Address—D. Bilisoly
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Beautiful hamlet.
Breathe, as it were, the longings of our spirits.
148.
So for the Roman War.
To walk with Christian life.
Oh Lord and glorious.
Growing.
Hill a day without almighty.
We were gonna make our train.
Or change ourselves to christening like him a quick way.
What joy to bring everything.
God, save your face to your friends.
God is for joy and.
That place.
Jesus talking.
To glory.
Wisdom shout out that day.
Insane thy God.
Glory thing.
Thou our souls What?
Enter.
Thou holy as God.
Night.
Have God's right hand and glory.
Kill. Perfect.
The story.
Stand or the white?
Creation.
By power will stretch.
Your arms.
Take your from all time to.
Free from all humans.
Now let's ask the Lord Let's turn back again to Ezra.
The Book of Ezra.
Chapter 6.
Rather.
Rather Ezra chapter 5, just to get on a bearing.
Well, back up to chapter 4 and verse 23.
Now when the copy of King Arthur's letter was read before 3, whom and Shimshaya described and their companions, they went in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, and made them deceived by force and power then ceased the work of the House of God, which is at gruesome. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius.
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Now I mentioned the other day that actually the work had ceased before this King's injunction came.
So you might say that there was a twofold reason why the work seats.
It sees first of all because they were losing interest in it, they were losing parts and I believe we'll see shortly what was the problem behind it.
And then on top of their losing heart in the matter and slacking off from the work, here comes this injunction against this.
And so you would pay.
What's the use? It's all over.
That's when these two prophets came into the picture, chapter 5 and verse one. Then the prophet Haggai and the prophet and Zechariah the son of Idil, prophesied under the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel even unto them then rose up Derubable, the son of Shelfield and Joshua the son of Joseph, death, and began to build the House of God which is at Jerusalem and with them.
Were the prophets of God helping them?
Well, brethren, I thought tonight perhaps we should take a little look into what those tropics had to say for them, because there is some instruction for us. We well know that the things that are written before time are written for our learning, and I believe we can learn by what those prophets have to say to them because their message was a message to a small.
Weak remnant that had come back.
To rebuild the temple, and they came of their own free will. But in doing that, they were in a place, you might say, of renewed responsibility. It was a privilege to be identified with that testimony and identified with that work.
But with privilege always goes responsibility. And so we we see, we'll see how that was put upon them as responsibility. First of all, let's take a look at what Haggai has to say about the matter. We are already glanced a little bit of Zachariah, but perhaps we'll go a little further with it. So go to the end of the.
The prophets here.
And get to the book of Haggai, third from the last book of the Old Testament.
And now we'll see exactly what they had to say for the people.
I might just mention this first of all, that Haggai Haggai is very short. It's not a lengthy prophecy and actually it's more directed to the people immediately in the problem. But we see Zechariah.
Goes much, much further, and the exact Riot considers things that are definitely of a very future nature.
And so Zachariah brings out some marvelous things. But as we read these two passages, Hagia and Zach Brown keep in mind that this is exactly what those two prophets were bringing before the people. No?
Zechariah didn't bring everything he has to say in his book before them at once. It was spread out over a little time. But there were things he did have to say to him immediately, as we noticed in that 5th chapter of Ezra. But all who goes so much further. But let's see what Hagia has to say.
We'll just read through a little of this in chapter one, verse one in the second year of Darius.
The King in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the Lord by Haggai, the prophet unto Derubable, the son of Chiotil, governor of Judah, and Joshua the son of Jos, Deck the high priest, saying first. Now these men, as we already know, were the more responsible leaders of the people, and the word is directly to them, but it is to the people also.
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All the people bore a certain responsibility.
Thus speaketh the Lord verse two of Hope. Saying this, people say the time has not come, the time that the Lord's house should be built.
There's the giveaway right there.
They're as much as saying.
Things are too difficult. There just seems to be no way possible that this work can go on. It just is not the time, you know. And it's easy to say that it's easy to take a look at the present state of things and say, well, we're so weak they can fit the state of ruin. There's so much failure, there's been so much departure. How can we continue on? You know, that's exactly what the enemy would like for us to say. And to do it, we would like to have us to lose hearts.
Well, you know, discouragement is a great tool of the enemy. A great tool. He works on all of us in that way. If he can, we ought to recognize his taxes. We shouldn't be surprised.
But we can be very thankful for all the encouragement that the Lord gives. And this is 1 very good reason why we need each other. We need the assembly, we need the fellowship, We need the ministry of the word of God. And it's an extra benefit to have the large conference times together, larger collective testimony. It seems like the Lord often uses those special meetings.
In a in a way that would reach our heart and conscience well.
We've often heard, you know, that the Ministry at a conference can come out in such a way that no one can save. Oh well, they were aiming at me or they, and the Lord uses that indeed.
So we can see what the problem was. The time has not come, The time that the Lord's house should be built. Well, who? Whose judgment was that? That was not the Lord's mind. The Lord wanted that testimony. He moved the heart of that king to proclaim that it should be done. And this was their opinion, not the Lord's.
Verse 3 Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, saying, Is it time for you, O ye.
To dwell in your sealed houses, in this house life. Wait, what's he saying? Well, he touched on a point of conscience here. Because.
When they first came back to Jerusalem with the rubble, you remember that they set about to establish themselves to make provision for their own needs. And they were continuing to go about this when they were losing heart in the construction of the temple. And so they have reached the point where they had put ceilings on their houses.
I believe that's what the thought is, and I believe that this tells us that here the House of God was yet without a ceiling. It was incomplete.
It was in a state of of neglect.
And we put that to their conscience.
Verse 5 Now therefore, thus saith the Lord of hosts, consider your way. That's good advice for us. Is it not threatened? We really need to consider our ways. Do you have the right attitude toward the testimony to the truth of the one body, the divine gathering center, where the Lord Jesus is the center? In the midst of those truly gathered for the spirit of jobs unto His name? What is our consideration of this truth?
I trust that each one of us here tonight really have a value for this truth, and I am hiding them trying to believe that you do it.
But we do need to consider our ways that.
That we build in any way feel a discouragement towards that testimony. Now look how the Lord was speaking to them in verse six. She had so much in bringing little ye eat, but she had not enough. You drink, but she are not filled with drink. He clothes you, but there's none warm. And he that earnest wages, earnest wages to put into a bag with holes.
Well, that was kind of.
Clear cut, wasn't it? The Lord was shaking them up in there domestic matters, things that were very important to them and that should have been a signal from Him.
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That things weren't right. And that's good, isn't it? Is it good always to be exercised by things yesterday? Yes, it is. Now there is, of course, what we all experience is the common lot of men. You know, we all have to bear certain burdens. We all have difficulties and trials in this life. But there are times when the Lord will speak to us. And so in verse seven it says Thus saith the Lord of hosts.
Consider your ways. Go up to the mountain and bring wood and build the house, and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the Lord. Oh, I think that eighth verse is excellent to consider.
He says go up to the mountain. Does that not suggest to us that we need to get into a higher elevation, that is, we need to get our thoughts as it were elevated?
Closer to the Lord, as it were.
And bring wood now the wood. But that not perhaps suggests to us his humanity. Perhaps we could even think of the cross. But he went as a man to the cross of Calvary, like Isaac, that carried the wood, as it were, on his back. And he said, bring wood and build the house.
A simple exhortation.
And I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the Lord. Now that ought to encourage our hearts, because that tells us that his estimation of the work is what counts, not ours. And how do we understand that and know that?
By the Word of God, as we lay hold of this truth and the divine principles involved.
Then we realized that there is nothing that is of greater importance than his thoughts about a thing, and we get that from the word of God.
Their thoughts were faulty and it's always so with us. If we begin to to judge things by our own thoughts, we're sure to go astray. But we see that.
He, the prophet of the Spirit of God, wanted them to know that God would take pleasure in this work and be glorified by this.
He had ever sold a small, insignificant, and I believe that was one of the principal things that troubled him. And then he goes on to to reach their conscience with the way in which he was speaking to them about this problem.
And what happens? Do we see a resistance? Do we see a bad feeling on the part of Zerubbabel and the others for the way in which the Prophet was speaking?
No. Just as we had back in Ezra chapter 5 there, verse 12 of our chapter here shows immediate submission to the word of the Lord. They took it directly as from the Lord and Derubable verse 12.
Shell feel and Joshua the son of Joseph the high priest with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the words of Haggai the prophet as the Lord their God hath sent him. And the people did fear before the Lord. All this is extra. Oh brother, you know if there is truly with us the fear of the Lord that we don't want to do anything that would dishonor him. Oh how excellent that is how we need that. It's not a training. Abject fear.
There's No Fear and love. It isn't not that kind of fear, but it's a reverential fear that recognizes what is due to him as to his claims. And they fear this is excellent.
And what do we have then in verse 13? Then spiked Haggai, the Lord's messenger in the Lord's message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the Lord, Oh, don't you delight read that the Lord is immediately gives them encouragement. And brethren, if we have as our first motive the glory of God, he is so ready to encourage our hearts and to assure us that he is with us. He'll give us that sense.
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Of his approval. And is there anything that can equal that or anything that can replace that? Absolutely not. It's a little bit like when David had a right motive, you know, to bring the art back to Jerusalem, but he followed the example of the Philistines and tried to bring it on a new cart. God doesn't want any new tarts. We need to follow the word of God in the direction of the word of God in these things. And so God would not honor that, and it caused the death of Yusuf.
So David was very troubled, and he didn't know quite what to do until a little later. The Lord encouraged him to go ahead with this, and then he recognized that it had to be done according to the due order. Our God is a God of due order. And so we see that the ark was then brought to Jerusalem on the shoulders of the priests, and it says, and the Lord helped them. Well, that's good, isn't it? The Lord is always so ready.
To help us, if we give him the 1St place, and if we recognize what is due to him, and seek to do all for the glory of God, and do all in the fear of God, he is so ready to help we want to bless them. Verse 14 And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel, the son of Shellfield, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua, the son of Josiah, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnants of the people. And they came and did work in the House of the Lord of Hosts.
Their God in the four and 20th day of the sixth month, in the second year of Dorias the King.
Now this isn't the end of it. I believe that the prophet by the spirit of God would go further and help them to.
Realize what the real problem was and the way in which to reinforce our own hearts and consciences in these matters whereby we might become discouraged.
So in chapter 2 and verse one in the seventh month.
In the one and 20th day of the month came the word of the Lord for the prophet Haggai saying, you know, there's something else to notice here, and that is that we have an exact timing as to when this prophecy comes. God is a God of Kindness, his timetable is accurate, and he knows what exactly is necessary at the right time.
To seek now and his Irubble the son of Shellfield, governor of Judah, and Joshua the son of Jos, Deck the high priest, and to the residue of the people saying, Who is left among you that solve this house in her first glory.
And how do you see it now? What was its first glory? Well, it was Solomon's temple that was all destroyed, that the Solomon Temple was glorious. You know, when you consider the details that we have there in first kings of the construction of Solomon's temple, it was glorious.
And that's what he's bringing before them. There were a few of the older ones.
Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory, and how do you see it now?
Is it not in your eyes? In comparison, as nothing. There's the problem, there's the problem.
And that's of course, what could get us into trouble. You know, when I read in the first part of the book of Acts, and I read it, 3000 people being saved at one time, next preaching, 2000 people so that it began to be 5000 people. Oh, such blessing is that. And the vast multitude gathered to the Lord's name. Everybody was gathered to the Lord's name at that time.
If you start thinking about that and make comparison with the present testimony, you could very well get discouraged or even let's go back 160 years and consider the freshness of those early brother, how that the testimony was so strong.
In England in the early days that it was drawing a good deal of attention, even in Plymouth, England alone, and there was such a work of grace.
And the heart of the people was so devoted to the Lord that the collections were overflowing. They were put jewelry and things in the collection, and they hardly knew what to do with all those selections. They were displacing poverty in the community. And finally the authorities had to recognize it and lower the tax base. Oh, no wonder the enemy made such an attack against the freshness of that testimony.
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In Plymouth, England.
So if we make comparisons like that and say well.
Things were nothing like they were in the early days of those present. And by the way, I'll say this, I'm very thankful.
That God put it in the heart of those early brothers to put into print the truth that they were laying hold out. Because it doesn't seem as though we're making such progress like that today. And I'm very thankful to be able to go to that good old written ministry. And let me tell you, just cannot find anything modern on the shelves to equal it. Not unless the person has been under the sound of the truth and has.
Appreciated and valued the writings of the old brother. But let's just put it this way, that I believe that most of what we have now is as a result of the writings of those early threatens. If you didn't get it for yourself, you got it through your forefathers who perhaps got it from these writings. And if they, if not directly, maybe they got it through their forefathers. But that's very scriptural in this order, and I'm so thankful.
That those brethren were reading the writings of the old brother because in effect, I more or less grew up in the assembly at Denver and the ministry I heard I appreciate it. And that those that were giving out that ministry, they appreciated the writings of the old brothers. So let's not despise these things. Let's consider the heritage that God has given us, and let's recognize how favored we are to have.
The truth, and even Christendom as a whole, benefited from the truth of those early drivers and I can remember.
John Russen was listening to a certain radio creature that was good and he he said he was started and he said as he listened he said what else J&D and he checked it out and sure enough it was JMD synopsis.
Verbatim. So you see, I believe the benefit of those writings have spread all over Christendom. But are they retaining them? Are they keeping them? Well, we can see how busy Satan is to try and offset the the result of that valuable ministry and to bring back in the old errors that people were steeped in back in the early days. Like Covenant Theology for one thing, and that line of things that.
That was not clear back in the days of the reformers and even before them, but thank God for dispensational truth and teaching. Anyway, this was a great problem, and I believe that the Prophet is trying to help them to see what caused this discouragement, what caused them to slack off from the work. Verse 4. Yet now be strong, oh Zerubbabel, saith the Lord, and be strong.
O Joshua, son of Joseph the high priest, and be strong. All the people of the land, saith the Lord, and work for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts. Isn't that beautiful? What encouragement, how gracious, that God we have, and he would encourage them to be strong, Is that good advice for us today? To be strong in the Lord and in the power of his mind, put on the whole armor of God. We need that advice and instruction today because.
The enemy will make his attack any way that he can, so we need that advice to be strong in the Lord.
I am with you, saith the Lord, verse five, according to the word that I covenanted with you when he came out of Egypt. So my spirit remains among you. Fear ye not. What is he saying? I believe, brother, and he's saying that I'm the very same God that delivers your descendants out of Egypt. I haven't changed. My power is not one bit diminished. I'm the very same God. I can do everything.
And don't look for such miraculous things as that. I'm the same God, But don't look for miraculous things with that. And in fact, we don't have any miracles in the book of Ezra and Nehemiah and Haggai and Zechariah, we don't have any miracles.
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And it is in the time of miracles today, as far as the church is concerned. In the early days, when the testimony was so fresh and new, God confirmed it with miraculous powers. But we need to remember that the apostle did not want to infer that the apostle did not want to interfere with the ways of God, with his old and less trophimus at Malibu, 6 and such things as that gave advice to Timothy.
But God was working in a miraculous way at that time to confirm the testimony. But He is not working in that way now. He can, of course, work miracles, we know that. But I believe there is a lesson for us in this respect. But it's the same God that He's not diminished one bit in his power, and we have indeed the power of prayer now.
How do it verse 6 For thus saith the Lord of hosts.
Yes, it is a little while. And I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land, and I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts. Now what's this all about?
Here he presents him as the Lord of hosts. That's like Jehovah of armies, you know. When God takes the lead, who can stand up against His power as that? And the day is coming when He will indeed shake up all nations and put down all opposition to his purposes and to his Kingdom. I believe that's how he was seeking to encourage this weakened people.
Little remnant, they were surrounded by these hostile peoples that resented what they were doing. And yet God had moved the heart of the Persian king to make this decree so that they could do this work and they needed to just simply depend upon the Lord. We didn't read it, but back there in Ezra chapter 5 and in chapter 6, you know, when they begin to rebuild again and to go about this work, immediately, the enemy takes alarm and says, what are you doing?
And they just tell them very plainly what they're doing. And the enemy says, oh, you can't do this. And immediately they send word to the king. But there's a change of circumstances because the governor, Pat and I, that was in command at that time or had the oversight of that particular area.
Was a man of integrity. We can be very thankful for that, can we not?
For men in office that do have integrity, and it appears to me that he was an honest man and he was concerned with what they were doing because he knew that there was an injunction against them and has. So he writes out everything that's said to him and he doesn't color it up. He doesn't try to make a case against them. He just simply sends to the Kingdom.
Persia a true report, a true account of what he heard, what they said. And so the the whole case came before the Persian king at that time.
And so he thought, well, perhaps we'd better make search and see if this is true, that they did have a decree to do this thing. And he did make search, and lo and behold, he did find the decree of Cyrus that.
Allowed this work to go on and when he found that decree.
He recognized that he had made an illegal decree, and so it was immediately nullified. And he recognized that. And so he made a rescript of what Cyrus had given out. And not only that, but he added a real warning to anybody that stood in opposition to it. All we've got to do is trust the Lord, that's the thing, and let him take care of the consequences.
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The work is his, and we can just trust him to see it through. And I believe that certainly holds true today. And so he's reminding the people here of what's to come. And I think this is exactly the way Zachariah speaks to the people too. He looks way off ahead, even past the time of the church period. That's just a a blank here that that wouldn't be a thing known at all.
And he looks way on to that day when the Lord would make his appearing and He would shake all nations, and the desire of all nations would come. Verse seven. Well, what is that? The desire of all nations. Peace and quietness and safety. They're not. They're not going to get it. Not until the Prince of Peace takes control. Oh, they're so long for stability and peace and order.
But they won't have it till he takes control. And then in connection with that, he says, And I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of Hope, oh, I believe in connection with the desire of all nations will be a government, a central government, that will bring control into the world.
And the world will have that. And where will that government be? It'll be in Jerusalem. It will be the center of the whole earth. But of course, it will be the rule of the heavens too. And we will share in it from a heavenly standpoint, with Christ.
What is he saying here in verse 8? The silvers mind and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts.
Well, the thought that comes before me is this, that God knows all about values. We don't have to tell him about value.
Let's consider the value he places upon the present testimony to the name and to the glory of the Lord Jesus.
He knows all about values. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of Hosts. Verse 9. The glory of this latter house. I believe this it could be worded in this way. The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, saith the Lord of hosts. And in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts. Well.
The latter glory. What is that?
Is that millennial temple and what a description that far exceeds the size and the glory of Solomon's Temple. It's so large in the temple area is so large that it will be towards the north of Jerusalem. You know, that's a very interesting thing because.
They are extremely anxious to get the present temple site back in order to build a temple.
It seems amazing to me that they miss they miss what we have described.
In Ezekiel, Because in the book of Ezekiel, from chapter 40 on, somewhere about there we have in great detail the Millennial temple, and it's fast in size and it's got to be, because representatives of peoples of the whole world will have to come up to Jerusalem as the Feast of Tabernacles and acknowledge the God of Israel, the God of all the earth. They will have to do that. And so it will be vast in size.
And it surprises me that they don't recognize that now.
Instead, their whole focus is upon that temple area and it's very interesting thing. But actually the original site, they have proven this. Jewish archaeologists have proven that the original temple site is not on the Mosque of Omar, but rather it is to the north of the Mosque of Omar. They could easily reconstruct a temple and perhaps they will in a very hurried way after we are gone.
Because the enemy will tear it down again. Only pitiful, isn't it? And there's no way that they can have a testimony like that until the Lord Jesus truly establishes it. So he doesn't even consider what they will do in their own self will at that time. He will indeed hold them responsible in connection with that Tribulation temple as we may refer to it, but he he makes no consideration of it. He goes right past that thought.
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And considers the Millennial temple.
Its latter glory, but it's all one in the same house now. That's something that should be very interesting to us.
It's always referred to as the same house.
What did we learn from that?
Well, it's I believe it was parallel. It would equate in thought with the truth of the one body. The body of Christ, you know was formed on the day of Pentecost and has continued on since that time. And it is God that is adding to that body And there is scripture says one body and every true St. of God here in Pella throughout Iowa, throughout the world is a member of the body of Christ.
But the great question is, are they expressing the truth of the one body? That's another thing. That's another thing.
To express it in a practical way. Well, if we're going to express the truth of the one body in a practical way, we must consider other truths connected with the truth of the Church.
And certainly we cannot neglect the truth connected with the House of God.
Now, I suppose some of you may realize that our dear brother Flem Buchanan got into a good deal of trouble because he came out with an excellent article in the January issue of Christian Treasury, and I would just recommend it to your reading about the body of Christ and the House of God. You cannot separate the truth of the word of God. You cannot claim and practice the truth of the one body and neglect the truth of the House of God because with the truth of the House of God.
Comes the absolute necessity of discipline, which is carried out in a local way, you see, and is acknowledged by all in a practical sense, when we consider the body of Christ. So we must, we must not set Scripture against Scripture, and we must rightly divide the word of Truth, and we must recognize that it all has its place.
But that thought came before me, that it was always looked at as the same house as it were.
The body is 1.
So he's telling.
These this remnant company to look ahead if we're going to make comparisons. Let's not compare the present with the former or we'll get discouraged. That was the problem.
Let's compare the former with the future. In other words, the future is glorious. And if we're going to make a comparison now about the little company gathered under the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ according to the truth of the one body, we're going to make the comparison. Let's compare it with that future glory, when all members of the body of Christ will be together surrounding him.
I've probably said this before, but I enjoy comparing Matthew 1820 you know, where two or three are gathered together unto my name with Second Thessalonians, 21 where Paul says, I beseech you by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together. Under him there's the universal gathering together of all the Saints of God unto him.
But I believe when the Lord made mention of Matthew 1820, he was considering the least possible testimony. Did he perhaps consider the day in which we live when there would be perhaps so few? The testimony has in some places been literally reduced to two and three. Yes, I really believe he was considering the least possible testimony, but let's not look upon that with a feeling of discouragement.
As few as a number, but let's think how glorious it will be in that coming day when all the Saints of God.
Will be perfectly gathered unto him. He will be the center of all. And will each one of us will have our thoughts corrected about these things in that day. The judgment seat of Christ is so necessary. I realize that more and more as I go on, and I'm sure you do too, that we don't want to carry anything into eternity that was put a cloud between our hearts and the Lord we want. We want it to be.
00:45:23
Everything perfectly there or how necessary it is.
And it's true that All Saints of God, every true born again, believer here in hell and in Iowa and in the US and Canada and the world, will all have to appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Yes, we will all be manifested, and how good, how important that is. And it will be of course the kind of rewards, but then a marvelous and wonderful to think of entering into that eternal glory.
Without one cloud, without one thing that would ever cross our conscience and trouble our hearts. Oh no. We'll learn about his love in a way that we have never known before. Instead of being the 50 pence better, we'll realize that we were the 500 pence better. Oh, how thankful we will be in that day to have all these things out of the way and above all to be done with the flesh. That's old man.
Anyway.
He brings some solemn things before them. I would just mention this. You can read it for yourself, but he brings before them the serious principle of identification and defilement.
That comes as a result and through verses 10 through.
Through 14 Very solemn to consider that and to recognize that.
The testimony must be kept pure.
Here's another thing too.
It seems like Haggy Eye will not close his little prophecy for the spirit of God without some special word of encouragement to Zerubbabel. See in verse 21 of this last chapter, this second chapter of Haggai becomes a derubable governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth and I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms and I will destroy the strength of kingdoms of the heathen and I will overthrow the Chariots and those that write in them and the horses and their riders.
Shall come down, everyone of them, by the sword of his brother in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, I will take Fields Iruppable, my servant, the son of Shelfield, saith the Lord, and I will make thee a signal, for I have chosen thee, saith the Lord of hosts. Well, isn't that? And nice encouragement to rubble to indicate that he would have some special recognition in that coming day, because he was a son of David.
He was linked with the royal family.
But as I said before, he could not reign as a king because of a curse upon his household that came down through Jekyll Niam.
But he was a faithful man of God, and he functioned faithfully as a governor, even though he was a real Prince and.
Peggy, I wanted him to know. Or I should say the Lord wanted him to know, that he would have special recognition in that day. And of course, he will thrill to see David's greater son take the throne and rule supreme over this whole world. Now let's go to Zechariah for a brief moment.
And the thing I would just like to notice is that Zechariah went so much further than Haggai and brought so many things before them that should have made it plain and clear that there was yet a man to come that was the rule supreme over the world.
He really begins to introduce to them the Christ, the one who came as a man in this world.
So that when the Lord Jesus made his entry into this world, there should have been no question whatsoever that he was the one who met all of qualifications of these Old Testament scriptures, particularly the prophecy of Zachariah. If they would, if those Jews would have sincerely, and maybe the Bereans did, I don't know, sincerely read the book of Zacharias, I think they would have had to conclude. Who else could it be but Jesus of Nazareth?
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There it is. But anyway, first of all.
As we remarked before, Haggai focuses primarily on the Temple. Zachariah focuses primarily on Jerusalem, while Jerusalem will be the center in that day. Now it is set aside of course, and the assembly where the Lord Jesus is in the midst is the focal point. And it's very important to notice in the Book of Acts how the Jerusalem fades out of the picture as the center and the assembly.
Especially beginning of Antioch comes into focus where the Lord Jesus is in the midst. So it's important observation. But after we're gone, after we're in glory, His thoughts were turned back again to Israel and his thoughts will turn toward Jerusalem once again and he will take them up in blessings. And there's in the Psalms thoughts of encouragement and comfort for Jerusalem and you'll see.
That this is the thrust of Zechariah's prophecy, but over here in.
Chapter 2 of Zechariah he says in verse 4.
Run speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls, for the multitude of men and cattle therein.
And so forth and so forth. Now here again, I believe that Zach arrived by the spirit of God is following the same.
Basic way of encouraging the people as haggy ideas, that is, instead of getting them troubled with the weak state of things and the ruined state of Jerusalem. Because remember, it wasn't until Nehemiah came that they got serious about putting up those walls. Well remember this, he he's saying don't consider present things, but look ahead and consider that the day is coming.
Jerusalem will be so full of people that it will overflow, as it were. And this is the way in which the Prophet sought to encourage the people. But let's go on here. We already considered chapter 4, but notice in chapter 3 how he begins to bring before them the one who would bring this all about.
Verse 8 of chapter 3.
Here now, O Joshua, the high priest, thou and thy fellows that sit before thee, for they are men, wondered at for behold, I will bring forth my servants a branch.
Do I need to tell you who that is? There's only one that would meet the qualification, and the branch here is like a a nice viable shoot that's coming up out of the ground.
And this is the time of year you watch for those things, isn't it? And so here it is. You know what it says in Isaiah 53. He was as a root, out of dry ground. Do you remember that? If they'd only acknowledge that, they would have only recognized, like Peter says, so would the days of refreshing come and so forth. It would have ushered, as it were, in the Millennium. But of course we knew that in God's purposes and counsels, he had the church in mind.
But the day is coming when he will shoot forth again, you know, and he'll grow up in his place. And you're watching and waiting to see those shoots get taller and taller and to make great progress, are you not Through the growing season until harvest time. And so he'll grow right up in his place. And this is, of course, is what the Prophet is seeking to bring before them, My servant, the branch, you know, if you took all these places where we had brands. And the thought is like a.
Plant shooting up through the ground. If you took all these places, you would see that they correspond in thought to the four Gospels. Who else meets the qualification? But the Lord Jesus hears the service. So that brings the servant Gospel before us. Mark's Gospel, right? And you'll see that there are other passages that suggest the branch that bring Matthew's Gospel before she looks gospel before John's Gospel before. Who else could it be but the Lord Jesus?
And.
Now let's go on here.
Over to Chapter 6.
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This is very interesting.
Verse 11.
Then take silver and gold and make crowns. Now we're talking about crowns. You know, if you went to the New Testament to read about a crown of rejoicing, a crown of glory, a crown of life. You see, now we're reading about crowns. Does that not suggest us rewards? Does that not suggest to us a time to reign? And we will indeed reign as kings with him? But we get a thought like this here. Then take silver and gold and make crowns and set them upon the head of Joshua, the son of Jostech, the High Priest.
And speak unto him, saying, Thus speak to the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the man.
Whose name is the branch? Here's Luke's Gospel. The man is mentioned now.
Whose name is the branch. And he shall grow up out of his place and he shall build the temple of the Lord. Now you see how he's trying to encourage the people. He's trying to let them know that there is a special man on his way that would eventually come up in his place. He would build a temple. I was looking on to a millennial day. It's looking on to a time when the Kingdom will be established.
Verse 13 Even he shall build the temple of the Lord, and he shall bear.
The glory and shall sit and rule upon his throne, and he shall be a priest upon his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both, a priest and a king. How do we put that together? Oh, Melchizedek, there's Hebrews 5 and 6:00 and 7:00. If the Melchizedek priesthood is a millennial priesthood and brethren, will we be in association with the Lord Jesus? In that way we are to have made us kings and priests unto God and our Father.
Yes, indeed, we will be associated with him. And here we give it a little thought of some of these associates. Verse 14. And the crown shall be to keel them, and to divide you into Judea, and to him, and to the son of Zephaniah.
Memorial in the Temple of the Lord. Well, verse 14 seems to suggest to me that He will have associates and indeed we will be associated with Him at that time. We do know that when we get into New Testament scripture, but.
Well, let's glean another thought or two here and I see our time is just about running out. So we'll speed through here and.
Notice Chapter 11. Now we're getting into a serious matter. Now the prophet, the spirit of God, has to bring before the people how they would reject this very one who had all the credentials of being the branch and being the one truly scent of God. And what did they do? Verse 12. And I said unto them, if you think good, give me my price. And if not for bear, so they wait for my price. 30 pieces of silver.
There's a thing that was actually fulfilled in the New Testament. They sold him for the price of a slave. Oh, how some. And it just broke everything that God would have done at that time as far as reuniting Israel and Judah and reuniting all the nations under his powerful rule. That's what the beauty and ban is all about. Oh no, they would have to wait. Chapter 12.
Verse 10.
The middle of verse 10 They shall look upon me whom they have pierced. Is that any plainer?
Oh, it's so obvious. Here we've got the whole crucifixion presented to us, and we see how the Lord fulfilled in all these things His coming into the world and so forth. And then chapter 13, verse six, And one shall stand to Him. What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer those which I was wounded in the House of my friends. I believe that those that raise this question.
Are those connected with the 10 tribes who did not have direct responsibility in the crucifixion. And so here they are now and they're inquiring what's this all about? And he explained it. Chapter 14, verse four. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives. There he comes. Now he comes actually down into this world to put down his enemy, to come to Jerusalem and to establish his government in Jerusalem.
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And Jerusalem will become the center of the world.
And then over in verse 17 And it shall be that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem, to worship the king, the Lord of hosts, Even upon them shall be no rain, and so forth.
They will be absolutely compelled to acknowledge that righteous rule of government and to acknowledge that came the Lord, of course. Who is it? That's the Lord Jesus Christ or brethren? Isn't it a great mercy? Are are we not thankful that God has moved our hearts to acknowledge Him and we trust to give him the place that is His due now? Can we not acknowledge the present testimony? Is there anything more important?
That we can do than to recognize the testimony to be gathered to His precious name and to own his presence in the midst. We're going to find out in the coming days what the values are. Remember what we read. The silver is mine and the is the and the gold is mine, says the Lord of Hosts. He knows all about Chinese, and just remember we're going to be associated with him in that coming days when He rules supreme over all its world and when Israel has to recognize that.
Their. Their Messiah is not.