Hi all,
We all know Matthew 24 is about the conditions on earth at Jesus’ return. But Matthew 25 is about what actions He will take at that time.
It is in Matthew 25: 31-46 Jesus says at His return He will sit in His ‘throne of glory’ and divide the nations between the righteous and unrighteous. That means there will be people on earth who survive Armageddon to see Jesus become King over all the earth, and enforce God’s righteousness world wide – and some won’t want that.
How people react to His return – geographical changes coming
Zechariah 14 gives us a clear picture of this time, stating in v5: “and the Lord my God will come, and all the saints with you.” (Aren’t you glad the saints are coming WITH Him, at His return – not meeting him in a U-turn in the air. See also Revelation 19: 6-14).
14:8-9: “And it will be in that day living waters will go out from Jerusalem half toward the Dead Sea and half to the Mediterranean Sea. And the Lord will be King over the whole earth.”
Joel 3: 18 says a fountain will flow from the house of the Lord. This agrees with Ezekiel 47: 1-2 which says that a fountain will start in the temple and flow to the Dead Sea. Verses 8-12 tells us so much (fresh) water will flow into the Dead Sea that it will become a fresh water lake with only the marshy areas left briny. It says fishermen will come and cast nets along the river and lake and that along the river all sorts of fruit trees will grow.
I was talking with an Israeli daughter of a highly respected Rabbi some years ago, and growing up there, she told me she was told under Jerusalem is a great reservoir of water from the days of Noah’s flood. She was told when Messiah comes He will release that water from the temple and that is the source of the flow.
Zechariah 14: 10 says at that time the area from Geba north of Jerusalem (modern Jeba, about 5.5 miles/9.9 km north of Jerusalem), to Rimmon (about 70 miles/112km south of Jerusalem) will be turned into a giant flat plateau. That verse outlines the far northern boundary of Judah and the southern boundary, roughly west of the mid-point of the Dead Sea – it is a huge area to be turned into a plateau – but why?
This is why
To accommodate the millions of people from all nations who will come to Jerusalem to visit the King. “And it will be that everyone who survives (Armageddon) from all the nations that came against Jerusalem will go year by year to worship the King the Lord of the armies, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it will be that whoever of all the families of the earth that won’t go up to worship the King, then upon them will be no rain. For instance if the family of Egypt won’t come up, then they will have no rain, that is the plague the Lord will hit the heathen with if they don’t keep the Feast of Tabernacles. This will be the punishment on Egypt or any nation that doesn’t come up to the Feast of Tabernacles.” Zechariah 14: 16-19
He will rule with a rod of iron. But then again…that’s for us too. Paul told the Corinthians in I Corinthians 6: 3: “Don’t you know we will judge angels? Don’t you know we will judge the world?”
The word judge means to administrate, not like a guilt or innocence in a court as in our day, but rather as a government official administering the Kingdom of God. Why does this pertain to us as well as these first century Corinthians? Because God knew the Bible would be written and compiled and therefore also knew to whom it pertained – so we are included here as much as we are in John 3:16 or any other promise in our New Testament.
Hebrews 6:5 calls the gifts of the Spirit ‘the powers of the age to come’. This means in our glorified bodies we will have all the gifts of the Spirit to flow in as we decide matters needing wisdom beyond Solomon’s. Imagine settling arguments between neighbors having the Spirit of God provide you with words of knowledge and wisdom. Those who love righteousness will love you and it – those with a rebellious heart will hate the enforced righteousness on the earth.
In ancient Israel the Feast of Tabernacles was also known as the Feast of Living Waters, in large part due to these passages about the water flowing from the temple upon Messiah’s kingdom being set up. All during the week of the Feast of Tabernacles a daily ceremony was held.
A group of priests went out of the city to collect willow branches, and then standing shoulder to shoulder and stepping in unison, waved the branches as they walked, make the sound of wind, the Spirit, as they headed to the altar in the temple. At the same time the High Priest’s Assistant carried a silver vase with wine in it, and the High Priest had a gold vase where he collected water from the Pool of Siloam, called Living Water.
Both groups would converge on the priests in the temple laying the sacrificial animals on the altar, followed by the High Priest pouring wine and Living Water on the sacrifice, as the other priests positioned the willow branches overhead to form a tent over the sacrifice, thus bringing together at one place and time the Holy Spirit, the sacrifice, the water and wine – Spirit and blood.
They would then sing with all the people gathered, Isaiah 12: 2-3: “Behold; God is my salvation (Yeshua); I will trust and not be afraid, for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation (Yeshua). Therefore with joy you will draw water out of the wells of salvation (Yeshua).”
Is it any wonder after watching and seeing and singing this all week long, that John 7: 37-8 says of Jesus: “On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, saying: “If anyone thirsts let him come to Me, and drink. He who believes in Me will have as scripture says, rivers of Living Water flow out of his inner most being…”
Come quickly Lord Jesus! New subject next week. Until then, blessings,
John Fenn
