Wednesday, December 3, 2025

Gold, Transparency, and God’s Presence: From the Mercy Seat to the New Jerusalem

One of the most striking images in the Bible is the gold-covered mercy seat atop the ark of the covenant. In Exodus 25:17–22, God commands Moses to make a mercy seat, flanked by cherubim, where He will meet with His people. Once a year, the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies, sprinkle the blood of a sacrifice on the mercy seat, and cover the sins of the people. This act was transparent — not hidden — symbolizing accountability, holiness, and the hope of atonement.

The gold itself was no accident. Gold, untarnished and valuable, reflected the purity of God’s presence. The mercy seat served as a visible throne, showing that approaching God required acknowledgment, transparency, and reverence. The blood, representing sin and atonement, made the connection between human failure and divine forgiveness tangible and observable.

Fast forward to the vision of John in Revelation 21. He describes the New Jerusalem, with streets of gold “transparent as glass.” Here, the symbolism deepens and expands. The city is not only radiant but fully visible, unhidden, and perfectly pure — a place where God dwells with His people eternally. Just as the mercy seat mediated God’s presence temporarily, the New Jerusalem represents the permanent, unbroken access to God, where His glory shines openly.

The connection between the mercy seat and the streets of gold is not literal, but thematic. Both use gold and transparency to communicate:

Holiness and purity
God’s presence made visible
Relationship and fellowship with humanity

The mercy seat reminds us of the temporary covering of sin, the need for acknowledgment and atonement, and the hope of reconciliation. The New Jerusalem, shining with transparent gold, promises the ultimate fulfillment: a place of eternal transparency, glory, and intimate relationship with God.

In both images, gold is more than wealth — it is a symbol of divine perfection, transparent yet radiant, drawing our eyes upward and pointing to the holiness of God’s presence. From the mercy seat to the eternal city, Scripture invites us to see God, reflect on His holiness, and anticipate the day when we dwell fully in His radiant glory.

Tuesday, December 2, 2025

It's Time To Wake Up People! When History Teaches Prophecy: Why Moral Collapse Always Leads to a Fall

There’s a principle woven through Scripture and confirmed by every page of human history:

when a people lose their moral footing, they eventually lose everything else.

This truth appears early in the Bible, right after the flood, in a moment many readers rush past — Noah’s prophetic words over his sons in Genesis 9. But when we slow down and let the text speak, we uncover a pattern that explains not only ancient nations but the rise and fall of every society since.

Prophecy Is Not Magic — It’s Foresight

When Noah spoke about the futures of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, he wasn’t casting spells or curses.
He was speaking as a patriarch and a prophet, declaring what would happen based on the character and direction already taking shape in their families.

Just like Jacob’s words over his sons in Genesis 49, Noah wasn’t causing their destinies — he was revealing them.

Prophecy, in this sense, is God showing the natural and spiritual consequences of the path someone is walking.

Canaan: A Prophecy Explained by History

Noah’s words over Canaan often puzzle readers:

“Cursed be Canaan…”

But this was not Noah lashing out in anger.
It was a prophetic description of what would happen to Canaan’s descendants — and history proves it true.

By the time Israel enters the land, the Canaanite world is marked by:

child sacrifice,
ritual sexual distortion,
violence,
and deep spiritual darkness.

Their collapse wasn’t random.
It was the inevitable result of long-term moral rot.
Noah’s prophecy matched their trajectory.

In other words:

The prophecy didn’t corrupt them.
Their corruption fulfilled the prophecy.

Israel Repeats the Same Pattern

What happens to the Canaanites eventually happens to Israel.
When Israel walks with God, they stand strong.
When they become morally indistinguishable from the nations around them, they fall:

The Northern Kingdom to Assyria
The Southern Kingdom to Babylon

God didn’t have to engineer their destruction —
He simply lifted His hand, and the internal decay took care of the rest.

The Pattern Doesn't Stop With the Bible

Every major empire collapses the same way:

Egypt weakened from within
Assyria rotted through cruelty
Babylon drowned in indulgence
Persia crumbled in luxury
Greece lost discipline
Rome sank into decadence

Every historian recognizes that the fall begins long before the enemy arrives.

A nation that loses its moral center ultimately loses its strength.

Why This Matters Today

Understanding biblical prophecy isn’t just about deciphering symbols or timelines.
It’s about recognizing how moral character shapes destiny — for individuals, families, and nations.

When Scripture warns of decline, it’s not predicting arbitrary doom.
It’s showing us where a path leads if we refuse to turn.

History confirms what prophecy declares:
sin hollowing out the inside is far more dangerous than any enemy on the outside.

And the hopeful side?

When people return to God, history shifts again —
strength returns, blessings rise, and what looked inevitable becomes reversible.

Conclusion: The Past Teaches the Future

The story of Noah and Canaan isn’t just ancient narrative.
It’s a reminder that prophecy is often God pointing to the fruit of choices, not forcing the outcome.

And it’s a warning to every generation:

When moral corruption grows, collapse becomes certain.
When righteousness is restored, strength returns.

History teaches prophecy because history obeys the same laws God built into the world.

The Pattern Doesn't Stop With the Bible

Every major empire collapses the same way:

Egypt weakened from within
Assyria rotted through cruelty
Babylon drowned in indulgence
Persia crumbled in luxury
Greece lost discipline
Rome sank into decadence

Every historian recognizes that the fall begins long before the enemy arrives.

A nation that loses its moral center ultimately loses its strength.

Friday, November 28, 2025

From Promise to Mystery —To The Heavenly Earthly Kingdom To Israel: God’s Progressive Plan to Bless the Gentiles

I. The Original Promise — Abraham (Genesis 12:1–3)

A. God gives three foundational promises

A nation — Israel
A land — Canaan
Blessing to all nations — Gentiles blessed through Abraham

B. Key Point

Gentile blessing is guaranteed, but the method is not yet revealed.

II. The Prophetic Expectation — Israel as the Channel of Blessing

A. The prophets foresee Israel’s future kingdom

Messiah ruling from Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:1–4)
Israel exalted among nations
Gentiles coming to Israel’s light (Zechariah 8:23)

B. Key Point

Gentile blessing comes through Israel’s rise and restoration, not apart from it.

III. The Ministry of Christ — The Fig Tree Parable (Luke 13:6–9)

A. The Fig Tree Represents Israel

Throughout Scripture:

Fig tree → national Israel (Hos 9:10; Jerimiah 24; Joel 1:7)

B. The Parable’s Message

Three years: Jesus’ earthly ministry to Israel
No fruit: Israel rejects the Messiah
“Give it one more year”:
- A picture of the extra period of mercy after the resurrection
- This corresponds prophetically to the early chapters of Acts
Warning: If still fruitless, “cut it down.”
- Symbolic of coming judgment & Israel being set aside temporarily

C. Key Point

This parable sets the stage for the extension of mercy preached by Peter in Acts 2–3.

IV. The Pentecost Period — The Final Offer to Israel (Acts 2–7)

A. Acts 2 is entirely Jewish

Jewish feast
Peter preaching to Israel
Fulfillment of prophecy (Joel 2)

B. Israel Given “One More Chance”

Peter’s message in Acts 3:19–21 is the extension of the fig tree’s final year:

“Repent… that He may send Jesus Christ”
The kingdom is still being offered

C. The Stoning of Stephen — The “Cutting Down” Moment

Acts 7:

Israel rejects the Spirit’s testimony
Stephen sees Christ “standing” (ready to return in judgment per Psalm 110)
After Stephen, the narrative immediately turns toward the Gentiles (Acts 8–10)

D. Key Point

Stephen’s stoning marks the official rejection of the renewed offer, fulfilling the parable’s warning.

V. The Diminishing of Israel — Transition Period (Acts 9–28)

A. Paul’s Conversion (Acts 9)

The risen Christ calls Paul unexpectedly after Israel’s refusal
This signals a new phase in God’s plan

B. Israel Diminishes, Not Immediately Cast Away

Romans 11:11–15

“Through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles.”
Israel stumbles → Gentiles blessed
But Israel is not yet permanently rejected

C. Paul’s Ministry Shows the Diminishing

First to the Jew, then to the Gentile
Jewish resistance grows
Paul’s final words in Acts 28:28:
- “The salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles…”

D. Key Point

The Acts period is the fig tree being cut down and declining, as the Gentiles begin to be grafted in.

VI. The Mystery Revealed — Direct Gentile Blessing Through Christ

A. Hidden Truth Revealed to Paul

(Eph 3:3–9; Col 1:26; Romans 16:25)

Jew and Gentile one Body
Blessing apart from Israel’s rise
Completely unknown to prophets

B. Relation to Abraham

Gentiles blessed in Christ, the Seed (Galatians 3:16)
This fulfills the spiritual blessing, but by an unforeseen route

C. Key Point

The Mystery is God's new, un-prophesied way of blessing the nations during Israel’s temporary setting aside.

VII. Summary of the Progression

1. Promise — Gentiles will be blessed (Gen 12)

2. Prophets — Gentiles blessed through Israel’s glory

3. Parable — Israel given one more year of mercy (Luke 13)

4. Pentecost — Final kingdom offer to Israel (Acts 2–3)

5. Stephen — Israel rejects the Spirit; fig tree cut down (Acts 7)

6. Diminishing — Israel declines as Gentiles rise (Rom 11)

7. Mystery — Gentiles blessed directly in Christ (Ephesians 3)

Thursday, November 27, 2025

Understanding the Gerah: The Smallest Weight in the Bible

When reading through Exodus, Leviticus, or Numbers, you’ll occasionally meet a strange little word many people skip right over: gerah. It appears only a handful of times, yet it plays an important role in understanding offerings, valuations, and the way everyday Israelites measured value.

Most Bible readers know what a shekel is. But the gerah is the piece that helps the whole system make sense.

1. What Is a Gerah?

A gerah is the smallest unit of weight in the biblical Hebrew system.
God establishes it plainly:

“A shekel is twenty gerahs.”
— Exodus 30:13

That one sentence gives us the whole structure:

1 shekel = 20 gerahs
The gerah is like the “penny” of the ancient world—tiny, but necessary for precise measurement.

2. How Much Did a Gerah Weigh?

Ancient weights varied slightly over time, but most scholars agree:

1 gerah ≈ 0.57 grams
1 shekel ≈ 11.3 grams

So when God gives instructions involving shekels and gerahs, He is giving exact measurements. This accuracy shows His seriousness about fairness, honesty, and integrity in worship.

3. Why the Gerah Matters

Although small, the gerah teaches several truths:

A. God Values Accuracy

Many laws in the Torah deal with honest weights and measures.
The gerah reminds us that every detail matters, even the smallest ones.

B. Offerings Were Measured Carefully

When someone brought a temple tax or vow offering, the weight had to be exact.
The gerah helped ensure the worshipper brought what God required, not less and not more.

C. It Connects Worship to Daily Life

Israelites used the same weight system in:

trade
marketplace transactions
vows
offerings
redemption money

In other words, worship wasn’t separate from life.
You were expected to be honest in the temple and in the marketplace.

4. The Larger Picture: Weights in the Bible

Understanding the gerah unlocks the entire biblical weight system:

20 gerahs = 1 shekel
50 shekels = 1 mina
60 minas = 1 talent

This means:

A talent was 3,000 shekels
A talent of gold or silver represented enormous wealth
No wonder Jesus used talents in His parable—He was showing the weight of responsibility.

5. A Spiritual Parallel

The gerah may be small, but it reflects a larger truth:

God builds great responsibilities on small units.
Faithfulness in small things leads to faithfulness in greater things.
(See Luke 16:10.)

Just as a shekel is built from tiny gerahs, a faithful life is built from small decisions:

a word spoken honestly
a promise kept
time spent in Scripture
quiet obedience
unseen acts of service

Little weights add up.
Little choices matter.
Little obediences shape a life God can use.

Conclusion

The gerah may seem like a tiny, obscure term, but it plays a big role in understanding ancient worship, biblical economics, and even spiritual living.

Next time you run across it in your Bible reading, don’t skip it.
Remember the truth behind it:

God cares about the details — even the smallest ones.

Wednesday, November 26, 2025

Let's Press On

I had a conversation recently with someone who said,

“We already know enough about God. All we need to do is follow Jesus.”

But the Bible never teaches a static, shallow faith.
It teaches a growing, searching, pressing, studying, increasing faith.

The New Testament does not call us to stop at salvation, but to press on into deeper truth.

Here are the Scriptures that make this clear:

1. God’s Wisdom Is Bottomless

Romans 11:33
“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!”

If God’s wisdom is deep, then we are meant to keep diving deeper in His Word.

2. God Hides Truth for Us to Search Out

Proverbs 25:2
“It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honor of kings is to search out a matter.”

Seeking truth honors God.
Searching is part of discipleship.

3. We Are Commanded to Study

2 Timothy 2:15
“Study to show thyself approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth ”

You can't tell your players without knowing your scorecard. Colossians 2:8, Philippians 3:2 don't miss Paul's wordplay in this verse peritome circumcision vs katatome mutilation - man made distortion

**4. We Must Press On to Know the Lord**

Hosea 6:3
“Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD.”

Not “know once and done.”
Follow on — continual growth.

5. We Are Told to Grow in Knowledge

2 Peter 3:18
“Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Growth never ends for the believer.
Knowledge of Christ expands as we walk with Him.

6. A Wise Person Increases Learning

Proverbs 1:5
“A wise man will hear, and will increase learning…”

Wisdom is not a finish line — it is a lifelong pursuit.

7. Paul Himself Pressed On

Philippians 3:12–14
“I press on… I reach forward… I press toward the mark.”

If Paul wasn’t “done,” neither are we. He tells us in 1 Corinthians 4:16 to follow his lead as he follows Christ lead. In 1 Timothy 4:13 he tells Timothy in his waning days to bring the Parchments. He didn't stop learning about his Savior even in his last days on Earth.

8. Staying Shallow Is Immature

Hebrews 5:12–14
The writer rebukes believers for staying on “milk” instead of moving to “meat.”

Immature believers stay at surface level.
Mature believers press deeper. Dig deep even in the gathering gloom there may come a day you'll wished you had had more to hang on to.

9. We Should Increase in the Knowledge of God

Colossians 1:9–10
“…increasing in the knowledge of God.”

Increase = continuous growth
Not a one-time experience.

10. God Has Wondrous Things Hidden in His Word

Psalm 119:18
“Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.”

There are always more wonders to discover.

11. The Bereans Were Praised for Daily Searching

Acts 17:11
They searched the Scriptures daily, not occasionally.

They didn’t say, “We already know enough.”
They said, “Let’s search deeper.”

12. Spiritual Truth Must Be Sought Out

1 Corinthians 2:12–13
“…that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.”

The Holy Spirit teaches us through the Word — but we must listen, compare, and seek.

Conclusion: Understanding the Gospel, the Death, Burial and Resurrection, of our Lord Is the Start of Learning, Not the End

Christian growth is not passive.
Faith is not “set it and forget it.”
Believing the Gospel includes:

Studying His Word
Pressing on to know more
Searching out hidden truths
Growing in wisdom
Increasing in knowledge
Moving from milk to meat

A disciple is a learner, not a coaster.

The more we learn of Christ,
the less we'll be looking through the glass darkly.

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Tuesday, November 25, 2025

“Known Since the World Began vs. Kept Secret Since the World Began”

y Luke 1:70 and Paul’s Mystery Cannot Be the Same Program

When Zacharias lifted his voice in Luke 1, he praised God for sending the Messiah and fulfilling His promises to Israel. But in that song of praise, he also gave us one of the clearest dispensational markers in the entire Bible:

“As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets,
which have been since the world began.”
— Luke 1:70

According to Zacharias, everything he was talking about—Israel’s rescue, Israel’s covenant blessings, and Israel’s earthly kingdom—was well-known, spoken by the prophets from the very beginning.

And that one statement draws a bright line between two programs in the Bible:

The Prophetic Kingdom Program — revealed “since the world began.”
The Pauline Mystery Program — kept secret “since the world began.”

These two can’t be the same because the Word of God describes them in opposite terms.

1. What Was “Known Since the World Began”? — Israel’s Prophetic Kingdom

Luke 1 gives us the content of what the prophets spoke from the beginning:

Redemption for Israel (Luke 1:68)
A horn of salvation raised up in the house of David (v. 69)
Salvation from Israel’s enemies (v. 71)
The holy covenant (v. 72)
The oath to Abraham (v. 73)
Serving God in the land without fear (v. 74–75)

In other words:

✔ A Davidic King
✔ A literal earthly kingdom
✔ Israel restored
✔ The Abrahamic promises fulfilled
✔ All of it foretold openly by the prophets

Zacharias says this was spoken and known “since the world began.”

The prophetic program was no mystery.

2. What Was “Kept Secret Since the World Began”? — The Mystery Revealed to Paul

Paul uses the exact opposite language to describe his message:

“…the revelation of the mystery,
which was kept secret since the world began.”
— Romans 16:25

“In other ages was not made known unto the sons of men…”
— Ephesians 3:5

“The mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations…”
— Colossians 1:26

According to Paul:

✔ The prophets did not know this.
✔ It was not spoken since the world began.
✔ It was kept secret, hidden in God.
✔ It was revealed first to Paul.

And what is this Mystery?

Jew and Gentile in one Body
Seated in heavenly places
Saved by grace alone, apart from works
Not under the law
A heavenly calling, not earthly kingdom promises

This is the Body of Christ—the church of the present age.

It was not prophesied.
It was not seen.
It was not expected.
It was revealed, not predicted.

3. Why This Difference Matters

If something has been spoken and known since the world began (Luke 1:70),

and something else has been kept secret since the world began (Rom. 16:25),

then they cannot be the same program.

One is the prophetic, earthly Kingdom program for Israel.
The other is the heavenly, grace program for the Body of Christ.

Trying to blend them creates confusion:

Works vs. grace
Law vs. liberty
Earthly promises vs. heavenly position
Kingdom endurance vs. salvation by faith alone

But keeping them distinct restores clarity to the whole Bible.

4. The Prophetic Mountain Peaks and the Hidden Valley

The prophets saw the “mountain peaks” of God’s plan:

The First Coming
The Second Coming
The earthly Kingdom

But they could not see the valley in between—the Mystery age in which we live.

That valley was hidden in God until revealed to Paul.

When you lay Luke 1:70 beside Romans 16:25, the picture becomes unmistakable:

Prophecy = known since the world began
Mystery = kept secret since the world began

Two programs.
Two purposes.
One Lord directing it all.

**Conclusion:

God Never Mixes What He Has Separated**

Zacharias reminds us that Israel’s Kingdom was no surprise.
It was foretold clearly and repeatedly.

Paul reminds us that the Body of Christ was a surprise—hidden until the right moment.

Understanding the difference keeps us grounded when we read Hebrews through Revelation, where the tone shifts back to Israel’s prophetic program and preparation for the earthly Kingdom.

Two plans.
Two peoples.
Two destinies.
One perfect God weaving them together.

Monday, November 24, 2025

Good at the Beginning, Best at the End: The Alpha and Omega Pattern

When God does something, He never starts with junk. From the very first chapter of the Bible, a pattern emerges that carries all the way to Revelation. It’s a pattern that shows the heart of God, the character of God, and the way God writes His story — and ours.

God Begins With Good

In Genesis 1, after every act of creation, God pauses and declares, “It is good.”
Light — good.
Land — good.
Plants — good.
Creatures — good.

And when the entire work is finished, God looks over everything and says, “It was very good.”
God’s beginnings are always good. He is the Alpha — the One who starts all things in goodness, order, and beauty.

This is why He asked Israel for the firstfruits. Not leftovers. Not the scraps of harvest. But the first portion — the best portion — because the first is a sign that what God begins is good, and what we offer back to Him reflects that.

But God Saves the Best for Last

When Jesus turned water into wine at Cana, the master of the feast was shocked. People normally serve the best wine first, then the lesser wine when no one is paying attention. But Jesus reversed it:

“You have kept the best wine until now.” (John 2:10)

This miracle wasn’t just about wine. It was a sign of the way God works. What He does at the end of the story is always better than what came before.

The Old Covenant was good — holy, righteous, and just.
But the New Covenant, sealed in Christ’s blood, is better.
And the Kingdom to come is best of all — a new heavens and new earth where God wipes away every tear.

Jesus Is Both the Beginning and the End

Three times in Revelation, Jesus declares:

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.”

He stands at both ends of the story.
He is the Author who begins well, and the Finisher who ends perfectly.

As Alpha, He is the Word in the beginning, the Light that shines, the Firstfruits of resurrection.
As Omega, He is the One who returns in glory, the One who makes all things new, the One who brings creation from “good” to “best.”

The Pattern in Our Lives

This isn’t just the story of creation or redemption — it’s the pattern of the Christian life.

God gives us good things now: salvation, peace, His presence, His Spirit guiding us.
But He promises better as we grow: deeper maturity, greater faith, increasing hope.
And He reserves the best for last: resurrection, glory, the face of Christ, and a world made new.

Paul put it this way:

“The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed.” (Romans 8:18)

Good now. Best later.

Conclusion: The Alpha and Omega Story

From Genesis to Revelation, God works according to a divine rhythm:

Good at the beginning.
Best at the end.

Creation starts with goodness and ends with “very good.”
The gospel begins with grace and ends with glory.
Jesus appears as humble Savior in His first coming and returns as King in His second.

And through it all, He stands and declares,
“I am Alpha and Omega.”

Your story in Christ will follow the same pattern —
because the God who begins good
always finishes best.