Worship or Warfare? (Part 2)

See the series here

 

In Part 2, we saw that The Lord’s overt objective for the exodus of ancient Hebrews from Egypt was for them to form an exceeding army:

 

     (a) to be His ‘battle axe’ against the Amorites, a grossly sinful people in Canaan, to whom He had extended another 400 years of Grace, and who were then ready for His judgment (Genesis 15:6); and

     (b) to initiate the much longer set of military campaigns to capture the entirety of the land He had promised to Abram’s descendants through Jacob, whose name The Lord had changed to Israel. (Genesis 15:18).

 

The exodus was planned to initiate a massive, qualified land deed to the ex-slaves, one with a faith proviso!  As a nation, they would be required to demonstrate sufficient, sustained faith to believe The Lord would ensure their success through a lengthy set of invasions across that wide swarth of land that was fully occupied! Their faith would be demonstrated in the extent to which they would keep His laws. We know ‘the rest of the story…’.  

And Today? 

In a parable (Luke 19), The Lord signaled a unique command to His followers at that time, and ergo, to us who would join them in the faith. That command was for them, and us, ‘to occupy’ (pragmateuomai in Greek) until He returns. It effectively means for us to remain engaged in the business of His Kingdom on Earth until He returns to reign over rebellious people who reject Him. While the core meaning is on commercial diligence and stewardship, it might be misinterpreted to convey a sense of aggressiveness, because in both Greek and English, ‘to occupy’ means to take or hold a position, e.g., take and hold one’s ground; maintain control; don’t yield territory. This sense actually fits the parable’s tone:

 

Servants entrusted with significant resources

must assert the Master’s interests

against resistance from people 

who rejected the Master’s authority over them.

 

Many Christians all over the world today are ‘politically right-leaning’, equating moral revival with national or political dominance, rather than strictly personal obedience and spiritual discernment. For decades, they ‘towed the ropes’ of trying to live spiritual lives that, in various ways, testified of Jesus. They supported big-time evangelists who did the same, with some good results of people committing their lives to Christ. But more recently, these believers have become increasingly frustrated at the sheer depths of degeneracy, reportedly ‘on the political left’, though some of it comes from within their own circles! As a result, many have become more combative, carnal, and insisting their countries need to be Christianized, even forcefully if necessary. They think that might yield the kind of results they saw ‘back in the good old days’. *

 

Problem: When Jesus encouraged His saints to spread The Gospel and live ’spiritually salty-light’ lives, He never said doing so would always yield results they would love to see! He sent Apostles Paul and John to warn us that, toward the closing of this 3rd age, human lawlessness and devilish activity would significantly increase. At the end of each age, devils ‘know their time is short’ to harvest as many souls as possible to join satan’s kingdom and be with them in the lake of fire, forever. (Revelation 12:12) In their mounting frustrations, these Christians are tempted, deceived and deluded to take up the WRONG FIGHT….a political fight to force people to convert to their lifestyles, which are increasingly deviating from The Lord’s commands to us! They apparently cannot perceive how their stance is effectively a ‘home-run’ for satan’s kingdom! Imagine that… 

At the very time Heaven needs us to stand our ground, spiritually, irrespective of people’s responses, these believers have been co-opted to facilitate the objectives of The Lord’s eternal enemies! 

 

Heaven’s Likely Response? 

 

How might Heaven respond to this conundrum of believers becoming more politically active and aggressive, presumably in order to achieve The Lord’s objectives. Consider this in context of how Gentile Christians over time, have substantially re-interpreted, and in some cases, flipped many Old Testament concepts involving ancient Israel and Judah, and applied them to the Church, writ large. Old Testament tensions were sustained between The Lord and Jews. Because of their gross sinfulness, they attracted His persistent, harsh judgments. But Gentile Christianity reinterpreted some of these tensions through a significantly different symbolic lens—one that is favorably towards the Church. A favored one is how The Lord’s ‘blow the trumpets in Zion’ battle cry against Jerusalem, has become a praise and worship song! (Joel 2)

 

Yet Peter advises us that, when the Church experiences persecution, we should expect The Lord’s judgments to begin at His house, among His chosen. (1 Peter 4:17) Judgment here does not necessarily infer against sin, though in some cases that may be. It is largely a judgment of our works, our ‘good deeds’ for which we are re-created in Christ (Ephesians 2:10). The Lord purges His people (Jews and Christians alike) to determine the worth of our works, whether they are ‘gold or hay’, i.e., Holy Spirit-directed and worthy of adorning His bride, The Eternal Jerusalem, or carnally and self-directed, worthy of being spiritually burned-up. Paul warns us, ‘If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.' (1 Corinthians 3) Thus, it is clear that trying to use carnal means to achieve sustainable spiritually objectives, is a clear recipe for abject failure from Heaven’s perspective! 

 

This unfolding scenario across America and other western nations, signifies a mirrored pattern between: 

 

     (a) The Lord’s first army that was freed from Egyptian slavery in the exodus, and then refused His ‘FIGHT’ command; and 

     (b) Modern believers today who, after they were freed from the penalty of their sins, are straying into fighting a war The Lord never commanded Christians to fight—a misplaced socio-politico-cultural war close to the end of the Church Age—the 3rd age of history!

 

The Lord severely punished His first army with 40 years wandering in the wilderness for their sins, allowing time for the second generation of warriors to come to age and obey His FIGHT command. He might punish today’s errant warriors by sifting/sorting them out of His pending 3rd age resurrection and rapture event—leaving them to wander in their wistfulness of what could have been, if only…, or in the wistfulness of spin—desperately longing to escape the anti-Christ’s shifting attitudes and actions towards Jews and Christians during the tribulation age—the 4th age of history. If so, they will likely join other believers who will have become lukewarm or fully apostate in their faith during the closing years of this current 3rd age, and similarly will have missed The Lord’s next resurrection/rapture event. If so, hopefully, the faith of many will be tested and refined during that horrible age, just as the faith of the maturing second-generation of Hebrews in the wilderness was tested and refined. (See: Christians in the Apocalypse) and Audacious Christians (Series))

 

Conclusion

 

When The Lord’s second-generation wilderness army was ready, He positioned Joshua to lead them into one battle after another. They enjoyed considerable successes. While most Christians today may be familiar with Paul’s predictions about The Lord’s resurrection/rapture event for all 3rd age believers, they may be less familiar with His plan for a similar event for all 4th age believers at the end of the tribulation age. That event is referenced in Matthew 24:31. It will facilitate their participation in The Lord's Millennial Reign during the 5th age of history, as glorified, immortal saints who will have been tested and proven faithful through the tribulation persecutions. (See: Bible Raptures – Types and Timings (Series))

Tip: It's best to be proven faithful NoW, rather than THEN, and be counted as part of the chosen remnant of this 3rd age, as Daniel et al, became protected captives during the Babylonian invasion of Judah.  

 

The Lord commissioned both of His armies to both worship and warfare. When we fail to heed His commands, we become zealous in ‘doing our own thing’, whether it is not fighting, as the Hebrews did, or fighting a non-commissioned war, as many modern Christians today are doing. Thus, our righteous zeal …becomes rebellion, and satan, not The Lord, is glorified!

 

Friends, if you may know someone who is

walking this extremely risky road, 

please have the courage and faith 

to share this series with them.

Stay tuned for Part 3

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* I recall a CNN reporter asking a Trump supporter, ‘What would Jesus do?’ The supporter responded, ‘We’ve got to try something different!’