And God Said "Let There Be Light"
'And there was Light'
The scriptures tell that God Created 'the Creation' in Six Days.
Whether those days are literal or figurative or all together something else is left for another day to discuss. Of interest to us it was on the 'Seventh Day', God rested from all His works. In God's time keeping it would appear that we are yet in that seventh day! Sounds incomprehensible, as this does not resonate as to how we understand time. But whether or not we understand Gods 'time keeping' and if this is indeed the reality; then we are left with the question, "what is to follow the seventh day and what will that Day look like to us?"
In the raging restless sea of humanity for which we find ourselves, there truly is the rest of God that can be found 'today'. We are in that 'Today'; the seventh day. "Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, "Today, if you hear his voice," (Heb.3:7). Can you hear his voice, ...today, in this, the seventh Day?
This is important because, the 'Today' for which the Hebrew writer speaks has lasted; from the authors perspective, for thousands of years.
But "the Today" for which the author speaks will ultimately come to an end. Jesus spoke of today's end as the 'Last Day' (John 6:39,40,44,54 12:48).
When the 'Today' of entering Gods rest comes to an end, the Books will be opened to see who is written therein (Dan.7:10, Rev.20:12-15).The Present
At present, in this the eleventh hour of the seventh day, Jesus sits, as the one who has overcome, in the Throne of the Father ruling and reigning in the midst of His enemies (Rev.3:21). Jesus sits in the throne, even as Joseph sat in the place of Pharaoh, where all must come to Him for food as in the time of famine (Genesis 41:38-46,55). As Joseph is certainly a figure of the Christ, so we as the people of God are in the land of Egypt where the food is scarce.
But the day is coming, in the restitution of all things (Acts 3:21) when the food will be plentiful as described by Gods Prophets when they spoke of the coming Kingdom of God on earth. The promise of the 'land to be inherited' stands, as it is inseparable from the promise of entering the Rest of God.
We know this because, Jesus, the one who now sits on the throne has declared, "blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth" (Matt.5:5).
In the mean time we must go to Jesus for our sustenance, just as the people did in the days of Joseph. Jesus has been 'raised up from the depths of the prison house' (as in the figure of Joseph) where He now sits as King with all rule and Authority been given to Him. Only in the Throne is God greater than Jesus (Genesis 41:10, John 14:28).
Because He is there, on the Throne of God, (In these last days, the seventh day) God now, speaks to us by his Son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the ages.." (Heb 1:2). In God's desire to create a man in His image and likeness, we now "see Jesus" (Heb.2:9), just as Stephen saw him standing at the Right Hand of God, the Son of Man, (even) the Glory of God (Acts 7:55,56).
Jesus is, as the Hebrew author testifies.... "the brightness of (God's) glory, and the express image of his person.." (Heb 1:3a). With such a One, we 'now' have a High Priest, the man who Overcame (Rev.3:21) and stands between us and God. "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1Ti 2:5 NIV).
The Eighth Day
There
is another 'Day' coming that is to follow
'Today'. It is the Eighth Day.
This Day is the Day of New Beginnings.
It is the Day of Salvation realized for all those found with their name written in the Book of Life. It
is the Day of Resurrection when the restitution of all things is to
be realized (Acts 3:20,21).
The concept of 'The
day of salvation realized', 'the day of new beginnings', is
widely and deeply embedded in the scriptures. For, "This
is the Day which the LORD has made...."
(Psalm 118:22). The Eight Day is the Day when 'the Kingdom
of God' is established on earth which cannot be shaken, when the
Glory of the Lord is to fill the Earth (Numbers 14:21, Hab.2:14).
It is the day for which every true believer in
God is in expectation of receiving (Heb.12:28) and, in the mean
time, as Jesus taught His disciples to pray for.. 'today' (Matt.6:9,10).
On the last day of this age all that offends will have been purged
(Matt.3:12) and so will begin
the age where there will
be no more tears, sorrow, pain, and death (Rev.21:1-4). The
Eight Day is the Day in which Jesus, who now sits in the Throne of
the Father, is to take possession of the Promised Throne of David
(Isa.9:6 Luke 1:32 Rev.3:21).
In the Eighth Day, Jesus, as the Son of Man, (Acts 7:55-56) who has been given the title 'Lord of Lords and King of Kings' (Rev.17:14) will take possession of the Throne of David his father (2Sam.7:12-13, Daniel 7:13,14). Christ Jesus, the anointed Lamb of God slain before the foundation of the World, has been proclaimed that King but He has not yet taken possession of His Kingdom. This happens when the Angle Sounds the Seventh trumpet, "And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever".
The Purpose
In this
the seventh
day, we have been given a 'glimpse' of 'the Glory of God'
as we see Jesus
sitting at the Right Hand of God the Father as the exalted
Son of Man- (Matt.26:64 Acts 7:55-56 Col.3:1
Heb.2:9).
The purpose of the exaltation of Jesus, revealing the Glory of God, is laid out
by the Hebrew author. "For Christ did not enter a
sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but he
entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on
our behalf" (Hebrews 9:24 -also, Rom.8:34).
Jesus is there for us, His people. He is our mediator, who
acts as our High priest standing between us and God (2 Tim.2:5).
What Jesus did as our High Priest was the 'putting away', 'the
annulment of sin' by or through the sacrifice of himself. Jesus for
us, is both the sacrificer and the sacrifice. He is the lamb of God
prepared from the foundation of the ages.
Jesus reminds us of the promise of God, "Blessed
are the pure in heart: for they shall see God"
(Matt.5:8). Jesus is the only man
to have seen God in this day; the seventh Day. Jesus is
the first fruits of those who are
yet to see God (1Cor.15:20-23).
Currently, Jesus is the only man of flesh
and blood, made immortal, to have entered into
heaven and stand in the presence of God, (Acts 7:56) no other
man has ever done this, ever! (John 3:13, 1John 4:12). It is
upon His 'reappearance', "To those who eagerly wait for Him He
will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation"
(Heb.9:28). When this happens, the Eighth Day will be realized and
all those who are called the Sons and daughters of God, having been sealed with
the spirit of adoption, will then see God (Romans 8:15,23 1John
3:1-3). Faith, for the Children of God
will take on sight and 'we will know as we are known' (1Cor.13:12).
It is in the Eighth Day, when this mortal creature, for which we are
currently, will take on immortality,
as Jesus has been the first fruits, and Gods decree to make man in His image and likeness will have come to
its full fruition in us; as His Sons and Daughters
(2Cor.6:18).
Today,
as believers, we hold the title of
Sons and Daughters, not knowing what we shall be, for how can we
know currently what it is to be glorified with immortality, i.e.
life eternal? For now in this day, the seventh day, we have the hope
that death and the grave are not the end. Many of God's children
have passed into death and now sleep in Jesus waiting for the
resurrection (1Thess.4:13-18, 1Cor.15:16-18).. As believers in God we
have a forerunner who has been raised from the dead by God the
Father and has gone before us as our head having conquered death and
the grave. It is in this hope that we "see Jesus" (Heb.2:9)
who calls to His people, "come, ..and I will give you rest"
(Matt.11:28) and an inheritance, and immortality, and to sit
with Him in His Throne (Rev.3:21).
In Conclusion
Tomorrow, in the
Eighth Day, we will see God the Father; when, "He is
revealed, (for) we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He
is" (1John 3:2b).
It is the Day of the restitution of all things (Acts 3:21)
it is the Day of Redemption Realized. It is the last Day
(John 6:39,40,44,54 11:24) in which
those who sleep in Jesus, (1Thess.4:13-16, 1Cor.15:20,
Psa.17:15) will have been raised to Life Immortal and
will partake of the Divine Nature
(2Peter
1:4).
We
are called to believe that God is well pleased
in the Son of His love, the son who was obedient unto death. The
promise and hope of the Gospel of Jesus the Christ, is found in the
truth that Jesus is the 'first fruits' of
God's promise to make man immortal. The Promise was
made good when Jesus the Christ Died and was raised by the Father, to
life immortal (Rom.8:34, 14:9 1Cor.15:3, Acts 3:14, 4:10 13:30).
God, "not willing to leave His (Jesus) soul in the grave, nor
was He willing for the holy one to see corruption, raised Jesus from
the dead, and lead Him to the path of Life" (Psalm 16:10-11a & Acts
2:25-31). Jesus ever lives to intercede
for those who come to God through Him (Heb.7:25).
The believer in God holds the promise to be conformed to the image of God's Son (Rom.8:29). "The promise of Life eternal, is to be found in the image of God". Eternal life is to know God and His Son, (John 17:3) and to know God is (ultimately) to be found in His image, "for we shall be like Him" (1Jn3:2). The image of God for which the believer in God is to found; at the end of the day, is immortality, the glory of God. Life immortal is that quality that is quintessence of God. For He alone is the origin of all life and it is He alone in which we move and have our being (Acts 17:28).
God has given
that Life to Jesus when He raised him up from dead.
"I am He (Jesus) who
lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I
have the keys of Hades and of Death. (Rev.1:18).
Jesus, as the divine and glorified man, the last Adam, "He
is the express image
of that 'confidence and assurance' in the promise of God"
(Heb.1:3). Jesus can no more die, as he once did
for sin, but ever lives, as He has been given "the Sure
Mercies of David" (Isa.55:3, Acts13:34).
The promise of the Gospel is the 'counter measure' of Gods declaration, "in dying you shall surely die" (Gen.2:17, 3:4). To believe God is to live, to remain in your unbelief is to surely die. What will you do?
In the Eighth Day, those who have
been found to have the Faith of Jesus will
follow Him in the promise to partake of the very Life and Nature of God.
It is The Day of New
Beginnings.
J.
E. Thomas
03/03/2012