Habakkuk 2

Then the Lord replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay."

Tuesday, January 24, 2023

The Covering that is Cast over People

Isaiah 25:6-8 ESV

 

“On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples

    a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine,

    of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.

And he will swallow up on this mountain

    the covering that is cast over all peoples,

    the veil that is spread over all nations.

   He will swallow up death forever;

and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces,

    and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,

    for the Lord has spoken.”

 

When we read Isaiah 2 we learned that the mountain of the Lord, which was Zion, was Jesus Christ, our Messiah and Lord, and it is his body, his church. Jesus Christ is Zion and his church, his body, is Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem (not the physical city of Jerusalem). Zion refers to God’s spiritual kingdom but it is also a term used to describe God.

 

Anyway, in Isaiah 2 we read about this mountain of the Lord in the latter days (the days of the Messiah) that people will flow to in order “that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” So, the mountain is a “he,” and the “he” is definitely someone people are flowing to so that we can be taught his ways and so that we can walk in his paths.” And that would be Jesus Christ, our Messiah, our God.

 

As it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame” (Romans 9:33; cf. Hebrews 12:22-24; 1 Peter 2:4-10).

 

Now, going back to today’s passage, “this mountain” is to be considered a parallel to the mountain in Isaiah 2, which would indicate that this mountain is also representing our Lord Jesus and his heavenly kingdom. And now if you read in v. 7 “and he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all the peoples,” what covering comes to mind? That reminds me of that veil of spiritual blindness because of sin.

 

So, what happened when Jesus Christ died on that cross for our sins? Jesus Christ who knew no sin became sin for us on that cross and so when he died our sins were put to death with him so that, by God-given faith in him, we would die with our Lord to sin and live to him and to his righteousness. Then we are delivered from our spiritual blindness and now we can see the light of the truth of the gospel. So the covering of sin over our lives was swallowed up by Jesus in his death on that cross so that we can be free from our slavery to sin and walk in his holiness and righteousness.

 

And in his death on that cross and in his resurrection he did swallow up death forever for those of childlike faith who have been crucified with Christ in death to sin and who have been raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. If we are believing in Jesus Christ, and if we are walking in his ways, and not in sin, we have the hope of eternal life with God.

 

And when we go to be with him for eternity, he will wipe away all our tears from our eyes, for there will be no more pain, sorrow, sickness, and trials and tribulations which test our faith on this earth. And sin and wickedness will not exist in heaven. There will only be righteousness and holiness and godliness in heaven. And we will be with our Lord forever, amen!

 

“It will be said on that day,

    ‘Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.

    This is the Lord; we have waited for him;

    let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.’” Isaiah 25:9 ESV

 

Right now, if our faith in Jesus Christ is genuine, we are saved (past), we are being saved (present active), and we will be saved (future) when Jesus takes us home to be with him for eternity, which is when our salvation will be complete and our marriage to Christ consummated. So we rejoice in our salvation now, but we will again rejoice in our salvation when it is completed and we will be with our Lord forever.

 

But this is conditional upon us first of all dying with Christ to sin and then living to him and to his righteousness, and then us continuing to die with him to sin and to walk in obedience to our Lord’s commands (New Covenant) in walks of righteousness and holiness. For if sin is what we practice, and if righteousness and obedience to our Lord are not what we practice, then we will not inherit eternal life with God and we won’t be saved in the end.

 

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

 

The Kingdoms of Earth Pass Away

 

Lyrics by Henry R. Trickett, 1887

Music by James H. Fillmore, 1887

 

The kingdoms of earth pass away one by one,

But the kingdom of heaven remains;

It is built on a rock and the Lord is its King,

And forever and ever He reigns.

 

The tempest may rage and its anger acclaim,

Yea, the wind and the torrents may roar,

And the strong gates of hell may assail it in vain,

Still the kingdom shall stand ever more.

 

The kingdom of God is now open to all,

E’en the vilest may now enter in;

There’s a welcome for all who will turn to the Lord,

Full salvation and pardon for sin.

 

It shall stand, It shall stand,

Forever and ever and ever,

It shall stand, It shall stand,

Forever and ever. Amen and Amen.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCAO2TpbeY0

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