On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen. The shofah sounds! "

Now, sadly, some thirty years later, we find the politicians, supported bymany of thepopulation, are prepared to give away what was won at such a cost in orderto secure`peace' with a people who are sworn to totally annihilate the nation ofIsrael - a seeminglyincomprehensible affair, unless we turn to Scripture for an answer!

As has often been said, the nation of Israel and the Christian Church arejoined together ona parallel journey, through the New Covenant, as spoken of by Jeremiah, withbelievingGentiles grafted into the Olive Tree (which is Israel) and drawing lifefrom the nourishingsap of the root (the Covenant made by God to Abraham). We therefore find aparallel thatduring the 1960's the Spirit of God moved powerfully through the Church,bringing new lifeas it too gained `new ground' in its Kingdom life. If, therefore, we alsounderstand thatthe Church and Israel are journeying together now through a fourty yearProbation Period- which began in 1967, during which time the testing of their character isbeing outworked,with both moving into a deepening apostacy - we can therefore Scripturallyunderstand thedistressing events we see unfolding both in the land of Israel and the`land ' of the Church.However, if we leave these events at this point we will not see the Hand ofGod outworkingHis will and purpose. With these thoughts in mind we will turn to certainchapters in theBook of Isaiah.

We have mentioned before that much revelation can be seen in the structureof the booksof the Bible, which in no way distracts from the message in the actualwording; rather, itemphasizes and confirms what is being spoken. Earlier we have seen that theBook of Isaiahis one complete vision, given to Judah and Jerusalem over a lengthy periodduring the reignsof `Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah'. We can thereforelegitimately`break into' the Book of Isaiah and, provided we keep within the historicaland propheticcontent, seek the principle of what God was saying at that time and thenapply it to our owntime. And so in this Credo (a set of opinions on a Scriptural subject) wewould break intoand look at chapters 60 through 66, which are clearly speaking of the endperiod of `thevision cencerning Judah and Jerusalem'.

In the light of the opening verses of chapter 60, who could doubt thecertainty of the comingascendancy of the nation of Israel regardless of what we now see happening:

" Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. "

Who can doubt the certainty that the Gentile nations will acknowledge this?

" The wealth of the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come. "

And as we move into chapter 61 who can doubt that the coming ascendancy ofIsrael is tiedin inextricably with the Person of Israel's Messiah?

" The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. "

There is, however, within this glorious certainty the beginnings of how weshall see thiscoming ascendancy come to pass. With our knowledge of what is recorded inthe Gospelof Luke - where Jesus stood up in the synagogue and read from the scrollof the ProphetIsaiah - we know that Jesus stopped at the point of proclaiming the yearof the LORD'sfavour. But here, as we continue with the words of chapter 61, we read moreof the wordsspoken by the prophet: `. . . . and the Day of vengeance of our God . . .'(v 2a).Nevertheless, as Isaiah continues through chapter 62 the prophecy stillspeaks in the contextof Israel's coming ascendancy: (Isaiah 62:1-2a)

" For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet, until her righteousness shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like a burning torch. The nations will see your righteousness, and all the kings your glory. "

As we move into chapter 63 we begin to see the reason why Jesus, as theMessiah of Israel,stopped where He did when reading from the scroll of Isaiah, for `the Dayof vengeance ofour God' was for an appointed time which, at that point, had not come. Inthis chapterIsaiah, looking forward to that `Day of the vengeance of our God'questions: (63:1)

" Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah with garments stained crimson; Who is this, robed in splendour, striding forth in the greatness ofHis strength? ` It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save'. "

Isaiah, looking forward under the spirit of prophecy, saw the coming finalbattle whichwould bring in the Kingdom of God in the land of Israel, which would fulfillthe earlier wordspoken concerning the LORD's ancient covenanted people: (Isaiah 60:1)

" Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. "

However, these chapters are closely linked in historical time and physicalpain and distress,for as Isaiah continues we read: (Isaiah 63:15-17 and 64:1; 5; 6b; 9)

" Look down from heaven and see . . . . . . . . But You are our Father . . . . . . . . . Why, O LORD do You make us wander from Your ways . . . . Oh, that You would rend the heavens and come down . . . . . . You come to the help of those who gladly do right . . . . . . . we all shrivel up like a leaf and like the wind our sins sweep usaway . . . Do not be angry beyond measure, O LORD . . . . "

But it is only after that terrible purging that we understand its purpose -that the cries ofthe LORD's people are heard and answered, and that within the LORD'spurposes not onlyJews but Gentiles also are included in His plan of salvation!

Earlier Moses had sung of this truth, although perhaps it had been `hidden'in the nation'sself-righteous heart for many long centuries: (Deuteronomy 32 in part)

" Listen, O heavens, and I will speak; hear, O earth, the words of my mouth . . . . You deserted the Rock, who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth . . . . . I will make them envious by those who are not a people; I will make them angry by a nation that has no understanding. "

The Apostle Paul also understood God's purpose, for in writing his Letter tothe Romans hequoted the Song of Moses and linked it into the words spoken by Isaiah.Once this had beenunderstood Isaiah continues with God's fulness of the coming salvation forall who trust inHis faithfulness: (Isaiah 65:17-18)

" Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice for ever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. "

And in the concluding chapter we read once again of the certainty ofIsrael's redemption andsalvation: (Isaiah 66:10 and 22)

" Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice greatly with her all you who mourn over her . . . . . . . As the new heaven and the new earth that I make will endure beforeMe, declares the LORD, so will your name and descendants endure. "

There can be no doubt that any part of Scripture may legitimately be takenfor personalmeditation and direction, but, equally, there must never be any doubt thatScripture shouldalways be kept within the historical setting in which it was spoken, andthen, under theinspiration of the Holy Spirit, taken beyond into its ultimate fulfillmentIt is this propheticelement which takes Scripture into the spiritual realm and makes it uniqueand distinct fromall other works of man's mind and efforts: `For all Scripture is Godbreathed'. With thatin mind we need to bring together these six chapters of the Book of Isaiah,which are clearlyset in the times of the Last Days of this Dispensation of Grace, and seekthe message seenin the contextual and structural setting in which it rests. Then, too, weshall be able to`rest' as we see and understand that God is now directly intervening(rather than `workingin', as in past times) in the affairs of mankind to bring togetherIsrael's and the Church'ssure and certain hope. With this background we can see a repeatingprinciple of God'sdealing with His people - and it is a principle that constantly repeatsitself in Scripture -lest we fall into unsubstantiated opinions of man!

Within the chapters at the end of Isaiah's prophecy we clearly see theprinciple of thepromise of Restoration, which has built into it the certainty of Judgementbefore thefulfillment of the Restoration. Always within the Scriptural principleRestoration preceedsJudgement, but within that Judgement is built the certainty of theRestoration that God haspromised for all His people. Those of His people who are speaking of`Revival' need toheed this principle. Likewise, those latter-day `prophets' who speak ofjudgement, if theyare truly God-appointed, will speak also of the fulness of God's revival -His Restoration,which is sure and certain! As we have set out many times before, there isclear Scripturalevidence of a fourty-year Probation Period which commenced in the mid960's - whichwas clearly experienced in the Church and in Israel's taking of the Old Cityin the `1967War'. But as this Probation Period (the testing of the people's character)progressed intime, we have experienced an alarming slide into apostacy - seen in theso-called `PeaceTalks' in Israel as they gave away more and more land and made more andmoreconcessions to a people sworn to Israel's destruction. The Scripturalprinciple of Restorationpreceeding Judgement - which leads to God's Complete Restoration - canbe seen verydramatically in the events that are reported in the secular news mediadaily. The Restorationthat was given was a glorious reality . . . and the Judgement which laywithin thatRestoration is now evident . . . but the fulness of that final Restorationis also certain - andit is that Restoration to which the prophet looked and rejoiced. `The LORDdeclares': (Isaiah66:22-23)

" As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure beforeMe, so will your name and descendants endure. From one New Moon to another, and fromone Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me. "

In drawing together this Credo - this set of opinions on a (Scriptural)subject - we wouldbriefly look at this Scriptural principle of Restoration preceedingJudgement leading toRestoration in the concluding verses of the Book of Malachi. We know, ofcourse, thatMalachi is one of the Twelve Books of the Minor Prophets, which are seen inthe HebrewScriptures as one complete Book, thereby speaking to the whole of the twelvetribes of Israel,but also speaking in the governmental authority of God (seen in the number`12'). We alsoknow that with the ending of this prophetic book there was a silence of fourhundred years,during which time no word of God came to the nation of Israel. This isknown in Rabbinicalcircles as The Great Probation - a period of ten fourty-year ProbationPeriods, culminatingin the voice of John the Baptist announcing Restoration, the Kingdom of Godhad come,which preceded Judgement but left Israel with the certainty of a futureRestoration:

Malachi 4:1-2
" For surely the Day is coming which will burn like a furnace . . . .says the LORD of Hosts . . . . But for you who revere My Name the Sun of Righteousnessshall rise, with healing in His wings . . . . "

The Jewish people would understand the fulness of the Judgement to come andalso theRestoration that would surely follow. On the last of the great `Feasts ofLeviticus', oneof the three that all Jews were commanded to attend - the Feast ofTabernacles, when theylooked to the time when God would tabernacle amongst His people - it wasthe custom thatthe doors of the Temple would be opened up to greet the sun as it rose inthe east. As it didso it flooded the inside of the Temple with light, lighting up in a blaze ofglory the GreatMennorah, the Tree of Life, revealing the Glory of God again tabernaclingwith His peoplein the Messianic Kingdom of God, on Mount Zion in the city of Jerusalem . .. the Sonrising with healing in His wings, `and you will go out and leap about likecalves releasedfrom the stall'. Malachi exhorts his people: (4:4)

" Remember the Law of My servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave himat Horeb for all Israel. "

This leads us back into Deuteronomy: (Deuteronomy 1:6)

" The LORD our God said to us at Horeb: `You have stayed long enoughat this mountain. Break camp . . . . "

It was to be a fourty-year journey to the Promised Land . . . a RestorationpreceedingJudgement which led to the crossing of the River Jordan. Malachi, God'smessenger (forthat is what his name means) gave God's final word for all to pay heed to!And so we waitfor that full and final Restoration, which will come out of the Judgementto be outworkedin our time: (Malachi 4:5)

" See, I will send you Elijah the prophet before that great andterrible Day of the LORD comes . . . "

We hear these words echoed in the words of Jesus on the Mount ofTransfiguration: `to besure, Elijah shall first come and will restore all things'.

Our eyes and hearts should not now be dwelling on the apostacy . . notlooking for the Manof Sin . . . not looking for a New World Government . . . but we should belooking andlonging for His appearing, `the Son of Righteousness with healing in HisWings'! For Hewill come following the Judgement which follows the Restoration at thebeginning of thefourty-year Probation Period we have entered into. As always Scripture hasGod's `breath'in it and confirms itself. It is seen in the historical fact that Malachi,God's messenger,`spoke' the Word of God thirty years after the great Restoration wroughtthrough Nehemiahand Ezra, leaving ten years for the Judgement to follow to complete theProbation Period offourty years. Those who understand the revelation seen in the Seven Feastsof Leviticus willrecall that the last three of these Feasts, although they are fulfilled inthe finished work ofJesus, still wait to be finally outworked. The Feast of Trumpets, with itscall to repentance,through the sounding of the Shofar, leads through to the Awesome Days and tothe Feast ofAtonement (ten days in all) which leads on to the Feast of Tabernacles -God dwellingamongst His people in the kingdom of God.

This Credo, this set of opinions on a Scriptural subject, began with thesounding of theShofar and the recording of the soldiers' words as Israel was `restored'to the City ofJerusalem. It finishes with the certainty that a spiritual Shofar wassounded thirty years laterand we are now in a period of a foreshadowing of the Awesome Days, whichwill lead toa total and glorious Restoration for all of God's people!

January 2001

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