I asked you in the first ADVENT post of this calendar year: ‘Have you considered that in the time of Noah and Before Christ GOD cleansed the earth of all but eight?’
Then we looked at the concept of ADVENT as a time of preparation for celebrating the coming of GOD as a man, even as a child born before the witnesses of the A.D. first century.
We considered prophesy as a type of advent with certain prediction of that which was to come.
When at certain times God speaks to men such as Noah, Abraham, Moses, Elijah and others, the LORD warns of times ahead, as well as the consequences of rejection of His Law, commandments and His grace.
A visible advent of our disobedience to God is documented in Scripture and warns of God’s wrath against sin in more times ahead.
What must we do?
Take for instance the LORD’s negotiation with Abraham about Sodom. AND considering the destroyed city ponder this 21st century dilemma:
HOW are we so different than those who perished in Sodom for their sin?
Should the Lord spare US for only breaking our marriage covenants with impugnity?
Are we less sinless than those who created gods of stone from hearts of stone, proclaiming our own self as the god we worship?
Does this Common Era world not appropriate signs of the LORD’s covenant with mankind for sins offensive to God and creation?
And YES, do some so-called churches culturally encourage an all-inclusive sin of Sodom?
Have some churches missed an advent of the judgement to come by fire?
Are our sins of selfishness any less offensive to the LORD than those of ALL HE destroyed from the earth by the flood?
A righteous man such as Noah or Job would appeal to the LORD for mercy.
Do YOU and do I?
‘Remember now, that You have made me as clay; And would You turn me into dust again?
a son of man: son of Mary and Son of God – a redeemer for the sins of mankind.
Perpetuityafter Time
perpetuity, n. The quality or state of being perpetual; an instance of this, an endless or indefinite duration or existence; permanence, endlessness.
Oxford English Dictionary
A line, even a timeline representing lifetimes of days and centuries of history extends beyond our sight before its beginning and from its END into measureless eternity.
“Even after my skin is destroyed, Yet from my flesh I shall behold God, Whom I myself shall behold..
“If you say,
‘How shall we persecute him?’ ‘And the root of the matter is found in him?’ “Then be afraid of the sword for yourselves,
Take a look at the link above for a more complete understanding of changes in the Jewish Calendar during the centuries Before the Messiah of Israel.
Bible TimeLine
Timelines, like calendars and cultural customs must have a point of reference. The intersection of measured history and timeless truth becomes central to conflicting narratives of a fallen created peoples of the world.
At the ever-present center of time history records the birth of Jesus Christ.
Calendars of the Common Era
Lines in the shiftingsands of time:
B.C. OR BCE? A.D. OR CE?
Let's start from the present and find our center of history and timelines by looking back.
Anno Domini
noun a Latin phrase meaning
“in the year of the Lord”, the full form of the abbreviation AD, which is used when referring to a year after Jesus Christ was born
The B.C./A.D. calendar system was not established until around 500 A.D., well after the books of the Bible were written.
BCE and CE.
CE stands for “Common Era” BCE is “Before Common Era”
CE and BCE dates are identical with A.D. and B.C. dates
(for example, 2000 CE is the same as 2000 A.D.). This is a thinly veiled attempt by atheists and religious people other than Christians to remove Christian religious references from our culture.
So far, we have been reminded that GOD is One – that is: Father, Son and Holy Spirit – Eternal (before all time and and after all time ceases to exist) – separated from His creation (including creatures), that is: Holy.
Church and Biblical teaching are both clear and mysterious in describing GOD’s ROLES of relationship within HIMSELF, that is:
FATHER to the SON
SON to the SPIRIT
Holy Spirit
to the Father
and to the Son
Some Christians know and experience a personal relationship to THE ONE GOD. The HOLY SPIRIT speaks to the heart [spirit ] of a uniquely created man or woman, a mortal made of flesh and blood.
Church Doctrine (teaching)
Christian Teachings of the Church from Scripture
In Part 3 of this doctrinal post about the one LORDJESUS CHRIST we will look at scriptural teaching concerning CHRIST from historic catechisms of the Church AND most foundationally, from God’s word in the BIBLE.
Catechisms provide studied ANSWERS to student QUESTIONS
Every Christian has QUESTIONS about the Lord God and about JESUS (who IS God).
Like ANY learning, the Questions and Answers of a catechism we study and memorize as students seeking a deeper understanding of God.
Doctrine-based QUESTIONS of Christology
21. Who is the redeemer of God’s elect?
The only redeemer of God’s elect is the Lord Jesus Christ, who, being the eternal Son of God, became man, and so was, and continueth to be, God and man in two distinct natures, and one person, forever.
23. What offices doth Christ execute as our redeemer?
Christ, as our redeemer, executeth the offices of a prophet, of a priest, and of a king, both in His estate of humiliation and exaltation.
*24. How doth Christ execute the office of a prophet?
*
*25. How doth Christ execute the office of a priest?
*
*26. How doth Christ execute the office of a king?
*READ the Westminster Catechism [A.D. 1647] for ANSWERS to these and more Questions about God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
If you also wonder about the Holy Spirit, time does not allow further studytoday.
What does the Church teach? (Church Doctrine)
Today we’ll study the roles of JESUS’ personal relationship with YOU, with me and with all followers of the Lord.
Let's begin with a review from the NICENE CREED with its EARLY UNIVERSAL (Catholic) agreement as to the Person and Roles of Christ and God.
THE CREED OF NICAEA – AGREED AT THE COUNCIL IN 325
Until the early 20th century, it was universally assumed that the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed (the more accurate term) was an enlarged version of the Creed of Nicaea, which was promulgated at the Council of Nicaea (325). It was further assumed that this enlargement had been carried out at the Council of Constantinople (381) with the object of bringing the Creed of Nicaea up to date in regard to heresies about the Incarnation and the Holy Spirit that had arisen since the Council of Nicaea. - source: Britannica
JESUS
Who because of us men and because of our salvation came down,
and became incarnate
and became man,
and suffered,
and rose again on the third day,
and ascended to the heavens,
and will come to judge the living and dead,
And in the Holy Spirit.
Nicene Creed, a Christian statement of faith that is the only ecumenical creed because it is accepted as authoritative by the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and major Protestant churches. -Britannica
Then the LORD came down in the pillar of cloud and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam. And they both went forward. Then He said,
“Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream.
Now the main point in what is being said is this: we have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a minister in the holy places and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man.
Strong's Number G935 matches the Greek βασιλεύς (basileus), which occurs 118 times in 107 verses in the TR Greek.
And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING G935 OF THE JEWS.
Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John
Outline of Biblical Usage
leader of the people, prince, commander, lord of the land, king
probably from G939 (through the notion of a foundation of power); a sovereign (abstractly, relatively, or figuratively):—king.
JESUS showed POWER on earth, signs and miracles no created man could do except the expected Messiah of GOD !
The King, as Judeans had hoped, would be more powerful than Herod the Great (who rebuilt the Temple, a civil project still under construction under one of his sons (King Herod). Jerusalem and all the lands and their kings were subject to ROME and its Caesars.
Rome’s Governor Pilate would decide a pre-ordained mortal fate of this earthly KING Jesus, a man seemingly powerless as Jerusalem’s King Herod and his appointed priests of the Judean Temple.
The Apostles Peter and John also preached Christ crucified and risen with signs from God. ACTS 3-4
JESUS, according to God’s Word
HOW should we address JESUS?
Wouldn't HOLY SCRIPTURE; written, God-breathed words of the BIBLE (faithfully translated); provide the best, true guidance of how Christian should proclaim JESUS?
Consider how the New Testament speaks about Jesus - source
“Jesus” occurs 980 times in 940 verses in the LSB.
942 times in the KING JAMES VERSION
1000+ times in translations substituting ‘Jesus‘ for prepositions such as ‘He.’
“Jesus” AND “prophet” occurs in 5 verses in ‘The Gospels” in the LSB.
and JESUS never uses it Himself as a title, only confirming this office.
“Jesus” AND “priest” occurs 30 times in 14 verses in the LSB.
He is never addressed as a ‘Priest,’ but the letter of HEBREWS and other Scripture makes clear that JESUS is both Priest and Sacrifice.
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us take hold of our confession.
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things like we are, yet without sin.
It seems that Providence has brought me to more funerals than feasts lately. We thank God for those wedding feasts and monthly social gatherings of friends. Births of children and grandchildren bring great joy to the hearts of the living and memories of our aging generation.
But now that I have surpassed three score years and ten Solomon’s reminder returns my thoughts near to home more often.
Better to go to a house of mourning Than to go to a house of feasting Because that is the end of all mankind,
And the living puts this in his heart.
Ecclesiastes 7:2 Legacy Standard Bible
Heaven and earth – Glory and dust
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Consider both the mourner and the reveler: they are without excuse in acknowledging that their flesh will wither and fail. All men and all women will bow down to our Maker, even those who fail to repent in dust and ashes during our brief days of glory.
תְהִלִּים (Psalm) 71
We are about to sing a Psalm – a plea to Almighty God:
And will bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
My lips will sing for joy when I sing praises to You;
And my soul, which You have redeemed.
My tongue also will utter Your righteousness all day long;
For they are ashamed, for they are humiliated who seek to do me evil.
Mourners and Scoffers
Observe three types of souls destined to live and breathe their last one day:
The worshiper of God who lives out their days remembering the blessed ones of God.
The scoffer who denies the One God, Creator of all things and Judge of all mankind.
The Redeemed in Christ Jesus, the Son of Man, sacrificed for sinners (like us) that those who believe will be granted the resurrection of everlasting life.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892), often known today as the Prince of Preachers, began his pastorate at London's New Park Street Church in 1854..
A strong emphasis in Spurgeon’s preaching was God’s grace and sovereignty over man’s helpless state. He also knew well the terrible joy that comes only through suffering as he lived quite afflicted (both by illness and slander).
C.H. Spurgeon left this earth for his heavenly hope in 1892.
“In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust.” Jehovah deserves our confidence; let him have it all. Every day must we guard against every form of reliance upon an arm of flesh, and hourly hang our faith upon the ever faithful God. Not only on God must we rest, as a man stands on a rock, but in him must we trust, as a man hides in a cave.
“Cast me not off in the time of old age.” Old age robs us of personal beauty, and deprives us of strength for active service; but it does not lower us in the love and favour of God.. To be forsaken of God is the worst of all conceivable ills, and if the believer can be but clear of that grievous fear, he is happy: no saintly heart need be under any apprehension upon this point.`
Here is faith’s inference from the infinite greatness of the Lord. He has been strong to smite; he will be also strong to save.. and though I have been almost dead and buried, he will give me a resurrection, and “bring me up again from the depths of the earth.”
A Lament of Job
If a Man Dies, Will He Live Again?
Job 14 LSB
“Man, who is born of woman,
Is short-lived and full of turmoil.
