Our Betrothal to Christ

This is another in a series of excerpts from What Every Christian Should Know About the Return of Jesus, released by High Street Press and available at Amazon. 

In the last post, we began to look at the ancient Jewish wedding as a parable for God’s work of redemption in Christ. We continue this study now.

After the shiddukhim, the second element of ancient Jewish weddings is engagement, or betrothal, known as erusin in Hebrew. After their immersion in the mikvah, the bride and groom enter a shelter known as the huppah, or marriage canopy. This symbolizes the couple entering into a contract to establish a new household. 

Beneath the canopy, the groom offers the bride money or a valuable object such as a ring, and the couple shares a cup of wine to seal their vows. This parallels the cup Jesus and the apostles share in the last supper as a sign of the new covenant. As Matthew records:

Then he [Jesus] took a cup, and after giving thanks, he gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. But I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom (Matt. 26:27-30).

Later, Paul writes that, in the Lord’s Supper, we remember Christ’s death until he comes again (1 Cor. 11:23-26).

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Coworkers in the Book of Life: Philippians 4:3

This is another in a series of excerpts from The Book of Life: What the Bible Says about God’s Registry of the Redeemed from High Street Press and available at Amazon. This except comes from Chapter 14: Coworkers in the Book of Life: Philippians 4:3.

I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I also ask you, true partner, to help these women who have contended for the gospel at my side, along with Clement and the rest of my coworkers whose names are in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! (Phil. 4:2-4).

Habit 2 in Stephen Covey’s The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People is “Begin with the End in Mind.” Imagination is the root of this habit – the ability to envision in the mind what they eye doesn’t see. It’s based on the principle that all things are created twice: first, a mental creation, and then, a physical one. Just as a building follows a blueprint, reality follows imagination.

As Covey notes, “People are working harder than ever, but because they lack clarity and vision, they aren’t getting very far. They, in essence, are pushing a rope with all of their might.”

Paul understood this principle long before Covey articulated his seven habits. The apostle’s concern for all the churches – he calls it “the daily pressure” – sometimes places him in the middle of squabbles in local communities of faith (see 2 Cor. 11:28). When possible, Paul seeks to repair these fissures before they split congregations apart. A case in point: the church at Philippi.

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I Am Going to Prepare a Place

This is another in a series of excerpts from What Every Christian Should Know About the Return of Jesus, released by High Street Press and available at Amazon. 

Few events are more jubilant than a Jewish wedding. In Hebrew, it’s described as a simcha, or “joyous occasion.” As we think about the return of Jesus, it may help stir our passions to consider the details of an ancient Jewish wedding, which forms an apt parable of God’s redemptive work.

Let’s begin with John’s report of hearing a thundering voice in heaven, a voice he describes as “the sound of cascading waters, and the rumbling of loud thunder” (Rev. 19:6): 

Hallelujah, because our Lord God, the Almighty, reigns! Let us be glad, rejoice, and give him glory, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has prepared herself. She was given fine linen to wear, bright and pure…. Blessed are those invited to the marriage feast of the Lamb! (Rev. 19:6-9).

A day is coming when Christ’s bride – believers from every nation, tribe, people, and language – are gathered in heaven to consummate the marriage between Jesus and his followers. At that time, we enjoy the marriage supper of the Lamb. A look into ancient Jewish weddings reveals key truths about our covenant relationship with Jesus, his promise to prepare a place in heaven for us, and the certainty of his return.

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Snakes and Scorpions

This is another in a series of excerpts from The Book of Life: What the Bible Says about God’s Registry of the Redeemed from High Street Press and available at Amazon. This except comes from Chapter 13: Your Names Are Written in Heaven.

In the previous post, we began to look at the record in Luke 10 of Jesus sending out 72 disciples, followed by their triumphant return, and Jesus’ curious command for them not to rejoice that demonic forces have submitted to them. Now, we complete our look at this passage.

Snakes and scorpions

Next, Jesus tells his disciples, “Look, I have given you the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy; nothing at all will harm you” (Luke 10:19). The “snakes” and “scorpions” should be understood as figurative depictions of evil spirits. With the exception of Paul shaking a viper from his hand in Malta and suffering no ill effects (Acts 28:1-6), there’s no New Testament record of Christian preachers literally treading on reptiles or arachnids – and Paul’s encounter with a snake was far from intentional. 

Rather, Jesus is making it clear he has granted the disciples authority over Satan (“the enemy”) and his minions. While they’re engaged in obedient ministry, the Lord ensures that nothing harms them. This is a specific task of proclaiming the kingdom of God and providing a foretaste of eternal life under the king. By healing the sick and casting out demons, the disciples are showing Christ’s power over Satan, sin, and sin’s consequences. 

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The Restoration of Eden

This is another in a series of excerpts from What Every Christian Should Know About the Return of Jesus, released by High Street Press and available at Amazon. 

Old Testament scholar Sandra Richter writes:

[E]verything that lies in between Eden’s gate and the New Jerusalem, the bulk of our Bibles, is in essence a huge rescue plan. In fact, we could summarize the plot line of the Bible into one cosmic question: “How do we get Adam back into the garden?” In Genesis 3, humanity was driven out; in Revelation 21-22, they are welcomed home.

The Garden of Eden is a temple where humans enjoy face-to-face friendship with their creator. The Fall results in human banishment from Eden and a divinely prescribed distance between holy God and sinful people. Even Moses, the great lawgiver, is forbidden to see the face of God because God has declared, “No one may see me and live” (Exod. 33:20 NIV). Moses is allowed only to see God’s back as he passes by (v. 23). In the ancient world, criminals are banished from the presence of the king and not allowed to see his face, an apt picture of our separation from God (Esth. 7:8; cf. 2 Sam. 14:24).

John asserts that no person has seen God at any time. Even so, Jesus has declared God as deity veiled in human flesh (John 1:18). Jesus teaches that only the pure in heart will see God (Matt. 5:8). So, consider the transformation that takes place when the redeemed in eternity see God face-to-face and become like him (1 John 3:2).

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