The Word of God - A Survey of the Bible - Part Eleven - B Aug 12, 2018 by: John Herbert | Series: The Word of God - A Survey of the Bible Audio Study Notes PDF https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/T020_20180812.mp3 Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Isa 43:10 "You are My witnesses," says the LORD, "And My servant whom I have chosen, Today we will look at Israel's calling. The full text of this message, with the accompanying Power Point, can be found by clicking the PDF button. Sunday August 12th 2018 The Word of God A Survey of the Bible – Part 11B ‘Men and Brethren, What Shall We Do?’ Power Point - Slide 1 1). Isa 43:10 "You are My witnesses," says the LORD, "And My servant whom I have chosen, That you may know and believe Me, And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me. 11 I, even I, am the LORD, And besides Me there is no savior. 12 I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed, And there was no foreign god among you; Therefore you are My witnesses," Says the LORD, "that I am God. We had seen last time that the nation of Israel had been brought into existence as a unique creation in Jacob to replace Satan and his angels as rulers over the Gentile nations of the earth from the heavenly realm of the Kingdom. a). And hand in hand with this is the nation’s calling that we have just read about in Isaiah, a calling to be God’s witnesses to the Gentile nations, proclaiming to them a message concerning the King who would be seated on David’s throne in Jerusalem and His own throne in the Heavens and His Kingdom, the change of rulership which would then be in effect – thereby witnessing to the fact, ‘that I am God’. b). This would also bring to fulfillment the promise given to Abraham that through his descendants all the nations of the earth would be blessed. c). And then Israel’s calling to be God’s witnesses to the Gentile nations is presented through the type of the prophet Jonah where the entire history of the Jewish people with respect to this calling is set out – Jon 1:1 ¶ Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me." Nineveh, as we saw last time, is used to represent all the Gentile nations and Jonah forms a type of the nation of Israel – And the command given to Jonah, ‘Arise, go to Nineveh…’ is the same calling that we find in Isaiah Chapter 43, to be God’s witnesses – to witness to Nineveh that which God had said. d). But, Jonah, picturing Israel, refused to fulfill the Lord’s calling – Jon 1:3 But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. Isa 1:4 Alas, sinful nation, A people laden with iniquity, A brood of evildoers, Children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the LORD, They have provoked to anger The Holy One of Israel, They have turned away backward. And failing to fulfill God’s purpose for them has dire consequences, again seen through the type of Jonah - Jon 1:4 ¶ But the LORD sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up…………14 Therefore they cried out to the LORD and said, "We pray, O LORD, please do not let us perish for this man's life, and do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O LORD, have done as it pleased You." 15 So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the LORD and took vows. 17 Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. The symbolism of the tempestuous, raging sea, points us to the Gentile nations in turmoil, a turmoil that is only quieted when Israel is cast out amongst them, seen through Jonah being cast into the sea with the great fish picturing the place of death in which Israel finds itself even today. e). Now the picture given of Jonah cast into the sea can be seen in the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities where the Jews were taken from their land into these Gentile nations for the purpose of bringing Israel to national repentance. And as we know the picture from Jonah of being cast into the sea will be fulfilled at the mid-point in the Tribulation. f). But, national repentance at the time of the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities was not forthcoming – but, that national repentance would be forthcoming at a time in Israel’s future is seen again through the type of Jonah - Jon 2:1 ¶ Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the fish's belly. 2 And he said: "I cried out to the LORD because of my affliction, And He answered me. "Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, And You heard my voice. 3 For You cast me into the deep, Into the heart of the seas, And the floods surrounded me; All Your billows and Your waves passed over me. 4 Then I said, 'I have been cast out of Your sight; Yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.' 5 The waters surrounded me, even to my soul; The deep closed around me; Weeds were wrapped around my head. 6 I went down to the moorings of the mountains; The earth with its bars closed behind me forever; Yet You have brought up my life from the pit, O LORD, my God. 7 "When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the LORD; And my prayer went up to You, Into Your holy temple. 8 "Those who regard worthless idols Forsake their own Mercy. 9 But I will sacrifice to You With the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD." 10 ¶ So the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land. This is how the matter is presented through Jonah, and if we compare scripture with scripture, going back to Isaiah Chapter 43 we can see that God’s calling of the nation to be His witnesses, which we read earlier, is given within the context of the nation having been delivered and restored, with national repentance having taken place but not specifically addressed in these verses themselves - Isa 43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. 3 For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. 4 Since you were precious in My sight, You have been honored, And I have loved you; Therefore I will give men for you, And people for your life. 5 Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east, And gather you from the west; 6 I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' And to the south, 'Do not keep them back!' Bring My sons from afar, And My daughters from the ends of the earth- 7 Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him." 8 ¶ Bring out the blind people who have eyes, And the deaf who have ears…………10 "You are My witnesses," says the LORD, "And My servant whom I have chosen, And so, here in Isaiah national repentance is prophetically pictured through a restored nation. And these 2 things together, national repentance and a restored nation look prophetically to the establishment of the Kingdom – And national repentance seen through the type of Jonah shows us the fulfillment of God’s calling of the nation, which must follow the establishment of the Kingdom - Jon 3:1 ¶ Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you." 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent. 4 And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day's walk. Then he cried out and said, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" 5 ¶ So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. Jonah, having repented and having been delivered from the place of death, then ‘arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord’ which came to him a second time – here then is the picture of Israel yet future in faithful obedience – and the message Jonah took was a simple one, ‘Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!’ g). And upon hearing Jonah’s message ‘the people of Nineveh believed God’, ‘from the greatest to the least of them’. h). And we might note that Jonah’s message to Gentile Nineveh is not a message concerning death and shed blood, it’s not a message about eternal salvation, but a message about a change in rulership – and this is what those in Nineveh believed. i). There is no mention of the Kingdom being established through the type of Jonah, that we get from elsewhere in the scriptures – here a little and there a little, putting it all together. Power Point – Slide 2 2). So, if we summarize for a moment – if Israel would come to national repentance as a result of being scattered among the Gentile nations, cleansing and restoration would take place, the Kingdom, both earthly and heavenly would be established and Israel would fulfill their national calling to go to the Gentile nations as God’s witnesses of the King and His Kingdom. a). With this in mind let’s remember that Israel was still dispersed among the nations at the time of the Lord’s first advent and although many were back in the land they were there under Roman dominion and persecution, the Gentile world power of the day - Mt 3:1 ¶ In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, "Repent [all of you], for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.'" 4 And John himself was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him 6 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. And so, as we come to the Gospels we find John the Baptist calling the nation to repentance with a view to a change in rulership taking place as the King was in their midst and the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand. a). And had national repentance been forthcoming – repent all of you – the King would have established His Kingdom and Israel would have fulfilled her national calling as seen through the type in Jonah and prophesied in Isaiah, bringing to fulfillment the promises given to Abraham. I hope we can see in this the continuity from Isaiah Chapter 43 and Jonah into the time of the Lord’s first advent. Power Point – Slide 2 [again] b). However, national repentance is not what took place at the Lord’s first advent with the nation again following the type given through Jonah, trying to flee, in a figurative sense, from the presence of the Lord – Joh 19:15 But they cried out, "Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar!" And hand in hand with the rejection of their King was the rejection of the Kingdom He had offered them with the promise of dire consequences for Israel because of their actions - Mt 21:42 Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: 'The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD'S doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes'? 43 "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. But, as we have also seen, the Lord’s death, burial and resurrection had been foretold throughout the OT scriptures as the Lord said in Luke Chapter 24 and was therefore absolutely essential and never in doubt, confirmed by what we read in – Re 13:8b…………the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. c). So let’s go back to the types for a moment to see something - Joseph had been rejected by his brothers and it was only when they came together again following that rejection, with Joseph having been presumed to be dead but now ruler over all of Egypt that the brothers repented of their actions and went out from Joseph’s presence with the message- Ge 45:26 And they told him, saying, "Joseph is still alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt." d). Likewise, Moses had been rejected by his brothers - Ex 2:14 Then he said, "Who made you a prince and a judge over us?......... And it was only when they came together again following that rejection that deliverance from Egypt occurred and the Theocracy was established. e). And so, the Lord at His first advent had been rejected by His ‘brothers’, the nation of Israel, just as we see in the types – then, following the Lord’s resurrection and ascension the opportunity for Him to return a second time was now possible with that seen in the types of Joseph and Moses awaiting His return. f). Not only this, but the Christ is also Israel’s Passover Lamb and as such, as we have already seen, the Lamb had to be slain and not exclusively because of issues surrounding the death of the firstborn, but also because of issues surrounding the Kingdom - Mt 26:28 "For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. Although the Lord had come to Israel as their King He could not have become their High Priest as He was not from the tribe of Levi - Heb 7:12 For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law. 13 For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. Jer 31:31 "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah- And for this new covenant to be made with a repentant and restored Israel with a view to the establishment of the Millennial Kingdom the death and shed blood of the Passover Lamb is necessary - Heb 9:15 ¶ And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. Heb 7:17 For He testifies: "You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek." Following the Lord’s resurrection, the circumstances that would allow for the inauguration of the new covenant bringing about a change in the priesthood were now in place – all that was required of the nation of Israel was national repentance. Power Point – Slide 3 3). And it is within this overall context that we find the Lord commissioning His disciples and teaching them things pertaining to the Kingdom of God during the 40 days between His resurrection and His ascension as we had seen last time - Mt 28:19 "[Having gone] therefore make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. Mr 16:15 And He said to them, "[having gone] into all the world preach the gospel to every creature. 16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 "And these signs will follow those who believe: Lu 24:46 Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 "and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 "And you are witnesses of these things. 49 "Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high." Ac 1:8 "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." And hopefully, as we look at this complete commission again, we will see the continuity between the instructions the Lord gives His disciples following His resurrection and that which we saw in the type of Jonah and prophesied in Isaiah Chapter 43. The instructions the Lord gave His disciples, seen in these verses, are not new instructions but a continuation and reiteration of that which was set in place when Israel was brought into being, as recorded in the OT scriptures. Power Point – Slides 4-7 a). And so, the Gospel accounts end with the disciples told to tarry in Jerusalem until they are endued with power from on high which will enable them to preach repentance and the message of the Kingdom in Jerusalem to the Jews gathered there with the expectation that the nation would repent bringing about Christ’s return and the establishment of the Kingdom with the Jewish nation then going out into the Gentile nations of the earth and having gone preaching the good news of the King now present and His established Kingdom to all nations, just as we saw in the type of Jonah, fulfilling their calling seen in Isaiah Chapter 43. b). There was then the expectation that as a result of the call to repentance the entire Jewish nation, both those in the physical land of Israel and those living out among the Gentile nations, would come to repentance – And with repentance the King would return restoring the Kingdom promised to David and establishing His heavenly Kingdom with the newly cleansed and restored nation taking the good news that Jesus is still alive and governor over all the earth to the end of the earth bringing about the same response given by those in Nineveh through the type in Jonah. c). And it is with the disciples waiting in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit to come upon them that we move towards the Day of Pentecost – Ac 1:4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; 5 "for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." Ac 1:15 ¶ And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty), d). Paul told the Corinthians - 1Co 15:6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. Given that there were over 500 brethren who saw the resurrected Lord at one time suggesting that there were a great many who had believed the Lord’s message we would want to take note of why the Holy Spirit has 120 gathered together in the upper room. e). I am sure that the significance of the number of disciples gathered together, 120, will not escape us – 120 = 10 x 12 – 10 being a number of completion and 12 being the number of governmental perfection. f). We can then add to this the fact that the Lord spent 40 days with His disciples following His resurrection before His ascension – a complete period of time. And then it was another 10 days beyond this, another complete period of time, that the Holy Spirit was sent on the day of Pentecost. And if we add 40 and 10 together we get 50 – the number associated with Israel’s Jubilee. g). Putting all this together we should be able to see that the Holy Spirit through the use of these numbers is preparing us for the fact that something of incredible significance is about to take place with respect to the Jewish people and the Kingdom. h). Ac 1:9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven." 12 ¶ Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey. 13 And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. 14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. All is set then for what would happen next - Ac 2:1 ¶ When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. But this will have to wait until next time – if the Lord is willing. Power Point – Slide 8 The Word of God - A Survey of the Bible - Part Eleven - B Aug 12, 2018 Speaker: John Herbert Series: The Word of God - A Survey of the Bible Category: Sunday Morning https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/T020_20180812.mp3 Download Audio x
Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Isa 43:10 "You are My witnesses," says the LORD, "And My servant whom I have chosen, Today we will look at Israel's calling. The full text of this message, with the accompanying Power Point, can be found by clicking the PDF button. Sunday August 12th 2018 The Word of God A Survey of the Bible – Part 11B ‘Men and Brethren, What Shall We Do?’ Power Point - Slide 1 1). Isa 43:10 "You are My witnesses," says the LORD, "And My servant whom I have chosen, That you may know and believe Me, And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me. 11 I, even I, am the LORD, And besides Me there is no savior. 12 I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed, And there was no foreign god among you; Therefore you are My witnesses," Says the LORD, "that I am God. We had seen last time that the nation of Israel had been brought into existence as a unique creation in Jacob to replace Satan and his angels as rulers over the Gentile nations of the earth from the heavenly realm of the Kingdom. a). And hand in hand with this is the nation’s calling that we have just read about in Isaiah, a calling to be God’s witnesses to the Gentile nations, proclaiming to them a message concerning the King who would be seated on David’s throne in Jerusalem and His own throne in the Heavens and His Kingdom, the change of rulership which would then be in effect – thereby witnessing to the fact, ‘that I am God’. b). This would also bring to fulfillment the promise given to Abraham that through his descendants all the nations of the earth would be blessed. c). And then Israel’s calling to be God’s witnesses to the Gentile nations is presented through the type of the prophet Jonah where the entire history of the Jewish people with respect to this calling is set out – Jon 1:1 ¶ Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me." Nineveh, as we saw last time, is used to represent all the Gentile nations and Jonah forms a type of the nation of Israel – And the command given to Jonah, ‘Arise, go to Nineveh…’ is the same calling that we find in Isaiah Chapter 43, to be God’s witnesses – to witness to Nineveh that which God had said. d). But, Jonah, picturing Israel, refused to fulfill the Lord’s calling – Jon 1:3 But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. Isa 1:4 Alas, sinful nation, A people laden with iniquity, A brood of evildoers, Children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the LORD, They have provoked to anger The Holy One of Israel, They have turned away backward. And failing to fulfill God’s purpose for them has dire consequences, again seen through the type of Jonah - Jon 1:4 ¶ But the LORD sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up…………14 Therefore they cried out to the LORD and said, "We pray, O LORD, please do not let us perish for this man's life, and do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O LORD, have done as it pleased You." 15 So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. 16 Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the LORD and took vows. 17 Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. The symbolism of the tempestuous, raging sea, points us to the Gentile nations in turmoil, a turmoil that is only quieted when Israel is cast out amongst them, seen through Jonah being cast into the sea with the great fish picturing the place of death in which Israel finds itself even today. e). Now the picture given of Jonah cast into the sea can be seen in the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities where the Jews were taken from their land into these Gentile nations for the purpose of bringing Israel to national repentance. And as we know the picture from Jonah of being cast into the sea will be fulfilled at the mid-point in the Tribulation. f). But, national repentance at the time of the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities was not forthcoming – but, that national repentance would be forthcoming at a time in Israel’s future is seen again through the type of Jonah - Jon 2:1 ¶ Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the fish's belly. 2 And he said: "I cried out to the LORD because of my affliction, And He answered me. "Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, And You heard my voice. 3 For You cast me into the deep, Into the heart of the seas, And the floods surrounded me; All Your billows and Your waves passed over me. 4 Then I said, 'I have been cast out of Your sight; Yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.' 5 The waters surrounded me, even to my soul; The deep closed around me; Weeds were wrapped around my head. 6 I went down to the moorings of the mountains; The earth with its bars closed behind me forever; Yet You have brought up my life from the pit, O LORD, my God. 7 "When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the LORD; And my prayer went up to You, Into Your holy temple. 8 "Those who regard worthless idols Forsake their own Mercy. 9 But I will sacrifice to You With the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD." 10 ¶ So the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land. This is how the matter is presented through Jonah, and if we compare scripture with scripture, going back to Isaiah Chapter 43 we can see that God’s calling of the nation to be His witnesses, which we read earlier, is given within the context of the nation having been delivered and restored, with national repentance having taken place but not specifically addressed in these verses themselves - Isa 43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. 3 For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. 4 Since you were precious in My sight, You have been honored, And I have loved you; Therefore I will give men for you, And people for your life. 5 Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east, And gather you from the west; 6 I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' And to the south, 'Do not keep them back!' Bring My sons from afar, And My daughters from the ends of the earth- 7 Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him." 8 ¶ Bring out the blind people who have eyes, And the deaf who have ears…………10 "You are My witnesses," says the LORD, "And My servant whom I have chosen, And so, here in Isaiah national repentance is prophetically pictured through a restored nation. And these 2 things together, national repentance and a restored nation look prophetically to the establishment of the Kingdom – And national repentance seen through the type of Jonah shows us the fulfillment of God’s calling of the nation, which must follow the establishment of the Kingdom - Jon 3:1 ¶ Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you." 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent. 4 And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day's walk. Then he cried out and said, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" 5 ¶ So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. Jonah, having repented and having been delivered from the place of death, then ‘arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord’ which came to him a second time – here then is the picture of Israel yet future in faithful obedience – and the message Jonah took was a simple one, ‘Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!’ g). And upon hearing Jonah’s message ‘the people of Nineveh believed God’, ‘from the greatest to the least of them’. h). And we might note that Jonah’s message to Gentile Nineveh is not a message concerning death and shed blood, it’s not a message about eternal salvation, but a message about a change in rulership – and this is what those in Nineveh believed. i). There is no mention of the Kingdom being established through the type of Jonah, that we get from elsewhere in the scriptures – here a little and there a little, putting it all together. Power Point – Slide 2 2). So, if we summarize for a moment – if Israel would come to national repentance as a result of being scattered among the Gentile nations, cleansing and restoration would take place, the Kingdom, both earthly and heavenly would be established and Israel would fulfill their national calling to go to the Gentile nations as God’s witnesses of the King and His Kingdom. a). With this in mind let’s remember that Israel was still dispersed among the nations at the time of the Lord’s first advent and although many were back in the land they were there under Roman dominion and persecution, the Gentile world power of the day - Mt 3:1 ¶ In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, "Repent [all of you], for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.'" 4 And John himself was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him 6 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. And so, as we come to the Gospels we find John the Baptist calling the nation to repentance with a view to a change in rulership taking place as the King was in their midst and the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand. a). And had national repentance been forthcoming – repent all of you – the King would have established His Kingdom and Israel would have fulfilled her national calling as seen through the type in Jonah and prophesied in Isaiah, bringing to fulfillment the promises given to Abraham. I hope we can see in this the continuity from Isaiah Chapter 43 and Jonah into the time of the Lord’s first advent. Power Point – Slide 2 [again] b). However, national repentance is not what took place at the Lord’s first advent with the nation again following the type given through Jonah, trying to flee, in a figurative sense, from the presence of the Lord – Joh 19:15 But they cried out, "Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar!" And hand in hand with the rejection of their King was the rejection of the Kingdom He had offered them with the promise of dire consequences for Israel because of their actions - Mt 21:42 Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: 'The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD'S doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes'? 43 "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. But, as we have also seen, the Lord’s death, burial and resurrection had been foretold throughout the OT scriptures as the Lord said in Luke Chapter 24 and was therefore absolutely essential and never in doubt, confirmed by what we read in – Re 13:8b…………the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. c). So let’s go back to the types for a moment to see something - Joseph had been rejected by his brothers and it was only when they came together again following that rejection, with Joseph having been presumed to be dead but now ruler over all of Egypt that the brothers repented of their actions and went out from Joseph’s presence with the message- Ge 45:26 And they told him, saying, "Joseph is still alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt." d). Likewise, Moses had been rejected by his brothers - Ex 2:14 Then he said, "Who made you a prince and a judge over us?......... And it was only when they came together again following that rejection that deliverance from Egypt occurred and the Theocracy was established. e). And so, the Lord at His first advent had been rejected by His ‘brothers’, the nation of Israel, just as we see in the types – then, following the Lord’s resurrection and ascension the opportunity for Him to return a second time was now possible with that seen in the types of Joseph and Moses awaiting His return. f). Not only this, but the Christ is also Israel’s Passover Lamb and as such, as we have already seen, the Lamb had to be slain and not exclusively because of issues surrounding the death of the firstborn, but also because of issues surrounding the Kingdom - Mt 26:28 "For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. Although the Lord had come to Israel as their King He could not have become their High Priest as He was not from the tribe of Levi - Heb 7:12 For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law. 13 For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. Jer 31:31 "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah- And for this new covenant to be made with a repentant and restored Israel with a view to the establishment of the Millennial Kingdom the death and shed blood of the Passover Lamb is necessary - Heb 9:15 ¶ And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. Heb 7:17 For He testifies: "You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek." Following the Lord’s resurrection, the circumstances that would allow for the inauguration of the new covenant bringing about a change in the priesthood were now in place – all that was required of the nation of Israel was national repentance. Power Point – Slide 3 3). And it is within this overall context that we find the Lord commissioning His disciples and teaching them things pertaining to the Kingdom of God during the 40 days between His resurrection and His ascension as we had seen last time - Mt 28:19 "[Having gone] therefore make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. Mr 16:15 And He said to them, "[having gone] into all the world preach the gospel to every creature. 16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 "And these signs will follow those who believe: Lu 24:46 Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 "and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 "And you are witnesses of these things. 49 "Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high." Ac 1:8 "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." And hopefully, as we look at this complete commission again, we will see the continuity between the instructions the Lord gives His disciples following His resurrection and that which we saw in the type of Jonah and prophesied in Isaiah Chapter 43. The instructions the Lord gave His disciples, seen in these verses, are not new instructions but a continuation and reiteration of that which was set in place when Israel was brought into being, as recorded in the OT scriptures. Power Point – Slides 4-7 a). And so, the Gospel accounts end with the disciples told to tarry in Jerusalem until they are endued with power from on high which will enable them to preach repentance and the message of the Kingdom in Jerusalem to the Jews gathered there with the expectation that the nation would repent bringing about Christ’s return and the establishment of the Kingdom with the Jewish nation then going out into the Gentile nations of the earth and having gone preaching the good news of the King now present and His established Kingdom to all nations, just as we saw in the type of Jonah, fulfilling their calling seen in Isaiah Chapter 43. b). There was then the expectation that as a result of the call to repentance the entire Jewish nation, both those in the physical land of Israel and those living out among the Gentile nations, would come to repentance – And with repentance the King would return restoring the Kingdom promised to David and establishing His heavenly Kingdom with the newly cleansed and restored nation taking the good news that Jesus is still alive and governor over all the earth to the end of the earth bringing about the same response given by those in Nineveh through the type in Jonah. c). And it is with the disciples waiting in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit to come upon them that we move towards the Day of Pentecost – Ac 1:4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; 5 "for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." Ac 1:15 ¶ And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty), d). Paul told the Corinthians - 1Co 15:6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. Given that there were over 500 brethren who saw the resurrected Lord at one time suggesting that there were a great many who had believed the Lord’s message we would want to take note of why the Holy Spirit has 120 gathered together in the upper room. e). I am sure that the significance of the number of disciples gathered together, 120, will not escape us – 120 = 10 x 12 – 10 being a number of completion and 12 being the number of governmental perfection. f). We can then add to this the fact that the Lord spent 40 days with His disciples following His resurrection before His ascension – a complete period of time. And then it was another 10 days beyond this, another complete period of time, that the Holy Spirit was sent on the day of Pentecost. And if we add 40 and 10 together we get 50 – the number associated with Israel’s Jubilee. g). Putting all this together we should be able to see that the Holy Spirit through the use of these numbers is preparing us for the fact that something of incredible significance is about to take place with respect to the Jewish people and the Kingdom. h). Ac 1:9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven." 12 ¶ Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey. 13 And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. 14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. All is set then for what would happen next - Ac 2:1 ¶ When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. But this will have to wait until next time – if the Lord is willing. Power Point – Slide 8