The Signs of the Times (20): Two promises

‘…Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please…’
Isaiah 46:9-10 (NIV)

The Lord oversees history from beginning to end. Or vice versa: From the end He looks back and oversees the present and the beginning. The Great End Goal is the magnet which draws history towards that end. The Great End Goal is the coming of the Kingdom. And the coming of the King of that Kingdom. A force that pushes and pulls towards the end. And through this end to a new beginning.

Only when we learn to see through the eyes of God, we begin to understand things. And we can only see through God’s eyes when we learn to look through the lens of His Word, the Bible. In the Bible He has revealed Himself and the future of man and the world. Even when you’re standing on top of the Swiss Alps with clear skies, and you look at all those mountain tops around you – as far as the eye can see – it’s difficult to see what valleys lie between the peaks and how far the distance is from one peak to the next, or even to see which mountain tops are closer and which ones are farther!

The history of salvation of Israel and the nations and the world is beautifully summarized in four Bible-verses. One of the minor prophets, Micah, says in Micah 5:1-5: ‘…But you, Bethlehem Ephrata, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for Me One who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labour bears a son [the so-called inter-testament period from approx. 400 BC until the birth of Jesus Christ], and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites [in our days we see the return of the 2 tribes of Judah, the tribe in which Christ was born + 10 tribes of Israel, and they join together as the 12 tribes of Israel]. He will stand and shepherd His flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the Name of the Lord His God [Return in Glory + Coming of the Kingdom]. And they will live securely, for then His greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And He will be the Peace…’

The angel Gabriel made two promises to Mother Mary. Promise number one is this:  “…Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favour with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus…” (Luke 1:30-31 NIV). This promise has literally been fulfilled. The holy child was born – God was His Father and Mary was allowed to be His mother – to become the holy Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world.

But the angel Gabriel also had a second promise:‘…”He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David [and that throne stood in Jerusalem], and He will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever [the 12 tribes of Israel over which king David reigned, thus over the whole house of Israel, that today is returning to the Promised Land for that reason] His Kingdom will never end.”…’ (Luke 1:32-33 NIV)

And that second promise will be fulfilled in the future, just as literal as the first promise has been fulfilled in the past. Wouldn’t it be great that that would happen in our days, so that finally Peace will fill the earth, and the nations shall train for war no more, as promised and prophesied in Isaiah 2:2-4? Who knows how very soon this will be!