Overflowing with Hope – Part 2    05.2009

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope… May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Rom 15:4,13

God is the God of hope. The purpose of the Scriptures that he has inspired, is to give us hope. God wants us to overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Hope can be defined as "a good expectation of the future". Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary defines hope as "a confident feeling about what will happen in the future." This is what God wants for us.

Last week we mentioned that much of traditional eschatology, like the enormously popular "Left Behind"-series, has tended to produce fear instead of hope. We can be sure that God is not behind this. Much teaching about the end times has tended to magnify the devil, instead of getting people to rejoice and be in awe about the coming of the Messiah in power and great glory. The focus has been wrong. It is time to restore the biblical hope!

We must remember that Yeshua is the one who has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. He has received the promise from the Father,

Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery. Ps 2:8-9

The same thing is explained by Daniel in his interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream.

In the time of those kings [the final beast empire], the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands — a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces. Dan 2:44-45

What is important to understand, is that not only has Yeshua been given this promise, but those who overcome by being obedient and faithful to him will also rule the nations together with him!

To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations — 'He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery' – just as I have received authority from my Father. Rev 2:26-27

Notice here that we must first be faithful to the end. Even though we already now partake of the powers of the age to come (Heb 6:4-5), we only receive a down payment in this life, and we will not rule the nations until the resurrection, when Messiah comes. This is extremely important to understand! We have not been called to take over this world. We have been called to inherit the earth when Yeshua returns. There is a huge difference between the two. Nevertheless, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:2 that the saints are destined to judge the world. This is our calling and destiny.

It is true that the end times will be difficult. Yeshua compares this season to a woman giving birth. "All these are the beginning of birth pains." (Matt 24:8) Yet, the focus of a pregnant woman is normally not on the difficulty of the birth, but on the new baby to be born. So it should be with us. The world to come, "the messianic rebirth of the world" (Mt 19:28 The Amplified Bible), is our hope. This is what we should be looking forward to.

And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. Rom 5:5

Our Heavenly Homes

Someone commented on last week's teaching by asking, "What about Yeshua's words in John 14:1-3 that he is going away to prepare a place for us? Aren't we going to heaven?" Before we go on with our teaching, we need to deal with this important question first.

Let us look at what Yeshua says,

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

The word translated in the NIV Bible as "rooms" in verse 2, is translated as "mansions" in the King James Bible. Numerous songs have been written about our mansions in the sky. The Greek word used here means, "a staying, i.e. a residence, a dwelling or an abode."

In order to understand this, we need to understand that the Bible refers to our present physical body as an earthly house or tent. Peter says in 2 Peter 1:13-14, "I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me." Paul uses the same comparison,

Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 2 Cor 5:1-5

Here we see clearly that our mortal body is called a tent. It is contrasted with our heavenly dwelling. Paul says that he does not wish to be unclothed, i. e. for his physical body to die and his spirit depart to heaven. He is rather eager to be clothed right away with his heavenly dwelling instead of his earthly tent "so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life". Paul uses the same language in 1 Corinthians 15 regarding the resurrection.

Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed — in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." 1 Cor 15:51-54

The eternal homes in heaven that Yeshua went to prepare for us are our resurrected bodies. Yeshua is the firstborn from the dead, securing our resurrection also. We shall receive our glorified bodies when he comes.

But now Messiah has been raised from the dead. He became the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since death came by man, the resurrection of the dead also came by man. For as in Adam all die, so also in Messiah all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Messiah the first fruits, then those who are Messiah’s, at his coming. 1 Cor 15:20-23 (HNV)

Notice that the resurrection of our bodies, the receiving of our heavenly homes, does not take place when we die, but when the Messiah comes. Well known Bible teacher David Pawson explains this in his book When Jesus Returns,

Why could we not receive our new bodies in heaven? For that matter, why do we have to wait until we receive new bodies together, all at once? Why not at the moment each of us dies?

The answer is really quite simple: we don't need bodies in heaven, but we do on earth. Heaven is a place for spirit-beings. 'God is spirit' (Jn 4:24). The angels surrounding his throne are 'ministering spirits' (Heb 1:14). 'The heavenly Jerusalem' is crowded with 'the spirits of righteous men' (Heb 12:23).

However, when heavenly beings come to earth they need bodies. The Son of God had to be incarnate – 'a body you prepared for me' (Heb 10:5). Angels have to assume human form (Gen 18:2; 19:1; cf. Heb 13:2)… To operate in this physical world, a physical body is needed.

The implications are profound. If the 'saints' of all ages receive new bodies down here, that surely indicates that they are being fitted for continued life on earth rather than in heaven.1

Paul asks the Corinthians, "Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?" (1 Cor 6:2) Paul's questions to Gentile believers are usually much needed, still to this day. We need to be reminded of the promise of Yeshua, "To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations." (Rev 2:26) Hear the new song of the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders before the Lamb,

"You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth." Rev 5:9-10

Hope for this World

As we mentioned last week, fear and worship of God as the Creator of everything is part of the eternal gospel that will be preached in the end times.

Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth — to every nation, tribe, language and people. He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water." Rev 14:6-7

The coming of the Messiah is connected with "the regeneration of all things," or as it is expressed in the Amplified version, "the messianic rebirth of the world" (Mt 19:28). Paul expressed it in the following way,

The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. Rom 8:19-21

This is why the coming of the Messiah is connected in numerous passages with a rejoicing in all of creation,

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy; they will sing before the LORD, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his truth. Ps 96:11-13

Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; let them sing before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity. Ps 98:7-9

Sing for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done this; shout aloud, O earth beneath. Burst into song, you mountains, you forests and all your trees, for the LORD has redeemed Jacob, he displays his glory in Israel. Isa 44:23

Especially Jerusalem will rejoice.

Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the LORD has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. The LORD will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God. Isa 52:9-10

"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 forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more. Isa 65:17-19

Why be so focused on the antichrist's comparatively small power for a brief moment, when we are supposed to look forward to this awesome transformation with new heavens and a new earth at the coming of the Messiah? No, when the shakings increase all around us, then it is time to rejoice in hope, knowing that the birthing of the coming age is here.

On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken… When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." Luke 21:25-28

One reason that there is so much terror and fear among so many Christians concerning the end times, the antichrist and the tribulation period that they just want to escape, is clearly because we have lost our hope! People neither know what God is doing, nor where they are going. How can they then have any hope? "my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge." (Hos 4:6)

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Rom 15:4

And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 2 Peter 1:19

How urgently true biblical hope must be restored among God's people today! We must heed the prophetic word in the Scriptures. We will not make it in days ahead without it.

 

"Prepare the Way for the LORD"